The Ties That Bind Adrian Ling and Lucas Qi Chapter 1

#Gentle and dark Lucas Qi top x spoiled and awkward Adrian Ling bottom

#Business flirting, serious flirting, and a good relationship

#Slow heat non-mainstream sweet pet

(Ask for comments, collections, and flowers quietly><)---

Lucas Qi's plane had just landed and his luggage hadn't even been safely deposited at the hotel when an urgent call from the Ling family disrupted his planned itinerary.

---Actually, I haven't planned any itinerary, but I'll take a shower and lie in bed to adjust to the jet lag. If I'm lucky, I can sleep through the whole day. Tomorrow night, some cousins   will invite me to have a midnight snack at a popular rice noodle roll shop in Shawan.

I heard that the rice rolls there are soft, glutinous and flexible, and the meat is fresh.

The call was hung up after just a few words. He thought it was something important, so he got into the car sent by the Ling family without even drinking the water. The driver was very good at observing his expression. Seeing that he was not in good spirits, he closed the door for him and told him that there was a bottle of mineral water ready at his side when he sat in the driver's seat.

Even though he knew that the water in the car had to be changed every day, he didn't want to take the trouble to unscrew the lid. He waved his hand to indicate that he didn't need it. He also had no intention of looking at the scenery. He just leaned against the car window to catch up on his sleep.

The engine roared, the car body trembled slightly, Lucas Qi's forehead was numb from the shock, and he didn't sleep well. Through his thin eyelids, he felt the sky getting darker and darker, and he opened his eyes from time to time to look out the window. The car drove steadily across the sea bridge, the sparkling waves swallowed the afterglow of the sunset, crushed it and spit it out, and then it got darker and darker.

"Qi Sheng, we're here."

Dozens of minutes passed before he knew it. The driver woke him up and opened the car door for him.

He has always been prone to airsickness and carsickness. The more than ten hours of flight plus the more than half an hour of driving almost cost him his life. He thanked the driver and walked quickly into the garden with a green face.

As soon as I stepped through the door, Clara Jiang's soft arms came around me, and her tone was as charming as a young girl: "You finally decided to come back? Is Italy fun?"

The jade bracelet on her wrist was digging into his arm, causing a dull pain. He was too lazy to pull her away, so he frowned and endured it: "I'm so tired, let me have some tea first. What do you want me to do?"

When Clara Jiang heard this, she glared at him with wide eyes and dragged him to the dining room: "What could it be? I asked you to come over for dinner! To welcome you."

The hot dishes were already on the table, and even the red wine was already awake.

I should have guessed it earlier. Lucas Qi felt dizzy, rubbing his forehead, pulling out a stool for her to sit in the main seat, with a helpless expression: "Thank you, Miss---"

The tea was quickly brewed and served to him, with the green leaves standing upright in the tea soup. After finally drinking the first mouthful of water after landing, the bad taste in his mouth was removed and his mouth was moistened. Lucas Qi breathed a sigh of relief, like a dead tree coming back to life, and finally had enough energy to deal with the naughty Clara Jiang.

She always smiles, even if no one is talking she can still giggle to herself. Seeing Lucas Qi looking over, she blinked, with no trace of makeup on her long, distinct eyelashes: "Are you very hungry? How can you eat airplane food---Look at this soup, Auntie Chen cooked it all night, it's so delicious, and there's this bamboo fungus---"

Originally, his appetite was a bit weak, but after hearing her introduce all the dishes, his appetite was aroused. Lucas Qi picked up the chopsticks and was about to pick up the food, but Clara Jiang patted his chopstick hand lightly: "Wait a minute, everyone is not here yet!"

Even though he hadn't seen her for several years, her pampered behavior hadn't changed. Instead, it had a tendency to get worse. Lucas Qi put down his chopsticks in a good-tempered manner, and asked the housekeeper to come over and serve him a separate portion of salty white porridge to fill his stomach.

The porridge was soon served. The rice oil was thick and tempting. Lucas Qi took a sip and his stomach felt warmed. He finally got rid of the feeling of weightlessness in his hands and feet.

"Is Italy fun? Have you been to Milan?" Clara Jiang couldn't bear to see him eating porridge quietly, so she wanted to get him to talk. She listed several attractions in Milan and asked him what he thought of them.

"You've been there before, you ask so many questions." Lucas Qi slowly blew the porridge to cool it down and put it into his mouth. The soft rice grains slid into his throat, which was very soothing. "Milan is very chaotic, there are many tourists, and the streets are full of black people who cheat people to buy bracelets. I don't like shopping, I only stay in the south, there's nothing fun, I just blow the wind at the beach every day."

"If it's not fun, why don't you come back as soon as you graduate?" She shook her head in mock anger, her jade earrings swaying on the side of her face, and she patted her face, "I haven't seen you for several years!"

