Lu Guoqing mentioned he was feeling dizzy, but the family didn’t take it seriously. It was only when the illness struck that they felt a sense of dread.

One night, Lumi was sleeping soundly when she was awakened by a phone call from Yang Liu Fang: “Lumi, your dad is sick and is at the Jishuitan Hospital. Come quickly.” Yang Liu Fang had obviously been crying, and Lumi immediately became alert: “Mom, don’t panic, I’m on my way.”

Lumi had never experienced anything like this before. Her hands were shaking as she got into the car, forcing herself to calm down. When she arrived at the hospital, she saw her father lying in the hospital bed, with the emergency doctor discussing treatment options with Yang Liu Fang: anticoagulation, establishing collateral circulation, thrombolysis, and thrombectomy, all terms that Lumi didn’t understand.

“The doctor said there’s no danger to his life. You should go home first, and I’ll stay here and watch over him.” Lumi called Zhang Xiao, wanting him to come and take Yang Liu Fang home. After a long time, Zhang Xiao finally answered: “What’s wrong, honey?” He was drunk.

“Why the hell are you drinking again?” Lumi cursed and hung up the phone, calling a car for Yang Liu Fang.

“It’s not Zhang Xiao’s fault; no one knew your dad would get sick tonight.” Yang Liu Fang tried to console Lumi and then left.

Lumi sat by Lu GuoGuoqing’s bedside. It had only been a few days since she last saw him, but he looked like a different person. She remembered an old man named Grandpa Sun in the hutong who had a stroke, dragging one leg when he walked and speaking unclearly.

“Dad, you have to be strong. Let’s work harder and not end up like Grandpa Sun.”

She stayed by her father’s bedside all night, and the next morning, just before dawn, her mother came to relieve her so she could go home and rest for a while.

Lumi walked home, and as she passed by her apartment complex, she saw a man and a woman kissing on the side of the road. With a glance, she recognized the man with the messy dreadlocks—it was Zhang Xiao. Her dad was in the hospital, and her boyfriend was passionately kissing another girl in the early morning.

She stood there for a moment, thinking to herself how disgusting Zhang Xiao was and how he seemed to be enjoying himself. Lumi’s anger rose to the top of her head, and she shouted: “Zhang Xiao! What the hell are you doing!”

Zhang Xiao, drunk, pushed the girl away and was scared sober when he saw Lumi. Before he could react, Lumi had already found a stick and rushed over to hit him, cursing as she did: “Who do you think you’re disgusting? Have you no shame? Even animals have more decency than you!”

The girl was terrified and jumped to the side, shouting: “She’s hitting someone! She’s hitting someone!”

Lumi’s stick suddenly pointed at her: “Shut up, or I’ll hit you too!” The girl had never seen someone so fierce and quickly fell silent.

Lumi turned back to hit Zhang Xiao, who covered his head and tried to escape. He was too drunk, his feet were weak, and after a few steps, he fell to the ground: “Are you done yet? We didn’t even sleep together! What are you doing!”

“You still want to sleep together? I’ll kill you!”

Lumi hit him a few more times with the stick before feeling that she had vented her anger. She threw the stick aside and said to Zhang Xiao: “Let me tell you, we’re through! Stay away from me in the future! I’ll beat you up every time I see you!”

Lumi didn’t feel sad until she entered her home and saw the gifts Zhang Xiao had given her. Suddenly, she couldn’t hold back her emotions. They had been together for several years, and even the coldest heart should have warmed up. Ever since Zhang Xiao met Lumi, he had indulged her. When Lumi couldn’t stand someone harassing on the bus and got into a fight, Zhang Xiao rushed over the moment the person looked aggressive; when a colleague was bullied by a dishonest agent, Lumi was furious, and Zhang Xiao grabbed his weapon and went with her. Besides being a bit of a playboy, Zhang Xiao didn’t have any other major flaws. Sometimes he looked at girls a bit too much, but Lumi didn’t mind too much; she herself looked at young men every day!

But once many things start, they seem to have no end. Although Lumi appeared to be carefree, she was very clear in her heart: she saw Zhang Xiao drunk and kissing a girl, but what she didn’t see might have been worse.

Many things in a relationship can be overlooked, but not those that violate principles.

She wiped away her tears and comforted herself: Zhang Xiao was still okay; he didn’t fight back even though she hit him so hard. So be it! It was a good breakup.

Lumi changed her clothes, drove to the company, and saw Zhang Xiao sitting by the roadside sobering up, with blood on his face. Her heart ached, and she stepped on the gas and drove off.

She grew up in a normal family and hadn’t suffered much hardship. Today was the first time she truly understood the hardships of life—her father was ill, and her boyfriend had cheated. All of this happened in one day. When she arrived at the company, she quickly wrote the handover documents and leaned back in her office chair, lacking her usual vigor. Shang Zhi Tao was shocked to see her like this and quickly asked: “What’s wrong?”

“My dad is sick. I’ll ask Will for leave later. I don’t know if that bastard will give me time off.”

“What’s wrong with Uncle?”

“It’s not serious, don’t worry.” Lumi comforted Shang Zhi Tao and saw Tu Ming enter the office, so she got up and went over.

Tu Ming was surprised to see her arrive so early, with dark circles under her eyes and a tense face. The girl who used to be so full of energy was now listless, so he asked: “What’s wrong?”

“I want to ask for a few days off. My dad is sick.”

“Is it serious?” Rarely, Tu Ming’s tone was softer than before.

Lumi’s eyes filled with tears, which she forcibly held back: “He’s out of danger, but he needs someone to take care of him. I want to ask for more days off.”

“Okay. Hand over your work to your colleagues or me. If you need any help, you can also come to me.”

“Thank you.”

“Where is your family hospitalized?”

