Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 349: Family Dinner (10)

Dragon Raja 3

Assessing the situation, Lu Mingfei made a firm decision and replied, “I do!”

Right now, he was representing Chinese students studying abroad. If he said he had a girlfriend, then Lu Mingze should have one too. As the older brother, he needed to set an example. If he said he didn’t have a girlfriend, Chen’s wife might think it was better for students to focus on their studies and wait to date later, so it wouldn’t affect their academics.

“What kind of girl is she?” Chen’s wife seemed genuinely curious about him.

Lu Mingfei thought, Auntie, you really are determined to get to the bottom of this, aren’t you? He couldn’t avoid the question, so he replied, “She’s lively, a Chinese girl, a bit unreliable but very smart, and she’s really good to me…”

“Is she pretty?”

“Yes… she’s quite pretty…” Lu Mingfei answered without thinking.

As Lu Mingfei spoke, Nono’s image filled his mind. He even thought about blending in bits of Caesar and Chu Zihang’s personalities for fun, but no matter how he phrased it, it was still Nono—a lively, pretty, but somewhat unreliable Chinese girl.

“Looks like Mingfei must really like this girl. He’s blushing as he talks about her,” Chen’s wife teased with a grin.

Lu Mingfei thought, Blushing? Give me a break, it’s just the alcohol! But Chen’s wife had unknowingly hit the nail on the head. He did like Nono. Maybe it wasn’t love, but he certainly couldn’t forget her.

“It’s not really that I like her, more like I just can’t forget her,” Lu Mingfei muttered, somewhat incoherently.

Chen’s wife suddenly sighed. “Our Jiajia, she’s so naive. If she marries a clever guy, she’ll probably get bullied. She should find someone who’s honest and serious…”

Aunt was just about to chime in, Well, our Mingze is honest and serious—look at his good-natured face! But Chen’s wife continued, “Mingfei here seems like an honest boy. He’s in front of such a pretty girl, yet he doesn’t go out of his way to impress her. His feelings are genuine. As a woman with experience, I can tell when someone truly cares about someone else. You think about that person all the time, but when you’re actually together, you don’t know what to say.” She patted Jiajia’s head gently. “If Mingfei didn’t have a girlfriend, I’d introduce him to Jiajia.”

Lu Mingfei was dumbfounded. It was like he could feel himself cracking, like a plaster statue slowly crumbling. Inside, he was screaming, Chen Auntie, are you another Dragon King sent here to mess with me? Genuine feelings, my foot! My reputation as a scheming jerk is well-known at Shilan Middle School! I don’t not flirt with pretty girls because I’m pure-hearted—it’s because this particular girl is a literal dragon! Do you think I’d be so calm around her if she were just some normal girl? I think about her all the time because she’s not my girlfriend—she’s the boss’s girlfriend! That’s the only reason! I’m a worthless, petty fool! I can’t even compare to Lu Mingze!

Chen’s wife turned her attention back to her food, but not before letting out a soft, knowing hum.

Aunt had underestimated the cleverness of this bureaucrat’s wife. She thought she had Chen’s wife under her thumb, not realizing that Chen’s wife had seen through the whole charade between Lu Mingfei and Aunt. Before Lu Mingfei showed up, Chen’s wife had been somewhat interested in Lu Mingze. But now, after witnessing everything, she realized that among Chinese students in the U.S., there were surely even more exceptional young men. Lu Mingfei was a perfect example: attending a prestigious private academy, driving a Lamborghini, and dining at high-end restaurants, clearly showing that his family’s wealth far surpassed that of Aunt and Uncle. Just like Aunt, Chen’s wife cared about appearances. With a cousin like Lu Mingfei standing out, why would she marry her daughter to Lu Mingze? Once Jiajia was in the U.S., she would have plenty of better suitors to choose from.

Chen’s wife wasn’t actually serious about Lu Mingfei; she was using him as an excuse to politely reject Aunt’s advances. If Caesar or Chu Zihang had been at the table instead, Lu Mingfei would’ve been relegated to mere background noise.

The real victim here was Aunt. That night, the looming shadow of Giovanni once again enveloped her, reminding her that she was still just a housewife. She could see that Lu Mingfei was genuinely trying to help, but in the end, it was her annoying nephew who was favored. Tonight, her nephew truly outshone Lu Mingze: he was well-dressed, accompanied by a beautiful girl, and drove a Lamborghini. He was living the life of the elite—a life Aunt had only seen on television. She hadn’t gone to university, and she would never be as glamorous or respected as Giovanni, but she had always hoped her son could achieve what she hadn’t and take her to the U.S. to live a wealthy and comfortable life.

It felt as though fate was cruelly guiding everything. No matter how hard she tried to suppress Lu Mingfei, he still emerged victorious. She had raised her son high, but he just couldn’t rise to the top.

In reality, Austin University wasn’t on the same level as that prestigious “Cassell College,” just like Aunt herself wasn’t on par with Giovanni.

“I can’t finish all this food; Mingze, help me with some of it,” Aunt said, trying to mask her emotions by offering food to her son.

She assumed Mingze would be disappointed that things hadn’t worked out with Jiajia and wanted to encourage him. But Mingze didn’t respond. His eyes were glued to something under the table. Aunt, thinking her son was too upset to raise his head, followed his gaze—and immediately became furious. Mingze’s seat was directly across from Erii’s, and her skirt, which only reached her knees, revealed her long, slender legs in transparent stockings. Mingze was completely engrossed, staring at Erii’s legs, with no attention left for Jiajia or the fact that his mother was fighting for his future. He didn’t even seem disappointed that things hadn’t worked out.

Aunt, filled with rage, slapped Mingze across the head. It was bad enough that she was being overshadowed by Lu Mingfei, but now her own son had lost the battle so pathetically, his thoughts entirely consumed by the girl Lu Mingfei had brought along.

Everyone at the table was stunned by Aunt’s outburst, except for Lu Mingfei, who immediately understood the situation. He quickly reached under the table to cover Erii’s legs with the tablecloth, hoping to hide the evidence.

At this point, Aunt didn’t care about saving face anymore. This humiliating dinner had gone on long enough. If it continued, she feared she might lose control and end up alienating Director Chen and his wife entirely.

“Stupid kid! You can’t even focus during dinner with adults!” Aunt barked at Mingze, before turning to Uncle. “Pay the bill, we’re done here. I don’t need any more of these overly sweet desserts! It’s raining heavily anyway; let’s let Director Chen’s family go home and rest.”

Uncle had just opened a fresh bottle of red wine and was waiting for it to breathe in the decanter. He had planned to enjoy it with some cigars alongside Director Chen, confused by Aunt’s sudden outburst. He was about to speak, but the sight of tears welling up in his wife’s eyes silenced him.

He didn’t quite understand what was going on, but it was clear that this meal was over. He snapped his fingers to call the waiter. “You’re right, the rain is too heavy. It’s going to be difficult to drive back later. Let’s settle the bill.”