Redemption from the Abyss: The School Beauty Insists on Pulling Me Out of the Mire

The group walked along the main road toward the exit, discussing whether to eat Japanese Wagyu beef or traditional Beijing-style grilled meat later.

The lively chatter stopped when they reached the giant Christmas tree decoration.

Lin Lu's body stiffened, her round eyes fixed on a middle-aged couple ten meters diagonally in front of her.

Before anyone could react, Lin Lu darted behind the human wall.

"Oh no, what are my parents doing there?"

Xie Wang looked in the direction Lin Lu was pointing.

Not far away, next to a vending machine, a well-dressed and refined middle-aged couple were walking side by side, carrying several shopping bags from the mall.

Lin's father and mother.

The smile on Lu Wen's face completely vanished at that moment.

Although he usually appears dashing and debonair, he still feels a little insecure in front of Lin Lu's parents.

He had always known that the Lin family was a scholarly family. Although Lin's parents were not strict with Lin Lu, they certainly did not like idle rich kids.

Lu Wen took a deep breath and tried to straighten his back.

"Don't be afraid, little deer, I'm here."

But to Lin Lu, this was his last act of defiance.

Unfortunately, fate did not give them the chance to continue hiding. As Lin's mother's gaze swept over the group of energetic high school students, she keenly caught sight of that familiar figure.

"A deer?"

Lin's mother's voice pierced through the surrounding noise.

There was no way to avoid it. Lin's father had already stepped over, his eyes, hidden behind his glasses, scrutinized Lu Wen for a full three seconds.

Lin Lu slowly moved out from behind Xie Wang, head down, and whispered, "Mom and Dad."

Lin's mother walked up to her daughter, first giving her a doting look, then her gaze sharpened and fell on Lu Wen, who was standing at the front.

She clearly hadn't forgotten seeing the boy in the leather jacket naturally holding her precious daughter's hand at the corner.

"Who is this?"

Lin's mother's tone carried a natural sense of oppression.

Lu Wen tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile that was more like a grimace.

"Hello, uncles and aunts, I am Lu Wen, and I am also Lin Lu's friend."

He originally wanted to say that I was her boyfriend, but when he saw Lin's father's serious face, he swallowed those three words back down.

Lin's father didn't say anything, but frowned slightly as he looked at Lu Wen's outfit, which didn't look like that of a good student.

He recognized Xie Wang and Su Qinghe; after all, those two had been quite the stars at the last parent-teacher conference.

He also knew Xu You, the quiet and well-behaved child whose grades were consistently in the top fifty of the grade.

The only exception was the somewhat flamboyant-looking boy in front of him, who was completely absent from his list of academic high-achievers.

The atmosphere plummeted to freezing point. Lin's mother's gaze swept back and forth between Lu Wen and Lin Lu, her tone turning cold and hard.

"Little Deer, I remember you promised me that you would focus all your energy on studying during your senior year of high school."

Lin Lu lowered her head, her fingers twisting together, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Su Qinghe took a step forward, her cool and aloof face exuding a convincing sense of composure in front of her elders.

"Aunt Lin, actually, we just finished our final exams today and wanted to relax a bit. Lu Wen was driving us."

Her words were cleverly worded, both clarifying the legitimacy of the gathering and providing cover for Lu Wen's identity.

Xie Wang also spoke lazily, his casual yet polite attitude revealing a sense of confidence to the elders.

"Yes, Uncle, Lu Wen is now starting a business with us. Lin Lu was able to improve so much in the final exams this time, thanks to the study materials he helped find."

When Lin's father heard the word "start a business," the disdain in his eyes lessened slightly, but doubts remained.

"Start a business? At your age, instead of thinking about the college entrance exam, you're doing this kind of nonsense?"

His tone remained stern, reflecting the older generation of intellectuals' inherent obsession with practical work and scholarship.

Lu Wen's defenses completely crumbled. He knew that in his future father-in-law's mind, he had already been labeled as someone who was idle and extravagant.

"Uncle, I know you may think I'm unreliable, but I'm not kidding."

"We just received a 30 million yuan investment from the Lu Group, and our business is now on track. Xie Wang is our Chief Technology Officer."

Mr. Lin was taken aback for a moment. He pushed up his glasses and looked back at Xie Wang.

He knew that Xie Wang's skills were famous throughout the country.

Xu You, who had been silent all along, spoke softly, her voice gentle yet unusually firm.

"Auntie, Brother Lu Wen is actually very hardworking in private, and he won't interfere with Lin Lu's studies."

Lin Wanqiu looked at her daughter protecting Lu Wen.

The initially sharp confrontation eased considerably at this moment due to the combined attack of their companions.

Lin's father sighed. Looking at Lu Wen's appearance, which was clearly very scared but still trying to put on a brave face, his prejudice finally dissipated a bit.

"Since he is a friend of Qinghe and Xie Wang, his character should be fine."

Although his words were still harsh, to Lin Lu, it was practically a pardon.

Lin's mother also showed a gentle smile. She looked at Lu Wen again and found that although the boy was dressed a bit strangely, his eyes were clear.

"Since we've run into each other, let's not stand outside any longer. This meal is on us."

Lin Lu and Lu Wen both breathed a sigh of relief. The feeling of relief at being pulled back from the brink of despair caused their dopamine levels to spike.

Lu Wen really didn't dare to show off anymore. He stood obediently to the side, and even his walking posture became extremely standard.

Lu Yi quietly pressed the shutter button from behind. He felt that this kind of scene full of family ethical conflicts was simply a treasure trove of artistic material.

The group walked in a large group toward the barbecue restaurant they had booked, and the atmosphere changed from the previous tension to a more relaxed one.

Xie Wang lagged half a step behind, taking Su Qinghe's hand in his and feeling the warmth of the other's palm in the cold wind.

He turned his head and teased Su Qinghe in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

"Teacher Su's strategy of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao' was quite effective."

Su Qinghe's cool eyes flickered slightly. Instead of pushing Xie Wang's hand away, she gripped it tighter.

"I just didn't want Lin Xiaolu to cry herself to death at the amusement park entrance."

The two exchanged a smile, and the tacit understanding that arose from their joint efforts to resolve the crisis shone brightly in the winter's afterglow.

When they entered the barbecue restaurant, Lu Wen deliberately opened the door for Lin's parents first.

His slightly clumsy attempts at attentiveness made Lin's mother unconsciously curl the corners of her lips into a smile.