Ch. 421..430
Chapter 421: 421 Second Surprise
Tan Ron sat in the car and realized that the road they were on was becoming more and more familiar. When she saw the familiar statue at the traffic light intersection, she completely remembered where she was. This was the way to the Elegant Jade Residence. Could it be that Zhuang Liu had taken a big detour just to send her home?
“Third Brother, are you sending me home?” Tan Rou asked in confusion.
Zhuang Liu smiled and replied, “Keep it mysterious first. You’ll know when you arrive.”
Tan Rou felt that Zhuang Liu was not just sending her home. Perhaps he had other things in mind.
Coincidentally, Tan Ron’s car and Tao Zheng’s car drove into the neighborhood one after another. Tao Zheng recognized Zhuang Liu’s car and honked at it.
Xiao Mo saw Tao Zheng’s car from the rearview mirror. “Third Master,” he said, “Miss Tan Rou, Mr. Tao Zheng seems to be back too.”
Tan Rou turned around and looked at Tao Zheng and the others through the car window. “Xiao Mo, stop for a moment. I’ll have a chat with them so that they wouldn’t be worried.”
Zhuang Liu said, “Xiao Mo, just park here. You drive the car to the garage. Rourou and 1 will walk home.”
“Third Master, do you need a wheelchair or crutches?” Xiao Mo asked.
“Crutches.” Zhuang Liu said.
Xiao Mo stopped the car and helped Zhuang Liu take out the crutches from the trunk. He then opened the door for them.
Tan Rou got out of the car first. She supported Zhuang Liu and slowly walked out. Xiao Mo stretched out his hands and then pulled them back. He felt like he was a little extra.
Tao Zheng and the others also got out of the car. As soon as they got out of the car, they began to question Zhuang Liu. “You went around in such a big circle just to send my sister back home?”
Zhuang Liu replied, “Of course not.”
Then, Shen Jing came out of her house. The place where they parked their car was not far from Shen Jing’s house. In addition, Shen Jing had been waiting for them, so when they got out of the car, Shen Jing walked over.
“You guys came back so quickly!” Shen Jing walked over with a smile. “It’s just ready at home. Rourou, go and take a look.”
Tan Rou was very curious. “What did you prepare all these?”
Zhuang Liu held his forehead. “Mom, 1 was going to give Rourou a surprise. Why did you say it out loud?”
Shen Jing covered her mouth and said, “Oh my, I thought you had already told Rourou.”
“If 1 told her in advance, what kind of surprise would it be?” Zhuang Liu said helplessly.
“Since you’re already back, don’t hide anymore.” Shen Jing pulled Tan Rou back. “Rourou, come with me and take a look at it!”
Tan Rou was dragged by Shen Jing to her house. Before she entered the door, she saw a large cluster of flowers. There were many balloons with the flowers. The pure white balloons were filled with hydrogen. At this moment, they were floating in the air. It was very spectacular.
In addition to these beautiful flowers and balloons, there were many lights, but they were not lit up right now. If the lights around it were lit up, they would be even more beautiful.
“These are…” Tan Ron’s heart raced. “Did Auntie prepare all this?”
Shen Jing smiled and waved her hand.” 1 don’t know how to do this!” She pointed at Zhuang Liu. “It’s all your Third Brother’s idea. At that time, I was eating when a large group of people suddenly came knocking on the door, which scared me.”
Tan Rou reached out and brushed the white rose away. A faint smile appeared on her face. “Third Brother, you’re so thoughtful.”
“Happy birthday, Xiao Rou.” Zhuang Liu caught up. “Time was tight this time, so I wasn’t prepared. I’ll definitely make more preparations next time.”
“It’s already very nice!” Tan Rou smiled from the bottom of her heart. “I love it.”
Tao Zheng was shocked by this. “You brought Rourou here just to show her these?”
“Not only that, second brother.” Zhuang Liu said, “There are still a lot more. Do you want to go in and take a look?”
“Who is your second brother?” Tao Zheng said in disdain, “Stop calling me that!”
“Little Zheng, what you said is wrong.” Shen Jing smiled and said, “If our Xiao Liu and your little sister gets together in the future, then he should call you Second Brother.””
“1 haven’t agreed to marry my sister to you yet!” Tao Zheng said angrily.
“Little Zheng, what are you saying?” Mrs. Tao followed closely behind. When she saw the garden that Zhuang Liu had prepared, she said happily, “Xiao Zhuang, you’re so thoughtful!”
Zhuang Liu took the opportunity to invite them over as well. “Uncle, Aunty, come over for dinner tonight too. It’ll be nice for us to have a simple celebration for Tan Rou..”
Chapter 422: 422 Do You Like It?
Mrs. Tao was thrilled to join them, “Alright, we’ll definitely be there tonight.” After speaking, she brought Tao Zheng back, lest Tao Zheng stays here and spoil the mood.
Tao Zheng reluctantly followed his mother back. Before he left, he did not forget to remind his sister, “Don’t be deceived by him. He’s a man who only knows how to sweet-talk.”
Mrs. Tao slapped Tao Zheng on the head. “He’s much more romantic than you are. Look at the balloons and flowers. If I asked you to prepare them, could you remember what you would prepare?”
Tao Zheng choked. He really didn’t have many romantic cells. He was only talented in photography. He didn’t have any talent in other aspects.
“Let’s go in and take a look.” Zhuang Liu said.
