Chapter 18

Moving into a house that had been vacant for nearly a month, cleaning was inevitable.

Lu Wuqi had no intention of letting her own mother do such manual labor. She simply mentioned wanting to eat fish and ribs for dinner, sending Mother Lu off to the market with a lightweight folding cart to buy groceries.

Lu Wuqi took off the orange jacket that matched her girlfriend’s and placed it on the nearby sofa. She first found a large bag and gathered all the things related to Lu Fu. After running up and down two trips, she threw everything into the trash bin.

After clearing out the unnecessary items, Lu Wuqi began sweeping, mopping, and wiping down the furniture. The two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment wasn’t large, and without all the trash, cleaning was straightforward. She finished in just half an hour.

Just as Lu Wuqi was about to take a quick shower and change clothes, a steady knock came from outside the door.

Without much thought, Lu Wuqi assumed it was her mother who had forgotten her keys. She didn’t bother tidying her appearance and simply wiped the sweat from her forehead with two napkin tissues before opening the door.

“Mom, you…” Lu Wuqi froze upon seeing Lan Xu and Mother Lan standing there. The greeting on the tip of her tongue was swallowed back down.

“Xuxu, Teacher Du, hello.” Lu Wuqi greeted them politely, crumpling the napkin in her hand and hiding it behind her back.

“It’s Little Lu. Are you cleaning the place? Where’s your mom?” Mother Lan asked, her scrutinizing gaze sweeping over the surroundings.

“My mom went to buy groceries. She should be back soon. Teacher Du, please have a seat. I’ll get you a glass of water.” Lu Wuqi said. She quickly snatched the jacket from the sofa. Inwardly, she was relieved her movements had been fast enough to spare her future mother-in-law a view of the messy room.

“I heard your mom had a minor surgery in the capital, so I came to check on her. Is she recovering well?” Mother Lan said. She carried a box of supplemental gifts, while Lan Xu followed behind with two bags of fruit.

“She’s doing great. Mom was discharged the week before last and can go out on her own now,” Lu Wuqi replied.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Mother Lan sat down on the sofa. It looked like she planned to wait for Mother Lu to return.

Lu Wuqi and Lan Xu exchanged a subtle glance before Lu Wuqi hurried to the kitchen. She poured three glasses of boiled water and brought them over.

“Little Lu, are you adapting to the university learning environment?” Mother Lan touched the still-warm cup and slipped into full elder mode, inquiring about Lu Wuqi’s situation.

“The learning atmosphere is great. I pick up new knowledge every day,” Lu Wuqi answered honestly. There was a clear difference between understanding programming and mastering it, and Lu Wuqi wouldn’t pass up any chance to improve herself.

“That’s good to hear. University is very different from high school—no teachers breathing down your neck anymore. You have to take the initiative in your studies and cover things more comprehensively,” Mother Lan said.

Though she deeply disliked Lu Fu, Mother Lan couldn’t help softening her tone upon seeing Lu Wuqi’s obedient and sensible side.

It was unavoidable—a student with good grades who was sensible and took responsibility easily won over any teacher.

Mother Lan didn’t want her daughter getting too entangled with Lu Wuqi, but she wouldn’t show any dislike toward the girl or her father in front of this innocent child.

After some idle chat, Mother Lu returned pushing her little grocery cart. Spotting Mother Lan, she launched into another round of warm greetings—one asking after the other’s health, the other insisting she stay for dinner.

In the end, Mother Lan couldn’t resist Mother Lu’s repeated invitations and agreed to stay for the meal. However, she insisted on helping Mother Lu in the kitchen.

“Lu Wuqi, I told my mom about your part-time job and winning the lottery. You don’t mind, right?” Lan Xu shifted closer on the sofa to sit beside Lu Wuqi.

“Why would I mind? Doesn’t that just show I’m lucky and capable?” Lu Wuqi asked, a touch puzzled.

“Exactly, that’s what I think too.” The corners of Lan Xu’s mouth curved up slightly. “But Mom said I can’t take any of your dividends. We’ll just keep the money with me for now—you can grab it anytime you need it.”

