Return to 88: Starting from Marrying My Sister-in-law

The roar of the engine suddenly rose under the enormous thrust, like a sleeping dragon awakening.

The massive, silver-gray aircraft sped along the runway of Bao'an Airport, its speed increasing until it finally gracefully raised its head, breaking free from the shackles of gravity, and plunged into the thick, lead-gray clouds.

Lu Yang leaned back in the large airline seat, watching the city lights rushing past the window being quickly swallowed up by the rolling clouds.

He leaned back slightly, his eyes closed, but his brows still held a lingering anxiety and a hint of barely perceptible fatigue.

The flight, which had lasted for more than ten hours, had just begun, and every minute and second felt exceptionally long.

"It's good to be rich." A cold thought flashed through my mind, tinged with self-mockery, yet it was an undeniable fact.

If it weren't for his current status and the resources he controls, coupled with his willingness to spend a fortune to charter this business jet that could take off immediately, he would probably still be stuck in the noisy waiting hall, anxiously refreshing flight information and praying that the next flight to Frankfurt wouldn't be delayed.

Money is the most direct passport at this moment, a powerful tool to shorten the distance to the most important moment in life.

However, even so, just before boarding, Lu Yang still felt it wasn't fast enough as he stood at the bottom of the gangway.

He turned his head and looked down at the slender figure in a beige trench coat on the tarmac below, waving goodbye to him.

Lu Nini's smile appeared somewhat thin in the darkness and under the bright airport lights.

"Nini." Lu Yang's voice pierced through the lingering sound of the engine and carried clearly.

Lu Nini paused in her waving motion.

Lu Yang frowned, his eyes sharp: "It's still too troublesome even if you calculate it this way!"

His tone was decisive and left no room for doubt. "It seems it's time to buy a plane. Take some time to research the domestic and international private jet market, including mainstream models, airworthiness certifications, management and maintenance, route applications, and so on. Get a detailed report for me as soon as possible."

Lu Nini was stunned for several seconds before subconsciously nodding, her voice slightly swaying in the wind: "Okay, Brother Lu Yang."

Before she could finish speaking, Lu Yang turned around decisively, his tall figure disappearing through the cabin door.

The heavy hatch slowly closed and locked, completely isolating the inside from the outside world.

The gangway vehicle was removed, and the aircraft began taxiing.

Lu Nini stood still, her raised hand finally slowly lowered.

The well-behaved and sensible expression she had tried so hard to maintain was like a fragile porcelain mask, shattering inch by inch the moment the hatch closed, replaced by an undisguised sense of grievance.

A carefully prepared birthday dinner, the expectations of family, and one's own small, secret hopes... all vanished like dust in the face of the boss's urgent departure abroad.

She watched the silver eagle-like plane accelerate on the runway, lift off the ground, and finally transform into a twinkling point of light in the night sky, merging into the boundless depths of the starry sky until it completely disappeared from sight.

The cool night breeze ruffled her hair.

After standing there for a long time, Lu Nini took a deep breath, blinked hard at her sore eyes, dragged her leaden legs, turned around, and walked heavily through the VIP passage away from the tarmac.

"Huh? Why are you alone? Where's your brother Lu Yang?" Da Jun poked his head out from the kitchen doorway. He was still wearing an apron, holding a bunch of scallions, and looking around at Lu Nini with a puzzled expression. "Where is he? Did he park the car?"

Lu Nini lowered her head and squeezed through the door past Dajun without saying a word. She bent down to change her shoes, her movements a little stiff.

"I'm asking you a question, Nini!" Dajun closed the door, his brows furrowing, and his voice rising a few decibels. "Didn't you pat your chest and guarantee that your brother Lu Yang would definitely come over for dinner today? The old man even brought out all his treasured wines!"

He pointed to the bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor) on the coffee table in the living room, which was clearly quite old.

Lu Nini changed into her slippers and straightened up, her eyes still downcast, her voice muffled: "I was supposed to come... but something came up."

After she finished speaking, she didn't even look at her brother's reaction, and walked straight past him to the sofa in the living room.

Grandpa was reading the newspaper while wearing his reading glasses, while his little nephew was playing with building blocks on the carpeted floor.

Lu Nini forced a smile, squatted down, and pinched her little nephew's chubby cheeks: "Dou Dou, did you miss your aunt?"

"Hmph!" Dajun looked at his sister's obvious avoidance and guessed what was going on, but felt more helpless.

He took off his apron, sighed, and called out towards the kitchen, "Xiaoxiao, come out when the dishes are almost done. The guests... aren't coming."

The sound of cooking in the kitchen stopped for a moment, and Xiaoxiao, the sister-in-law wearing an apron and carrying a plate of dishes, came out, looking surprised: "You're not coming? What happened? Nini, what happened to your brother Lu Yang?"

Lu Nini sat down on the sofa with her little nephew in her arms, buried her face in the little guy's soft shoulder, and repeated in a muffled voice, "I told you, I had to go abroad for some urgent business."