Shen Jing asked Tan Ron to open the door and let herself in. Tan Rou pushed the door open, and a group of beige, blue, and golden balloons slowly flew up. The champagne-colored roses filled the room, emitting a mesmerizing fragrance.
“Wow!” Tan Rou couldn’t help but exclaim, “It’s so beautiful!”
“Rourou, do you like the decorations here?” Zhuang Liu asked.
“How could 1 not like it?” Tan Rou smiled. “I’d like anything that you’ve prepared for me.”
Shen Jing walked out silently and even closed the door for them, leaving some space for the two of them.
“The chef has already prepared the dishes. Let’s have uncle, auntie, and brothers come for dinner tonight.” Zhuang Liu said.
Tan Rou said, “Why do you call them brothers? Besides, only Eldest Brother is a few months older than you. Logically speaking, Second Brother and Little Qi are your younger brothers.”
Zhuang Liu said, “It’s more polite to call him that. As for Little Brother Qi, he’s really too young. 1 can’t call him my elder brother.”
Tan Rou sat in the living room and looked around the scene. The whole living room was simple and elegant. It was not red or purple. She also saw the things that Zhuang Liu had prepared. It was not a grand occasion. There was only a slightly larger table. Beside the table was a small table with an unopened cake on it.
In fact, this was the birthday party that Tan Rou had imagined. Few people were present, and only their family had a simple meal.
Tan Rou suddenly seemed to understand something. She asked, “Third Brother, did you prepare these for me?”
Zhuang Liu asked, “Who else would i have prepared these for? It is your birthday today.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Tan Rou made herself clear. “Did you remember that 1 said I wanted to celebrate my birthday with my family?”
Zhuang Liu smiled and said nothing.
Tan Ron’s heart was filled. She had lived for two lifetimes, but only this man remembered her deeply. He remembered every word she said clearly and kept creating surprises for her.
Perhaps some people would feel that interfering too much in someone’s life would make them uncomfortable, but Tan Rou did not dislike Zhuang Liu’s behavior. On the contrary, she liked it very much. Just like today, when Zhuang Liu kissed her, she did not feel disgusted. Instead, she was a little happy.
At the thought of this, Tan Rou recalled the events of her previous life. She also thought of Tian Yong, whom she had met today. In her previous life, she had been fooled by Tian Yong and thought that Tian Yong really liked her. In the end, Tian Yong only listened to Tan Jing’s orders and came to fool her.
“Xiao Rou…” Zhuang Liu saw that Tan Rou was in a daze. He gently touched her back and asked worriedly,” Are you not feeling well?”
Tan Rou came back to her senses and shook her head. “No, I was just thinking about how well you’ve treated me.”
Zhuang Liu said, “I will always be good to you.”
Tan Rou did not respond. She knew that she had feelings for Zhuang Liu, but the sad ending in her previous life made her afraid to love him boldly. Therefore, she decided to wait until she had made up her mind.
Zhuang Liu did not know what she was thinking and thought she was too surprised.
“Eat some cherries.” Zhuang Liu brought the fresh purple-red cherries to the table to Tan Rou. “It’s quite sweet.”
Tan Rou casually picked up a cherry and tasted it in her mouth. The sweet and sour taste of the cherry made her temporarily forget about being played by the scumbag.
“It’s very delicious. Third brother, come and have some too.” Tan Rou picked out the biggest and most beautiful cherry and fed it to Zhuang Liu.
Zhuang Liu pouted and put the cherry in his mouth. His lips touched Tan Ron’s fingers, and it was very soft..
Chapter 423: 423 Love Action Movie
Tan Ron seemed to like eating this cherry very much. In a short while, she had finished a large amount of it. Zhuang Liu saw that she liked it, so he went to wash another large plate.
However, he reminded Tan Rou, “Rourou, although the cherries are delicious, you can’t eat too much. If you eat too much, you’ll have diarrhea.”
Tan Rou also realized that she had eaten too much cherries. This was a mistake that she should not have made. She was a doctor and knew best that no matter how delicious the food was, she should not overeat. What was going on today? How could she eat so many cherries without knowing it? It must be because Zhuang Liu’s cherries were too delicious. She would ask him where he bought them some other day and buy some for her parents to eat.
It was very boring just to sit there and eat cherries. Besides, they couldn’t eat too many cherries, so Zhuang Liu wanted to find a movie to kill time. He basically didn’t watch movies and didn’t know what movies were good, so he gave the choice to Tan Rou.
Tan Rou usually didn’t have time to watch movies, so she said, “Just find my random movie and watch it. I haven’t seen anything new lately.”
“Then should we watch a literary film or a romance film?” Zhuang Liu was inclined to watch romance movies but still wanted to seek Tan Ron’s opinion.
“A literary film.” Tan Rou felt that literary films had a deeper meaning.
However, Zhuang Liu had never watched a literary film before and did not know what it was like. He simply searched for the word ‘literary’ and came up with a movie called ‘The Age of Literature’. It looked like a literary film. There was also a tree and a young girl on the cover, which looked like the educated youths of that era.
“Let’s watch this.” Tan Rou didn’t want to continue searching. It was just a way to pass the time anyway. It didn’t matter anyway.
The movie started off normal. It was about a young couple who loved each other. They were separated and reunited in a special era. The two protagonists in the movie were called Wen Yi and Hua Nian.
