Chapter 85 – Extra
As soon as Lu Fengge issued his threat, little Lu Xiao was the first to obediently shut his mouth, showing excellent awareness of the situation.
When Shen Ning appeared, the eldest and second sons also stopped crying. All that remained were two tear tracks on their faces and reddened eye sockets. Little Lu Xiao didn’t even have tear marks—he scrambled up and rushed toward Shen Ning. “Daddy.”
Shen Ning picked him up and walked over to the other two sons. “What happened? Why are you crying?”
Eldest Lu and Second Lu glanced at Lu Fengge and shook their heads in unison, as if they’d been threatened into silence. As for brothers fighting and making each other cry—if Dad didn’t see it with his own eyes, then it never happened.
Shen Ning shot Lu Fengge a look. “Why are they looking at you? Are you beating them every day?”
He held one-and-a-half-year-old Lu Xiao with one arm. The other two kids were too heavy, so he could only pat their heads. Then he asked the adorable youngest again, “And why were you crying, sweetheart?”
Lu Xiao shook his head too. If big brother and second brother weren’t talking, little brother certainly wouldn’t.
Lu Lou and Lu Yushu looked at their little brother—good, he was on their side.
Lu Fengge tattled, “The three of them fought and made each other cry.”
Shen Ning snorted. “Looks like they’re getting along just fine, doesn’t it?”
The three babies answered in unison, “Yes, Daddy.”
Shen Ning said, “Then have you made up?”
“We have.”
“Great. Come eat.”
Shen Ning nudged Lu Fengge’s shoe. “Crouch.”
Lu Fengge took Lu Xiao from him and crouched down. The second son immediately climbed onto his back, little arms wrapping around his neck.
Lu Fengge stood up, holding the youngest in one hand and supporting the second son with the other.
Shen Ning carried the eldest on his back, and the family of five shuffled toward the dining room together.
…
When Lu Xiao turned four, Shen Ning’s calligraphy finally reached maturity. He shut himself in the study and quietly practiced the same piece over and over—seventeen or eighteen times—until at last he completed, in one smooth flow, the most satisfying calligraphy of his life so far.
Lu Fengge’s birthday was coming up. This was Shen Ning’s gift to him.
Not only him—the three little ones, under their teachers’ guidance at school, had also prepared birthday cards for Daddy.
The childish art cards were handed to Lu Fengge. The older two had written blessings; the youngest could only draw, sketching a family of five. Lu Fengge felt the joy of having many children.
Shen Ning thought: Then when you see my mature calligraphy, won’t you be even happier?
He had copied a poem from the Book of Songs:
You give me a quince; I repay you with fine jade.
It’s not repayment—it’s affection that will last forever!
You give me a peach; I repay you with precious jade.
It’s not repayment—it’s affection that will last forever!
You give me a plum; I repay you with rare jade.
It’s not repayment—it’s affection that will last forever!
Three verses, the same structure repeated, expressing his feelings again and again.
Lu Lou and Lu Yushu could read, but didn’t yet fully grasp the meaning. Little Lu Xiao recognized only a few characters and pointed them out. “Quince—tasty. Peach—tasty. Plum—sour.”
Lu Fengge looked at the repeated line “It’s not repayment—it’s affection that will last forever!” His chest felt sore and tender. This was the most beautiful poem in the world.
Shen Ning pointed at his three sons one by one. “Quince, peach, plum—not repayment, but affection forever!” How could there be such a beautiful love letter in the world, even with the numbers matching perfectly?
What he wanted to express had been written down by people two or even three thousand years ago. It gave Shen Ning a sense of miraculous encounter—history lending him a unique romance and weight.
Little Lu Xiao said, “Are my brothers sweet, and I’m sour?”
But his brothers weren’t sweet either.
Shen Ning pinched his cheek. “You’re sweet too. Honey plums are sweet.”
Lu Xiao asked, “What’s a honey plum?”
Lu Yushu said, “It means little brother needs honey to be sweet.”
Lu Lou added, “We have lots of honey at home.”
Lu Yushu said, “Might be fake honey. We should sue that shop owner.”
Lu Fengge mounted Shen Ning’s calligraphy scroll and hung it in the study—on an entire white wall, with only that one piece displayed. As for the sons’ cards, placing them on the bookshelf was enough.
