After My Cheap Husband Faked His Death, I Ended Up Happily Ever After with His Younger Brother - Chapter 3

The atmosphere during the meal was subtle.

Father Luo seemed to be intentionally overly enthusiastic, engaging Pei Jiheng in a conversation about an investment. The latter, however, seemed uninterested, though his gaze drifted to Luo Huai several times.

Mother Luo and Lin Yuhe were accustomed to looking after Luo Jingxi, whose plate was instantly piled high with food. Luo Jingxi also frequently cast glances toward Luo Huai, as if attempting to show off.

Luo Huai, however, did not give him a single look, burying his head to focus entirely on eating. It was not that he was particularly hungry; it was just that the situation was too awkward. In a scene like this, it was better to keep his face buried in his bowl.

Lin Yuhe had just placed a piece of food into Luo Jingxi’s bowl when he suddenly noticed Luo Huai eating alone with his head down.

Was he hurt?

That feeling returned again.

Lin Yuhe frowned and reached out to place a shrimp in Luo Huai’s bowl.

“Um, eat. Eat more.”

Luo Huai froze. Lin Yuhe gave a light cough, wanting to say something else, but in the end, he remained silent. Luo Huai thanked him in a low voice but did not touch the shrimp.

The meal ended in such a bizarre atmosphere. Luo Huai put down his chopsticks, not quite knowing what to do. Today was the day for his return visit to his parents’ home, and logically, he should have been the center of attention. However, he only wanted to be as transparent as possible.

Soon, the opportunity to escape arrived.

Pei Jiheng nodded to Father Luo, adjusted his glasses slightly, and mentioned they would meet again another day. Luo Huai seized the moment with great perception.

“I will see Uncle out.”

Pei Jiheng did not refuse. He glanced at him coolly and stood up.

Luo Huai led Pei Jiheng outside. They walked through the living room, passed the foyer, and reached the corridor by the entrance. The sunlight in the front yard was beautiful, casting a warm glow upon them.

Suddenly, Pei Jiheng stopped and turned to look at him.

Luo Huai stopped as well, staring at him blankly. The two stood face to face, and the air fell into a strangely silent state for several seconds. Perhaps it was because the man’s gaze, though calm, was filled with overwhelming pressure; Luo Huai blinked, fiddled with the corner of his shirt, and felt his throat tighten. He spoke first, forcing a smile.

“Uh… Uncle, do you want my WeChat?”

Pei Jiheng: “…”

The afternoon sunlight fell on his silver-rimmed glasses, reflecting a thin, cold ray of light. That ray flashed into Luo Huai’s eyes, making him feel even more guilty, and his palms began to sweat.

Just as he was debating whether to throw caution to the wind and bring up what happened last night, Pei Jiheng suddenly took a step closer.

Luo Huai subconsciously stepped back, his back pressed against a wide corridor pillar.

It is too close.

Pei Jiheng lowered his head slightly, his voice dropping to a very deep register that only the two of them could hear.

“On your wedding night with your husband, is that the right time to go to a bar to hunt for romance? Hm?”

Luo Huai’s pupils constricted.

Pei Jiheng leaned in even closer, his breath brushing against the shell of his ear.

“Trying to pull tricks as soon as you get home? Be careful that your cleverness does not become your undoing. You are still young. You should learn to discern for yourself what should and should not be said.”

Having said that, he pulled back effortlessly, took his phone out of his pocket, and scanned Luo Huai’s WeChat QR code.

“Beep.”

“I am leaving,” he said.

He tucked his phone back into his pocket and turned to leave, his back as elegant and unbothered as it had been that morning.

Luo Huai leaned against the pillar, watching Pei Jiheng’s figure fade into the distance. His heart was beating uncontrollably.

That guy! He is threatening me!

Heh.

Luo Huai pursed his lips, a new plan forming in his mind.

Not until Pei Jiheng’s figure had completely vanished did Luo Huai turn to go back inside. As he walked back along the corridor and stepped into the foyer, the scene in the living room came into view.

Luo Jingxi was sitting next to Lin Yuhe on the sofa, sitting so close they were almost touching. The two were whispering to each other, and Luo Jingxi was smiling with his eyes curved like crescents. Father and Mother Luo sat opposite them, the four of them chatting warmly in a harmonious atmosphere, their laughter rising and falling.

