Xilin looked toward Song Lili, and Song Lili nodded,
"Brother Lu, about this matter... I wasn’t intentionally hiding it from you, it’s just that I felt there was no need to specifically tell you."
Xilin was so choked up that he couldn’t speak for a moment.
Others might say there was no need, and that wasn’t wrong, he was just a big brother looking out for her, what right did he have to pry so deeply into her private affairs?
"Brother Lu... are you... angry?"
Song Lili saw that Xilin’s expression wasn’t good, and felt a mix of emotions herself.
Wen Nian was the President, he was the military district commander, and the President’s sudden visit to his home would, indeed, leave him somewhat panicked and unsure of how to react.
If she had mentioned her acquaintance with Wen Nian to Brother Lu a bit earlier, maybe he would have been somewhat prepared.
"Angry? Why would Commander Lu be angry? Is it that he doesn’t welcome me?"
Song Lili’s cautious inquiry, spoken so gently to Xilin, sounded to Wen Nian’s ears sharper than a blaring truck horn!
Xilin took a deep breath and spoke indifferently.
Wen Nian placed his chopsticks across the plate and stood up again, "Another set of chopsticks and bowl for Brother Lu, Commander Lu please have a seat, I’ll go get them."
Before Song Lili could react, Xilin stepped forward, blocking Wen Nian’s path,
"Our guest should remain seated, I will get them."
Wen Nian raised his eyebrows, a gentle smile playing on his lips, "I don’t consider myself a guest. In my view, it’s Commander Lu who is the guest here."
Xilin also smiled, "Sir, you seem to have forgotten—this is my house."
"Didn’t you lend it for Lili to live in?"
"I lent it to her, but this is still my house."
"If you lent it to her, it’s her house, and her house is my house, so Commander Lu is the guest."
"You both please sit, I’ll go and get it."
Song Lili couldn’t bear watching these two men pushing back and forth like playing Tai Chi, so she directly went into the kitchen and brought out another set of tableware. When she came back, she saw the men were at Tai Chi again!
"Sir, you were sitting there just now, why are you sitting here now?"
"This spot has better feng shui," Wen Nian said with utter seriousness.
Xilin’s jaw was about to drop!
Then he saw Wen Nian pulling out the chair next to him, clearly saving a seat for Song Lili.
Xilin took a deep breath,
"Sir, didn’t you say you don’t consider yourself a guest? That seat facing south is for guests."
"In Anlin, the position facing south is the seat of honor."
"Too bad this isn’t Anlin."
"Is Commander Lu so petty as to quarrel over a seat? Are all you Xilin military men so fussy and pedantic over a meal?"
Wen Nian’s brows lifted, his eyes brimming with amusement.
Over Xilin’s head bubbled a speech balloon: a mini Xilin picked up a chair and furiously smashed it! The chair shattered to bits with a "crash and splinter"!
Am I petty? What does it mean to be so petty over a seat?!
Hold it in, losing one’s composure over small matters could ruin greater plans.
"Sir is kidding, sit wherever you like, Sir."
Having said that, Xilin, beaming, took the chair Wen Nian had just pulled out and seated himself! And upon sitting down, he courteously said,
"Thank you for pulling out the chair for me, Sir."
Wen Nian had not expected Xilin to be so bold...
"I thought the gentlemen of our G country understood dining etiquette; a gentleman would pull out a chair for a lady. But since Commander Lu likes this spot, please sit here."
Wen Nian was implying he was a woman!
"If you’re not here to eat, then all of you go back, Xiaocao and I haven’t eaten yet, and we’re quite hungry now,"
Song Lili said indifferently.
Only with that did the banter between Wen Nian and Xilin finally cease...
Tang Xiaocao silently climbed into a child’s high chair, her bright eyes cautiously watching the two brothers.
Song Lili took her seat across from them, silently watching the hotpot bubble... Steam was swirling up, clouding the depths of Wen Nian’s dark eyes...
The hot mist rendered the woman’s face even more elusive.
Seeing that some meatballs had floated to the surface, Song Lili quickly said,
"The food in the soup is cooked, you can eat now."
No sooner had she finished speaking than she saw Wen Nian and Xilin almost simultaneously pick up meatballs to place in her bowl.
This scene even made Song Lili freeze for a moment... The two men seemed to be acting out of rivalry and jealousy, she must be out of her mind to have such an illusion!
Wen Nian took a light breath,
"There’s no need for Commander Lu to take such care when I am here."
"It’s okay, Sir, I’m used to taking care... It’s no trouble."
Used to taking care...
Wen Nian pondered these words, a tightness in his chest, and he lifted his gaze to Song Lili, "With Commander Lu being so good to you these days, no wonder you haven’t been thinking about home."
"..." Song Lili pursed her lips.
What was going on with Brother Lu was unclear to her, but as for Wen Nian... he was jealous.