Most of the time, Lu Fengge felt his three sons were quite adorable. Occasionally, he felt they should all be sent to cram school.
As he wished, Lu Lou and Lu Yushu didn’t resist cram school. The brothers studied together and buried themselves in homework together.
The youngest, however, showed little love for studying—always wanting to challenge this and that. When he lost, he’d even “run away from home” back to the southwest.
Shen Ning said he was going to the southwest to fetch the child, but once he went, he didn’t come back. Lu Fengge had no choice but to put down his work and personally go fetch both wife and child.
There, they reunited with the Bee clan. Three clans were reunited. Shen Ning brought the bee clan’s children to study in Nan Cheng too, arranging housing for them across the street.
Lu Xiao ran over there every day—sometimes three times a day—for the bee clan’s queen baby, Meng Xueyuan. Because he ran over so often, Shen Ning discussed with the bee clan and had both families live within the same residential compound, so no one had to cross the street. The community separated pedestrians and vehicles, making it safer.
This made things even more convenient for Lu Xiao. Every time, he’d haul over a huge pile of food and drinks. Once, Shen Ning came home from work terribly thirsty. Lu Fengge opened the fridge—completely empty. He nearly hung the little rascal up to beat him.
It wasn’t about begrudging the food and drinks. The bee clan never accepted them anyway. Lu Xiao would push a cart full of snacks over like a little train attendant—peanuts, melon seeds, bottled water—asking everyone if they wanted some. When no one did, he’d laboriously push the cart back again, taller than he was.
Little Lu Xiao never got tired of it. From a very young age, he seemed to understand social etiquette—never visiting empty-handed.
Lu Fengge just found the youngest son’s way of thinking… hard to judge.
Lu Xiao discovered the sweetest little brother in the world. Surely his own brothers would want such a brother too—he couldn’t let them steal Meng Xueyuan. He secretly told Meng Xueyuan, “My big brother and second brother beat little brothers. Don’t call them brother.”
Meng Xueyuan nodded vigorously, the flesh on his cheeks jiggling. “I know, Brother Xio.”
Lu Xiao was relieved. The only thing bothering him now was that Meng Xueyuan no longer accepted his snacks. Before coming to Nan Cheng, Meng Xueyuan would eat whatever he gave him.
But before leaving, the clan leader Chu Jiexian had told the bee children to take others’ kindness in moderation, not to trouble the Lu family too much, and to call him if anything happened.
Meng Xueyuan felt he’d eaten too many of Lu Xiao’s snacks—beyond the “moderation” Uncle Chu had mentioned.
Uncle Shen worked very hard to earn money. He couldn’t keep eating Lu Xiao’s snacks. After he ate them, Uncle Shen would have to spend money to buy more—a lot of money.
When Lu Xiao and Meng Xueyuan entered middle school together, the older brothers were in their second year of high school, at the same school that housed both middle and high divisions.
When Lu Xiao was fifteen, Shen Ning once accidentally opened Lu Fengge’s safe and saw a “family letter” preserved in perfect condition for nearly twenty years.
Feeling nostalgic, he opened it—only to find his early calligraphy skills unbearably poor. How could Lu Fengge treasure this?
As he flipped through, he noticed the typos Lu Fengge had circled.
Especially in his last letter: “Phoenix pavilion and dragon towers reach the heavens; jade trees and jeweled branches form misty vines.” In one line, lou, xiao, and shu were all written wrong.
Shen Ning had never realized he’d made so many mistakes—especially looking back with his current level… yikes.
Wait. These characters looked familiar.
Weren’t these his sons’ names?
“Lu Fengge, you—” that was downright devious!
Shen Ning angrily took photos and complained in the family group chat. “Look at your dad’s naming method—this is outrageous!”
Lu Xiao was the first to pop up. “Outrageous! Why am I the only one still using a wrong character?!”
Shen Ning: “Third child, shouldn’t you be in class right now?”
Lu Fengge: “When you get home, your phone will be confiscated.”
Shen Ning: “Don’t change the subject.”
Lu Fengge: “I think the third child playing with his phone in class is more serious.”
Shen Ning: “Alright then, I’ll deal with the third child first.”
Shen Ning went to the school. Afterward, he didn’t go straight home. He found a teahouse to listen to opera, pretending he was still very angry, waiting for Lu Fengge to explain himself.
