The Lu family’s living room was filled with several boxes of fresh tropical fruit.
Mom Lu said, “Your brother-in-law had them flown in from where they grow. It’s not the season for them here yet.”
Lu Xue sat on the sofa with Lutu in her arms, watching the news without saying anything.
Lu Xiaoqiao carried the photo albums inside and casually asked, “Sis, you seem pretty free these past two days.”
Lu Xue and her husband, Cai Junhao, had been high school classmates. They had been together for years and had a very strong relationship. They got married right after graduating from college, then started a company with help from their parents. The business had been doing quite well.
As the company grew, Lu Xue and Cai Junhao became increasingly busy.
It was already considered lucky if they could make it home for one meal a week.
“I’m a little tired,” Lu Xue said calmly. “The project is almost finished, so I left it to your brother-in-law. I came home to get some rest.”
Mom Lu felt sorry for her. “Mom will make you some extra good food to help you regain your strength.”
Just then, Dad Lu came back carrying his fishing gear. When he saw the wedding photos Lu Xiaoqiao had brought home, he asked curiously, “Why did you bring those here? Take them to Oujing.”
“Exactly.” Mom Lu finally noticed something strange. “Why are you bringing these home? Oujing is the home of the three of you. Don’t give people a reason to gossip.”
Lu Xue raised an eyebrow and looked over.
Lu Xiaoqiao brushed it off. “We’ve already separated. I took the big family portrait over there. I’m leaving these individual photos here. Don’t you want to look at them?”
That explanation satisfied the two elders.
“Is Xun still busy?” Dad Lu asked. “He hasn’t come by for several days.”
Mom Lu immediately interrupted him. “His brother’s death anniversary just passed. He’s probably busy.”
Lu Xiaoqiao nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
The two elders began talking again about how unfortunate it was that Xie Minghe had died so young.
Lu Xiaoqiao moved closer to Lu Xue and played with the child for a while.
Dad Lu took the little boy to see the fish he had caught, leaving only the two sisters in the living room.
The news broadcast was coming to an end.
Lu Xue calmly asked, “Did you test it?”
“Mm.” Lu Xiaoqiao knew what she meant. “He really has amnesia.”
Lu Xue asked, “What are you planning to do?”
Lu Xiaoqiao was extremely frustrated.
She had thought that after losing his memory, at least his personality would become a little more restrained.
But after seeing him today, it was obvious that he was even worse than before.
Trying to fight someone like him head-on would only make things worse.
“I don’t know,” she said helplessly.
Lu Xue glanced at her. “Have you never thought about finding that woman?”
Lu Xiaoqiao blurted out, “Do we really need to investigate…?”
Lu Xue asked, “You know who she is?”
“…”
There was no way Lu Xiaoqiao could say that she suspected Wan Bao’er.
Wan Bao’er liked white, and the handcuffs were white too.
Lu Xue knew Wan Bao’er. She knew that Wan Bao’er was Xie Minghe’s wife and their sister-in-law.
If Lu Xiaoqiao voiced this suspicion, Lu Xue’s entire understanding of the world would probably collapse first.
Lu Xiaoqiao drooped. “Why bother looking for her? If you step in dog poop, do you really need to find out who left it there?”
“…” Lu Xue was annoyed. “Stop disgusting me!”
Lu Xiaoqiao clung to her arm. “He doesn’t want a divorce. Is he trying to drag this out until I’m old and miserable?”
“Men are all like that,” Lu Xue said indifferently. “They want to live like men in ancient times, with one wife and several concubines. Besides, Xie Xun has the looks and status. If you don’t want him, there are plenty of women who will throw themselves at him.”
At this point, Lu Xue glanced at her.
“Take him to court?”
Lu Xiaoqiao immediately refused. “No!”
Apart from her, no one knew how awful Xie Xun really was.
He was very good at pretending. In front of the Lu family, he acted like a well-educated gentleman, polite and refined, and deeply devoted to her.
In reality, he was the kind of person who could cause chaos throughout the entire city over something he disliked, just to completely eliminate the problem.
Lu Xiaoqiao didn’t want things to get out of control. She didn’t want Lutu to be affected, and she didn’t want her parents to worry.
As they talked, Lu Xiaoqiao realized that she had nowhere to go.
