Chapter 71: Shower Me With More Affection
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Shut up!” Jin Nian could feel Lu An’s searing heat through his skin. Lu An reeked of alcohol, a pungent odor mixed with the scent of oranges that clung to him. It was dizzying.
“How did you unlock my phone?” Jin Nian asked.
“It was not hard figuring out the pa.s.sword. With your intelligence, what else could it have been but your birthday?”
“Lu An, you’re asking for a beating.”
“If you beat me up, I’ll rat you out to Teacher Tan. Let’s see whether she’d beat you up for me.”
Jin Nian snarled like an angry puppy. “I’ll strangle you to death if you look at my phone again!”
“What’s wrong? Afraid of prying eyes?”
“I am. I still want to chat with that sports student’s younger brother.”
“Go ahead if you’re not afraid of death.”
“Are you threatening me? Then, I’ll just have to have that chat with him.”
If Lu An resisted, Jin Nian knew she could turn the tables in seconds. Instead, he smiled, suddenly poking her waist and frightening her. Jin Nian yelped and tried taking a step back in retreat.
Before she could do so, however, Lu An dragged her into his waiting arms, trapping her. “Stop chatting with that sports student’s younger brother,” he whispered. “I’m taller and more handsome than either of them combined.”
The tips of Jin Nian’s ears turned bright red. She struggled against the bonds that were his arms, but it was futile. Lu An refused to release her, no matter what she did.
“Blame me if you must,” Lu An teased. “I left my wife-to-be high and dry on her wedding night; it is what I deserve. Punish me however you please.”
Jin Nian shivered, gooseb.u.mps running along her forearms. Lu An’s words injected strength in her, and she managed to free herself, punching him in his chest. “Can you control that mouth of yours? Don’t talk nonsense!”
Teacher Tan and Jin Chengwen strolled up to them as the two bickered. “Jin Nian, why are you behaving in such an unladylike manner? Jumping about and hitting people in public – it’s inappropriate,” they chided.
Jin Chengwen frowned. “Look at what you’ve done to Lu An! His neck is all red.”
“He started it!”
Meanwhile, Lu An tidied himself, smoothing the creases formed by their small disagreement. He looked at Jin Nian with an indulgent smile. After the meal, Teacher Tan made them some salted lemon seven, using salted lemons she had pickled herself. It was Jin Nian’s grandmother’s favorite drink before she pa.s.sed away three years ago. Despite her death, Teacher Tan continued to pickle salted lemons to make salted lemon seven.
Jin Nian gulped down her drink with gusto, finishing it in record time, but she was in no hurry to return home. It would take them two hours to reach home and wash up since it was already ten o’clock in the evening. When Jin Nian was finally ready to head home, Lu An stood and bade them farewell.
Teacher Tan instructed Jin Nian to send Lu An off. Lu An had drunk too much. Although he had not drunk himself unconscious, he was not sober enough to drive. Jin Nian frowned and said, “I’m not driving him home. Why can’t he call for a taxi? Why do you always do this to me?”
“That’s enough. Stop acting so pitiful.” Tan Siyun frowned. “How old are you? Why are you still trying to hide things from your family?” Tan Siyun was talking about Jin Nian and Lu An’s relationship. On the other hand, Jin Nian mistakenly thought that Ms. Tan already knew about their hasty marriage, which she had kept from the rest of the family. Jin Nian broke out in a cold sweat. “Mom… I’m sorry.”
Teacher Tan did not seem angry. She would not have made it sound so trivial if she were angry.
Teacher Tan’s gaze moved back and forth between Jin Nian and Lu An. “The two of you aren’t youngsters anymore; you should know what you can and cannot do at your age.”
Jin Nian got the fright of her life, and she almost cried. She was afraid her mother would fly into a rage and break her legs for withholding the truth. She subconsciously hid behind Lu An. “I know.”
“Jin Nian, I don’t want to be a nag, lest you think I’m being a bore. You’re an adult; you must start taking charge of your life and making your own decisions.”
Her mother wanted her to take charge of her life… take charge of…? Did her mother not want her anymore?
Jin Nian was so aggrieved that her eyes grew bloodshot. She tugged at Tan Siyun’s clothes and sobbed, “Mom, I know I made a mistake.”
Out of everyone present, only Jin Nian remained clueless about the actual situation. Tan Siyuan could not stand seeing Jin Nian cry and said, “Tsk, what are you crying for? How old are you?”
“Xiao Lu, there are some things I believe your uncle has already explained to you.”
“Don’t worry.” Lu An grabbed Jin Nian’s hand, interlocking their fingers together, giving Tan Siyuan his solemn vow. In Lu An’s eyes, Tan Siyuan was more than just his teacher. She was his G.o.dmother, despite him being the resident troublemaker of his cla.s.s.
In private, Tan Siyuan had long acknowledged Lu An as her G.o.dson. He had lived abroad for many years, losing touch with Jin Nian in his absence. However, whenever he returned from abroad, he would visit Tan Siyuan, bringing her gifts. Now they had become a family in the truest sense of the word.
“Lu An, I hope you treat Jin Nian well.”
“I will. I promise..”