Beta Chapter 130: Extra 29 (END)

Chapter 130: Extra 29

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

The Duans had a daughter who was just growing up, and in the blink of an eye, Duan Yikui was three years old.

As the youngest child in the family and a little princess, she was truly beloved by everyone. Especially for the three grandpas, it’s needless to say how precious she was.

The indulgence from the grandparents of different generations, almost blindly fulfilling her every request, made the three boys in the family stand united, attempting to resist the partiality of the grandpas. But the ultimate result was:

—Protests were ineffective, so they cried.

Duan Yifan could only cry to his mom, while the little ones could only seek comfort from their dads.

Especially the youngest one, ever since he got a sister, he felt even more depressed. Because this bet made him lose. As an Ultraman, he couldn’t afford to lose, but he still lost to Lu Xinghe. This made him want to ask his sister several times whether she could be his little brother. Such childish behavior made his brother shake his head directly, thinking his brother was a fool.

One day after school.

“Darling, wait for me~”

As the bell rang, the scene of the daily elementary school drama of chasing girls began again at the door of Class 1, Grade 4.

Duan YuLuo walked out of the classroom with a grumpy face, carrying his school bag on his back, his short legs moving swiftly, ignoring the following Lu Xinghe.

Seeing Lu Xinghe about to run up and catch his brother, the older brother Luo Yuduan reached out and grabbed Lu Xinghe. “Lu Xinghe, can’t you be normal? Who is your darling? Do you even understand what a darling is? You never study and keep thinking about such things.”

Perhaps it was because of the dominance of the eldest brother’s genes, the nine-year-old Luo Yuduan was much taller and stronger than children of the same age, so it was no problem for him to hold onto Lu Xinghe, who was only 1.65 meters tall.

But this didn’t faze Lu Xinghe, who had always been a social cow since childhood. He grabbed Luo Yuduan’s arm, “Big brother, can you help me catch the little one? With your long legs, you can easily catch him. He hasn’t been talking to me for days.”

Luo Yuduan looked disdainful and shook off Lu Xinghe’s hand. “Who’s your big brother? It serves you right that he’s not talking to you. I don’t even want to talk to you.”

How could there be a boy with such thick skin? Sometimes Luo Yuduan really didn’t know if Lu Xinghe understood or not. He probably didn’t understand, as he couldn’t even understand his schoolbooks. How could he understand what it meant?

Lu Xinghe was shaken off by  Luo Yuduan, raised his eyebrows, and immediately ran towards Duan Yuluo ahead.

Duan Yuluo was already walking fast, but he was suddenly stopped by someone grabbing his school bag from behind. He staggered a few steps and was supported, annoyed, he turned his head and met Lu Xinghe’s playful face. “Are you grabbing me?!”

He was about to jump up and hit Lu Xinghe.

Using his height advantage, Lu Xinghe quickly pressed his head, seemingly unafraid of death, and dodged his attacks agilely. “Hey, can’t catch me, Pipsqueak.”

Duan Yuluo felt even more furious when he heard this nickname, especially since he cared a lot about his height. Although he and Luo Yuduan were twins, they were fraternal twins, not only did they look different, but their development was also different. His brother was 1.7 meters tall, while he was only 1.5 meters tall, even Qiaoqiao was taller than him.

Now hearing Lu Xinghe call him a pipsqueak, he was instantly infuriated, his eyes reddened with anger. He couldn’t win in a fight, so he could only turn around and look for his brother, “Brother, Lu Xinghe is bullying me again.”

“Now you come to me.” A long arm reached over and easily pushed Lu Xinghe’s hand away.

Luo Yuduan stood in front of his brother, pushed away Lu Xinghe’s hand, lowered his eyes, and looked at him expressionlessly, “Always fooling around, making him cry and then having to comfort him again. Lu Xinghe, just go play with your Ultraman.”

Lu Xinghe looked completely fearless. He saw Duan Yuluo hiding behind Luo Yuduan and leaned over to him, “Pipsqueak, my dad bought me a whole box of Ultraman blind boxes last night. Do you want to come to my house to open them? After we open them, I’ll give them all to you.”

