Chapter 384 The last tenderness?

No matter how many days Lu Ran counted, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month arrived as scheduled.

As dusk approached, snowflakes began to float in the sky.

The outside of Xianjing Garden was covered in silver, and the atmosphere inside the Qiao residence was very warm.

Qiao Yuanxi was very happy!
Her smiling eyes curved into two beautiful crescents. She sat at the dining table like an overseer, watching the two of them prepare dishes for frying, boiling soup and stewing rice.

After so many years, this large flat is still luxurious but lacks the flavor of home.

Now, my brother and sister Ruyi finally make this home feel like a home.

"Ah! Don't eat secretly!" Qiao Yuanxi raised his eyebrows and suddenly shouted.

At the kitchen counter, Jiang Ruyi had just finished cutting the braised beef, and Lu Ran came over to check his girlfriend's knife skills.

Jiang Ruyi misunderstood and picked up a thin piece of beef and stuffed it into Lu Ran's mouth.

"Yeah!" Lu Ran immediately forgot his purpose and went back to wash the vegetables.

“Aiya~~~” Qiao Yuanxi stomped her feet in dissatisfaction.

Jiang Ruyi picked up another piece of beef and passed it to the side: "Here."

Supervisor Qiao was very unprincipled and immediately smiled happily.

She ran over happily, opened her little mouth and accepted the food from Sister Ruyi.

Jiang Ruyi smiled dotingly and handed the plate to Qiao Yuanxi: "Put it on the table."

"Hmm." Qiao Yuanxi left with the plate.

Lu Ran suddenly tilted his head and listened attentively: "Mom is back."

"So early?" Qiao Yuanxi certainly believed in her brother's ability, so she ran out quickly.

Qiao Wanjun was covered in frost and snow. Just as she turned her hand to close the door, she heard a "plop" sound!
I saw my precious girl sliding down to her knees and running straight over here.

That posture was like a player who was extremely happy after scoring a goal on the football field.

Qiao Wanjun smiled helplessly.

Whose 17-year-old is wrong? Yuan Xi’s birthday is today, so he is already 18 years old.

She has none of the modesty that a girl should have.

Having said that, being able to make the aloof disciple of Jianyi laugh is also a skill of Xiao Yuanxi.

"Mom, you're finally home!"

Qiao Yuanxi looked up and smiled sweetly, her eyes filled with longing.

The words of reprimand were on the tip of Qiao Wanjun's tongue, but she swallowed them back.

Forget it, today is my daughter’s birthday.

"Yeah." Qiao Wanjun responded softly.

Qiao Yuanxi hurriedly changed shoes for her mother.

On the side, Lu Ran and Jiang Ruyi also came out and spoke:
"mom."

"Aunt Qiao."

Qiao Wanjun smiled and nodded, her eyes falling on Jiang Ruyi.

Rarely, a hint of surprise flashed across Qiao Wanjun's eyes.

Jiang Ruyi's fairy-like appearance is not just talk, it is indeed stunning.

Qiao Wanjun looked at it for a moment and said, "Has it been blessed by the gods?"

Jiang Ruyi moved a little closer to Lu Ran, smiling shyly, "Lu Ran asked for it for me from the Immortal Sheep."

Qiao Yuanxi muttered quietly: "He really has forgotten his mother after getting a wife~"

Lu Ran: “.”

Jiang Ruyi's heart suddenly tightened.

Qiao Wanjun was rarely in the mood to joke, so she looked down at her daughter and said, "It seems like she has forgotten about your sister, too?"

"Of course!" Qiao Yuanxi nodded repeatedly, like a chick pecking at rice, "Mom, please scold my brother!"

Qiao Wanjun bent her fingers and tapped Qiao Yuanxi's head gently: "Later."

After saying this, she looked back and forth between Lu Ran and Jiang Ruyi, becoming more and more satisfied.

They are a good match.

Qiao Wanjun was in a really good mood, or perhaps she was deliberately trying to integrate into the warm family atmosphere.

She looked at Lu Ran and joked, "Let's not talk about your other abilities, but your vision is truly first-rate."

Jiang Ruyi's face suddenly turned red and she lowered her head in silence.

Lu Ran smiled and said, "Maybe it's from my roots. Well, from my dad."

Qiao Wanjun was slightly stunned.

After a full two seconds, she burst into laughter and walked into the living room.

When passing by her son, Qiao Wanjun rubbed his head lightly, then walked towards the master bedroom.

On the side, Qiao Yuanxi's mouth opened into an O shape!
Until the mother disappeared, Qiao Yuanxi lowered his voice and said, "Brother, are you really that brave?"

Lu Ran was not as calm as imagined, and turned around and went to the kitchen.

Father,

Whenever Lu Ran mentioned this person, he felt sad and even troubled him.
Lu Ran still mentioned him with a smile while joking.

It feels amazing.

Maybe this is what is called growth.

Ever since Qiao Wanjun entered the master bedroom, she has not appeared again. Xiao Yuanxi went to check on her many times, but could only see the door closed.

She didn't dare to disturb him, so she had to stay in the restaurant.

We waited until the dinner started.