Lucas Qi also pretended to be wronged: "There are always videos---"

After hearing this, Clara Jiang immediately raised her hand as if to hit him, and then heard him say, "Didn't Qi Nini come back to see you? She said that the model you brought out couldn't be ordered in China, which made her jealous to death. She pestered me to help her order it, but after getting it, she refused to bring it out, saying that you had brought it out before."

He brought up some of Qi Nini's recent embarrassing incidents and told jokes. Betting out his little sister always worked, and Clara Jiang was so coaxed that she covered her mouth and laughed so hard. Her face was well maintained, her skin was bright, and when she smiled, her bags under her eyes were full, and she still looked as fresh as a 17 or 18-year-old. You couldn't tell at all that she was already over 30.

"Nini came back so many times despite her busy schedule, but you never came back," she swallowed her laughter and went back to the topic, "She came back a few times before and only stayed for a few days each time---"

Lucas Qi finally managed to eat a few more mouthfuls of porridge while she was laughing, and had to put down the spoon again: "My eldest brother is taking care of the business, and my family thinks I'm in the way, so I must seize the time to go on vacation. My mother bought a manor in the south a few years ago---"

"You've been on vacation for the whole year, you're so idle!" Clara Jiang poked him with her finger, but he smiled and didn't avoid it, but pinched her nail-painted fingertips.

Speaking of idleness, who could be as idle as Clara Jiang? But this statement was too hurtful, so Lucas Qi chose not to say it.

Clara Jiang got married at the age of 25. Her husband was 12 years older than her. She said she married for love.

The Ling family is also a prominent family. Although it is not as glorious as the Jiang family, it is not much worse. It is not a good marriage. Everyone dotes on Clara Jiang, so naturally no one objects. Lucas Qi drank a few glasses of wine with Ling Jingxiang at the wedding. He knew that the other party was a mature and stable person, and he sincerely hoped that Clara Jiang could be happy. The couple had a harmonious relationship after marriage, but unfortunately Ling Jingxiang died early in an accident five years after marriage, leaving only a son born to his ex-wife.

He had no intention of asking for the specific situation. He only knew from his eldest brother that the Ling family was now managed by several elders and was about to be merged into the Jiang family. The relationship between the families was intricate and inseparable. If one prospers, all prosper. If one suffers, none will suffer. Qi, Jiang, Wen, and Ling, several aristocratic families, all of them were solid support for Clara Jiang.

Since Ling Jingxiang passed away, Clara Jiang has never planned to remarry. She still lives in the mansion and is happily being her golden-silk lady. No one controls what she does. It is such a comfortable environment that can cultivate Clara Jiang's girlish state of mind that has remained unchanged over the years.

Lucas Qi was still pinching Clara Jiang's fingertips. When he raised his eyes, he saw a young man next to him. He was wearing a private school uniform, a white shirt and black trousers, with a tie tied around his neck tightly and seriously. He had a cold temperament, like a transparent and cold ice cone, looking at them expressionlessly.

Clara Jiang was delighted, she pulled her hand back, smiled and asked the housekeeper to pull a stool for her, saying, "Ling Jun is back! We agreed to have dinner at 7:30, the food is getting cold, come and sit down."

Ethan Ling stood there without moving, his hands loosely in his pockets. His cold eyes swept over Lucas Qi and met Lucas Qi's gaze.

This was the first time he had seen Clara Jiang's stepson in all these years. The child's eyebrows and eyes were like those of his biological mother who was half European, deep and sharp, with a curved mouth that looked a bit ironic even when he was not smiling.

---Or was there indeed a hint of sarcasm on his face?

The long flight made Lucas Qi's brain dull and he couldn't see clearly, so he simply stopped thinking about these things and just lowered his head to drink his porridge.

"Ajin, eat, don't drink the porridge," Clara Jiang moved his porridge bowl away, put down her ladylike airs and served him the dishes, "Eat the ribs, they are stewed well, weren't you the one who liked it the most before? Lingjun, sit down and eat---"

The butler was still pulling out the chair, and Ethan Ling finally sat down as he said. He thanked the butler but did not pick up his chopsticks. He just watched Clara Jiang and Lucas Qi chatting and laughing with cold eyes.

The two chatted for a while about where to go for a fun vacation. Clara Jiang suddenly clapped her hands and said, "Oh, your house isn't ready yet. Why don't you live here for the time being?"

Lucas Qi didn't expect that after so many years, Clara Jiang still thought the same thing. He moved the bowl of soup in front of himself: "I'm staying in a hotel---"

"How can you live in a hotel that's not clean and has a bad view?" Clara Jiang frowned slightly, completely forgetting that the hotel Lucas Qi stayed in was also one of the Qi family's businesses. She said with a little bit of coquettishness, "Isn't it good here? The air is good, there are many rooms, and there are maids to take care of you. Just treat it as a vacation---Don't be polite to me, what's our relationship?"

She was a 100% innocent beauty, and could not see that Adrian Ling's expression was wrong. She put her hand on Lucas Qi's shoulder and patted him affectionately. Then she suddenly cried out, patted her forehead, turned to Adrian Ling and said, "I forgot, Lingyun, call someone."

