I gritted my teeth and answered the phone, then asked nervously, "Dad, why are you calling me so late?"

"I tried calling you earlier but the line was always busy."

"Oh, I was just chatting with the boss. Is there anything I can help you with?"

After a brief silence on the other end of the phone, the reply came: "Your mother and I discussed it and are thinking of going to Shanghai to see you this Saturday, and also to meet Lu Jia's parents. You know, you two have been dating for so many years, and we haven't suggested meeting them yet, which is quite impolite. We can't let the girl's parents bring it up with us, so please arrange the meeting for us on that day."

I immediately panicked: "Didn't I tell you? Lu Jia has already gone abroad. You're coming to Shanghai now, but you won't be able to see her. What's the point of meeting her parents then?... Anyway, I think this is pretty awkward!"

"It's precisely because she went abroad that we feel we need to meet her parents... We don't have much to offer, but we brought them some local specialties from home. They don't think it's too meager, do they?"

I was silent for a while before I mustered up the courage to reply: "It's not that you brought them anything shabby, it's just that I feel this is a really low-class thing to do, like you're trying to curry favor."

I thought he would get angry at me, but to my surprise, he said with a hint of guilt, "It's only right to flatter her a little. Lu Jia is a girl from Shanghai, and her family is well-off. You, a young man from a small town, are definitely marrying above your station..."

I felt a little suffocated, to the point that I couldn't speak...

At this moment, my mother took the phone again and said, "We know you have a strong sense of self-respect, but life in Shanghai is even more difficult. It's your good fortune that you've gotten together with Lu Jia, a girl from Shanghai, so you have to coax her and flatter her a bit... If you find this difficult, then let your father and me handle it. As long as you can live a peaceful life, we'll be at ease even if we have to close our eyes now!"

My heart was breaking. I replied, "Mom, please don't say that. Whether we're doing well or not depends on Lu Jia and me, it has nothing to do with you... Don't come yet, I have to go on a business trip to Yunnan soon. We'll talk about our parents meeting when I get back to Shanghai."

"Why did you have to go on a business trip at this time? I remember you didn't go on business trips very often!"

"I got promoted, and now I'm the product manager of the company. I came to Yunnan to represent the company to discuss cooperation with companies here."

My mother was silent for a long time on the other end of the phone, then I heard her sobbing. She sighed, "After all these years, you've finally been promoted!"

Lying is a painful thing, but having come this far, I could only make the lie bigger and bigger. So I smiled and replied, "I've been in Shanghai for so many years, I have to seize this opportunity... Mom, don't worry, Dad and I, my salary has increased to over 10,000 yuan, plus various bonuses and subsidies, I earn about 200,000 yuan a year. Once Lu Jia and I save up a bit more, we can make a down payment on a house in Shanghai. Then when you come, I'll have more confidence! Tell me, if we meet now and they ask you for a house, how are you going to ask them?"

There was another silence on the other end of the phone. When he spoke again, his tone was noticeably more relaxed: "Alright, focus on your work. When it's time to buy a house, your dad and I will try to find a way to give you some money. We haven't done much for you in our lives, and it doesn't feel good for us!"

“Look at you, why are you saying these things again? My life is my own. You’ve already done your best to support me until I graduated from university.” I forced a smile and said, “Mom, we finally get to talk on the phone, can we not talk about these unpleasant things? ...You and Dad taking good care of yourselves at home is the biggest support you can give me.”

"We know."

"Smile before you hang up, so I can feel at ease. Otherwise, I'll have trouble sleeping tonight."

Finally, I heard a laugh on the other end of the phone, and after reminding them to take care of their health, I finally ended this painful call.

I was lost in thought, and it took me a long time before I finally took out my wallet. I hadn't removed Lu Jia's photo from it yet. I stared at her face for a long time, and then I remembered those times when we always exchanged sweet words. My nose started to sting...

If she knew my current predicament and despair, would she still have abandoned me so heartlessly?

This problem is getting more and more painful to think about, because it takes away the feeling of dreaming and forces me to live in a bloody reality. I know that the moment Lu Jia decided to leave, she already knew what she would bring me, but she still chose to leave resolutely.

...

After suffering for a while, I suddenly realized that Lao Huang would have to cover up my lie, meaning I would have to make another deal with him. This was the chain reaction of consequences from a lie, but I was unwilling to admit that it was my own fault, because none of this was what I wanted, and I had become the most passive person in the whole situation.