Another day of work ended.
Lu Qingxu called, asking Lu Mingzhe to return to their hometown that evening.
"It's Dad's birthday. I knew you'd forget. I'm telling you in advance. Don't forget to buy a gift."
Thankfully, Lu Qingxu was considerate enough to call. Otherwise, Lu Mingzhe would have truly forgotten.
After hanging up, he thought long and hard, truly unsure what gift would be suitable for his father. He called his mother.
"You heartless child. After being your father's son for so many years, you still don't know what he likes. You've never given him a gift that made him happy. I raised two useless children."
"Alright. Dinner is already prepared at home, what else do you need to buy? Your father won't fault you for it. Just come back directly."
He hadn't been home in a long time, and it was the old man's 60th birthday. He really couldn't go empty-handed.
After much deliberation, he decided to give his family a grand gift.
He arrived home shortly after Lu Qingxu.
Lu Qingxu brought back two bottles of good wine from the bar for their father, which pleased him greatly.
Although Lu Qingxu's academic performance was poor during his studies, he had started his own business since university.
Moreover, his career had been consistently stable, and his business partner was Zhan Bei Jue.
Many colleagues frequented their club during their leisure time. Using his son's name, he could offer conveniences to his friends, which greatly enhanced the old man's reputation among his peers.
Therefore, the old man found Lu Qingxu increasingly pleasing over the years.
In contrast, Lu Mingzhe.
He had always excelled in his studies from childhood to university, and during his master's degree, he pursued the currently popular field of psychology.
The family had always placed high hopes on him. In the end, he only opened a psychological counseling practice.
Although his income was considerable, it always felt like the higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment. His career seemed rather mediocre.
Furthermore, he wasn't rushing to get married at his age, which began to cause his father some concern.
After Lu Qingxu presented his gift and seized the moment while his father was in a good mood, Lu Mingzhe quickly went to present his own gift.
"You don't lack material possessions, so I won't give you any. Let's talk about something else."
"Recently, I've been in frequent contact with Chen Jiaojiao from Jincheng, and we've reached the stage of discussing marriage."
"Anyway, we've had a betrothal since childhood, and both families know each other well. When you have time, you and Mom should accompany me to Jincheng."
Lu Qingxu, standing nearby, nearly dropped his jaw in surprise.
His elder brother was making good progress. He had developed to the point of discussing marriage with Chen Jiaojiao, and he hadn't even told him!
As they grew older, their careers were successful, and they were not lacking in wealth. What the Lu family most hoped for now was to enjoy the happiness of family life.
Upon hearing Lu Mingzhe's words, their joy was evident.
"That's wonderful. You sly dog. You kept such a tight lid on this. You knew Mom and I were worried about you, but you didn't say anything in advance, making us worry for so long."
"Your Uncle Chen is not the same as he used to be. His business in Jincheng is doing very well, so I imagine his daughter is also well-raised. I am very pleased that you two have come this far."
"Naturally. Chen Jiaojiao is an outstanding beauty."
Lu Mingzhe opened Chen Jiaojiao's social media and showed them her photos.
The old man took a liking to her at first glance.
"Not bad. Looking at her appearance alone, this girl seems like someone who can hold her own and speaks her mind. She's more than enough for you."
"Alright. Then Mom and I will have someone pick an auspicious date tomorrow. We'll go together then."
Because good news was on the horizon, the dinner banquet was exceptionally harmonious.
Everyone chatted and laughed, and they dispersed around nine o'clock.
"You still have to work tomorrow, so go back and rest early."
"Qingxu, you too. Leave all the work to your subordinates. Don't stay up too late. You're young, don't ruin your health."
They were sent off by their parents in a friendly manner.
Lu Qingxu had to go to the bar to check on the business.
Returning to his car alone, Lu Mingzhe felt an overwhelming emptiness.
He had just told a colossal lie.
He and Chen Jiaojiao had not discussed marriage at all. In fact, she had no intention of marrying him.
He had rashly gone to propose. He didn't know what would happen.
But Lu Mingzhe was driven by a force of retaliation, determined to go through with it.
If things turned ugly, and Chen Jiaojiao chose that other person over him, perhaps his parents would stop pressuring him to marry.
It was so frustrating.
He never expected Chen Jiaojiao to be his fortune, but instead, his misfortune. The thought alone made him feel defeated.
He didn't want to go home alone.
When lonely, one always wishes for someone to be by their side.
He didn't want to seek out those women who were insincere and deceitful.
Naturally, he thought of Xiang Wan again.
Uncharacteristically, he sent Xiang Wan a WeChat message.
"Are you home? Can I come over?"
One minute, no reply.
Five minutes, still no reply.
Lu Mingzhe couldn't help himself and called her directly.
As a result, Xiang Wan immediately hung up on him.
Then, she finally replied with a message.
Just two words: "Not free."
Was she still not off work this late?
After returning that day, Lu Mingzhe downloaded a short video app and followed Xiang Wan's live streaming account.
At that time, her account hadn't posted any works yet. Through spending money, he bought over ten thousand followers.
Looking again today, she already had two works posted.
Over 200,000 followers.
How impressive.
The live stream was in full swing.
Two anchors, a man and a woman, were enthusiastically showcasing clothes. Xiang Wan was nowhere to be seen.
But with her career just starting, this should be the time she was most concerned about.
She must surely be watching from the side.
Without thinking, Lu Mingzhe drove to her studio.
He bought 20 cups of coffee downstairs and took them up.
Indeed, in the bustling live stream, Xiang Wan was standing in the center of the crowd.
He didn't speak, holding the coffee, and stood quietly nearby, waiting for others to notice him.
Everyone was busy and engrossed. It wasn't until several minutes later that a staff member, turning to get something, saw him.
"Huh, you're here?"
He tiptoed to Xiang Wan's side and tapped her.
Xiang Wan turned her head and walked over.
"Why did you come?"
There wasn't a hint of surprise orζε¨ in her tone. In fact, it carried a touch of disbelief.
It felt as though, given their relationship, he shouldn't have come anymore.
Lu Mingzhe was completely unfazed by her attitude. He even appreciated Xiang Wan for treating him this way.
The more she understood her position and kept her distance from him, the more he admired her.
He gestured with the coffee in his hand.
"I guessed you hadn't finished work yet, and I was afraid you were tired, so I brought you a cup of coffee to refresh yourself."
"Are you crazy?"
Xiang Wan showed no gratitude.
"You've been acting very strange lately. Even if you're heartbroken, there's no need to shift all your attention to me. It's so boring."
What she meant was:
Our relationship is purely platonic. If you suddenly start to get serious, I don't know what I'll do.
"Unless you like someone now or have a boyfriend, I'm not disturbing you, am I?"
Shamelessly, Lu Mingzhe took out a cup of coffee and thrust it into her hand.
"Don't worry, I don't mean anything else. I'm just bored and came out to pass the time. You're busy, you don't need to accompany me."
With that, he walked around Xiang Wan.
He then proceeded to hand out coffee to everyone.