At that moment, a piece of breaking news popped up on his phone: starting today, same-sex couples could retroactively obtain marriage certificates.
Yes—over the years, the two had signed countless contracts aligning their interests, but had never signed a marriage application.
Lu Fengge, who had just offended his wife: “…” He’d heard internal news about the legalization of same-sex marriage and had planned a proposal followed by registration. The announcement came faster than he expected.
Shen Ning grabbed his phone and ran. The Nan Cheng District Civil Affairs Bureau served so many people—if he was late, he wouldn’t get a number today and would have to wait until tomorrow.
Sure enough, a long line had formed outside—elderly couples and young lovers who’d rushed over on impulse after hearing the news.
Shen Ning immediately took a number, paced outside, and called Lu Fengge. “Guess where I am?”
“If you can’t find me within half an hour, let’s get divorced.”
Lu Fengge’s mind went blank—then he had a flash of insight. He grabbed both of their household registers and ID cards and headed straight for the bureau.
A crowd of reporters had gathered outside. With his good looks, Shen Ning became a prime interview target.
Reporter: “Sir, was this an impulsive decision or something you’ve thought through? Have you informed both families? Can your family accept it?”
Shen Ning covered his face with a mask and said shyly, “We’ve been together for over ten years. We’re not kids anymore. Please don’t ask—no interviews.”
The reporter was stunned. What? He looks only thirty! Did they start dating in middle school? He pressed on. “Did you start dating in middle school? Is it easier for male couples to hide it on campus?”
Shen Ning said solemnly to the camera, “No. I oppose early dating.”
He’d never done it—no way he’d let people use him to smear a group.
Lu Fengge watched from afar and smiled. Together for over ten years, nearly twenty—Ningning was still this adorable.
His skin had gotten much thicker than before, though. After getting their certificates, Lu Fengge asked Shen Ning, “Can you wear three layers on our wedding night?”
Peony petals came layer upon layer.
Shen Ning’s face flushed red. “You pervert.”
Others couldn’t wait for their spouse to take clothes off. Only Lu Fengge was obsessed with the process of undressing him—buying many thin, sheer garments so that even three layers were thinner than one normal piece.
“Can’t you have something elegant in that brain of yours? Your talent is barely worthy of me anymore.”
Lu Fengge said, “Then let’s play flying-flowers. Lose once, take off one piece.”
Shen Ning fell silent—he’d just said Lu Fengge wasn’t worthy of him, and now he’d slapped his own face. At flying-flowers, he didn’t always beat Lu Fengge.
“I don’t want to take off your clothes.”
Lu Fengge coaxed him. “The kids are all boarding at school.”
Years later, this short interview was accidentally dug up by the youngest son.
In high school, Lu Xiao listened to his dad vehemently opposing early dating and felt a jolt in his heart.
His open-minded Ning Dad actually opposed early dating? Was it because young Lu Dad had been too outrageous?
Or maybe the one who opposed it wasn’t Ning Dad, but Lu Fengge—since they’d only met after college. If there’d been early dating, his wife wouldn’t have been his.
Lu Xiao pondered his big dad’s mindset and concluded that must be it—Lu Fengge was petty.
But that didn’t apply to him and Yuan-Yuan. They were childhood friends.
During puberty, Lu Xiao vaguely realized that his fondness and possessiveness toward Meng Xueyuan had changed.
He wanted to date Meng Xueyuan early.
If he did, Lu Fengge would explode and kick him out of the house. But he wouldn’t give in, nor would he reveal who his early-dating partner was.
He’d just go work on construction sites, earning two hundred yuan a day to buy gifts for his future spouse.
Money earned by his own hands and sweat—every cent unrelated to the Lu family, purely from Lu Xiao himself.
Lu Xiao had long realized that Meng Xueyuan stopped accepting his snacks because they came from home—from his dad’s money.
If he earned his own money, Meng Xueyuan would accept his gifts.
He’d never had a chance to earn money before—no one would hire him, and he had no reason to suffer. Suffering would be unfair to his Ning Dad.
If early dating became a reason…
Lu Xiao never actually managed to date the top student boyfriend of his grade. It was all imagination—but he’d already planned everything afterward.
“Big brother, I’ll need you to snitch then.” Very fitting of big brother’s role.
Lu Lou, who’d been interning at the company with Dad for years, replied, “You’re sick in the head.”
