And Ji Jue, with one sentence, killed the topic: "Have you bought the gift yet?"

"..."

After a long silence, Lu Feng's expression changed—shock, realization, panic, and a touch of luck—just like seeing two tentacles coming out of a cup, reassuring himself they might be from a cute girl with twin ponytails, not necessarily what he imagined...

"Uh, well, ahem, actually, filial respect is the best gift, right? Safely coming home, Mom doesn't care about those things!"

"Is that so?" Ji Jue smiled.

"I-isn't it?" Lu Feng wasn't so sure anymore.

Ji Jue asked again, "What about Xiao Ling?"

"..."

In the dead silence, Ji Jue added another cut: "She reminded you earlier about buying a gift to bring back, right?"

"..."

Then, observing Lu Feng's sweating face, Ji Jue delivered another strike: "Seems like she reminded several times, didn't she?"

"..."

With a dry swallowing sound, Lu Feng grabbed Ji Jue, eyes brimming with tears, "Second brother, help a brother out, I'm begging you."

Otherwise, he could already imagine the miserable situation at home in the coming months.

Ji Jue sighed helplessly and pointed to the living room, where the massage chair he had already sent over was sitting in the box.

"The car's at the door, carry your own gift."

"Got it!"

Lu Feng went along readily, without hesitation.

Ji Jue shook his head and followed behind.

Steps light and brisk.

Going home.

.

"Mom, I'm back!!!"

After surviving a perilous journey, Lu Feng didn't stop chatting for even a few minutes, and upon arriving home, he quickly threw his shoes aside and lay on the couch, immediately shooed into the bathroom by Lu Ling, who was cleaning, wielding a broom like shooing a cockroach.

"Annoying! Came back and made a mess everywhere, didn't even wash your feet, what a smell!"

Having just driven Lu Feng away, she turned around and upon seeing Ji Jue, her expression instantly changed to a youthful smile full of joy.

"Second brother's back, sit down and rest! Isn't it hot? Let me get you some sweet water from the fridge."

"Second brother, second brother, have some fruit!" The third sister also brought a plate of cut fruits over, blinking her eyes, her head adorned with little braids.

"Sure, sure."

Ji Jue beamed with happiness, grabbed the third sister in his arms, and fed her the fruits.

"Xiao Ji's here, take a seat first; the pot will be ready soon. Hey, what did you buy? The place here can't fit anymore." Lu Ma, in the kitchen, took time to look at the glasses Ji Jue gave her, put them on, smiling broadly.

Spotted Lu Feng squatting beside the massage chair box, looking eager for praise, she glanced over casually: "Oh, the puppy's back too."

Pa!

Something seemed to break gently.

Lu Feng shivered coldly with tears almost flowing.

The difference was way too big!

Suddenly, he felt the cruel reality: It doesn't matter how mighty you are outside; you might be a legendary soldier in Central Earth, but it won't change the fact that you're the most useless thing in this family...

Life wasn't getting better!

But it's okay; at least there's Little with him.

Lu Feng sat on the small stool, kindly patting Little's head, meaning don't be scared, brother's got your back.

Little turned and looked at him puzzled, then without hesitation, got up and sat beside Ji Jue, eagerly showing off: "Second brother, second brother, I scored double hundreds in this exam!"

"Wow, really?"

Ji Jue picked up the test paper, looked at the handwriting and scores, nodded, all those exercise books and learning app memberships weren't for nothing, beaming with pride: "Very good, study well, keep working hard."

"Okay!" Little nodded excitedly.

"Alright, later, second brother and second sister will take you and third sister to buy toys!"

"Yay!!!"

Everyone cheered, except for someone in the corner who had once again gently broken, forgotten by the family.

Silently…

.

"Happy birthday!!!"

In the cheerful shouts, Lu Ma wore a small paper crown, blew out the candles, her face flushed, eyes squinting, touching the corner of her eyes bashfully: "Haven't celebrated this for years, you all... aye..."

At fifty, she didn't look that old; her once grey roots turned shiny and black. She spent years working tirelessly, and finally saw the rewards. Sitting at the table with so many children around, her eyes turned red, filled with tears.

Couldn't help it.

So, she deliberately turned to look at the puppy beside.

Hmm, held back.

Still, there's this grown guy who hasn't married, hasn't found a girlfriend, always at home picking at his feet... The house couldn't fit any more stuff yet wasted so much money buying a massage chair, as if money blew in from the wind; grown so much, yet knows nothing about living sensibly.

Her fist suddenly tightened.

Lu Feng instinctively shrank back.

"Mom, you've lost so much weight recently."

Lu Ling, close to her mother, snapped several selfies, looked at the lively Lu Ma in the photos.

Years of obesity caused by hormone overuse faded greatly, double chin reduced, jawline clearer, not much waist and back pain lately.

"Take Doctor Xie's prescribed medicine regularly," Ji Jue reminded: "Adjusting the health wouldn't go wrong; see, your health improved a lot, right?"

A few days back, he took Lu Ma and the family to Xin Xiang Sanatorium for a checkup, consulted Xie Lan, to which Xie Lan assured it was a piece of cake.

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