My boyfriend broke up with me because I didn’t have a formal job.

Until I got admitted to his direct superior unit—

even he and his new girlfriend had to greet me respectfully with: "Hello, Leader!"

……

I’d been dating my boyfriend Lu Hao for a year, and today was the first time I was going to meet his parents.

"Jiajia, when we go in later, if my parents ask about your job, tell them you work as an administrative clerk at a state-owned enterprise," Lu Hao said to me as we approached his house.

"Why?"

I was carrying two bags, and Lu Hao was holding another two for me.

I was confused. I was currently unemployed—a freelancer who wrote novels and drew illustrations to support myself.

Although I didn’t make a fortune, it was enough to get by. I wasn’t very materialistic; as long as I had enough money, that was fine.

During our time together, I rarely spent Lu Hao’s money. We usually split the bill when eating out, and exchanged gifts of similar value for birthdays and holidays.

Plus, we each lived in our own rented apartments. Lu Hao had mentioned moving in together more than once, but I’d refused.

I thought a little distance was a good thing.

Lu Hao frowned slightly. He didn’t answer my question, just said a little impatiently: "Just say that, okay?!"

I didn’t understand. "Which company do I work for? Where is it? What if we get caught lying?"

I wasn’t fond of lying. I thought telling the truth was fine—being a freelancer wasn’t a shameful job, and when my manuscript fees were good, I made much more than him!

Lu Hao stopped walking, turned around, and said earnestly: "Jiajia, my parents both work in the civil service. Old people like them value stable jobs a lot. If they find out you don’t have a job now, they’ll definitely disagree with us being together!"

Looking at Lu Hao’s expression, which seemed to be for my own good, I felt torn.

My parents were more open-minded. They thought as long as I liked my job, it was fine, and they didn’t restrict me much.

Was having a stable job really that important?

Seeing my hesitation, Lu Hao put down the things in his hands, held my shoulders, and said: "Jiajia, think about our future. Let’s get past my parents first, and then you can find a more stable job later. It’s no big deal!"

Caught in the moment, I nodded thoughtfully.

It seemed I agreed with Lu Hao’s idea—let’s get through his parents’ inspection first!

After all, this was my first time meeting my partner’s parents, and I needed to make a good impression.

Seeing me nod, a smile tugged at Lu Hao’s lips. He hugged me and said: "Jiajia! Don’t worry! As long as my parents approve of you, everything will be almost settled!"

I leaned into Lu Hao’s embrace, not saying anything. My mind went blank, as if I was trying to figure out if his idea was really right.