She was beginning to feel like giving up.
Whatever. Let things be.
At least Lutu was staying here, and Xie Xun wasn’t stingy with money.
She could just treat it as having another partner to help raise the child.
Lu Xue remained calm. “I thought the two of you actually liked each other.”
“You really dared to think that?” Lu Xiaoqiao said without any respect for her older sister. “Do we look like a couple with feelings for each other?”
Lu Xue slightly frowned, as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself.
Perhaps she felt that anything she said would be useless. Once a man had cheated, no matter how devoted he had once seemed, it was worthless.
So she said nothing more.
After the news ended, commercials began.
The screen showed happy family scenes, full of noise and laughter.
Lu Xiaoqiao’s phone rang.
It was actually Xie Xun.
Lu Xiaoqiao took a deep breath and answered.
“Speak.”
The man seemed to chuckle. His gentle voice had the feeling of a tiger about to eat a little rabbit.
“I’m at your residential complex. Come out and show me the way.”
“…”
Damn!
Damn, damn, damn, damn!!!
“What are you doing here?” Lu Xiaoqiao was going crazy. “You’re not allowed to come to my house. If you come here, I’ll break your legs…”
Lu Xue clicked her tongue.
Xie Xun said something on the other end that Lu Xiaoqiao couldn’t hear.
Her anger suddenly disappeared.
She hung up and walked outside.
In the yard, Dad and Mom Lu were helping Lutu fill a container with water and raise some fish. Their neighbor, Uncle Li, had also come over to take a look. The atmosphere was warm and cheerful.
When Lu Xiaoqiao walked out, Mom Lu asked, “Where are you going? We’re about to eat.”
Lu Xiaoqiao didn’t even turn around.
She had thought that if she walked fast enough, she could chase Xie Xun away before her parents noticed him.
But just as she stepped through the courtyard gate, Xie Xun’s car arrived.
Through the lowered window, Mom Lu looked delighted.
“Oh, Xun is here! Quick, Sister Xiu, add two more dishes in the kitchen.”
Lu Xiaoqiao: “…”
Xie Xun looked at her with a faint smile, calm and relaxed. He got out of the car and took the gifts from the passenger seat.
The two of them stood face-to-face.
Lu Xiaoqiao lowered her voice and gritted her teeth.
“What are you trying to do?”
“Oujing is too empty,” Xie Xun said innocently. “I’m scared by myself.”
“…”
Seeing that the family had a guest, Uncle Li politely prepared to leave.
Xie Xun looked up. His eyes passed over Lu Xiaoqiao and landed calmly on Uncle Li.
“Dad.”
Uncle Li: “?”
Dad and Mom Lu: “??”
Lu Xiaoqiao: “?”
She really wanted to kill him!
The courtyard became as quiet as the night.
Sensing that something was strange, Xie Xun paused. His eyes swept around until he saw the familiar-looking face.
Without panicking, he smiled.
“I brought you two new sets of fishing gear. I saw that you had a neighbor visiting.”
“Ah, yes, yes, yes.” Dad Lu finally recovered from the confusion. “Uncle Li, you don’t remember? I told you this kid is a little face-blind.”
Xie Xun nodded. “I remember. I was just confused because Xiaoqiao made me so angry that I accidentally called him ‘Dad.’”
Lu Xiaoqiao: “?”
Fuck you!
“Was she being difficult with you?” Mom Lu came over to take the gifts and asked with concern. “Don’t mind her. She’s the youngest in the family… Well, she was the youngest before Tutu came along. We spoiled her.”
Xie Xun smiled.
“She should be spoiled. I spoil her too.”
Mom Lu immediately broke into a happy smile.
After several lively minutes, things finally became quiet again.
Lu Xiaoqiao tried to keep her temper under control.
“Since you have amnesia, don’t just wander around everywhere.”
“You have to blame Assistant Li for this,” Xie Xun said with an innocent expression, as if it had nothing to do with him. “The information he gave me only had written details. There were no photos.”
Lu Xiaoqiao said, “Go tell my parents that your company suddenly has an urgent matter and that you can’t stay for dinner…”
Xie Xun simply walked past her and headed inside.
He casually threw out a sentence.
“I’m going to tell Mom and Dad that you slapped me before.”