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墨書 Inktalez
Taking care of Lu Shuang is an easy task; she is naturally well-behaved and doesn’t do anything that would overly worry adults. I brought Lu Shuang to stay at the hotel, took her to school the next morning, and picked her up in the evening. However, I noticed something unusual about Lu Shuang; she was looking at me more often.
Because of Wang Xu, my mind was in turmoil, and I couldn’t sort through my feelings. I was angry and resentful towards him, wishing for mutual destruction, and it was even harder to bear knowing that Wang Xu was clearly on guard against me.
After picking up Lu Shuang, I casually asked her what she wanted to eat. Lu Shuang tilted her head and thought for a moment before saying she would go with my choice. I nonchalantly replied with an “mm” and planned to take her somewhere casual to eat.
My finances were dwindling, and I needed to stretch them for a while longer, so I decided to take Lu Shuang for some fast food. Just as we sat down and ordered our meals, I received a call from an unknown number.
“Hello, is this Sister Zhuang? I’m Wang Yue. Where are you?”
I hesitantly provided my address.
Wang Yue then asked, “Is Shuangshuang with you?”
“Yeah, she’s here with me.”
“Why are you taking her to eat this?” Wang Yue complained.
I felt guilty about taking Lu Shuang to this place, but my situation was indeed dire. Although this restaurant wasn’t fancy, it was clean, and I had eaten there a few times before. However, seeing the look in Lu Shuang's eyes and hearing Wang Yue's words made me feel even worse about letting her down.
“Is there something going on?”
“Of course! Today is Shuangshuang’s birthday; didn’t you know? Come over here. Never mind, I’ll come pick you up. Just wait.”
Wang Yue hung up the phone, and I looked at Lu Shuang regretfully. I softly asked, “Shuangshuang, is today your birthday?”
Lu Shuang nodded.
I felt a deep sense of remorse; I should have realized it much earlier. Instead, I had been so troubled by Wang Xu that I overlooked the eager look in Lu Shuang's eyes.
"I'm sorry, Shuangshuang. I'm really sorry, Aunt Zhuang didn't know today is your birthday and didn't celebrate for you. I truly apologize." I sincerely apologized.
Lu Shuang smiled sweetly, "It's okay, Aunt Zhuang."
She even comforted me, acting like a little adult.
Wang Yue arrived shortly after. Upon seeing Lu Shuang, she enthusiastically hugged her and kissed her repeatedly, asking what Lu Shuang wanted to eat. Then she picked her up and said she would take her out for something delicious. It was only then that Wang Yue noticed me standing beside her.
"Come with us; otherwise, Lu Ge will be worried."
Perhaps I was overthinking it; Wang Yue's words seemed to remind me of my role in taking care of Lu Shuang. If she truly thought that way, it was indeed the case.
Considering Lu Shuang, I followed along, walking behind Wang Yue. Once we got into her car, I noticed a large cake in the back seat. Wang Yue placed Lu Shuang in the passenger seat and buckled her in, saying, "Sister Wang bought you your favorite strawberry cake. Happy birthday, Shuangshuang."
"Thank you, Sister Wang."
Sitting in the back seat and looking at the cake made me feel guilty. After we arrived at our destination and got out of the car, Wang Yue picked up Lu Shuang and forced a smile at me, saying, "I really can't hold anything else with my hands full; could you please take the cake?"
"Sure."
So I carried the cake and followed Wang Yue into a high-end restaurant. Wang Yue quickly ordered a bunch of dishes and asked Lu Shuang several times what she liked to eat, ordering everything she mentioned until the table was piled high. Wang Yue warmly invited me to eat without being polite.
Perhaps I had grown accustomed to a frugal lifestyle; even when dining with Lu Ming, we usually had just three dishes and a soup. To me, Wang Yue's actions felt wasteful.
If this was a special celebration for Lu Shuang organized by Wang Yue, I couldn't say much about it. I buried my head in my food and remained mostly silent except for responding a couple of times when Wang Yue encouraged me to eat more while teasing Lu Shuang.
After finishing the meal, there was still plenty left over. Wang Yue called the waiter to settle the bill while continuing to play with Lu Shuang. I thought the torturous time had passed when suddenly the waiter returned from the bar with the bill in hand.
"Hello, your total is one thousand eight hundred thirty-four yuan; please take a look."
The moment the waiter handed me the bill, my face flushed with embarrassment. The waiter, waiting for me to pay, had no idea what was happening and continued to hold the bill with both hands.
I was so flustered that I couldn't even lift my hands. I only had seven or eight hundred in my bag, which wasn't even half of the total bill. Wang Xu's card was frozen, so I really couldn't come up with that much money.
I stood there, my face burning, stuck in this awkward situation with the waiter. Those few seconds felt like an eternity. It wasn't that I didn't want to pay; it was that I truly couldn't afford it.
