Lumi didn’t think she had ever had a private meal with Tracy before.

As the three of them sat in the restaurant, it felt surreal. The iron pot stew restaurant was very noisy, and Tracy, wearing a formal dress, stood out from the surroundings.

Lumi clicked her tongue, “Look at that. The boss is always the boss, even when she’s eating here. She could scare someone to death. Can you tone down your… gaze?”

Tracy’s gaze was usually gentle when she looked at people, but you couldn’t look too closely. If you did, you would see all the social maneuvering. She was a master of human relationships.

But Tracy said to her, “What are you nervous about? Flora, are you nervous? You’re the only one who’s so loud.”

Lumi pouted, “To be honest, Tracy, I’m afraid of you in the company.”

“That’s not necessarily true. I think you’re also quite afraid of Will.” Tracy was implying something, very obviously.

Lumi was a bit of a fool at that moment. Tracy tricked her into giving up her gun, “You noticed?”

“Mhm. It doesn’t matter. Love is sweet. Enjoy it.”

“The company doesn’t allow it!”

Tracy shrugged, “Do you know what kind of perverted pleasure managers get?”

“What?”

“Making rules and breaking them, especially when the manager breaks the rules they made themselves.” Tracy winked at them, “Let’s have a drink?”

“Then let’s have a drink.” Shang Zhi Tao finally spoke, “It’s not right to eat northeastern iron pot stew without a drink.”

“Then let’s have some white liquor.” Tracy was just saying that when her phone rang. She picked it up and spoke softly, “Mom, I have something to do, I’ll be home late. Be good.”

She hung up the phone and saw the glint of gossip in Lumi’s eyes. She said to her, “Widowed. The child is mine.” She spoke very harshly. It was actually a divorce. Seeing Lumi’s persistent gaze, she said, “He cheated. Unforgivable.”

“My ex-boyfriend also cheated. I beat him up twice. We broke up cleanly.” Lumi said.

“My ex-boyfriend didn’t cheat.” Shang Zhi Tao chimed in.

The three of them laughed together. Tracy raised her glass, “This is on me. Welcome back, Shang Zhi Tao. I hope you’ll have a smooth career.”

“Thank you, Tracy. I will.” Shang Zhi Tao said.

“My career will be smooth if I don’t get fired.” Lumi chuckled.

The three of them didn’t feel any awkwardness. They had a nice meal and a few drinks together, and they felt very happy. The next day when they saw each other again, they didn’t mention their private gathering. Everything went back to normal.

Life went by quickly after Shang Zhi Tao returned. Lumi was happy every day, and she was even more diligent at work. The two best friends had become three, and Tang Wuyi followed them around like a puppy. He bought coffee and meals for the girls every day, happily running errands.

Daisy teased them, “Your team is getting bigger. When are you going to let me in? I want to hang out with the elite too.”

“We’re full for now. You can join us next time we open up applications!” Tang Wuyi also gave Daisy a cup of coffee, “Here you go, mentor.”

One day after that, a video started circulating in the company. Shang Zhi Tao was shown in the video, collapsing and crying in front of a corpse. Lumi dropped everything and ran to see her. She saw Shang Zhi Tao, who looked like a lost soul.

She was like a plant that had lost its roots.

She had lost her best friend, the one who had been by her side for six years, who would protect her no matter what she faced. But one evening, under a sky full of sunset, he had jumped into the clouds.

Lumi had met him many times and knew how good he was.

Shang Zhi Tao was heartbroken.

Lumi was too.

“Shang Zhi Tao.”

“Lumi.” Shang Zhi Tao threw herself into Lumi’s arms, “Lumi, I’m so sad.”

“I know.”

Lumi felt incredibly sad too. She had drunk with the boy, and they had leaned their heads together to discuss how to fight evil. She hugged Shang Zhi Tao and couldn’t help but shed tears.

They hugged for a long time. Lumi didn’t know how to comfort her. Shang Zhi Tao said, “There’s a hole in my heart. I lost my best friend.”

“I know, Taotao. I also feel like this happened too fast, too cruelly.”

“I may never even know how it happened. It’s so painful.”

Lumi could only be there for her.

They sat in Lumi’s living room for a long time, from noon to dusk. The sky began to fill with sunset hues. Shang Zhi Tao saw the sunset and said to Lumi, “Lumi, we’ve known each other for six years.”

“I’ve been thinking lately. It’s been six years, and I only have a few friends. I don’t seem to be very good at making friends. Thank you for being there for me all these six years.”

“Well, that’s a coincidence. You know, I don’t have many friends either. Shang Zhi Tao was one, but I cut her off.” Lumi leaned forward and took Shang Zhi Tao’s hand, “So you have to be extra special. Otherwise, I’ll really have no friends.”

