Chapter 215: Chapter 215

Dinner was only enjoyable for Lu Ping’an who excitedly kept saying that he cooked using the bird eggs he found, earning praises from everyone.

Both Lu Anna and Qin Zhen remained silent, their faces astonishingly red like highland rouge, staying rosy even though it was quite cool by the seaside at 8 pm, and they were sitting by the window where it wasn’t hot.

Everyone discreetly avoided discussing how the two of them ended up in the water and continued eating, occasionally diverting the topic to other matters.

Since they ate quite a lot that evening, everyone took a walk along the shore to digest the food, with Lu Ping’an enjoying himself the most. His laughter echoed along the seaside, lifting everyone’s spirits.

The next day, they continued to visit different beaches, even went out fishing on a boat and had an incredibly fun time. By noon, Ai Xin and Yun Mei had a conversation and then announced they needed to return early because they received a call from the capital; there were guests at the Lu Family, and they needed to go back.

Yun Mei felt quite apologetic and asked Li Xianglu and the others to stay a few more days since everything would be taken care of, but everyone felt it was better to return now and perhaps visit again later.

However, knowing that everyone wanted to buy some seafood, Ai Xin stopped the car at a local state-run store, and everyone bought a big bag of sea cucumbers, dried shrimps, and oysters.

After purchasing the items, they set off.

Li Xianglu’s mood was lifted as she watched the coastline recede; although they had only played for a day and a half, it felt especially delightful, with almost everyone enjoying themselves thoroughly.

They arrived back at 6 pm, and Ai Xin directly took them to the Siheyuan, the traditional dwelling. Initially, Li Xianglu suggested they could take another ride home, but Yun Mei insisted, citing that it didn’t feel right to leave them halfway after an incomplete trip.

Thus, Li Xianglu did not persist further. On arriving home, Grandpa Li and others were cooling off in the courtyard. They were initially worried that something had happened when they saw them back so suddenly, but were relieved to hear that guests had visited the Lu Family, prompting an early return.

After setting down his belongings, Qin Zhen went straight to his room without saying a word, which surprised Qin Xi somewhat.

Li Xianglu changed into her home clothes and canvas shoes, then steamed the sea fish along with a portion of the bird’s egg shrimp custard, and as there were remaining eggs, she packed some for Sister Xing to take home and cook for her children. Sister Xing was quite embarrassed; she only cooked two to three meals here, had her meal at noon, earned fifteen yuan a month, and occasionally received some gifts and even a bag of refined rice during the new year, all of which made her genuinely uneasy.

Li Xianglu simply smiled and said, "The bird eggs are for the kids. They look great boiled; please don’t be shy and just take it."

Feeling embarrassed, Sister Xing accepted it, and after cooking, she quickly returned home to cook for her working husband and children.

Li Xianglu served the fish and custard, everything was steamed, including Sister Xing’s mixed cold dish, green bean and millet porridge, and cornmeal flatbread. After setting up the meal, Li Xianglu saw Grandpa Li and Qin Xi washing their hands, but Qin Zhen was nowhere to be seen. She asked about him.

Qin Xi responded, "He said he will eat later."

What? Li Xianglu’s eyes widened in disbelief, a food lover not eager for a meal? Mr. Li also expressed his concern, "Is the child ill?"

Li Xianglu almost fainted. Not wanting to eat equates to being sick? What about those others who are disabled or injured, then what are they considered?

Li Xianglu seemed to understand Qin Zhen’s little careful thoughts, perhaps a bit of shyness and naivete, thinking too much.

So Li Xianglu told Sister Xing about what happened on the road, and when she finished, she saw Qin Xi and Grandpa both looking shocked.

Li Xianglu served Grandpa some fish belly meat with her chopsticks before asking the two, "What’s wrong?"

Qin Xi uncertainly said, "You are talking about Anna and Qin Zhen?"

Li Xianglu nodded and took a bite of her corn pancake.

But Qin Xi shook his head: "I think you might have gotten it wrong, Qin Zhen and Anna? That’s just not possible." It was like mixing two different species together, a complete joke.

Li Xianglu didn’t speak and just sipped her gruel, saying: "Let’s just leave this matter as it is for now, and stop asking. Asking might make him uncomfortable."

Mr. Li, though finding it incredible, thought about his own situation with Su Yan and felt this matter couldn’t be easily concluded, so he also told Qin Xi to stop asking and let things take their course.

In the following days, Qin Xi was indeed surprised. Qin Zhen started using the home phone every day to call someone, seemingly chattering endlessly and mysteriously for hours.

Next, he also started to care about his cleanliness, getting a haircut as soon as his hair grew long. Despite his disbelief, the change was undeniable. However, Qin Xi was still hesitant, worried that his naive younger brother really fell hard and the Lu Family might not agree. Eventually, his brother could end up suffering.

These days Qin Xi also had things to do and went out several days in a row. Then, on the last day of August, suddenly, a crowd surrounded their house, said to be the police coming to make an arrest.

Li Xianglu and Qin Xi were originally heading to the Overseas Chinese Store to shop but got blocked and had to detour. From a distance, Li Xianglu saw a familiar person being pushed along by the police, followed by four people covered with sheets, uncertain what the situation was.

Li Xianglu didn’t know what was going on, but when she got home, Qin Xi explained that the man was the landlord they met the day they moved furniture.

Li Xianglu thought the man had a strange look in his eyes, and Qin Xi discovered that the man had secretly followed them home.

So, these past few days, he had secretly trailed the man with others, and unexpectedly, this demented man had dug a tunnel underneath his building, imprisoning four women.

When it came to this point, there was nothing unclear, which turned Li Xianglu’s face pale, getting goosebumps thinking about how she was once targeted by that man, sending chills down her spine.

Qin Xi angrily recounted that among the kidnapped girls, the oldest was only twenty-four and had been held for four years, while the youngest was only sixteen and had been captured for just a year, now already pregnant for five or six months.

Mr. Li was also shocked, not expecting that such a pervert lived near their home, who had intentions towards his granddaughter, and angrily ordered a bunch of rules, insisting that Li Xianglu must not go out alone, must be home by seven o’clock, among other things. Li Xianglu, helpless against the two men’s firmness at home, could only agree one by one.

Soon after, school was starting, and she heard from Iro that there were two new students in her class.

ps: I’ll write more, if it’s not up by 6:30 then expect it by 9:00 or later, since I have to go out and am not sure I’ll finish writing.