Chapter 204: Chapter 202: An Open and Honest Talk

Lu Cheng’an chased after Chenghuan all the way. After much coaxing and cajoling, he finally managed to calm down his little sister, whose face was a mess from crying, and convince her to go home first instead of throwing a tantrum on the street.

Back home, Lu Cheng’an was still fuming.

But looking at his sister’s red, puffy eyes, he couldn’t bear to say any more harsh words, so he directed all his pent-up anger at Huo Dongzhou.

He locked himself in his room, and the more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt.

’It felt like the precious little cabbage he’d carefully tended for twenty years was being eyed by a wild boar named Huo Dongzhou before it had even fully ripened.’

’And to make matters worse, this "wild boar" was someone he had once called a brother and brought into their circle himself!’

At dinnertime, the atmosphere in the house was a little delicate.

Lu Chenghuan kept her head down and ate in silence, her eyes still a little puffy.

Lu Cheng’an, on the other hand, was scowling, chewing his food with such ferocity it seemed he was tearing into Huo Dongzhou’s flesh, not braised pork.

Su Tang and Lu Xiao exchanged a look.

Lu Xiao had only learned what happened from Su Tang when the brother and sister returned.

He was angry too, of course, but Su Tang had pointed out that they would have to marry Huanhuan off eventually.

They couldn’t be with Huanhuan for her whole life.

If Huanhuan herself didn’t want to get married, that would be a different story.

But if Huanhuan herself was interested, were they really going to play the villains and break up a happy couple?

The only thing they could do was help Huanhuan vet him properly.

Help her avoid the potential risks of marriage.

After his wife’s words, no matter how angry Lu Xiao was, he could only eat in silence and cede control to Su Tang.

Su Tang gently kicked Lu Xiao’s foot, signaling him to keep quiet.

She placed some food on her son’s plate, then asked in a seemingly casual tone, "Cheng’an, how many days are you on leave for this time?"

"Not for long."

Lu Cheng’an answered sullenly.

"Oh."

Su Tang nodded, then added slowly, "This afternoon, that boy Dongzhou called the house."

At these words, Lu Cheng’an nearly dropped his chopsticks.

Lu Chenghuan’s head snapped up.

Lu Xiao frowned. "Huo Dongzhou? Why did he call?"

He didn’t have a good impression of the punk trying to spirit his daughter away, either.

But alas, he was under the thumb of his wife, Su Tang.

Su Tang’s tone was placid. "It was nothing important. He just called to ask if Huanhuan got home safely and to say he was very sorry for upsetting you today."

She directed this last part at Lu Cheng’an.

"The fox guarding the henhouse."

Lu Cheng’an snorted. "Of course he should be sorry! He’s lucky I didn’t break his legs!"

"Brother!" Lu Chenghuan couldn’t help but jump to his defense.

"Is that how you talk to your brother!"

Lu Xiao shot his daughter a glare, but it clearly lacked conviction, as he wasn’t too fond of Huo Dongzhou either.

Su Tang set down her bowl and chopsticks. She looked at her son, her tone gentle. "Cheng’an, Mom knows you’re worried about your sister. You’re afraid she’ll be taken advantage of or get hurt. Your father and I both understand how you feel as her big brother."

Lu Cheng’an felt a sting in his nose. ’Mom is the only one who gets it.’

But then Su Tang’s tone shifted. "However, Huanhuan is nineteen now. She’s a grown-up. It’s perfectly normal to meet people of the opposite sex in college and develop feelings for someone."

"You can’t still treat her like a little child you need to keep tied to your hip at all times."

"Mom! But that Huo Dongzhou..."

Lu Cheng’an retorted anxiously.

Su Tang held up a hand, cutting him off. "I’ve watched that boy, Dongzhou, grow up too."

"He comes from a good family, he’s capable in his own right, and at such a young age, he’s already shouldering major responsibilities at work."

"Other than being a few years older and more mature than your sister, I’ve never heard anything bad about his reputation."

"His age *is* the problem! He’s old and cunning! Who knows what his intentions are!"

Lu Cheng’an grumbled. ’It takes a man to know a man, and the way Huo Dongzhou looks at Huanhuan is just so... clingy.’

