Put away your magical powers now!.

Chapter 193 [Parting on Unhappily] (7100)

Chapter 187 [Parting on Unhappily] (7100)

Because of her bad luck and misfortune since childhood, Lu Sisi could not be included in her father Yang family's genealogy, nor could she take the surname Yang. Therefore, she always took her mother's surname.

Lu Sisi's mother's name is Lu Xiuting. She is 41 years old and a native of Jinling Prefecture. However, her family is not from the city center, but from a suburban county.

Chen Yan and Lu Sisi have been together for so long, and Lu Sisi has talked to Chen Yan about her family in their daily conversations, so Chen Yan knows a little about his girlfriend's mother, Lu Xiuting.

Lu Sisi said that after graduating from university, Lu Xiuting interned at Yang Jiaming's company and met Yang Jiaming, who came from Gangcheng to Jinling Prefecture to do business. Subsequently, Yang Jiaming fell in love with the young and beautiful Lu Xiuting at first sight.

Lu Xiuting started a relationship with Yang Jiaming before her internship was over, and they got married in less than a year. She gave birth to Lu Sisi at the age of twenty-three.

The bond between mother and daughter is very special.

According to Lu Sisi, she remembers that her mother treated her well when she was young, at least the relationship between mothers and children was similar to that in other families.

Lu Sisi still remembers that when she was a child and went to kindergarten, her mother, Lu Xiuting, would pick her up from kindergarten every day, hold her hand, and take her home.

However, this scene gradually disappeared after Lu Sisi's fate was changed and she was plagued by bad luck.

Lu Sisi suffered a series of misfortunes and illnesses, and Yang Jiaming and Lu Xiuting, the couple, became less and less patient with their child, and their family affection grew weaker and weaker.

Later, when Lu Sisi's misfortune even affected those around her, the couple became increasingly indifferent to their daughter.

However, after listening to Lu Sisi's story, Chen Yan discovered a subtle point in time.

Leaving aside Yang Jiaming's attitude.

Lu Xiuting's change in attitude toward her daughter came just after Lu Sisi was excluded from the family genealogy by the Yang family due to misfortune!

This was a bit subtle, making Chen Yan think about it a little more.

After graduating, she started an internship at the company and met the boss, Yang Jiaming. Before the internship was even over, they started dating. Was it Yang Jiaming who fell in love with Lu Xiuting at first sight? Or was this woman deliberately trying to please him and marry into a wealthy family?

After giving birth to her daughter, she originally planned to rely on her son to marry into the Yang family, but when her daughter was not included in the Yang family genealogy, she immediately became very cold towards her daughter...

Then, she focused solely on pleasing her husband and wholeheartedly planned to have a second child to support her...

Of course, it's not easy to draw conclusions without evidence, but considering these timelines, it's hard not to feel a little uncomfortable hearing about them.

Chen Yan instinctively sensed that Lu Sisi's mother, Lu Xiuting, was probably not a kind person.

Regardless, since he was going to meet Lu Sisi's mother, Chen Yan made some preparations beforehand.

Lu Sisi is only eighteen years old. Eighteen years is not a very long time. There are many things that she could find out if she wanted to.

·
Chen Yan met Lu Xiuting three days after Lu Sisi told him.

At noon, Chen Yan accompanied Lu Sisi into a high-end restaurant located in the heart of the city.

This restaurant specializes in Huaiyang cuisine, but also claims to offer "creative cuisine"—needless to say, every so-called high-end restaurant that claims to offer "creative cuisine" is an expensive, rip-off place that sells gimmicks but is actually terrible.

The main focus is on a sense of sophistication.

This was Chen Yan's first time at this restaurant. And they don't have dine-in service, only private rooms.

At 11:30, Chen Yan and Lu Sisi entered a private room on the second floor of the restaurant. After the waiter respectfully opened the door, Chen Yan took Lu Sisi's hand and led her into the room.

Chen Yan felt that Lu Sisi's fingers were slightly cool, but her palms were a little damp—he knew that Lu Sisi was nervous. It seemed that the girl had some inexplicable fear and resistance towards her mother.

Chen Yan breathed a sigh of relief, gently squeezed Lu Sisi's fingers, and gave her a comforting look.

Upon entering the private room, Chen Yan met Lu Sisi's mother, Lu Xiuting.

At first glance, Chen Yan couldn't help but be slightly taken aback!
He almost thought he was seeing Chu Keqing.

It's not that they look alike, but rather that Ms. Lu Xiuting's clothing and style of dress are strikingly similar to the famous "Old Master Zi".

