LHKE Ch43

When they returned home in the evening, the rain was still falling.

The gentle pitter-patter of raindrops trailed down the window glass, winding its way along. Inside the room, quiet and muffled sounds blended with the rain, making it hard to distinguish them clearly.

As the rain softened, so did the sounds in the room. Outside, the rain whispered softly, only occasionally making faint noises as it hit the tree branches and leaves. Shen Li was carried by Lu Changting to take a bath. When they lay down again, Shen Li was too lazy to move, only lazily lifting his eyes. He noticed Lu Changting tapping away on his phone, seemingly setting something up, before picking up his own phone to look at something.

There wasn’t anything on Shen Li’s phone that he couldn’t let Lu Changting see.

Back in high school, Shen Li didn’t have a phone, so he wasn’t able to keep any photos of Lu Changting. By the time he got one, he was already past the age of secretly taking pictures of someone he liked. All the photos he had were taken after they got together, and there was no flirtatious history in his chats, so he wasn’t worried about what Lu Changting might find.

After fiddling with his phone for a short while, Lu Changting handed it back to him. Shen Li opened it to see that it was the WeChat interface. The pinned chat was with Lu Changting, and his WeChat profile picture and name had both been changed.

Previously, Lu Changting’s avatar was a picture of crashing ocean waves. Now, it had been switched to a photo of his back. It was the one Shen Li had taken that day and posted on his social media—he was wearing a devil horn headband.

The simple “L” in his nickname had been changed to “Tipsy.”

Shen Li suddenly thought of something and opened his own WeChat profile. Sure enough, it had been changed as well.

It was also a back-view photo.

It was the one Lu Changting had taken of him when they were leaving the amusement park. He was not only wearing the devil horns but also had a bunch of balloons tied around his wrist and was holding a cotton candy, looking like an overgrown child.

Shen Li glanced at Lu Changting, stuffed his phone under his pillow, and reached out to hug him, hiding his flushed face in his embrace.

Just as he was about to say something, his phone rang with an incredibly cheerful ringtone.

Shen Li pulled the phone back out, glanced at the caller ID, and answered.

“Shen Xiao Li,” came Jiang Chifeng’s merciless laughter from the other end. “You childish little thing.”

“Hahaha, I’m going to die laughing,” Jiang Chifeng laughed for a while before adding, “Who took your new profile picture?”

“So many balloons,” Jiang Chifeng teased. “Anyone who didn’t know better would think you were selling them.”

Bored, Jiang Chifeng had been scrolling through his friends’ moments on social media, and when he switched back to the chat window, he noticed that Shen Li had changed his avatar. He called right away to mock him for his childish taste.

Jiang Chifeng’s laughter echoed through the phone, and Lu Changting frowned as he listened. Before Shen Li could respond, he took the phone and answered in a cold tone, “I took it.”

“And I bought those balloons because I wanted to.”

Jiang Chifeng fell silent for a moment, having recognized Lu Changting’s voice, and then hung up.

Lu Changting, more direct, turned off the phone and casually placed it on the bedside table.

Shen Li, who had just lost control of his own phone, chuckled softly, leaned against Lu Changting’s shoulder, and kissed him.

“Childish.”

Lu Changting wrapped his arms around Shen Li’s waist and corrected him, “This isn’t childish.”

He enunciated each word clearly, “This is called declaring ownership.”

…

Chu Jinghong and Su Linlang’s engagement banquet was scheduled for the 31st.

Shen Li and Lu Changting attended together. As they walked side by side down the red carpet leading through the estate, both in suits, Shen Li felt a fleeting sense as if it were their own wedding.

Lu Changxu and Fu Jiashu had arrived early and were helping Chu Jinghong host guests in the banquet hall.

After greeting Lu Changxu and Fu Jiashu and exchanging a few pleasantries, Shen Li learned that Chen Xingye had escaped to the side hall to smoke, avoiding the elder relatives who would pressure him about marriage. Xiao Yao had brought Jing Yu along, and they were also in the side hall.

Lu Changyin and Fu Qingshan were busy with film projects, so they couldn’t attend.

Lu Changge was chatting with a middle-aged couple. When Lu Changting noticed them, his expression softened considerably.

“My parents are over there,” he whispered to Shen Li. “Do you want to go over and say hello?”

Shen Li glanced in the direction of Lu Changge and met the gaze of a lady sitting nearby, who smiled and nodded at him. His heart skipped a beat, and a wave of nervousness took over his thoughts. He relied solely on his years of experience dealing with clients, smiling back instinctively.

“If you don’t want to go, you can join Xiao Yao and the others in the side hall.”

“Let’s go.” Shen Li discreetly wiped the cold sweat from his palm. “We’re already here.”

It was only proper to go over and greet them.

Lu Changting took his hand, and Shen Li instinctively tried to pull away. This wasn’t like being at the company or in private; this was a grand event, with countless eyes on them. If Lu Changting led him over like this, wouldn’t that ruin his reputation?

