A Porsche pulled up in front of a shabby and old courtyard. A well - dressed young man in his twenties jumped out of the car.
As soon as he got out, he opened the trunk reluctantly, picked up dozens of big and small bags of fresh supermarket ingredients, and made his way into the courtyard with a dejected look amidst the barking of dogs nearby.
As soon as he entered, he started complaining.
"Boss, what kind of place did you find? Do you know my GPS deviated from the route three times on the way? I drove around dozens of circles, asked countless people, and almost ran out of gas before I finally found this place... Besides, couldn't you get someone else to do this? I've got a ton of work to do. Did you rush me here just to be a food delivery guy?"
When he stepped inside and saw the stunned girl standing in the courtyard, he recognized her at a glance.
He exclaimed, "Lu Xue, what are you doing here?"
Lu Xue also recognized the man in front of her as Yan Hua.
She turned to look at Mu Yuze. She didn't expect Mu Yuze to call his assistant over to bring them food on a weekday.
Mu Yuze showed no sign of guilt towards his assistant. He just casually pointed in the direction of the kitchen and said, "Go put the stuff in the fridge."
Yan Hua was still in shock. He silently put the ingredients in the fridge, then came back and locked eyes with Lu Xue.
The last time they met, he had a chat with Lu Xue and roughly knew that she had been having a tough time after graduation and hadn't been able to find a job.
But he never expected that Lu Xue's situation was this bad...
He looked up at a bird shitting on the corner of the roof, then down at a well not far away. He sized up the peeling walls, faded paint, and the rickety gate in the courtyard.
He couldn't help but wail silently in his heart. What kind of a miserable life was his old classmate living?
If he had known Lu Xue was in such a bad state earlier, he would have sold everything he had to help her out.
Han Xiaolv was quite happy that so many fresh ingredients had been delivered.
She skipped over like a little bird, sorted out all the ingredients, and soon cooked up a pot of breakfast.
The four of them sat at a rickety wooden table to have breakfast.
The two men ate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
The two girls chattered away merrily.
Apparently, Han Xiaolv and Lu Xue were quite satisfied with this improvement in their diet.
They praised everything from the freshness of the ingredients, to the dishes, and the variety.
Han Xiaolv said firmly, "Lu Xue, this is the best meal we've had in a while. Should we have a special celebration?" With that, Han Xiaolv went to open a bottle of beer and clinked glasses with Lu Xue.
Seeing the two girls cheering and celebrating a rather ordinary breakfast so enthusiastically and with so much ceremony, Yan Hua and Mu Yuze sitting across from them didn't know what to say for a moment.
After breakfast, the two girls started to cheerfully clear the table.
Yan Hua sat on the steps in shock, staring at a few stray dogs at the door, eager to come in and get some food. His face was full of doubts about life.
Mu Yuze didn't seem surprised by Yan Hua's reaction. He walked over and sat beside Yan Hua, whispering, "You also think this girl is strange, right?"
Mu Yuze wondered why Lu Xue, who could have had better conditions, was willing to live in seclusion in such a small mountain village.
Last night, when the two girls were singing at the top of their voices, he heard Lu Xue sing an English song. Her English pronunciation was fluent and standard, even on a par with her Chinese.
From the daily conversations between Lu Xue and Han Xiaolv, he could tell that Lu Xue wasn't the illiterate country girl they had originally imagined.
She must have received basic education. She spoke smoothly, logically, and sometimes came up with jokes that others couldn't follow.
Most importantly, Lu Xue was very beautiful. With a little dressing up, she would be a stunning beauty that would stand out in the crowd.
Pretty girls never have trouble finding a job.
What puzzled Mu Yuze was how such a young, beautiful girl who could speak fluent English and had a lively personality could end up unemployed and living in a shabby village, wasting her time.
It didn't seem logical.
Full of doubts, he sat beside Yan Hua, let out a sigh, and asked softly, "Don't you think Lu Xue doesn't belong here?"
Yan Hua blurted out, "Yes, she's in such a miserable state. Oh my god, how could she let herself end up like this!"
Yan Hua exclaimed "Oh my god" several times. Finally, as if making a momentous decision, he said, "Forget it. I've been working for a few years and have some savings. If necessary, I'll support her. At least I can let her live a better life."