Lu Xiuting sat on the sofa in the private room, with a cup of tea in front of her.

She looks to be in her early thirties at most, much younger than her actual age.

She wore a sky-blue cheongsam, the fabric and workmanship of which were clearly of high quality. Her hair was styled in a bun, and she wore frameless glasses.

Her posture while sitting there was also very elegant, with her legs slightly bent, tightly together and slightly turned to one side, her back straight, which made her look very graceful.

She was also very beautiful, and you could see a resemblance to Lu Sisi, but...

Chen Yan was only slightly taken aback for a moment before he immediately realized why he felt something was off about Lu Xiuting.

A poor imitation!

She doesn't just look like Chu Keqing; it's more like she's deliberately imitating Chu Keqing's mannerisms!
An elegant cheongsam, an updo, glasses...

Even her makeup was in the same style as Chu Keqing's, characterized by its elegant and charming look.

But somehow, it just doesn't feel right, like wearing someone else's clothes or imitating someone else's style.

In terms of face shape, both Lu Xiuting and Lu Sisi have small faces, but they are slightly chubby, giving them a naive and innocent look.

In today's popular internet slang, this kind of face is called an "innocent face".

This kind of appearance and temperament is actually not suitable for imitating the glamorous and mature makeup of Chu Keqing.

She has a baby face, so why does she have to wear heavy makeup?

Lu Sisi's appearance is actually the type that looks good even without makeup. Wearing heavy makeup would actually diminish the innocent and naive charm in her appearance.

Chen Yan immediately made a guess: This woman must know Chu Keqing!
·
As the two entered, Lu Xiuting didn't speak immediately. Instead, she gracefully held her teacup, took a sip of tea, and slowly put the teacup down before looking up at Chen Yan and Lu Sisi. She smiled slightly, her tone seemingly commanding, and said calmly, "Yes, you're here."

Chen Yan's lips twitched slightly—he was trying to put on a sophisticated air, but it was actually a bit too affected.

Lu Sisi took a deep breath and whispered, "Mom."

Lu Xiuting glanced at her daughter for a couple of seconds, then her gaze swept over Chen Yan's face before she said in a deliberately indifferent tone, "Sit down."

Some cold dishes and tea were already set on the dining table in the private room.

Lu Xiuting got up from the sofa and walked over. She sat down in the main seat with a poise and quietly watched Lu Sisi and Chen Yan sit to her left.

She stared at Lu Sisi's face for a while before letting out a soft sigh: "You've lost some weight..."

Lu Sisi pursed her lips tightly.

Chen Yan sneered inwardly, "Skinny my ass!"

What's the point of pretending?

Lu Sisi had clearly gained more than four pounds since I first met her!
When Chen Yan first met Lu Sisi, Lu Sisi looked like she was petite and delicate.

Actually, she's not short, just rather thin.

After being with Chen Yan, her bad luck was lifted, her life became more stable, her physical condition gradually improved, her meals became regular, and she slowly gained some weight.

After using the Bone Forging Pill to transform her physical body, Lu Sisi's physical condition improved significantly. Although her physique didn't change much, taking the Bone Forging Pill still required increased physical exercise to promote its effects.

So Lu Sisi actually gained weight.

Although this young lady still has a well-proportioned and petite figure, and seems slender, she has actually become much more muscular—she even has abs now.

Lu Xiuting's comment, "You've lost a little weight," was simply a way of adopting the attitude of a mother.

The implication is clear: you're struggling to take care of yourself out there, without your parents to rely on, nothing's going right for you, which explains why you've lost weight...

Chen Yan felt Lu Sisi's body tremble slightly, and he spoke up at the right moment with a smile: "Hello, Auntie, I am Lu Sisi's boyfriend, my name is Chen Yan."

Lu Xiuting glanced at Chen Yan: "Oh, I know you." — Her gaze was clearly unfriendly.

However, Chen Yan wasn't surprised by Lu Xiuting's attitude. After all, he had gone to the Yang family that night, taken Lu Sisi away in front of Yang Jiaming, and said so many impolite things. It was no wonder Lu Xiuting wouldn't give him a friendly look.

"Then what you heard, Auntie, must not be anything good." Chen Yan laughed carefree as he got up, set out the teacups on the table, and poured a cup of tea for the mother and daughter.

Lu Xiuting glanced at the cup in front of her but didn't touch it. Instead, she looked at Lu Sisi and said, "You've been out of the house for so long. Do you know how worried your family is about you?"

