Chapter 30

The strange tacit behavior between the mother and daughter allowed Lan Xu to spend a pleasant New Year’s holiday.

Mother Lan probably wanted to stick with her ostrich mentality all the way, so upon hearing that Lan Xu was taking a cab to the airport with Lu Wuqi, she insisted on saying that studies should come first. She urged Lan Xu and Lu Wuqi to study hard together and make mutual progress, and it would be best if they could take the postgraduate entrance exams and keep studying.

Lan Xu responded with a subtle expression. Studying together and making progress seemed to have no conflict with their relationship at all. Had her mom approved?

Father Lan was not as perceptive, and Mother Lan had said some misleading things to him. He was still anxiously worried, his mind full of fears that his precious daughter had been taken advantage of by some pig.

After thinking it over, Father Lan gave his daughter an extra thousand yuan. He told her to buy whatever she wanted and not to accept any gifts from boys.

“Dad, don’t worry. I know.” Lan Xu’s response was still a bit guilty. “I won’t accept gifts from boys.”

She understood what her dad meant. It was just that she shouldn’t spend the night out with her so-called partner.

But some things had already happened. All she could do now was repeatedly promise herself that she wouldn’t get involved with any boys.

“By the way, don’t you get along well with Lu Wuqi? If you’re really going out, just invite her along. That would be much safer.” Father Lan couldn’t help adding this, causing both Lan Xu and Mother Lan to pause.

Father Lan’s thinking was easy to guess. With three people together, the chances of his daughter being deceived would drop greatly.

“Enough. Don’t give bad ideas. I’ve already said everything there is to say to Xuxu.” Mother Lan said with a stern face as she snatched the small suitcase from Father Lan’s hand.

Letting Lu Wuqi go out with Lan Xu would be pushing her own daughter right toward her! So thoughtless!

Mother Lan continued, “After you get back to school, don’t overthink things. Finals are coming up soon. Study hard and prepare well. Don’t let this affect your studies.”

“Okay, Mom.” Lan Xu obediently agreed. When Lu Wuqi messaged that she had arrived, Lan Xu swiftly pulled her suitcase and headed out the door.

Father Lan still wanted to say something, but he swallowed his words upon meeting his wife’s gaze. Puzzled, he asked, “What’s gotten into you? Normally, you even meddle when Xuxu makes ordinary friends. Why aren’t you saying more this time?”

“Didn’t you say it yourself? The child has grown up. It’s time for us to let go.” Mother Lan replied mildly. “What’s the point of saying more? Whether the child listens is what matters most.”

She had told Lan Xu countless times to keep her distance from the Lu Family and Lu Wuqi. And now? If they were just good friends, that would be one thing, but they had become something more…

Clueless, Father Lan touched his nose. He thought to himself that women’s minds were so fickle—one idea before the holiday, another after. He couldn’t keep up at all.

–

“Lu Wuqi!” Upon seeing the person standing in front of the car, Lan Xu let go of her suitcase and pulled her into a big hug.

There was no helping it. Couples in the honeymoon phase were like this. They had only been apart for three days, but they already missed each other terribly.

“Mm, I’m here.” Lu Wuqi steadily caught her and held her girlfriend for a good long while before letting go. She then helped put the suitcase in the back seat.

It was quite a coincidence. The cab Lu Wuqi had hailed this time was the same one she had taken from the airport three days earlier. The driver already knew about their relationship.

Familiarity came quickly. The drive to the airport took forty or fifty minutes. While waiting at a red light, the bored driver tried striking up a conversation with them.

“Are you two flying back to school? Will you make it in time?” the driver asked.

“It’s fine. We still have more than an hour before takeoff, and we’ve left an hour for check-in and security.” Lan Xu replied. “Driver, is traffic bad today?”

The driver glanced at the navigation. “Looks okay on the map. We should get there in another half hour.”

“Which university are you heading to? Somewhere up north?” the driver continued.