“I will.”

“That’s good.”

It was already midnight when Lumi left Shang Zhi Tao’s house. She sat in her car and didn’t drive away immediately. She didn’t know why, but a wave of sadness came over her suddenly. Lumi cried in the car for a long time. She had a feeling that Shang Zhi Tao was going to leave her, and the thought made her incredibly sad.

When she got home, she saw Tu Ming, who had just showered, sitting on the sofa flipping through a brochure.

“What are you looking at, my darling?”

“It’s a brochure someone gave me at the gas station today.” Tu Ming was immune to the word “darling.” In the beginning, he was uncomfortable when Lumi called him that, and he would protest. Now, he didn’t react anymore. Lumi had tamed him.

Seeing Lumi’s still-red eyes, he asked her, “Were you crying?”

“No.” Lumi said, then her voice choked, “Yes, I was crying. I felt so bad for Shang Zhi Tao.”

Tu Ming pulled her into his arms and held her. They stayed like that for a long time before Lumi calmed down.

She took Tu Ming’s brochure and looked at it. It was a brochure for a new development.

“Are you buying a house? Isn’t this place big enough for you?”

“What about buying a bigger one? A little further away, but bigger. It would be nice to go there sometimes for some peace and quiet.”

“Who are you going to live with?” Lumi asked him.

“…”

Tu Ming was taken aback by Lumi’s question. He suddenly realized that Lumi didn’t like to live anywhere else. Otherwise, she could have lived with her parents or in another house. She simply liked this place.

He shrugged, “Whatever. It’s getting late. Let’s go to sleep.”

Lumi realized belatedly that Tu Ming was angry. Her quick tongue had angered him. So, she followed him into the bedroom and turned her back to him to change into her pajamas.

Lumi did it on purpose. He had been gone on a business trip for several days, and Lumi missed him a little. She dawdled while changing, and a strand of hair fell onto her shoulder. She brushed it aside, but there was no sound behind her. He was really angry.

By the time Lumi finished showering and blow-drying her hair, Tu Ming had closed his eyes and was asleep. Lumi turned off the light and got into bed, snuggling up to him, her hand resting on his chest. Her fingertips fumbled in the darkness, unbuttoning his pajamas one by one.

Then her lips pressed against his. She could hear him swallow, and it felt so good.

As they disappeared under the covers, Tu Ming called out to her, “Stop.”

This time, she wouldn’t let him stop her.

It was always “stop.”

Lumi didn’t like that. Tu Ming was her first and only, and she wasn’t skilled yet. She was still figuring things out. When Tu Ming tried to pull her out of bed, Lumi got mad. She slapped his hand, “Don’t move. Bear with it!”

She felt that Tu Ming’s reaction meant he thought she wasn’t good enough. Lumi couldn’t accept defeat. If she wasn’t good enough, she could practice. But she needed opportunities and a subject.

She learned seriously, listening intently to Tu Ming’s sounds. After a few seconds, she felt a little happy. Apparently, he liked it.

Tu Ming calmed down. He pulled Lumi up. They stared at each other in the darkness for a moment. He was tickled by her hair, so he cupped her face with both hands, pushing her hair back. Then he kissed her.

He kissed her urgently, and Lumi responded with equal urgency. But she didn’t forget to ask him, “Did you like it just now?”

Her fingertips touched Tu Ming’s burning face. She imagined him blushing, and her heart felt warm.

When Lumi felt particularly bad, being with Tu Ming would make her feel a little better. She wasn’t sure why. It was like Tu Ming was her antidote.

The next day, when they woke up, neither of them wanted to move. It was rare for Tu Ming to stay in bed. He had his arm around Lumi, not letting her move. They were wrapped up in each other. Lumi asked him, “Didn’t you say you were going to Grandma’s house?”

“No rush. Let’s sleep a little longer.”

“Sleep until the sun shines on our butts?”

“Not that long.”

“Oh.”

Lumi mumbled a couple of words and turned back to sleep. She loved sleeping, especially on weekends like this. She could sleep soundly with Tu Ming’s warm body pressed against hers. She was really clingy when she slept. Her arms and legs were wrapped tightly around him. Now, she had turned around and was pressing her face against his neck.

Her breath tickled Tu Ming’s neck.

Lu Qing’s phone call woke Lumi up, “Ancestor, I’m screwed.”

“What’s wrong?”

“My dad said he’s going to have dinner with Yao Luan today.”

“Isn’t it supposed to be dinner with Grandma today?”

“My dad meant to have Yao Luan join Grandma for dinner. The problem is that Yao Luan has never met my dad before! The first time they meet, he’s going to be interrogated by the whole family…”

Lumi glanced at Tu Ming, who was putting on a T-shirt by the bed. Even a plain black T-shirt looked good on him. She stretched out her leg, slipped it under the hem of his T-shirt, and pressed against his skin.

