The Cannon Fodder Doesn't Want to Return to the Rich Family (Translated)

Chapter 10

The next morning, the sunlight streaming in through the window woke Lu Yao.

After washing up, he went downstairs.

Mrs. Li was already seated at the dining table, holding Lu Yao's kitten in her arms and feeding it with carefully prepared cat food from the family's housekeeper.

Seeing Lu Yao, Mrs. Li couldn't help but smile and said warmly, "Good morning, Yao Yao. Did you sleep well last night?"

Although Mr. Lu and Mrs. Li had originally named Lu Yao Lu Yang, Lu Yao had used this name for many years. Since Lu Yao's adoptive father also had the surname Lu, and "Yao" also had the meaning of sunlight, Lu Yao continued to use this name.

Hearing Mrs. Li call him by his name so affectionately, Lu Yao was momentarily stunned, and his ears, hidden beneath his black hair, turned red.

He bit his lip, and remembering the notes he had read last night, he awkwardly said, "Good morning... Mom."

Lu Yao intentionally kept his voice low and his tone vague, but Mrs. Li felt it was as impactful as a thunderclap.

She was momentarily dazed, but upon seeing Lu Yao's shyness, she quickly masked her complex emotions.

Realizing that showing too much reaction would only make Lu Yao more uncomfortable, Mrs. Li smiled and said calmly, "Sit down for breakfast. Your father had to leave for work this morning; he ate before heading to the office. Even though it's National Day, he has a lot of work piled up and needs to spend some time dealing with it."

Lu Yao took a seat next to Mrs. Li and took a sip of the milk in front of him to moisten his dry throat.

Looking down at the glass in his hand, he realized it was strawberry milk. He took another sip, finding it unexpectedly pleasant.

Mrs. Li played with the kitten in her arms while watching Lu Yao eat breakfast with a smile, engaging him in light conversation.

Just as Lu Yao was about to finish his breakfast, Lu Qi finally showed up at the dining table. After greeting Mrs. Li and Lu Yao, he sat down.

Upon seeing the glass of milk on the table, Lu Qi sneered, "Why did Auntie prepare strawberry milk again? We're not elementary school kids. Who likes such childish stuff?"

Elementary school kids? Childish?

Lu Yao glanced at his now empty glass.

Hearing Lu Qi's complaint, Mrs. Li said sternly, "Since it's been poured, you have to drink it. We shouldn't waste food."

Grumbling, Lu Qi pinched his nose and chugged the milk as if it were bitter medicine.

Such a waste of good milk!

Lu Yao's eyes lowered as he thought of the saying, "A bull chewing on peony flowers."

After Lu Yao had called her "Mom" earlier, Mrs. Li couldn't help but secretly boast to Lu Qi and Mr. Lu on her phone.

Mr. Lu's reaction was still unknown, but Lu Qi had felt jealous after learning about it upon waking up. After all, Lu Yao hadn't called him "brother" yet.

While eating breakfast, Lu Qi chatted with Mrs. Li, occasionally making noises to catch Lu Yao's attention. However, even after finishing his breakfast, he didn't manage to hear Lu Yao call him "brother."

As Lu Yao got up to leave, Lu Qi still held a bit of hope, sneaking a glance at him. However, Lu Yao, unaware of his hopeful gaze, left the table.

Mrs. Li, observant as always, noticed Lu Qi's little ploy. She smiled, patted his shoulder, and walked away, leaving Lu Qi fuming at the table.

He was the older brother, two years older than Lu Yao! He swore he would eventually get Lu Yao to call him "brother."

Thinking of Lu Yao's still-empty wardrobe, Mrs. Li decided to take him shopping for clothes.

When Lu Qi heard about the shopping trip, he ignored his own full wardrobe and shamelessly claimed he needed new clothes too, tagging along.

Despite it being National Day, the upscale Taigu Mall, filled with luxury brands, was relatively quiet. The stylish store clerks were unconcerned about sales targets, knowing that high ticket prices meant they only needed a few sales to earn a decent commission.

Anyone with even a slight connection to the fashion world knew of Mrs. Li, the renowned fashion queen. When she walked into the store with Lu Yao and Lu Qi, the clerks who had been indifferent moments before immediately flocked to her.

With her impeccable fashion sense and Lu Yao's natural good looks, when Lu Yao emerged from the fitting room in the clothes Mrs. Li had chosen, even the seasoned clerks were impressed.

To Lu Yao, the clerks' constant praise seemed like a sales tactic, so he didn't take their words to heart. Mrs. Li and Lu Qi, however, beamed with pride at the compliments.

Thinking of Mr. Lu, who was stuck at work, Mrs. Li secretly snapped a photo of Lu Yao's back as he turned to go back to the fitting room, intending to send it to Mr. Lu.

Lu Qi peeked at the photo and sneered, "Mom, your photo skills are terrible."

Mrs. Li was about to glare at him, but then she saw Lu Qi's own photo of Lu Yao's back, taken stealthily. "Send me that photo. And any others you've taken."

Mrs. Li didn't believe he only took one photo.

After sending Lu Qi's photo to Mr. Lu, Mrs. Li also posted it on her personal Weibo account, captioning it "My handsome boy," subtly showing off Lu Yao.

When Lu Yao came out of the fitting room, Mrs. Li put her phone away.

Though Mrs. Li rarely posted on Weibo, she had many followers, including celebrities, actors, designers, and fashion insiders. Her sudden post caught their attention, especially during the National Day holiday when many were idly browsing. They quickly liked her post, with some leaving comments below.

Mrs. Li, busy picking out clothes for Lu Yao, was unaware of the buzz on her Weibo. This was her first time personally buying clothes for him, and she couldn't resist wanting to buy everything that seemed suitable.

Lu Yao noticed the many clothes the store assistants were holding, knowing they were undoubtedly expensive. He wasn't one for materialism and usually dressed plainly, relying on his natural good looks to avoid blending into the crowd. He intended to ask Mrs. Li not to buy too much, but seeing her happy and expectant expression, he swallowed his words and obediently became a mannequin for her to dress.

Fortunately, the store offered home delivery, sparing Lu Yao and Lu Qi from having to carry all the clothes themselves.

After finishing shopping, Mrs. Li decided it was time for lunch and led Lu Yao and the ever-sneaky photographer Lu Qi to a restaurant in the mall.