Chapter 373: Chapter 373: Yue Ming 23
Liuu Jun raised his hands in surrender. "My bad. Just pretend I didn’t say anything. But seriously, he has a great build. He looks really commanding in a suit."
Liuu Yuming nodded. "He does look good. There’s a certain rock-solid stability about him."
As Xu Jia came out of the restroom, buttoning his suit jacket, he overheard Liuu Yuming’s "rock-solid" comment. He couldn’t help but lower his gaze and smile. Looking at Liuu Yuming, Xu Jia said in a gentle voice, "The suit fits perfectly. Thank you."
Liuu Yuming walked a circle around Xu Jia. "As long as you like it. It’s getting late, so I won’t keep you any longer."
Xu Jia took the hint. "Then I’ll be going. Feel free to contact me anytime if you need anything."
Liuu Jun grinned and followed Xu Jia. "I’ll walk you out. I need to pop out and buy a few things anyway."
The moment Liuu Jun and Xu Jia left, Liuu Yuming flopped onto the sofa without a care for her image. She had been on her best behavior with Xu Jia around, too embarrassed to be too casual. Now that there were no outsiders, the lazy streak in her bones began to show.
Tan You, sitting on the armchair across from her, said, "You need to take care of yourself even when you’re working. You look like you’ve lost some weight recently."
Liuu Yuming yawned. "I have lost a few pounds. But isn’t Jun here now? With him around, I’ll gain it all back in no time."
Tan You said, "As long as you have a plan. I’m going to head back now. I need to keep an eye on Little Min."
"I know you dote on Little Min, Mom," Liuu Yuming pouted, suddenly a little jealous. "The time you spend with me isn’t even a third of the time you spend with her."
"That’s because you’ve been an adult for a long time, while Little Min is still young," Tan You said softly. "If I don’t raise Little Min to be capable, how are you supposed to comfortably live off your kid in the future?"
"I’m just saying. I can’t actually live off her," Liuu Yuming knew she was just talking big. "But I feel like... Mom, you’re not interested in makeup and styling at all. You seem to really love being in a lab."
"How should I put it... It just feels like you’re interested in technology, and nothing else seems as important to you."
Tan You smiled. "Perhaps. I’m leaving now. Call me if you need anything."
"What could happen to me?" Liuu Yuming’s gloominess vanished as quickly as it came. She winked at Tan You. "I’m a grown-up. I can take care of myself."
When Liuu Jun returned with a bag of seasonings, Liuu Yuming was still busy in the living room. Tan You had already left. Seeing Liuu Jun, Liuu Yuming pulled him over to discuss the design for her new home.
She was just giving her ideas; whether they could be implemented would require discussions with the design company. The subsequent renovation work and so on would be Liuu Jun’s responsibility.
Meanwhile, Tan You had appeared by Liuu Min’s side. Seeing Tan You return, Liuu Min just smiled. "You’re back, Grandma. Did you meet that Xu Jia?"
"I did," Tan You told Liuu Min everything, as was their way. "He’s a very solid and down-to-earth person."
Liuu Min hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Grandma, can you give me his file?"
"I’ve already sent it to your email," Tan You said with a smile. "He seems quite interested in your mom, and he’s a man of high principles."
Liuu Min looked over Xu Jia’s information. "As long as he genuinely likes my mom, that’s enough. She’s had a tough time."
"No matter how tough it was, those were her own choices," Tan You said objectively. "Whether it’s marriage or anything else, you need to choose carefully. If you choose a life partner based only on their looks, I’d find that very pathetic."
"Fortunately, your mom was responsible enough to at least raise you."
Liuu Min replied, "Actually, it was because you were there to support her, Grandma. My mom... if she hadn’t learned all those things from you, she’d probably still be a factory girl in a clothing plant, earning just enough to get by."
Tan You pursed her lips into a smile. "That’s why you should be cautious when making any choice. And once you’ve made it, you must bear the consequences."
Liuu Min said, "I know. I understand the principle."
Then she broke into a smile. "If my mom ends up liking Xu Jia too, I’ll have to start thinking about what to prepare for her dowry..."
Tan You smiled. "That’s good. She looks out for you, and you care about her. That’s all that matters. Whether it’s between parents and children or a couple, no one just selflessly gives and gives. Feelings are a two-way street."
"I understand," Liuu Min nodded. "I’m going to get back to studying. Grandma, could you explain this part about biology to me again...?"
Although Liuu Jun was staying with her, Liuu Yuming’s life didn’t change much compared to before. Liuu Jun had to go out from time to time to oversee the renovation of the new house, and he also had to go to the clothing factory on Liuu Yuming’s behalf to check the production progress of her new designs.
Sometimes, Liuu Yuming wouldn’t even see Liuu Jun once a week. The person who had promised to cook for her every day had now all but vanished.
After a long day of training, Liuu Yuming felt drained as she walked out of the school carrying her makeup case. Her workload was intense. The training school itself had a packed, intensive curriculum. Besides makeup, hairstyling, and fashion styling, the school also offered clothing design courses that interested students could audit. And as it happened, Liuu Yuming was a total all-rounder.
On top of that, a teacher had been hospitalized for surgery this past week, so the school had no choice but to reassign her classes to other instructors. As a result, Liuu Yuming’s course load suddenly increased by a third. The students were always enthusiastic, which just left Liuu Yuming feeling utterly exhausted at the end of each day.
Liuu Yuming didn’t relax until she was in her car. The first thing she did after getting in was call Liu Meili. "Sister Mei Li, I can’t take it anymore. I already had too many classes to begin with."
Liu Meili could hear the exhaustion in Liuu Yuming’s voice. "Just hang in there for one more day. I’ve recruited another teacher. Don’t worry, they’re a very well-known stylist."
Liuu Yuming sighed. "Fine, I’ll stick it out for one more day. I just have way too many classes. By the end of the day, my throat is completely raw."
Liu Meili felt for Liuu Yuming. "Mr. Zhou’s sudden appendicitis was something no one expected. But our curriculum is already packed, especially for you. You’re exceptionally talented."
"A lot of people come to our school specifically for you."
Liuu Yuming tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Is this what they mean by ’more fame, more problems’? I hope things get a little easier after the new teacher arrives. I also didn’t come in last month because Little Min is taking her college entrance exams this year, which is why so many of my classes got backlogged."
Liu Meili consoled her, "Your child’s college entrance exams are a once-in-a-lifetime event. It’s only right for you to be there for her. Go home and get some rest. I’m on a business trip myself right now, so I’m busy too."
Liuu Yuming teased, "It seems like everyone around me is working incredibly hard... except for me."
Liu Meili retorted, "And what about all those times you were out doing on-site makeup for clients, busy from morning to night? You never complained then, did you? You just like to talk a big game about being lazy, but you actually work harder than anyone."
