Chapter 413 - 235: Lu Fan Gifts a Luxury Car; Mother-in-Law Discovers a Secret from 18 Years Ago

Chapter 413: Chapter 235: Lu Fan Gifts a Luxury Car; Mother-in-Law Discovers a Secret from 18 Years Ago

"I like it," Jiang Ming nodded, a little embarrassed.

Lu Fan then said to Su Mo’Er, "This one. We’ll pay in full."

Su Mo’Er was stunned for a moment, then the smile on her face grew even brighter.

She had seen plenty of customers, but it was rare to see someone decide on a car in less than ten minutes.

"Of course, sir. I’ll get the paperwork started right away. Will you be paying by card or bank transfer?"

Lu Fan took out a card and handed it to her.

Su Mo’Er accepted it with both hands and turned to handle the procedures.

As she walked away, her gaze lingered on Lu Fan for an extra second.

The paperwork was processed quickly.

Signing the contract, making the payment, arranging insurance, and getting a temporary license plate—the entire process took less than two hours.

Su Mo’Er placed the keys in Jiang Ming’s hand, smiling. "Congratulations on your new car. Here are your keys."

Jiang Ming took the keys, his hands trembling.

Su Mo’Er then turned to Lu Fan. She took a business card from her pocket, offered it with both hands, and her tone softened a few degrees. "Mr. Lu, this is my card. If you have any friends looking to buy a car in the future, I’d appreciate a recommendation. And if you’re ever looking to get a new car yourself, you can contact me anytime. If it’s inconvenient for you to come here, I can personally drive over and pick you up."

After saying this, she paused, then added in a lower voice, "My WhatsApp is the same number. You can add me if it’s convenient."

Lu Fan took the card, glanced at it, and casually slipped it into his pocket. "Alright."

Seeing his completely composed expression, Su Mo’Er felt a pang of disappointment.

She had met many rich men, but this was the first time she’d seen one so understated and low-key.

She smiled, reverting to her professional demeanor. "Well, I hope you enjoy the car."

Jiang Ming drove the new car, following behind Lu Fan’s vehicle. His palms were sweating the entire way.

He didn’t dare to drive the new car too fast. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, terrified of scratching or bumping it.

When they arrived at the flower shop, Jiang Ming pulled over.

He turned off the engine, and his legs felt like jelly as he got out.

Jiang Yixia was busy in the shop when she heard a noise at the entrance. She looked up and froze.

A brand-new black Mercedes was parked out front. Jiang Ming stood beside it, his face flushed red as if he’d done something wrong.

"Whose car is this?" Jiang Yixia asked, walking out and looking the vehicle up and down.

Jiang Ming stammered, "President Lu... President Lu bought it for me."

Jiang Yixia turned her head to look at Lu Fan.

Lu Fan was leaning against his car door, watching her with a wide grin.

Jiang Yixia frowned and started to protest, "Why did you buy him such an expensive car? He just started working. A car like this is too flashy."

"What’s so flashy about this car? Besides, think about how much money he spent on taxis running back and forth when his parents were in the hospital. Having a car is just more convenient," Lu Fan said cheerfully.

Jiang Yixia said helplessly, "You still didn’t have to buy a Mercedes. Couldn’t you have just gotten him a simple runabout?..."

"Sis, I originally wanted to buy one that cost a few tens of thousands, but President Lu insisted on this one..." Jiang Ming quickly explained.

He was afraid Jiang Yixia would think he was the one who wanted such a luxury car.

Seeing his nervous expression, Jiang Yixia sighed and didn’t say anything more.

She turned back to Lu Fan, her tone softening slightly. "How much was it? I’ll pay you back in installments."

"There’s no rush. We can talk about it later," Lu Fan said with a laugh, waving his hand dismissively.

Jiang Yixia insisted, "No, what’s owed must be repaid. How much?"

Lu Fan thought for a moment and said with a straight face, "Two million."

Jiang Yixia’s eyes widened, and her voice changed. "Two million? This car costs two million?"

Seeing her reaction, Lu Fan couldn’t help but burst out laughing. "I’m kidding. It was over five hundred thousand."

Jiang Yixia let out a breath of relief, but she was still pained by the cost. "Over five hundred thousand isn’t cheap either. Why are you such a spendthrift..."

"Spending money on my own family isn’t being a spendthrift. Besides, Jiang Ming is your brother, which makes him my brother. What’s wrong with buying him a car?" Lu Fan said happily.

Jiang Yixia turned her face away, not wanting to look at him.

But her ears had turned red.

Jiang Ming stood to the side, watching the two of them bicker. He felt both warm and awkward.

He cleared his throat and interjected, "Sis, President Lu, I should head back now. I still have things to do at the office."

Lu Fan nodded. "Go on, then. Drive safely."

Jiang Ming got in the car, started the engine, and slowly drove away from the flower shop.

He glanced in the rearview mirror. Lu Fan was still standing at the entrance, with Jiang Yixia next to him. They were talking about something.

He smiled and stepped on the gas.

