Chapter 126
The second evolution of the big willow tree within a short period of time took Lu Lingxi by surprise. He was a little hesitant, not knowing whether he should choose to evolve immediately. He still remembered the commotion when the tree evolved last time. The whole village was like during an earthquake. What if the commotion was even bigger this time? But he didn't want to artificially suppress the evolution of the willow tree either; that would obviously defeat the purpose of the panel's existence.
Lu Lingxi looked at Yan Yue with some difficulty and talked about the evolution of the big willow tree. Yan Yue immediately understood Lu Lingxi's concern. He pondered a little and said, "Evolution is definitely going to happen, but we need to make some preparations in advance. No one knows how big or small this evolution will be, so it's best to gather all the villagers of Lingshui Village outside just in case there are any accidents."
This was what Lu Lingxi was worried about, fearing that there might be some kind of damage. But what excuse should he find to gather everyone outside? He thought about it and suggested, "On the night of New Year's Eve, fireworks were set off in Lingshui Village. Uncle Li said it was quite lively and everyone went out to see it. Why don't we show it again?"
Yan Yue thought this was a good idea; not only was it a chance to get everyone together outside, but it would also make a favourable impression on the villagers in the process. And since it was fireworks, the evolution of the big willow tree that would happen at night wouldn't be noticed in the dark even if there was any movement.
The two of them agreed, and Lu Lingxi first made a phone call home. He said that there was something going on at the plant nursery and that he would have to stay in Lingshui Village for another day. He sent a special message to Elder Zhang, so that Elder Zhang wouldn't come to look for him at the shop tomorrow. After he had finished, Yan Yue also talked to the village head of Lingshui. In order to add an extra layer of insurance and to make sure that the villagers would be drawn out, Yan Yue offered the village chief, Li Dayong, to put on one hour of fireworks and two movies. He remembered that there were those open-air outdoor movies, which were very convenient to show.
As soon as Yan Yue said this, Li Dayong knew what he meant. A few years ago, Fengcheng held a cultural campaign to the countryside, and its main focus was this kind of open-air movie. Usually, when there was a happy occasion in their village, they would also invite people to show a few movies, and these arrangements were not difficult. Yan Yue paid for the movies and Li Dayong contributed as well, and it was soon decided that the movies would start at six o'clock and the fireworks would be set off between them.
Originally, Li Dayong thought that six o'clock was a bit early, as the villagers had probably not eaten yet. But Yan Yue insisted, and Li Dayong couldn't resist, so he had to inform the villagers that the movies would be shown at six o'clock and that those who wanted to see the movies should eat early today.
The two of them couldn't hide their plans from Uncle Li. Uncle Li listened to the words of thanks for Tiny Garden on the radio and whispered to himself, "How could these two children suddenly think of showing a movie to the village? They didn't mean to do that just before they went out."
The old dog gave a few low barks and Uncle Li smiled, stretched out his rough hand and stroked the old dog's head, promising, "Okay, I'll take you to see it tonight."
Because they were thinking about the big willow tree, Lu Lingxi and Yan Yue didn't stay at the Qiu Tian nursery for much longer. After they finished their business, they went to find Fang Lei and Xiao Shi and prepared to return to the village. When they went there, Fang Lei and Xiao Shi were eating grapes with Tiger. The grapes were just picked and much fresher than those bought in the market. Tiger warmly invited them to eat more and had picked another basket for them to take away when they left.
When he heard that Lu Lingxi was planning to go back, Tiger was a bit surprised. Why was he leaving in such a hurry? Lu Lingxi explained that he was just thinking of the plant nursery and that he was relieved to have Tiger to look after it.
Fang Lei was keenly aware that Lu Lingxi seemed to have something on his mind. He quickly glanced at Yan Yue but didn't see anything on Yan Yue's face. Fang Lei couldn't help but mutter something in his heart; but then he thought that with Yan Yue around, nothing could happen to Lu Lingxi, so he relaxed.
When they returned to the village, Fang Lei learned that Lu Lingxi was planning to show two movies in the village in the evening. Xiao Shi was overjoyed and even seemed to look at the big grey cat more favourably, not as hostile as at first.
"Brother Xiao Xi, will you stay here tonight?" Xiao Shi asked, looking at Lu Lingxi expectantly.
Lu Lingxi nodded, "Yes, I'll go home tomorrow."
Xiao Shi immediately grinned, revealing a little missing tooth in the front.
Before Fang Lei had come to Lingshui, he just planned to check on Xiao Shi, pick up Dahei and then leave. But the appearance of the big grey cat stopped him from leaving. Now the big grey cat had not yet been tamed, so Fang Lei simply stayed in the village to join the fun at night. He had been on duty for two days during the New Year anyway, and today was a day off, so he could stay at Uncle Li's house if it was too late to go home.
Until six o'clock in the evening, Lingshui Village was calm and quiet. It was just getting dark when the people of the village gathered at the river to watch a movie. Fang Lei watched Xiao Shi to keep him from wandering off, and Ah Huang guarded Xiao Shi's side vigilantly as well. Xiaohui squatted on Fang Lei's shoulder with an arrogant look on his face, having used this place as his mobile soft chair for the whole day. When Xiaohui got uncomfortable, he stretched out his paw to tug on Fang Lei's hair, reminding him to move around and adjust his position.
As soon as the movie started, Xiaohui suddenly became a little restless. He stretched out his paw and scratched Fang Lei's shoulder several times. Fang Lei was quite helpless: "What's wrong with Master Cat again?"
Xiaohui narrowed its eyes and looked far away in the direction of the big willow tree, meowing a few times. Fang Lei followed his line of sight and couldn't guess for a moment what Xiaohui meant. Just like Xiaohui, Ah Huang was also acting a bit off. Xiao Shi hugged Ah Huang and smoothed his fur, then suddenly remembered something and looked up at Fang Lei, "Uncle Fang, where is Brother Xiao Xi? Even Dahei is not here?"
Fang Lei's heart stirred and he looked thoughtfully in the direction of the village. It seemed Yan Yue and Xiao Xi had stayed in the village and had not come out.
Standing under the big willow tree, Lu Lingxi and Yan Yue didn't go to watch the movie, but kept watch over the big willow tree and waited for it to evolve. As Lu Lingxi clicked on the white panel and selected "yes", the huge root system of the big willow tree, which was coiled under the village, expanded towards the surrounding area at a speed visible to the naked eye. But to their surprise, this time the evolution was silent and there wasn't the slightest vibration coming from the ground.
Yan Yue guessed, "Is the root system so deep that it can't be felt above the ground?"
Lu Lingxi wasn't sure either, but still said cautiously, "Let's wait a little longer."
They waited until the fireworks were over, the movie ended, and the villagers began to go home one after another. Nothing happened for four hours, and Lu Lingxi couldn't tell if he was relieved or disappointed. He and Big Brother Yan had been apprehensive for so long, but the result wasn't at all the big shock they had expected, and there was a feeling that he punched with a full force but hit cotton.
Yan Yue smiled at his expression and reached out to gather Lu Lingxi into his arms, saying with amusement, "Let's go back, there should be nothing wrong."
Lu Lingxi nodded with a yawn. He had been emotionally tense before, and when he finally relaxed, his fatigue surged through his body like a tidal wave. Now he just wanted to go back and get a good night's sleep. The two of them went back to the courtyard hand in hand. Lu Lingxi followed Yan Yue after washing up with his eyes half closed and soon fell asleep.
In a daze, he felt that someone had come outside and Yan Yue had gone out and said something. Lu Lingxi rolled over under the blanket and muttered, "Who is it?"
A soft kiss fell on his face. It was Yan Yue's voice, "Go to sleep, Fang Lei came over for something and already left."
Lu Lingxi subconsciously grabbed Yan Yue's arm, buried his face in the other party's chest and fell into a deep sleep.
At night, the whole Lingshui Village was silent. Unbeknownst to the people, the roots of the big willow tree had rooted into the bottom of the Lingshui River and began to recklessly absorb the water inside. A large amount of river water was stored underground through the roots of the big willow tree, and the roots coiled beneath Lingshui Village gradually became thicker and thicker.
When it was almost dawn, the white panel floated out, and Lu Lingxi woke up suddenly, rubbing his eyes and looking at the two lines of green characters at the bottom of the panel.
"The evolution of the third-level weeping willow completed, the evolution direction is +40% plant water storage."
"Willow ecological community extended to ten standard units, rewarding plant hearts +2000 and power of nature +10."
Lu Lingxi tapped on the white panel, and as he moved his finger, the entire area covered by the willow ecological community appeared on the panel. From Lingshui Village to Shigouhe Village, more than twenty green dots of light connected in a circle, and the soil within had all been purified to a white translucent form.
Lu Lingxi's eyes widened in surprise, and before he could completely react, a new prompt appeared on the panel.
10,000 points of plant hearts collected, the system begins to upgrade.
The panel's prompt was somewhat unexpected, and Lu Lingxi realised that because of the plant hearts that had just been rewarded, the panel had been upgraded once more.
"System upgrade successful. Mental scan range extended by three hundred metres. Exchange function open. 5000 points of plant hearts can be exchanged for 1 point of power of nature, 5 points of power of nature can start plant evolution. System randomly rewards a pack of soybean seeds."
As the prompt appeared, another palm-sized black package was added to Lu Lingxi's hand. This wasn't the first time it had happened, and Lu Lingxi was already very experienced at it. The only thing that surprised him a little was that the panel's new function could actually consume the power of nature to prompt the plant to evolve. The cost was just a little too high, 5 points of power of nature to prompt one evolution; he was sure he couldn't afford to part with the power of nature easily. But no wonder that he had 5 points of power of nature deducted the last time he had forced the donglingcao to evolve. At the time he had been surprised but now he thought he had just experienced the new feature of the upgraded panel in advance.
Lu Lingxi couldn't sleep anymore and simply got up and dressed. Yan Yue was awakened by his movement and said in a muffled voice, "What's wrong, Xiao Xi?"
Lu Lingxi went over and kissed Yan Yue on his own accord, whispering, "Nothing, the big willow tree has evolved, I want to go and see it."
Yan Yue woke up fully, "Wait for me, I'll go with you."
It was still very cold in the early morning, so Lu Lingxi wrapped himself in a down jacket and waited for Yan Yue to walk out together. There was a breeze blowing by, and Lu Lingxi took a deep breath, only to feel that the air outside wasn't dry at all, but rather had a feeling of wetness after the rain.
He spoke to Yan Yue about this feeling, somewhat surprised, and Yan Yue also vaguely felt that there seemed to be a little bit of moisture in the air. He knew that Fengcheng was located in the northern part of China and it had always been dry in winter; not to mention that it had not been snowing this winter, so it was even drier.
The two of them walked, thinking of their doubts, and from afar they saw that there seemed to be a man standing in front of the big willow tree.
"Fang Lei?" Yan Yue raised his eyebrows slightly, "What is he doing there?"
Lu Lingxi glanced at Fang Lei and his eyes were quickly drawn to the greenery in front of the big willow tree. It was still February, but as far as the eye could see, the area around the big willow tree was already lush and green. Clusters of grass had sprouted overnight, their green hues dazzling and their rich vibrancy overwhelming.
Chapter 127
Fang Lei had been led to the big willow tree by Xiaohui.
He was used to waking up early for exercise and was about to go out for a run around the village. As soon as he left the house, Xiaohui, who had been following him all last night, dashed in the direction of the willow tree like an arrow. Fang Lei subconsciously chased after him and immediately realised that something was strange.
It hadn't rained last night, but the ground around the big willow tree was slightly muddy. The wet ground was densely covered with tender green grass that was soft when stepped on. The closer one got to the big willow tree, the more one could smell a pleasingly fresh scent. Fang Lei took a deep breath and felt soothed and refreshed. With a slight raise of his eyebrows, he thought of Tiny Garden. Fang Lei had been to Tiny Garden quite a few times, and every time he went to Tiny Garden, he would have a similar feeling. It was like there was something in the air that could cleanse the mind, and the person had a complete sense of relaxation from the inside out.
While Fang Lei was lost in thought, Xiaohui had already climbed up the tree, squinting his eyes and lying on the branch with a look of enjoyment.
Fang Lei gazed thoughtfully at Xiaohui's performance, squatted down and pinched the soil. The wet soil had a coolness to it, not like the water that had just been poured in the morning. Lu Lingxi's name flashed through his mind, and his police officer's instincts told him that the strangeness surrounding the big willow tree had something to do with Lu Lingxi.
"Brother Fang?" The sound of footsteps from behind him interrupted Fang Lei's thoughts. He turned around to see Yan Yue and Lu Lingxi appearing behind him.
Inexplicably, the suspicion in Fang Lei's heart was confirmed, as if Lu Lingxi's appearance was the answer. He smiled faintly and asked as if nothing had happened, "Xiao Xi, why are you guys up so early?"
"Couldn't sleep, came out for a walk." Yan Yue answered the question for Lu Lingxi. He gave Fang Lei a deep look and stepped forward to casually say, "What about you? Why are you up so early too?"
Fang Lei shrugged and gestured to Xiaohui in the tree, "Xiaohui was making a lot of noise and wouldn't let me sleep, so I came out for a walk too."
Just as he finished speaking, Xiaohui in the tree looked displeased. He leaped lightly towards Fang Lei with his claws raised. Fang Lei nimbly dodged Xiaohui's attack with a wry smile on his face that he couldn't hide. Lu Lingxi chuckled, and the seemingly endless tension that permeated the atmosphere around the three of them suddenly disappeared.
Fang Lei stepped on the grass beneath his feet and said with emotion, "Spring has come early this year, it looks like the weather won't be bad."
He intended to draw attention to the strange dampness of the ground, but to his surprise Lu Lingxi shook his head and said seriously, "The weather will not necessarily be good. I'm afraid there will be a big drought."
Fang Lei was stunned, "How can it be?"
Lu Lingxi used the same argument that Uncle Li had used, that there would be a big drought after a warm winter. This was the experience of the old farmers in the fields for many years, and although it might not always be accurate, most of their predictions were close. What Lu Lingxi didn't say was that the evolution of the big willow tree was too sudden this time, and the water storage function after the evolution made him vaguely aware of something. The evolution of plants wasn't without a pattern; through natural selection they had adapted to changes in their environment. He always felt that the evolution of the big willow tree was in preparation for drought, otherwise he couldn't think of any use for the water storage function.
Fang Lei laughed at Lu Lingxi's statement. Although he had grown up in Fengcheng, he remembered that something like this had been said in nature textbooks or somewhere in the past. But now it was different from the past; with reservoirs regulating water use, there shouldn't be much of a problem even in case of a major drought.
"That's not necessarily true." Yan Yue wasn't as optimistic as Fang Lei and mentioned the great drought in the southwest last year. The topic quickly shifted to the drought, with Lu Lingxi talking about his wish to build a few wells in Lingshui Village. Fang Lei tried several times to turn the conversation back to the appearance of the mud, only to have Yan Yue turn it back each time quietly. Fang Lei held his breath for a long time, unable to find a chance, and had to give up finally.
Lu Lingxi didn't feel Fang Lei's depression at all and was still discussing with Yan Yue in a serious manner about where in the village it would be convenient to build a well. Fang Lei smiled bitterly in frustration, forcibly suppressing the curiosity in his heart. No matter what happened last night, no matter what was going on with the big willow tree, he believed that Lu Lingxi, who was preparing to build a well in advance because he was worried that the drought would affect the villagers' access to water, was the Xiao Xi he knew. There was no need to ask questions, as the other party would naturally say what they wanted to say.
The three of them looked around the big willow tree for a while, and then Fang Lei followed Yan Yue and Lu Lingxi back to the small courtyard. Xiaohui squatted lazily on Fang Lei's shoulder, seemingly having decided that this place was his. Uncle Li had been waiting for the three of them in the plant nursery for a long time, and when he saw them coming back together, he immediately greeted them and asked them to come and eat. Lu Lingxi planned to return to Fengcheng after eating, as there was nothing more to do in Lingshui Village and it was time for Tiny Garden to open after the New Year.
Uncle Li was a bit sad to see Lu Lingxi go, "It would be nice if Xiao Xi stayed for a few more days."
Lu Lingxi also wanted to stay at the plant nursery for a few more days, but Wang Shuxiu was pregnant, and he was thinking about his family.
During the meal, Uncle Li said that he had met Uncle Xu who had gone to the river with his bird in the morning, and that Uncle Xu had noticed that the water level of the Lingshui River seemed to have lowered considerably. Lu Lingxi bowed his head rather sheepishly while Uncle Li discussed with them excitedly whether the reservoir upstream had closed its gates and restricted water last night.
However, Uncle Li talked about another thing. Spring sowing was about to begin soon, and the upstream reservoir was estimated to be opened to release water. At this time of year, many fish would flow into the Lingshui River through the gates. When the Lingshui River wasn't polluted much in the past, many people in their village went to the river to fish. Since the plastic factory was built last year, no one had gone fishing, and even if they did, they wouldn't dare eat it. As soon as the fish got in the river, it would float on the surface of the water belly up. No one was foolish enough to eat it. This year, the pollution of the Lingshui River had been taken under control and it would definitely be lively when the water was released. Uncle Li wanted Lu Lingxi and the others to come together at that time and have fun.
This suggestion was immediately supported by Fang Lei's side, especially Xiaohui, whose eyes lit up when he heard about the fish. He tugged at Fang Lei's clothes and meowed twice. Although Fang Lei didn't understand, he guessed what Xiaohui meant and took the opportunity to pet Xiaohui's head. It was a rare case that he didn't get a scratch from Xiaohui's paw.
When it was time to go home, Xiaohui hesitantly looked at Lu Lingxi and then at Fang Lei. Although he had been following Fang Lei all day, it was Lu Lingxi who was more attractive to him. But just as Xiaohui was about to jump into Yan Yue's car, Dahei suddenly rushed out and barked at Xiaohui in warning.
This was the first time that Dahei had shown obvious rejection of an animal that appeared next to Lu Lingxi, and his meaning was clear: it was fine to follow Lu Lingxi around for a few days, but there was absolutely no way to follow Lu Lingxi home.
After a long time of confrontation between the cat and the dog, Xiaohui narrowed his eyes and retreated to jump into Fang Lei's car, flicking his tail arrogantly at Dahei from above. Fang Lei watched this scene with an itchy heart and beckoned Dahei. The main purpose of his visit was to borrow Dahei for a few days, and today he could just as well take Dahei with him. As for the grudge between Dahei and Xiaohui, Fang Lei didn't think it was anything important.
He was very enthusiastic, but Dahei squatted at Lu Lingxi's feet completely unmoved, just waiting for Lu Lingxi's instructions. Lu Lingxi actually didn't want to part with Dahei for a few days, but thinking about what he had promised Fang Lei, he had to squat down, hug Dahei and kiss him, telling him to be good and listen to Fang Lei.
Dahei reluctantly licked Lu Lingxi's face and jumped into Fang Lei's car. Xiaohui immediately exploded. He estimated that he couldn't beat Dahei, so he turned around and meowed at Fang Lei, raised his two front paws and slapped Fang Lei several times.
Fang Lei: "…"
Lu Lingxi wanted to laugh to death but couldn't really laugh out of concern for Fang Lei's face, so he clutched his stomach and endured. Yan Yue hooked the corners of his mouth rather unscrupulously; he could imagine Fang Lei's next days of chicken flying and dogs jumping. If Fang Lei had developed a tacit understanding with Xiaohui in the process of feeding him, even if he couldn't communicate with him, Yan Yue felt that Xiaohui would be enough to help Fang Lei solve cases.
After sending Fang Lei away, Yan Yue and Lu Lingxi also went back to Fengcheng. Instead of going home, they went straight to Tiny Garden.
When they were almost at Tiny Garden, Lu Lingxi received a call from Wang Chaoliang. "Xiao Xi, are you coming over today? When does Tiny Garden open?"
"Uncle Wang? Big Brother Yan and I are on our way to Tiny Garden, we'll be there soon."
"That's fine, I'll wait for you at the entrance of Tiny Garden, we'll talk later."
Wang Chaoliang had taken half a month off for the New Year and was going on another business trip in a few days. He was now a special researcher at Tiny Garden Technology Company. Although his regular job was a researcher at the Fengcheng Botanical Institute, the institute didn't object to researchers like Wang Chaoliang working for similar technology companies outside. After all, the Botanical Research Institute was a clean government institution, and there was not much external profit. The staff had a set salary, which was very poor. This kind of part-time job was considered by the Institute as a means of supporting the family, and the companies the researchers worked for were usually partners of the Institute.
Wang Chaoliang used to be a bit stubborn and didn't like this type of cooperation. He had always felt that the Institute's part-time researchers were putting the cart before the horse, and that it was difficult to determine the source of the results of such collaborations. Usually, when similar part-time researchers produced research results, the results were transferred to the market by their named partner companies. This was also the default unspoken rule of the Institute.
Last time, the chlorophytum that Wang Chaoliang researched came from Tiny Garden, and Wang Chaoliang gave Lu Lingxi the rights to the new plant variety without even thinking about it. Although some colleagues teased him afterwards about whether he had also taken up a job at Tiny Garden, Wang Chaoliang himself knew that he had no intention of taking up a part-time job outside. Yan Yue saw his meaning and said nothing. However, when Wang Chaoliang came to visit Lu Lingxi one time, Yan Yue deliberately took out two samples, the mutated donglingcao and the evolved mutated donglingcao. Wang Chaoliang's eyes lit up; he knew that this was Yan Yue's "trap" but he still couldn't resist the temptation. After a few days of itching, he approached Yan Yue with an offer to collaborate and became a special researcher for Tiny Garden. Through his contacts, Tiny Garden became a natural partner of the Fengcheng Botanical Institute.
Of course, Lu Lingxi wasn't aware of all these private dealings, and neither Wang Chaoliang nor Yan Yue had any intention of talking to him about them. Lu Lingxi was quite happy to have Wang Chaoliang join Tiny Garden and didn't take it too seriously when Tiny Garden became a partner of the Botanical Institute. On the other hand, after joining Tiny Garden, Wang Chaoliang was very responsibly concerned about the interests of Tiny Garden. He also thought of Tiny Garden when there was a suitable project in the Institute.
Yan Yue had already considered Wang Chaoliang a good person and through these small things respected him even more. The reason why he wanted to work with Wang Chaoliang was for the new variety rights of the evolved donglingcao. The application for new plant variety rights in China was fairly easy but required a request for new plant variety rights, a specification and a photo. The request and photos were not a problem, but the specification had to be issued by a professional.
Considering that Su Lang's research was progressing very well, and that they would sooner or later have to face Hopewell, Yan Yue naturally had to plan ahead and keep the raw materials under his control. For this reason, a professional researcher of trustworthy character was essential.
It was only after joining Tiny Garden that Wang Chaoliang learnt of Yan Yue's intentions. He was completely uninterested in the benefits behind all this, and his whole heart and soul were focused on the research of donglingcao.
When Lu Lingxi hung up the phone, Yan Yue could already see Wang Chaoliang's figure from afar. He was standing alone at the entrance of Tiny Garden, holding a large thermos in his hand. Yan Yue pulled over to the side of the road and Lu Lingxi greeted Wang Chaoliang with a smile.
Wang Chaoliang looked at Lu Lingxi and smiled affectionately, habitually starting to look for Dahei behind him.
"Dahei didn't come today?" Wang Chaoliang was a little surprised; usually Dahei was always close to Lu Lingxi and would never leave Lu Lingxi's side.
"Dahei stays at a friend's house these days and will only be back in a few days." Lu Lingxi explained.
Wang Chaoliang shook his head with a smile and showed the thermos in his hand with a regretful face, saying, "Your Grandma Wang made a pot of bone soup for Dahei. It seems that Dahei won't be able to drink it."
Lu Lingxi was a bit embarrassed. Grandma Wang often made some food for Dahei and was even more attentive to Dahei than he was. He thought about Grandma Wang's age and wanted to ask Wang Chaoliang to persuade her not to work so hard in the future. Wang Chaoliang noticed what Lu Lingxi meant and laughed.
"Xiao Xi, don't be embarrassed, your Grandma Wang has nothing to do at home every day. Having Dahei for her to think about is also a kind of emotional support."