Lan Xu nodded. “Yeah, Capital University.”

“A university in the capital must be one of the best.” The driver sighed. “My daughter has her middle school entrance exams this year. Her goal is to go to university in the capital too.”

Once the conversation started, the driver couldn’t help sharing updates about his daughter’s recent achievements.

Lan Xu happened to be curious about what middle schoolers were into these days. She chatted back and forth with the driver the whole way and even exchanged contact information with him.

“This entrance is the closest to check-in, so I’ll drop you here.” The driver said as he turned on his hazard lights. He opened the door, intending to help them with the suitcases.

But Lu Wuqi moved faster. She effortlessly lifted both suitcases out of the trunk, one in each hand.

“Little girl, you’ve got some real strength.” The driver remarked. “Some young guys couldn’t manage that.”

“Thanks, driver. We’re heading in now.” Lan Xu waved with a smile, politely saying goodbye.

“Sure thing. Next time you need a cab in Lin County, just give me a call. I’ll sort you out a car.” The driver waved back, watching the two girls leave hand in hand.

Little girls with little girls was pretty good too. If his own daughter ended up liking girls someday, he would just treat it like having an extra daughter. That was better than her marrying far away and only seeing her a few times a year!

–

Lu Wuqi had no idea that her display had suddenly won the driver over to accepting same-sex couples. After smoothly boarding their flight and returning to the capital, the two first went back to their dorms before meeting up at a restaurant outside for dinner.

“These are housing options near our school. The farthest one is only five kilometers away, so no need to worry about traffic delaying classes.” Lu Wuqi said.

She sent the neighborhood listings she had just compiled to Lan Xu. Then she took the tablet from the server and skillfully ordered the hotpot base and side dishes. They had eaten together so many times that they had each other’s tastes memorized.

Lan Xu flipped through the organized photos one by one. After ruling out a few older neighborhoods, she selected three that were just a bit over three kilometers from Capital University.

“This distance is perfect. If the weather’s good, we can just bike to school.” Lan Xu said as she casually picked up a jujube and crunched into it.

“Distance isn’t really an issue. My coach scheduled my subject two and subject three exams together. Subject four can be done on-site too. If all goes smoothly, I can get my license next week.” Lu Wuqi said. She tossed a jujube into her mouth too, her cheeks puffing up slightly. “Five kilometers is just to avoid the morning rush to school.”

After all, the capital’s morning peak traffic was terrifying. If it were any farther, driving might end up slower than a scooter or bicycle.

“Mm, no problem then. Don’t feel like biking? Just drive. Plenty of options.” Lan Xu spat out the jujube pit. “Lu Wuqi, which neighborhood do you like?”

“Any of them work. I already screened out the ones I didn’t like during the initial pass.” Lu Wuqi said honestly. “Xuxu, just pick whichever feels right to you.”

“Alright, then we’ll go check out these three when we have time.” Lan Xu was not one to dither. She made the decision on the spot. “You handle the timing. I’m free whenever I don’t have class.”

After discussing the house purchase a bit more, the hotpot base started bubbling vigorously. The aroma drifting out quickly whetted Lu Wuqi and Lan Xu’s appetites.

“Lu classmate, Lan classmate, what a coincidence.” Just as the two got up to mix their dipping sauces, a familiar but unwelcome voice called out.

Lan Xu turned and met Duan Qian’s smiling face. She frowned instinctively. “No table sharing, thanks.”

Duan Qian froze for a moment, his smile stiffening. “I’m here with my roommates. I won’t disturb Lan classmate’s meal this time.”

“Oh.” Lan Xu replied coldly, focusing back on mixing her sauce.

Lu Wuqi said nothing. She simply walked over and shouldered Duan Qian farther away, preventing him from continuing to talk to Lan Xu. At the same time, she glanced sidelong and quietly sized up Duan Qian’s outfit.

Duan Qian was decked out in new clothes—pricey trendy brands too. He must have tasted some benefits already. Who knew if he could withstand the trap set by a professional scammer.

