Chapter 191: Chapter 189: Outstanding Performance, An Early Homecoming

Mr. Lu was clearly teasing, and no one took him seriously. They all just laughed good-naturedly.

Ever since Wang Xinxin’s pregnancy, however, everyone had been bustling about.

Whenever Mrs. Lu made something delicious, she would always send a portion over to Wang Xinxin.

Nanny Wang had moved in with the Lu Family after she arrived, feeling more at ease living there.

Zhou Rui hadn’t shown up again. Word was he had returned to Xiangjiang.

But Su Tang suspected, ’He must have another trick up his sleeve.’

The letter she had sent to Lu Xiao had gone unanswered for a long time.

Su Tang assumed he was busy, perhaps transferred to another classified project.

She never expected, however, to see Lu Xiao waiting for her when she got home from work that day.

"Tangtang."

A faint smile filled the man’s eyes as he simply gazed at Su Tang.

Su Tang froze, unable to process what she was seeing for a long moment.

"Lu Xiao!"

The moment reality sank in, she ran toward him.

The wind whipped through her hair, sweeping away the tears that brimmed in her eyes.

She threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"How... How did you get back so soon?"

’He still had over a month left of his six-month assignment.’

"My performance was exceptional, so I was allowed to return to my post early."

Lu Xiao said with a smile.

To be reunited with them sooner, he had pushed through endless days and nights of training and assessments.

Others called him reckless, saying he had a death wish, but he just wanted to get back to his wife and child sooner.

Hearing this, Su Tang’s tears fell even faster. She gently pounded her fist against his chest, her voice choked with emotion.

"You’re so foolish. Don’t you know how to take care of yourself?"

Despite her words, her tone was overflowing with a mixture of heartache and joy.

Lu Xiao let her pound his chest, simply pulling her into an even tighter embrace.

He lowered his head, inhaling the fresh scent of her hair, and felt the exhaustion from his journey instantly melt away.

’Across countless mountains and rivers, he was finally home.’

Just then, the elders inside heard the commotion at the door and poked their heads out to see what was happening.

"Oh my! Lu Xiao is back!"

Nanny Wang was the first to cry out, so surprised she forgot to put down the spatula in her hand.

"It really is Lu Xiao!"

Mrs. Wang quickly turned and shouted back into the house, "Sis, Brother-in-law, come out! Your son is back!"

Mr. Lu and Mrs. Lu scrambled up from the sofa and rushed to the door, their faces blossoming into wide smiles.

Mr. Lu spoke in his usual teasing tone, but his eyes were filled with pride. "You little rascal. Not bad. Giving us a surprise attack, are you? Graduated early?"

’And here I thought it’d be at least six months before he came back.’

’I never thought it would be this soon.’

Mrs. Lu, however, just nodded repeatedly. "As long as you’re back, that’s all that matters! Come on in, don’t just stand there at the door!"

Su Tang finally lifted her head from Lu Xiao’s embrace, her cheeks flushed, and shyly led him into the house by the hand.

The family crowded around Lu Xiao, ushering him to the sofa and bombarding him with questions all at once.

Mrs. Lu hurried to get her son a glass of water, while Nanny Wang bustled off to add a few more dishes to the dinner menu.

Lu Xiao answered the elders’ questions one by one, but his gaze kept drifting to Su Tang beside him. They would catch each other’s eye and smile, a sweet feeling filling the air.

Wang Xinxin, supporting her back, slowly walked over and greeted him with a smile. "Cousin, you’re finally back. Sister Tangtang was about to wear her eyes out looking for you."

Lu Xiao nodded and asked with concern, "How are you feeling?"

"I’m great. Auntie and Mom are always coming up with new, delicious things for me to eat."

Wang Xinxin’s face was radiant with happiness.

It wasn’t just Mrs. Lu and Nanny Wang, but Mrs. Chen as well.

The entire household basically revolved around her.

Mrs. Lu, bringing the water over, overheard this and said with a chuckle.

"Of course! You’re the family’s top priority right now. And it’s perfect timing, with Lu Xiao back, our home will be even livelier! We have to make a few extra special dishes tonight and really celebrate!"

