CHAPTER 397: CHAPTER 397: REENCOUNTERING LU XIANGXIANG

Since it was rare for the family to go on vacation, Xu Xiuxiu naturally didn’t restrain the children too much and let them run and play freely on the beach. Shi Yu was like a liberated wild child, claiming the entire beach as his domain, while Song Chengguang was the opposite, following his younger siblings with measured steps, constantly advising them to be careful with a seriousness that mirrored that of Song Yuanhuan on a smaller scale. His personality and temper were becoming more and more like his father’s.

"Mr. Song, we should come to play again if we get the chance," Xu Xiuxiu and her husband followed behind the children, hand in hand, stepping on the beach sand, and expressed their satisfaction with the vacation’s leisurely life as they gazed upon the endless blue sea and sky with a sigh.

"When the children are older, we can come by ourselves," Song Yuanhuan turned his head to promise the petite woman beside him.

As a military man, his daily routine was always tight. After military school, he didn’t dare to relax due to the solid cultural and military quality of most people there. It was not until he was assigned to the Imperial Capital Military District that he leisurely drove to T-city with his wife and children, following Xu Xiuxiu’s request to stay in an upscale resort hotel. He planned to wake up early to exercise in the morning but Xu Xiuxiu deliberately talked him out of it, falling into a state of languor as he enjoyed the leisure time with his wife. After several days of such leisure, Song Yuanhuan admitted that this kind of life was indeed pleasant.

"Sure," Xu Xiuxiu nodded in agreement.

The couple chatted amiably and fondly as they talked, and while they were talking, the Little Baby, who had been running wildly in front and was now tired, called out to Xu Xiuxiu, "Mommy, can we rest for a while and play with this pile of sand?"

"Sure, go ahead and play with the sand! Make sure you wear your sun hats properly, or you’ll get sunburned," Xu Xiuxiu agreed and carefully admonished Little Baby, knowing that the ultraviolet rays were particularly strong by the sea. Although the children were not prone to tanning and being a bit tanned was no big deal for the boys, Little Baby was, after all, a pampered little princess who usually had skin as delicate as a peeled egg and was prone to getting sunburned.

"Okay. I’ll wear my hat," Little Baby nodded obediently, tugging at her little hat.

Seeing this, Xu Xiuxiu then took Song Yuanhuan to sit in a spot nearby where they could rest in the shade.

However, with the development and progress of culture, even now in 1987, more open-minded women had started wearing somewhat revealing swimsuits on the beach. The swimsuits at that time were still conservative compared to those in later eras, but they were already quite progressive.

"Don’t look," although the couple sat very relaxed, from time to time, a couple of beach beauties would run by, and sometimes three would walk by. Although Song Yuanhuan always appeared to be uninterested and didn’t bother to look again, Xu Xiuxiu still felt a twinge of jealousy.

"I’m not looking; I’m only looking at you," Song Yuanhuan assured her earnestly, extending his hand to hold his wife’s, with a smile lingering on his face.

"You’re not serious," Xu Xiuxiu joked with him, but inside she felt delighted by his words, for perhaps this was the nature of women, their words not matching their hearts.

Because the UV radiation was strong at the beach, Xu Xiuxiu wasn’t afraid of the heat, but she was concerned about the children getting sunburnt. So, they didn’t linger too long on the sand. After playing with the sand, catching some small crabs, and picking up seashells, they headed back to their hotel. Just as they entered the hotel lobby with the children, Xu Xiuxiu unexpectedly bumped into Lu Xiangxiang, whom she hadn’t seen for over a year. Xu Xiuxiu truly hadn’t anticipated this encounter, especially at such a cheerful moment. It was quite a mood-killer.

Xu Xiuxiu had initially intended to walk past Lu Xiangxiang quickly, along with Song Yuanhuan and the kids, to avoid any possibility of a meeting. However, there stood Lu Xiangxiang in her primrose-yellow swimsuit, draped with a thin blanket, in the most strategic upstairs location. She was gesturing impatiently and speaking to a man beside her who wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. The man looked simple and unassuming, dressed as a progressive young adult of the current era, seemingly not bothered at all by Lu Xiangxiang’s attitude. He even flashed her a pleasing smile as he talked and gestured with his hands.

Seeing this, Lu Xiangxiang appeared even more irritable. She turned her head and unexpectedly set her eyes on Xu Xiuxiu and Song Yuanhuan, who had just come in with the children. Her eyes instantly brightened.

"Yuanhuan, you’re here on vacation too?" Lu Xiangxiang, wearing her flip-flops, walked up to Song Yuanhuan. Her ability to automatically tune out Xu Xiuxiu like radar equipment always amazed Xu Xiuxiu. She was such an obvious presence, yet Lu Xiangxiang managed to blatantly ignore her—truly bizarre.

"..." Song Yuanhuan seemed unwilling to even bless her with a glance.

"Xiuxiu, are you here on vacation?" Indeed, after being ignored by Song Yuanhuan, it was only then that Lu Xiangxiang behaved as if she had just noticed Xu Xiuxiu. She turned her head and asked in a haughty tone.

Xu Xiuxiu couldn’t help but curve her lips in a light smile as she replied, "Yes!"

"Since we’ve run into each other by chance, which room are you staying in? I’ll treat you to dinner tonight!" Lu Xiangxiang asked Xu Xiuxiu, but her eyes were fixed on Song Yuanhuan. The insinuation was clear in her gestures—it was Song Yuanhuan she wanted to invite, and including Xu Xiuxiu was a reluctant afterthought.

Seeing this, Xu Xiuxiu couldn’t help but chuckle. Although Lu Xiangxiang seemed to have grown smarter over the past year or two, her obsession with Song Yuanhuan seemed unchanged. Xu Xiuxiu couldn’t understand it—an obviously uninterested man, with whom she hadn’t had contact for a long time—why did she still care so much about him? How could she maintain that dazzling sparkle in her eyes and lower her IQ upon seeing him? It was truly curious.

"Just running into each other is enough; there’s no need for dinner," Xu Xiuxiu replied with a smile, declining Lu Xiangxiang’s offer.

"You..." Lu Xiangxiang gritted her teeth in annoyance, seemingly irritated by Xu Xiuxiu’s refusal.

"Since you both know Xiangxiang, why don’t I host dinner for you two tonight?" The man with the gold-rimmed glasses approached and spoke courteously before turning to Xu Xiuxiu and Song Yuanhuan with a polite gesture. "I’m Xiangxiang’s fiancé, my name is Cai Zhenglian. We’re getting married at the end of the year. I’m pleased to meet you both." He introduced himself, staking his claim, then cast a discreet glance at Lu Xiangxiang, who was unabashedly fawning over Song Yuanhuan.

Seeing this, Lu Xiangxiang frowned and locked her gaze on Song Yuanhuan as if worried he would misunderstand.

"It’s merely an acquaintance. We’re not so close as to share a meal, so there’s no need for you to go out of your way, Mr. Cai." Xu Xiuxiu still refused. She wasn’t short on money and saw no need to share a table with Lu Xiangxiang, let alone watch her drool over her man—it was off-putting.