While the two of them were talking, Yan Yue had already opened the door of the shop. Wang Chaoliang followed the two into the shop and talked about the purpose of his visit. In a few days, he was going to Kunnan, the place where the largest primaeval rainforest in the northern hemisphere was located. Right next to it was the Kunnan Botanical Garden, the largest in China. This time, Wang Chaoliang was going to stay there for half a year as part of an exchange programme. He intended to bring his research results on donglingcao there. The research itself had come to an end, with just some information left to sort out before it could be published and new plant variety rights could be applied for.
"Kunnan?"
Lu Lingxi listened with some longing. He had seen a program on TV about the pristine rainforests of Kunnan. With an average annual temperature of about 20 degrees, Kunnan could be considered a paradise for plants. According to rough statistics, more than 20,000 species of plants had been discovered in the Kunnan Rainforest, and there were still many undiscovered plants in the deeper parts of the rainforest where people could rarely go. The entire rainforest was a large plant base, providing a natural genetic treasure trove for the development of plant research in China.
Yan Yue felt Lu Lingxi's desire and his heart fluttered. A year ago Ye Kang had also talked to him about taking Lu Lingxi to travel, and the place Yan Yue was thinking of going to then was Kunnan. "Does Xiao Xi want to go and see it? We can find time to go and stay for a few days." Looking at Lu Lingxi, Yan Yue said in a soft voice.
Lu Lingxi's eyes lit up at his words, but then he thought that Tiny Garden was still open for business and Wang Shuxiu was pregnant… He nodded obediently and said, "I want to go, but I can't leave everyone over here."
Wang Chaoliang interjected, "Xiao Xi is worried that there is no one in the shop? You can find a temporary part-time job helper to look after it for a few days. If you go, it's just as well that I'm in Kunnan, so I can give you a good tour around the botanical garden. Normally, the botanical garden in Kunnan is only partially open to the public, and some plants are not visible to tourists."
The temptation of plants was very strong, and Lu Lingxi frowned nervously, "But Mom is pregnant, and I want to stay by her side."
Wang Chaoliang was a little surprised, "Xiao Xi is going to have a brother?"
Lu Lingxi nodded happily and said seriously, "Sister is fine too, I like both."
Wang Chaoliang smiled, thinking that Lu Lingxi would only be nineteen years old this year, and no matter how old he was, he still looked like a child. He himself thought Yan Yue's proposal was good, taking advantage of his presence at the Kunnan Botanical Garden to take Lu Lingxi for a good stroll. But Lu Lingxi wanted to stay with Wang Shuxiu, so Wang Chaoliang couldn't say anything.
The three of them chatted for a while, but when it was almost ten o'clock and the shop was full of customers, Wang Chaoliang didn't stay any longer. Lu Lingxi was busy with the customers, and Yan Yue sent Wang Chaoliang out of Tiny Garden. When Wang Chaoliang was leaving, he remembered one thing and confirmed with Yan Yue, "Are you sure that you only want to apply for the new plant variety rights for No. 2 donglingcao and not for No. 1?"
The so-called No. 1 donglingcao referred to the mutated donglingcao, while No. 2 donglingcao was the mutated donglingcao evolved by Lu Lingxi. Wang Chaoliang had numbered the two samples for the convenience of differentiation, and he was also used to calling them No. 1 and No. 2.
Yan Yue raised his eyebrows and nodded.
Wang Chaoliang felt strange; since he had studied them, why not apply for both together? If Yan Yue gave up the new plant variety rights for No. 1 donglingcao, it also meant giving up the associated benefits brought by No. 1. However, although Wang Chaoliang had not spent much time with Yan Yue, he knew that Yan Yue always had a purpose in doing things and wouldn't give up the benefits in his hands without a reason. Since Yan Yue didn't say anything, Wang Chaoliang didn't bother to ask any more questions, said goodbye and left Tiny Garden.
After Yan Yue sent Wang Chaoliang away, the corners of his mouth curled up as he looked in the direction of Zhongjing and a cynical smile appeared on his face. Wang Chaoliang was well-intentioned, but if he had applied for the new plant variety rights for the mutated donglingcao, wouldn't Hopewell's research be in trouble now? It would have been a good thing for Hopewell, as they would have been able to switch research directions earlier and the loss would have been a drop in the bucket. Yan Yue wanted much more than that. Wouldn't it be more interesting to wait until Hopewell thought it had succeeded and then give it a little push?
Chapter 128
In the evening, when Lu Lingxi got home, Wang Shuxiu asked about his visit to the plant nursery. This time, Lu Lingxi went to Lingshui Village and promised to stay for one day only, but it turned out that he stayed for another day. Although Lu Lingxi said on the phone that he was fine, Wang Shuxiu was still a little worried.
According to her past habits, Wang Shuxiu had always treated Lu Lingxi as a free-range kid. In the past, it was because Lu Lingxi was too rebellious and didn't want her to take care of him, but later on, it was because Lu Lingxi was too sensible and there was nothing she could take care of. Even when Lu Lingxi ran a plant nursery at a young age, Wang Shuxiu didn't worry about it at all. But lately, who knows what was going on, perhaps because of her pregnancy, Wang Shuxiu had started to worry about Lu Lingxi's affairs, asking him a few questions from time to time.
She asked in detail, and Lu Lingxi also wanted to make her happy, picking out what he could talk about and telling about it seriously. Except for the panel and the evolution of the willow tree, Lu Lingxi didn't hide anything from Wang Shuxiu.
"Big Brother Yan said…"
Lu Lingxi mentioned Yan Yue a few times, and Wang Shuxiu's heart inexplicably thudded. The little bastard started almost every sentence with "Big Brother Yan said"; Yan Yue's name appeared in the little bastard's mouth a little too often. She remembered her last visit to the hospital and felt that something was wrong. A suspicion grew in her mind, but she didn't dare to think about it for a while.
Wang Shuxiu listened to Lu Lingxi's story as if nothing had happened and asked as if casually, "I remember that there seems to be only one house over there in the plant nursery where people can live. How do you and Yan Yue live there, Xiao Xi?"
Lu Lingxi was taken aback for a moment, a little confused about what Wang Shuxiu meant, but he still replied, "Together."
Wang Shuxiu's heart sank, and that uneasy thought became even stronger. She was about to say something when Xiao Feng came out after taking a shower and saw them talking, reminding, "It's getting late, it's time for Xiaohua to rest."
After all, Wang Shuxiu was too old compared to a pregnant young girl in her 20s, and had to rest for at least 14 or 15 hours a day. Xiao Feng paid great attention to this and kept a strict schedule for Wang Shuxiu, urging her to go to bed at nine o'clock every night at the latest. When he said this, Lu Lingxi took a look at the time, which was already past eight and approaching nine, and immediately said, "Mom, get some rest, I'm going to find Big Brother Yan."
When he finished speaking and was about to leave, Wang Shuxiu almost subconsciously called him to stop him. Lu Lingxi looked at Wang Shuxiu in confusion. Wang Shuxiu remembered Zhou Xiaoman's words from last time and asked, "Xiao Xi, what do you think if we change to a bigger house?"
Lu Lingxi blinked unexpectedly, "Change the house?"
Wang Shuxiu nodded; the reason was very good. "We're going to have another family member soon, and there's not enough room. I think we should move to your dad's house first, and your uncle and his family will live here. We can change it later when we have a suitable house."
Wang Shuxiu's reason for moving was rational, but Lu Lingxi hesitated without answering. He didn't want to be separated from Yan Yue, but he couldn't find any reason to refuse.
Lu Lingxi didn't speak; his gaze wandered a little and Wang Shuxiu's heart sank again. The absurd thought in her heart became clearer. Xiao Feng waited for a long time for Wang Shuxiu to go to the bedroom to sleep. When he came out, he noticed that neither mother nor son was talking, as if they were in conflict. He was a bit surprised, as Xiao Xi would never make Wang Shuxiu angry, so what was going on? He didn't hear anything from the bedroom either. Xiao Feng smiled and tried to smooth the situation, saying: "Xiaohua is still not sleeping? Xiao Xi should go to bed early too, you still have to go to the shop tomorrow."
As Xiao Feng said that, he winked at Lu Lingxi, who hesitantly looked at Wang Shuxiu and whispered, "Good night, Dad and Mom." He turned around and went back to his room. Even if he was dumb, he noticed that the atmosphere just now wasn't right. Wang Shuxiu didn't seem too happy. Was it because he was unwilling to move?
