In the evening.
The whole family eagerly waited for the elderly couple to arrive in the living room. When they came, everyone stood up to observe how they had dressed. They stood frozen at the beauty of the couple; silence invaded the room. They broke into a round of applause and smiled as the couple approached.
The older man was wearing a black suit with a red shirt, complete with a black bow, and the red handkerchief tucked in his pocket and paired with the stylish pair of black shoes.
Grandma Zhao Shuang was wearing a full sleeve red dress that reached the floor, paired with flat booties adorned with diamonds. It fit loosely over her curves, perfect for someone her age. Her accessories matched well, making her look beautiful.
"You look amazing," Lu Zhilan gasped. "Made for each other," she commented, unable to contain her excitement.
"We're covered with love, all of you showered. Of course, we look that way," elder Lu said.
These words were spoken as everything the couple wore that day was prepared by the others. Being rich, all the family members had pitched in and gifted them things that they could wear at the party.
While everyone admired the couple, Lu Feng came downstairs with a medium-sized box in his hand. He, too, was wearing a black suit without wearing a tie or bow with it as the top two buttons of his shirt were undone. It was because he couldn't bear to wear a tie or bow, so he went without it.
Everyone was somewhat surprised to see him dressed up like a gentleman, apposite to his usual clothes which included T-shirts, stylish leather jackets, and jeans or cargos.
Lu Chen: 'I almost forgot how my son actually looks.'
Su Hui: 'My handsome son.'
Others: 'Does he have a fever?'
When Lu Bao saw Lu Feng coming downstairs, she too was surprised to see her brother and couldn't hold her tongue back. She leaned slightly closer to the person on her right, poked her index finger in the soft arm of that person, and spoke in a low voice.
"See? We have one more brother who will make the girls go crazy."
She was still poking that soft arm, but the person who replied to her scared her out of her wits.
"You are getting bolder day by day. I think you need to get disciplined properly," Su Hui threatened.
Lu Bao choked on her breath. "M-mother…" she stammered and couldn't speak further. She had forgotten entirely that Lu Lian was standing to her left, not her right.
On the other side, Lu Lian looked at her sister with pity. She interrupted the pair by speaking up, "Brother Lu Feng is here… where is brother Lu Qiang?"
Lu Bao gasped. "Right! I didn't see him since he left my room. Did he go out?"
"Happy anniversary," Lu Feng congratulated as he passed the gift box to his grandparents. While grandma Zhao Shuang's eyes moistened, elder Lu had no expressions.
"Thank you so much, dear," Grandma Zhao Shuang said, incredibly happy to receive the gift.
Without a word, elder Lu handed the gift to his wife and stepped forward to wrap his grandson in a tight hug. He mumbled a thank you, his face alight with happiness.
Lu Feng stood stunned at the reaction but hugged his grandfather back with an awkward smile.
It had been a year since elder Lu spoke to Lu Feng. He was quite upset with his grandson because of his bad habits. Also, since the last year, Lu Feng hasn't taken the initiative to talk to his grandfather either, so this scene was a treat to the eyes of the others.
"My grandson brought a gift for me. Let's open it." Seeing elder Lu happy, Zhao Shuang could only hand over the gift, tears welling in her eyes.
When elder Lu opened that box, there were two wine bottles and glasses inside it. One bottle was in the shape of a man in a suit, and the other one was a woman in a wedding dress.
If one kept them together, it looked like a married couple. The glasses too, were different, having the face of a man and a woman on it.
When the men of the household saw this, they were surprised to see the bottle's logo. It was an expensive wine bottle that one could customize to their will. The most crucial factor was that the wine needed to be pre-ordered at least a month before to get it ready on time.
The simple meaning was, Lu Feng had arranged for the gift a month in advance when no one was thinking about this occasion. It was flabbergasting that someone who pretended to ignore everyone was so thoughtful.
Everyone praised the gift to avoid making the atmosphere awkward.
"Thank you, Lu Feng," grandpa said as he stared at the gift. He was too overwhelmed to comment further.
The awkwardness got to him, and Lu Feng suddenly excused himself from the room, saying he had an urgent call to receive.