Qiao Wanjun changed into a white home nightgown. Although it was a simple style, it looked extremely elegant and soft on her.

A woman's overall temperament is obviously not set off by her clothes, but by her gentle face.

She looked at her children in the restaurant, and her heart, which had been soaked in ice and snow, indeed softened a lot.

"Mom, come quickly, it's time for dinner." Qiao Yuanxi called out hurriedly.

Qiao Wanjun looked at the dining table filled with dishes and her eyes fell on a bottle of red wine. There was even a decanter next to it.

This kind of object has never appeared in the Qiao residence.

Perhaps because the three children failed to get the consent of the head of the family, the red wine was not opened and the decanter became a decoration.

Qiao Wanjun asked, "Want to drink?"

Qiao Yuanxi was a little nervous and asked cautiously, "Is it okay?"

To increase her chances of success, she added: "I am an adult today."

Lu Ran looked at his mother and saw her nodding with a smile: "Well, drink less."

"Hurry, hurry, brother!" Qiao Yuanxi smiled and urged Lu Ran to open the wine. "This is a gift from Skull. It must be good stuff~"

At this point, Qiao Yuanxi opened up and proudly announced, "By the way, Mom. Two of my teammates were selected for the second edition of "Tianjiao"!"

Qiao Yuanxi naturally contributed to the success of her teammates, and she is proud of it.

At the same time, Qiao Yuanxi was also very grateful to her mother. After all, this team was arranged for her by her mother personally.

Although Wang Ling joined later, Guan Yiren was an original teammate. Now she is given the title of "prodigy", which is enough to show the vision of her mother.

Qiao Wanjun came to the main seat and asked casually, "Yiren and Wang Ling?"

Qiao Yuanxi was quite surprised: "How did mom know?"

Qiao Wanjun smiled and said, "Your two teammates have great potential.

With your brother paving the way for them, and their family's support, it's normal for them to be selected."

Qiao Yuanxi looked at Lu Ran not far away, feeling sweet in her heart: "My brother takes good care of us and helps them build up a lot of momentum!"

Jingcheng University is the top university in Daxia, and the school is full of talented people.

Everyone is in the River Realm, 5th stage, and all have first-class talent and combat power.
That depends on how the "off-field" efforts are made.

Qiao Wanjun advised her daughter: “You should also focus more and think about the path to advancement.

The River Realm cannot hold back your teammates, you have to keep up with their pace."

"I know." Qiao Yuanxi suddenly thought of something, stood up and ran out of the restaurant.

Lu Ran returned with the decanter and placed it on a corner of the dining table: "Hasn't mom been in seclusion? How did you pay attention to these things?"

Qiao Wanjun looked up at her son and said, "I asked Jingjing to find your battle video, and then I saw them."

Lu Ran was a little nervous and asked, "Am I doing okay?"

Qiao Wanjun smiled and said, "The number one prodigy in Daxia is so unconfident?"

The eyes that should have been like a deep cold pool, now looked like a clear spring, clear and bright, warming the heart. Lu Ran said nothing, but smiled and sat next to Jiang Ruyi.

Qiao Wanjun said playfully, "You were very confident in your speech at the award ceremony."

Lu Ran was silent.

In the eyes of the world, he is very popular, and even in people's hearts, he may be the best at that time.

But to Qiao Wanjun, wouldn’t his words seem a little childish?
Well. No matter what, childish or not, he is going down this path.

Qiao Wanjun looked at her son who was bowing his head and saying nothing, and said softly, "It's a good thing to have ambition."

"Brother!" Before Lu Ran could respond, Qiao Yuanxi ran over with a long box in his hand.

"This is?"

"Gift!" Qiao Yuanxi stuffed the box into Lu Ran's arms, "This is a birthday present from our team for you!"

Without opening it, Lu Ran knew what was inside.

It should be the Tianchen Sword that Lu Ran refused to accept last time when he was at his doorstep?

as predicted!

Lu Ran opened the box and saw a Tianchen Sword and the scabbard that came with it.

This scabbard is of the same model as Lu Ran’s first three scabbards, also in black and gold color.

The only difference is that there is no block text representing the name of the knife on the scabbard.

This time, Lu Ran accepted it with a smile and looked at Qiao Yuanxi: "I didn't prepare a birthday present for you, what should I do?"

Qiao Yuanxi pouted: "When did you send it to me? I'm used to it!"

Lu Ran: “.”

The brother and sister never give each other gifts on their birthdays.

For the two of them, reuniting after a year and having their mother by their side are the best gifts.

And this time, Lu Ran actually prepared a gift.

He looked at Jiang Ruyi who was standing beside him. The girl understood and took out a small square box from her pocket.

"Huh?" Qiao Yuanxi was surprised and delighted. "For me?"

Jiang Ruyi nodded and said, "Your brother gave it to you."

Lu Ran immediately corrected: "Your sister Ruyi and I sent it to you together."

In the box was a thin gold necklace, and the pendant of the necklace was a small, white jade bead.

The jade beads were obtained by Lu Ran, and the necklace was matched with the help of Jiang Ruyi.

