Chapter 1303: MOONLIGHT TALK WITH THE BROTHERS

THE dining room of the Bai mansion was warm and bright. The large table was filled with dishes prepared for the family dinner. Luo Wei Tian sat near Bai Chen. Sun Xiulan sat beside her husband, making sure everyone had enough to eat. Bai Ze and Bai Ye sat next to their mother, while Luo Ren and Luo Jin took seats across from him. Luo Yan was at the other end of the table, close to where his grandfather's empty chair usually sat.

Earlier that afternoon, after everyone had settled in, Luo Wei Tian had taken his two older sons to visit his father-in-law. They had gone up to his room together. The elder Mr. Bai had been sitting on his bed. When they entered, he had turned and looked at them. His eyes had a rare moment of clarity. He had recognized Luo Wei Tian immediately and called him by name. He had even smiled at Luo Ren and Luo Jin.

It had been a brief moment of clarity, one of those unexpected gifts that came less and less often now. They had stayed for a short while, holding his hands and talking quietly. Then his attention had drifted, and they knew it was time to let him rest.

Now, at the dinner table, his empty chair remained a quiet reminder of his absence. But the family around the table did not let the sadness take over them. They talked and laughed, passing dishes to one another.

Luo Jin quietly ate his dinner. Bai Ze teased his little brother until Sun Xiulan gave him a look. Luo Wei Tian and Bai Chen discussed business. Luo Ren asked Luo Yan about his classes.

After dinner, the three Luo brothers made their way to the pavilion in the mansion's garden. The night air was cool and comfortable, carrying the faint scent of the flowers that lined the stone paths. They settled onto the benches inside the pavilion, the open sides letting them see the peaceful view of the moon hanging above. It was a quiet spot away from the main house, perfect for some time alone to catch up.

"Is everything going okay at university?" Luo Ren asked. He had already asked about Luo Yan's classes earlier. Now he wanted to hear about the rest of it, the experiences beyond the usual college coursework.

"It's fun," Luo Yan said with a small smile. "I've met some new people, made a few friends. The classes are interesting, and I actually have time to enjoy things outside of studying."

Luo Ren nodded, genuinely glad to hear that.

"I bet you spend most of your free time with that Shen Ji Yun," Luo Jin said. There was a hint of annoyance in his voice, but not enough to cover the teasing smirk on his face.

Luo Yan raised an eyebrow at his younger brother. "Well, not all of it. But yeah, I do spend a lot of time with him. He is my boyfriend, after all."

Luo Ren winced a little at the word. Yeah. That guy was officially Luo Yan's boyfriend. He knew that and he was genuinely trying to accept it, for his brother's sake. But it still bothered him. He was pretty sure Luo Jin felt the same way. And it wasn't because Shen Ji Yun was a man. That didn't matter. It was more about the fact that he was the one dating their brother. They'd probably feel this way about anyone Luo Yan ended up with.

"How about you two?" Luo Yan asked, turning the tables on them. "What's going on with your love lives? I already know Ah Jin is in some kind of open relationship with Sister Yuqi. But what about you, Brother? How are things with you and Jiao Jiao?"

If Luo Ren had been drinking anything at that moment, he would have choked. But it wasn't the question about himself that caught him off guard. It was what Luo Yan had just said about Luo Jin. He turned to look at his youngest brother. From his neck all the way up to his ears, Luo Jin was bright red. Even in the dim light of the garden, it was impossible to miss.

Luo Jin turned to Luo Yan and glared. "What the heck, Yan? Don't make it sound like me and Yuqi are in some kind of weird arrangement."

Luo Yan tilted his head innocently. "But you guys are literally in some kind of open relationship."

Luo Ren finally found his voice. He turned to look at Luo Jin. "What's this about an open relationship?"

"Okay, stop, both of you," Luo Jin said, frustration clear in his voice. "It's not an open relationship like that. It's not like we're excited about being with other people. It's just... we don't have an official label. Even though we both know we like each other."

Luo Ren shook his head slowly, still trying to process it. His youngest brother, almost eighteen, was in some kind of no-label, exclusive-but-not-official relationship. "I can't believe you're in such an... adult arrangement."

That comment only made Luo Jin's face burn even brighter.

"Are you envious, Brother?" Luo Yan asked, his voice light with teasing.

Luo Ren let out a low chuckle. "No. When I accepted my feelings for Yu Jiao, I already knew it would be years before we could actually be together. So, no. I'm not envious."

Luo Yan leaned forward a little, genuinely curious. "So how is that going for you?"

"If I'm being honest, it's hard sometimes," Luo Ren said in a quiet voice. He looked up at the moon for a moment before continuing. "There are a lot of things I want to do for her. Buy her things she likes, take her places, hold her hand. But I can't, because to her I'm just a friend. Still, just being in her life, getting to see her smile, hearing her talk about things she's passionate about, that alone makes me happy. So for now, while we can only be friends, I'll be there for her however I can."

And hopefully, there would come a time where she would let him be with her in a much more permanent manner.

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