In the restaurant.
"Good evening, doctor Zhang. Sorry to keep you waiting." The man shook the woman's hand, who looked to be in her late thirties. She got up from her seat to greet him.
"No need! In fact, I should apologize for calling you here at such short notice, President Lu. I need to get back to England because of an emergency, so I wanted to meet you before returning," the woman said after returning to her seat.
The server served them coffee as they conversed.
"How's your younger brother doing?" Doctor Zhang asked.
"He is doing great, all thanks to you," Lu Qiang's eyes were filled with gratitude.
"He's lucky to have a brother like you." She sipped on her coffee and gave a deep sigh. "As a doctor, I can only give medicines and make suggestions. Getting success always depends on the patient and their family."
"But at that time, you were the only hope for me," Lu Qiang said.
She looked at him thoughtfully. "How is his behavior now? Are there any major changes?"
"No, for five years, he has behaved as a child of his age should," Lu Qiang assured.
"I saw the video you sent of him, and he looked extremely happy. I suggest you keep him away from things that can trigger him," she advised.
"I'll try my best," he replied.
"It's a blessing that he has you as his older brother. I hope, when he becomes an adult, he will remember how much you have sacrificed for him. I truly respect you for that," she said with admiration.
"I just wish he would remain happy."
The two finished their coffees and stepped out of the hotel. As they waited outside, Lu Qiang began to speak.
"I wish you could attend the celebration," he said.
"I, too, wanted to attend, but my flight is just in half an hour, and because of the emergency, I have to shorten my stay here in China," the doctor informed.
"I can understand."
As they finished speaking, their cars arrived. Lu Qiang bid her farewell and went towards his destination.
--------
At Jiang residence.
Everyone was getting ready for the party. Jiang Yuyan heard a knock on her bedroom door as she got out of the bathroom. The door opened, and her brother, Jiang Yang, peered in, wearing his blue suit and holding two ties.
"Right or left?" he asked, raising his hands in front of her face.
"Both look the same," she said, not even bothering to look at them properly.
"I know that, but look at the design. They are different types of crossed lines! Which one?" he asked again.
"Left," she said randomly.
"Thank you. I will wear the right one," Jiang Yang said, folding the tie in his left hand and starting to wear the other around his collar.
"I knew it!" she screamed. "You always do the exact opposite of what I say. Why bother to ask me?" Actually, she was not surprised by his actions in the least bit.
"You are good at selecting the bad things," he said with a mischievous smile on his lips.
"You—" She just threw a cushion in his direction. He avoided it deftly and left with the same smile on his face.
Jiang Yang and his parents waited for Jiang Yuyan to come downstairs.
"I heard raised voices. What happened? She sounded so angry." Mo Ruolan asked.
"It was just a siblings' fight," Jiang Yang said lightly.
"Thank you so much." His mother suddenly thanked him.
"For bringing her back to China?" he asked, confused.
"We wanted to thank you for taking care of her when she was at her worst. Though we are her parents, you were the one who took care of her for all these years," the mother replied.
"Don't say it. I didn't do anything exceptional. It was my responsibility as her elder brother."
"Your mother is right, Jiang Yang. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't know what to do." Jiang Peizhi's eyes became a little moist.
"I never want to see her like that again," her mother swore to herself. "I just can't forget it."
"She is a different person now," Jiang Yang reassured. "Don't worry, mom."
"I know this, but I don't want anything bad to happen to her."
"Nothing will happen, mom. Rest assured." Jiang Yang patted his mother's
shoulder affectionately.
"As long as you are here to annoy me, nothing can affect me." The voice startled the three.
"Y-Yuyan," her mother stammered, thinking her daughter must have heard what they talked about.
"Don't worry, mom. That is in the past. Don't think about such useless things anymore. I am not a kid," Jiang Yuyan said as she moved forward to stand in front of her mother.
"You look beautiful." Jiang Yang praised his sister to make the mood lighter.
"Are you trying to make up for the awkwardness, brother?" she asked, raising her brow in question.
"I mean it," he said firmly. "Isn't it, mom, dad?"
"You do look beautiful," Jiang Peizhi said.