Dark Fire chapter 54
Family Gathering
Around eight in the morning, Ling Zhuo opened his eyes to find half of the bed empty. He stared blankly for a moment before propping himself up to look out onto the terrace, where Lu Chixie was on the phone.
Remembering the events of the previous night, Ling Zhuo instinctively moved his body, letting out a small “hiss” before falling back into bed.
Indeed, he was still a bit sore.
It had been quite enjoyable, but the aftermath was definitely a repercussion.
He picked up his phone from the floor beside the bed and turned it on. Several WeChat messages flooded in. Ling Zhuo took a deep breath and first opened Zhang Jing’s chat.
To his surprise, Zhang Jing hadn’t texted to scold him but simply informed him that the promotion team had posted on his Weibo account and had interacted under Lu Chixie’s Weibo.
Huh?
Ling Zhuo opened Weibo, refreshed it, and saw the content Lu Chixie had posted after he fell asleep the previous night.
His previously foggy brain instantly cleared, and he sat up straight.
He had indeed been very angry when Lu Chixie posted those two Weibo messages, but after settling accounts with Lu Chixie later, he had forgotten about it. It wasn’t until he saw Zhang Jing’s message that he remembered, not expecting that Lu Chixie had actually given in.
After Lu Chixie posted that, Zhang Jing had someone log into his account to reply with “Happy Birthday [laughing dog]”, and it seemed the matter was resolved.
But it was only seemingly resolved. The fans, haters, and onlookers weren’t that easy to fool, and the related hashtags were still trending.
Ling Zhuo clicked in, and sure enough, various fan groups were in a mixed battle.
“LCX went too far, just doing whatever he wants, splitting other people’s CPs? Jealous of the Ling-ran ship?”
“Truth or dare? I don’t buy it. The young master doesn’t seem like someone who would play that kind of game. I think the first two posts were his real feelings, and the last one was a PR fix.”
“The young master also doesn’t seem like someone who would do PR. He usually posts whatever he wants and says whatever he wants. This time he compromised, probably for LZ. Ling-chi is true love, as we speak.”
“Ha, LCX went crazy and dragged LZ down with him. Does this mean LZ should be grateful to him?”
“No matter what others say, true fans only know that last night Ling-chi celebrated their birthday together again, confessed, and declared their sovereignty [smile]”
The original video reposted by Lu Chixie last night had been deleted by the scared uploader, and despite Lu Chixie saying it was for truth or dare, the bickering and fighting from the fans continued. Apart from the trolls taking advantage, most were Ling Zhuo and Zhong Yiran’s CP fans, with a portion of Ling Zhuo’s solo fans.
Not only did they have to clean up the mess overnight, but they also had to cooperate with Zhang Jing’s PR efforts, putting on forced smiles. They could only use secondary accounts to complain without critical keywords. It was very frustrating for Ling Zhuo’s loyal fans, leading to internal conflicts among some fan groups. Lu Chixie, who originally had a good reputation among Ling Zhuo’s fans, had lost much of that goodwill due to this incident.
Of course, Lu Chixie didn’t care about this at all.
…..
When Lu Chixie came back in, Ling Zhuo was still sitting on the bed in a daze.
His face was pinched before he snapped back to reality and looked up. Lu Chixie, standing tall by the bed, looked down at him: “What are you daydreaming about so early in the morning?”
After everything they had done last night, facing Lu Chixie’s teasing gaze now, Ling Zhuo actually blushed.
Lu Chixie chuckled, his hands still in his pockets, leaning down leisurely to touch his forehead with Ling Zhuo’s: “Shy?”
Ling Zhuo lightly coughed, lifted the blanket, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom to freshen up.
Lu Chixie followed him. Ling Zhuo brushed his teeth while Lu Chixie leaned against the door, watching him. Ling Zhuo’s ears grew hot under his gaze. With a mouthful of toothpaste foam, he mumbled, “Stop staring.”
Lu Chixie refused to leave, so Ling Zhuo could only lower his head helplessly, quickly brushing his teeth and washing his face.
As soon as he finished washing up, Lu Chixie grabbed his arm and pulled him up for a kiss.
Ling Zhuo’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as he parted his lips and shared a mint-scented kiss with him under the morning light.
When they pulled away, Lu Chixie licked his lips one last time and asked, “Is there anywhere uncomfortable?”
“No,” Ling Zhuo said, a bit embarrassed, “Well, your skills are quite good. I found it pretty enjoyable last night.”
Lu Chixie looked at him.
Ling Zhuo nodded and affirmed again, “Really.”
Lu Chixie said, “Tsk, okay let’s go downstairs for breakfast.”
They went downstairs together, and Lu Chixie prepared a simple Western breakfast while Ling Zhuo watched from the counter.
“There’s food in the main building. Why not have someone bring it over?” Ling Zhuo asked.
Lu Chixie deftly cooked eggs and said, “I don’t want to be disturbed.”
Ling Zhuo smiled and called his name, “Lu Chixie.”
Lu Chixie didn’t look up, “What is it?”
Ling Zhuo replied, “Nothing, just calling your name.”
