The Lively Younger Cousin
A few seconds after Grandma called out, the sound of slippers stepping on the floor came from the second floor.
"Oh grandma, I'm playing a game, I can't leave it running. My brother said he wouldn't arrive until this afternoon..."
Accompanied by a complaining female voice, a young girl wearing a dress and with her hair casually tied into a slightly messy ponytail came down from the second floor.
Before Lu Shuyao could finish speaking, the moment she stepped downstairs in her slippers, she froze, like a videotape that had been forcibly paused.
Her gaze first casually swept over Lu Yan, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, and then, as if a radar had locked onto a target, she fixed her gaze on Aemeath, who was being held by her grandmother's hand beside Lu Yan.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
Lu Shuyao rubbed her eyes in disbelief and blinked hard twice.
Those eyes! And that perfect body proportion that even the most ordinary clothes can't hide?
The most terrifying thing is this flawless face?!
"Holy crap!" Lu Shuyao muttered to herself, nearly dropping her phone on the concrete floor. "Bro, did you bring back a cosplayer from a comic convention? She's so beautiful!"
Seeing his younger sister's naive and unsophisticated look, Lu Yan laughed and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Hurry up and greet her, this is your future sister-in-law, Aemeath."
"Hello, sister-in-law!" Lu Shuyao instantly snapped out of her daze, took a step forward, and looked at Aemeath with fervent and admiring eyes, as if she wanted to take a magnifying glass and examine her closely.
"Oh my god, sister-in-law, is your eye color real?! Are you mixed race? Or from some ethnic minority?"
Aemeath was instantly amused by her overly lively cousin.
She glanced at Lu Yan, who was suppressing a laugh, and naturally accepted the excuse he had made up at the alley entrance.
She tilted her head slightly and nodded seriously, saying, "Hello, Yaoyao. My mother's side is from a minority group in the border region, so my eyes are a little different."
"This isn't just a little different!" Lu Shuyao exclaimed dramatically, gesturing with her hands cupped to her heart. "This is practically Nüwa graduation project!"
"Brother, what galaxy did you save in your past life to find such a beautiful sister-in-law? I declare that from today onwards, sister-in-law is the most admired half-sister in the world!"
Lu Shuyao's exaggerated remarks and animated performance made the three people in the yard burst into laughter. The slightly sad atmosphere of the long-awaited reunion was instantly dispelled by the youthful and energetic laughter.
Time slipped away quietly amidst chatter and laughter. Before we knew it, we looked up at the sky and saw that the sun had already risen high overhead.
As noon approached, the aroma of cooking began to rise from the nearby houses.
Grandma glanced at the clock on the wall in the main room. "Oh dear, we were so busy talking that it's almost midnight!"
"Xiao Yan, Little Aemeath, you must be starving after traveling all that way back!"
"Grandma will go cook for you right away! We'll stew some pork ribs for lunch, and stir-fry a few dishes that you young people like!"
With that, the old man released Aemeath's hand and started to walk towards the kitchen.
Seeing this, Lu Yan immediately stepped forward to stop his grandmother, smiling as he helped her back into the wicker chair, "Grandma, you can sit here and rest for a while today. Leave the kitchen work to me and Aemeath."
"How can that be?" Grandma waved her hands repeatedly, her face full of disapproval. "This is Aemeath's first time visiting our family. How can we let someone else's daughter start doing chores in the kitchen on her very first day? You're such a thoughtless child."
"Grandma, it's alright." Aemeath quickly stepped forward, took her grandmother's arm, and said in a voice as sweet as honey, "My cooking skills are also very good! Please let A-Yan and me show you what we can do."
"From now on, I'd like to learn your signature dishes from you every day." Aemeath's words not only demonstrated the younger generation's filial piety but also subtly bridged the gap between them.
Especially the sentence "I want to learn every day in the future" made Grandma feel extremely happy, and she could almost see the happy family together in the future.
"Alright~ then Grandma will shamelessly enjoy the blessings of having such a beautiful granddaughter-in-law today!" Grandma beamed with joy and stopped objecting.
Lu Yan handed the suitcase to the excited Lu Shuyao and asked her to put it in her old bedroom. He then walked skillfully to the sink in the corner of the yard to wash his hands.
Aemeath followed him like a little tail, finding a somewhat worn apron behind the kitchen door.
She walked to the sink, stopped in front of Lu Yan, and without saying a word, naturally turned her back to him, handing him the two ties of the apron she was holding, indicating that she should help him tie them.
Lu Yan dried his hands, looked down at the ribbon in front of him, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.
He went through the ribbon and skillfully tied a pretty bow behind her back.