“Jishuitan.”

Tu Ming nodded: “My family is at Jishuitan Hospital. If you encounter any difficulties, call me.”

Lumi was a bit surprised, but Tu Ming seemed sincere, so she nodded again: “Okay, thank you.”

Shang Zhi Tao accompanied her downstairs and, seeing her unusually silent, took her arm: “Where is Uncle hospitalized?”

“You’re busy, you don’t need to go.” Shang Zhi Tao had too much work, and Lumi felt sorry for her working day and night alone. She didn’t need these social niceties; she didn’t have many demands on her friends.

“I won’t go.” Shang Zhi Tao said she wouldn’t go and changed the subject with Lumi. Out of the blue, she asked again: “Where was Uncle again?”

“Jishuitan.”

After Lumi answered, she realized and pinched Shang Zhi Tao’s face: “Don’t go! It’s not a big deal!”

“I won’t go!”

Shang Zhi Tao said she wouldn’t go, but she still went during lunch. Lumi was accompanying Lu GuoGuoqing when she saw Shang Zhi Tao rushing over, her face covered in sweat, and felt a warmth in her heart: “What are you doing?”

Shang Zhi Tao took out a red envelope and gave it to Lumi: “It’s for Uncle. We have this custom where I’m from; don’t argue with me.”

The two went downstairs to grab a bite. The hospital was bustling with people, and the elevator was filled with people with sorrowful expressions. Lumi suddenly felt extremely upset, and tears fell: “What kind of situation is this…”

Shang Zhi Tao hugged her to comfort her: “I’ve calculated with my fingers; from now on, it will all be good days.”

Lumi nodded, leaning on her shoulder: “Borrowing your auspicious words.”

After seeing Shang Zhi Tao off, Lu Guoqing arrived.

“Is my uncle feeling down?” Lu Guoqing whispered to Lumi.

“Wouldn’t you feel down if you were sick?”

“Hehe.” Lu Guoqing chuckled: “I asked the doctor; with proper recovery, there won’t be any problems in the future.”

“Hurry up and leave!”

The Lu family was close-knit, and when something happened, they all came at once, one after another. Even after visiting hours, they still wanted to go in and were stopped by the nurses outside the ward, not allowed to enter no matter what.

Lu Guoqing felt for the first time that his daughter was reliable. In the past, the family was safe and sound, and they hadn’t experienced anything like this, so he didn’t know how capable his daughter was. After getting sick this time, he suddenly discovered that his daughter was actually very strong.

Lumi took care of her bedridden father, staying up all night and finding ways to cheer him up. Sometimes Lu Guoqing felt bad, and Lumi would say: “I only have one dad. If I don’t take care of you, who will? Just focus on getting better and don’t think about useless things!”

“Do you remember Old Sun? The one who walked like this?” Lumi stood up and imitated Grandpa Sun carrying a basket: “If you don’t pay attention in the future, you’ll end up like Old Sun.”

“Alright, I’ll quit drinking.”

“Is quitting drinking enough? You also need to quit smoking, take your medicine properly, and exercise!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll listen to my daughter. Whatever my daughter says goes!”

“That’s more like it. Report to me every day from now on. I’ll have Mrs. Yang Liu Fang supervise you. If you don’t listen, I won’t let you off the hook.” Lumi sat down to help Lu Guoqing wipe his hands, not missing the gaps between his fingers, but her face was tense, and she wasn’t smiling.

“I heard about Zhang Xiao from your mom.”

“What did Mom say?”

“Your mom said: My daughter can pick up and put down things easily; feeling bad is just a matter of three to five days. Guess what Dad thinks?”

“You’re speaking quite fluently now; you definitely won’t be like Old Sun.” Lumi joked. Lu Guoqing tapped her head: “Your dad thinks that if you break up, you should keep dating. Love? Date more; it’s fun and interesting.”

Lumi was amused by Lu Guoqing: “You’re even more open-minded than I am!”

She took care of Lu Guoqing for several consecutive days, and on the day he finished his last check-up with no issues and the doctor allowed him to be discharged, she finally felt relieved and decided to go clubbing.

Lumi just liked the lively atmosphere of nightclubs. When she went to nightclubs, she really only went to dance and never fooled around. People who had known her for a long time knew that her exterior was wild, but her heart was clear! But many people didn’t wait to see her clear heart and kept their distance.

Lumi didn’t care; she enjoyed her freedom. She was content with the few sincere friends she had.

It was also on this day, a day full of coincidences. Luke had an appointment with a client in the evening but couldn’t make it due to something urgent, so he asked Tu Ming to go in his place. Tu Ming had nothing planned that day and casually agreed.

The appointment was at a nightclub with deafening music. Tu Ming frowned, found the client, and they sat in a booth drinking.

Tu Ming was out of place with the people around him who were moving their bodies. He watched the dance floor and occasionally spoke with the client when they returned from dancing. Although he didn’t seem to be against it, his occasional frown showed his discomfort with the noisy environment. Worried that the client might be uncomfortable, he simply called for drinks and went outside to stand for a while, letting the client enjoy themselves.

He sat on a long bench at the entrance of the bar, his shirt buttoned up to his neck, like an old monk in meditation. The night in the Workers’ Stadium was unbearably noisy, and his tranquility was out of place, attracting more than a few glances. Including Lumi’s.

She walked over in high heels and saw Tu Ming from a distance, sitting on the bench like a door god. She muttered “shit” under her breath, and her momentum weakened. She quickly moved to the other side of her friend.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve seen a ghost.” Lumi had just been scolded by Tu Ming on the phone during the day. It wasn’t really a scolding, more like a teacher criticizing a student for misbehavior. The rebellious bone in her stood up, and she wished to stay far away from him.

What was this ancestor doing here? Fishing for girls?