As he watched, the movie began to change. It was no longer a literary film, but a very large-scale romance film. When the two protagonists met and kissed each other, they kept doing intimate things.
The two young men and women watching the movie outside the screen blushed like cooked prawns. However, they all thought the other party liked the film, so they continued watching it.
Finally, when the protagonists in the movie took off their clothes and had sex in the cornfield for the third time, Tan Rou could not help but say, “Why don’t we watch another movie?”
Zhuang Liu’s ears turned red and he nodded, “I’ll listen to you.”
This time, it was Tan Ron’s turn to choose the movie. In order to prevent herself from seeing another awkward romantic film, she chose an animated film. It couldn’t have such a scene in an animated film, right?
This cartoon was a very touching film. It was about a guardian god who gave birth to a little girl in her body when she died. The girl did not know who she was. After she was born, she lived with the people there. Later, in order to find a way to save the village, the girl and her friends embarked on the road to find ‘hope’. In the end, the girl found that she was the ‘hope’ and she sacrificed herself without hesitation.
However, Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu did not cry. They were already past the age where they would cry over this.
“None of the movies today are good.” Zhuang Liu was disappointed with the movie. “Let’s watch something else.”
“No thanks.” Tan Rou got up and stretched her muscles.” We’ve been sitting for so long. “Let’s get up and prepare for dinner.”
Although Zhuang Liu really wanted to eat Tan Rou’s cooking, it was Tan Ron’s birthday today. He could not let her cook.
Tan Rou said, “Today is my birthday. You guys have been helping me celebrate my birthday. I haven’t had the time to thank you. Why don’t I take this opportunity to cook a few dishes for you? Besides, I heard that whoever celebrated their birthday would treat them to a meal. I won’t treat them. I’ll just cook at your house.”
Zhuang Liu propped up his walking stick. “Let me help you.”
Tan Rou looked at his leg.” Is there anything wrong with your leg?”
In order to prove that his leg was much better, Zhuang Liu put away his crutch and stood straight in front of the sofa. “Of course, no problem.”
Tan Rou said, “Alright then, come over and help me.”
The two of them walked into the kitchen one after the other. The auntie in the kitchen had already prepared the dishes. They could just cook directly. Tan Rou rolled up her sleeves and put on a new apron to prevent the dirty water from dirtying her clothes..
Chapter 424: 424 Stay Away from My Sister
Zhuang Liu picked and washed the vegetables, while Tan Ron was in charge of cutting and stir-frying the vegetables. In fact, the clothes she was wearing today were really not suitable for cooking, but now she had no chance to go back and change. She could only hope that she would be more careful and not dirty the seven-figure dress.
“Xiao Rou, do you want to pluck off the flowers on this stalk of white peony?” It was Zhuang Liu’s first time washing vegetables. He didn’t know what he could eat and what he couldn’t, but he liked to ask Tan Rou.
“No need. Just wash the Asparagus.” Tan Rou replied to him as she cut the shredded meat,”Can 1 make a stir-fried shrimp with Asparagus?”
“As long as it’s Xiao Ron’s cooking, I’ll like it.” Zhuang Liu spoke the truth.
Tan Rou smiled. “Alright.”
It was the first time they worked together, but they cooperated very well. Zhuang Liu would pass her the things that Tan Rou needed immediately. To make Zhuang Liu stand less, Tan Rou especially went outside and moved a higher chair for him to sit on.
After making a few simple dishes, Zhuang Liu asked Tan Rou to go out. The auntie would come over to cook the greasy dishes. Tan Rou really should not cook in the kitchen in this dress.
Tan Rou thought for a moment. Although her family was rich and did not care about this dress, this dress was a precious birthday gift from her brother. She had to take good care of it.
“Okay, 1’11 go to the bathroom to wash my hands and wash off the oil stains on my hands.” Tan Rou took off her apron.
Zhuang Liu only washed the vegetables, so there was no grease on them. He did not need to go to the bathroom to clean them, so he went straight to the living room.
After a while, the door opened. The person who came in was not Shen Jing, but Tan Ron’s elder brother, Tao Zhi. Tao Zhi had just sent Tao Qi to school. After a period of treatment, his hand could already drive. In order not to let his parents find out about his problem, he took the initiative to drive Tao Qi to school.
After sending Tao Qi home, Tao Zhi didn’t see his sister at home, so he asked Tan Zheng why she wasn’t back yet. Tao Zheng looked heartbroken, as he told Tao Zhi that their cute sister was currently staying at Zhuang Liu’s house.
After hearing this, he rushed to Zhuang Liu’s house in a hurry. From the intersection to the courtyard to the house, everything was meticulously decorated. Even Tao Zhi could not help but slow down to take a few glances.
However, this did not stop Tao Zhi from advancing. His sister was still with Zhuang Liu.
“Zhuang Liu, why did you bring my sister to your house? Where’s my sister?” Tao Zhi asked as soon as he entered. “Give me back my sister!”
Zhuang Liu replied, “Xiao Rou went to wash her hands.”
“Don’t talk to me about this. Hurry up and hand over my sister. 1 want to take her home.”Tao Zhi didn’t want to listen to Zhuang Liu’s nonsense. “I will never let you plot against my sister!”
Zhuang Liu really did not know how to explain it to Tao Zhi. He was not a bad person. Moreover, Tan Rou was still young. He would not do anything to her now. How could he not explain it to Tao Zhi with just a few words?