Lu Lingxi closed the door to his room, and Xiao Feng coaxed Wang Shuxiu to go to the bedroom. "What's wrong? Where did Xiao Xi make you angry?" Xiao Feng asked.
Wang Shuxiu didn't know what to say. She was only guessing and wasn't sure if it was what she thought it was.
Xiao Feng looked at her expression and spoke for Lu Lingxi, "Xiao Xi has always been sensible. Take your time to tell him what's wrong, don't lose your temper in a hurry."
Wang Shuxiu sighed and didn't say anything, pulled up the blanket and closed her eyes to prepare for sleep. Xiao Feng gave Wang Shuxiu a worried look, turned off the light and lay down beside her. "What do you think of Yan Yue?" Wang Shuxiu asked Xiao Feng after lying down for a long time, unable to sleep and turning over.
"Why do you think of Yan Yue?" Wang Shuxiu had asked this question just a few days ago.
Wang Shuxiu sounded a little annoyed, "You know Yan Yue has never had a girlfriend, is there something wrong with him?"
Xiao Feng's heart moved and he guessed the reason for Wang Shuxiu's abnormality. When he didn't say anything, Wang Shuxiu took it as him agreeing, and since she couldn't sleep anyway, she simply started talking. "You've noticed, haven't you, that Xiao Xi treats Yan Yue very differently? In the past, I was too busy with the restaurant and didn't care much. I thought Yan Yue was just about the same as Yi Hang to Xiao Xi. Xiao Xi used to have a good relationship with Yi Hang, but not as good as he has now with Yan Yue, day and night together, 'Big Brother Yan this' and 'Big Brother Yan that' every sentence. Yan Yue has never had a girlfriend, do you think they…"
Wang Shuxiu didn't say any more and just felt that her heart was blocked badly. It was because the little bastard was usually too obedient, and as a result, when she mentioned moving and the little bastard didn't say anything but showed obvious reluctance, it made her feel that there was a serious problem. Why was the little bastard reluctant to move? The only reason Wang Shuxiu could think of was Yan Yue. Her mind flashed back to the last time Yan Yue and Lu Lingxi had spent time together, and Wang Shuxiu felt even more gloomy.
Yan Yue moved next door to her house, Yan Yue didn't have a girlfriend, Yan Yue left his own business and got a small plant nursery with Lu Lingxi… These things that Wang Shuxiu had previously ignored were now all evidence in her eyes. Wang Shuxiu sat up violently, "No, we must move."
Xiao Feng was startled by her and hurried to turn on the lights. Wang Shuxiu's face was ugly, "How old is Xiao Xi, he doesn't understand anything, we can't let him and Yan Yue stay together."
Xiao Feng smiled and felt a little sympathy for Yan Yue; but sympathy is sympathy, and the situation was Wang Shuxiu's biggest worry. He couldn't let Wang Shuxiu suffer any stimulation, so he immediately took a stand and said, "If Xiaohua thinks it's inappropriate, we'll move."
"Moving is not enough." Wang Shuxiu's face was sullen, "It's not good for the two of them to stay together."
She didn't know how far Lu Lingxi and Yan Yue had come, and she couldn't tell from their past dealings, except that they were a little too close. If the two had not yet pierced that layer of window paper, it was okay, but if they had… Wang Shuxiu was ready to be ruthless. The little bastard would only be nineteen this year, she couldn't let him go down this crooked path. She thought about Yan Yue finding the little bastard to cooperate in the first place, daring to deceive the little bastard who didn't understand anything. The more Wang Shuxiu thought about it, the more she couldn't sleep. She wanted to go to Yan Yue and demand an explanation from him immediately.
Xiao Feng saw that her face wasn't right, got up and poured her a glass of water, gently persuading: "Xiaohua, don't think too much, I think it's better for you to ask Xiao Xi about this matter. He is not a child anymore, we can guide him, but we can't decide for him. Besides, you just suspect it. It is not necessarily true, right?"
Wang Shuxiu took a sip of the water, calmed down a little and glared at Xiao Feng discontentedly, "Then if Xiao Xi really… can't I control him?"
Xiao Feng shook his head and said patiently, "You should definitely manage, but you have to find the right way. Don't rush to say anything, first look for clues to see if it's what you think."
Xiao Feng made up his mind to pacify Wang Shuxiu first. She was pregnant and couldn't be stimulated. The best thing to do was to make this a minor issue and let Yan Yue put up with it until Wang Shuxiu had given birth.
While Wang Shuxiu and Xiao Feng talked about Lu Lingxi without sleeping, in his room Lu Lingxi couldn't sleep either, holding his mobile phone and chatting with Yan Yue. Originally, Lu Lingxi planned to go to Yan Yue, but seeing that Wang Shuxiu was in a bad mood, he stayed at home after some thinking.
Yan Yue waited for Lu Lingxi and thought something had happened at home, but when he asked, he found out that Wang Shuxiu was unhappy, seemingly because of the move. Yan Yue's heart thudded. Although Wang Shuxiu's reason was quite good: after the baby was born, there would not be enough place for the family; but Yan Yue vaguely felt that Wang Shuxiu might have found out something, otherwise she wouldn't be so upset because of this small matter.
"What else did your mom say?" Yan Yue asked.
Lu Lingxi thought carefully and felt that Wang Shuxiu hadn't said anything either. He had been the one talking about things, and it was only later when he was leaving that Wang Shuxiu talked about the move.
"Nothing more, what I said before was all about the village."
"Big Brother Yan, why don't I just say I agree to move the next time Mom asks about it?"
Lu Lingxi sent two text messages in a row, and Yan Yue's eyes darkened when he saw the content of the second one. If Wang Shuxiu insisted on moving, according to Xiao Xi's nature, he would definitely compromise in the end. Yan Yue endured everything for so long in order to be with Lu Lingxi, not to get farther and farther away from him.
Yan Yue lowered his eyes slightly and tapped on the table, looking somewhat thoughtful. It seemed that tomorrow he would have to find Xiao Feng to figure out what Wang Shuxiu really meant. If it was really what he thought, he might as well just confess. In any case, now that Wang Shuxiu had another child, she would pay less attention to Xiao Xi.
He thought about this matter while talking to Lu Lingxi for a few more minutes before urging him to go to bed early. Lu Lingxi dutifully agreed, but tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He was used to having Yan Yue and Dahei by his side, so it was a bit uncomfortable to have no one there at the moment, and it took him until midnight to drift off to sleep.
That night, the four people next to each other basically didn't sleep well. Early the next morning, Lu Lingxi was surprised to find that Wang Shuxiu had actually gotten up early.
"Why didn't Mom sleep more? Is there something wrong?" Lu Lingxi asked nervously, rushing over.
"It's nothing." Wang Shuxiu shook her head. Lu Lingxi's expression was so concerned that even though Wang Shuxiu was annoyed, she couldn't be angry with him.
Xiao Feng poked his head out of the kitchen, "Xiao Xi, go and wash up, we'll be eating soon."
"Oh." Lu Lingxi obediently agreed.
After eating breakfast, Lu Lingxi thought about going to find Yan Yue. Wang Shuxiu was unhappy when she heard Yan Yue's name, glaring at Lu Lingxi and slapping the table, "Your dad is here, let your dad take you to the shop."
Lu Lingxi was startled, and Xiao Feng looked at Wang Shuxiu helplessly and smiled.
Chapter 129
After Wang Shuxiu spoke, neither Lu Lingxi nor Xiao Feng wanted to violate her wishes. Lu Lingxi hesitatingly followed Xiao Feng out of the door, glanced back at the next door, and quickly sent Yan Yue a text message.
He was naive but not stupid. The atmosphere at home in the morning was a bit off, especially when he tried to go to Yan Yue after breakfast and Wang Shuxiu's tone immediately sounded unhappy. He vaguely sensed Wang Shuxiu's rejection of Yan Yue and couldn't say what he felt in his heart. The road from the community to Tiny Garden was familiar to Lu Lingxi. He didn't say much when he got into the car, thinking about Wang Shuxiu's reaction.
