He was relieved that his reaction was calmer than he had expected, and as Xiang Wan relaxed, she asked again.
"Where are we going?"
"To Lu Qingxu's. Besides that property, I have nowhere else to go. Your place is still being renovated, so you'll have to squeeze in for now."
Lu Mingzhe's words were too polite.
Lu Qingxu's home hardly needed squeezing into.
Although the location wasn't as good as his own apartment, the space and renovation were impeccable.
It was a three-story villa, with over 200 square meters on each floor. Lu Qingxu had joked that it could accommodate three more people.
"It's fine, stay as long as you need. I'm finally not alone anymore."
Xiang Yang made dinner, and the four of them sat down to eat.
Lu Qingxu didn't hide anything from them and directly asked Lu Mingzhe what his plans were.
"You know Mom's temper, she's been spoiled by Dad, and we've both been obedient since we were young. It's normal for her to be unable to accept it when we suddenly defy her."
"But you already have a child on your side..."
Lu Mingzhe was in a bad mood and spoke impolitely.
"Can't you say something constructive? Don't you know these situations?"
Lu Qingxu didn't argue with his brother and said with a smile.
"I'd love to give you some constructive advice, but I can't."
"I already angered them by not listening to Dad and going into this disreputable industry instead of pursuing a public service career."
"At my age, I still don't have a girlfriend, and I'm struggling myself. Besides providing you with a place to stay, I can't help with anything else."
"I can only wish you both a successful union and good luck."
After speaking, he smiled and nudged Lu Mingzhe.
"Speaking of which, you were always eloquent since you were little, and Mom always favored you. Can't you soften up a bit and say a few nice words to appease her?"
Lu Mingzhe poked the rice in his bowl with a clatter.
"It's precisely because I was too obedient to her when I was young that I always want to go against her as an adult."
"I can compromise on other things, but not this. No matter what, I won't back down to her this time."
"Alright then. Tell me if you need money. Once the child is born, everything will be settled, and she'll have to accept it even if she doesn't want to."
Speaking of money, Lu Mingzhe asked Xiang Wan.
"Did you use the card?"
Xiang Wan took the card out of her bag and pushed it towards Lu Qingxu.
"No need, I'll find my own way. He's not in a hurry anyway."
"Your funds are frozen."
"Ah?" Lu Mingzhe was startled.
"Are you alright? Did she go and freeze your card?"
Lu Qingxu scratched his head sheepishly.
"It's all my fault, I forgot."
"They always looked down on my profession before, thinking I was not doing proper work. To prove myself, I opened a card in Mom's name."
"The money I earned is all in there, and she's the account holder, so of course, she can freeze it."
Lu Mingzhe was speechless.
However, it only strengthened his resolve to fight his mother to the end.
"Forget it, you don't need to use your money. I refuse to believe I can't get through this difficulty on my own."
After dinner, Xiang Yang rushed to the kitchen to wash the dishes.
Lu Qingxu said it wasn't necessary, as he usually didn't eat at home and didn't cook, so the dishwasher could handle it.
However, pots and pans couldn't go into the dishwasher, so Xiang Yang insisted on washing them by hand.
Seeing her brother busy cooking and washing dishes like a housekeeper, although it was the same as at home, Xiang Wan felt a pang of sadness.
She went to the kitchen to chat with her brother.
As expected, as soon as he saw her, Xiang Yang's eyes turned red.
"Sis, how long are we going to stay at his place?"
Xiang Wan pretended nothing was wrong and gently patted her brother's shoulder.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"
Xiang Yang spoke the truth.
"Before, it was just the two of us at home. Cooking and eating were done by both of us, and I felt happy doing things for you."
"Even after Mingzhe ge joined us, I treated him as my brother-in-law, and I didn't feel anything."
"But now that we're in someone else's home, I feel like I'm freeloading. I feel embarrassed if I don't do anything, but if I do, it feels like I'm inferior..."
Xiang Wan understood perfectly.
She felt the same way.
Although Lu Qingxu was Lu Mingzhe's younger brother, he was still different.
The feeling of being a dependent immediately surfaced.
But she had to be strong, she had to protect her brother, and she couldn't let her brother see her weakness.
"Once Double Eleven passes, my money will be back, and our house will be renovated. Don't worry, we won't be staying long."
"Besides, they don't mean anything by it, so let's not create problems for ourselves."
Xiang Yang nodded with red eyes.
Despite comforting him, Xiang Wan's melancholy didn't dissipate.
Similarly, Lu Mingzhe felt that staying at his brother's place long-term wasn't a solution.
He was at ease, but the siblings were bound to feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Xiang Yang was also a boy with strong self-esteem.
So, while Xiang Wan went to take a shower, he went to the balcony to call Zhan Bei Jue.
He had many properties, and they were lying empty. He could sponsor one for them to live in for now.
When he got through, he learned that Jiang Nan Fang was hospitalized and had lost the child.
Lu Mingzhe was deeply shaken.
He felt he hadn't fully understood Xiang Wan's true thoughts and hadn't grasped her completely.
He felt that she could slip away if he wasn't careful.
The only reason they hadn't separated was the child.
He was terrified that if he lost his child too, Xiang Wan might abandon him at any moment.
That night, he gently, patiently, and endlessly clung to Xiang Wan for intimacy.
Xiang Wan could feel his affection in every touch, and even in the midst of their passion, he insisted she swear an oath.
"Swear to me that you will never leave me, that you will never change your mind, no matter what. Swear it."
For someone as outstanding as him to be so devoted to her, Xiang Wan could only be even more devoted to him.
She made broken vows, promising she would never leave, never leave him.
They were like two pieces of driftwood floating at sea, brought together by a storm, clinging to each other tightly.
They were both afraid that if one was swept away by the waves, the other would be left alone, drifting aimlessly, with no destination...
The next day.
Knowing that Lu Qingxu's money was unusable, Xiang Wan knew that Lu Mingzhe, with his personality, would definitely do something privately to help her through this difficult time.
For example, borrowing money from friends.
She couldn't stand it.
As his girlfriend, she couldn't bring him honor; instead, she would make him lose face in front of his friends...
So, she took some time to contact a real estate agency, wanting to sell the house she had just bought.
However, she found out that a house with an ongoing mortgage could not be bought or sold until the property deed was obtained.
The property deed would take over a month to arrive.
So, she would endure for another month.
After a month, when the funds started to flow back, the house was renovated, and the deed would be in hand.
Everything would be better then.