The idea to dig a pit for Duan Qian had come to Lu Wuqi back at the nursing home. She had originally planned to set the trap herself.

But after seeing certain social news stories, she tweaked her plan slightly. She used some black tech to make Duan Qian see posts from certain professional scammers.

They called themselves professionals, but their methods weren’t that clever. They just posed as rich people to lure in young shortcut-takers. They’d start with small favors, figure out the marks’ backgrounds, then roll out the hooks until they had them fully snared.

As long as someone had no greed or bad intentions, they wouldn’t fall for those posts even if they saw them.

But for those with greed, who loved cheap thrills and shortcuts? Well, good luck to them.

“Xuxu, some cilantro?” Lu Wuqi pulled her thoughts back and shielded her girlfriend completely.

“Sure, two scoops!” Lan Xu passed over her small bowl until it was heaped high with cilantro.

Realizing he had been thoroughly ignored, Duan Qian felt his face burn a little. But then he remembered that he had already hooked up with that certain rich second-gen. His irritation quickly faded, replaced by a swelling sense of confidence.

In just a few more days, he would meet that rich second-gen in real life. If he could land her, he would save himself at least thirty years of struggle. There would be countless people envious of him then—maybe even Lu Wuqi and Lan Xu.

“Lu Wuqi, is he sick or something? That grin was so sleazy all of a sudden.” After mixing her sauce and returning to her seat, Lan Xu couldn’t help complaining.

“Maybe he really is sick. We’ll just stay far away from him.” Lu Wuqi said. She used the serving chopsticks to scald some fatty beef slices and placed them in Lan Xu’s bowl.

“Try the dipping sauce. If it’s not right, we can ask the server to adjust it for us.”

“No way it’s bad. My sauce is so good, it’d make even a slipper taste delicious!” Lan Xu’s train of thought derailed instantly. She rolled the tender beef slices in her sauce.

“Lu Wuqi, open up.” Lan Xu said. She held her hand underneath as she fed over a piece of beef glistening with sauce.

Lu Wuqi quickly stood up, leaned over, and caught the feeding from her girlfriend.

“How is it? Perfect, right?” Lan Xu raised her brows.

“Mm, delicious.” Lu Wuqi’s cheeks puffed up slightly. “Next time, leave my dipping sauce to you too, Xuxu.”

“Sure thing. But yours looks pretty good too. Let me try it.” Lan Xu said. She completely put the earlier incident behind her and dove into playfully feeding each other.

–

Once they threw themselves back into studying, Lu Wuqi and Lan Xu got busy right away.

They had originally planned to check out houses in their spare time, but with finals approaching, certain classes that never highlighted key points had Lan Xu cramming like mad.

Lu Wuqi had it easier. Her professors and department heads all knew her abilities well. If finals weren’t mandatory, those talent-cherishing professors would have just handed her the credits.

And so, the workdays after New Year’s turned into Lu Wuqi accompanying Lan Xu to grind away in the library for finals—complete with her three roommates as a bonus. The five of them rooted themselves there.

On weekends, the two would scout the selected neighborhoods and stay one or two nights in nearby hotels, giving Lan Xu’s brain—stuffed full of professional knowledge—a chance to fully unwind.

Neither Lu Wuqi nor Lan Xu were the type to dawdle. In just two weekends, they settled on an apartment. The only hiccup came at the end, when deciding whose name to put on the deed.

“Why put both our names? You didn’t use my money to buy the place!” When Lu Wuqi suggested using both names, Lan Xu immediately clutched her little pouch with her ID card inside.

She had brought her ID for hotel check-in, not for buying a house!

“Why didn’t you write both our names? We’re going to live in this house together,” Lu Wuqi said with a hint of confusion. “We looked at the house together and chose it together.”

“But you didn’t ask me to pay any money!” Lan Xu said righteously. “If I don’t pay, you’re just giving me half the house. Do you have so much money that you want to play the sucker?”

