*Flashback*
"We can name it 'Joyous Family Homes'," Ru suggested as she looked at the blueprints laying on the table before her. She looked at her best friend standing beside her and saw him giving her an odd look.
"Joyous Family Homes? Why?" Her best friend, Jie asked.
"Because my dear friend, homes are supposed to be joyous. And only a family makes a home joyous, cheerful and ebullient," Ru answered matter-of-factly. "That's why let's name this new housing society as 'Joyous Family Homes'."
Jie narrowed his brown charming eyes at her saying, "Ru'er, some people don't have a family to make their homes joyous." Ru frowned since she knew he was indirectly pointing at her. Bloody son of a bachelor!
"Dear best friend, without family, a home is not even home much less a joyous one." A vein popped on her neck showing her disagreement. "Without family, home is called a house; simply made of stones and woods. In short a materialistic thing having no sentimental value. And I don't want my new developing project to be all about money."
"Fine!" Jie grumbled seeing her adamant on her words. "How about naming it Joyous Homes? As I said, not everyone has a family after all."
Ru pondered for a while before bobbing her head. "Okay! Joyous Homes can work as well." she took a pause before adding, "But don't say that I have no family. Once I have found what I've lost, I'll certainly go back to my family."
"Do you really want to go back to the place which caged you for so long?" Jie asked with disbelief visible on his face.
"Of course. That golden cage of mine still was a luxury than your free world." Ru answered and went back to looking over the blueprints.
*Flashback End*
Coming back to the present, Ru felt like it had been a lifetime since that conversation happened. In reality, it only happened a little over 4 years ago. This condominium building was the first project that she took over in China after becoming Lord Alev Knight. The reason was that she wanted a home to come back to.
She sighed and in her thoughts didn't even notice when Xiao Zhi-Yuan had dragged her inside his apartment. The apartment structure was exactly as she remembered designing it. It was a duplex apartment. The entrance had a sleek hardwood food making it a bit glossy floor.
The apartment had a top-down view of the living room from the second floor. The apartment's Bauhaus theme contrasted with the light and chic interior.
Three amazing chandeliers in the living area made an immediate awe-inspiring impression. There were Brooklyn Chairs along with comfy white couches and glass coffee table in the middle of the living room to go along. The styling was refined and yet its intricate design made one feel comfortable in the apartment.
An open and spacious dining room looked over the fabulous view of the society part outside the french doors.
All in all, it's minimalistic style really impressed Ru at first sight.
"Take a seat. I'll come after changing out of these bloodstained clothes." She heard Xiao Zhi-Yuan's voice as he was making his way towards the spiral stairway.
"Hey, kiddo!" Xiao Zhi-Yuan turned and grimaced showing his dislike at the way she called him. Ru rolled her eyes at him and said, "Fine. Xan, can I use your kitchen?"
Xiao Zhi-Yuan instantly smiled hearing her call him, 'Xan' and nodded his head saying, "Oniisan can do anything he likes." With that, he left Ru alone in the spacious living room.
Ru made her way to the kitchen which was separated from the dining room with a tinted glass partition. The kitchen had a very straightforward approach to luxury with its marble and copper design. It had a complete white-based shape giving it another layer of sophistication along with that glass, ceramic and chrome served as its second accents.
In all honesty, Ru fell in love with this kitchen. It really was impressive, to say the least. She shook her head and rolled up her sleeves a bit. She wore the apron and got to work. She needed to give Xiao Zhi-Yuan some herbal concoction for the pain but before that he needed to eat something.
She pulled open the double door refrigerator and was amazed to find it filled with fresh ingredients. She took all the things that she needed and got to work.
When Xiao Zhi-Yuan came downstairs, he lost himself in the rich aroma that was lingering in the air. He paced up to Ru's side in the kitchen and said, "I didn't know Oniisan can cook."
Ru lifted her eyes briefly to glance at him and answered, "I didn't know what you like to eat but since you're injured I'm making you some chicken congee. It's good for health."
Xiao Zhi-Yan didn't like congee but he didn't want to argue with his Oniisan. Therefore, he kept quiet. Ru served him congee with a couple of side dishes and asked him to finish it while it was still hot. Xiao Zhi-Yuan complied and ate the whole bowl in no time.
"Wow! That's the best congee ever!" he couldn't help but praise while licking his lips in delight.
Ru smiled lazily at his behavior and passed him a small bowl of the medicine. Xiao Zhi-Yuan scowled looking at that dark-colored medicine in the bowl which he was asked to finish.
"I don't want to drink this," he scrunched up his face as if thinking of something, he said, "Okay! I'll drink it."
"What's the catch?" Ru asked with amusement.
"Umm... Well... Please, don't tell bro about it," he pleaded with his eyes. "Please, he'll be really upset and worried. I don't want to see him sad."
"Drink this. I'll think about whether to tell your brother or not." Ru answered and made him drink the whole bowl of the medicine.
"Yuck! Yuck! Yuck! Eww... This tasted so bad." Xiao Zhi-Yuan complained like a ten-year-old making Ru roll her eyes at him.
She tousled his hair again and heard the sound of the door unlocking. Hearing the sound of the door, Xiao Zhi-Yuan immediately perked up as he called out, "Is the weather cold?"
"So what? Your brother is strong!" Came the answer from the hallway in a familiar voice.
"The day must be tiring," Xiao Zhi-Yuan called out again as he stood up to greet his brother.
Xiao Zhi-Ren smiled gently at his brother and replied, "So what? Your warmth is all I'm requiring."
Xiao Zhi-Ren tried to hug his brother but Xiao Zhi-Yuan evaded it afraid that his brother would see his wounds and then he'd be in big trouble.
Both of the brothers didn't notice the way Ru was looking at them. 'Oh, they did not just greet each other in such a childish manner? Ugh! They did! They so did!' She was going crazy in her mind thinking about their earlier way to completing each other's words as if rhyming a poem or something.
Xiao Zhi-Ren suddenly noticed a pair of eyes on himself and tilted his face to see Ru standing with her arms tucked in her front pockets.
"You!" Xiao Zhi-Ren didn't know what to say. He was more than just surprised to see Ru at his own home.