Xiaolu nervously unlocked the door with her key, and as expected, she was greeted by a mess of beer bottles scattered across the table.
"You wild girl, coming back so late! You don't care whether your old man lives or dies, huh?" Fang Huaimin roared when he saw his daughter, her face tense.
"Dad, are you drinking again?" Xiaolu furrowed her brows, realizing that the remaining half of the night would be far from peaceful.
"Yes, yes, I'm drinking. Let me drink myself to death. I've raised you all these years, and you don't show any filial piety. Instead, you come home in the middle of the night. Are you out there fooling around?" Huaimin shouted.
"Dad, what are you saying? I just... went to help someone watch their store," Fang Xiaolu's voice grew so low that even she could barely hear it. The passionate scene with Junwei replayed in her mind, and she did feel a bit guilty.
"Watching a store? What store is that? Are you getting paid?" Huaimin observed his daughter's strange expression.
"No, Dad. I just helped Junwei, the owner of the convenience store at the intersection. His little sister took leave suddenly, so he asked me to help," Xiaolu explained.
"Junwei, Junwei. You mean that small business owner Xu Junwei?" There was a glint in Huaimin's eyes.
Xiaolu nodded, silently tidying up the beer bottles on the table.
"Good girl, come here, stop bothering with those bottles."Huaimin's attitude suddenly changed, making Xiaolu uneasy. She hesitated before walking over to her father and sitting down.
"Tell Daddy, are you dating that small business owner?" Huaimin asked.
"No, Dad, I'm only 20. How could I be dating?" Xiaolu replied.
"Being 20 is nothing. Back in the day, your mother was already pregnant with you at 20, and then she married me," Huaimin revealed a rare smile on his face.
"Alright, Dad. I should support you. Go to sleep, okay? I'm tired and need to rest. If I'm late tomorrow, we'll be living on air next month," Xiaolu sighed.
"Go, go." Huaimin continued lifting a beer bottle, engrossed in his own drinking. Xiaolu sighed and returned to her room.
Lying in bed, Xiaolu couldn't help but shed tears. It had been eight years. If her mother hadn't left, she wouldn't have worked and studied at such a young age, failed to enter university, and endured the hardships of finding jobs. Since her mother left, her father drank every day, and in the past two years, he had developed a gambling habit, almost using up all the money she earned.
Mom, where are you? Why did you leave me and Dad for another man? Was it because you were tired of the impoverished life at home? Even though we were poor back then, we were happy. Dad used to deliver goods to sustain the family, and every day, he would rub his scruffy face against me. But after Mom left, Dad became the way he is now. Mom, where are you?
Tears welled up in Xiaolu's eyes as she drifted off to sleep. In her dream, she found her mother, and they went on a trip to the beautiful Goddess Lake. Looking at the breathtaking scenery, Xiaolu played hide and seek with her mother. As they ran, she found herself getting farther and farther from her mother. When it got dark, she realized she couldn't find her parents anymore.
The moment Fang Xiaolu woke up from the nightmare, it was already bright outside. The clock on the wall showed 7:50, and she panicked. If there was traffic, she would be late today, and being late meant trouble.
Thinking of this, she leaped out of bed, hastily tidied up, and rushed out of the house.