"The Qi family's descendants are truly flourishing. Whoever marries my brother in the future will be pestered to death by these relatives!" Su He couldn't help but sigh as they left the banquet hall. She had attended so many birthday parties, but the Qi family was the one with the most family members she had ever seen.
After a round of pleasantries, she hadn't even remembered a few names, let alone matched them to faces. The only ones who left a slight impression were Qi Ruoyun and Qi Ruoqing.
Mentioning Su Chen, Su He couldn't help but grumble, "He spent the entire evening squatting in a corner drinking, too lazy to socialize. It seems he really dislikes that family..."
"But if he dislikes it, why doesn't he leave?"
"Perhaps, there's something in the Qi family that he cares about." Lu Yanbei didn't want her mind occupied with other men. He cupped her chin and turned her head towards him. "Your husband didn't eat a single bite tonight. Don't you care about me at all?"
"You say that as if I've eaten," Su He pouted.
"Didn't you get the food you liked?"
"Don't mention it! I was about to take a bite when a group of people crowded around, and I didn't get a chance." Su He got angry just thinking about it. Such delicious food, wasted just like that!
Lu Yanbei was amused by her expression. "Then, shall we find a place to eat now?"
Su He nodded repeatedly. "I know a restaurant with a good reputation, and it seems to be nearby..."
As she spoke, she fumbled for her phone in her bag.
Unfortunately, Su Chen's call came in.
Su He glanced hesitantly at Lu Yanbei. "Can I take it?"
"Go ahead." Although somewhat reluctant, Lu Yanbei still hummed in agreement.
Su He answered the phone, and Su Chen's slightly drunk voice came through the receiver, "You ungrateful little thing, you left without waiting for me! Your brother drank a bit too much, have Lu Yanbei drive over and pick me up..."
Su He looked at the man beside her whose expression had turned slightly grim. She said, "Can't you find a designated driver?"
"My phone is dead!" the other party replied impatiently.
"Then who did you use to call me?"
"I mean the battery is low!"
"The hotel should have power banks; you could borrow one from the staff."
Su Chen: ......
As expected, he was being treated like an outsider because of his sibling's romantic involvement!
How long had she been married before she started neglecting her own brother!
Seeing Su Chen speechless, Lu Yanbei's mood improved considerably.
"Cheng Jue, turn back to the hotel." His good mood made him decide to generously give his brother-in-law a ride.
Su He understood his intention and replied to Su Chen, "Wait at the entrance!"
With that, she hung up directly.
Su Chen put down his phone and let out a scoff.
Five minutes later, Lu Yanbei's car reappeared at the hotel entrance. However, it didn't stay long; they picked up Su Chen and left. Yet, this scene was still witnessed by some.
"Didn't they say their sibling relationship was bad? Why would they turn back to pick him up?"
"Some things are best taken with a grain of salt; don't take them too seriously!"
"So, does that mean Su Chen and Lu Yanbei have a good relationship?"
"Hmph! What if they do have a good relationship? Even blood brothers settle accounts! Would Lu Yanbei go out of his way to help an outsider for no benefit?"
"That's not necessarily true! What if there's some agreement between them?"
In the lounge, people from the Qi family's second and third branches gathered and whispered amongst themselves.
Among the five branches, their two branches were the closest and had always stood united against common enemies.
The eldest branch were legitimate descendants, and the fourth branch had the old man's backing. If the second and third branches didn't unite, they really couldn't contend with them. As for the fifth branch, they hadn't taken them seriously yet.
"It seems we need to make our move sooner rather than later. If Lu Yanbei really gets involved, things will become difficult to handle."
"Why don't we use Mrs. Lu to threaten him?" Qi Ruohuan from the second branch, lacking any brains, was immediately looked down upon by the others as soon as she spoke.
"Is there something wrong with your brain? Threatening Mrs. Lu would be directly confronting Lu Yanbei! If he gets ruthless, we won't have any peace," said Qi Wei, ranked fifth, with a cold laugh.
Lu Yanbei might not be very famous in Nancheng, but someone who could cover the sky with one hand in B City was no ordinary person. Her statement was indeed thoughtless!
The others also felt he was right.
Qi Ruohuan stomped her foot. "I just brought it up; if it's not feasible, it's not feasible. Why are you yelling at me!"
"Alright, you're not needed here. Go play with your friends," her older sister, Qi Ruoshi, said, stroking her head and coaxing her out.
Qi Ruohuan was a simple-minded person, and some things shouldn't be heard by her.
The remaining few discussed countermeasures behind closed doors, eventually deciding to target Su Chen.
"Didn't the old man give him a project recently? If the project falls through, what will he use to report to the old man!"
"That project was originally handled by second brother, and he snatched it away!"
"Investigate his social connections thoroughly, especially the Su family."
Previously, they had never paid attention to Su Chen's adoptive family. Unexpectedly, Mrs. Lu suddenly appeared. The remaining two must be investigated carefully.
Know yourself and your enemy, and you can win a hundred battles!
*
Su Chen sat in the passenger seat, reeking of alcohol, his head feeling muddled. He hadn't expected Su He and the others to go to a restaurant.
"Eating so late, aren't you afraid of gaining weight?" Su Chen looked up at the restaurant's sign and couldn't help but tease.
Su He gave him a sideways glance. "The fat isn't going on you; what does it have to do with you!"
Su Chen was slightly taken aback.
That tone of voice... his eyes widened sharply.
This was the Su He from before!
He had felt something was off before but couldn't pinpoint it. It wasn't until their bickering just now that he suddenly realized. This woman with a bright smile and a mischievous spirit, wasn't she the Su He from before?
She had finally returned!
"Su He, you..."
Su He knew what he was going to ask, but she didn't give him the chance. "Let's go in quickly; I'm starving!"
With that, she pulled Lu Yanbei inside without waiting to see if he followed.
Su Chen stood at the entrance for a long time. After a while in the cold wind, his head cleared up a bit. He composed himself and, with heavy steps, followed them.
For the sake of their health, Su He didn't order many dishes – three dishes and one soup were enough for three people.
"Little Rou, your favorite." While taking care of Lu Yanbei, Su He hadn't forgotten her brother, Su Chen.
Su Chen couldn't deny being touched.
However, thinking about what he had done to Su He in the past, it felt truly malicious now. Even if she had erased that memory, they had ended up together in the end.
Looking at the默契 (mòqì - tacit understanding) interaction between Su He and Lu Yanbei, he knew he had lost.
He had lost completely and utterly.
"What are you staring at? Eat," Su He frowned as she saw him gazing blankly at the meat in his bowl. "You don't like it? Then give it back to me!"
As Su He reached out to take it back, Su Chen quickly popped it into his mouth. "How can you take back something given to someone else!"
Su He made a funny face at him and then reached for the Sichuan Spicy Fried Chicken on the side.
She hadn't intended to fight him for it in the first place!
Lu Yanbei watched their interaction, something flashing in his eyes, too quickly for anyone to grasp.