Chapter 1178: Chapter 1178: Extra Story of the Eel 15

Su Man drove back to the hospital, parking her SUV in the lot. The afternoon sun was blazing, and the reflection off the car’s hood was blindingly bright, making her eyes squint.

She furrowed her brow, irritably slapped down the sun visor with a crisp “thwack,” then pulled out the car key, ready to get out.

Her movements stopped.

If she went up like this, her parents were bound to ask:

“Why are you back so early?”

“How was the awards ceremony?”

“Did you see Li Li?”

“Did you take a picture of him? Send it over for us to look at.”

Stuff like that…

If she replied, “I don’t know, it was already over by the time I got there,”

Her parents would definitely ask again, “It ended so early? Didn’t Li Li tell you the timing? Are you two fighting again?”

If she continued to explain.

Continued to explain…

It would only get more awkward.

In short, she had messed up today. After managing to take a day off, she hadn’t gone to the awards ceremony as planned, nor had she been the dutiful daughter demonstrating filial piety to her father.

She hadn’t accomplished anything—just like a fool.

Really foolish…

Su Man reinserted the car key, her mood thoroughly agitated. She bit her lip and decided to drive home instead.

In fact, there was nothing to do at home either. When you really think about it, why had she taken leave today at all? Why did she feel like such a failure?

Thinking deeper, it seemed like she had always been a failure.

Back in school, her grades were never as good as Li Li’s. She wasn’t good at singing or dancing either, and she couldn’t make many friends in the socialite circle. Her parents always worried she’d end up being used as a tool, and her grandfather consoled her by saying, “Everyone has their purpose.” She had wanted to pursue something she was good at, putting herself through the tough ordeals of becoming a criminal detective, but before encountering a single challenge, she had been rerouted by her parents into being a traffic cop…

There’s a joke on the internet about turning a great hand of cards into a complete mess, and Su Man felt just like one of those people described online—everything would turn into a chaotic mess as soon as it landed on her.

Li Li had always said she was so dumb it was unbearable, and that no one besides him would dare marry someone as clueless as her.

In the past, she felt sweet hearing that, but now it was starting to sting more and more…

Thinking about it, her eyes began to heat up.

But crying wasn’t her style. At the red light, she stopped the car, quietly rubbed at her eyes, and then continued driving.

…

When she got home, Aunt Zhang was already gone, and her mother wasn’t there either. Lu Yuwen came out of the kitchen and paused in mild surprise upon seeing her return.

“Done with your errands?” He was carrying a tray in his hands, placing it on the dining table while asking, “Have you eaten yet? I made spaghetti—wanna try it?”

Su Man only then remembered she hadn’t had lunch. Feeling her stomach, she was indeed a little hungry.

And the spaghetti Lu Yuwen had made smelled really delicious…

She felt tempted but hesitated a bit—Lu Yuwen was a guest after all. She was supposed to be taking care of him, not freeloading off of his cooking…

If her mother found out, she would definitely scold her again.

Lu Yuwen seemed to sense what she was thinking. Standing by the dining table, he smiled warmly and said, “I made plenty. Eating alone isn’t much fun—join me.”

Join me.

Those words were spoken with such ease and sincerity that Su Man’s mood relaxed quickly. She stopped fixating on those various messy emotions and nodded her reply, “Alright, thank you then.”

Lu Yuwen smiled, returning to the kitchen to fetch another set of utensils.

…

The tablecloth was an elegant light green, setting off the white porcelain plates, the ruby-red spaghetti, transparent glass cups, and silver cutlery. The entire table setting looked like a page out of an advertisement, imbued with a refined atmosphere.

Lu Yuwen sprinkled some unknown herbs on top of the food, making it visually and aromatically captivating.

Su Man praised, “You’re amazing…”

After a moment’s thought, she raised her eyes to look at Lu Yuwen sheepishly. “We should be the ones treating you, but now you’re the one cooking… Next time, if there’s something you want to eat, let me treat you.”