The next morning, when Lu Zhe woke up, he subconsciously opened his mobile banking app and Alipay to check his current total assets.
Open the phone's built-in calculator, add the numbers from the bank's app and Alipay together, and the total is 0.98 yuan.
"It's alright, it's alright."
Lu Zhe muttered something to himself, put down his phone, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and got dressed.
Aside from the chaos in his love life, he felt his life was more or less back on track. After tidying up, he sat on the edge of the bed, imagining what work he would have that day and how busy it would be, but he didn't dislike it.
A job that offers a sense of growth and accomplishment, with a clear path to advancement, is bound to make working people happy.
He walked out of the bedroom and saw the breakfast that Xue Xiaodie had just made, and Tang Qi helping her clear the table and get the dishes.
Lu Zhe laughed and said, "Oh, Little Cai Tang can help with chores around the house now?"
Tang Qi frowned: "Why does what you're saying... make it sound like I'm some little brat doing chores for my parents?"
Xue Xiaodie smiled but remained silent.
Lu Zhe casually sat down at the table and said, "Since you're not a little kid anymore, that means you're capable of taking care of yourself. Otherwise, how about you cook next time?"
Tang Qi turned her face away: "No!"
The seemingly ordinary conversation aroused Xue Xiaodie's suspicion. She knew that Lu Zhe, as an assistant, always clearly understood his position, and even when Xiao Caitang offered to do housework, he would often stop her, saying that it was an assistant's duty.
But why would Lu Zhe ask the young lady to cook now? Even if it was just a joke, it still seems a little strange...
Next came the mundane breakfast time.
After breakfast, just like the previous few days, the three of them walked out of the apartment together and headed to their workplace.
Today was partly cloudy and partly sunny. Sunlight filtered through thin clouds, casting a hazy glow on the streets. This way, it wasn't too hot, but it still had a bit of a sunrise feel to it. Moreover, with the thin clouds obscuring the sun, the sunrise became much softer and easier to look at directly.
As she waited at the traffic light, Xue Xiaodie looked eastward, squinting in the diffused sunlight, and took slow, deep breaths.
A subtle, indescribable feeling welled up within the young woman. It was as if she had overlooked something these past few days…
Is there some detail that has been overlooked?
Xue Xiaodie fell into deep thought. Suddenly, she heard Lu Zhe say, "The light's green, let's go."
The girl realized what was happening, returned a gentle smile, and started walking.
Soon, the three of them arrived at the familiar office building in the software park.
Tang Qi stopped and waved, "You guys go on up, I'll wander around a bit more and then go back to play games."
Lu Zhe: "Don't just play games, study too. You'll be a college student in less than a month..."
"Hehehe!" Tang Qi stuck out her tongue and made a face at him.
Xue Xiaodie remained calm: "Then let's go up."
Tang Qi snapped out of her daze and composed herself, saying, "Bye-bye, you guys have a good day at work."
Xue Xiaodie and Lu Zhe turned around and walked into the office building side by side.
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When Lu Zhe got to his workstation and started working, Xia Xiaobing was in her private office.
She stood by the window, letting the diffused sunlight fall on her face, squinting her eyes.
Suddenly, my phone vibrated.
Xia Xiaobing held the phone to her ear and said in her hometown accent, "Mom, what are you busy with?"
The mother replied in a rambling voice, "Oh dear, your old man got a job. A boss in Anyue is hiring, and he specifically asked for your old man... You know how good your old man's skills are. And Old Zhao's family, they said they could go too..."
Xia Xiaobing rubbed her temples, feeling a bit of a headache: "Didn't I tell you not to go to the construction site anymore?"
Mother: "If you don't work, what will you do?"
Xia Xiaobing: "Just find an easy class to take, or come to Rongdu, I'll introduce you to some options."
The mother suddenly became agitated: "No, I already said we're not going to Chengdu! We don't know anyone there, what would we do there..."
Before I could finish rambling on, it abruptly stopped.
Xia Xiaobing suddenly said, "I've found a boyfriend, do you guys want to come and see?"
There was a sudden silence on the other end of the phone.
After several seconds, the mother took a deep breath and said urgently, "What did you say? You're dating someone!"
Xia Xiaobing: "Yes."
Mother: "Where are you from? What do you look like? Are you good to me?"
Xia Xiaobing said calmly, "You'll see when you come and take a look. I've been busy lately, and I don't have time to go back anyway..."
The mother quickly said, "You don't need to come back! We don't want you to come back! Let's go!"
Xia Xiaobing laughed and said, "Didn't you just say you weren't coming to Chengdu?"
The mother's voice was full of laughter: "Oh dear, that was just now, this is now. Let's see what kind of friend you're dating. Let me give you my opinion. This one seems alright!"
Xia Xiaobing: "Then, will the old man still go to the construction site?"
The mother hesitated for a moment: "He promised that boss... Hey, wait a minute, let me go ask him."
Xia Xiaobing waited quietly for a while.
This was the new trick she came up with last night before bed. She'd call her parents over and tell them she'd found a boyfriend. At the same time, she'd tell Lu Zhe about it and ask him to be her scapegoat.
In this way, there will be more opportunities to develop a deeper connection with Lu Zhe in the future. Then, the so-called shield becoming a real-life charade will be a natural progression.
Suddenly, her mother's voice rang out again: "No, your father said he still has to go, he promised him. But I can skip the construction site, I'll go to Rongdu and check on things for him."
If the sullen father doesn't come, the nagging mother can. Xia Xiaobing imagined the scene and felt that the effect might be even better.
She recalled what had happened 'in the past'. Back then, when she took Lu Zhe back to her hometown, her parents' attitude was quite good. Although Lu Zhe was a little uncomfortable with the local dialect of Chongqing, at least his parents were very kind to him, and he behaved quite well and sensibly.
Her parents weren't middle-class city dwellers; they were from rural areas surrounding Chongqing. Plus, she was already successful in her career. Therefore, her parents didn't have many worldly expectations for her partner. They only hoped he would be good to her, sensible enough, and capable of managing a household. Lu Zhe, of course, was more than qualified for that.
After dealing with her mother's nagging, Xia Xiaobing hung up the phone, but didn't put it down.
She opened Lu Zhe's WeChat and sent him a message: "Let's have lunch together during lunch break. I have something important to discuss with you. It's quite important, just the two of us, don't invite anyone else."
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