“Zhuang Liu, I told you last time to stay away from my sister. Didn’t you hear me?” Seeing that Zhuang Liu didn’t speak, Tao Zhi continued, “I told you that your family’s situation is chaotic. Don’t drag my sister into it. Have you forgotten?”
Zhuang Liu’s expression instantly turned ugly. He could not express his love to Tan Rou directly for two reasons. One was that Tan Rou was still young, and the other was his family matters.
The complicated Zhuang family had buried countless bombs. If they were not careful, they would blow up the people around Zhuang Liu. If it was not for the Zhuang family, Zhuang Liu would not have to go out in a wheelchair. At the end of the day, his wings were not enough to protect everyone.
“I want to bring my sister back. Don’t come looking for her again in the future.” Tao Zhi looked at Zhuang Liu’s expression and thought that he had already convinced Zhuang Liu.
“No, today is Xiao Ron’s birthday. 1 want to celebrate her birthday. You should ask Rourou for her opinion. If she wants to leave, 1 won’t stop her.”
“You…”
Before Tao Zhi could say anything, Tan Rou exited the bathroom. When she saw their stance, she felt her brother must have been making things difficult for Zhuang Liu again..
Chapter 425: 425 Taking a Step Back
“Big brother, are you bullying third brother again?” Tan Ron’s pretty face scrunched up, looking a little unhappy.
Tao Zhi felt so wronged. When did he bully Zhuang Liu? He couldn’t say that he bullied Zhuang Liu just because he was standing while Zhuang Liu was sitting here, right?
“Sister, 1 didn’t bully him. I was just telling him off.”Tao Zheng defended himself.
Tan Ron thought that Tao Zhi was blaming Zhuang Liu for bringing her here, so she explained on Zhuang Liu’s behalf, “Big Brother, Third Brother only brought me here just to celebrate my birthday. He is a very attentive man. 1 simply said that I don’t like the crowded atmosphere at the banquet today and only wanted to have a simple meal with my family. He remembered it.”
Tao Zhi was stunned. He didn’t expect Tan Rou to think this way. They thought that their sister would have a pleased birthday at The Shore. Moreover, Tao Zheng and Tao Qi liked celebrating their birthdays with a crowd, especially Tao Qi. It was said that he invited many friends on his birthday last year. Even if they were not his classmates, he also invited them.
“Xiao Rou, don’t you like the birthday party we prepared for you? Then why don’t we have another one?” Tao Zhi asked anxiously.
“No one else would be invited and only our family would be there. Is that okay?”
Zhuang Liu took the opportunity to say, “We’ve already prepared the food. 1 even invited your family over for dinner tonight. Auntie has already agreed to come over just now. You can come directly tonight. You don’t have to prepare anything else.”
Tao Zhi didn’t want to be outdone by Zhuang Liu in this aspect, so he said, “Xiao Rou, wait for me. I’ll decorate our house now. 1 guarantee it’ll look better than Zhuang Liu’s house.”
“No need.” Tan Rou grabbed Tao Zhi’s arm and smiled. “You can only be surprised once. Once you’re surprised, you won’t be surprised again.” Whether it’s the birthday party prepared by my parents and brother or the birthday party prepared by Zhang Liu, I love it equally. Don’t fight anymore. If you continue to fight, I don’t know how long this birthday party will last.”
Tao Zhi was a little upset. While preparing, they only wanted to introduce Tan Rou to everyone so that everyone would respect her more after knowing her true identity. They didn’t expect Tan Rou not to like such a birthday party at all.
“Big brother, Zhuang Liu very good to me.” Tan Rou kept talking about Zhuang Liu’s benefits. “The doctor I learned medicine from was Third Brother’s personal doctor. He specializes in treating Third Brother. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have interacted so much with Uncle Bai Jing and wouldn’t have learned medicine.”
“Also, when Tan Jing said that I was being kept, it was him who helped me deal with it. He helped me gather the evidence, found a lawyer, and even helped me eliminate many negative effects.”
“Brother Zhuang would also introduce me to many different people. He would also come along with me whenever I had to visit my patients.”
Tan Rou said, “There are still many things that I can’t list out one by one. Anyway, Brother Zhuang San has helped me a lot. You can’t bully him.”
Tao Zhi really regretted that he had not come back earlier. If he had come back earlier, he would have been able to protect his sister. Moreover, his emotions were a little complicated now. He could not continue to scold Zhuang Liu for being a villain with ill intentions, but he could not directly hand his sister over to Zhuang Liu.
After hesitating for a long time, Tao Zhi threatened to Zhuang Liu, “Zhuang Liu, listen to me. My sister is still young. You must not do anything out of line to her!”
Zhuang Liu wouldn’t. Tan Rou had just come of age and was in her third year of high school. He would not do anything to her. “Don’t worry, I won’t do those things. 1 will only protect Rourou silently by her side.”
Tao Zhi wanted to say, ‘My sister doesn’t need you to protect her’, but he swallowed his words when he saw his sister’s happy expression.
“There’s one more thing. You have to protect my sister at all times. If anything happens to Xiao Rou, I’ll make sure you and your family suffer!” Tao Zhi emphasized.
Although our current strength could not shake the Zhuang family’s position, the Tao family behind him could.
Zhuang Liu’s tone was sincere. “Even if something happens to me, I will never allow anyone to hurt her.”
Tao Zhi couldn’t stop his sister from siding with Zhuang Liu, so he could only give in. He couldn’t let his sister be mad at him because of Zhuang Liu..
