"Lu Ke, are you sure you don't want to bring these summer clothes with you?"

"Lu Ke, how about you take this tea set with you? Your dad and I rarely drink tea anymore; hot water is fine. You can drink tea occasionally to calm your mind; it's good for you."

"Lu Ke, you should also take the quilt and blankets with you. I've already washed them, they're clean. You'll be using brand new quilts and blankets at your new place that haven't been washed. What if you get an allergy?"

"Lu Ke, your grandma sent that bottle of medicinal liniment from home. You should take it with you. It's for external use, so it shouldn't be a problem. You take so many hits in your games every week. You can rub it on yourself when you get home to soothe your muscles and bones. It's really good. Or maybe you should ask the team doctor? To confirm the ingredients? But these Western doctors don't know anything about traditional Chinese medicine, so their opinion might not be accurate. It's for external use, so you should just take it with you."

...

Lu Ke turned around and saw Jiang Younning standing at the door of his room, holding a massive glass bottle. She held it like she was cradling a baby, and it looked heavy in her arms, as if she might drop it at any moment.

"Just leave it in the storage room. You went to the trouble of taking it out," Lu Ke said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He quickly walked over and took the heavy load from his mother's hands, freeing her up. He then carefully placed the glass bottle in the corner next to the bookshelf to prevent it from being kicked by accident.

This large bottle of medicinal liniment was full of stories.

It was a concoction personally made by Lu Ke's maternal grandmother, who picked the herbs herself and used a traditional folk recipe. Although it was a folk remedy, it was very effective for all kinds of sprains, bruises, and strains.

When she found out that Lu Ke often took hits and had sprains and strains from playing football in school, his grandmother painstakingly made this concoction. It took her nearly two years to make it and confirm its effectiveness before she sent it to San Francisco by sea.

However, customs are very strict about reviewing this kind of herbal medicine. The medicine was seized at customs and was not released. For this, Lu Ke, Jiang Younning, and Lu Zhengze took turns going to customs to complete the paperwork, fill out applications, and even submitted a request to have it sent to a lab for ingredient analysis. After three years of back-and-forth, they finally rescued the large bottle of medicine.

Because the whole process was so dramatic and prolonged, there was a time when they almost thought they would never get it back. But it was eventually returned to its rightful owner. Lu Ke once joked that this bottle of medicine must be kept and passed down for generations as a family heirloom.

"It's a family heirloom, so it should stay here at home. If I need it, I'll just put some in a plastic water bottle and take it with me," Lu Ke said with a smile.

Jiang Younning rolled her eyes and glared at her son. "What family heirloom? Don't take a joke so seriously. Your grandma made this specifically for you. You're moving out now, and you might need it at any time. It's better to take the whole thing with you so you don't have to look for it if something happens."

Today was the day Lu Ke was officially moving out.

After entering the professional league, Lu Ke had been considering moving out for a while.

It wasn't just because he was an adult and wanted his own space, and to give his parents their own space. It was also because of the life of a professional player, with reporters and paparazzi constantly hounding him, which was truly affecting his parents' daily lives. Not to mention the weekly rookie parties where a group of young athletes gathered and went wild.

After considering everything, Lu Ke decided to move out and rent his own apartment.

However, after making the team through a tryout, Lu Ke's life went into overdrive. Besides basic training, he used almost all his free time to catch up on the playbook. He had no time to look for an apartment or move. He had been putting it off until now.

With the help of Leigh Steinberg, Lu Ke found a new apartment. This week was his bye week, which was the perfect time to move.

For Lu Ke, moving wasn't a big deal. It was just changing his place of residence. But for Jiang Younning, it was a major life event. For the past few days, she had been slowly packing Lu Ke's things. It looked like she wanted to move the entire house—literally.

Now, even the family heirloom was brought out.

Before Lu Ke could argue further, Jiang Younning looked around the room with a surprised expression. "You're only packing one suitcase? Are you moving out or going on vacation?"

"It's not just one suitcase. I also have my training backpack. All my gear is in that backpack," Lu Ke defended.

"That's still too little," Jiang Younning frowned. "There's nothing at your new place. Are you sure you don't need to bring anything? And where are your clothes? Just autumn and winter clothes? What about the others? You change your sportswear at least three times a day during your daily training. You're not taking them with you?"