His tone didn't sound angry at all; it was quite indifferent.

Lu Sisi bit her lip and said slowly, "I'm fine, there's nothing to worry about."

Lu Xiuting was slightly surprised. Her daughter's neither firm nor soft words seemed to be beyond her expectations—in her memory, she seemed to have gotten used to Lu Sisi's submissive attitude.

"I've sent you so many messages, why haven't you replied?" Lu Xiuting shook her head, her tone seemingly concerned, but actually carrying a hint of reproach.

Lu Sisi suddenly raised her head and met Lu Xiuting's gaze directly: "Mom, is there something you want to see me about?"

Lu Xiuting frowned, pondered for a moment, and said calmly, "Why do you say that? Does it have to be something? You are my daughter. You've been away from home for so long. Shouldn't I worry about you and care about you?"

"Because you can't."

Lu Sisi actually replied with this statement in a neither humble nor arrogant manner.

Lu Xiuting's eyes darkened instantly, and she said indifferently, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

“I’m not lying.” Lu Sisi shook her head: “During summer and winter vacations, you take my brother on trips and don’t send me a single message for a whole month. During the Spring Festival, you all leave me alone at home, and no one ever cares about me.”

As she spoke, Lu Sisi said in a low voice, "I moved out of my family home and started living with my boyfriend. You didn't ask about it for the first few days, but in the last few days, you've suddenly been sending me a lot of messages."

The gloom in Lu Xiuting's eyes deepened, but then she smiled, as if she had simply overturned the gloom.

She stared into Lu Sisi's eyes, her tone softening slightly: "Nonsense! What parent doesn't care about their child?"

As she spoke, she reached out and gently took Lu Sisi's hand: "Actually, I've been very worried about you these past few days."

Lu Sisi stared at her mother's hand that was holding hers, and after staring at her mother's slender, fair fingers for two seconds, she slowly withdrew her hand.

He wasn't very strong, nor was he fast, but he was very determined.

“Mom.” Lu Sisi seemed to smile, but her eyes made Chen Yan look somewhat pitiful: “You didn’t visit me during the days I was detained. When I came out and returned home, you weren’t home either. From the day I returned home after my detention ended until the day Chen Yan took me out of the house—during those days, you didn’t send me a single message or make a single phone call.”

Lu Xiuting's expression froze for a moment: "That's because your father is at home, and he's taking care of you, so I don't have to worry about anything happening."

"Hmm." Lu Sisi said softly, "So, when your daughter is framed and detained, and comes home, her mother doesn't offer a single word of comfort or concern—is this the kind of worry and care parents show for their children?" A flash of anger clearly crossed Lu Xiuting's face, but she still took a deep breath, her eyes turning cold: "Sisi! It seems you've made some bad friends outside! Where did you learn to talk to your parents like that?!"

"Hey! Auntie, are you implying something about me?" Chen Yan said with a forced smile.

"..." Lu Xiuting frowned as she looked at Chen Yan: "Did I say it was you?"

"What are you saying? There's no fourth person here. Besides, Lu Sisi is with me now, and among the people around her, I'm the closest to her. Who else are you talking about if not me?" Chen Yan waved his hand, looking indifferent. "Auntie, if you want to say something, just say it. If you want to criticize me, just say it directly. There's no need for all this ambiguity."

Seeing Chen Yan's blunt retort, Lu Xiuting said with a hint of anger, "Chen Yan, I am Sisi's mother. Is this how you talk to your elders?"

Chen Yan shook his head: "I am very polite, Aunt Lu. If you want to criticize me, you might as well say so. I am not very well-educated, and I am afraid that you will deliberately use the kind of high society language and tone in TV dramas, which I will not understand."

Lu Xiuting's face darkened, and just as she was about to say something, Lu Sisi grabbed Chen Yan's hand and said to her mother in a low voice, "Mom, just tell me what you want to talk to me about."

Lu Xiuting took a breath, looked at her daughter who was completely different from her former timid self, frowned, and then said in a deep voice, "Go home!"

"Ok?"

"I'm telling you, move back home." Lu Xiuting's tone was indifferent: "Whether you want to make friends or date, I won't stop you. But it's not good for a young girl like you to move in with someone so casually! You should move back home first."

Lu Sisi looked at her mother for a few seconds, then said in a strange tone, "Why? Anyway, didn't you want to send me far away?"
My boyfriend and I live together, we're not around, so we don't bother you. Isn't that what you wanted?

Lu Xiuting shook her head: "Who said you're in our way!"