Chapter 426: 426 Mom’s Assist
Although Tao Zhi knew that Zhuang Liu was outstanding, he still didn’t like him. After all, he had to hand his sister to another strange man. As an older brother, he couldn’t feel at ease. Furthermore, Tan Rou had just turned eighteen. Tao Zhi was even more worried about her being with Zhuang Liu. He could not help but wonder what Zhuang Liu would do to his sister.
“Is this Xiao Ron’s elder brother?” Shen Jing came back from outside. She had just gone out to give them space but did not expect Tao Zhi to take advantage of the loophole and come to their house. “Oh my! You’re so handsome!” Her face was full of smiles as if she had known Tao Zhi for a long time.
“Xiao Liu often talks about her brothers.” Shen Jing walked in front of them and couldn’t hide her smile. “He said that you and your brothers are very outstanding people. Not only are you handsome, but you’re also kind. You also love your sister very much and dote on her.”
When Tao Zhi heard Shen Jing’s words, he was pleased. He said proudly, “No one loves Rourou more than we do.”
Shen Jing was very cooperative and said, “That’s right. No one in this world is closer to Rourou than you. You’re family. Your relationship can’t be severed.”
Shen Jing’s praise overjoyed Tao Zhi. “Auntie is right. We are the closest people to Rourou.”
Zhuang Liu was very unhappy after hearing this. In his heart, he should be the only person closest to Tan Rou.
Shen Jing gave Zhuang Liu a look, telling him not to say anything more. What they needed to do now was to calm down Tan Ron’s family. Only when Tan Ron’s family agreed could he and Tan Rou be together peacefully.
Zhuang Liu received Shen Jing’s gaze and asked, “Brother Tao, do you want to look around?”
Tao Zhi had this intention in mind too. If his sister really wanted to be with Zhuang Liu, they had to help her watch out for the Zhuang family. The Zhuang family had a lot of things to do in the Capital, but Tan Rou was still in school and would not go to the Capital for the time being, so he had to be aware of the environment there.
While Zhuang Liu was taking Tao Zhi on tour, Shen Jing pulled Tan Rou around the house and told her which were specially arranged by Zhuang Liu and which were personally picked by Zhuang Liu.
“Zhuang Liu bought this vase a few days ago. He said you might like it.” Shen Jing pointed at a pink vase. “The flowers inside were planted today. Take a look and see if you like them.”
Tan Rou looked at the blue-purple forget-me-not flowers in the vase, and a faint smile appeared. “This bouquet matches my dress today.”
As they strolled around, Mother Tao and Tao Zheng arrived.
Shen Jing welcomed her warmly. She said to Mrs. Tao, “Look at how harmonious our children are getting along!”
Mrs. Tao smiled and said, “We just thought our child already has someone they liked, and it would be a pity. Who would have thought that the person your daughter fell for my son and my son is head over heels for her too? 1.” “Exactly!” Shen Jing patted Mrs. Tao’s hand and said affectionately, “We’ll be in-laws in the future!”
Tan Rou held her forehead. What was her mother talking about? When did she say as if she was going to marry Zhuang Liu today?
“Mom, don’t talk nonsense.” Tan Rou felt that it was necessary to remind her mother. “Third Brother and I are like siblings. Besides, I’m still in school. I don’t have to think so much now.”
“We’ll keep an eye on him first. It’s not too late to get married in the future. Besides, it’s hard to find someone as outstanding as Xiao Zhuang.”
Shen Jing came over to promote her son.” My Xiao Liu has always skipped grades. He won the gold medal in the national physics competition, which is the one that Rourou will participate in. When Xiao Rou gets first place, our family will have two gold medals.”
Mrs. Tao was grinning from ear to ear. “My Rourou will definitely get first place.”
Tao Zheng had a headache. Why did his mother like Zhuang Liu so much? Although he was handsome, had good grades, and had some achievements, he was not worthy of their sister. Their Rourou was the most outstanding, and no one was worthy of her.
When Zhuang Liu saw Mrs. Tao, he immediately came over to make his presence known. “Good afternoon, Auntie. The qipao that Auntie is wearing today is beautiful. It complements your skin and figure.”
“Little Zhuang, you’re so sweet.” Tao Yan’s mother touched her face and smiled. Then, she blamed her son instead. “I’ve been wearing it for a day, and you guys haven’t even praised me.”
The Tao brothers looked at each other and had the same thought. Zhuang Liu completely coaxed their mother..
Chapter 427: The Attentive Zhuang Liu
After Tao Qi finished school, they could prepare to eat. Tao Qi was in elementary school, and there were no tutoring classes arranged after class, so he was dismissed from school at 43. When he learned that he was going to Zhuang Liu’s house for dinner, he was so excited that he jumped up and down.
“Are we really going to Brother Zhuang’s house for dinner?” Tao Qi asked again, “What gift should I bring? Can 1 give you a painting that 1 drew?”
Tao Zheng rolled his eyes as he drove. What was going on? Why did Zhuang Liu bewitch the two of their siblings? That male vixen@ Why were they all siding with Zhuang Liu?
“You don’t need to bring a gift.” Tao Zheng said coldly, “We have already prepared the gifts for the guests. Besides, we didn’t specially come to Zhuang Liu’s house today. Zhuang Liu prepared a family version of your third sister’s birthday party and invited us for dinner.”