If he didn't speak, Xiao Feng didn't speak either, and there was silence in the car. In fact, Xiao Feng was driving and thinking about what to say to Lu Lingxi about Wang Shuxiu's attitude so that Lu Lingxi could be mentally prepared. Actually, Xiao Feng was one of the first people to know about Lu Lingxi and Yan Yue. Even before he fell in love with Xiaohua, Yan Yue had snared Lu Lingxi quietly. Xiao Feng saw that but didn't care about it until later when he started courting Wang Shuxiu and Lu Lingxi was likely to become his son. Only then did he start to be concerned about the matter.
Xiao Feng had been in society for many years and had seen so many different kinds of people and lifestyles and he didn't mind two men being together. He was open-minded and had always felt that life was like drinking water, it could be warm or cold, as long as you enjoyed it, the opinions of others were bullshit. Before, he insisted on being single regardless of Xiao Hong's attempts to persuade him and later he married Wang Shuxiu regardless of everyone's gazes, proving this point of view. Personally, Xiao Feng felt that who Lu Lingxi was with was his own business, not to mention that even he couldn't find anything wrong with Yan Yue's intentions towards Lu Lingxi. He could see that Lu Lingxi was also quite happy with Yan Yue.
But even though he thought that, he also understood Wang Shuxiu's feelings. He knew that Wang Shuxiu and Lu Lingxi had been depending on each other for many years, and since Lu Yishui was unreliable, Xiaohua's whole heart was on Lu Lingxi. The only thing that a mother hopes for is that her son will have a good life and live in peace. The society now seemed to be open-minded, but the acceptance of two men being together was not as high as it seemed. When Lu Lingxi and Yan Yue got together, they could expect to encounter a lot of problems. These were problems that Lu Lingxi wouldn't have to face if he changed his lifestyle, and from Xiaohua's point of view it was natural to choose an easier path for Lu Lingxi.
With these thoughts spinning in his head, Xiao Feng was about to open his mouth, only for Lu Lingxi to ask first, "Is Mom angry?"
He was direct in his question, so Xiao Feng told the truth. "Xiaohua is indeed a little upset." Without waiting for Lu Lingxi to ask anything further, Xiao Feng spoke up with deliberation, "Xiaohua thinks that Xiao Xi's relationship with Yan Yue is a bit too close and she is a bit worried."
Xiao Feng didn't need to say what she was worried about; Lu Lingxi understood. His relationship with Yan Yue was no secret to Xiao Feng. Lu Lingxi paused and asked, "Does Mom disagree with me and Big Brother Yan being together?"
Although Wang Shuxiu was still unsure of Lu Lingxi and Yan Yue's relationship, the attitude she displayed was clearly one of disapproval. Xiao Feng didn't directly admit it, but politely explained Wang Shuxiu's feelings, "Xiaohua is worried about you. Xiao Xi, you know that this society is not yet very accepting of two men being together, and it is inevitable that some people will look at you with prejudice. Your mom is also worried that under such discrimination, you will be in stress. Besides, Xiaohua thinks you are still young and don't know what you really want. What if you regret it later when you are older?"
Lu Lingxi listened to Xiao Feng's words and could understand his mother's worry, but he didn't understand what social discrimination had to do with him being in stress.
"Why will I be stressed? It's not like irrelevant people have anything to do with my life."
He said it matter-of-factly and Xiao Feng was taken aback and quickly laughed. "Okay, that's my son!"
Originally, Lu Lingxi's life was very simple, and Tiny Garden, home, and plant nursery formed all of his life. His mind was clear and pure, and things from the outside world couldn't affect him at all. Xiao Feng was still a little worried about Lu Lingxi, but it seemed that he was overthinking. He patted Lu Lingxi with confidence and said, "Xiao Xi, just make your own decision. Whether it's your mom or me, we are just giving you a suggestion. It's up to you to decide how to go in the future."
Lu Lingxi nodded vigorously at his words.
Xiao Feng didn't leave immediately after dropping Lu Lingxi off at Tiny Garden but waited for Yan Yue to arrive. Yan Yue appeared not long after they arrived. As soon as he received Lu Lingxi's text message, Yan Yue guessed what was going on. It was obvious that Wang Shuxiu was beginning to suspect his relationship with Lu Lingxi.
"Xiao Xi." Yan Yue looked for Lu Lingxi as soon as entered the door.
Lu Lingxi was watering the plants in the shop and smiled at Yan Yue with his eyes curved when he looked up. Seeing that his expression looked okay, Yan Yue somewhat relaxed. He glanced at Xiao Feng standing aside and the two of them went out of Tiny Garden without a word and chatted at the entrance of Tiny Garden.
Lu Lingxi looked at the two men's backs, thinking what Xiao Feng would say to Yan Yue; probably it was about the morning's events.
In no time, the two seemed to have finished. Xiao Feng didn't stay much longer at Tiny Garden; Wang Shuxiu was still waiting for him at home. Lu Lingxi watched with bated breath as Yan Yue entered the shop, wanting to know exactly what Xiao Feng had said.
Yan Yue smiled at his expression and raised his eyebrows slightly but didn't keep him in suspense. "Brother Feng said that your mom already suspects our relationship."
This wasn't really a secret anymore; Lu Lingxi felt that he knew before Yan Yue did. Although he didn't say anything, the expression on his face clearly said what he was thinking. The corners of Yan Yue's lips curled up and a smile poured out of his eyes as he continued, "Brother Feng said he was on our side and would find a way to convince your mom."
Lu Lingxi's eyes lit up, "But…" Yan Yue's tone changed, "Brother Feng wants us to refrain from seeing each other for the next two months first. Your mom is not well and he is worried about her getting irritated."
This was exactly what Yan Yue was concerned about. Wang Shuxiu was expecting a child, and while Yan Yue was pleased that the child could divert Wang Shuxiu's attention, he had to be concerned about Wang Shuxiu's health. He knew the status of Wang Shuxiu in Lu Lingxi's heart, so he weighed the pros and cons and had to agree to Xiao Feng's suggestion. But the good thing was that Xiao Feng meant that after the first three months, when Wang Shuxiu's health was stable, they would find the right opportunity to confess.
"Big Brother Yan…"
Yan Yue knew what Lu Lingxi was going to ask and said in a soft voice, "I agreed."
This was the answer Lu Lingxi had expected, and while he was relieved, he felt a little sorry for Yan Yue. If only his mother hadn't objected to him and Big Brother Yan being together, it would be so much better.
That evening, Wang Shuxiu once again brought up the matter of moving, and Lu Lingxi learned his lesson this time and hurriedly made a statement that he was willing to move. The whole evening Lu Lingxi didn't mention a word about Yan Yue, and after dinner he also went to his room obediently. Wang Shuxiu looked at Lu Lingxi's back suspiciously, not very happy in her heart.
"What's wrong with Xiaohua again?" Xiao Feng noticed Wang Shuxiu's expression and asked.
Wang Shuxiu hesitated for a few seconds and looked at Xiao Feng uneasily, "Do you feel that Xiao Xi is a bit odd tonight?"
Xiao Feng was stunned, "Where is he odd?"
Wang Shuxiu frowned, "Xiao Xi usually mentions Yan Yue a hundred times a night, but tonight he didn't mention him even once, what isn't odd about it?"
Xiao Feng was astonished, "Don't you dislike Xiao Xi mentioning Yan Yue? Why are you still thinking about it when he doesn't mention him anymore?"
Wang Shuxiu glared at him, "I don't like it, but don't you think it's strange that Xiao Xi is like this? Could it be that he and Yan Yue had a fight, or…" She wanted to say that maybe Lu Lingxi had seen her point and deliberately distanced himself from Yan Yue. This was what she had hoped for, but when she thought that Lu Lingxi had really done it, she guessed she wasn't happy either and began to worry about Lu Lingxi again.
Xiao Feng looked at her helplessly and felt that a woman's heart was a needle in the sea (difficult to understand), and that Xiaohua's nature had become more and more inscrutable since she became pregnant. He shook his head and said nothing.
Although Wang Shuxiu wanted to move, she was used to living in the community and couldn't move to Xiao Feng's place right away. Besides, Xiao Hong and Zhou Xiaoman were living there, so they needed to pack to move to this side. The move was delayed for a few days.
