The star that comes for you
The dinner in their new home, filled with laughter and joy, was like a gentle purification ceremony that washed away the last trace of haze in the hearts of Shi Guang and his mother, and officially opened a new chapter in their life in the prosperous city of Jiangcheng.
However, when Lu Yu showed the WeChat message from his mother on the phone screen to Shi Meijuan and Shi Guang, Shi Meijuan, who had just relaxed, instantly fell into a more complicated and huge tension and anxiety than when she faced the authorities in Anhe County.
"Meet...meet the parents?" Her voice was a little off. "No, no...Xiao Yu, this...how can this be possible?"
She subconsciously waved her hands repeatedly, as if trying to push away a huge pressure that she could not bear at all. As she spoke, she nervously rubbed the corner of her clothes, her eyes dodging, not daring to look Lu Yu in the eye.
"Auntie... Auntie is not worthy of... our family... our family is in this situation... I... I can't go to your family and cause trouble, and embarrass your parents..."
Her incoherent speech and her bewilderment stemmed from a deep-seated inferiority complex. In her mind, Lu Yu's family was a privileged existence. And what right did she, a penniless rural woman who had just emerged from a failed marriage and the quagmire of domestic violence, with an equally taciturn son, have to enter such a family?
She was afraid, afraid of her rough hands, afraid of her inappropriate conversation, afraid that her past, which she couldn't bear to look back on, would become a stain on Lu Yu and cause him to be blamed by his parents. The deeper her gratitude, the stronger her fear of being a burden to him became.
Shi Guang's heart tightened as he watched his mother's panicked expression. He understood his mother's low self-esteem, for that same low self-esteem had haunted him like a shadow for years. He reached out and gently placed his hand on the back of his mother's cold hand, offering silent comfort with his own warmth.
"Auntie," Lu Yu said, "This is not a nuisance, nor is it embarrassing. This is a sincere invitation from a mother to another mother out of respect."
Seeing her expression soften, Lu Yu immediately struck while the iron was hot: "Also, Auntie, let me tell you a secret, my mom's braised pork is unparalleled in the world! Every time I go home, I have to order it in advance. This time, she took the initiative to invite us and specifically asked for this dish. If you don't try it, it would be a big loss, right? Just think of it as... giving me face and accompanying me for a meal, okay?"
His half-truthful, half-fake witticisms relaxed the tense atmosphere. Shi Meijuan looked at the handsome and sweet-talking boy in front of her, and the heavy psychological burden she had been carrying was unconsciously lifted. She couldn't help but burst out laughing at his amusement.
"You kid..." She gave him a reproachful look, her eyes reddening. Shi Meijuan was finally convinced. She nodded, agreeing with a tragic, almost heroic air, as if she were heading off to the battlefield.
In the next two days, Shi Meijuan devoted all her energy to the preparations.
She tried on her few clothes over and over again, but she always felt that they were not suitable enough. Lu Yu saw her embarrassment and took her and her son on a grand shopping trip under the pretext of buying some autumn clothes.
After solving the problem of what to wear, the more important thing was what to give as a gift. Shi Meijuan counted the meager savings in her account, wanting to buy the most expensive gift, but she was afraid that she would make a mistake and end up making things worse.
It was still time that made the most appropriate suggestion.
Knowing that Lu Yu's father loved literature and history, he took Lu Yu on a spree of antique bookstores in Jiangcheng, finding a photocopied copy of the "Zizhi Tongjian." The gift for Lu Yu's mother was a hand-embroidered silk shawl hand-picked by Shi Meijuan in an elegant art shop.
When everything was ready, on the evening of the appointment day, Lu Yu drove the car with his two "family members" sitting upright beside him, and drove to the warm destination.
The Lu family home, nestled in the family housing complex of Jiangcheng University, is a two-story building gently enveloped by greenery and creepers. It lacks the luxury and grandeur one might imagine, but instead exudes a scholarly air steeped in time. Several osmanthus trees, in season, grow in the courtyard, filling the air with a sweet, refreshing fragrance.
As soon as the car stopped at the door, it was opened from the inside.
A gentle middle-aged woman and a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses were already waiting at the door. They were Lu Yu's mother, Lin Qingwan, and his father, Lu Chengde.
Seeing Shi Meijuan and Shi Guang getting out of the car cautiously, Lin Qingwan immediately greeted them with a smile on her face and took the initiative to shake Shi Meijuan's hands, which were a little cold due to nervousness.
"Oh, you must be Sister Meijuan, right? Come in, come in! I've heard Xiaoyu talking about you so many times on the phone, and today I finally get to see you! It must have been hard for you to come all the way here?"
She was like entertaining an old friend whom she hadn't seen for a long time, and instantly put Shi Meijuan's heart, which had been hanging in the air, back to its right place.
Lu Chengde also smiled and nodded to Shi Guang. With the admiring gaze of an elder looking at a younger person, he said, "You are Shi Guang, right? Not bad, you look more energetic than in the photo. I read the report on the ancient building project you and Xiaoyu are working on. It's very solid and thoughtful."