“Then Second Brother, drive faster! I still have to attend my sister’s birthday party,” Tao Qi urged. “1 couldn’t talk to my sister properly at noon because I had class.”
“We can talk about it when we get home tonight,” Tao Zheng said.”
“That’s different!” Tao Qi was very concerned about the sense of ceremony. “There are some important words that must be said at the banquet. I have a lot to say to my sister.”
Tao Zheng was annoyed by him and had no choice but to say, “Okay, 1’11 drive faster.”
Once he got out of the car, Tao Qi ran to Zhuang Liu’s house. When he saw the balloons and flowers in the yard, his mouth turned into one similar to a fish’s. “Wow, it’s really beautiful! It’s just like a wedding.”
Tao Zheng couldn’t help but say, “Don’t talk nonsense. How is this a wedding?!”
Tan Rou heard Tao Qi’s voice and came out to welcome them. When Tao Qi saw his sister, he rushed forward as if he hadn’t seen Tan Rou for months. “Sister, 1 miss you so much!”
“Didn’t we just meet at noon?” Tan Rou gently patted his head and asked with a smile.
Tao Qi pouted. “But 1 have to go to school. I wanted to take leave to celebrate your birthday, but you didn’t let me skip school.”
“You have to study hard.” Tan Rou said, “You can’t delay your studies because of my birthday.”
Tao Qi did not agree. He muttered, “You skipped school too ”
“Come in quickly. The food is ready.” The two mothers came out to call them.
The few of them chatted and laughed as they walked into the house. The fragrance of the food drifted far away and smelled very tempting.
The Tao family glanced at the dishes on the table and realized that all the dishes were Tan Ron’s favorite. They were all Tan Ron’s favorite style, from the tablecloth to the cutlery.
Tao Zheng could not help but admire Zhuang Liu. They had lived with Tan Rou for a few months and might not have figured out Tan Ron’s preferences, but Zhuang Liu knew it clearly.
The lunch was for the guests. It looked good, but it wasn’t necessarily delicious. Tan Rou didn’t like flashy things, so she didn’t eat much. This dinner, however, was arranged according to her preferences, so Tan Rou ate very comfortably and inadvertently overate.
Zhuang Liu was indeed a meticulous person. He had been putting food on Tan Rou’s plate during the meal. If it were a dish that Tan Rou liked, he would directly place it right in front of her.
The sky gradually darkened, and they were almost done eating. Suddenly, there was the sound of an explosion outside.
Tao Qi was shocked. He covered his ears and asked, “What exploded?”
Tan Rou could tell what was going on. She also saw a flash of light through the window. “You even prepared fireworks?”
Zhuang Liu smiled and whispered, “Let’s go upstairs to take a look. The view upstairs would be better.”
Tan Rou was quite surprised because fireworks were forbidden in here. She did not know how Zhuang Liu had gotten them.
“Alright!” Tan Rou was thrilled. She hadn’t seen fireworks in a long time, and she didn’t have the mood to appreciate fireworks in the past. She wanted to take advantage of today’s opportunity to enjoy the beauty of fireworks.
Zhuang Liu’s house had an elevator. It was specially installed for his convenience. However, he did not take the elevator today. Instead, he accompanied Tan Rou as they walked up to the balcony on the top floor.
Whenever he was by Tan Rou’s side, as long as he could walk, he would choose to walk. He wanted Tan Rou to get used to the feeling of him being by her side..
Chapter 428: 428 Waiting for You
When Tao Zheng and Tao Zhi turned around, their sister and Zhuang Liu were nowhere to be seen. They couldn’t look around Zhuang Liu’s house, so they could only send a message to ask where Tan Rou was.
However, Tan Rou didn’t have her phone on her, so she didn’t see their messages.
Mrs. Tao saw where they had gone. She didn’t want her two sons to disturb Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu, so she said, “The three of you should go back with your father. 1 have something to say to your Aunty Shen.”
“Where’s Xiao Rou?” Tao Zhi asked. “Isn’t she going back with us?”
Mrs. Tao looked at him in annoyance. “Your sister is enjoying the fireworks. She’s not in a hurry to go back.”
Unexpectedly, Tao Zhi sat down on the chair beside the table. “If my sister isn’t going back, I’m not going back either. We want to watch the fireworks too.” Mrs. Tao put on her motherly aura. “Why are you guys looking at fireworks?” She looked at Mr. Tao and said, “Hubby, take them back quickly.””
Mr. Tao, who had not made much of a presence the whole night, made a wave of presence before he went to bed. He said with a straight face, “Your mother and sister have something to do. We’ll go back first. Especially Xiao Qi, you still have to return and do your homework.”
Under the urging of their parents, the three brothers reluctantly left with their father. Before they left, the Tao brothers swept the first floor of Zhuang Liu’s house again, but they still could not find their sister. They could only go home in disappointment.
Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu sat side by side on the bench on the roof where the view was the widest. They quietly admired the colorful fireworks in the sky as if the two of them were the only ones left in the world.
When the fireworks were over, Zhuang Liu turned his face to Tan Rou and asked, “Do you like this birthday party?””
Of course, Tan Rou liked it very much. She said, “This is the happiest birthday party I’ve ever had.”
“Then do you have anything to say?” As Zhuang Liu spoke, he gently hooked Tan Ron’s finger.
Tan Rou didn’t retract her hand. She thought momentarily and said, “Thank you, Third Brother!”
