Chapter 015

As December approached, the temperature in Ancheng dropped significantly. It was manageable in the first half of the month with a thick coat, but in the middle of the month, it rained, and the maximum temperature dropped below ten degrees. He Ye had to take out her warmer down jacket.

On Monday, the weather forecast predicted heavy rain turning to sleet.

Accompanied by the sound of heavy rain, the father and daughter were chatting and laughing as they ate breakfast. Suddenly, a video alert sound rang from He Ye’s mobile phone in the bedroom.

He Yong looked at his daughter in surprise.

He Ye was also curious about who was calling at this time, so she ran in and saw that it was Zhou Xiangming.

She connected to the video call.

Zhou Xiangming was still sitting on the bed opposite him, his hair messy from sleeping.

He Ye immediately turned the phone away.

Zhou Xiangming said innocently, “I’m wearing pajamas and wrapped up tight. Is it really that serious?”

He Ye pouted where he couldn’t see. “What’s up?”

Zhou Xiangming replied, “It’s raining too hard outside. My dad said he’ll handle pick-up and drop-off today, and he’ll take you and Lu Jin with him. At 7 o’clock, you can go directly to the underground garage to wait for us, right at the door of your unit in Building 7.”

He Ye hesitated. If she took the bus by herself at seven o’clock, she might already be in the classroom.

Zhou Xiangming said, “Don’t be foolish. The rainier it is, the more crowded the bus will be. Don’t miss the bus and get your clothes wet.”

This made sense, so He Ye agreed, “Then thank Uncle for me.”

Zhou Xiangming replied, “Just thank me. He wouldn’t have given you a ride without me.”

He Ye: …

She hung up the video call and went back to the dining room to explain it to her father.

He Yong said, “Well, his father also chatted with me when he went to the supermarket. He sounded very considerate. No wonder Zhou Xiangming is so polite.”

He Ye nodded in agreement.

After breakfast, she reviewed some words at home and then took the elevator to the underground garage.

After waiting for five or six minutes, a familiar Porsche drove over, and Zhou Xiangming leaned out of the passenger window and waved at her.

He Ye smiled at Mr. Zhou, who was driving. When the car stopped, she opened the back door and got in.

Lu Jin was already inside, wearing a black windbreaker, which made his face look whiter and his demeanor more refreshing.

“Good morning,” He Ye greeted as she fastened her seatbelt.

Since the photo incident at the sports meet, the two of them had spoken less, and the only time they exchanged a few words was during their shifts on Mondays.

He Ye got along with Zhou Xiangming more naturally.

Perhaps Lu Jin’s appearance and personality made him seem inherently more distant than Zhou Xiangming.

As the Porsche drove out of the garage, the rain began to pour down.

Zhou Xiangming stared outside the car and muttered, “It’s already sleeting. I can’t stand this kind of weather. Either it rains heavily or it snows heavily. What’s the point of mixing them? I can’t even play in the snow.”

He Ye looked at the street ahead.

As the small ice crystals that fell on the window glass melted into water in an instant, no snow could accumulate on the wet road surface.

The Porsche arrived at the gate of No. 2 Middle School.

Before getting out, He Ye checked her watch. It was 7:05, and she still had 15 minutes before morning self-study started. She should not be late.

She pulled out her umbrella.

“Don’t move yet.”

He Ye looked at Lu Jin in confusion, only to see him open the car door and quickly close it with a “bang.”

It was raining heavily, but Lu Jin slowly opened his umbrella and walked around to her side.

Through the car window, He Ye saw the fair and handsome face of the boy under the umbrella. His narrow eyes were looking at her, and he was obviously waiting for her to get out of the car.

“Lu Jin has always been able to take care of others since he was young,” Mr. Zhou said with a smile from the driver’s seat.

Hearing this, He Ye silently labeled Lu Jin as a “gentleman.”

“Goodbye, Uncle.”

After saying goodbye, He Ye pushed open the car door. Lu Jin slightly leaned sideways outside the car, but the umbrella was firmly held above He Ye’s head.

“Thanks.”

He Ye quickly opened her umbrella and distanced herself from him.

Zhou Xiangming looked at Lu Jin meaningfully and then waved to his father.

Mr. Zhou shook his head and drove away.

The bad weather made all the students hold umbrellas and rush to campus, so no one paid much attention to their classmates.

Lu Jin said to He Ye, “I’m going to the supermarket to buy a box of milk. You go in first.”

These words were exactly what He Ye was thinking. She smiled and waved to the two boys and then walked on the wet road, blending into the crowd.