“Hmm, then let’s save it up and buy a new computer later?” Lu Wuqi placed her hand over Lan Xu’s, gently pressing down on the knuckles protruding from the back of her hand. “I’ve loaded your computer with so much software. It’s taking a toll when I use it.”

“We can decide later. Our major won’t need computers for a while anyway.” Lan Xu quickly moved past the topic. “Oh, right—the class monitor reached out. They’re organizing a classmate meetup on the 3rd to visit our homeroom teacher. Want to go together?”

“Sure, let’s go together?” Lu Wuqi agreed without hesitation.

Lan Xu: “Great. We’ll bring a gift along.”

Lan Xu was curious about what had happened with Lu Father, but out of respect, she held back. She planned to act like she knew nothing until Lu Wuqi brought it up herself.

The dinner for four had a wonderful atmosphere. Both Mother Lu and Mother Lan were skilled at making home-style dishes. The four dishes and soup were delicious, filling everyone’s stomachs.

It was late September, so nightfall wasn’t too early. Mother Lan excused herself shortly after the meal.

Lan Xu grabbed Lu Wuqi’s hand and, using the upcoming visit to their high school homeroom teacher as an excuse, managed to stay behind.

Mother Lan gave her daughter a meaningful look but didn’t object outright. She simply reminded her to come home early.

“Xuxu, does Teacher Du have a bit of an issue with me?” Lu Wuqi sat down on the chair in her room.

“No, Mom just doesn’t want me out too late. Don’t overthink it.” Lan Xu sat on the edge of the bed and tilted her head to look at Lu Wuqi. “What’s wrong? Did Mom say something to you?”

“No, but during dinner, it felt like Teacher Du was looking at me a lot.” Lu Wuqi let out a soft breath and took the initiative. “Did Teacher Du hear about Lu Fu?”

“Ah…” Lan Xu paused, unsure how to respond.

“There’s nothing I can’t talk about. Lu Fu took all the valuables from our home and ran off—pretty much everyone in the neighborhood knows.” Lu Wuqi shrugged, looking utterly unconcerned.

“Xuxu, I’m not as fragile as you might think. Lu Fu leaving isn’t a bad thing for me.” Lu Wuqi gazed seriously at Lan Xu, shifted her chair closer, and took hold of Lan Xu’s hand. “Xuxu, if you have any questions, just ask me directly.”

Lan Xu cleared her throat lightly. “Any questions at all?”

“Yeah, anything,” Lu Wuqi nodded confidently. She had no secrets she couldn’t share now.

“Did your dad reach out to you at all when he left?” Lan Xu asked cautiously, worried she might touch a sore spot.

“Nope—no calls, no texts, and definitely no messages through anyone else,” Lu Wuqi said.

She had blocked Lu Fu’s number ages ago. There would never be calls or texts from him in this lifetime. And no one would bother relaying messages for a debt-ridden gambler.

“Aren’t you sad?” Lan Xu asked.

Lu Wuqi thought for three seconds before shaking her head firmly. “Not at all. He’s already dead inside, trapped by gambling. He lost my student loans and all our family savings.”

“I know we share an unbreakable blood tie, but if I had a choice, I’d rather not have a father like that. Mom is more than enough for me.”

Lu Wuqi spoke candidly, her bright eyes meeting Lan Xu’s gaze. “Xuxu, do you think my attitude is too extreme?”

Lan Xu’s fingers drummed lightly on the bedsheet as she considered her words. “I’m no blindly filial type. If I were in your shoes, I’d probably feel the same.”

Hearing that, Lu Wuqi’s smile deepened. She rose from the chair and leaned down to hug Lan Xu. “Xuxu, thank you.”

“There’s nothing to thank me for. Any normal person would think the same.” Lan Xu patted Lu Wuqi’s back gently. “We’re not our parents’ appendages. We’re our own people.”

“Yeah, I…” Lu Wuqi began, only to hear a knock at the door. She looked up to see the ajar door swing open. Her mom walked in carrying a fruit platter.

“I washed some fruit. Do you two want…” Mother Lu paused upon seeing Lu Wuqi and Lan Xu locked in an embrace, then continued, “to try some?”