His Genius Wife Is A Superstar Chapter 1674: No Refund, No Exchange

Lu Zihao descended to the kitchen without any hurry. His pace remained relaxed, as though the elder's warning of spanking him like a misbehaving child had escaped his notice entirely.

The tempting fragrance of prepared dishes wafted through the air, already teasing his senses. From the moment he began his relationship with Long Jinjing, she had mastered suiting his preferences in every way—from the cuisine she served him to their passionate encounters in the bedroom—all of it.

Unbeknownst to himself, a tender expression had softened his gaze.

The aroma alone revealed that she had prepared multiple courses. He had reminded her countless times not to exhaust herself. Their household employed a chef to handle meals during their hectic schedules. Yet Long Jinjing always insisted on preparing food for their loved ones whenever possible, so he allowed her to continue.

Since she began therapy following the birth of their children, he had grown even more protective of her. Although he couldn't pinpoint the roots of her self-doubts, she was now his legitimate spouse and the parent of his kids. Protecting her meant shielding her not just from outward threats but also from her inner emotional struggles.

As Nikolai Vetrov, he excelled at manipulating feelings, yet even he remained clueless about aiding his partner through her psychological challenges.

Luckily, she benefited from a solid network of friends who formed her primary support. Without their encouragement, his wife might not have embarked on her healing journey so swiftly.

His belly growled louder as he approached the kitchen area.

"Dada! Dada!" Little Misha let out a joyful squeal, waving his plump arms excitedly while stretching toward him from his mother's hold.

"You’re back." Long Jinjing pivoted from the stove and greeted him with a warm smile.

Though slender in build, she balanced their hefty infant on one hip with ease while tending to the cooking, showing no signs of strain.

Zihao relieved his wife of their substantial baby. Just as he leaned in to kiss her, a small figure dashed over and latched onto one of his legs.

"Anko!"

Soon another joined, clinging to his opposite leg.

"Hm." With his available hand, he reached downward and patted the heads of his two young nephews.

Little Mochi gazed up at him and flashed a bright grin.

Little Matcha lifted his eyes too, though his face held a more reserved demeanor.

"Kyah!" Little Misha squealed again, attempting to reach out to his older cousins. He yearned to play once more with Brother Mochi and Brother Matcha. Such amusement!

"Mikhail, stop it," Lu Zihao scolded his energetic son, who wriggled wildly like a fidgety caterpillar in his grasp. "Do you want to fall down?"

Regardless of his stern glares, would the boy obey him?

Not on this occasion!

"Kyah, kyah!" Little Misha thrashed about even harder.

Were it not for Lu Zihao's secure hold, the child would have tumbled already. He frowned deeply at his unruly offspring. "Mikhail!"

Before Long Jinjing could step in, a commanding voice echoed from the adjacent room.

"How dare you shout at this old man’s precious great-grandbaby, you pinheaded boy?!"

"Grandpa Lu." Long Jinjing quickly placed the ladle she held onto the countertop. She aimed to halt the elder, but he had already advanced.

The energetic senior had stormed over to his grandson's position and delivered multiple strikes to his shoulders.

Long Jinjing winced at the resounding thuds. She pitied her spouse, yet she couldn't halt the old man. She comforted herself knowing her husband's robust physique could withstand such blows.

"Hmph! How could you, this dunderhead, bear to scold such a cute baby? And it’s your own baby! This old man will spank you!"

Lu Zihao let out a sigh. The impacts barely stung. They even tickled slightly. To most, such blows might leave lasting welts, but they meant little to him.

"Old man, am I not allowed to discipline my own children?"

"Who are you calling an old man, you muttonhead?! Call me Grandpa Lu!"

"Grandpa," Lu Zihao murmured, exhaling once more.

"Da!" His second child, Little Dima, stretched toward him from Grandpa Lu's arms.

Lu Zihao paid no heed to the fuming elder staring daggers at him. He simply scooped up his son. Now both his babies rested in his arms, while his nephews gripped each leg.

"Hmph!" Fortunately, Grandpa Lu refrained from demanding to hold Little Dima again.

The quartet of young relatives showed no fear toward their Great-Grandpa Lu whatsoever. They had witnessed such interactions repeatedly in the past. At times, their Great-Grandpa Lu would scold and strike their Uncle/Daddy Lu Zihao, and on other occasions, it targeted their Uncle/Daddy Jin Liwei. Clearly, their uncle/daddy must have been acting too playfully.

"Are you hungry?" Long Jinjing inquired of her husband, aiming to ease the tension hanging between the grandfather and grandson.

