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That evening, as I was dropped off at the hotel, Lu Ming also got out of the car. I tried not to think about what had happened the night before and just considered it as a kind-hearted person's normal concern for me. Lu Ming was someone who knew his boundaries; he had both insight and a solid background, so he wouldn't waste his time on someone like me.
Suddenly, Lu Ming reached out and handed me a room card. "Take this."
I looked down and saw that it was from the hotel I was staying at. I stepped back in shock. What else could a normal man mean by handing over a room card?
Seeing my reaction, Lu Ming seemed to sigh. "I have a long-term room booked here, but I've never stayed in it."
"But..."
"Don't waste it."
A flurry of thoughts crossed my mind, expecting Lu Ming to provide various other reasons, yet he simply told me not to waste it.
That struck a nerve. Hadn't it been wasted before me?
I took the room card, sincerely thanked him, and rubbed my fingers over its smooth surface, wondering if Lu Ming could see through my embarrassment.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself or be too tense. The gym is on the fourth floor; go work out."
Thinking back, my eagerness for a quick resolution regarding picking up Lu Shuang had indeed stemmed from my own tension. The pressure I've been under lately—my disappointment in Wang Xu and guilt towards Miao Miao—was suffocating.
On top of that, I still needed to get a divorce and reclaim everything related to me. How could I afford to fall behind right from the start? This constant thinking reflected in my demeanor.
I should be ready to confront the crazy woman.
"I'm sorry for causing you trouble," I sincerely apologized, not just for today but also for my previous recklessness and mistakes while drunk.
I feel quite guilty towards Lu Ming.
He should have given face to Wang Nan and Miao Miao from the very beginning before contacting me, allowing me to work at his company. Perhaps during our first meeting in the car, I sensed that Lu Ming disliked me, and it wasn't just my imagination.
"Just a small favor, get some rest."
After Lu Ming left, I changed rooms at the hotel, organizing and packing the clothes I had bought during this time. I moved into the room that Lu Ming had left for me, which was slightly better than my previous one, and my mood improved a bit.
After taking a shower, I checked my phone and saw two missed calls from Wang Xu. At that moment, my feelings of disgust towards him were almost overwhelming; he was destroying my family while slandering my friends.
Before I picked up the phone to curse him out, I remembered Miao Miao's advice: not to act rashly, as it wasn't the right time yet. I couldn't let Wang Xu know about my discoveries.
I had to pretend, to act as if I was still unaware.
In front of me was a full-length mirror. Looking at my haggard self inside it, it's no wonder that the usually taciturn Lu Ming advised me to relax.
Taking a deep breath, I pressed the answer button.
"Hello, wife, where are you? Why haven't you come back? Are you at your parents'? I'll go pick you up right now."
Hearing his voice made me feel uncomfortable all over. My eyes reddened in the mirror. I sniffed and forced out a calm voice.
"I'm on a business trip for work, out of town."
Wang Xu seemed to believe me, sounding quite cheerful: "Oh really? That's good. When will you be back? I'll come pick you up. Are you taking a car or the subway?"
"No need. It's busy since it's the end of the year. I've brought some local specialties with me and bought some things for Mom." I was pretending; I had to keep up this facade and not show any cracks at this moment. Otherwise, I'd be the one who lost everything.
"That's great! I knew my wife was the best. When will I come to pick you up?"
Wang Xu seemed even happier, chuckling and enjoying the moment.
"No, you don't need to come. I want to meet with Mom alone."
"Why?" Wang Xu's mood seemed to drop suddenly, and his voice became reluctant.
"I just want to talk to Mom privately. She hasn't been nice to me before, maybe because you were around. If I talk to her without you there, maybe we can resolve everything. Let's try this first; what if it works?"
"But..." Wang Xu seemed concerned, and I quickly interrupted him.
"Let's settle on this. Let me give it a try. If it doesn't work, we can think of something together, okay?"
My heartfelt plea finally softened Wang Xu's attitude, but my disguise was nowhere near as solid as his.
After he agreed and hung up, in two days, I would have my first confrontation with my mother-in-law.
The next morning, I received a call from Lu Ming while still groggy. It was Saturday, so it shouldn't be about Lu Shuang. Slightly drowsy, I didn't answer immediately as the phone kept ringing persistently.
I was still a bit annoyed, but hearing Lu Shuang's voice immediately dissipated my anger. She called me Aunt Zhuang in her sweet voice from the other end of the line, and I regretted my earlier irritation.
"Shuangshuang, good morning! What's up? Are you with Dad?"
"Yeah."
"Have you had breakfast? Remember to eat breakfast; don't let yourself go hungry. And don't eat too many fried foods. Your dad doesn't understand; you have to remember that, okay?"
"Mm."
"Don't stay up too late tonight. You must go to bed before ten, and remember to brush your teeth, don't be lazy."
"Mm."
