Although her mother spoke with great emotion, and her words seemed to hold some truth, Lu Mingzhe saw them as utter nonsense.
Her mother, without truly understanding Xiang Wan, had concluded that they wouldn't be happy together. This was unfair to Xiang Wan.
Besides, Xiang Wan was right there. Would it be too cruel to say such things in front of her?
He couldn't allow his mother to continue her baseless pronouncements, so he cut her off.
"If you think that being your son means I have to obey your every command, that you can plan everything for me, then you are gravely mistaken."
"You don't need a disobedient son like me, and likewise, I don't need an overbearing mother like you."
"I don't want your household registration book; I only want the page that belongs to me. Give it to me, and I'll get out of here right now!"
How ridiculous. Lu Mama was almost amused to tears by his defiance.
"For a woman like this, Lu Mingzhe, are you really going to sever ties with me as your mother?"
Lu Mingzhe replied, "You know I don't want this. You're forcing me."
"I will give you nothing. Get out."
Lu Ma's whole body trembled. She pointed at him from a distance, glaring with resentment.
"I never want to see you again. If cutting ties is what you want, then so be it. Lu Mingzhe, take your person and get as far away as possible. Get out!"
Fine.
Good, very good.
Lu Mingzhe took Xiang Wan's hand and left without hesitation.
On the way back, the two were even more silent than they had been on the way there.
With things having escalated to this point, Xiang Wan didn't know what to say to Lu Mingzhe.
Lu Mingzhe could guess what she was thinking. Though he remained silent, he held her hand tightly, his actions conveying everything.
When they returned home, his younger brother had dinner ready.
Lu Mingzhe ushered Xiang Wan to the table.
"Eat. Everything is as it was before. Do what you need to do. There's no need to ruin your mood over her."
His stance was clear enough. If she continued to brood, it would make her seem unreasonable.
Though she had little appetite, Xiang Wan still ate a large bowl of rice.
After tidying up, they lay in bed, Lu Mingzhe holding Xiang Wan.
"I had planned to take you to get our marriage license tomorrow, but it looks like it will be a few days later."
"Don't rush. Once I get my household registration transferred and become an independent household head, we can go anytime."
This was the first time in her life that a man was willing to abandon everything for her. Xiang Wan felt an endless sense of warmth and gratitude.
She squeezed his hand back tightly, unable to say anything more than "good."
The next day, Xiang Wan went to work. Lu Mingzhe escorted her to the building's entrance and handed her a card.
"There's ten million here. Take it and pay off Tang Haichao's debt first."
"If there's anything else you need, tell me, and I'll find a way."
Although Lu Mingzhe came from a well-off family and had a good job, his profession wasn't one that generated substantial income.
He had mentioned before that the down payment for the house was made by his parents, and he had gotten it at a discounted price through friends.
He didn't have many savings.
He had handled the fire incident himself.
How could he produce so much money so soon after that?
Xiang Wan didn't want him to borrow money from others for her sake. A man's pride was important, especially in front of his friends.
Therefore, she hesitated to accept it.
"Where did you get so much money?"
Seeing her worried expression, Lu Mingzhe smiled.
"Don't worry, I didn't steal or rob anyone."
"It's true, I haven't earned much these past few years."
"Before I met you, I felt that money wasn't that important; enough to live on was sufficient, so I didn't focus much on my career. Now I deeply regret it."
"From today onwards, I'm going to work hard to earn money. This is Lu Qingxu's."
"This kid has earned quite a bit following Zhan Beijue these past few years. Don't feel burdened. This amount of money is a drop in the bucket for him; just use it."
As always, Xiang Wan could only express her gratitude.
"Mhm."
He had already gotten the money from his brother. If she stubbornly refused his kindness, it would only hurt him.
"I will repay Tang Haichao as soon as possible."
"Good. Don't overthink things. Focus on your work, and call me if anything comes up."
Her boyfriend had fallen out with his mother for her. It was hard not to be affected.
Throughout the morning, Xiang Wan worked while replaying yesterday's events in her mind.
After much thought, she realized that besides taking care of the child and doing her job well, there was nothing else she could do.
She forced herself to calm down.
Taking advantage of her lunch break, she called Tang Haichao, asked him for an account number, and transferred the money to him.
Tang Haichao understood that her boyfriend must have been displeased with their interactions and wanted to clear the lines early.
He could understand that.
Men were possessive creatures. If it were him, he wouldn't want his girlfriend accepting help from other men either.
So, he didn't say much, just sent over an account number.
Xiang Wan asked the finance department to make the payment, waiting nearby.
A moment later, the finance officer looked over with an awkward expression.
"Sister Wan, this card can't be used."
Xiang Wan was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"The funds have been frozen."
Funds frozen?
It didn't take much thought to guess what had happened.
Since Lu Qingxu had given the card to Lu Mingzhe, he presumably allowed him to use it freely. He wouldn't freeze it himself.
So, who else could it be?
Only his mother.
It seemed she was going to great lengths to force Lu Mingzhe to comply.
"I understand. You can go rest now."
Xiang Wan regretfully sent another message to Tang Haichao, apologizing and explaining that there was a slight problem and she couldn't repay the money yet.
Tang Haichao instinctively wanted to ask if something had happened.
But then he thought better of it.
Everyone had their secrets. Since she hadn't offered an explanation, what right did he have to pry?
He simply said,
"Actually, you don't need to be under so much pressure. I'm not in a hurry for the money. Pay me back whenever you can."
For the rest of the afternoon, Xiang Wan felt even more uneasy.
She was debating whether to tell Lu Mingzhe about the situation.
She wondered how he would react if he knew.
The more she loved someone, the less she wanted to see them suffer.
In the past, she had been so carefree and natural with Lu Mingzhe.
Now, she was timid and worried about everything.
She felt ill-suited for romance; dating was so difficult.
Ultimately, Xiang Wan decided not to tell Lu Mingzhe about the card. She wanted to tell him in person when she got home that evening.
Even if he had a negative reaction, she could comfort him then.
Unexpectedly, before the end of working hours, Xiang Yang called.
"Sister, what happened? Why can't we get into Brother Lu's apartment?"
"What do you mean?"
Xiang Wan had a bad feeling.
Xiang Yang said, "It looks like the lock has been changed. The passwords and fingerprints aren't working."
Xiang Wan had no choice but to call Lu Mingzhe. Without a word, Lu Mingzhe drove to pick her up.
They met downstairs. Lu Mingzhe clearly already knew.
"If I can't live there, I can't live there. I don't care about her money, nor her house. Can I not live without her?"
"During working hours, I had someone clear out our belongings. We'll find another place to live."