Chapter 48: Are My Compliments Too Much For You?
Mr. and Mrs. Lu were a little surprised to see Jiang Yao and Lu Xiaoxiao chatting so delightedly. Not only was Jiang Yao quite talkative today, but she looked very cheerful too. Although she was not as excited as Lu Xiaoxiao, joy and genuine happiness radiated on her face.
The two elders smiled at her transformation. They agreed that girls should mingle more with their peers to share common topics and jokes. They also agreed that their son had made a wise decision by taking Jiang Yao to the movies today, which made Jiang Yao very happy.
After dinner, the two families sat together and chatted until eight o’clock. Lu Haixing arranged for his driver to send Lu Haitian’s family of four to town, while Lu Yuqing and Zhao Zhuangzong returned directly to their home in the county.
It was about nine o’clock when they arrived home. Mrs. Lu was in a good mood and zesty. When she saw Lu Xingzhi and Jiang Yao holding the shopping bags in their hands as they entered the house, she urged them to show her their purchases.
Apparently, Lu Xingzhi had bought a lot of things for Jiang Yao.
In addition to summer clothes, Lu Xingzhi even bought three sets of autumn clothes, shoes, and bags. Their shopping bags occupied the car’s back seats to the brim.
Mrs. Lu took out the clothes and eyed them. She nodded and complimented, “Not bad, you guys have very good taste.”
Mrs. Lu waved Jiang Yao over and put the clothes on her to see. She smiled and nodded in satisfaction. “Jiang Yao is very pretty and she has a great body too. The dress will look awesome on her, definitely even better looking than the models in the magazines.”
“Mom, stop, you’re making me blush.” Jiang Yao was so embarrassed that blood even rushed to her ears. She was a little overwhelmed by Mrs. Lu’s exaggerated compliments.
“Are my compliments too much for you?” Mrs. Lu chuckled at her flushed face. She folded the clothes and helped them take it to their room.
As Mrs. Lu helped Jiang Yao organize her newly-purchased clothes into the wardrobe, she looked over at Lu Xingzhi, who was packing his luggage, and sighed. “Are you going back to the base tomorrow? Your uncle said that the driver will drive you to the airport in the city tomorrow morning. Sigh, when will you be free to come home again? Are you not coming home for Chinese New Year again this time?”
“I’ll see how things go.” Lu Xingzhi pulled up the zipper of his bag and turned to look at Jiang Yao, who didn’t seem to be listening to their conversation. Then, he turned to his mother and said, “I’ll come back when I have time. If I can’t, and if you and Dad don’t mind the hassle of traveling, you can come to the base to visit me.”
“It’s Chinese New Year, we can’t travel so far.” Mrs. Lu shook her head. She glanced at Jiang Yao and told them to have a good rest before seeing herself out of the room.
Watching Mrs. Lu leave in sorrow, Jiang Yao glanced at Lu Xingzhi and sighed. Mrs. Lu was right. They would be too busy to travel on Chinese New Year due to visits to relatives and guests. They had to stay here.
Lu Xingzhi didn’t return home during the Chinese New Year last year. Although his parents were used to it, she could still see the loneliness and sorrow on their faces.
“Is there no holiday at the base for the Chinese New Year?” Jian Yao walked towards Lu Xingzhi and asked faintly, “Are you busy all year long?”
“A lot of people will take time off to go home. Therefore, someone has to take over their posts and stay there on duty,” Lu Xingzhi uttered. “There’s usually two days off, but it’s too rushed to make a trip back.”
Lu Xingzhi kept quiet for a moment before he continued, “Do you want me to come home for Chinese New Year? If you do, I’ll…”
Lu Xingzhi wanted to say that he would try his best, but Jiang Yao didn’t even listen to him and went directly into the bathroom. As the bathroom door closed and locked, he could hear her voice from inside.