Lu Shuang called using Lu Ming's phone, which made it seem like I was talking while she was listening. When I stopped, Lu Shuang didn't say anything, and the atmosphere became a bit awkward.
"Shuangshuang?"
"Mm."
"Where's your dad? Is he there?"
"Yes."
"Where is he?"
"Next to me."
"What is he doing next to you?"
"He's watching me make a phone call."
"…"
I felt a headache coming on and softly said, "Can you ask your dad to take the call, Shuangshuang?"
"Okay..." A few seconds later, I heard Lu Ming's voice: "Hey? Are you still in bed?"
"Um." I felt like I was caught doing something wrong, and my voice became a bit weaker: "Aren't we not picking up Lu Shuang today? I thought I'd just..."
"Then let's meet in half an hour." Lu Ming suddenly said out of the blue.
"Wait, meet in a bit?" I was afraid I misheard.
"Little Shuang said she wants to go to the zoo. Come along."
I hadn't been to the zoo in many years; I couldn't even remember what it looked like. But suddenly going to the zoo with someone like Lu Ming made me a bit apprehensive, recalling how he would point out my flaws.
"Little Shuang said she wants to see you. Just treat it as overtime. Get ready, and I'll call you when we arrive."
After Lu Ming finished speaking, he hung up. I called out a couple of times with no response and muttered softly about how it was still early for overtime.
I had no choice but to get out of bed. The higher the quality, the more comfortable the bed should be; at least sleeping at night was somewhat comforting. I took a shower and changed into some casual clothes.
I planned to go downstairs first before calling, but as soon as I reached the ground floor, I saw Lu Ming holding Lu Shuang's hand, waiting for me by the car.
I jogged over, and Lu Shuang let go of Lu Ming's hand to take mine.
"Have you been waiting long? I just took a shower and took a bit longer than expected. Sorry about that."
"Just arrived. Get in the car." Feeling embarrassed, I went to sit in the back seat, and Lu Shuang followed me inside, handing me a white paper bag.
"Shuangshuang, what did you give me?" I opened it to find a sandwich.
"Dad did it," Lu Shuang reminded me.
I looked at Lu Ming in front of me and awkwardly said thank you. Lu Ming glanced at me through the rearview mirror but didn't say anything.
I first put the sandwich back in the bag and fastened Lu Shuang's seatbelt. After ensuring she was secure, I noticed her hair was styled in a rather peculiar way; it just didn't look right.
Curious, I asked Lu Shuang, "Shuangshuang, who did your hair?"
"Dad did it."
I cleared my throat and inadvertently made eye contact with Lu Ming through the rearview mirror. He frowned and asked, "Does it look bad?"
I had to awkwardly explain, "No, it looks good. It's just that I choked a bit earlier."
After my clumsy explanation, I wasn't sure if Lu Ming believed me. I carefully nibbled on the sandwich, trying not to drop any crumbs in Lu Ming's car, but my eyes kept darting to Lu Shuang's head.
Lu Ming definitely had servants at home; usually, Lu Shuang's hair was neatly styled. Today, however, it could only be described as very artistic.
Yes, very artistic.
After finishing my sandwich and wiping my hands with a wet napkin, I couldn't help myself before we reached the zoo. I made a "shh" gesture to Lu Shuang, who obediently stayed quiet. I gently began to remove the rubber bands from her hair one by one.
Lu Shuang's hair was shoulder-length and fairly thick. I hadn't brought a comb, so I had to bend my fingers and use my nails to tease her hair. When it came to styling a child's hair, I probably wasn't much better than Lu Ming.
At least he had some experience; this was my first time. But since women have a natural instinct for these things, I managed to tie Lu Shuang's hair into a bun after a few tries. I asked her to turn towards me, and at first glance, my work seemed quite decent—definitely better than Lu Ming's artistic style.
After getting out of the car, Lu Ming glanced at Lu Shuang's hair a few times but didn't make any comments. I couldn't tell if he had no opinion or simply hadn't noticed. After spending some time together, I found that Lu Ming could be both sharp and somewhat clueless at times.
Of course, I only dared to think about it in my heart.
The trip to the zoo relaxed me quite a bit. It turns out that looking at nature and animals is beneficial when feeling depressed. I don't know if I came here for Lu Shuang or for myself.
But after a day like this, it felt like I had unloaded a heavy burden from my shoulders.
After dinner, returning to my hotel room alone, the contrast made my heart feel a bit uncomfortable. I sat down in front of the computer and continued to go through the emails that Miao Miao had organized for me.
Inside were the things I needed along with her comments.
She said that if a battle is to be fought beautifully, it must start smoothly and continue that way.
She was absolutely right; regardless of whether the victor becomes king or not, I just want to reclaim the fairness that I deserve.
After my fantasies about having an old flame with Wang Xu were shattered, I was more willing to understand how far he would go before he truly felt remorse.
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