The next day —

Su Man got off work, rushed home, bathed and changed as quickly as she could, and hurried out for the eight o’clock dinner.

She put on the dress Lu Yuwen had given her, wore the jewelry Lu Yuwen had given her, and at the front entrance slipped on the heels Lu Yuwen had bought for her.

She was just about to leave when the front door clicked and Su Ma pushed it open and came inside.

Mother and daughter stared at each other.

Su Ma looked at her daughter blankly, as if she didn’t recognize her, then took her in from head to toe, and from toe to head again.

“Where are you off to?” Su Ma marveled, clicking her tongue. “Is that a new outfit? You look wonderful.”

Su Man felt a little awkward. “Just… yesterday, Lu Yuwen bought it. He said the restaurant we’re going to tonight requires formal attire to be seated.”

“Oh, so young Lu bought it~” Su Ma’s voice rose inexplicably.

Su Man: “…”

Was it really necessary to tease her own daughter like this?

Su Ma’s eyes drifted over and back again, landing on the slender platinum necklace at her daughter’s throat. “And this necklace — is that also…”

Before Su Ma could finish, Su Man cut her off with embarrassment. “Also from him. I didn’t want to accept it — it’s far too valuable — but he snuck it into my car. I tried to give the money back to him, but he wouldn’t take it.”

“Why would you give it back?” Su Ma’s eyes went wide. “He gave it to you in good faith. Returning it would hurt his feelings terribly! This child — you really don’t understand people!”

Su Man: “…”

Who was it that raised her never to accept gifts from others so easily? Especially not gifts from men! How is it that the moment it’s Lu Yuwen, every principle goes out the window?

Maybe her mother thought the necklace wasn’t worth much?

“Mum, this jewelry set is tens of thousands of yuan…” Su Man said with a twist of her mouth. “All I did was accompany him on a restaurant visit. Accepting something this valuable feels… wrong.”

“What’s wrong about it!” Su Ma stared at her as though she were making a fuss over nothing. “When your father was first courting me, he gave me a family heirloom emerald on our second meeting — worth far more than that!”

Su Man: “…”

How is that even a fair comparison? You two were set up on a formal introduction! By the second meeting the marriage was practically decided!

“You’re always in sportswear or your work uniform. This look today is really something~” Su Ma said happily, her face full of delight. “Now hurry along, don’t keep him waiting too long… ah, actually, don’t rush — safety first on the road. Men should wait for women. It’s fine, it’s fine, let him wait~”

How are those two instructions contradictory in every possible way?

Su Man looked at her mother, completely at a loss for words.

“Anything else? If not, I’m going,” she said with a slight frown.

“Go, go~” Su Ma waved her hand. “Have a good date — ah, I mean, have a good restaurant inspection!”

“I know,” Su Man said impatiently, opened the door and left.

Su Ma called after her: “Smile when you’re there, don’t go around with that straight face all evening, you hear me?”

“I know, I know!”

Su Man quickened her pace, wanting nothing more than to put distance between herself and her mother’s endless chatter.

She reached the road, glanced down at her phone — the rideshare was nearly there.

— She hadn’t planned on driving tonight. For one thing, getting in and out of her high-clearance car in a long gown would be a nuisance. For another, finding parking near the restaurant would be too much trouble, and she didn’t want to keep Lu Yuwen waiting because of it.

Su Man waited by the roadside for a moment. A car turned into the gated community.

It wasn’t her rideshare — it was Li Li’s car from next door. She recognized it.

A quiet nervousness crept over Su Man…

Even if the relationship was only that of childhood companions, going to a dinner with another man while her childhood sweetheart might see — this was the first time, and deep down, Su Man felt a vague, hard-to-name guilt, and a faint ache of unease.

What would Li Li think?

Would he be angry?

—