Lu Wuqi smiled helplessly. “Yeah, I want to play the sucker. Isn’t it nice that I’m giving you half the house?”

“No way. Then I’d owe you too much. Later on, when I start making money, we can buy a new house together,” Lan Xu said. “Just put your name on it. I don’t want mine added.”

“You’re really not adding it? I’m willing to play the sucker.”

The apartment was a bit cheaper than a house. Paying for it in full only cost a little over four million, which really wasn’t a burden for her. With the capital she already had, she could earn it back in no time.

Lan Xu shook her head. “No, don’t play the sucker. I don’t like suckers.”

This exchange left the real estate agent, who had been waiting on the side for them to sign the contract, dumbfounded. She even rubbed her ears, wondering if she’d misheard.

She had been working as an agent for four or five years and had witnessed countless arguments over names on property deeds.

There were mother-in-laws unwilling to add their daughters-in-law’s names, husbands unwilling to add their wives’ names, and couples putting the name of the husband’s elder on the deed, among other things.

But one person insisting on giving away half the house while the other stubbornly refused—this was the first time she’d seen anything like it. It shocked her even more than a university student under twenty buying a house!

“Ladies, you can always add names to the property certificate later. If you haven’t decided yet, why not just put one person’s name on it for now?” the agent suggested.

“Exactly, Lu Wuqi. Hurry up and sign your name. We still need to go eat soon, and if we’re late, we might have to line up,” Lan Xu urged.

“Alright, we’ll add your name next time.” Lu Wuqi uncapped the pen and signed her name on the contract.

It was just a transitional apartment, so skipping her name for now was fine. They could add it later when they bought a large flat or villa after graduation. There would be plenty of opportunities.

Exam week was scheduled for the end of January. While public foundation courses had unified exam times, the final exams for other departments varied. Some departments even allowed students to head home two days early.

Lu Wuqi’s Computer Science Department was a prime example. Other departments might have one or two exams a day, but Computer Science scheduled three or more every day.

The exams were a bit grueling, but the thought of leaving school two days early afterward left the students with no complaints.

Lu Wuqi’s roommates were all eager to head home. After finishing their last exam in the morning, they packed their bags and left that afternoon, leaving Lu Wuqi alone in the dorm.

But this wasn’t bad for Lu Wuqi at all. With the dorm to herself, it was easier to bring her girlfriend over for some alone time.

Of course, on the dorm’s narrow 1.2-meter bed, the two didn’t do anything too intense. They simply cuddled.

“Lu Wuqi, have you checked the school forum?” Lan Xu sat cross-legged on the bed, cradling her phone as she looked toward Lu Wuqi, who had just finished showering.

“Hm? What’s up? Big news?” Lu Wuqi looked up and asked.

“About an hour ago, it looks like police came to our school and took a Foreign Languages Department freshman in for questioning,” Lan Xu said.

This was the second day Lan Xu had stayed in Lu Wuqi’s dorm. With only one final professional exam left in the afternoon tomorrow, she couldn’t resist checking her phone. That’s when she saw the forum link shared in her roommate group.

“A Foreign Languages freshman? Did they say who?” Lu Wuqi asked, already suspecting the answer.

“No, the photo’s blurred out, but you can tell it’s a guy.” Lan Xu frowned slightly. “The replies are all saying that getting hauled off by police right now means he’s definitely tied to some criminal case. Otherwise, they’d cut the police some slack.”

“Looks like education and character aren’t always linked. Even Capital University students can turn out to be criminals,” Lan Xu sighed. After chatting about it briefly with Lu Wuqi, she went back to browsing other entertainment news online.

Lu Wuqi didn’t pursue the topic further. Some things were best kept to herself—talking more wouldn’t help.

Duan Qian being taken in by the police for investigation was just the first step. If he’d broken the law to cut corners, all that awaited him was expulsion from the school and prison food behind bars.