"He had something to attend to and left." Fu Tingxi started the car. "Let me take you back first."
Fu Tingxi drove Mengning and her mother back to their rental apartment, his first time visiting Mengning's place.
The apartment was small, just a one-bedroom. The living room doubled as Mengning's bedroom, separated by curtains, yet it was tidy despite its size.
Clearly, Mengning slept in the living room, giving the bedroom to her mother. Rent in Beijing was expensive; even for such a small apartment, it cost over 3,000 yuan per month. Mengning earned around 10,000 yuan a month, while her mother earned just over 3,000 yuan cleaning at a hotel. Together, their incomes were barely enough to get by in the city.
Fu Tingxi thought about the 50,000 yuan Mengning had given him for the car. For her, that amount was significant and likely meant saving for a long time.
While Fu Tingxi looked around the apartment, Mengning felt a bit embarrassed. "We only have plain boiled water. Is that okay?"
They didn't even have tea leaves; Mengning didn't usually drink tea. The apartment was too small, with no dining area, so she ate at the coffee table in the living room.
The contrast between Mengning's tiny apartment and Fu Tingxi's three-bedroom one was stark, making Mengning naturally uncomfortable.
Fu Tingxi, however, showed no signs of disdain as he sat down on the sofa. "That's fine."
Mengning poured boiled water for Fu Tingxi, and then her mother suddenly said, "Ning, Xiao Fu is off today. You should move in with him today. You're married now; you can't keep living here."
Mengning looked at her mother in surprise. "Mom, what about you?"
It was clear from her mother's words that she had no intention of moving in with them.
"I've paid a year's rent in advance. It's not up yet, and the landlord won't refund it. What a waste! I'll stay here. I'm old; I don't want to bother you two," Mengning's mother said, glancing at Fu Tingxi and smiling. "Xiao Fu, take Ning with you."
Mengning's mother was astute. Earlier, when Fu Tingxi went to pay the bill, Mengning had mentioned to her that he had suggested she move in with him.
Fu Tingxi's intention was clear enough for Mengning's mother. Mengning had just married Fu Tingxi, and without a foundation of affection, it wouldn't be right for her to intrude.
As an elder, one had to be tactful.
Mengning hurriedly said, "Mom, that won't work. Your health isn't good. How can you manage on your own?"
Fu Tingxi also understood Mengning's mother's intentions. "Mother-in-law, why don't you come with us? The environment there is better, and we can save on rent. As for the rent you've already paid, I'll talk to the landlord about getting it refunded. With your health not being well, both Mengning and I are worried."
futingxi understood that Mengning's mother was frugal and used the rent as a reason to persuade her to agree to move. Mengning's mother shook her head, insisting, "I'm used to living here, and Shuimu Tiancheng isn't far from here. If anything happens, I'll just call you. Ning, stop dawdling and pack your things. Go with Xiao Fu."
Neither of them could argue with Mengning's mother, who was determined that Mengning move out that day.
Mengning reluctantly agreed, thinking that Shuimu Tiancheng was only a 20-minute drive away, and didn't push her mother further. That evening, she packed her clothes and moved into Shuimu Tiancheng with Fu Tingxi.
Moving was physically demanding and troublesome. After unpacking and organizing everything, it was already dark. Mengning chose the bedroom on the left side of the living room, while Fu Tingxi took the master bedroom on the right.
After finishing the busy day, Mengning sat on the sofa and took a sip of water, saying, "I'll go buy groceries and cook."
Fu Tingxi stopped her, "You've been busy all afternoon. Let's eat out tonight. Don't bother cooking."
"We already spent money eating out at noon. Let's not eat out again tonight. Besides, you did all the heavy lifting, not me," Mengning smiled. "I noticed there's a supermarket downstairs. I'll buy something and be right back. This will be our first meal in our new home, and I want to have it here."
The first meal in their new home... Fu Tingxi felt a pang in his heart, but he didn't say anything more.