Tu Ming turned to look at her. The person lying on the bed was on the phone, her hair scattered messily, and a glint in her eyes. He suddenly had a rare mischievous thought. He grabbed her ankle, knelt by the bed, and pressed his lips against it. Lumi flinched, but he held her down.

“What should I do?” Lu Qing asked Lumi.

“Just deal with it.” Lumi replied, her voice a little hoarse. A tingling sensation spread from her toes. Lumi couldn’t help but close her eyes.

“Can you have Tu Ming come along?”

“No!”

Lumi noticed her voice had changed. She hung up the phone. Tu Ming let go of her ankle. She was left hanging there, as if she had been deprived of breath. She fell onto Tu Ming, pulling at his clothes. He pressed her down firmly, “Tonight, it’s too late.”

“Then you’re teasing me!” Lumi was anxious.

Tu Ming chuckled and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, throwing her back onto the bed, “I’ll go after I’m done. I’ll be back late tonight.”

“Oh, okay. Then I’ll hang out with Lu Qing and Yao Luan tonight. He’s going to meet his parents. He’s probably as nervous as a little kid.”

“Yao Luan nervous? I doubt it.”

“What about you? Were you nervous when you met my parents?” Lumi asked him.

“Meeting parents isn’t like fighting. Why would I be nervous?”

“That’s true.”

Lumi chuckled and pushed Tu Ming out the door, “Go on, get going.”

Lumi dawdled around on her own. She made herself a brunch first. After eating, she went out to find Shang Zhi Tao. She showed her the fallen leaves from downstairs, “Taotao, it’s autumn. If you don’t want to come out, just wave at me from the window.”

Shang Zhi Tao was indeed standing at the window. She saw Lumi holding a piece of cloth with a few large, crooked characters on it, “Waiting to play with you.”

Lumi didn’t consider herself a romantic person, but she wanted Shang Zhi Tao to know that life had to go on, and she would always be there for her.

Shang Zhi Tao sent her a voice message, “Don’t worry about me. I’ll come find you to play when I’m better.”

“Okay.”

They arrived at the restaurant at 4:30 pm.

The Lu family had booked a large private room with two big tables for a hot pot meal.

When Lumi arrived, Lu Qing and Yao Luan were already there, being interrogated. The questions were quite detailed. Lumi listened from the side and remembered when Lu Qing brought her ex-husband to meet her parents. They hadn’t asked many questions back then. They just thought that the two young people were in love and it didn’t matter if they had money or not. They wanted to support their love. Now, after all that had happened, they were clearly more cautious. They were afraid that Lumi, their daughter, would meet the wrong person again and fall into a pit of fire.

Yao Luan was unusually subdued. He answered the questions seriously, “Travel? If the elders don’t like it, we’ll go less. We definitely won’t go anywhere dangerous. I value my life now.”

“I’m ready to buy a house anytime. I don’t lack the money for a house. But I’m not as rich as Lu Qing.”

“I know Lu Qing has been divorced, my parents know too, and our family doesn’t care. As long as the person is good, and I like them, it’s fine.”

Lumi chuckled on the side, which made both Yao Luan and Lu Qing turn to glare at her.

It wasn’t a big deal, but everyone was looking at her now.

Grandma asked her, “Where is your partner?”

“…I didn’t ask him to come.”

“It’s not too late now, call him.” Lu Guofu said, “I’ve met him a couple of times. He’s a nice young man, but can’t handle his alcohol.” He was referring to the incident where Tu Ming got drunk while treating the elders.

“No, no, it’s too soon, right? I wasn’t planning on getting married!” Lumi waved her hand, refusing to introduce him to her parents too quickly.

“When do you plan on getting married then?”

“In a few years, whenever I feel like it.”

Lumi refused firmly, but the elders in the Lu family were not easy to deal with, especially Second Aunt, “Little Tu is quite nice, what are you afraid of? Are you worried we’ll break you two up?”

Lumi giggled and asked Yang Liufang, “Mom, do you have any requirements for my future partner?”

“Yes, the young man should be well-mannered, kind, have a job, and it’s better if his parents also have jobs. That way, you’ll have less pressure in the future. And don’t find someone who’s divorced, we shouldn’t be looking for divorced individuals. There’s too much baggage with divorce.”

“What if there’s a divorced person who’s really great?” Lumi asked again.

“How great can they be? Are they out of this world?”

Lumi pursed her lips, choosing not to argue with Yang Liufang. But she sent a message to Lu Qing, “Don’t tell them about Tu Ming’s divorce.”

“Am I stupid? I’ll keep it a secret, it’s not important. The marriage certificate doesn’t specify if it’s a second marriage.”