A sophomore in college starts by getting a marriage certificate with a female CEO.

"Baby."

A voice came from behind.

Sun Zhigang turned his head.

Lu Yang walked over from the entrance of the hall, his pace neither fast nor slow.

He walked over to Li Xixue and naturally put his arm around her waist.

Li Xixue paused for a moment, but did not dodge.

Lu Yang's gaze fell on Sun Zhigang, paused for a second, and then moved to the bag in his hand.

"What is this?"

Sun Zhigang's mouth moved slightly.

Lu Yang didn't wait for his answer, but turned to look at Li Xixue: "Have you eaten?"

"no."

"Let's go then, I'm hungry, I want to eat the grilled meat you made."

Lu Yang opened the passenger door.

Li Xixue didn't say anything and went around to the driver's side.

Lu Yang bent down to get into the car, then paused and looked back at Sun Zhigang.

"Director Sun, are you still here so late?"

Sun Zhigang tightened his grip on the bag a little.

"work overtime."

"oh."

Lu Yang nodded: "Thank you for your hard work. Go back and get some rest."

After saying that, he got into the car and closed the door.

The car window wasn't closed properly, so Sun Zhigang could see Lu Yang sitting in the passenger seat, turning his head to say something to Li Xixue.

Li Xixue's lips curved slightly.

It was a very small arc, but Sun Zhigang could see it clearly.

He has known Li Xixue for five years.

In five years, he never saw her smile at anyone.

The car started, its taillights flashed in the night, and it turned out of the parking lot and disappeared around the street corner.

Sun Zhigang stood there, the dessert bag in his hand squeezed out of shape.

……

Li Xixue sat in the driver's seat, having changed her clothes; they were different from the ones she wore when she left in the morning.

He wore a dark-colored top, his hair was down, and his hands were resting on the steering wheel.

"How was your day?" she asked.

"tired."

Li Xixue's lips curled up slightly.

The indifference from before has completely disappeared.

"Do you do this every day?"

"almost."

"Aren't you tired?"

"I'm used to it."

Lu Yang glanced at her.

got used to.

He spoke those three words very softly, but Lu Yang remembered the contents of that diary.

She works overtime until the early hours of the morning, drinks several cups of black coffee every day, and even has to sign off on trivial matters at the company.

This woman has endured all these years.

Lu Yang didn't say anything, but rolled the window down a little, letting the night breeze in.

"You said you were going to take me somewhere?"

Li Xixue stepped on the gas and drove the car out of the parking lot.

"Um."

"Where?"

You'll know when you get there.

Lu Yang leaned back in his seat and didn't ask any more questions.

The car drove for about twenty minutes.

Once outside the city center, there were fewer and fewer cars on the road, and the buildings on both sides changed from office buildings to low-rise residential buildings.

Lu Yang looked out the window.

He had never walked this road before.

After another ten minutes, the car turned onto a side road.

Trees were planted on both sides of the road, but there were very few streetlights; only car headlights illuminated the road ahead.

Finally, the car stopped in front of a house.

It's not big, just two stories, with a yard outside and a tree in the yard.

Lu Yang got out of the car and stood at the door looking around.

"Where is this?"

Li Xixue got out of the car, took the keys, and walked to the door.

"My maternal grandmother's house."

The key was inserted into the lock, and the door opened.

The lights were off inside.

Li Xixue reached out and touched the wall; with a click, the living room light turned on.

The house wasn't big, but it was very clean.

The sofa was covered with a checkered cloth, a potted green ivy sat on the coffee table, and several old photos were on the TV cabinet.

Lu Yang stood in the middle of the living room and glanced around.

Where is your grandmother?

He passed away a few years ago.

Li Xixue's tone was very flat.

Lu Yang spoke up: "Please accept my condolences."

Li Xixue walked to the TV cabinet, picked up one of the photos and looked at it.

The photo shows an elderly woman with completely white hair, smiling happily, holding a little girl in her arms.

"Is this you?" Lu Yang walked over.

"Yes, when I was five years old."

Lu Yang looked at the little girl in the photo, then at Li Xixue standing next to her.

Five-year-old Li Xixue has two little braids, bright eyes, and a wide, toothy smile.

He's completely different from how he is now.

"He was quite cute when he was little," Lu Yang said.

Li Xixue put the photo back without replying to him.

She sat down on the sofa and patted the seat next to her.

Lu Yang walked over and sat down.

"You've had a long day, why did you bring me here?"

Li Xixue did not answer immediately.

Her gaze fell on a calligraphy scroll hanging on the opposite wall.

The calligraphy is so-so, but the mounting is done very carefully, and it reads "Peace and Prosperity" on it.

My maternal grandmother raised me from a young age.

Lu Yang didn't speak, but listened to her.

"My parents used to be very busy, always busy starting their business, and they didn't have time to take care of me. I've lived here ever since I was three years old."

Li Xixue's voice was not loud, and her speaking speed was a little slower than usual.

"She gets up at five o'clock every morning to make me breakfast, takes me to school, picks me up from school, and tells me stories at night."

"Later, I went to junior high school and returned to the city, so I came less often."

"Later, when I went to university, started working, and took over a company, there were even fewer opportunities."

"When she was hospitalized the year before last, I was in a very important meeting. By the time I got there..."

She paused for a moment.

"I missed it."

Lu Yang sat beside him without saying a word.

Li Xixue turned her head to look at him.

"I've always wanted to bring someone here."

"Why did you bring it?"

"Let her see."

Lu Yang was stunned for a moment.

Li Xixue lowered her head. "Before she left, she told me to find someone who would treat me well."

"I didn't think it was necessary at the time; I was fine on my own."

"later……"

She didn't continue.

But Lu Yang understood.

Then I met him.

From that day on, she began to keep a diary to record her life.

The living room was quiet, with only the old-fashioned clock on the wall ticking away.

Lu Yang reached out and took her hand.

Li Xixue didn't smoke.

The two sat on the sofa for a while.

Lu Yang looked around the room.

Although the old lady is no longer here, the house is very clean, and it's clear that someone comes to clean it regularly.

"Do you come here often?"

"They come once a month to clean."

Lu Yang nodded, then looked around at the surroundings, which were very clean. "So, you came here today?"

"Um."

Li Xixue hummed in agreement.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yang suddenly stood up, walked to the TV cabinet, and picked up the old photo again to look at it.

The old lady in the photo has a very kind smile.

Lu Yang stood in front of the photo for two seconds, then bowed very seriously.

Li Xixue sat on the sofa watching his action, her fingers tightening slightly.

She didn't say anything.

But her eyes welled up with tears.

She blushed for only a moment before turning her head away.

When Lu Yang turned back, she had already returned to her usual self.

She got up and went to the kitchen, opened the cabinets and rummaged through them.

Are you hungry?

"good."

"My grandmother used to store a lot of dried goods here. I wonder if they're still usable."

Li Xixue rummaged through the cabinet and found several sealed packets of noodles and seasonings. She checked the dates and found they were still within their expiration dates.

Lu Yang walked over and glanced at the kitchen.

The stove was old-fashioned, with an enamel basin next to it. Several spatulas and spoons hung on the wall, the kind that had been used for a long time, with the paint on the handles worn off.

"I'll cook for you."