"Wow!" Qiao Yuanxi was so happy that she took out the jade bead necklace and looked at it carefully, smiling sweetly, "Thank you, brother and sister-in-law!"

Jiang Ruyi's face suddenly turned red.

This little Yuan Xi is really...
Normally she would happily call her "Sister Ruyi", but today, since her parents were here, Qiao Yuanxi changed her name and called her sister-in-law.

"Sister-in-law, can you put it on me?" Qiao Yuanxi giggled and winked at Jiang Ruyi.

At the main seat, Qiao Wanjun narrowed her eyes slightly, almost undetectable.

Her eyes were always on the small jade bead, and she obviously noticed something.

At Lu Ran's signal, Jiang Ruyi took the jade necklace and came behind Qiao Yuanxi: "It's called the Peaceful Chain."

Qiao Yuanxi asked in confusion: "Wu Shi Lian? This name is so strange."

Jiang Ruyi sighed inwardly, trying to suppress her sadness: "It will keep you safe. If you encounter danger, you can shatter this jade bead."

"Ah?" Qiao Yuanxi was a little confused.

I thought the name of this necklace had a beautiful meaning.

So, is this a real effect?

Jiang Ruyi put the necklace on little Yuan Xi, patted her shoulder, and said seriously: "Yuan Xi, remember, it can only be used once.

You must be in a desperate situation, with no chance of survival, before you shatter this jade bead."

Qiao Yuanxi turned around and looked at Lu Ran in a daze.

Lu Ran thought that he would be thanked by his sister and would see her overjoyed and delighted.

Unexpectedly, Qiao Yuanxi's eyes gradually turned red and tears came.

She suddenly remembered why she felt that this round jade bead looked familiar.

There is also such a jade bead on the thin red bean bracelet on sister Ruyi’s wrist!

Qiao Yuanxi didn't know where she got this necklace.

She didn't know how it worked either.

But Qiao Yuanxi was very sure that the necklace must have the effect of keeping him safe.

At this point in time, my brother gave me a necklace like this.
It's like he's making arrangements for his final affairs!
Everyone knows that Lu Ran will leave after tonight.

It is very likely that he will never return, and there will be no news of him ever again, whether he is dead or alive.

And this chain of peace is the last bit of tenderness Lu Ran gives to Qiao Yuanxi.

After he left, he could still take care of her once.

Maybe it's the last time.

Some emotions never come about overnight.

It was just that at a certain moment, a breach was created in the dam, and then the situation became uncontrollable.

"Oh!" The chair that Lu Ran was sitting on slid half way back.

Lu Ran embraced his sister, who jumped into his arms, patted her back gently, and said with a smile: "You are already eighteen years old, and you are still crying?"

Qiao Yuanxi pursed her lips, buried her face in Lu Ran's shoulder, and said nothing.

Lu Ran felt helpless and looked at his mother embarrassedly.

Qiao Wanjun watched the scene quietly with a faint smile on her face.

"Hurry up and get up." Lu Ran whispered, "Mom is watching."

"Promise me that you will come back." Qiao Yuanxi whispered.

"Okay." Lu Ran's response was unexpectedly straightforward.

Qiao Yuanxi raised her pretty face, her big eyes full of tears: "Hook?"

Lu Ran: “.”

You little kid, are you still making pinky promises?

Qiao Yuanxi looked at Lu Ran stubbornly, refusing to give up.

"Okay, okay." Lu Ran was willing to coax little Yuan Xi, just like he had always done.

"Hang yourself with a hook."

The eighteen-year-old girl had red and swollen eyes and spoke childish words, which sounded a little funny.

It seemed that by doing this, she could find peace of mind.

Jiang Ruyi, who was standing aside, felt a slight palpitation in her heart.

Others may have the right to say that Qiao Yuanxi is childish, but she herself does not.

Not long ago, Jiang Ruyi had stubbornly asked Lu Ran to hold her in his arms while climbing mountains and accompany her on pilgrimage.

Every step is a stone step, every step is a promise.

What is the essential difference between her and Xiao Yuanxi?

Qiao Wanjun spoke softly, waking up a few people: "Let's eat."

Qiao Yuanxi reluctantly left her brother's arms and suddenly asked, "Can we eat the cake first?"

Qiao Wanjun looked at the table full of delicious dishes, which were carefully prepared by Lu Ran and Jiang Ruyi.

But seeing little Yuanxi's tearful face, Qiao Wanjun still felt a little soft-hearted.

"Okay." Lu Ran observed the other person's expression, got up, went to the refrigerator, and took out a six-inch cake.

Eighteen candles were lit one by one and the lights in the restaurant were turned off.

When Qiao Yuanxi closed his eyes, clasped his hands together and prayed for a long time in front of the cake
A few people realized one thing.

Compared to eating cake, little Yuanxi couldn't wait to make a wish.

And her birthday wish doesn't seem to be small.

After all, the candles were half burned, and little Yuanxi was still praying.

In the flickering candlelight,

That little face is so pious.

Four thousand three hundred words!
Also, notice: one update today.

It's time, Rongyu, get ready!
It's time to do something, some exciting little shows~
(End of this chapter)