As soon as you enter, the scene inside comes into view.
This room is too small; it feels oppressive.
Although their house wasn't big to begin with, it wasn't this small either. Looking at the room, one feels cramped and stuffy.
A small single bed and a simple desk—that was all the room had. The room was so small that it couldn't hold much; there wasn't even a place to store clothes.
This is a typical example of using a storage room or other small study as a bedroom for Tong Lu. No wonder she felt the location of the room was a bit awkward earlier.
However, looking at the environment, Tong Lu had taken good care of it; it was clean and tidy.
That made people feel much more at ease.
"Junior?"
Tong Lu looked at Qi Jiu with some surprise. Her mother had just come in and said it was a wealthy colleague, and that she should speak politely and try to please her. She had been thinking for a long time but couldn't come up with anything, and then she realized it was Qi Jiu.
Seeing the tear stains on the person's face, Qi Jiu guessed what had happened without asking, and closed the door behind her. Without hesitation, she slowly walked into the room.
Tong Lu looked at her, immediately got up, grabbed a tissue from the side and wiped her eyes. She glanced at her cramped bedroom and patted the spot next to her, feeling a little embarrassed.
A look of shame, unlike anything he'd ever seen before, appeared on his face. "I'm sorry, junior, my bedroom is quite small; there's only enough room to sit on the bed."
Qi Jiu sat down next to her quite casually, without showing any emotion about the matter, though she actually felt the same way.
When she first saw the room, she did think it was a bit small, because this was not a region of international war, but China, a country with guaranteed security.
Furthermore, if she hadn't met Han Yan before and hadn't done something desperate, she might have died on the street long ago. Having experienced all kinds of hardship, how could she look down on this clean and tidy bedroom?
It's just that the things being compared are different.
"Senior, you..."
Suddenly, Qi Jiu didn't know how to ask. Should she ask why she didn't show up at the airport, or should she ask how she was doing?
She didn't know, because these two questions must have been bothering Tong Lu all along, and asking either one would only make Tong Lu feel worse.
Tong Lu's eyes were slightly red, a stark contrast to her usual aloof demeanor, making her appear even more lively. The tears added to her vividness and pitifulness.
"I'm so sorry, junior. We had agreed to go abroad, but not only did I not go, I've also troubled you to make this trip. The plane should have already taken off. This matter..."
As she spoke, her voice began to tremble, as if she had thought of something that had caused her distress.
But even though she didn't say it, Qi Jiu probably guessed something.
What kind of parents lock their child inside a house? Tong Lu is already an adult; this is practically imprisonment.
"It's alright, there are other planes after this one. If you can't go this time, you can go next time. No matter what time it is, my studio welcomes you."
I don't know which word made Tong Lu completely break down. Her eyes were even redder than before, and I could even see tears welling up in her eyes and sliding down her fair face.
"It's no use, it's no use..."
She choked up, and her emotions finally broke down at this moment. "My parents wouldn't let me go. They went through my things, found my passport, scolded me, and hid it."
Upon hearing this, Qi Jiu looked around at the clean and tidy environment, her brows furrowed with slight anger and even a hint of confusion.
Tong Lu's family isn't the only one in the world that favors sons over daughters; it's truly baffling how these girls manage to live. She also can't understand why such parents exist in this world.
“I worked hard to get into University A, hoping to get rid of this family afterward, but I found that everything I did was in vain. Even now, they still want to control me.”
Tong Lu lowered her head, her bangs obscuring her expression.
The girl's face was expressionless, her eyes deep and unfathomable. "Senior, do you want to get rid of your family?"
That's true. If it were her, she would have left that family long ago.
"Yes." Tong Lu answered without hesitation, her eyes filled with determination, seemingly tormented by this family's preference for sons over daughters.
"I think, I miss it so much, I feel no warmth at all in this home!"
Qi Jiu nodded. "I understand."
As she spoke, she took out her phone and tapped the screen, seemingly sending a message.
She then took her hand and led her out of the room. They didn't say a word during this time. Tong Lu watched her retreating figure, not understanding what she wanted to do, but she followed her.
Tong Lu's mother, Wang Yan, saw Qi Jiu come out and immediately went to greet her, her excited expression like that of someone who had won the lottery.
In fact, it was pretty much the same in her eyes, because she had just learned about Qi Jiu's identity through Tong Jun's explanation.
Now, looking at her is like eyeing a walking banknote, eyes gleaming with greed. I've heard the two of them are close, so Tong Lu must have benefited quite a bit.
"Miss Qi, what's wrong...?"
Qi Jiu looked at Wang Yan and smiled, "Auntie, I'm taking Tong Lu away now. Could you please take out your passport?"
The smile on her face remained, but it was devoid of any warmth. She also stopped playing coy; she couldn't stand this kind of family environment anymore.
Upon hearing this, Wang Yan's smile vanished instantly. "This won't do, she can't leave!"
She refused very decisively.
Wang Yan's temper changed as quickly as turning the pages of a book. Tong Lu didn't say anything, but the strength with which he held the girl's fingers changed slightly.
Although Qi Jiu didn't turn around, she seemed to sense something and gently patted her hand with her other hand to comfort her.
"Why not? Tong Lu has a better future and a brighter future if she goes abroad. It's a good thing. She'll earn more money in the future."
Unexpectedly, Wang Yan rolled her eyes, quite self-righteously.
“No, she can’t leave. Our whole family is counting on her for money! She has a younger brother! When he gets married, there are dowries and all that money to spend. What if she stays abroad and doesn’t come back? Where will we get the money then?”
Tong Lu seemed to have gotten used to this patriarchal family, her eyes were somewhat dull, but it made Qi Jiu laugh in anger.
“This is her brother, not her son. She has no obligation to support him, and the bride price and wedding house should not be prepared by her.”
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