“Do they really look that similar?” Jiang Lei had no idea how alike they were by only Jiang Yao’s words. As a result, he thought Jiang Yao was exaggerating.
“Ask Xingzhi if you do not believe me.”
Jiang Yao drew Lu Xingzhi, whose thoughts had wandered, aside. She wanted to say something, but when she saw his condition, she preferred to remain silent.
“Really?” Mrs. Jiang asked abruptly.
Jiang Yao nodded but did not elaborate on the similarities. Lu Xingzhi, who had snapped back to his senses, gazed at Mr. and Mrs. Jiang, then at Jiang Jie and Jiang Lei, taking in their expressions.
The group’s planned trip to Jindo City had been postponed due to the unexpected kidnapping. Lu Xingzhi allowed his family to spend another night in the family guest house in Jindo City’s army barracks. He requested Zhou Weiqi and the others to pick them up the next morning.
The terrified group returned to their rooms for a break after lunch. Jiang Yao waited for a long time before Lu Xingzhi emerged from the kitchen, where he had been washing dishes. She went into the kitchen in search of him. She noticed the smoke as soon as she walked in. Lu Xingzhi was wearing a flowered apron and smoking with his head bowed against the sink.
No one could tell what he was thinking. He did not even react when she pushed the door open.
The bowls and chopsticks were still in the sink when Jiang Yao entered. They were still filthy and soaked. It looked like Lu Xingzhi had begun smoking as soon as he went into the kitchen. He had done nothing yet.
“Xingzhi, something’s not right with you today.”
Jiang Yao approached him. She snatched the half-smoked cigarette from his fingers and tossed it into the garbage can. “You want to have a baby, and you are still smoking? You want me to conceive a small pipe for you?”
The cigarette fell from Lu Xingzhi’s fingertips into the garbage pail. When he heard Jiang Yao’s question, he turned around to wash the dishes. Still, he said nothing.
Jiang Yao became increasingly convinced that there was something wrong with Lu Xingzhi. “Is it because of Master Cheng?” she asked, hugging him from behind.
“Can you tell me what you are thinking?”
Lu Xingzhi denied it. “It is not a bad thing to leave you with a mansion.”
“The fact that you have a strategy in mind is not a loss.”
Jiang Yao knew Lu Xingzhi all too well.
“Silly wife.”
Lu Xingzhi bowed his head and kissed Jiang Yao before he pushed her out of the kitchen. “It smells horrible here; wait outside.”
Lu Xingzhi did not continue to smoke. Instead, he washed the dishes and changed his clothing. Then, he strolled over to Jiang Yao, who sat in the living room reading, and said, “I’m leaving. Don’t forget to cook more rice tonight. I will cook when I come home. Let Mom and Dad eat at home, just like lunch.”
Jiang Yao nodded and motioned for Lu Xingzhi to go to the door. She returned to the living room after Lu Xingzhi left.
She paused for a few seconds before she dialed Du Chen’s number. She quickly hung up after a few rings.
Jiang Yao had no idea why she felt the need to look for Du Chen. Even if she had some reservations, she did not seem to know what they were. However, she felt that something was amiss when she saw how Lu Xingzhi behaved that day.
Lu Xingzhi exited the family building into the cold wind. He had been walking toward the vast sports field before he turned toward the family’s guest house abruptly.
“Eldest Brother.”
Jiang Jie was alone in the room when Lu Xingzhi discovered him. In the adjacent room, Wang Xian appeared to be talking with Mrs. Jiang.
Lu Xingzhi summoned Jiang Jie and followed him downstairs. The two of them walked around the hostel twice.
“Why were Yaoyao and Xiaoxiao kidnapped today?”
Lu Xingzhi had not gone there to find Jiang Jie; the man was already on his way to look for Lu Xingzhi.