“Huh?” Duan Yulou’s eyes lit up at the mention of Ultraman blind boxes, and he looked at Lu Xinghe eagerly. “You’ll give them all to me after we open them?”

Lu Xinghe looked at Duan Yuluo, who was peering out with round and bright eyes, staring at him like a beautiful little kitten. Coupled with his small stature and good looks, he looked even more adorable.

He was his darling, the cutest darling in the world.

“Yeah, come with me, and I’ll give them all to you.”

Duan Yuluo immediately smiled foolishly. The thought of opening blind boxes made him feel extremely happy. He completely forgot what Lu Xinghe had just said about him being a little guy and quickly walked over to Lu Xinghe, tugging at his school bag strap. “Let’s go, let’s go!”

Lu Xinghe was taken aback by his tug, as if his lifeline had been touched. He reached out and pinched Duan Yuluo’s face, looking extremely fond, “I’ll give them all to you, all to you.”

“Hehehe.”

Luo Yuduan: “…”

Next time he got involved in their affairs, he wouldn’t be surnamed Luo.

When passing by Class 2, Grade 3, he walked to the back door and called Qiaoqiao and Uncle Duan Yifan to go home, only to see the two of them whispering to each other with lowered heads.

Luo Yuduan: “…”

Excellent.

Elementary school finished earlier than the neighboring kindergarten, so usually, the eldest uncle would pick them up first before going to pick up their sister.

Their sister, Duan Yikui, was three years old this year and still in kindergarten. She was always quiet and didn’t like to speak loudly. When the eldest uncle carried her to the car, she was wearing a pink cheongsam with two fishtail braids, well-behaved and serene, like a proper young lady.

“Come here, big brother, hold Kui Kui.”

Seeing the eldest uncle handing her sister to him, Luo Yuduan reached out and took his sister, placing her on his lap.

At this moment, Uncle Chu carefully counted the children in the car, one, two, three, four, five, six. He nodded after counting. All six children had been picked up, and the nanny’s car was full to the brim. They set off for home.

Inside the car, Lu Xinghe reached out and teased Duan Yikui, “Kui Kui is so cute, having a little sister is great.”

“Tsk.”

Lu Xinghe heard this familiar sound and glanced at Duan Yuluo, deliberately smiling as he asked, “Right, little guy? Having a little sister is super cute, isn’t it?”

Luo Yuduan gave him a meaningful look.

“Lu Xinghe, you’re really shameless.” Luo Yuduan pushed away Lu Xinghe’s hand that was pinching his sister’s cheeks, worried that these two would start fighting again if they sat next to each other for a while. So, he handed his sister over to Qiaoqiao.

Jiang Nianqiao took the soft and fragrant Kui Kui and started kissing her face, “Does Kui Kui miss her sister? Sister misses you so much. Did any boys at kindergarten hold your hand? You can’t let anyone hold your hand, you know?”

Kui Kui was always shy. She blushed when her sister kissed her face, blinked her eyes cutely, shook her head gently, and said in a sweet voice, “Miss sister, no boys hold hands.”

Jiang Nianqiao, the doting sister, was very satisfied with this response. She looked down at her sister and said, “Then, do you want to sleep with sister tonight?”

Beside her, Duan Yifan tugged at Jiang Nianqiao’s sleeve, but didn’t get her attention. He pouted in frustration. It was this little niece who had completely captivated his father. He felt like an abandoned son. Now even Qiaoqiao was too busy doting on his little niece to pay attention to him.

Because tonight was a family gathering, they were all going to Chu Tianyi’s main residence.

“Okay.” Kui Kui nodded slightly when she heard her sister’s question and smiled sweetly, being exceptionally obedient.

Lu Xinghe looked at little sister Duan Yikui, then glanced at Jiang Nianqiao with her high ponytail, “Jiang Nianqiao, you’re both girls, why is there such a big difference between you two?”

Jiang Nianqiao, who was almost nine years old, had a delicate face with a hint of heroism in her brows. She was wearing a clean school uniform with a high ponytail, making her look pretty and refreshing. Among girls of the same age, she was also tall.

