Sheng Shubai had rich experience and had grown up in the Sheng Family, so she was familiar with all kinds of occasions.
Apart from a slight nervousness when she first entered the door, she quickly adapted and excelled at coaxing the elders, making Lu Qiaoyuan and Lu Manwan beam with joy.
The two elders were not as oblivious as Lu Jia.
They had already guessed most of it just from watching the interaction between the two young women.
Lu Jia had such a wooden and distant personality, yet Sheng Shubai could make her smile with curved eyes with just a word, and she leaned naturally against the other woman in an extremely intimate posture.
Forget about just getting together at noon—even young couples who had been together for a year and a half might not have such a natural rapport.
Then they heard Sheng Shubai explain that they had been neighbors since mid-year, and Lu Jia had previously rented her house.
After spending so much time together, they must have gotten to know each other’s character well.
Lu Qiaoyuan and Lu Manwan grew more and more satisfied with Sheng Shubai.
Although they were professor and student from the same academy, it might seem inappropriate if people found out. However, their relationship wouldn’t be widely publicized, and according to Sheng Shubai’s words, the Sheng Family elders wanted to take Lu Jia as a student, which would make it even more legitimate in the future.
Seeing the three of them getting along harmoniously, Lu Jia just listened quietly, chiming in with a sentence or two when it came to her.
“Xiao Bai, you’re coming over at this time—your family doesn’t have any objections, right?”
Lu Qiaoyuan was older, after all, and knew that in some strict noble families, elders placed great importance on the custom of visiting relatives and friends during the New Year.
With the Sheng Family’s status, forget the fourth day of the lunar new year—even after the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth, visitors would still come continuously.
Sheng Shubai curved her eyes. “My family knows about Lu Jia and fully supports us.”
It was more than support. When Sheng Shuyun learned that she was coming to pursue her, she had almost mobilized the family’s private plane yesterday to airlift her directly over.
Afraid that if she was even a second late, Lu Jia would be matched with some other blind date.
Even the old lady had planned to come along.
She wanted to settle things today, have the families meet tomorrow, and take Lu Jia—luggage and all, without even needing to pack—back to the Sheng Family Old Mansion the day after for one-on-one instruction.
Sheng Shubai knew full well that the old lady was afraid her future student would run away.
When she cautiously brought up the matter of the two families’ elders meeting, Lu Qiaoyuan and Lu Manwan exchanged a glance and didn’t beat around the bush—Lu Jia’s straightforwardness was inherited from them.
They gathered together to check the almanac and tentatively settled on the eighth day of the lunar new year as a good date.
Sheng Shubai went to the balcony to call home, while Lu Jia sidled up to Lu Manwan wanting to ask something but was stared down by her mom and felt too embarrassed.
She simply leaned against Lu Qiaoyuan and casually massaged her grandma’s arm. “Grandma, are you satisfied?”
Lu Qiaoyuan glanced at the pile of gifts—nearly half were high-end supplements for her, plus several small nursing and massage devices designed for the elderly.
Earlier, while chatting with her, Sheng Shubai had specifically and carefully explained the effects of a few of those supplements.
It was clear she knew about Lu Qiaoyuan’s recent fall and had prepared them specially.
She chuckled and patted Lu Jia’s hand. “This girl Xiao Sheng is so thoughtful. Of course I’m satisfied.”
She valued her this much, so she would only treasure her granddaughter even more.
But Lu Qiaoyuan still felt a bit uneasy deep down.
Her family had been running Linchang for years—not fabulously wealthy, but comfortably well-off. Lu Manwan had only one child, Lu Jia, so they would never let her suffer in terms of living conditions.
Whether they married or not, no matter the other family’s background, they had the confidence to ensure Lu Jia lived without worry for the rest of her life, without being looked down upon.
But the other side was the Sheng Family.
These years, Lu Jia had devoted herself to printmaking, and when they accompanied her to exhibitions, they had picked up some knowledge and knew what prominent figures that family had produced.
No matter how nicely Sheng Shubai put it earlier, until Lu Qiaoyuan saw the Sheng Family elders’ attitude with her own eyes, she wouldn’t feel completely at ease.
After all, two girls together wasn’t all that common in this world—not every family could easily agree.
Sheng Shubai stood on the balcony, casually looking out the window.
She called Sheng Shuyun directly and had just briefly recounted her visit to the Lu Family when she heard her older sister call out “Grandmother.”
Immediately after, the old lady’s vigorous voice came through the earpiece. “The eighth is good, an auspicious day. I’ll have people start preparing right away.”
Sheng Shubai’s lips curved up, her mood clearly uplifted. “Great, thank you for taking care of the arrangements for me.”
She put away her phone and turned back to the living room, where she saw only Lu Jia on the sofa, smiling brightly at her.
Naturally, she sat down next to the girl, who took her hand and then enveloped it in her warm palm.
“Aren’t you cold?”
Lu Jia asked softly.
Sheng Shubai curved her eyes. “Not cold. The balcony temperature is very comfortable.”
The Lu Family had dealt with trees for many years.
The older generation ran Linchang, Lu Manwan was a researcher at the botanical institute in M City, and by Lu Jia’s generation, she was inseparable from her woodblock prints.
Grandma Lu Qiaoyuan could never stay idle; although she had handed Linchang over to her eldest daughter, she still went back to stay every few days.
A few years ago when they changed houses, Lu Manwan had specially chosen this spacious flat. The balcony was exceptionally large, filled with plants of varying heights, and equipped with a full temperature and humidity control system that kept it comfortable even in winter.
Lu Jia knew the balcony at home well, of course.
But she knew even better that Sheng Shubai’s body temperature always ran cool—even in summer, her fingertips were cooler than average, let alone in winter now.
She placed both of the woman’s hands on her knees and cupped them with her own, warming them with her palms.