“Come on,” Lu Changting smiled at him. “Let’s go meet my parents.”

Shen Li lowered his head and looked at their clasped hands, suddenly feeling the urge to cry.

What was there to fear, he thought. As long as Lu Changting held his hand, he was afraid of nothing. Even if the path ahead was filled with fire and obstacles, even if they faced a deep abyss, he would cross it all to stand beside the one he loved.

He lifted his eyes toward Lu Changting’s parents, straightened his back, and his expression became resolute.

Liu Xiezhi had been watching them the whole time, or more specifically, watching Shen Li.

She saw the young man’s nervous smile toward her, saw Lu Changting holding his hand. Shen Li lowered his head, and when he looked up again, he was calm and steady, taking each step forward with resolve.

The young man stood tall, with a handsome face and clear, starry eyes that curved into a smile. He wore a well-tailored gray suit, his demeanor gentle and calm. Since entering the banquet hall, he had caught the attention of many, though he seemed completely unaware, as if his heart and mind were entirely focused on Lu Changting, leaving no room for anyone else.

When Lu Changge saw Shen Li and Lu Changting approaching, she stood up with a smile, but knowing it wasn’t appropriate for her to stay, she softly greeted Shen Li, then told Lu Changting and Lu Shiyuan, “I’ll go have a chat with Zhaoying, I’ll be back in a bit.”

Lu Shiyuan took a slow sip of his champagne, his deep gaze falling on Shen Li.

“Dad, Mom,” Lu Changting still held Shen Li’s hand tightly, “this is Shen Li.”

Shen Li greeted them politely, his eyes lowered with a smile. His demeanor was graceful, like a particularly well-behaved younger family member, making it hard for Lu Shiyuan to harbor any critical thoughts. If Lu Changting had brought home someone unruly and impolite, Lu Shiyuan might have found something to nitpick, but with a son as well-mannered as Shen Li, even the tiniest flaw couldn’t be found.

Liu Xiezhi liked Shen Li even more. After chatting briefly, she began calling him “Xiao Li” affectionately and told Lu Changting to take Shen Li to meet his friends, saying they didn’t need to stay with the parents any longer.

After all, this was the engagement party of the Chu and Su families. Lu Changting had only brought Shen Li to meet his parents and greet them; there wasn’t a need for a lengthy conversation. Besides, they had already thoroughly investigated Shen Li’s background.

Lu Shiyuan, who had remained mostly silent, suddenly spoke up, calling out to Shen Li, “Do you drink?”

The question seemed a bit random. Shen Li, being a bar owner, was naturally used to socializing and had a decent alcohol tolerance.

After a brief pause, Shen Li nodded, “Yes, I do.”

“Today’s not the right occasion,” Lu Shiyuan glanced at his champagne with a hint of disdain, “but join me for a drink some other day.”

Even as Shen Li sat in the side hall, surrounded by Chen Xingye and others watching the show, he was still a bit in disbelief.

Had he passed the test?

“Well?” Xiao Yao asked curiously, “Did Changting’s parents approve of you two?”

Lu Changting smiled and lit a cigar from a wooden box on the coffee table, exuding an air of triumph.

“Look at that expression, you know it’s a done deal,” Chen Xingye patted Xiao Yao’s shoulder. “That’s what it means to be a winner in life.”

“Someone like Lu Changting,” Chen Xingye said, half-jealous.

Chu Jinghong and Su Linlang arrived at the side hall, followed by Lu Changxu and the others. Everyone was concerned about Shen Li’s meeting with the parents.

In the side hall, friends had gathered. Su Linlang knew most of them, except for Shen Li and Jing Yu, whom Chu Jinghong introduced to her. Xiao Yao also introduced his friends to Jing Yu, making the engagement party a reunion for the group.

There were still many guests in the banquet hall. Chu Jinghong clinked glasses with Lu Changting and the others apologetically, and after a toast, he and Su Linlang returned to the main hall.

Shen Li’s phone vibrated with a WeChat message from Jiang Chifeng, asking where he was, saying he couldn’t find him after walking around the hall.

Now that Shen Li had calmed down, he typed a reply, saying he was in the side hall.

Jiang Chifeng reached the side hall and saw Shen Li leaning toward Lu Changting, chatting with a smile. He stood at the entrance for a few seconds and suddenly felt a reluctance to approach Shen Li.

What would he do if he went over?

Shen Xiao Li was no longer the fresh university graduate, struggling to manage the bar and carefully hosting guests.

Jiang Chifeng sighed inwardly, feeling a bit melancholic.

His son had grown up, and as his “old father,” he should be blessing Shen Li and Lu Changting, not opposing Lu Changting and making things difficult for Shen Li.

With this thought, he walked over, first greeting Shen Li, then calmly nodding at Lu Changting.

Lu Changting raised an eyebrow, seeing Jiang Chifeng tactfully take a seat on a small sofa nearby, and courteously acknowledged his greeting.