"Mom..." Lu Ke had to call out to her, trying to interrupt her.

But Jiang Younning didn't give him a chance. Her eyes fell on the Rose Bowl trophy on the bookshelf. It was a replica the size of a palm. At the end of the Rose Bowl earlier this year, every player on the team received a replica as a souvenir to commemorate UCLA's first Rose Bowl victory in twenty-five years.

"You're not taking this trophy with you?" Jiang Younning asked in surprise. "Isn't this a beautiful memory of you and Logan? Why aren't you taking it?"

"Mom, Mom, calm down." Lu Ke waved his hands in front of his mother's eyes to get her attention. "I'm just moving out, not moving away forever. This is still my room, and I'll come back occasionally. It's good to leave my things here, isn't it?"

Jiang Younning was stunned. She looked at Lu Ke up and down, then showed a look of disgust. "What are you talking about? I'm planning to clean up this room after you move out and rent it out. If you come back, you can sleep in the guest room or on the couch. There's no longer a room for you."

"...Mom, you're not serious, are you?" Lu Ke's mouth dropped open in shock. "I'm a single guy moving out because I don't want to be a third wheel at home. Now you're getting a new tenant? What's going on? In that case, I'm not moving."

"That's not an option!" Jiang Younning's eyes widened. "I've been waiting for you to move out. I finally got this day. I don't care. You're moving out today. Hurry up, you're so annoying."

"Mom, honestly, did you win me in a scratch-off lottery?" Lu Ke asked seriously, looking at Jiang Younning pitifully.

Jiang Younning tried and tried, but she couldn't hold back her smile anymore. She poked Lu Ke's forehead with her finger. "Yes, I won you in a scratch-off. So, hurry up. Your dad and I can finally have some peace and quiet." As she spoke, she waved her right hand, motioning for him to leave. "Pack up these things and move them out. The sooner, the better."

As she spoke, she left Lu Ke's room and walked down the stairs. When she got to the last step, she suddenly stopped. Her smile slowly faded, and her expression became dazed and blank. That empty feeling of loss came flooding in, and her eyes welled up with tears.

Renting out the room was just a joke. In the end, she couldn't bear to let him go.

Lu Zhengze, who was sitting on the living room couch, heard footsteps but didn't see his wife. He turned around and saw Jiang Younning standing at the top of the stairs, lost in thought. The loneliness and reluctance had filled her eyes. He quickly stood up and walked over. "Lu Ke is just moving out. You weren't this reluctant when he went to college in Los Angeles. Why are you suddenly so reluctant today?"

"It's different. That was different," Jiang Younning's voice was choked up, with a hint of a sniffle.

College was just for studying. Even though it was in a different city, Lu Ke was still a child. But this move meant that Lu Ke had truly grown up. He was starting to have his own life and was leaving his parents' nest to become an adult. Even though they were in the same city, they had to learn to let go and let Lu Ke truly grow.

The meaning was different, and so were her feelings.

Parents' feelings are always so contradictory. When their children are young, they hope they will grow up quickly and become independent to get rid of the heavy burden. But when their children grow up, they start to feel reluctant. They hope time can slow down, and they can't help but worry about their children's future and prospects.

If they could, they would spread their wings and protect their children for a lifetime.

Lu Zhengze sighed softly and hugged his wife. He said in a low, comforting voice, "Lu Ke is still in San Francisco. His apartment isn't far, only a twenty-minute drive. We can go over anytime, and he can come back anytime. Now, he doesn't need our protection, but we can still accompany him and move forward together."

The meeting between parents and children is a kind of fate. In the beginning, parents protect their children and create a future for them. Then, parents and children walk side by side, continuing on their journey through life. Finally, the children take care of their parents and smile as they escort them to the end of this long life.

This meeting, this companionship, is fate.

Lu Zhengze gently patted his wife's shoulder and said in a low voice, "Do you remember? Every week at the games, Lu Ke is waiting for our cheers and support. He can't fight on the field alone. We need to work hard together." As he spoke, Lu Zhengze also became a little emotional.

Their Lu Ke had finally grown up.

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