From a distance, they looked like a truly happy family.

Luo Huai’s steps faltered. This scene was truly harmonious from every angle.

To be honest, Luo Jingxi and Lin Yuhe were a perfect match. Luo Jingxi was cute, and he even had a teardrop mole under his right eye in the exact same spot as Luo Huai. However, he appeared softer and more slender than Luo Huai. Being with a man of Lin Yuhe’s caliber, they truly looked like a pair.

The smiles on the faces of Mother and Father Luo were genuine, unlike the polite, guilty, and testing smiles they wore when facing Luo Huai. It was the kind of smile one reserved for one’s own child. Even if blood relation was a fact, it could not overcome years of habit.

Luo Huai understood this. Therefore, he did not blame his parents; on the contrary, he could understand it. At the very least, since returning, he no longer had to worry about food and clothing, and his family did not bully him or reject his existence. It was just that the acknowledgment they gave him lacked warmth.

Luo Huai lowered his eyes, then lifted them again. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he stepped inside.

“I am back. Uncle has already left.”

The laughter ceased abruptly.

Luo Jingxi jumped as if he had been burned, quickly pulling away from Lin Yuhe and shifting half a foot to the other side of the sofa. Lin Yuhe also subconsciously sat up straight and gave a light cough, picking up his teacup to pretend to take a sip. The smiles on the faces of Father and Mother Luo also stiffened for a moment; they exchanged glances, both feeling a bit awkward.

“Luo Huai,” Mother Luo spoke first, patting the sofa beside her. “Come, sit.”

“Alright.” Luo Huai responded with a smile, but he did not sit beside his mother. Instead, he took a seat on the single sofa to the side, maintaining a distance that was neither too near nor too far from anyone.

Luo Jingxi pursed his lips and murmured, “I feel like Brother Luo Huai and Uncle get along quite well.” His voice was very soft, and his eyes held a hint of timidity, yet they were full of hidden meaning.

Luo Huai pretended to be oblivious, smiled at him, and said nothing.

Father Luo gave a light cough to break the silence. “That uncle of yours has an unpredictable personality. You do not need to interact with him deeply; just recognizing his face is enough.”

Luo Huai thought to himself: Interact deeply. That is an interesting choice of words. But he had to admit, the “unpredictable personality” part was definitely true.

“Um.” Luo Huai nodded, tilting his head with a curious expression. “Dad, where did Uncle develop his career before? He looks quite young, so how did he become your sworn brother?”

Father Luo became interested, his body leaning slightly forward. “Your uncle is the second young master of the famous Pei family in Hong Kong. You know the Pei family, right? They made their fortune in real estate in the early years. Half of the buildings in Hong Kong have some connection to their family. Now, they are wealthier than entire nations and they do everything.”

Luo Huai blinked, listening intently.

“As for the second master of the Pei family, he was active in Southeast Asia and Australia for the past few years and only returned recently.” Father Luo paused and added, “He is not married yet.”

Not married yet.

Something moved in Luo Huai’s heart, though he remained composed on the surface and continued to probe. “Then, what does Uncle do for a living? Just business?”

Father Luo sighed, continuing in the spirit of gossiping with his child. “You are still young, so you do not know. This Pei family has a massive empire, but the one who inherited the main business is the eldest son. As for your uncle, he works in the entertainment industry abroad, including things like gambling. And since he is a Beta, the Hong Kong media calls him the ‘leisurely young master,’ meaning he does not fight for power and just idles away his time.”

Luo Huai nodded.

A leisurely young master? He remembered the man from last night who had pinned him against the wall, possessing aggressive pheromones and a vengeful nature.

How did he look like an idle person?

“I got to know him when I was discussing business in Australia,” Father Luo continued, his voice lowering a bit more. “By the way, he is very capable when it comes to legal matters. He keeps a top-tier legal team under his command to protect his various industries.”

Father Luo gave Luo Huai a meaningful look. “The only reason I established this connection with him was because I saw the value in that.”

“Old Luo.” Mother Luo gave a soft sound of disapproval, her tone somewhat dissatisfied. “Why are you telling the child all of this?”

Father Luo stopped sheepishly, waving his hand. “Fine, fine, I will not talk about it.”

Luo Huai lowered his eyes and took a sip of tea. He pondered silently, feeling that a certain piece of the puzzle had quietly fallen into place.