She heard Lu Xinghe’s words, showing that his provocation was ineffective. She raised her eyebrows nonchalantly, “Yeah, the difference between people is really big. When my brother was in kindergarten, he was doing university-level math while you were playing Ultraman. Now that you can do experiments, you’re still playing Ultraman.”

Lu Xinghe pretended to be heartbroken, clutching his chest and falling onto Duan Yuluo’s side. He wailed, “Little guy, that’s too much. Your sister actually scolded me. Hurry, help me.”

Duan Yuluo, caught off guard by Lu Xinghe’s move, was pushed over. He looked innocent, turned his head, glared at Lu Xinghe in annoyance, and said, “Lu Xinghe, you’re pressing on me!”

“Oops, sorry.” Lu Xinghe quickly helped Duan Yuluo up, then extended his arm and wrapped it around him, ruffling his hair affectionately, “Be good, little guy, I’ll help you sleep.”

A chorus of ‘eh’ sounded in the car.

Even the thirty-one-year-old Chu Beiheng, who was driving, couldn’t help but feel annoyed. When they stopped at the traffic lights, he turned his head indignantly, “Lu Xinghe! You little rascal, don’t you have any thoughts as a kid?”

Luo Yuduan also coughed and lifted his knee to separate Lu Xinghe from his brother. Then he asked his uncle, “Uncle, tonight’s family gathering, Lu Xinghe isn’t allowed, right?”

Duan Yuluo suddenly remembered the family gathering tonight and looked at Lu Xinghe, “Oh, I can’t come to your place tonight to open the blind boxes. Next time, maybe.”

Lu Xinghe looked hurt, “So… you don’t want me anymore?”

“No, not at all. Next time.” Duan Yuluo replied truthfully.

Lu Xinghe hugged Duan Yuluo’s arm and continued to whine, “You, Duan Yuluo, you don’t love me anymore. I’m so sad, so sad, so sad…”

Duan Yuluo just turned his head away.

Jiang Nianqiao quickly raised her hand to cover Kui Kui’s eyes, “Kui Kui shouldn’t see this. It’ll dirty her eyes.”

Duan Yifan also felt speechless. He couldn’t help but reach out and pat Lu Xinghe’s thigh, “Bro, you should go act. You’re inconveniencing yourself in fourth grade here.”

Lu Xinghe, regardless of everything, continued to cling to Duan Yuluo’s arm and whine. He only stopped when Duan Yuluo couldn’t take it anymore and slapped him on the face.

Chu Beiheng, who was already thirty-one years old, held the steering wheel and also started whining. If Lu Xinghe had such thick skin, maybe the child would already be in this car, right?

Because it was a family gathering, Chu Beiheng sent Lu Xinghe home first. Getting him off the car was like experiencing a painful separation. After holding his hand and talking for a long time, the family finally came to pull him away, or else they might have spent another half hour here.

Seeing Lu Xinghe being dragged away by his family, Duan Yifan sighed with his chin resting on his hand, “There’s really nothing we can do.”

Duan Yuluo: “…”

Listen, what tone is this?

An elder’s tone.

On the way home, the ink-like sunset spread across the road, and the clear weather made everything look unbelievably beautiful.

By the fourth generation, the Chu Luo family was already a large family with nearly a hundred years of history. The family had grown from just two people struggling at the beginning to now having 26 members, flourishing with offspring.

And today was the eightieth birthday of the family patriarch, Chu Yiqiao.

Now they were just waiting for the children to come home for the family photo.

Every year, a family photo was taken as a tradition of the Chu Luo family. There was a room in the main residence specifically for storing these family photos, which were precious memories and also the history of the Luo family. 

In the living room, photographers were installing video equipment for tonight’s banquet, covering every corner.

“Have the kids come back yet?”

Chu Yiqiao, sitting on the sofa flipping through a book, adjusted his glasses casually. Today, he was dressed in crimson and white Tang-style clothing. He raised his head seemingly casually and asked a question.

Years had inevitably left their mark on his face, but the warmth that emanated from his bones couldn’t be eroded by time. Instead, it only gained more weight as time passed.

His presence was the pillar supporting the entire family.