Lu Chixie glanced at him, and Ling Zhuo smiled again. Then he saw Lu Chixie curve his lips into a smile as well.
While they were eating, Ling Zhuo received a call from Zhang Jing. Zhang Jing didn’t say anything too harsh, just reminded him to inform her before making such jokes in the future. She almost had a heart attack last night.
Ling Zhuo apologized repeatedly, and finally, Lu Chixie took the phone and said, “Sorry, Jing Jie. This is unrelated to Ling Zhuo; I did it alone. It won’t happen again.”
Since Lu Chixie apologized, Zhang Jing didn’t press further and asked him to return the phone to Ling Zhuo, saying she had something else to tell him.
Ling Zhuo asked, “Is there anything else?”
Zhang Jing seemed to hesitate for a moment before changing her mind and saying, “Never mind. You’ll find out soon enough. I’m too lazy to explain. It’s New Year’s Day these days, so let me have some peace and rest.”
Ling Zhuo felt a bit puzzled but didn’t press the issue since Zhang Jing had said so. He assured her once more and hung up.
“I wonder what Jing Jie wanted to say,” Ling Zhuo muttered and started talking about something else with Lu Chixie. “Did you know that the fan site Xiao Qian set up was attacked?”
Lu Chixie, calmly eating, seemed unsurprised.
Ling Zhuo continued, laughing, ““Today, your fans are fighting as well, but they probably know you well enough not to go after me. So, they found a substitute for their frustration—DarkFire’s fan site. They were very generous with support for my birthday and the group’s special edition, and always posted for my personal business and magazines. But today, on your birthday, they’re silent. It’s like they’re venting their frustration on the site because it’s associated with me. It’s just because they have no other outlet for their grievances.”
Lu Chixie said, “Whatever. I’ll have Xiao Qian shut down the site tomorrow.”
Ling Zhuo asked, “You have such short-lived enthusiasm?”
Lu Chixie raised an eyebrow, “What else? Do you want to spend money on a support event for me? Forget it, don’t waste money. Just shut the site down.”
Ling Zhuo said, “You really only have a three-minute enthusiasm.”
Lu Chixie laughed and signaled him, “Hurry up and eat.”
After breakfast, they spent the morning at the racetrack. Near noon, Lu Chixie reminded Ling Zhuo to change clothes and go with him to meet his family.
Ling Zhuo asked, “Is your mom here?”
Lu Chixie replied, “Not only her, but also my dad and my brother and sister.”
Lu Chixie’s family had come specifically to celebrate his birthday. They had originally wanted to keep him at home for the celebration, but Lu Chixie refused, so the family decided to come to the resort instead.
Ling Zhuo thought, “…”
Is it too late to find an excuse to leave now?
“You didn’t tell me earlier. I wasn’t prepared at all,” Ling Zhuo complained while rummaging through the wardrobe. He and Lu Chixie often came to this resort and had left a few sets of clothes here.
Lu Chixie casually picked out a deep blue down jacket and held it up to him, saying, “Just wear this. No need to dress up fancy to meet my family.”
Ling Zhuo took the jacket but didn’t respond.
It was still the large villa on the mountain where they had been before. Before going, Ling Zhuo asked Lu Chixie, “How many people will I be meeting this time?”
Lu Chixie answered, “Just my parents, brother, and sister. No outsiders.”
Ling Zhuo was curious, “None of your siblings are married?”
Lu Chixie replied, “My sister has a boyfriend. It’s strange if someone wants my brother, who is a cold, boring workaholic.”
Ling Zhuo said, “… You have such a bad temper, it’s still surprising that I want you.”
Lu Chixie looked at him and smiled, “That’s true.”
With Lu Chixie’s playful tease, Ling Zhuo felt much more relaxed.
The Lu family was waiting in the villa on the mountain. Lu Chixie’s sister came to open the door. Ling Zhuo followed Lu Chixie and greeted her. His sister greeted them warmly with a smile, “Come in.”
Lu Chixie led Ling Zhuo inside. An Xin had just come out of the kitchen with some fruit and warmly invited them to sit. Ling Zhuo greeted her and sat next to Lu Chixie. Opposite them, Lu Chixie’s father and elder brother looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze. Ling Zhuo met their gazes calmly and took the initiative to greet them.
He was still a bit nervous inside, but he didn’t want to appear too timid.
An Xin nudged Lu’s father’s arm and said, “Don’t scare the child. He’s greeting you.”
Lu’s father, with a calm expression, nodded and said to Ling Zhuo, “Hello.”
As they were observing him, Ling Zhuo was also observing them. Lu’s father appeared quite refined and didn’t seem like a businessman. He looked well-matched with An Xin. Lu Chixie’s older brother, Lu Jingshen, and sister, Lu Jingqing, were twins. They resembled their father, and while they might not be as strikingly good looking as Lu Chixie and An Xin, they were still quite distinguished.
Lu Chixie was carefree, An Xin and Lu Jingqing were gentle and graceful, while Lu’s father and Lu Jingshen looked somewhat serious. Despite their differing personalities, the family had a harmonious relationship without the intrigue typically associated with wealthy families.