That evening, the dining room was filled with bright, warm light. The large table was laden with a dazzling array of dishes, filled with the comforting, lively atmosphere of home.

Everyone gathered around the table, their laughter ringing out continuously.

Mr. Lu was so happy that he even brought out some good liquor, sharing a couple of drinks with Lu Xiao and Mr. Su.

Mrs. Lu and Nanny Wang kept heaping food into everyone’s bowls, especially Lu Xiao’s and Su Tang’s, which were soon piled high like little mountains.

"Eat more, eat more. Look how thin you’ve gotten."

Mrs. Lu said, her heart aching for her son.

"Tangtang, you eat more too. It must have been hard on you, taking care of Xinxin lately."

Mrs. Su added, placing a large chicken drumstick in Su Tang’s bowl.

Su Tang smiled and nodded. Under the table, her hand was clasped tightly with Lu Xiao’s, as if she were afraid that if she let go for even a second, he would disappear again.

After dinner, the family gathered in the living room for a while longer, eating fruit and chatting.

It wasn’t until Wang Xinxin started to look tired that everyone, by unspoken agreement, began to disperse to their own rooms, leaving the long-separated couple to themselves.

Back in their familiar bedroom, Lu Xiao glanced around. Everything was just as he had left it, yet it seemed to have gained an extra touch of warmth.

His gaze finally came to rest on Su Tang, as gentle as flowing water.

Su Tang helped him take off his jacket. "You must be tired," she said softly. "Go take a hot bath and relax."

But Lu Xiao shook his head. He reached out and pulled her into his arms again, resting his chin lightly on the crown of her head. "I’m not tired," he murmured with a sigh. "Holding you, I’m not tired at all."

"Tangtang, I’ve missed you so much."

The simple words carried the weight of his deepest longing.

Leaning against his firm, warm chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart, Su Tang felt that all the months of waiting and worrying had been worth it for this single moment.

However, Cheng’an seemed to feel he was being ignored, and began to babble, as if trying to join the conversation.

Incomprehensible sounds tumbled from his mouth as drool trickled down his front. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Lu Xiao chuckled and picked up his son. "You little rascal, you’ve gotten chubby."

’He’s so much heavier than when I left.’

’I don’t even have to ask how much good food my mother-in-law and my own mom have been feeding him.’

"Here, let me wipe his mouth."

Su Tang took a tissue and wiped the drool from the corners of Cheng’an’s mouth.

Cheng’an giggled and called out "Mama" in a slurred, babyish voice.

"He’s learned to say ’Mama’ already?"

Lu Xiao was surprised. Su Tang shook her head with a helpless smile. ’Well, he is almost a year old,’ she thought. ’It would be stranger if he couldn’t say ’Mama’.’

But in the next second, another word, unclear but enough to send a jolt through both of them, tumbled from Cheng’an’s lips.

"Da... Dada."

The sound was mumbled and sticky, hard to make out.

Lu Xiao’s body went completely still, and the arm holding Cheng’an tightened instinctively.

He almost thought he’d misheard and quickly looked down at the little one in his arms.

"Cheng’an... can... can you say that again?"

Su Tang’s eyes went wide as well, her gaze locked on Cheng’an’s face.

That faint, blurry "Dada" was like a pebble dropped into a still lake, sending ripples spreading through her heart.

Cheng’an seemed to sense his parents’ anticipation, or perhaps he just found the sound fun to make.

He opened his little mouth, showing off the few teeth he had, and giggled before calling out indistinctly again, "Da... Da!"

The sound was a little clearer this time. Lu Xiao couldn’t hold back any longer; his eyes instantly turned red.

He carefully lifted Cheng’an into the air, then brought him back into a gentle hug, nuzzling his cheek against the little one’s soft face. His voice was thick with emotion and joy.

"Yes! Dada’s here! Dada’s here!"

Su Tang watched the father and son before her, reaching out to stroke Cheng’an’s little head. "Our Cheng’an is so amazing," she said softly. "You can even say ’Dada’ now. What a smart little baby."

"Well, I guess it’s a good thing I showed him your picture every day."