In the next few days, Lu Lingxi went to work alone and went home after work, either to stay with Wang Shuxiu or to read a book in his room, without mentioning Yan Yue's name at home. Wang Shuxiu saw it and guessed that Lu Lingxi was doing it on purpose. Although she didn't know if Xiao Feng had "tipped him off" or if the little bastard himself had seen what she meant, no matter what, as long as Lu Lingxi and Yan Yue were separated, it was good.
Wang Shuxiu was slightly relieved, but Yan Yue was having a hard time these days. He knew that Wang Shuxiu was keeping an eye on Lu Lingxi, and as he was busy with An Jie, he didn't go to Tiny Garden during the day. There were times in the past when he was too busy to go to the shop but Lu Lingxi would always be by his side at night. Nowadays, although they are only separated by a wall, they could only contact each other by text messages. The occasional evening phone call or video call had to be made in secret, for fear of being discovered by Wang Shuxiu.
Yan Yue realised that he hadn't actually seen Lu Lingxi for two days and couldn't resist the urge to see him.
"Xiao Xi, are you there?" Yan Yue sent a text message.
Lu Lingxi was watching TV with Wang Shuxiu when his phone rang and he suddenly tensed up. He pretended to reply to a text message as if nothing was wrong and quickly put the phone away.
"Who is it?" Wang Shuxiu asked casually.
Lu Lingxi faintly froze and said extremely quickly, "It's Officer Fang, talking about Dahei."
It had been almost a week since Dahei had followed Fang Lei. Not to mention Lu Lingxi, even Wang Shuxiu missed him a little. When Dahei was at home, she didn't pay much attention to him, but when Dahei wasn't there, Wang Shuxiu always felt that something was missing.
"Is Dahei obedient over there?"
Speaking of Dahei, Lu Lingxi immediately got energised. He nodded vigorously and spoke excitedly, "Dahei is very good. Officer Fang has a lot of stray dogs over there, and they all listen to Dahei."
He looked like a different person from the listless boy who was watching TV with Wang Shuxiu just now. Wang Shuxiu glared at him and waved her hand, "Come on, go to your room and stay there. This TV series is probably not interesting for you to watch."
Lu Lingxi smiled ingratiatingly as he hugged Wang Shuxiu's arm, knowing that Wang Shuxiu could see his boredom. But he couldn't be blamed for this, the plot of a TV drama like 'Chinese Style Mother-in-law' was really boring. He remembered that Wang Shuxiu used to dislike watching it too, and had even told him that the plot was illogical. But since she got pregnant, Wang Shuxiu had changed her previous preferences and actually watched it with relish and liked to grab people and tell them about the plot. Xiao Feng would hide just in time, and it was Lu Lingxi who was caught every time.
With these words from Wang Shuxiu, Lu Lingxi ran back to his room in a flash. While Wang Shuxiu was watching TV, he made a quick phone call to Yan Yue.
The two of them had not seen each other for two days. Although there had been occasions before when Yan Yue wasn't around, this was the first time that they had not seen each other for two days while being just separated by a wall like this. Not only did Yan Yue miss Lu Lingxi, but Lu Lingxi also missed Yan Yue. After the two of them talked on the phone for a while, Yan Yue thought about waiting until Wang Shuxiu was asleep to see Lu Lingxi.
"En." Lu Lingxi nodded and agreed, thinking that there should be no problem if they waited for his mother to fall asleep.
After making an appointment to meet, the two hung up the phone and Lu Lingxi took a book and read it, but couldn't focus. He glanced at the time every few minutes, hoping that it would be nine o'clock quickly, the time when Wang Shuxiu would go to bed.
At five minutes to nine, Wang Shuxiu came over and knocked on the door. "Xiao Xi, I'm going to bed, you go to bed early too."
Lu Lingxi pulled the door open and tried to behave as usual, "Good night, Mom."
As he spoke, his heart thudded, practically threatening to jump out of his chest. He was a little afraid that Wang Shuxiu would notice something and couldn't help but get nervous. Luckily, Wang Shuxiu didn't notice his abnormality and only instructed him to go to sleep and left. Lu Lingxi breathed a silent sigh of relief and closed the door to wait for Wang Shuxiu to fall asleep.
"Is your mom asleep?"
"Probably asleep." Lu Lingxi wasn't sure, "Shall we wait a little longer?"
"Okay, is Xiao Xi sleepy?"
"No." Although it was already his usual bedtime, Lu Lingxi didn't feel sleepy at all, but rather unusually excited. Apart from desperately wanting to see Yan Yue, Lu Lingxi's heart was filled with pleasure and anticipation, as well as the fear of being discovered by his mother, which mixed together to form an unspeakable excitement.
It wasn't until ten o'clock that Lu Lingxi gingerly left the house. He had just pulled open the balcony door when he saw Yan Yue waiting for him in the backyard. The early spring night was still a few degrees below zero, and Yan Yue was holding a heavy down jacket, quickly wrapping it around Lu Lingxi in his arms.
"Xiao Xi, I miss you so much."
Lu Lingxi curved his eyes and seriously said he missed Yan Yue too. The 15th day of the first lunar month was approaching, with a full moon hanging in the sky, the moonlight spilling down like water. Lu Lingxi's eyelashes fluttered, as if the moonlight was dancing on them.
As if under compulsion, Yan Yue couldn't help but lower his head and gently kissed Lu Lingxi's eyes.
Lu Lingxi blinked his eyes and wanted to say something, when on the balcony, Wang Shuxiu calmly pulled the door open.
Chapter 130
Yan Yue had envisioned many scenarios in which he and Lu Lingxi would confess to Wang Shuxiu, but they had never included being caught by Wang Shuxiu on a secret date in the middle of the night.
It was after ten o'clock and the community was quiet. Most of the neighbours were asleep, with only the occasional light on. Yan Yue knew that Wang Shuxiu had a temper and was afraid that she would make a scene regardless. He didn't mind, but he was concerned about Lu Lingxi's situation. Before Wang Shuxiu could get mad, Yan Yue gave Lu Lingxi a gentle push and said in a low voice, "Let's go back and talk."
Lu Lingxi looked at Wang Shuxiu somewhat guitily and walked to Wang Shuxiu's side with his head lowered and obedient eyes. Fortunately, Wang Shuxiu never thought about making trouble outside. She glared at Yan Yue fiercely over Lu Lingxi, turned around and went back inside first.
In the living room, Xiao Feng felt a bit helpless. He was counting on Yan Yue to endure for a few months but who could have thought he wouldn't be able to endure even for a week. The two of them were caught on a date, not because Wang Shuxiu was watching Lu Lingxi, but because of the mother-son connection. Usually Wang Shuxiu was sleepy after nine o'clock and went to bed early, but tonight she was lying in bed tossing and turning and couldn't sleep. When Xiao Feng asked her what was wrong, Wang Shuxiu couldn't tell him, but she had a heavy feeling in her heart as if something was going to happen. The last time she had this feeling was when Lu Lingxi had an accident in the park. She had been tired after the night shift but she couldn't sleep with something on her mind always bothering her. Then she got a call from Yi Hang that Lu Lingxi was taken to the hospital and they didn't know what his situation was.
After Wang Shuxiu finished speaking, Xiao Feng didn't take it seriously. They were all fine at home, what could happen? It was hard to coax Wang Shuxiu to sleep but then they heard Lingxi sneak out the door. Xiao Feng immediately realised something, and his mood at that time was really indescribable. Without waiting for him to think of an excuse for Lu Lingxi, Wang Shuxiu reacted extremely quickly and followed out. As a result…
Lu Lingxi obediently followed Wang Shuxiu with a guilty look.
Yan Yue glanced apologetically at Xiao Feng and followed in with a straight face. He had no intention to keep hiding it.
Xiao Feng met Yan Yue's eyes and quickly understood Yan Yue's intentions. Although the timing was a bit off, it was already like this, so there was nothing anyone could do.
"Mom…" Helping Wang Shuxiu to sit on the sofa, Lu Lingxi called out in a small voice. His voice was soft and coquettish with a hint of ingratiation, and it broke the awkward silence in the room. Wang Shuxiu's heart softened when she remembered how good he usually was, but when she turned her head and saw Yan Yue, her face immediately sank again and she ruthlessly refused to pay attention to Lu LIngxi.
