In the evening, Du Du went home and, as usual, headed upstairs to read.
Time passed minute by minute. It wasn't until her mother called her to dinner that Du Du finally swam ashore from the sea of knowledge.
Humming a little tune as she ran downstairs, Du Du paused when she saw the two dishes and one soup on the table.
Would two dishes and a soup be enough?
Only then did Du Du notice how quiet the house was.
The TV wasn't on.
Her father and aunt weren't on the living room sofa either. Even Zero was nowhere to be seen.
Du Du didn't think much of it yet. She assumed her father and aunt were working overtime today and wouldn't be home for dinner.
After washing her hands, Du Du came back, pulled out a chair, and asked with a smile, "Mom, are Dad and Aunt working overtime again tonight?"
Li Xuanyu walked out of the kitchen carrying two bowls of rice, rolled her eyes, and said, "Overtime? When have your dad and aunt ever worked overtime? They're always the first to leave work."
They weren't working overtime... Du Du scratched her head in confusion and asked curiously, "Then where are Dad and Aunt?"
"They went out for a big meal. If I hadn't had to pick you up from school, I would've gone too."
Du Du almost fell for it, but then she realized it didn't make sense. Picking her up from school wouldn't have stopped her mother from going to dinner. She could've just arrived later.
Seeing her daughter still thinking it over, Li Xuanyu cut her off.
"Still wondering? I was the one who told your aunt not to go. You have an exam tomorrow, so you need a good night's rest. Your dad