After Jiang Ming left, Jiang Yixia turned and went back into the flower shop.

Lu Fan followed her in, leaning against the counter to watch her.

Jiang Yixia looked down, arranging some flowers. After a moment of silence, she suddenly said, "Thank you."

Lu Fan pretended to be surprised. "For what?"

"For buying Jiang Ming the car," Jiang Yixia said without looking up, her scissors still snipping away. "It really is inconvenient for him to be in Yangcheng alone without a car. I’d thought about it before, but money’s been tight, so I kept putting it off."

Lu Fan smiled. "No need to be so polite with me."

Jiang Yixia put down her scissors, looked up at him, and said earnestly, "I’m serious. Thank you."

Lu Fan looked at her, feeling a little emotional, then smiled. "Alright, I accept your thanks."

Jiang Yixia lowered her head again and continued trimming the flowers.

After a moment, she suddenly asked, "When you said two million earlier, were you doing that on purpose?"

"I was. I just wanted to see you look pained about the money," Lu Fan laughed.

Jiang Yixia shot him a glare. "You’re so childish."

"But if you really want to pay me back, it’s not like there’s no other way," Lu Fan replied with a smile, not at all annoyed.

Jiang Yixia looked up. "What way?"

Lu Fan leaned in a little closer, a smile in his voice. "From now on, every time I visit, you just have to compliment me once. One compliment is worth ten thousand. You’ll have it paid off in half a year."

Jiang Yixia rolled her eyes at him and retorted, "What is there to compliment you on? Your thick skin?"

"Now that’s not fair. I am, at the very least, an upright gentleman," Lu Fan said, deliberately putting on a serious expression.

Jiang Yixia couldn’t help but laugh. She looked at Lu Fan, knitting her brows teasingly. "How are you an upright gentleman? You’re just a rogue."

"Even if I’m a rogue, I’m only a rogue to you."

Jiang Yixia’s face instantly turned red. She lowered her head and ignored him.

...

「Qingshan Village.」

Pan Lanfang was at home with nothing to do, so she decided to tidy up the house.

Jiang Guoqiang had gone to work in the fields, leaving her home alone.

She first swept the main hall, then cleaned out the chicken coop in the yard, and finally went into Jiang Yixia’s room.

The room wasn’t large, but it was kept very neat.

The bedsheets were fresh from Jiang Yixia’s last visit, and the quilt was folded into a perfect square.

Pan Lanfang picked up a feather duster, dusted the desk, and then wiped the windows.

She bent down, intending to sweep under the bed as well.

Under the bed were several cardboard boxes covered in a thick layer of dust.

Pan Lanfang dragged them out one by one, patted the dust off, and opened them to have a look.

The first box was filled with Jiang Yixia’s old textbooks and notebooks from high school and college, stacked neatly.

The second box contained old clothes, folded meticulously.

The third box was the smallest and the oldest, its corners frayed and worn.

Pan Lanfang opened it. Inside were some small trinkets: a hairpin, a bracelet, a few letters, and a book.

The book was very old, its cover yellowed with age.

Pan Lanfang picked it up and flipped through it. Something tucked inside slipped out and fluttered to the floor.

Pan Lanfang bent down to pick it up. When she turned it over, she froze completely.

It was a photograph, already yellowed and slightly worn at the edges, but still clear.

In the photo were a young man and woman, their heads together, smiling so wide their eyes curved into crescents.

The young woman was a younger Jiang Yixia.

She was wearing a pale yellow dress, her hair down, leaning against the boy’s shoulder. Her face was flushed, and her smile was especially beautiful.

The boy was wearing a white shirt, his smile unabashed and his eyes bright, one arm wrapped around her shoulder.

Pan Lanfang’s hands began to tremble.

She stared at the photograph for a long time.

Even though the boy in the photo was twenty years younger, she recognized him.

It was Xiaolu.

The Xiaolu who came to their house for dinner every day, the Xiaolu who brought Yixia flowers, the Xiaolu who helped her fix the irrigation ditch, catch fish, and sell fish, the Xiaolu who ran around helping at the hospital—the wonderful son-in-law she had been dreaming of.

It was him.

She turned the photo over. On the back, a line was scrawled in Lu Fan’s crooked handwriting: "Yixia and Lu Fan, day ten together."

Pan Lanfang’s hands trembled even more violently.

She flipped the photo back over and looked at it again.

Their smiles were so genuine, so sweet.

She suddenly remembered the question Jiang Yixia had asked at the hospital.

"If Silu and Sifan’s biological father was as good a person as Lu Xiaofan, could you accept him?"

At the time, she had cursed that man, calling him a bastard and saying she would never forgive him as long as she lived.

The man she had cursed was the same Xiaolu she praised every day.

The man she had praised was the same bastard she cursed every day.

Pan Lanfang sat on the edge of the bed, holding the photograph, and stared into space for a long, long time.

’What do I do... What do I do...’

Pan Lanfang was in a complete panic.

Should she tell her old man, Jiang Guoqiang...