Chapter 177: Chapter 177: Get-together

Lu Xiao hadn’t expected that in the short time it took to cook a meal, Lu Yu would already be warmly calling Ares “brother-in-law.” The temptation of the Fighting Technique was far greater for Lu Yu than she had imagined.

“That’s fine,” Lu Xiao said, “but you can’t fall behind on your schoolwork. You have to be one of the top students. Lu Huan is already doing very well in her studies, and you can’t let her completely outshine you, can you?”

At the mention of grades, Lu Yu, who had never cared much about such things, suddenly felt a pang of guilt. After all, she had never really studied hard at school.

The main reason was that few females at her school really focused on their studies, and the teachers didn’t push them much. After all, their futures were more or less secure, no matter what.

But now Lu Xiao was making this demand. Lu Yu glanced at Ares. She was desperate to learn his Fighting Technique. ’A little quid pro quo isn’t a bad idea. It’s just studying, right? I can do that!’

“Okay, I promise I’ll study hard! So, can I come over once a week? I swear I won’t bother you for too long!” To convince Lu Xiao, she even raised three fingers as if taking an oath.

Lu Xiao nodded. “You can come. But when you eat here, you’re on dish duty afterward. Lu Huan does these things when she eats at home, too.”

“Okay, I’ll remember that.” Lu Yu couldn’t have been happier. She kept smiling as she ate, looking like a little fool.

Lu Xiao glanced at Ares. Seeing that he didn’t seem to mind, she said nothing more.

After dinner, Lu Yu was true to her word and voluntarily took on the task of washing the dishes.

When she finished, she quietly called out to Ares. “Brother-in-law, do you have time now? Could we practice a little more?”

Ares looked at Lu Yu’s expectant face, surprised by her enthusiasm. “It’s not good to exercise too much right after a meal,” he advised. “You should rest for a while and review the key points of the moves in your head. You can wake up early tomorrow and get some extra practice in.”

Although Lu Yu felt it was a shame to waste such a good opportunity to practice, she knew Ares had a point. She nodded. “Alright then. Thank you, brother-in-law. I’ll be sure to practice the moves you taught me today. I won’t let your efforts go to waste.”

Lu Xiao, having just finished her shower, came out of her room and stood on the second-floor landing. “You can stay in this room tonight,” she said to Lu Yu. “It has everything you need, so feel free to use whatever you find.”

“Okay, sister.” The word “sister” was delivered with such crisp sweetness that it made Lu Xiao a little uncomfortable. ’When did we get this close?’

Lu Yu’s enthusiasm for the Fighting Technique was no empty talk.

From that day forward, Lu Yu would pack her things and head over to Lu Xiao’s place as soon as the weekend began. She had also, without being told, learned to never arrive empty-handed. Sometimes she brought fruit, other times flowers. While none of it was expensive, Lu Xiao was quite pleased with the gesture.

This weekend, she had invited Cecilia and Admiral Kelan. Since Lu Yu was going to be there, Lu Xiao invited Lu Huan as well.

So when Cecilia and Admiral Kelan arrived, they were surprised to find not only Lu Xiao and Ares, but the two sisters Lu Huan and Lu Yu as well.

This took both of them by surprise.

They had no idea Lu Xiao was on such good terms with Lu Huan and Lu Yu. They’d always assumed the three sisters didn’t get along.

They never imagined they were close enough to invite each other over for a meal.

Admiral Kelan was particularly astonished when he noticed Ares teaching Lu Yu the Fighting Technique.

’How did I not know that my youngest daughter was interested in something besides being willful? The Fighting Technique, of all things.’

At the dinner table, when Lu Huan mentioned she had won a school scholarship, Admiral Kelan was visibly shocked. In his memory, Lu Huan had always been just like Lu Ge Wei in her youth—the type to flirt and fool around. Since when had she become such a good student?

He glanced at Lu Xiao, who didn’t seem surprised at all.

Cecilia quietly took all of this in. She was certain that her two granddaughters’ dramatic changes were inextricably linked to Lu Xiao.

Who would have thought that Lu Xiao was not only exceptional herself, but that her excellence would also rub off on the people around her.

That was an ability not many people possessed.

It seemed that anyone who spent time with Lu Xiao was bound to be influenced by her, one way or another.

Cecilia observed all this but kept her thoughts to herself.

Soon, Lu Xiao brought out the kneaded dough. “Alright, everyone, time to lend a hand and learn how to wrap these dumplings!”

Watching Lu Xiao’s busy figure, Cecilia felt her enthusiasm become contagious. “Alright, I’ll give it a try, too. It looks quite interesting.”

In the Empire, it was rare to see a young female like Lu Xiao who was willing to cook.

But swept up in the moment, even Cecilia wanted to try her hand at it today.

Lu Xiao had everyone wash their hands, then she personally showed them how. Though no one was very skilled at first, they all started to get the hang of it after wrapping a few.

To make the meal more exciting, Lu Xiao had hidden a few coins inside some of the dumplings.

Once the dumplings were cooked and brought to the table, everyone instinctively started guessing which ones held the coins.

Moreover, in their quest to find a coin, everyone ate until they were completely stuffed.

By the end of the meal, everyone was clutching their stomachs, looking like they could barely move, but they all felt exceptionally relaxed.

Cecilia had never experienced such a relaxed and comfortable family atmosphere. Now she finally understood why Admiral Kelan regarded Lu Xiao so differently.

After experiencing this kind of domestic warmth, who wouldn’t long for a life like this?

Cecilia couldn’t help but wonder if this was why Lu Xiao had always insisted on monogamy. Perhaps this kind of warmth could only exist in a simple partnership.

In this home, there was no competition among males, and the female of the house didn’t have to balance her relationships with everyone. She only needed to be devoted to one person.

But compared to Lu Xiao’s ease, Lu Yu and Lu Huan were still a bit intimidated in Admiral Kelan’s presence.

After all, back at their family home, even if they passed Admiral Kelan, he would rarely acknowledge them. He ignored them just as he ignored Lu Ge Wei.

He was completely unlike the fathers of other families, who took pride in their daughters.

But here today, Admiral Kelan had actually taken the initiative to ask them about school, and Lu Yu had even received some pointers on her Fighting Technique. This left both sisters feeling incredibly flattered.

Cecilia looked at her two granddaughters and spoke to them with a smile. “If you two have time, you should come with your sister to visit the Duke Garieldo Mansion. We’re all family; there’s no need to be so distant.”

“Yes, Grandmother, we will.” Lu Huan was well aware that the change in both Cecilia’s and Admiral Kelan’s attitudes was due to Lu Xiao’s influence, as well as their own recent, dramatic improvements.

But neither of them saw anything wrong with benefiting from Lu Xiao’s favor. In fact, they felt their new way of life was entirely thanks to Lu Xiao’s guidance.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep