Lu Zhe returned to his most familiar small single room.
The lease termination process has begun and should be completed in a few days. Now all he needs to do is pack his things, including moving his personal belongings to the car. The car is right outside the complex, and the driver and Tang Qi are waiting for him inside.
There wasn't much to pack. Every time he moved, Lu Zhe could clearly feel how frugal his lifestyle was. Aside from essential living expenses, he usually put his money into the financial management app Steam, rather than buying clothes or shoes…
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
Lu Zhe casually said, "It's not locked, just come in."
Xue Xiaodie pushed open the door and entered.
Lu Zhe glanced at her and was stunned for two seconds.
Today, Xue Xiaodie still wore her beautiful and elegant princess braids, and the thin-rimmed glasses on her small face couldn't hide her delicate features. Her pleated skirt and white mid-calf socks were the same as the day before, but the difference was that she had changed her top to a blue and white short-sleeved shirt.
As a football enthusiast, Lu Zhe was naturally very familiar with this blue and white jersey – isn't that the Argentine national team's jersey!
"Are you an Argentina fan?" Lu Zhe blurted out.
Xue Xiaodie raised her hand to tidy a strand of hair behind her ear, and smiled shyly: "Actually, I can't really call myself an Argentina fan, I just really support Messi. The Copa America final is in a couple of days, you... do you want to watch it with me? I'm worried about not finding anyone to watch the game with, and I don't know if you're interested in football."
Lu Zhe looked pleasantly surprised: "I was a key player on the college team in college! To be honest, I've never really seen a real female fan."
Xue Xiaodie: Are there very few female fans?
Lu Zhe: "Let me put it this way, even though we're both on the college team, during basketball games, there's a whole circle of girls screaming and cheering, and they're even handing me water and towels. But in soccer games... when I score, the loudest cheering is from Teddy on the sidelines."
Hearing him say that, Xue Xiaodie couldn't help but chuckle, and then said, "That's quite a coincidence! I watch football games in my dorm and my roommates laugh at me. When I was a freshman and sophomore, I wanted to join the women's football team, but our school didn't organize any, so I was really disappointed."
Lu Zhe readily agreed, "It's okay, you can watch football with me from now on, Premier League, La Liga, Champions League, no problem!"
Xue Xiaodie smiled radiantly, but secretly decided that she must catch up on her studies in her spare time from drawing.
She didn't know much about football, except that Lu Zhe had dragged her to watch the World Cup and European Championship a couple of times. But since they were going to use football as a topic to get closer in the future, she naturally had to learn more about it on her own.
As they spoke, Lu Zhe had already finished packing. All the items together filled just one suitcase.
Xue Xiaodie asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Lu Zhe shook his head: "There's nothing I can help with. We can go now."
Xue Xiaodie smiled faintly: "Then I'll see you out."
Lu Zhe hesitated for two seconds, then nodded.
To him, Tang Qi was just an employer, and Xue Xiaodie was just a friend. What was so shameful about such an ordinary relationship?
————
Sunny days are rare in this city, but today is an exception. As evening falls, brilliant golden sunlight streams down, outlining the silhouettes of buildings on the street.
It was in the glow of the setting sun that Xue Xiaodie saw the girl.
A cute girl, wearing a sun-protective jacket and a short skirt, sat on the hood of a Mercedes, swinging her legs casually. In the golden sunlight, her swinging legs were gilded with a golden light, possessing a sculpted beauty, yet more vibrant than the most perfect sculpture, brimming with youthful charm.
Upon seeing Lu Zhe dragging his suitcase, the girl waved happily. However, after noticing Xue Xiaodie, who was clearly traveling with Lu Zhe, the bright smile on her face froze.
Without any thought or reaction time, Xue Xiaodie immediately realized a serious sense of crisis.
When he reached the car, Lu Zhe didn't seem to notice anything amiss and introduced them normally: "This is Xue Xiaodie, my neighbor. This is Tang Qi, my employer."
Xue Xiaodie's expression had returned to normal, and she asked with a smile, "The job you mentioned earlier, was it for Miss Tang Qi..."
Before Lu Zhe could explain, Tang Qi interjected, "He's my personal assistant, but not full-time, just part-time. He found another job today, a full-time one."
Lu Zhe scratched his head, a little confused—why did these two girls suddenly focus their conversation on him?
Xue Xiaodie then said, "Then I'll go back first. Lu Zhe, you must work hard in the future."
Tang Qi hesitated for a moment, then asked, "We were just about to go have dinner, would you like to...?"
Xue Xiaodie smiled and said, "I have to finish my manuscript tonight, so no need, you guys enjoy your meal."
After saying that, the girl turned and left. Her turn was clean and swift, and each step she took was decisive and efficient.
Tang Qi watched her retreating figure, her brows furrowed slightly, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
Lu Zhe put the suitcase in the trunk of the car and sat in the back seat.
Tang Qi sat down next to him, closed the car door, and whispered in his ear, "What's your relationship with Xue Xiaodie?"
At this point, the driver had released the handbrake, engaged the clutch, and slowly started driving.
Although Lu Zhe didn't quite understand why the young lady wanted to whisper, he lowered his voice to cooperate and replied, "It's a friend I met recently. She happens to live nearby, so we're neighbors."
"Neighbors?" Tang Qi still wrinkled her nose. "Ordinary friends?"
Lu Zhe nodded: "Of course we're just ordinary friends. I've only known her for less than three days."
Upon hearing this answer, Tang Qi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
She knew that Lu Zhe was not a habitual liar. So, since Xue Xiaodie and Lu Zhe had only known each other for less than three days, even if that woman had some ideas, it would be too late… Luckily, she acted in time!
Now that we're no longer neighbors, there shouldn't be any danger, right?
Although she wasn't completely calm, she decided to put the problem aside and think about something more enjoyable. Like, dinner.
Tang Qi suddenly said, "Let's eat at home tonight?"
Lu Zhe: "?"
Tang Qi: "Make it at home... um, you can cook, right?"
Lu Zhe: "??"
Tang Qi, of course, wouldn't say that she had 'been' eating his cooking before, more than once. And after the little mishap just now, she suddenly really wanted to eat Lu Zhe's dinner, as if that would make her feel more at ease.
————
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