It felt like the expensive clothes on the mannequins in a glass display—clothes worth thousands that I couldn't buy—but never had I felt so humiliated as I did at this moment.
Until Wang Yue stopped playing with Lu Shuang, her laughter abruptly cut off. Her voice turned cold as she said, "Let me handle it."
The waiter nodded and walked over to Wang Yue with the bill, casting a glance at me. I couldn't tell if it was intentional or not, but that look made my chest tighten with discomfort.
I had never realized how important it was to have money until now. At this moment, I fully understood how big of a mistake it was to give up my job for Wang Xu. Without financial independence, after losing Wang Xu and having his bank card frozen, I felt like nothing.
I felt like a well-dressed beggar.
Wang Yue seemed to be shining a spotlight on my every move, magnifying my embarrassment.
Now I understood why some say that without money, one has no right to talk about dignity. In front of Wang Yue, I couldn't hold my head up.
I had become a miser who dined without paying. Even so, I couldn't find the words to explain myself.
After Wang Yue dropped me and Lu Shuang off at the hotel entrance, she waved goodbye and handed me the cake, telling me to let Lu Shuang eat if she was hungry and reminding me not to let her eat leftovers the next day.
All I could do was nod and say "Okay." After Wang Yue left, Lu Shuang naturally raised her little hand to hold my fingers.
I squatted down in front of Lu Shuang and looked at her apologetically. "Shuangshuang, I'm really sorry. Aunt Zhuang didn't know it was your birthday today and didn't prepare a gift for you or take you out for something delicious."
Lu Shuang shook her head obediently. "It's okay."
I gently patted Lu Shuang's head. She was still young; what child doesn't like celebrating their birthday? What child doesn't want a birthday cake and presents?
I couldn't provide that for Lu Shuang, and I felt a deep sense of guilt.
Just as I was about to take Lu Shuang upstairs, Lu Ming called. I answered the phone irritably. Lu Ming said he was on his way. Less than ten minutes after hanging up, Lu Ming's car stopped in front of me. He got out, looked at me, then picked up Lu Shuang and kissed her forehead, wishing her a happy birthday.
Lu Shuang smiled sweetly as she received a small velvet box from Lu Ming. When she opened it, she found a pair of exquisite silver butterfly hairpins, adorned with tiny red gemstones on the wings—delicate and adorable.
"Let Aunt Zhuang put them on for you," Lu Ming whispered to Lu Shuang while still looking at me.
Lu Shuang beamed as she handed me the hairpins, calling me Aunt Zhuang in her sweet voice and asking me to help her wear them. I suppressed my emotions and put the hairpins in her hair, watching as they made her tender little face even cuter. Yet, my heart felt heavier; I could only force a smile and compliment her beauty.
Lu Ming then held Lu Shuang and comforted her for a moment, telling her to wait in the car while he placed her in the passenger seat and inexplicably took my hand, creating some distance between us.
"What are you doing?" I snapped, shaking off Lu Ming's hand. He caught the moment in his gaze, raising an eyebrow at me before glancing at the cake in my hand. Following his gaze made me even more upset, so I handed him the cake. "This is the cake Wang Yue bought for Shuangshuang. You can take it; Wang Yue said it can't be eaten the next day."
Lu Ming might not know all this, but I did; Wang Yue specifically instructed me on what it meant. My mood was chaotic, and I just wanted to leave, but Lu Ming wouldn't let me.
"Why are you angry?"
Why? I laughed in anger at his question. When our eyes met, my heart stirred slightly but only added to my frustration.
"Then let me ask you," I challenged him: "Why did you have to go on a business trip at this time?"
"What?" He seemed taken aback by my question. After a few seconds of silence, Lu Ming replied, "It's necessary for work."
"Necessary for work? Why didn't you schedule it earlier or later? You could have returned today; why didn't you come back sooner? Since you knew today was Lu Shuang's birthday, why didn't you tell me!"
If Lu Ming had informed me, I wouldn't have taken Lu Shuang to such a low-end fast-food restaurant. If he had told me, I could have prepared some gifts for Lu Shuang. If he had told me, I wouldn't have been caught off guard when the waiter waited for payment with nothing ready to offer, making me look foolish!
There is no doubt that I have been excessively venting all my frustrations on Lu Ming, even though he is a character who could easily handle ten mothers-in-law and ten Wang Xu. Yet, I had the audacity to confront him.
Especially since he is the one who pays my salary.
I suddenly realized that my current behavior was reckless.
Who would have thought that after I shouted at him like a madwoman, Lu Ming would look at me meaningfully without a trace of anger on his face, nor the pressure one might expect from a first meeting? After a brief silence, he calmly said, "I'm sorry, it was my oversight."
"What did you say?" Faced with Lu Ming's sudden apology, I was so taken aback that I felt as if I had gone deaf.
"I made you feel wronged."
He didn't come to hug me or anything; he just stood in front of me and said he was sorry.
"It won't happen again."
He assured me once more.
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