DREB CHAPTER 97

Lu Lianning intentionally showed up right at mealtime on the weekend.

When Li Yan heard the sound of a car pulling up outside, he stuck his head out the window and saw Lu Lianning getting out without Lu Zerui.

Li Yan lifted the lid off the pot of porridge he’d just cooked and added another bowl of water to thin it out. Then he took out a tomato, chopped it up, cracked two eggs, and prepared to make one more dish.

Now, Lu Lianning had the freedom to come and go from Li Yan’s home as he pleased. As soon as he stepped inside, he took off his black cashmere coat and tossed it aside.

While stir-frying, Li Yan caught sight of him and reminded him not to leave his coat on the chair, as it was about to touch the ground.

At that, Lu Lianning consciously put his coat into Li Yan’s shabby wardrobe and announced that he’d decided to stay the night.

Li Yan brought over the fried green pepper with shredded pork, along with the tomato and egg stir-fry.

Sitting on a small stool, Lu Lianning placed his hands on the wooden table, holding himself in an unusually formal posture.

Li Yan asked, “It’s the weekend. Why didn’t you bring Lu Zerui?”

Without batting an eye, Lu Lianning replied, “He went to his grandpa’s house.”

Then he stood up to ladle some porridge, clearly uninterested in continuing this topic.

Just as the two of them sat down and had only taken a couple of bites, someone suddenly burst in energetically.

“Oh, Xiao Yan, you’re home!” Aunt Liu from next door appeared out of nowhere, glancing around at the two men eating. She hesitated for a moment, feeling that she might be intruding. But since she had already called out and stepped inside, it seemed too late to turn back.

A little embarrassed, Aunt Liu said, “Oh my, you’re still eating! I thought you’d be done by now—looks like I came too early.”

Her eyes landed on the tall alpha sitting beside Li Yan. He was remarkably handsome. She hadn’t known Li Yan had such an attractive friend—one with such an extraordinary presence that, the moment you saw him, everything else seemed to fade away.

For a few seconds, Aunt Liu completely forgot what she had come for.

Fortunately, Li Yan, ever polite and considerate, invited her to sit down and asked, “What brings you by? Have you eaten yet? There’s still food in the pot.”

Aunt Liu, who had come with a purpose, didn’t stand on ceremony and sat right down. When she heard Li Yan’s offer, she quickly waved her hand. “No, no, I already ate at home.”

“I’ll make this quick so I don’t keep you from your meal. Boss Wu’s daughter—the one from the street in front of us—has returned. You remember Boss Wu, right? The same one you used to work for. It just so happens that you and his daughter are about the same age. She went off to see the world when she was younger, but things didn’t go well. She was deceived, and now she’s back, ready to settle down. Boss Wu is a good man, and he even mentioned you recently.”

Aunt Liu beamed, clearly thrilled at the prospect of matchmaking. “So, what do you think? How about meeting her this weekend? I’ve seen the girl, and she’s really lovely.”

“If things work out, Boss Wu said he’d let you both run that little convenience store together!” Aunt Liu’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Li Yan.

Li Yan was completely taken aback. He had no idea why Aunt Liu had suddenly shown up to play matchmaker. His chopsticks trembled slightly as he stole a glance at Lu Lianning’s expression.

Lu Lianning, however, looked as if he were savoring fine wine rather than porridge, his head held high, his chin faintly raised.

Li Yan scrambled to find the right words, but before he could speak, he felt a kick under the table. It wasn’t hard, more of a warning.

He choked, coughed twice, and quickly pulled his leg back without making a fuss. But when he glanced at Lu Lianning, who continued picking at his food as if he hadn’t heard a thing, a chill ran down his spine.

“No need, Aunt Liu… really, no need…”

“What’s this? Feeling shy?” Aunt Liu teased.

Li Yan’s face flushed, then paled. “I… I’m seeing someone…”

Aunt Liu was genuinely surprised. She studied Li Yan carefully. “Since when? I’ve never seen you bring an omega around here. Don’t try to fool me.”

“I really am…” Li Yan insisted.

“Where are they from? Around here?” Aunt Liu’s curiosity didn’t wane.

“No, they’re from City A.”

“Huh!? A big city? Are they from a wealthy family too? Xiao Yan, you shouldn’t be with someone who’d treat you badly!” Aunt Liu’s expression filled with genuine concern. “Would they even be willing to settle down here in our town? Housing prices in City A are sky-high—how will you manage that? What if you have a disagreement? They might just send you packing! If you ask me… you’re better off with someone local. We know Boss Wu’s family well. They’re reliable, and we’ve all known each other for ten years…”

“Aunt Liu!” Li Yan suddenly felt the table shake and quickly interrupted, “Really, it’s fine. I’m really seeing someone, so please don’t mention this to Boss Wu anymore…” He made his stance clear once again.

Seeing Li Yan’s resolute attitude, Aunt Liu assumed he must be infatuated with this omega from City A and pressed further. “What does your girlfriend look like? Prettier than Boss Wu’s daughter?”

Li Yan gritted his teeth, his face flushed. “Yes! Very pretty!”

Aunt Liu shook her head and left in disappointment, convinced that Li Yan had already fallen for the beautiful daughter of a wealthy family from the big city.

By the time she finally left, most of the food had gone cold, and the two of them had barely eaten a bite.

Li Yan got up to pour the vegetables back into the pot to reheat them, while Lu Lianning let out a quiet huff and remarked from behind, “You’re quite the popular one.”

Li Yan gave the food a quick stir, then plated it again, glancing at Lu Lianning. They exchanged a look for a few seconds before Lu Lianning buried his head in his food without another word.

After dinner, they finished cleaning up. Later, they lay on Li Yan’s narrow bed, their breaths close.

Li Yan lay on the inside, while Lu Lianning occupied the outer edge.

The candlelight on the bedside table flickered brightly, casting shadows across Lu Lianning’s face. His thick lashes created shadows under his eyes, accentuating his high nose bridge. Li Yan caught sight of the slight tension in his lips.

Though Lu Lianning wasn’t losing his temper at him anymore, he wore an expression that practically screamed, Notice that I’m angry, Li Yan!

Li Yan suddenly recalled his response to Aunt Liu—Yes, very pretty. To him, there hadn’t been a hint of exaggeration. In fact, he truly believed that Lu Lianning was far more attractive than he was, in both looks and other aspects. So why was it that Lu Lianning always seemed so paranoid around him?

After a long silence, Li Yan reached out and placed his hand over the back of Lu Lianning’s. “Still upset? Didn’t I already turn her down?” He spoke softly in his defense. “And I had no idea she’d come today to bring this up. No one’s tried to matchmake for me in years. After all, I have nothing to offer and am not exactly a great catch.”

Lu Lianning opened his eyes, glanced at Li Yan, then continued along the same train of thought. “Not exactly a great catch, indeed. The bed’s too narrow and too hard. Want to just sleep on top of me?”

He mimicked Li Yan’s tone perfectly.

Li Yan’s face burned with frustration, though luckily, the dim light concealed it. He reached out and gave Lu Lianning a shove, but he didn’t dare push too hard—the bed really was narrow, and he didn’t want to accidentally knock him off. If that happened, Lu Lianning would definitely get mad.

However, his light push backfired; instead of moving away, Lu Lianning bounced back from the slight recoil, pressing even closer.