Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack-Chapter 596 - 576: The Luo Family Brothers’ Challenge (Luo Yanhai’s Story)
Luo Yanran was eventually rescued by Luo Yanhai and Luo Yanwu, who found her entire person wilted under her brother’s hand, yet stubbornly refusing to admit she had done wrong.
"Brother, isn’t this just his personality? When we were kids, he scared Qianqian until she cried, and he never grew out of his habit of playing mean pranks," Luo Yanwu sighed and tried to smooth things over. After all, it wasn’t about his sister, so there was no need to be too serious about it.
"Speaking of that incident, it makes me want to beat him up again!" Luo Yanhao was genuinely furious. Being suspected by his sister of wanting to commit a murder to silence someone, which caused the fifth brother to always look at him with displeasure, whose fault was that? His own doing. Fortunately, his sister was magnanimous and did not stoop to the level of this troublemaker of a child.
"Alright, how is it, then?" As the eldest, Luo Yanhai naturally still cared about his sister’s major affairs. As for the fourth brother getting beat up, he could very well pretend not to see it, as it was common for Luo Yanran to be punished at home. It was just that as they had grown up, everyone had less frequently laid hands on each other.
"He’s a good kid," Luo Yanhao paused, then shared how he had subtly slowed his striking speed during their encounter. However, in Changde, besides the troublemaking Luo Yanran, there was also Luo Qianqian, who may or may not have been aware of what was going on. There were only these two and Old Master Luo who could be involved.
What kind of discernment did these two people have? How could they not see through it?
"With you saying that, he really does sound pretty good," commented Luo Yanhai with a slight nod. He then turned to glance at Luo Yanran with a look of disdain, asking, "What do you plan to challenge him with? As Qianqian’s brother."
On hearing this, Luo Yanran also had a pained expression. How did all his brothers know about this? Was he the only one in the dark? After hesitating for a moment, "How about singing?" Luo Yanhao glared and raised his fist, "Then how about mimicking animals???" Luo Yanran looked at his three brothers with a pained expression. He was just an actor; aside from these, there was nothing else he could do, "Or a musical instrument? I can play a little guitar."
Luo Yanwu rolled his eyes, "You better not embarrass yourself, that guy has won international piano competitions."
"...No way, hey, wait a minute, how do you all know about this?" It was only then that Luo Yanran realized this issue. Plus, he clearly hadn’t told Shufan about Jimo Cheng’s martial skills. He initially thought it might have been Qianqian who told, but upon further thought, Luo Qianqian was not the type to tattle. She would confide her troubles to Luo Shufan via email, and the rest of them, her brothers, were just like decorations.
No, in Luo Qianqian’s heart, the other three brothers had off-the-charts Combat Power, Luo Shufan was a blood relative, and only you were the troublemaker, you were the only decoration. Compared to the brotherly role, she placed more value on the status of her best friend’s boyfriend.
"I really doubt you’re Qianqian’s brother," Luo Yanwu said flatly, turning and entering the house, not giving Luo Yanran, who lay on the ground, a second glance.
Luo Yanhai also rolled his eyes in exasperation and left.
Luo Yanhao sighed, bent down, and pulled his brother up, "We have the Jimo Family’s information at home; you didn’t see it because you haven’t been back." Of course, the most important part was Jimo Cheng’s personal information.
After the three of them reviewed the Jimo Family’s information, they understood why Grandpa Luo hadn’t opposed it. In the current situation, having Luo Qianqian under this kind of protection was the best amulet. Although either the status of disciple or the fiancée of the Jimo Family was sufficient for her to live in peace, they didn’t understand why both these statuses had fallen upon Luo Qianqian.
When Luo Yanhai and Luo Yanwu entered the room, they saw Jimo Kong pushing chess pieces while keeping Old Master Luo company in a game of chess, their lips twitching. Old Master Luo was notoriously bad at chess, and despite playing poorly, he was particularly keen on challenging others to play. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
"Ah Hai, you guys move the sofa back," Old Master Luo called out as he heard footsteps, looking up briefly before giving the order.
After Jimo Cheng made his move, he looked up and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Meanwhile, Luo Qianqian was dutifully steeping tea in the kitchen, with Yue Tingyu meticulously preparing pastries. Even as the dough took on the form of artistic flowers, it wasn’t enough to stop Yue Tingyu from striving for perfection.
Seeing her grandmother enjoying the task, Luo Qianqian simply smiled without interrupting. She placed a cup of hot tea next to her grandmother and then carried the tray out of the kitchen.
Upon seeing her two brothers arrive, she smiled and nodded in greeting. Quietly, she poured a cup of clear tea for Old Master Luo and Jimo Cheng, then turned her attention to her brothers, curving her lips into a smile as she picked two vibrant apples from the fruit platter to offer them.
After all, with the tea being hot, apples were more likely to suit their tastes.
After one game concluded, Old Master Luo picked up his tea cup to take a sip before slowly saying, "Young man, not bad."
