My absurd experiences in North America over the years

At 5 p.m., Li Fu parked his car in the temporary parking area at the school gate on time.

The Southern California sunlight softens in the evening, and orange-red rays filter through the feathery leaves of palm trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Students emerged from the teaching building in twos and threes.

Most of them were carrying backpacks, wearing headphones, or talking on their phones.

Lucy's figure soon appeared on the steps.

Today she wore a white short-sleeved shirt, light blue jeans, and canvas shoes, with her long, golden-brown hair loosely draped over her shoulders.

Unlike her heavy makeup at the party, she looked more like a college student at this moment.

A youthful and vibrant atmosphere is palpable.

However, Li Fu noticed that her walking posture was different from that of the female students around her.

She stood very straight, her steps were neither hurried nor slow, and her chin was slightly raised.

This is the kind of demeanor that comes from strict family upbringing.

Lucy opened the passenger door and got in, casually tossing her backpack into the back seat. Then she glanced at Li Fu and said, "You're right on time."

"I told you I'm a professional," Li Fu shrugged lightly.

It's good to have an employer like that.

There's not that much to it, and you don't need to be overly cautious all the time.

Lucy was very relaxed, reclining on the passenger seat.

Li started the car and slowly drove out of the campus driveway.

He was driving at a moderate speed, with no possibility of speeding. The Porsche Cayenne was a new car that Lucy had rented, so it was somewhat conspicuous.

He didn't want to give any police officer a reason to stop him.

Lucy rolled down the car window, and the evening breeze blew in, lifting the stray hairs on her forehead.

She seemed to be in a good mood, tapping lightly on the car door with her fingers in sync with the R&B rhythm coming from the stereo.

"I have a question for you," Li Fu said casually, as if he were talking about something insignificant.

"Hmm?" Lucy tilted her head and looked at him.

"Have you two known each other for a long time, Winthrop?"

Lucy glanced at him sideways, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

Li Fu rarely inquired about her social circle.

"Not very long, about three or four months. We met at a friend's party. What's up?"

Lucy was curious why he asked that.

"It's nothing," Li Fu tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel twice, "I just feel that he might not be as gentlemanly as he appears on the surface."

Lucy raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing on her lips. "And then?"

Li Fu remained silent for a moment, as if he was carefully considering his words.

He couldn't say that I had checked his criminal record, nor could he bluntly say that I suspected him of plotting something.

Given Lucy's personality, she might think he was interfering in her life and making a mountain out of a molehill by saying these things.

"He's being a bit too attentive. There's an old saying in my hometown: 'If someone is overly attentive for no reason, they're either up to no good or a thief.'"

Lucy stared at him for a few seconds after hearing this, then suddenly laughed out loud, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

She suddenly reached out and touched Li Fu's hair.

It offered a slight sense of comfort.

She may have mistakenly thought that Li Fu was a little jealous and wanted him to stay away from Winslop.

Li Fu frowned slightly. "I'm just reminding you."

"Okay, I got your reminder," Lucy turned to face him. "Don't worry, I've seen plenty of people like him. Their families are rich and powerful, but they don't have any real skills. They can only rely on their father's surname to get by."

She paused for a moment, her tone carrying a hint of nonchalant arrogance, "When they're pursuing girls, they always use the same lines, the same expression, the same posture. Honestly, it's really boring..."

Li Fu did not respond.

It's rare for Lucy to have such a clear understanding.

But Winslop is not that simple.

"Out of caution," he pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "I think you'd better stay away from him."

This is California, not Tennessee.

Lucy tilted her head and stared at him for a while, her eyes holding something that Li Fudu didn't quite understand.

It wasn't resistance, nor was it perfunctory; it was more like... scrutiny or confirmation?

"Okay, I promise."

Li Fu was slightly taken aback.

He didn't expect her to agree so readily.

"I wasn't really interested in him anyway," Lucy said, sitting up straight and turning her gaze to the rapidly receding street scene outside the car window. "Since you don't like him, I won't go to any more parties where he's involved."

She said it casually, but Li Fu always felt that there was something more to it.

He glanced at Lucy out of the corner of his eye and noticed that she still had that faint smile on her lips, as if she was in an even better mood than before.

When they returned to the apartment, the sun had already set below the horizon, and the sky had turned orange-red.

Lucy did not go straight to her room to change clothes as usual.

She stood in the living room for a while, picked up the remote control from the coffee table and turned on the TV, then went to the kitchen to pour a glass of water, the whole process seeming aimless.

Li Fu sat on the sofa and opened his laptop.

The police records he had checked at noon were still visible on the screen.

He quietly closed the window and opened the YouTube app in the background.

What did you do at home this afternoon?

Lucy walked over with a glass of water and sat down next to him, looking very curious.

"I watched some of my old videos, and the number of views has increased a lot," Li Fu replied casually.

Lucy leaned closer to look at the screen, her shoulder almost touching his arm.

She had a faint perfume scent, not the strong fragrance you'd wear to a party, but a lighter, sweet citrus aroma.

"Are you still planning to become a short video blogger?"

"No, I'm just browsing," Li Fu said, adding that he doesn't plan to be a blogger for the time being.

The videos don't generate any revenue; twenty dollars isn't even enough to eat.

"If you want legal status..." Lucy paused, her voice unconsciously lowering a few decibels, "I can help you think of a way."

Li Fu's fingers stopped on the keyboard. He turned his head and looked at Lucy.

Lucy didn't avoid his gaze, but she picked up her water glass and took a sip, as if trying to hide something.

"I have some connections," she said, trying to sound natural and casual, "If you want legal status, it shouldn't be too difficult."

"Why?" Li Fu's feelings were complicated.

Lucy frowned. "What? Why?"

Why should you help me?

"Please, you're my driver and bodyguard now," Lucy shrugged. "Without legal status, if you end up in immigration, I'll have to bail you out, which is such a hassle."

What she said makes sense, and it is logically sound.

Li Fu did indeed want a legal status; not necessarily a green card, but at least a visa.

But Lucy brought it up now...

He felt something was off; could it be that this girl really had feelings for him?

"Let's talk about it later!" He didn't want Lucy to disturb her family, as traditional white families were very xenophobic.

There might be a lot of trouble then.

Lucy did not insist.

She finished the last sip of water, put the cup on the coffee table, and then stood up and stretched.

"I'm going back to my room to change. We'll go out tonight."

"Didn't you say you weren't going?"

"Los Angeles isn't just about parties," Lucy glanced at him from the doorway, a sly smile on her face. "I'll show you the West Coast nightlife."