"You can’t judge people by appearances alone, nor can you go purely by your own assumptions."

Su Tang said slowly, placing more food on the plates of her husband and son.

"What good does it do for you to sit here sulking and threatening violence? Other than upsetting your sister and driving a wedge between you, what does it accomplish?"

"And what if—I’m just saying, what if—that boy Dongzhou really is a good person? Then wouldn’t you become the villainous older brother who ruined a perfectly good match?"

Lu Cheng’an was speechless. ’His mom’s words... actually made some sense?’

’But he still couldn’t bring himself to accept it!’

Seeing her son’s conflicted expression, Su Tang finally revealed her true objective.

"How about this? Since you’re back, it’s no use just listening to what we have to say. Seeing is believing."

"Tomorrow is Sunday. I’ll take the liberty of inviting Dongzhou over for a casual meal."

The moment she said this, the dinner table erupted.

"What?!"

"No way!"

Lu Cheng’an and Lu Xiao yelled at almost the exact same time.

Lu Chenghuan’s eyes widened in surprise, and a deep blush instantly bloomed across her cheeks.

Mr. and Mrs. Lu, along with Mr. and Mrs. Su, had known about this for a while. They also wanted to take this opportunity to get a good look at their potential grandson-in-law.

If he was truly dependable, then they could rest easy.

Having one more person to love and cherish Huanhuan in the future was more important than anything.

Su Tang brought the hammer down. "It’s settled. Cheng’an, you’re the one who will call and invite him."

"Remember, you are inviting him over for dinner, not declaring war. You can also use this as an opportunity to openly, as Huanhuan’s brother, properly observe him and test his character."

"It’s certainly better than hiding in the shadows and sulking, or rushing out threatening to beat someone up like you did today, wouldn’t you agree? This way, our Lu Family will also appear magnanimous and dignified."

Lu Cheng’an was stunned for a long moment, carefully mulling over his mother’s words.

’She did have a point...’

’Face to face, out in the open. He’d like to see what kind of tricks that punk Huo Dongzhou could pull right under his nose.’

’If that guy dared to show the slightest hint of being flippant or out of line, it wouldn’t be too late to take action... no, to raise hell.’

With that thought, although Lu Cheng’an still felt conflicted, he finally, reluctantly agreed. "...Yeah, I got it."

「The next afternoon」

Huo Dongzhou arrived at the Lu family’s front door right on time, carrying two net bags brimming with fruit, malted milk, and pastries.

He had changed into a crisp Zhongshan suit, his hair was combed meticulously, and he was so nervous his palms were sweating.

The situation made his heart pound faster than it had on his first covert mission.

A scowling Lu Cheng’an opened the door.

The two men’s eyes met at the door, and in the space of a single glance, it was as if they had already fought a hundred rounds.

"You came?"

Lu Cheng’an’s tone was less than friendly.

"I’m here, Cheng’an."

Huo Dongzhou tried his best to remain composed as he handed over the gifts. "Just a little something."

"Hmph. We’re not short on these things at home."

Despite his words, Lu Cheng’an took the bags.

Once inside, Huo Dongzhou first greeted Lu Xiao, Su Tang, and the four grandparents with immense respect.

Lu Xiao, holding his teacup, merely grunted in acknowledgment, his eyes sizing Huo Dongzhou up and down.

Su Tang, in contrast, was quite amiable, smiling as she offered him a seat and poured him some tea.

Lu Chenghuan was hiding in the kitchen, ostensibly helping out, her face flushed red as she snuck peeks into the living room from time to time.

The atmosphere throughout the entire meal could only be described as delicate.

"Huo Dongzhou, what is it you do at work, exactly? I hear you have a lot of free time, since you’re always running over to the west side of town."

Huo Dongzhou put down his chopsticks and answered earnestly, "I’m in charge of some technical research and development projects, so my schedule is relatively flexible. As for visiting Huanhuan... I only ever use my personal time off. It has never interfered with my work."

His answer was watertight. He successfully showed that he was serious about his work, and that his attentiveness to Huanhuan was a separate, personal priority.

Work was about providing a better future for one’s family, and he would never treat it carelessly.

"Oh. So what are your plans for the future? Are you just going to stay in that position at your workplace indefinitely?"