"Hm." Lu Zihao ignored the elder's company entirely. He approached his wife and pressed a kiss to her lips.

A blush colored Long Jinjing's cheeks. She averted her gaze from her grandfather-in-law. She also tugged at her husband's shirt hem, wordlessly chiding him for putting her in an awkward spot before family.

A mischievous spark lit his eyes. He prepared to jest with his wife, but a pudgy palm smacked his face. Though painless, it wounded his paternal ego severely. He glowered.

"Mikhail!"

The playful Little Misha recoiled. Tears welled in his eyes instantly. "Dada...."

Even his twin, Little Dima, flinched at their father's sharp tone. His tiny mouth quivered.

The clinging toddlers on his legs, Little Mochi and Little Matcha, jumped in surprise as well. They handled it better than their infant relatives, however. Rather than weeping, they pressed their faces against their uncle's leg, convinced that hiding would make him overlook their presence.

Grandpa Lu teetered on the edge of another outburst. How could his thick-skulled grandson terrify his adored great-grandchildren?

Before he could berate Lu Zihao further, Long Jinjing intervened.

"Alright, alright. Your son didn’t do it on purpose," she assured her husband before lifting their mischievous infant from him. "Misha, sweetheart, you can’t hit your daddy, okay? That’s not what a good baby does."

Little Misha wrapped his arms around his mommy's neck, pressing his round face into her shoulder. Daddy seemed far too intimidating. Wah!

Little Dima eyed his twin embracing their mommy with longing. He craved her embrace too. He glanced at his daddy. Terrifying! His lips shook harder.

"Auntie Jingjing, Junjun is back for lunch," a young voice announced, breaking through the heavy mood.

"Junjun!"

"Jun, jun!"

Little Mochi and Little Matcha responded first. They promptly deserted their Uncle Zihao and toddled unsteadily toward their beloved oldest cousin.

Little Jun scooped up his eager younger cousins in a hug. The pair ignored his sweaty odor. "Careful, Little Mochi and Little Matcha. Don’t run too fast!"

"Oh, Little Junjun boy is here! Come and give Great-Grandpa Lu a big hug," the elder's voice rang out powerfully.

The child's eyes lit up at the sight of the old man. "Great-Grandpa Lu!"

He gently freed himself from his cousins before dashing to the elder.

"Bahahahaha! Oof, my little boy has gotten heavier, eh?" Grandpa Lu lifted Little Jun into his arms. "Training again with your master?"

"Yes! Junjun wants to be a strong hero like Uncle Haohao!"

Grandpa Lu snorted. "Why be like him? Your Uncle Haohao is a pinhead! Hmph! It’s much better to be like this old man. Your Great-Grandpa Lu is also very strong!"

Little Jun furrowed his brows in deep concentration. Then he shook his head. "No, Great-Grandpa Lu. Junjun still wants to be like Uncle Haohao."

The elder huffed but held back from arguing with the child. After all, dampening a kid's aspirations wouldn't do. Moreover, the boy had endured a harrowing ordeal recently. The family had to handle him delicately to avoid reopening old wounds.

Even so, Grandpa Lu directed another sharp look at his foolish grandson.

Why?

He simply felt inclined to do so! Hmph!

Lu Zihao deduced the old man's thoughts from his vivid facial changes. He couldn't suppress another sigh.

"Little Jun, just in time for lunch," Long Jinjing remarked smilingly as she filled a glass with water. "Come here and drink water. We’ll just wait for your Grandma Yuyan to come, and then we can eat together."

"Oh, Yuyan’s coming?" Grandpa Lu inquired while lowering Little Jun to let him sip some water.

"Yes, Grandpa. I invited Auntie Yuyan to come for lunch. I figured that since Xiulan and Third Brother Liwei are gone and their kids are with Zihao and me, Auntie Yuyan must be feeling lonely. She must be missing her grandchildren very much."

Grandpa Lu nodded approvingly, his face lighting up. "Good job, Jinjing, my girl! My knuckleheaded grandson is so lucky to have you as a wife! If he dares bully you, tell Grandpa Lu, and I’ll make sure to teach him a lesson! Hmph!"

Long Jinjing laughed softly before peeking at her husband. "Okay, Grandpa Lu. Thank you."

Then the old man continued, "But you’re already married. Your Grandpa Lu has a family policy of no refund, no exchange. So you can’t return your husband to me even if you don’t want him anymore. Of course, this old man will do my best to help you ’repair’ him if he’s defective! Bahahaha!"

Lu Zihao resisted the impulse to roll his eyes. Spotting his wife giggling at him, his lips twisted into a roguish grin. "Hm, is that funny?"