Zhuang Liu shook his head gently. “You know that’s not what I wanted to hear.”
Tan Rou had some thoughts in her mind, but she did not intend to expose them. Hence, she deliberately changed the topic. “Then… The food tonight was delicious, and the fireworks were beautiful?”
Zhuang Liu saw that she did not get to the point, so he said, “Rourou will be adult after today. You would be able to date anyone you want after this.”
After Tan Rou heard this, she immediately pulled her finger out of Zhuang Liu’s hand. She pursed her lips and said shyly, “Third Brother, although I’m already an adult, I’m still in high school. 1 want to study hard first and get into university.”
Zhuang Liu didn’t insist. “1 know, but 1 want to tell you my feelings so you can choose me first when choosing a partner. It doesn’t matter if you’re in school now. I can wait for you. No matter how long it takes, 1’11 wait for you. In this life, 1 will only wait for you.”
Being confessed to by the person she liked was a bizarre experience. Tan Ron’s mind was blank at this moment. She could only remember Zhuang Liu’s words of how he would wait for her. Her heart was beating faster and faster, as if it was about to jump out.
In order to cover up her heartbeat, Tan Rou stood up hurriedly. “I’m leaving first.”
“Wait a minute.” Zhuang Liu pulled her back.
“Third Brother, you don’t have to send me downstairs. I can walk back by myself.” Tan Rou said in a panic.
“Can I still send you to school on Monday morning?”
Tan Rou was stunned for a moment before she replied, “I’ll wait for you at the door.”
Zhuang Liu heaved a sigh of relief when Tan Rou answered. Fortunately, Tan Rou was not angry with him.
Zhuang Liu had been preparing for tonight’s confession for a long time. He had been waiting for the day Tan Rou came of age. He wanted to be the first person to confess to Tan Rou, and also the only choice Tan Rou had in choosing a partner in the future. However, he was a little worried. After all, many people in the world were better than him. He was afraid Tan Rou would meet other men at university in the future. At that time, he might be so jealous that he wanted to kill someone.
He better not catch anyone who would try their luck messing with Xiao Rou!
Chapter 429: Tan Ron Harmed the Tan Family
Tan Ron returned home with a red face. Other than Tao Qi, everyone else was waiting for her in the living room. However, she was not in the mood to talk to her family. She only said a quick goodnight and returned to her room.
The Tao family thought that Tan Rou was too tired today, so they didn’t disturb her anymore.
Tan Rou returned to her room and closed the door tightly. Then, she threw herself on the bed and rolled around twice, messing up her hair that she had done today. It didn’t matter. He was going to sleep soon anyway.
The phone in her bag vibrated. Tan Rou stretched out her hand to take the phone. When she saw that it was a voice message from Zhuang Liu, she immediately opened it to listen.
“Good night, Xiao Rou. See you on Monday morning.” Zhuang Liu said.
His voice was magnetic, and he said goodnight very affectionately, so much so that Tan Ron’s heart, which had just calmed down, started beating faster.
Tan Rou thought that Zhuang Liu’s voice was beautiful. If he didn’t become a boss, he might even become a voice actor or a radio host specializing in broadcasting hypnotic stories. There would definitely be a lot of people listening.
As she thought about it, Tan Rou clicked on the message again and listened to it. The more she listened, the more tempted she became.
Zhuang Liu didn’t get a reply from Tan Rou, so he sent another message. “Rourou, are you home?”
After Tan Rou reacted, she typed a reply to him,[Goodnight, Third Brother.]
Zhuang Liu replied to her, “Alright.”
Tan Rou changed out of her dress, took a comfortable bath, and went to rest.
On Monday morning, Tan Rou graciously appeared in school. The people in their school were like the audience below the stage. Everyone treated Tan Rou like a star on stage. They all had expressions that said, ‘I want to get close to her but I don’t dare to.’
“Oh my god, I didn’t expect Tan Rou to be the eldest daughter of the Tao family from the Capital! This probability is even smaller than me winning a million dollars.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. She’s worth more than 11 million now.”
“I didn’t expect to be friends with the daughter of a wealthy family. 1 feel like I’m shining.”
“You’re so thick-skinned. What does being rich have to do with you?”
Some people were amazed, while others were doubtful.
“Have you ever thought about something? Tan Rou had just regained her identity as the eldest daughter of the Tao family, but the Tan family immediately went bankrupt. Did Tan Rou make the Tan family go bankrupt?” “Of course. The Tan family has done so many things to Tan Rou. If I were Tan Rou, with such a strong background, 1 would be the first to take revenge on those who have hurt me.”
“The Tan family is one of the most reputable families in the city. I didn’t expect Tan Rou to take care of them so easily. Tan Rou is really terrifying.”
When Tan Rou heard their gossip, she wanted to laugh out loud. The Tan family’s bankruptcy was their fault. What did it have to do with her? It wasn’t Tan Rou who caused the Tan family to go bankrupt.
Moreover, Tan Rou knew the people who spoke. In the past, they had flattered Tan Jing and hoped that Tan Jing, who was still the eldest daughter of the Tan family at that time, would put in a good word for them in front of Tan Song so that their family could cooperate with the Tan family.
Tan Rou had always disdained such people. If they were willing to support Tan Jing, then so be it.
“Did you come to school just to spread gossip? If you don’t know how to use your brain and mouth, you can donate them to people in need!” Liang Lu had an imposing aura as soon as she appeared. She carried a shoulder bag, her fingers hooked the electric car keys handsomely, and she had a lollipop in her mouth.