“It’s almost time,” Luo Qingye, sitting beside the family head, rested his hand on the chair back, supporting his head as he gazed at his beloved. He reached out and touched a silver strand of hair at Chu Yiqiao’s temple. “You have a white hair.”

His fingertips trembled lightly upon contact.

Chu Yiqiao smiled faintly. “Just one, it’s alright.”

“I don’t want to see you with white hair. Not even one.” Luo Qingye’s hand lingered on the silver strand.

Chu Yiqiao helplessly closed the book, looking at his beloved with a gentle smile. “Then you can pull it out.”

When Luo Songran came downstairs, he saw this scene in the living room. Seeing his grandfather plucking white hairs for his granddad, he felt a pang in his heart, then felt a hand on his shoulder.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Duan Yizhou saw Luo Songran stop at the staircase. He hesitated for a second, following Luo Songran’s gaze, and saw the scene as well.

“Grandpa is eighty years old.” Luo Songran’s eyes reddened slightly, his voice choked up. “Although we can all live to over two hundred, time flies so fast. It feels like I just got married, and now my parents are grandparents, and soon the kids will grow up.”

Duan Yizhou understood Luo Songran’s melancholy tone and kissed his cheek. “So, we need to stay healthy, watch the kids grow up. I think Grandpa and Great-Grandpa would want that too, right, baby?”

“Yeah,” Luo Songran sniffed, not wanting to show unhappiness on his grandfather’s birthday. He lifted his face to look at Duan Yizhou. “We’ll all be alright.”

Duan Yizhou smiled and ruffled his hair. “We’ll definitely be alright.”

Just then, a cheerful voice came from outside.

“We’re back!!!”

It was the happy voices of the children, chattering and laughing. Shortly after, the children rushed into the living room, swarming towards family head Chu Yiqiao, kissing him from all sides to express their birthday wishes.

Seeing this scene, Luo Songran sighed with warmth, “It’s so good.”

“Why are you crying?”

At that moment, someone pressed on the back of his head. Irritated, he turned around to find his second brother and Jiang Yi coming downstairs. He rolled his eyes, “Why are you poking me?”

Yan Nanchen noticed his younger brother’s slightly reddened eyes, probably understanding what he was thinking. “Wipe your tears. We’re taking a family photo now. Everyone’s together, there’s nothing to be sad about.”

Jiang Yi also patted Luo Songran’s shoulder.

After speaking, the two walked past them towards the living room.

“Let’s go, baby.”

Luo Songran looked at Duan Yizhou and nodded.

“Come on, Beiheng, you’re standing in the middle again, yes, just like every year.”

The family’s longtime photographer was adjusting the positions of everyone in the family. Holding the camera, he continuously adjusted Chu Beiheng, who stood at the center, and chuckled as if remembering something. “Back then, your uncle also stood here for several years. Beiheng, you’ve broken your uncle’s record now, find a partner soon.”

Chu Beiheng silently looked at his siblings, all with partners and children. He awkwardly smiled politely, “Almost there, almost there.”

This “almost there” sparked laughter from the entire family.

The old photographer captured this moment. He looked down at the picture of the whole family laughing and smiling, frozen in time, feeling deeply moved. He lifted the camera again and shouted, “Okay, let’s start officially. Follow my hand gesture, 3, 2, 1, smile!”

The camera captured once again the happiest moment of the whole family.

The countdown “3, 2, 1, smile” echoed every year, until now, it had rung out 53 times in the Luo family.

Shortly after, the new family photo was hung up at home.

Duan Yizhou hung the photo on the wall. He glanced at Luo Songran standing behind him and asked, “Baby, is it straight?”

“It is.” Luo Songran looked up at the family photo, smiling happily, then reached out his hand towards Duan Yizhou. “You hung it perfectly.”

Duan Yizhou was amused by his blind praise and held Luo Songran’s hand, getting off the chair.

“Let’s go, pick up the kids from school.”

“Okay.”

At five o’clock in the afternoon, the sky was still bright. The silhouette of the two holding hands was reflected on the ground behind them, amidst the lush garden, like a beautiful painting.

They were Duan Yizhou and Luo Songran.

They would always be happy.

Jiang Yi and Yan Nanchen’s full story is in the novel titled 1122! https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=6765738

 

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