After a pause, she patiently and slowly said, "Your father arranged for you to study abroad, which is also for your own good."

“I don’t want to go abroad.” Lu Sisi shook her head: “I’m very happy and content with Chen Yan. I think things are fine as they are.”

"You stopped studying at eighteen!" Lu Xiuting questioned.

"You didn't even ask me before you withdrew me from school." Lu Sisi shook her head. "If you care so much about whether I study or not, why did you expel me and send me all the way abroad?"

"Schools abroad..."

"That's a diploma mill; you can get in just by paying money. I checked it online. It's much worse than my current school! The degree from that school probably isn't even recognized in China!" Lu Sisi retorted without hesitation.

"..." After being rebuffed, Lu Xiuting's face darkened even more, and she angrily said, "So you've learned to talk back now?!"

Lu Sisi wanted to say something, but Chen Yan couldn't bear to see his girlfriend being wronged.

He patted Lu Sisi's hand, signaling her to stop arguing and let him handle it.

Lu Sisi's eyes were already glistening with tears. She bit her lip, gripped Chen Yan's hand, and remained silent.

“Aunt Lu.” Chen Yan still had a smile on his face: “Let’s not beat around the bush. You don’t really care whether Lu Sisi goes to school or not. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have expelled her without even knowing the facts—her original school wasn’t a 985 or 211 university, but it was still a public university with recognized degrees in China.”

If you insist on sending her to some dubious university abroad, then don't use the excuse of doing what's best for your child's education, right?

No one is a fool.

As for your dislike of Lu Sisi, your feeling that she's in the way, and your fear that she'll drag you down... hey, don't get angry yet, I'm just stating the facts.

Since that's what you think, then isn't it exactly what you want for her to leave home and leave you?
You may dislike her, but I don't. I'll let her stay with me.

I really don't understand, you both dislike her, yet you want to take her back now, what's the point?"

"..." Lu Xiuting stared at Chen Yan, seemingly still trying to maintain that superior demeanor, and said coldly, "Chen Yan, this is our family matter. Please leave for a while. I need to talk to my daughter about some family matters, is that alright?"

Chen Yan flatly refused: "No way!"

Looking at Lu Xiuting's resentful eyes, he laughed and said, "You're all trying to take my girlfriend away from me, why should I ignore it?"

Before Lu Xiuting could speak, Chen Yan interrupted with a laugh, "I really don't understand."

You don't care about her going to school, and you don't like her being at home with you.

But now they insist on taking her back... and want her to go abroad to study at that lousy university?

Why is that?

As Chen Yan spoke, his fingers tapped lightly and irregularly on the table.

Suddenly a strange expression appeared on his face: "Unless... you want her to go abroad and leave Jinling Prefecture?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Yan noticed a fleeting look of panic in Lu Xiuting's eyes. Although she quickly concealed it, it did not escape Chen Yan's notice.

"……nonsense!"

Lu Xiuting quickly denied it, avoiding Chen Yan's gaze and looking at Lu Sisi: "Now that I'm pregnant, I keep thinking about when I was pregnant with you, and I can't help but think of you—after all, you are my first child. I miss you, which is why I want you to come home."

"So, I can go home and live there, and then go to the school to have my withdrawal revoked so I can go back to school in Jinling Prefecture? You're not sending me abroad?" Lu Sisi asked.

“…You’ll stay home for a while, but you still need to go to school.” Lu Xiuting’s tone was firm: “If you don’t think the foreign school we chose for you before was good, this time we can choose a better school for you.”

Lu Sisi shook her head, her tone firm: "I'm not going to study abroad."

"You!" Lu Xiuting roared, "How old are you? You've given up your studies for a man?! You're just messing around with him, throwing away your future?! Throwing away your life?!"

Lu Sisi remained silent, but her expression remained firm and unwavering.

"I..." Lu Xiuting suppressed her emotions, but changed to a heartfelt tone: "Mom has been your age too, I know... you have feelings for Chen Yan."

But life is not a game. In today's society, who doesn't study? If you give up your university degree, what will you do in the future?
"Are you... going to rely on him for the rest of your life? What if he changes his mind in the future? Without a degree, you won't be able to stand on your own two feet in this society!"

“He won’t change his mind.” Lu Sisi shook her head firmly. “Besides, even if he did, I wouldn’t care!”

"You!!" Lu Xiuting's face turned ashen, but she finally suppressed her anger and said patiently, "Fine, fine! I know that girls your age, once they've made up their minds about a relationship, they get carried away and there's no going back."