Yan Yue, whose heart ached for Lu Lingxi, met Wang Shuxiu's angry eyes with an open expression and said, "Auntie, I love Xiao Xi, and I hope you will agree to me and Xiao Xi being together."
He said it so frankly that even Xiao Feng was taken aback, not expecting Yan Yue to be so direct right from the start.
Wang Shuxiu's face immediately turned red, completely furious. Without even thinking about it, she blurted out, "I don't agree."
If she didn't have a baby in her belly now, she would have gotten up and beat up Yan Yue. What do you mean you love Xiao Xi and want her to agree to the two of them being together? Can two men live together? Can they get married? Can they have children? If they can't have anything, why should she agree to Xiao Xi being with him? Now Yan Yue seemed to be fine with Xiao Xi, but what about the future? There was no guarantee at all that they would live together, not for a day or two, but for the rest of their lives. Even if they stayed together, what would the neighbours think? What would people outside think? Can she let the little bastard live his whole life with people pointing fingers at him? The little bastard is only nineteen this year, what does he understand?
Her concerns were all normal parental worries, exactly the same as what Xiao Feng had said to Lu Lingxi the other day. When Yan Yue was about to say something, Lu Lingxi already said seriously, "Mom, I like Big Brother Yan and want to be with him. We are the same as everyone else, the same job, the same life. Except that we can't get married or have children, there is no difference. I know Mom is worried that there will be people pointing fingers at us behind our backs, but they have nothing to do with me, so why should I care what they think? I'm an adult and know what I want, I trust Big Brother Yan and want to try and live my life with him."
Since he had been discharged from hospital six months ago, Lu Lingxi had changed his rebellious nature and was all obedient in front of Wang Shuxiu. The only thing he had done against Wang Shuxiu's will was to refuse to go to school and insist on going out to work. But even in this case, Lu Lingxi's intention was to ease the family's burden, not that he really didn't want to go to school. Wang Shuxiu had already gotten used to Lu Lingxi's well-behaved and sensible manner, and when she heard Lu Lingxi's words, her first thought was that the disobedient little bastard was back. But when she turned her head to look at Lu Lingxi, the little bastard's eyes were clear and his little face had an unusually serious expression, completely different from the rebellious and disobedient kid she remembered.
Wang Shuxiu was a little speechless for a moment.
It wasn't only Wang Shuxiu who was stunned by Lu Lingxi's words, but also Yan Yue. He looked at Lu Lingxi tenderly and said solemnly, "I will treat Xiao Xi well for the rest of my life."
Even though Yan Yue had many explanations for Wang Shuxiu's concerns, after a thousand words had gone round and round in his mind, all he could say was this simple sentence.
Wang Shuxiu's expression became complicated. She had been in society for most of her life, and she could distinguish between true feelings and falsehoods. The effect of Yan Yue's words was much stronger than some of the nonsense he could have said. She didn't know what she felt in her heart. The little bastard was standing next to her, saying he wanted to be with a man, with a serious expression she had never seen before. She couldn't bear to scold the little bastard and wanted to scold Yan Yue some more, but her anger was inexplicably suppressed.
Xiao Feng peeped at Wang Shuxiu's expression and immediately said, "It's too late, let's talk about it tomorrow. Xiaohua, you are pregnant now, so you should take care of your body."
As soon as he said that, Yan Yue immediately said smoothly, "Xiao Xi has to go to the shop tomorrow, so it's time to go to bed too."
It seemed that because of the confession, Yan Yue didn't hide his feelings for Lu Lingxi anymore and cared about Lu Lingxi openly. Wang Shuxiu's anger suddenly surged again. She couldn't find anything suitable to say, so she glared at Yan Yue fiercely and went back to her room angrily.
Xiao Feng nodded at Yan Yue with an odd expression, knowing that Yan Yue had done it on purpose and that he had caught Wang Shuxiu's soft spot. The reason why Wang Shuxiu didn't agree to the two of them being together was because she was worried that Lu Lingxi would have a bad life. When Yan Yue was concerned about Lu Lingxi in front of Wang Shuxiu, there was nothing she could do about him.
Once Wang Shuxiu left, Yan Yue couldn't stay any longer. He smiled soothingly at Lu Lingxi and said softly, "Don't think about anything, just sleep well."
Lu Lingxi nodded hesitantly.
The matter looked like it had passed for the time being, and Yan Yue quickly went back next door. Hearing the sound of the door closing outside, Wang Shuxiu let out a sigh. To her, what had just happened was like a second shoe being dropped. The suspicions in her mind were confirmed. She lay in bed unable to sleep, unable to really understand how the little bastard could fall for a man.
"How do you think Xiao Xi fell in love with Yan Yue?" Wang Shuxiu pulled Xiao Feng to talk.
Xiao Feng had actually thought about this; there were Yan Yue's calculations on one hand and Lu Lingxi's character on the other. He thought for a while and said carefully, "It might have something to do with Xiao Xi's upbringing."
In Xiao Feng's view, Lu Lingxi's upbringing wasn't that of a normal child. Xiao Feng had been in society for many years, and the younger brothers under him were basically from families like Lu Lingxi's. One, there was a father who was addicted to gambling. Second, there was a mother who was busy working to earn money to support the family. Lu Lingxi had been alone since he was young. All Lu Yishui cared about was whether his family had money for him to gamble and didn't care about Lu Lingxi. Although Wang Shuxiu loved Lu Lingxi, she simply didn't have enough time or energy to take care of him and could only make sure that Lu Lingxi was well fed and clothed, nothing else. When Lu Lingxi was growing up, the image of his parents was missing. When he later lost his memory, Yan Yue filled the void, appearing in front of him as a calm and reliable figure.
At first Lu Lingxi didn't necessarily like Yan Yue, but simply relied on him and trusted him. But as time went on, Yan Yue was always by Lu Lingxi's side, like a friend and a family member, and it was all too easy for Lu Lingxi to fall for him under Yan Yue's conscious enticement.
Xiao Feng didn't know that his guess happened to be true. Although the two Lu Lingxi grew up in different environments, their essence was the same. What he said was vague, but Wang Shuxiu understood it. It was still an evil caused by Lu Yishui. If it weren't for Lu Yishui being unreliable, how could she leave the child at home alone and go out to work during the day and night to make money?…
Xiao Feng persuaded Wang Shuxiu: "Children and grandchildren have their own fate. You think it's good, but Xiao Xi can't help it if he doesn't like it. Xiaohua, why have you worked hard for half your life? Isn't it just for Xiao Xi to have a good life? He is very happy to be with Yan Yue now. If you have to force them to part, Xiao Xi will be upset. Do you want that? Besides, Xiao Xi is right, what is the difference between them and us? Except that they can't have children, everything else is the same. You see, my elder brother and sister-in-law have no children, but they are still doing well! Xiao Xi is obedient now, Xiaohua, you can't rely on Xiao Xi to be obedient and force him to do things he doesn't like, right?"
Xiao Feng's words of wisdom made sense to Wang Shuxiu at first, but the more she thought about it, the more wrong it felt. She looked at Xiao Feng suspiciously, "Did Yan Yue give you some benefits?"
Xiao Feng said calmly, "How is it possible?"
Wang Shuxiu snorted and calmed down. "I'll think about it again."
Xiao Feng let out a sigh of relief. The fact that Xiaohua could say this meant that she had already compromised in her heart, she just couldn't turn around at once and needed time to slow down.
The next morning, Lu Lingxi woke up early and stood guard in the living room. Seeing Wang Shuxiu come out, he immediately pestered her, "Mom." He hugged Wang Shuxiu's arm affectionately, his eyes shining brightly, with a hint of cautious ingratiation.
Wang Shuxiu's heart suddenly softened. Although the little bastard was very close to her after his memory loss, it seemed that he wasn't very good at expressing his feelings and was rarely as close as other sons were to their mothers. And it was even rarer to see him pestering her like this. She glared at Lu Lingxi bitterly, reached out and poked a finger on his forehead, cursing, "Little bastard."
Lu Lingxi knew Wang Shuxiu's temperament. She would be fine once she had scolded someone like that, so he immediately curved his eyes and whispered, "I love you, Mom."
"Little bastard! Just saying nice things."