The sumptuousness of the dinner exceeded everyone's expectations. Lin Qingwan's cooking skills were truly well-deserved. The braised pork, so highly praised by Lu Yu, was cooked to a tender, sweet, and melt-in-your-mouth consistency. There was also steamed sea bass, chestnut-roasted chicken, mushrooms, and seasonal vegetables...a table full of delicious home-cooked dishes.
Lu's parents and Shi Meijuan talked about the climate of Jiangcheng, the differences in cuisine between the north and the south, their respective specialties, and even listened with interest to her stories about some interesting things she had experienced in the countryside when she was young.
As the atmosphere became more and more harmonious during the gentle conversation, Lin Qingwan took the initiative to pick up the largest piece of pork ribs for Shi Meijuan, then looked at her and slowly spoke in an extremely solemn tone.
"Sister Meijuan, I know you might have some concerns." Her voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable strength. "But today, I want to tell you something from my heart in front of everyone."
She paused, her eyes swept across her son, then fell on Shi Guang's face, and finally returned to Shi Meijuan's eyes.
"We watched Xiaoyu grow up, and we know him best. He's kind, sentimental, and independent-minded. We support every decision he makes. His choices are our choices."
She stretched out her hand and gently placed it on the back of Shi Meijuan's hand. Her palm was warm and dry.
"No one can change the past, but it's already in the past. What's important is the future. From now on, this will be your home, and we're a family. No matter what difficulties you face, you won't have to bear them alone."
Shi Guang sat beside Lu Yu, listening quietly to all this. He looked at the two kind and enlightened elders across from him, at his lover who had given him the world's tenderness, and then at his mother who could finally cry freely... It turned out that a family full of love was so warm and bright.
It turns out that the word "home" does not have to be associated with violence and quarrels.
It can be the warm steam in the kitchen, the warm laughter at the dinner table, and the place that is willing to embrace you unconditionally no matter where you come from or what you have been through.
The meal lasted very late.
When they returned to their new home, the night sky of Jiangcheng was already full of stars.
The warm family dinner was like a seed full of vitality, which sowed hope in the once barren hearts of the mother and son, and also gave birth to vigorous new shoots.
Life is back on track with a sunny attitude.
With the enthusiastic help of the Lu family's parents, Shi Meijuan, a skilled cook, quickly found a job as a pastry chef at an elegant, high-end private restaurant near Jiangcheng University. Her exquisite and delicious Suzhou-style pastries quickly became the restaurant's signature dish, beloved by both faculty and students.
At school, Lu Yu and Shi Guang had long since gone from being a hot topic on the internet to an enviable story on the Jiangnan University campus.
After rigorous selection, their collaborative project on the digital preservation of ancient towns in western Sichuan ultimately won first prize in the national "Challenge Cup" competition. This prestigious award not only added a significant boost to their resumes but also allowed them to see the endless possibilities of turning their passion into a career.
This opportunity sparked a strong bond between the two. They began spending all their spare time together in the library and laboratory, planning their future entrepreneurial vision: establishing a studio focused on the digital preservation and dissemination of cultural heritage.
Lu Yu oversees macro-strategic planning and market integration, while Shi Guang immerses himself in the R&D and iteration of core technologies. One leads external affairs, the other internal affairs. Their ingrained understanding shines even brighter in their shared pursuit of a common cause.
Like any other typical campus couple, they would attend classes together, eat in the cafeteria together, and grab the same window seat in the library. But after a day of studying, they would also return to their small home where their mother was waiting for them, busying themselves in the kitchen together, arguing over whether to put sugar or salt in tonight's dishes.
Life is filled with academic ideals and family life. Every day is filled with shared expectations for the future.
Time flies and life is like a song.
A few years later, Jiangcheng had become a prosperous city.
In an office building at the top of the city's CBD, the Yuguang Technology logo gleams brightly in the sunlight. Founded from scratch by two university students, this company has become a rising star in the industry, drawing significant attention from investors and the market, thanks to its unrivaled core technology and forward-thinking business model in the field of cultural heritage digitization.
On a starry night, Lu Yu and Shi Guang stood side by side on the terrace of the top-floor apartment overlooking the dazzling night view of the entire Jiangcheng.
The cool night breeze ruffled their hair. In the distance, the lights of the city's myriad homes merged into a dazzling galaxy. Nearby, warm light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind them. Shi Meijuan was humming a song as she prepared a delicious midnight snack for them in the kitchen.
Everything is as peaceful as the most gentle dream.
Lu Yu gently hugged the figure who was leaning on the railing and looking into the distance from behind.
Together, they looked up at the deep and vast starry sky.
"Look," Lu Yu whispered softly in his ear with a deep voice filled with infinite satisfaction, "I have found my star."
The cold and bright star that once existed only in his imagination was now truly in his arms.
Shi Guang turned his head and placed a kiss on Lu Yu's lips that was softer than the starlight. He looked at the eyes that reflected the stars and himself, and the smile on his lips was gentle and firm.
"No," he whispered back, "it's you who has become my star."
"It's the star that came for me, across endless darkness and loneliness."
The two stopped talking and just hugged each other tighter. Under the brilliant starry sky and the bustling city lights, they smiled and looked towards the future that belonged to them, which was full of infinite brightness.
(End of the book)
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