The fat middle-aged man stood blocking the front of the car, tugging at Li Zijin.
Li Zijin desperately tried to push him away, her face full of anxiety. "Dad! What are you doing? He's leaving — don't stop him!"
It was Li Zijin's father.
Luke turned off the engine and got out of the car.
When Li's father saw Luke step out, his face lit up with a broad smile — the kind of overly enthusiastic smile that reminded Luke of the "eting the son-in-law" looks he had seen in certain situations.
"Young man, don't leave in such a hurry!" Li's father walked over and grabbed Luke's hand. "Since you've already brought her to the doorstep, co in and have a cup of tea before you go!"
Li Zijin stomped her foot in frustration. "Dad! He's busy! Don't do this!"
Luke looked at Li's father, then at Li Zijin, then at the impressive villa, and roughly understood what was happening.
He smiled. "Since Uncle is so kind, I'll trouble you for a cup of tea."
Li's father was overjoyed and imdiately pulled Luke inside.
Li Zijin followed behind with a look of utter despair.
The villa's interior was tastefully decorated — not the flashy, nouveau-riche style of gold and glitter, but a low-key elegance.
Rosewood furniture, famous calligraphy and paintings, and several antique-looking porcelain pieces on a display shelf.
A graceful, still-attractive middle-aged woman ca out of the kitchen holding a cup of hot tea. Although she was dressed casually at ho, her every movent carried a touch of refined dignity.
Li's mother handed over the tea, her eyes shining as she looked at Luke. "You're Little Lu, right? Can I call you that? You were Zijin's high-school classmate? I think I saw you once when I went to a parent-teacher eting."
Luke respectfully accepted the tea with both hands and nodded. "Hello, Auntie. You can call Little Lu or Xiao Ke."
Li's father sat down on the sofa, poured himself a cup of tea, and asked, "Little Lu, where are you from? What do your parents do? And where do you work now?"
These questions, this tone, this look…
With his powerful spiritual sense, Luke could clearly feel that the couple held no malice toward him — in fact, they were radiating a kind of "delighted at the catch" joy.
He seed to understand everything.
Before he could speak, Li Zijin could no longer sit still.
Her pretty face was slightly flushed — whether from embarrassnt at her parents "losing face" or sothing else, no one could tell.
"Dad! Mom!"
She stamped her foot anxiously. "What are you two doing?! He's busy! I already told you he's just an old classmate who kindly drove ho in his spare ti. Stop asking questions like you're interrogating a criminal!"
Li's mother glanced at her daughter but ignored her.
Luke smiled and gave a simple summary of his situation.
Local, parents still alive, one older sister. Currently doing international trade between the Pearl River Delta and Arica…
Li's parents nodded repeatedly, liking him more and more the longer they looked at him.
Old classmate, both parents alive, no brothers, self-made, owns a car and a house, successful career, tall and handso, well-spoken…
This was the legendary "mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law — the more she looks, the more she likes" mont.
The three of them then talked about his and Li Zijin's high-school days. Li's parents eagerly spilled many embarrassing stories from her childhood… how she wet the bed at seven, how she stole her mother's high heels in elentary school and fell flat on her face, how she wrote a love letter to the class hunk in junior high and his mother ca to the school…
Li Zijin listened from the side, her beautiful eyes already misting over.
She was completely stunned.
Who was their real daughter here? To an outsider, it would look like she was the stranger and Luke was the child of the family!
When Luke took a sip of tea, Li's father imdiately reached out and grabbed his hand, eyes burning with intensity.
"Little Lu, treat this place like your own ho — don't be polite. I never expected my good-for-nothing daughter who only knows how to live off us would have a friend like you!"
He sighed, his tone full of helpless frustration.
"Since you two are old classmates and know each other well, you should keep in touch and support each other. My daughter doesn't have many friends. After graduating from university she just stays at ho, doesn't look for work, doesn't look for a boyfriend. All those years of studying were wasted on a dog."
"Other people's children are either getting promotions or getting married and having kids. I don't even know what she'll beco in the future…"
Li Zijin finally couldn't take it anymore.