“Where are Grandma and Mom?”
Sheng Shubai didn’t see the two elders and asked.
“They muttered a few words and dragged each other into the room, saying they were looking for something.”
Lu Jia shook her head, indicating she didn’t know, and casually asked, “I was originally planning to go to Linchang this afternoon—the test block I carved a few days ago is still there. Do you want to go? Or we could wander somewhere else?”
Sheng Shubai thought for two seconds. They had already visited for nearly two hours and set the date for the families to meet, so it wasn’t good to impose further.
She nodded in agreement just as the door to a farther room opened, and Lu Qiaoyuan and Lu Manwan came out.
“Xiao Bai, it’s our first meeting, and Auntie really likes you.”
Lu Manwan smiled warmly and handed her a bulging red envelope, so thick the flap barely closed.
Lu Qiaoyuan handed over not just a red envelope, but also a card.
Sheng Shubai wanted to decline, but the old lady stuffed it forcefully into her arms. “The PIN is Xiao Jia’s birthday. You two have fun in M City these few days—Grandma’s playing host.”
Earlier, she had overheard Lu Jia say that at lunch, the Sheng girl had brought a stack of gift agreements for her to sign.
Even with the Lu Family’s consistent indifference to material things, they were still surprised by Sheng Shubai’s sincerity.
Since the Sheng Family had made such a gesture, they couldn’t be stingy, lest they be seen as petty.
After a bit more small talk, they agreed to return for dinner in the evening. Lu Jia and Sheng Shubai drove to Linchang.
Lu Jia drove, watching Sheng Shubai pose with the two stacks of red envelopes, even pulling her hand into the frame at a red light.
She couldn’t help asking, “Miss Sheng, you didn’t plan this all out in advance, did you?”
Sheng Shubai had just grasped Lu Jia’s wrist and felt her ring finger was bare.
She was mulling over rings when she heard the girl’s words and asked back, “Plan what?”
“Back then, you said we’d get together after the new year.”
Lu Jia poked her palm with a fingertip—always neatly rounded, not painful. “You didn’t plan from the start to discuss marriage directly when the time came? Just like today.”
Sheng Shubai shook her head. “No, I didn’t think that far ahead initially.”
It just happened to coincide with the end of the year a few days ago, when the elders discussed her older sister and sister-in-law’s wedding date, and she heard Lu Jia was going on blind dates.
They were already so familiar with each other; they just lacked an official title.
Why not go straight to the point? Anyway, neither of them would have anyone else.
Sheng Shubai would only fall for someone once, and she believed Lu Jia was the same.
She carefully took the two stacks of bills out of the red envelopes—brand-new bundles of red hundred-yuan notes, topped with equally crisp green one-yuan bills.
Two portions of “one in ten thousand,” the elders’ approval.
Sheng Shubai carefully tucked the empty red envelopes into her bag and left two one-yuan bills.
She handed the rest of the stacks, along with the bank card, to Lu Jia when they got out of the car.
Lu Jia stared at the money, stunned. “Should I keep it in the car for you first?”
Sheng Shubai winked at her. “From now on, the household finances will be all yours to manage. Okay?”
Household.
The other woman was acknowledging their impending new family.
Even after digesting this fact for a full few hours, Lu Jia couldn’t help but wonder at Sheng Shubai’s change in attitude.
Was she in such a hurry to lock it down? She wouldn’t run away—even dating for a while longer would be fine.
As she thought this, she voiced it.
“There are actually some collections in the exhibition hall that aren’t open to outsiders.”
Sheng Shubai just smiled with curved eyes, trying to tempt her. “Once we’re officially together, next time we go back to Z City together, you can look however you want, stay as long as you like.”
Remembering the multi-floor collection of prints in the Sheng Family’s exhibition hall, Lu Jia fell silent.
It seemed… marriage wasn’t out of the question?
The car parked by the courtyard. The old house at Linchang had been renovated a few years ago into a three-story structure close to the woods, with an additional pointed attic.
The top floor and attic belonged to Lu Jia.
She had turned the attic into a printmaking workshop, and Lu Qiaoyuan and Lu Manwan rarely went up.
During the New Year stay here a few days ago, Lu Jia had carved a small wood sculpture in her spare time. She had planned to give it to Sheng Shubai in person after returning to C City, but the woman had come straight to her.
It still needed a bit of finishing, but it would be done soon.
“Is this… a potted plant?”
Sheng Shubai held the wood carving in her palm—it was identical to the lily bamboo at home in C City, but entirely carved from wood.
It wasn’t large; the base pot was even smaller than her palm, but exquisitely detailed.
The leaves were carved in a natural drooping pose. Sheng Shubai touched them with her fingertip and looked up at Lu Jia. “This is so intricate—how long did you spend carving it? Did you rest properly?”
It clearly wasn’t a one- or two-day job; she didn’t know how long the girl had worked on it in secret.
“I did, it’s not tiring.”
Lu Jia pointed at the potted plant the woman was holding carefully and explained its meaning. “You always said you had no affinity with plants, but this one’s carved, so it won’t wilt someday.”
She wanted to prove that Sheng Shubai could have great affinity with plants.
Well… like with her.
Sheng Shubai was amused by the girl’s words. “I love it. I’ll put it in the most prominent spot in the living room at home.”
Seeing that she liked it, Lu Jia finally relaxed.
The original New Year’s gift hadn’t been this, actually.
The necklace she had asked Qin Yuan to buy—that had been the intended gift for the woman.
But later, Qin Yuan confessed to her, and Sheng Shubai had clearly been jealous.
Moreover, after they became openly ambiguous, Lu Jia had simply put the necklace away separately, pretending she had never bought it.
She wouldn’t do something to make her girlfriend… her fiancée-to-be… jealous.