Lucas Qi, who was drinking soup, was slapped by her, and his reflex arc finally fell to the ground, and he realized that something was wrong, but before he could open his mouth to stop her, Adrian Ling laughed: "Him?"

He glanced at Lucas Qi, who looked listless, with dark circles under his eyes. He was dressed elegantly, but the wrinkles on his face were not smoothed out, and his hair was messy and uncombed. He only looked good on the outside.

"What's your name?" Ethan Ling raised his lips. Lucas Qi was sure that his smile was mocking. "Your taste is getting worse and worse, Ling Clara Jiang."

After saying this, he moved his chair, letting the legs of the chair drag on the carpet with a dull sound, then stood up and left the dining room.

Clara Jiang looked at Adrian Ling's departing back, with an innocent and puzzled look on her face, and asked the housekeeper: "Did Lingyun come back after dinner? Or was the food not to his liking? Didn't I ask the kitchen to make his favorite desserts and fruits---"

"Clara Jiang..." Lucas Qi put down the spoon helplessly and knocked it on the bowl, making a tinkling sound. The child had already called her by her full name, using her husband's surname, but she still didn't understand, "Didn't you tell him that I'm your cousin?"

Finally, Lucas Qi couldn't resist Clara Jiang's coquettish behavior, stamping her feet, and pretending to wipe away tears. He called home to report the matter and asked the Ling family's driver to help him pick up his luggage from the hotel before he agreed to let her stay.

"Ask Nini to come over tomorrow, and we can have a night talk together like we did when we were kids, okay?" However, after the meal, Clara Jiang completely forgot about Lucas Qi's painstaking explanations of "staying in melon fields with plum trees", "avoiding suspicion", "others will misunderstand", "men and women should not touch each other", etc., and shook his hand as usual.

She is five years older than Lucas Qi and ten years older than Qi Nini. When she was a child, she could act a little like an older sister, but she became more and more innocent as she grew older. Now that everyone is an adult, she still has the heart of a child. Even Qi Nini sometimes thinks she is too clingy, so she pretends not to see the messages she sends and forwards them to Lucas Qi for him to comfort her.

Even though Lucas Qi was used to her spoiled personality, he still felt a headache from her shaking. He reached out and pressed her shoulders: "Qi Nini just flew to France to see an exhibition yesterday and is not in China. Why don't you ask your little sister to accompany you to go shopping?"

"All good," Clara Jiang thought for a moment, pursed her red lips, and clenched her fists and pounded them on her palms, "Ah, then I'll also invite someone to go to France. If we leave tomorrow, we can still catch up with the Fashion Week. Will you come with us?"

"Miss, I just came back from Europe and I'm not interested in these... You go and have fun for a few days, I'll help you book the tickets." Finally, he was able to push Clara Jiang to Qi Nini. Lucas Qi didn't even bother to rub his forehead that was swollen and painful from her trouble. Without waiting for Clara Jiang to answer, he immediately took out his mobile phone to contact his friends to help her book show tickets. He also notified Qi Nini with a gloating look, wishing them a happy time in France.

Of course Clara Jiang was happy to follow Lucas Qi's arrangements. She had been planning on doing this at home for some time. When it came to going out for a trip, she put all her energy into it. She made a few phone calls to gather her sisters, happily asked the maid to pack her luggage, and was busy looking for someone to book the itinerary and air tickets, leaving Lucas Qi aside.

Lucas Qi was more than happy to do so and went to the garden for a walk to digest his food.

The garden was taken care of by a professional every day, and it looked lush and flourishing at any time. He walked and stopped in this sea of   flowers, and saw a soft night light illuminating a field of white flowers. The fragrance of the flowers was overwhelming, and there were small mosquitoes dancing irregularly in front of the lamp. He was not attracted to mosquitoes, but he thought the scenery was beautiful, so he couldn't help but stand under the lamp for a while longer.

Clara Jiang was thoughtful and prepared dinner according to his favorite tastes. She was also afraid that he would feel uncomfortable if he ate food with strong flavors right after getting off the plane, so she specially picked light dishes. However, the result was a bit counterproductive. The food was too tasty and he ate too much, which made him feel a little indigestion. In addition, he was tired from the long journey, so his stomach was churning for a while, and he couldn't help but bend down to relax.

When I stood up again, my eyes raised up and I saw a blurry figure leaning against a lighted window on the upper floor. A red light flickered on the side of the figure's face and smoke was drifting away.

He stared at Adrian Ling, who was smoking in front of the window, for a moment, and suddenly became playful and raised his voice slightly: "---What's that light that's lit up in the window over there?"

Ethan Ling was obviously not in the mood to play the Romeo and Juliet role-playing game with him, and she unceremoniously flicked an empty cigarette B*tt at him.

Lucas Qi was too lazy to dodge, the cigarette B*tt hit his shoulder directly and fell to the ground, splashing a few sparks.