Lu’s father asked a few questions about Ling Zhuo’s family situation, and Ling Zhuo answered them one by one. When it was mentioned that his parents were both university professors and that his mother had once been a student of Lu Chixie’s grandfather, Lu’s father seemed somewhat satisfied, and his tone became much friendlier.
Lu Chixie interjected, “Dad, isn’t that enough? Are you still checking his background? I’ve already told you everything you need to know about him. Why do you need to ask again?”
Lu’s father looked a bit helpless. Lu Jingshen coldly reminded him, “What’s wrong with asking a few more questions? Next time you visit someone else’s home, if their parents ask about you, are you going to handle it like this?”
Ling Zhuo quickly smoothed things over, saying to Lu Chixie, “It’s fine, I’m just chatting with Uncle, Auntie, and your siblings. Don’t worry so much.”
Lu Chixie picked up a piece of fruit with a fork and put it in Ling Zhuo’s mouth.
Aside from this small interruption, the atmosphere was quite pleasant afterward. An Xin andLu Jingqing were talkative and kept chatting and joking with Ling Zhuo. Lu’s father rarely spoke but was gentle in his attitude. Lu Jingshen, who was the most serious and aloof, hardly said a word but didn’t make things uncomfortable for Ling Zhuo.
After the meal, An Xin presented Ling Zhuo with a gift from the family—an envelope containing a generous red envelope. She also gave Ling Zhuo a signed collection of movie DVDs she had promised earlier.
Ling Zhuo gratefully accepted the gifts and thanked An Xin, feeling that he had passed this hurdle.
The family then sat together for a while, drinking tea and chatting. Lu Chixie was called away by his father for a private conversation, and An Xin and Lu Jingqing went outside to the garden to pick flowers. The living room was left with only Ling Zhuo and Lu Jingshen.
Ling Zhuo felt a bit uneasy and thought about going outside to the garden as well. Just as he was considering this, Lu Jingshen, who had been reading calmly, suddenly spoke up, asking, “Do you plan to be with Chixie for the long term?”
Ling Zhuo was taken aback and replied, “We do intend to stay together for a long time.”
Lu Jingshen said, “In your line of work, there are many variables and temptations. How far do you think a relationship between two men without the stability of marriage can go?”
Ling Zhuo responded calmly, “How far it goes depends on the individuals involved. Marriage doesn’t guarantee much. I have confidence in both myself and Lu Chixie.”
Lu Jingshen said, “Chixie has a bad temper. He’s used to being willful and doesn’t care much about his family’s opinions. But to avoid making things difficult for you, he’s even lowered his head this time, trying hard to persuade us to accept you. Even when Dad suggested he focus and come back to the company, he didn’t refuse, which is probably something he least wants to do.”
Ling Zhuo felt a bit uncomfortable hearing this, “He said you and his sister are very capable, and the company doesn’t need him. Since he doesn’t like it, why are you forcing him to go back?”
Lu Jingshen replied, “If you care about him, then leave him. Are you willing to do that?”
Ling Zhuo shook his head, “Even if I left, he might still like someone else you find unsuitable. You’re just looking for an excuse to force him back.”
“You’re quite articulate,” Lu Jingshen said, then returned his gaze to the book in his hand.
Ling Zhuo was confused about what he meant by that.
Lu Chixie came downstairs and called out to him, “Ling, let’s go. It’s time to head back.”
Ling Zhuo stood up, glanced at Lu Jingshen, who was still calmly reading, and said goodbye to An Xin and the others before leaving with Lu Chixie.
Outside the villa, he asked Lu Chixie what he had discussed with his father upstairs.
Lu Chixie casually said, “Nothing much. Dad gave me a birthday red envelope and a reward.”
Ling Zhuo asked, “What reward?”
Lu Chixie replied, “For each of us siblings, there’s a material reward when we’re single no more. My sister and I have received ours. My brother probably won’t ever get his, but did he say something unpleasant to you downstairs?”
Ling Zhuo was somewhat speechless, “Not exactly unpleasant…”
He repeated what Lu Jingshen had said. After listening, Lu Chixie smiled and said, “Don’t mind him. Mom has already helped me refuse Dad. My brother just can’t stand us being together. He has homophobia.”
“Homophobia?” Ling Zhuo looked surprised.
“Yeah,” Lu Chixie said without going into details. “Anyway, just don’t take his words seriously.”
Ling Zhuo didn’t take it seriously and jumped onto Lu Chixie’s back, hugging his neck.
“Ge, carry me back.”
Lu Chixie pinched his calf with his hand and heard Ling Zhuo’s sharp intake of breath, “Stop acting so spoiled. Can’t you walk by yourself?”
Ling Zhuo clung to his back and wouldn’t let go, leaning closer to his ear and whispering, “I really don’t want to walk. My butt hurts.”
Lu Chixie turned his head.
Meeting his gaze, Ling Zhuo felt a bit embarrassed and lowered his voice, “I’m serious, if you don’t want to carry me, then call a car.”
Lu Chixie laughed, adjusted his position to let Ling Zhuo hold him tightly, and carried him back slowly.