"Ah—!" She let out a sharp scream. "Dad! Mom! Stop talking! Aren't you ashad?!"
She grabbed Luke's arm and half-dragged, half-pushed him toward the door.
At the entrance, she opened the door, shoved him outside, then turned around with a look of utter despair.
"So… Little Black, Luke, you should hurry ho. My parents are always like this — their brains don't work properly. Don't take it to heart. I'll treat you to a al soday to apologize."
BANG!
The door slamd shut.
Luke stood outside, the corners of his mouth curving into a faint smile.
He paused for a mont, then turned to leave, but used his powerful spiritual sense to "watch" everything happening inside the house.
Li Zijin was desperately blocking the door, refusing to let her parents open it.
She scolded them angrily for embarrassing her, while Li's father and mother lectured her with the classic "hating iron for not becoming steel" expression.
The two sides bickered back and forth, faces flushed and voices raised, yet there was sothing inexplicably… funny and warm about it!
It was a unique family atmosphere.
In the middle of the argunt, Li Zijin suddenly started crying.
She covered her face with both hands, her voice choked with sobs.
"Dad, Mom, stop it… He won't like . He already has a girlfriend — all ocean horses. I'm just an unwanted failure. No company wants , no man wants … From now on, don't embarrass like this again by telling everyone everything. If you keep doing this, I'll run away from ho and never co back…"
The two elders quickly rushed over — one patting her back, the other wiping her tears — trying their best to comfort her.
Once she finally stopped crying, Li's mother spoke again:
"I don't think that young man is a bad person. Never mind the luxury car, the watch, and the custom suit — his manners and speech are refined… The way he looked at you was very special. Daughter, you should seize this chance."
Li Zijin raised her tearful eyes, looking at her mother in confusion, trying to awaken maternal love.
"Mom~ You only just t him. You don't know people's hearts. Maybe he's all show and no substance, or maybe he's a scamr…"
Li's mother snorted coldly.
"Look at yourself in the mirror — what are you? Why would anyone scam you? I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice. Are you doubting my judgnt?"
She paused, her tone becoming more realistic.
"We can't support you for the rest of your life. Your father isn't so big tycoon — his business has been losing money for years. This house and our savings will go to your older brother and younger brother. They're both useless too. Your brother still needs to marry a wife from Jiangxi — the bride price alone is 880,000 yuan. Think about it yourself. Either find a way to marry yourself off or go get a job."
Li Zijin burst into loud sobs again. "You're so biased! I'm your daughter too! If you're not going to support , why did you even give birth to ?!"
Li's mother hardened her heart and kept going:
"Crying, crying, crying — you're already twenty-six! All you do is live off us, refuse to work, stay ho all day, and don't even look for a boyfriend. Do you think you're still young? You're almost thirty. Who's going to want you then? While you still have so looks left, hurry up and sell yourself…"
"Li Zijin, the more I look at you lately, the more annoying you beco. Stop pretending to be pitiful!"
Li Zijin looked utterly defeated. She cast a pitiful glance at her father, trying to awaken paternal love.
But her father stood united with her mother, his expression firm.
She had no more tears left.
She stord upstairs in a rage.
Outside the door, Luke withdrew his spiritual sense, the smile on his lips growing deeper.
The car slowly drove out of country garden.
Beyond the window, Xiaoping City at night was brightly lit, with scattered pedestrians still on the streets.
Luke genuinely envied Li Zijin.
Her parents had money, the family was harmonious, and she had older and younger brothers to rely on.
Although her mother's words were a bit harsh and her father seed a little unreliable, that noisy, lively warmth — the feeling that "there will always be soone waiting for you at ho" — was sothing he had never experienced.
His own parents loved him too.
But it was different.
His family had co from poverty and hardship. To support him and his sister's education, his parents had endured too much suffering and sacrifice. That heaviness, that pressure, that constant "you must achieve sothing" burden had always weighed on him like a mountain.
But Li Zijin's family?
She could live off her parents, stay ho without working, and righteously declare "I'm just an unwanted failure."
Because she knew that no matter how useless she was, there would always be a al and a bed for her at ho.
It was a kind of luxury.
A luxury Luke had never possessed.
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