Jimo Cheng had just set down his tea cup, his face the picture of humility, without a hint of pretense, "Grandpa Luo was being generous."
Old Master Luo nodded towards Luo Yanhai standing on the side. Luo Yanhai, comprehending the gesture, stepped forward with an air of understanding, "As the eldest brother, my challenge won’t be so easy to pass."
Jimo Cheng maintained his unruffled demeanor, "Please enlighten me." He didn’t even ask what the challenge was about.
Because no matter what it was, even if it was not his forte, he had to take it on at a time like this.
"That’s fine, Luo Yanwu, the items." Luo Yanhai nodded with a face full of composure, "Grandma is in the kitchen, so it’s not convenient for us to disturb her. Let’s just practice in the living room." As he spoke, Luo Yanwu took out two small knives.
Luo Qianqian’s face turned green. Just a moment ago they had agreed to stop at a touch, so why did it suddenly seem like blood was going to be shed? "Big brother, this isn’t good... What if someone gets cut? That would be terrible... Shall we change to something else?" she suggested, though she felt the knives were a bit small.
"What are you thinking?" Luo Yanhai looked at her with a face full of speechlessness, "I initially wanted to compare cooking skills, but since Grandma is in the kitchen, we switched to comparing carving skills instead."
Luo Qianqian’s face was full of embarrassment, and then, meeting Jimo Cheng’s smiling eyes, she blushed even more, feeling humiliated in front of an outsider.
"Do you need balloons? Cutting potato strips on a balloon? Or do you need a sewing needle? To thread potato strips through the eye of a needle?" Luo Yanran and Luo Yanhao had just walked in and heard about the competition, immediately starting to make a big deal out of it.
Luo Qianqian rolled her eyes. Do we even have potatoes at home?
"You should beat him up again," Luo Yanhai seriously suggested to Luo Yanhao, looking very much like he regretted having stopped their earlier fight.
Luo Yanran hastily made a zipping motion over his lips, although he seemed normal now, his body really hurt. Luo Yanhao had used his skill to the fullest, causing extreme pain that did not show on the surface.
"We don’t have potatoes, but we always have apples," Luo Yanhai said, glancing at the apple in his hand and smiling. He casually tossed the apple to Jimo Cheng, who caught it effortlessly, then nodded with a calm look on his face.
Luo Yanhai then took another apple from Luo Yanwu’s hand, "Shall we decide on a theme?"
"What theme? Slicing, dicing, julienning?" Luo Yanran couldn’t help but butt in again, "It’s not like we’re going to arrange a painting on a plate, right?"
"Shut your mouth," Luo Yanhao, unable to bear it any longer, slapped Luo Yanran on the head, successfully silencing his endless chatter.
Luo Qianqian blinked—carving? Could it be three-dimensional flower carving?
Her eyes sparkled, "Flowers, of course, flowers—delicious apple flowers and the like." Then she met Jimo Cheng’s amused gaze, realized her slip of the tongue, covered her mouth, and blinked with innocent eyes.
"Let’s do flowers then," said Luo Yanhai with an indulgent smile, unable to refuse his sister’s request.
Jimo Cheng, watching Luo Qianqian’s actions, also smiled, a deep amusement reaching his eyes. Luo Qianqian like this was much more adorable.
He nodded in agreement, and Luo Yanwu then spoke, "Let’s start then. You have half an hour."
Old Master Luo then went into the kitchen, while Luo Qianqian, Luo Yanhao, Luo Yanwu, and Luo Yanran sat on the side watching TV, showing no intention to disturb them.
Luo Yanhai picked up an apple and a knife, smiled at Jimo Cheng, and said, "Then I shall start." Jimo Cheng made a ’go ahead’ gesture and then carefully examined the apple in his hands, turning it this way and that under the light.
Luo Yanhai, on the other hand, started cutting immediately. He was used to such tasks from practicing controlling his strength, so it was routine for him.
About five minutes after Luo Yanhai started, Jimo Cheng began his work.
In less than ten minutes, a beautiful peony appeared in his hand, its petals shading from red where they joined the apple skin. Although it was only carved on one side, it greatly surprised Luo Qianqian.
Luo Yanhai hadn’t carved the other side to prevent the exposed apple from discoloring.
But at that moment, his attention was captured by Jimo Cheng.
Jimo Cheng’s knife danced across the apple’s surface, yet not a single piece of peel fell. Shortly after, he stopped his movements, breathed a sigh of relief, smiled at Luo Yanhai after catching his gaze, and then lightly lifted the knife to a certain spot. Gently shifting the apple’s position on the tip of the knife, the apple slowly connected into a curving, yet continuous piece. The apple in his hand began to take on the appearance of a rose’s rounded bloom.
Luo Qianqian covered her mouth, utterly amazed at Luo Yanhai’s carving skills—she had already been extremely impressed, but now she felt at a loss for words.