"Going abroad?!" Dajun and Xiaoxiao exclaimed in unison, both stunned.

Xiaoxiao placed the dishes on the table, wiping her hands as she walked over, her eyes filled with confusion: "Dajun, didn't you say that you were mainly responsible for President Lu's security in Pengcheng during this period? How come you, as the security team leader, didn't know about his sudden big move of going abroad? Ping An is currently in charge of the wafer fab in Luzhou, so isn't Pengcheng your responsibility?"

Dajun's expression instantly turned somewhat ugly; this undoubtedly touched a nerve.

He subconsciously reached for his phone, his brow furrowed, his finger hovering over the dial button, hesitating whether to call his brother who stayed at the company or Xiao Jiu who was with Lu Yang to check on the situation.

He was completely unaware of his boss's itinerary, which in itself is a major oversight of his duties!

A strong sense of professional anxiety welled up inside me.

Just then, Lu Nini, who was playing with her little nephew, suddenly looked up, as if she had remembered something, and looked at Dajun with a look of inquiry and curiosity: "Brother, can I ask you something?"

She paused, then lowered her voice, "Brother Lu Yang, does he... have a friend in Frankfurt, Germany? Someone very important?"

The name "Frankfurt" is like a pebble thrown into a calm pond!

Dajun almost dropped his phone when he picked it up!

He suddenly looked up, his eyes instantly becoming extremely sharp, even carrying a hint of sternness, staring intently at his younger sister: "Lu Nini!"

His voice suddenly rose, filled with unprecedented seriousness and reprimand: "Is this something you should be asking about?! Remember this! You are your brother Lu Yang's secretary! He is the boss! He will tell you what he can tell you! What he doesn't want you to know is a secret! It's a red line that you absolutely cannot cross! Do you know what kind of behavior it is in the company to inquire about and leak the boss's secrets without authorization?"

Lu Nini was startled by her brother's harsh words. The slight grievance and curiosity on her face vanished instantly, replaced by the shame and anger of being wronged and a hint of resentment.

She abruptly stood up, shoved her little nephew into her sister-in-law's arms, and angrily yelled at Dajun, "Fine, don't tell me! Why are you being so fierce?! I was just asking one question! Who knows what kind of shameful secret it is! Humph!"

After saying that, she turned and rushed into her room, slamming the door shut.

The atmosphere in the living room suddenly plummeted to freezing point.

Xiaoxiao, holding the child, looked at the closed door, then at Dajun's ashen face, sighed, and muttered in a low voice, "Honestly, can't you talk things out properly? Why did you have to yell at her? Today is her birthday, and she waited all night for nothing. How can she feel good about that? Besides, she's family. What secrets could it be if she casually asked about Frankfurt?"

Dajun scratched his head in frustration, plopped down on the sofa, picked up the cigarette pack on the coffee table, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag.

His expression remained solemn amidst the swirling smoke.

“You don’t understand.” His voice was deep and carried an undeniable weight. “Some things are safer the fewer people who know them, and it’s not just about company secrets.”

He looked at his wife through the smoke, "Xiaoxiao, don't ask anymore. Knowing too much won't do our family any good, or Nini."

Frankfurt.

These four words... As the core of the security team, how could Dajun not understand what they implicated?

The woman who left home alone, and Yoko, and the child they were expecting or who had already been born...

This is Yoko's absolute Achilles' heel, and also one of the most closely guarded secrets.

How could he possibly cross this line just to satisfy his sister's curiosity or his wife's doubts?
If he did that, he wouldn't be Dajun, and he wouldn't deserve the trust Yangzi had placed in him all these years.

. . . .

The long flight of more than ten hours was accompanied by the monotonous hum of the engine and the changing light and shadow of day and night outside the window.

Lu Yang barely slept a wink; his anxious heart had already traveled across mountains and rivers to settle in that unknown delivery room in Frankfurt.

When the plane finally landed smoothly at Frankfurt Airport, Lu Yang was almost the first to rush out of the cabin.

A vehicle that had been waiting on the tarmac carried him and sped toward the hospital.

The silence in the room was broken by hurried footsteps as I pushed open the door to the delivery room, which had a German nameplate.

The sunlight outside the window was just right, casting warm beams through the blinds, and the air was filled with a faint smell of disinfectant and a subtle milky aroma.

On the hospital bed, Du Lingling leaned against the headboard, her face still pale from childbirth and deeply weary, but her eyes were gentler than Lu Yang had ever seen.

She was holding a small baby wrapped in soft swaddling clothes in her arms. When she heard the door open, she looked up and her eyes met those of Lu Yang, who rushed in, looking travel-worn and radiating cold.

There were no tears as expected, no excited shouts, and not even much surprise.

Du Lingling simply watched him quietly, as if she had already expected him to come; it was just a matter of time.