Tan Rou was a little surprised. She smiled and said, “You’re early today!” One had to know that Liang Lu usually came on time. Even the guard at the door did not dare to say anything bad about her.
“Since I promised you that I would study hard, 1 have to put on a good attitude.” Liang Lu smiled and winked at Tan Rou. “How was my attitude today?”
Tan Rou rubbed her fingers and gave her a ‘like’ before saying, “You were outstanding today. Keep it up in the future.”
Liang Lu smiled at her, then turned to look at the people who were gossiping. She said in an unfriendly tone, “Repeat what you just said. Let me hear it clearly.”
Those people were so scared that their faces turned pale. Although Liang Lu had been much calmer recently, she was notorious for her fierceness. Moreover, she was temperamental. Who knew if she had really changed for the better or if she wanted to play the game of being a good student?
“We didn’t say anything.” A girl was pushed out as the representative.
Liang Lu snorted coldly and crossed her arms. “Let me break it down for you. The Tan family’s bankruptcy was their own doing. It has nothing to do with anyone else.. If 1 hear any more of this nonsense in the future, I’ll send you to the hospital! Do you hear me?”
Chapter 430: 43 It’s Really Not Bad
“We… We’re just telling the truth.” There was a girl who remained stubborn. She felt that Liang Lu had been studying hard recently and would not be the female tyrant she used to be.
If it was Liang Lu in the past, she would have kicked this girl into the flower bed and crushed her like a teeny weeny flower. However, she had promised Tan Rou that she would be a good student. Moreover, Tan Rou was here today so she couldn’t do anything.
Therefore, Liang Lu used her eloquence from reciting texts and knowledge points and decided to use words to battle these students lying through their teeth.
“I said that your brains aren’t good, but you still won’t admit it, right?” Liang Lu flipped through the news and directly targeted the reason for the Tan family’s bankruptcy. Then, she read them loudly, “The Tan family went bankrupt because they evaded taxes, and the boss moved the company’s accounts privately. This led to a huge gap in the capital chain. In the end, it was not Tan Rou who caused them to go bankrupt.”
“Besides, how old is Tan Rou? Did she have the ability to destroy the Tan family? If she had taken down the Tan family now, would she have been bullied by the Tan family for so long?” Liang Lu asked.
“There’s still one thing. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten who they worked with before Tan’s family went bankrupt?” Liang Lu was indeed pissed. “They were working with the Tao family from the Capital! The Tao family had decided to repay the Tan family with kindness and give them a chance to develop because of the friendship they had shared with Tan Rou for more than ten years. Ultimately, they tampered with the product and gave the defective product to the Tao family. They even cheated a large sum of money from the Tao family. If 1 were a member of the Tao family in the capital, I would definitely make the Tan family suffer even more and not simply go bankrupt.”
Tan Rou tilted her head and looked at Liang Lu. She realized that Liang Lu was indeed a loyal person. Moreover, Liang Lu was someone who could listen to advise. She probably went on the wrong path in the past because no one was willing to guide her.
Liang Lu was indeed a good person. She would be perfect if she could improve her grades a little.
In reality, Liang Lu was a person who could be called upon by hundreds of people. She had many little sisters under her, so she did not have to worry about being unpopular.
In terms of studies, Liang Lu was a serious and hardworking person. She had made great progress recently; even the principal looked at her differently. Furthermore, she was very cheerful and good-looking. Overall, Liang Lu was very outstanding.
“I… I was guessing. Why are you so angry?” The girl said softly. She was still a little afraid of Liang Lu.
“Well, it’s too bad that I didn’t get to record what you said earlier. If I had just recorded it, you wouldn’t be able to deny it,” Liang Lu said angrily.
“Which idiot was the one who said that she was telling the ‘truth’ earlier? It can’t be me, right?”
The girl was angry and annoyed but dared not refute Liang Lu. She could only let Liang Lu call her a ‘fool.’
“Alright, Liang Lu.” Tan Rou listened for a while and walked over to Liang Lu. “There’s no need to ruin your health because of this.”
When Liang Lu saw Tan Rou, she put on a silly smile. “Tan Rou, happy birthday!”
She took out a palm-sized gift box from her school uniform pocket. “You didn’t tell me that it was your birthday either. 1 didn’t even have time to attend your birthday party.”
Tan Rou accepted the gift and said, “Thank you for your gift. I never thought of having a party. It was my family who organized it for me.”
Liang Lu pretended to be unhappy and said, “You must invite me to your birthday next year. If you don’t, I’ll be angry with you.”
Tan Rou thought about it and said, “Why don’t you come to my house this weekend? I just moved to a new house.”
Liang Lu was thrilled. “Can 1 really go over to your house?”
“Why not?” Tan Rou smiled and said, “Li Li said that she wanted to go to my house a long time ago, but the house hasn’t been cleaned yet. Moreover, I’ve been quite busy recently, so I haven’t had time to entertain you. It would help if you guys came over together this week. I’ll prepare delicious food for you.” “What are you talking about?” Lu Qing walked over. He didn’t hear much but seemed to have heard about Tan Ron’s new home, so he asked.
“Xiao Rou invited me to her house as a guest.” Liang Lu smiled like a sunflower.
“Tan Rou, can I join as well?” Lu Qing asked tentatively..