I won't stop you from dating this guy named Chen Yan! Okay?

However, you should still go abroad to study! Even if you're in a relationship, you can have a long-distance relationship.

With today's advanced technology, you can contact each other anytime via WeChat, voice calls, and video calls!
What, do you have so little confidence in your relationship that you think it can't withstand the test of a long-distance relationship?

A provocation? Chen Yan chuckled.

“No, Aunt Lu,” Chen Yan interjected with a mocking tone, “We’re doing just fine, why do we need to put ourselves through this test? Our relationship is going smoothly right now, why do we need to create unnecessary challenges for ourselves?”

Is it hard to endure without suffering?

"Why create difficulties when there are none?"

"Shut up!" Lu Xiuting's composed demeanor finally crumbled, her expression turning somewhat irrational as she shrieked at Chen Yan, "I'm talking to my daughter, you..."

"Mom!" Lu Sisi shouted, "Chen Yan's meaning is my meaning! I will not study abroad!"

"No! You are not allowed to stay in Jinling Prefecture!!" Lu Xiuting lost control of her emotions and blurted out these words subconsciously.

Chen Yan: "Hmm?"

After Lu Xiuting shouted those words, she realized it was inappropriate and shut her mouth with a strange expression.

"Why can't I stay in Jinling Prefecture?" Lu Sisi also sensed something was wrong and frowned as she looked at Lu Xiuting.

"..." Lu Xiuting realized she had misspoke and changed her tone: "We... in short, we really mean it for your own good."

Lu Sisi's eyes had turned cold.

"Mom," the girl said softly, "I've been away from home for so many days. You didn't care about me for the first few days, but recently you keep sending me messages asking me to meet you."

Until today, right now, at this very moment.

You didn't even ask me once whether I had eaten well, slept well, or how I was feeling while I was away.

Are you concerned about me? Are you concerned about me, your daughter?
It seems like all you care about is sending me abroad, getting me far away from Jinling!

Lu Sisi's tone gradually became agitated, her voice tinged with grievance: "I understand! From childhood to adulthood, I've always been plagued by bad luck. I understand why you all dislike me. Not only do I suffer misfortune, but I also bring disaster to those around me. Whoever gets close to me will be dragged down. I've accepted that you keep your distance from me."

Over the years, I've kept my distance from you all, avoiding close contact with you and my brother! I was afraid that my jinx would bring you bad luck.

But I just don't understand. Since you hate me, I've left home this time and am living with Chen Yan. Aren't you satisfied yet?
Why do you insist on sending me all the way abroad?
"Am I really that unlucky? Leaving home isn't enough for you. Do you really think that staying in Jinling, in one city, would harm you?"

Seeing that Lu Sisi's voice was trembling with tears, Chen Yan couldn't bear it. He took Lu Sisi's hand and said coldly to Lu Xiuting, "She won't go home, much less go abroad—haven't I made myself clear enough?"

"I'm her mother!" Lu Xiuting broke down, angrily shouting at Chen Yan, "She..."

"She's eighteen years old, an adult."

"Aren't you afraid I'll call the police and accuse you of kidnapping...?"

"She's eighteen years old, an adult!"

“I can produce hospital certificates and medical records to prove that my daughter has a mental illness and is unable to take responsibility for her own decisions. Her guardians, the parents, must take responsibility!”

When Lu Xiuting actually said that, both Chen Yan and Lu Sisi's expressions changed simultaneously.

Lu Sisi was shocked to find that Lu Xiuting could actually say such a thing.

Chen Yan's expression changed because—this woman was so eager to send Lu Sisi abroad that she even resorted to threats.

"Don't think I'm bluffing." Lu Xiuting gritted her teeth: "She's had all sorts of bad luck since she was little, and she even suffered from depression. We've taken her to see psychologists and psychiatrists! We have relevant medical records to prove it!"

Chen Yan smiled.

His face turned completely cold: "Then do as you please. Let's see if you can forcibly take her away with that so-called medical record."

With that, he stopped giving his girlfriend's mother the cold shoulder and patted Lu Sisi on the shoulder: "Want to keep talking? If you don't want to, let's go home."

Lu Sisi nodded, her eyes red as she stood up: "Let's go home."

Seeing that Chen Yan and Lu Sisi were about to leave, Lu Xiuting shouted sharply, "Lu Sisi!!"

Lu Sisi stopped at the door, took a deep breath, and turned to look at her mother.

"I'm eighteen years old, I'm an adult!"

(End of this chapter)