A faint, tired yet relieved smile even appeared at the corners of her mouth.

Before Lu Yang could catch his breath, Du Lingling gently but decisively handed him the tiny swaddled baby from her arms.

Her voice was a little hoarse, but clear and calm:

"Here you are."

"Go and see your son."

“Eight pounds and one ounce,” she paused, her tone carrying a sigh of relief and a hint of barely perceptible lingering fear, “This little devil almost took half my life.”

Lu Yang almost held his breath as he carefully took the soft and warm bundle, as if holding the most precious treasure in the world. The little guy in the swaddling clothes was sleeping soundly, his little face was still wrinkled and rosy, his sparse baby hair was stuck to his forehead, his eyes were closed, and his little fists were curled up by his cheeks.

Although I already knew from intelligence that it was a boy, seeing this vibrant little life with my own eyes still brought an overwhelming sense of connection and a powerful feeling of being bound by blood.

Lu Yang looked down at his son's sleeping face, trying to find a familiar outline.

However, the newborn baby's appearance is still unclear.

After a brief gaze, Lu Yang suddenly and very gently but quickly handed the swaddled baby to Xiao Jiu, who was following closely behind him and was also covered in dust from the journey.

The next second, he suddenly bent down, opened his arms, and hugged the woman on the hospital bed who had just gone through a life-or-death ordeal tightly, tightly into his arms!
His arms were wrapped so tightly, as if he wanted to crush all her weariness, grievances, and lingering fear into his chest. He buried his face deep in the hollow of her neck, which smelled faintly of sweat and milk, and greedily breathed in that familiar and long-lost scent.

Du Lingling's body stiffened slightly the moment he embraced her, but then softened.

She didn't struggle, nor did she push him away as usual.

The dust from the long journey, the distinctive, pungent smell of a man, and the surging sweat enveloped her.

This sudden, overwhelming embrace, as if it were a reunion after something lost, seemed to silently crack open her tense nerves and the hard shell of her self-protection.

Exhaustion washed over her like a tide. She closed her eyes and let herself lean against this firm and warm embrace, feeling that long-lost sense of reliance and... peace of mind.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Only the intertwined breathing of the two remained in the ward, one rapid and excited, the other gradually becoming long and relaxed.

After a long while, Lu Yang seemed to find his voice again, his hoarse voice carrying an indescribable tremor, whispering in her ear:

"Thank you for your hard work, Lingling..."

A thousand words stuck in my chest, but in the end they all turned into these four simplest yet heaviest words.

Du Lingling, who was in his arms, did not respond with a single word.

She simply closed her eyes, burying her face even deeper into his shoulder, her slender fingers unconsciously clenching the fabric of his back.

At this moment, any words are superfluous. The pain of separation, the hardship of pregnancy and childbirth alone, the inner struggles and resentment... all seemed to be temporarily smoothed out in this powerful embrace and the warmth brought by those four words.

She rarely allowed herself to immerse herself in this belated warmth, like a traveler who had finally found a harbor, greedily absorbing the sense of security that made her almost dizzy.

I don't know how much time passed, maybe only a minute, maybe ten minutes.

"Wow--!"

A loud and vibrant baby cry suddenly broke the silence in the ward and the tender moments of the two of them.

Du Lingling seemed to be startled awake, and suddenly opened her eyes.

“The baby might be hungry.” Her voice trembled slightly as she quickly regained her maternal instincts.

"Mmm." Lu Yang responded, loosening his arms slightly but still loosely holding her, his gaze falling on his son, who was being held in Xiao Jiu's arms and pouting, about to burst into tears.

Du Lingling straightened up slightly from his arms, gestured to Xiao Jiu to bring the child over, and looked at Lu Yang and another staff member next to him, her tone carrying an undeniable shyness and insistence: "You... go out for a moment."

It's time to breastfeed.

The others quickly and quietly left the ward, gently closing the door behind them.

Only the two people and the impatient baby who was whimpering and looking for milk remained in the room.

Lu Yang did not leave the bedside immediately. He stood there, watching with deep eyes as Du Lingling awkwardly but gently unbuttoned her clothes and brought the crying little one close to her chest.

The little guy instinctively found his target and quickly quieted down, leaving only satisfied sucking sounds.

The sunlight flowed quietly over the mother and child, creating a serene and sacred scene.

Lu Yang took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind. He stepped forward, his deep, clear voice breaking the silence:
“Lingling,” he called her name, his gaze fixed intently on her lowered eyelashes, “Come with me.”

Du Lingling paused slightly while breastfeeding, without looking up, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyes.

She asked in a low voice, her tone unreadable:

"Where?"

Lu Yang took a deep breath and looked excitedly at Du Lingling, who was breastfeeding her child, and said, "We agreed that as long as you resigned, you would move to Hong Kong. With my help, and with your abilities, you will definitely be able to make a name for yourself in Hong Kong." (End of Chapter)