Chapter 871 I'm Never Going on Blind Dates Again! "You stop right there!"

Jin Yuting completely lost it; even the foundation on her round face couldn't hide her flushed anger.

She tried to grab Lu Qingyang's arm, but Lu Qingyang was tall and his movements, though seemingly casual, were perfectly timed to the side, causing her to miss her target.

"Stop right there!"

Lu Qingyang seemed not to hear or see the probing gazes around him.

Jin Yuting, dressed in a tight dress and high heels, wanted to chase after him but found it difficult to move: "You, surnamed Lu, who do you think you are? You're spineless, a coward, you deserve to be single! You just wait, I'll find my aunt, I'll find the matchmaker and tell them what's going to happen, and see who dares to introduce you to someone else in the future..."

Lu Qingyang pushed open the heavy glass door of the Western restaurant. The cool autumn night breeze rushed in, instantly dispelling the sharp but gradually fading shouts behind him.

He didn't stop walking at all, and didn't even look back.

Back home, just as he stepped inside, his aunt's phone rang like a persistent ghost. Lu Qingyang answered, put it on speakerphone, and listened while changing his shoes.

"Qingyang, what's wrong with you? She even called here, crying, saying you humiliated her, dined and dashed, and left her alone in the restaurant. Look at you, that girl isn't pregnant, she's not involved in any messy things, she ordered a few dishes, didn't she? Why can't you just get along with people properly?"

"My aunt, she ordered only a few dishes: foie gras, truffle soup, tomahawk steak, and cheese lobster. At that restaurant, that meal would have cost several thousand."

The aunt on the other end of the phone choked for a moment, her voice lowering: "Then...then don't just leave him there, it's so unsightly..."

"We split the bill, and I paid for part of it. I'm not able to afford it, auntie. I know you mean well, but please don't arrange anything for me again."

The aunt wanted to say something more: "What you're saying is so exaggerated, next one..."

“There won’t be another one, Aunt.” Lu Qingyang interrupted her, his tone resolute.

“I haven’t had any work lately, and my brain needs rest. I really don’t have the energy or money to deal with these weird blind dates anymore. If you and my parents really care about me, please let me sort out my own life first, okay?”

He spoke so clearly that his aunt was speechless for a long time on the other end of the phone.

Finally, the aunt awkwardly said, "Well... then you should get some rest," and hung up the phone.

In the living room, the parents, who had originally wanted to come over and speak up, looked at each other after hearing their son's words, unsure of what to say.

Looking at their son's calm yet weary face, and reflecting on the chaotic blind dates they had gone through, their initial enthusiasm for urging him to get married had been dampened by these cold showers.

Lu Qingyang put down his water glass and nodded to his parents: "Dad, Mom, I'm tired, I'm going to sleep now, you should get some rest too."

She turned and went into her room, closing the door behind her.

Only by comparing can one know which is better.

When Shen Mo married the man, they didn't have anything; she didn't even ask for a dowry.

But how can I go back to that world?

In this world, parents have younger siblings, but in that world, parents only have one child of their own.

Most importantly, Chen Mo and Hai are still over there.

This shouldn't be a dream; dreams can't be this real.

...

After the farcical blind date, things calmed down at home for the time being.

Lu Qingyang used the compensation money and some savings to pay off several months' mortgage, giving him some breathing room.

I can no longer rely on a secure job; I'll find a temporary work-study position as a stepping stone.

While wandering around the community bulletin board, a sheet of A4 printed paper caught my eye:

"We are hiring one night shift security guard for the community. The working hours are from 10 pm to 6 am. The monthly salary is 4,500 yuan. Requirements: strong sense of responsibility, able to work overnight. The work is not easy. The main responsibilities are to patrol regularly and pay attention to the safety of the community."

My monthly salary of 4500 is barely enough to cover my mortgage payments, and I have to be careful with food.

But the phrase "work easily" is very suitable for 놛.

The interview went surprisingly smoothly.

The property manager looked at the ID card and other documents and was surprised.

"You, a PhD student, want to be a security guard? Are you sure?"

Lu Qingyang nodded affirmatively: "Definitely."

At 10 p.m. that night, Lu Qingyang changed into a dark blue security guard uniform and stood in the guard booth at the west gate of the community.

In my spare time, I would take my laptop and start researching things from that era.

They then began searching online for ways to cross over.

But nothing ever came of it, and Lu Qingyang could only drift through life like this.

Lu's mother, who loved her son the most, always had a heavy heart and couldn't let go of her worries.

She thought about how her son had studied hard for so many years, finally becoming a PhD, only to end up wearing a security guard's hat and standing in the windy night; she thought about those chaotic blind dates, the water-splashing ones, the ones who wanted to be her father, the ones who ordered a whole table of steaks... every single one of them made her heart ache.

She dared not ask too many questions, for fear of touching her son's sore spot, so she could only knead all her worries and tenderness into the dough and stew it into the soup.

Lu Qingyang was on the night shift. Around 9 p.m., as the neighborhood gradually quieted down, she carried a thermos and slowly strolled towards the west gate.

Speaking softly and with a smile through the window of the guardhouse, she said, "Mom was feeling a bit restless tonight and made a few extra dumplings, chives and eggs. Try them and see if they're salty enough; they're still warm."

Lu Qingyang quickly took it, and as soon as he unscrewed the lid, hot steam mixed with the aroma of noodles and fresh chives rushed out. The amount of food was so generous that it felt like he had brought the whole family's dinner with him.

"Mom, it's so late, it's too much trouble to make a trip here. Here's some instant noodles."

"No trouble at all. It's good to get out for a walk and digest your food." Mother Lu waved her hand, but her gaze subtly swept over her son's face.

When she saw other security guards in the pavilion, Lu's mother took out a few lunch boxes. "Hey, I made pork rib soup at home today. One pot is too much. You all work hard on duty, have some with us to warm yourselves up."

Lu's mother stood to the side with a smile, watching her son give everyone a presentation.

She was observant. When her son returned from patrol, she would write down his notes meticulously; when the walkie-talkie rang, she would answer clearly and fluently; when a resident returned late, she would verify their identity without finding it troublesome.

His earnestness brought a complex sense of satisfaction to Lu's mother. Even though he was only responsible for guarding the gate, her son hadn't been lazy; he was a reliable person.

When no one was around, she would lean against the window and say, "Qingyang, this job... it's all day and night. If you feel it's too exhausting, or if you feel wronged, don't force yourself. Tell Mom, okay? Mom... Mom still has some savings, not much, but enough for an emergency. I can find you an easier job..."