Lu Jin watched the small black leather boots on her feet.

Zhou Xiangming clicked his tongue. “You’re so secretive and vague. When will she find out?”

As usual, Lu Jin blocked out his words.

After the evening self-study session, He Ye and Lu Jin, from the duty group, stayed behind. Zhou Xiangming wasn’t in a hurry to leave because he had to wait for them to take the bus together.

With his help in moving the stools, Lu Jin mopped the floor faster.

At 9:50, the three of them closed the classroom door. Zhou Xiangming walked ahead, humming a little tune, He Ye was in the middle, and Lu Jin followed silently at the end.

Zhou Xiangming said, “It’s basically snowing now. Maybe we can build a snowman tomorrow morning.”

He Ye didn’t say anything but thought to herself: Can you make a snowman?

When they got downstairs, Zhou Xiangming opened his umbrella and walked out carefree. He Ye stood on the steps and was about to step down when Zhou Xiangming suddenly cried out, “Ouch!” His feet slipped, and he sat on the ground in the blink of an eye.

He Ye and Lu Jin, who witnessed this, were stunned.

Zhou Xiangming sat stunned for a few seconds. After coming to his senses, he quickly stood up and warned his companions with a smile, “The ground is slippery here. You guys should be careful. I’m your lesson!”

He Ye had already noticed that the marble floor was covered with a thin layer of muddy snow and was hesitant to walk after hearing his warning.

Lu Jin extended an arm toward her. “Hold on to me. Take your time.”

He clenched his hands into fists, obviously wanting He Ye to hold his wrists.

This was easier to accept, so He Ye carefully grabbed his sleeves, and they both stepped down the stairs at the same time.

Lu Jin, who was tall, held his umbrella high, so it overlapped with He Ye’s umbrella.

He firmly supported the force exerted by He Ye’s nervousness, and his eyes focused on her feet to prevent her from falling.

Zhou Xiangming, who was acting alone, stood in the middle of the road early in the morning, looking at the two people who seemed to be holding hands. He suddenly felt a little envious.

It’s great to be in love, even if it’s just a secret crush; it’s better than being a third wheel.

The final exams were scheduled for January 24th and 25th, and winter vacation was set to start on the 26th.

There were so many books that He Ye had already moved some in advance, but when she left the classroom on the evening of the 23rd, her schoolbag was still bulging.

Zhou Xiangming caught up with her after leaving the school, and Lu Jin trailed behind slightly.

Zhou Xiangming took charge of the conversation. “He Ye, what are your plans for winter vacation?”

He Ye replied, “Nothing special. I’ll go back to my hometown after the exam and spend the New Year with my grandparents before coming back.”

Zhou Xiangming asked, “Where is your hometown?”

He Ye answered, “It’s in the suburbs.”

Zhou Xiangming said, “You’re closer then. Our hometown is in Ning City, so we have to drive three hours on the highway. Lu Jin has it more convenient; our whole family is born and raised in Ancheng.”

He Ye smiled.

Zhou Xiangming glanced at his good friend and continued, “We’ll be back on the fourth day of the New Year. When will you be back?”

He Ye said, “The sixth day.”

Zhou Xiangming said, “That’s great. We can do our homework together then.”

He Ye: …

The two-day exam passed quickly. After the exam, He Ye packed some clothes and took a bus back to her hometown.

Grandpa He and Grandma He was very fond of their academically gifted granddaughter. They surrounded He Ye, asked about her well-being, and prepared a lot of snacks for her.

In their village, people like to visit relatives, but the two elders knew their granddaughter loved to study, so they didn’t force He Ye to go downstairs to entertain guests. He Ye continued with her routine of doing exercises, preparing for exams, or helping her grandparents with housework, cleaning, and meal preparation.

She was filial and sensible. Grandma He didn’t want her granddaughter to work too hard. Holding He Ye’s fair and delicate little hand, she smiled with pride, “Our Xiao Ye is smart. She will go to a prestigious university in the future and find a good job after graduation. Don’t be like your grandmother, who spent her whole life around a few acres of land and in the kitchen.”

He Ye said, “Your conditions were different back then. If it were you now, you would definitely be able to get into university.”

Grandma He laughed but eventually drove her granddaughter out of the kitchen, leaving He Ye to read or watch TV.

He Yong came back on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month. The family was reunited, and the atmosphere was even more festive.

On New Year’s Eve, He Ye watched the Spring Festival Gala with her family, and her mobile phone received several New Year greeting messages from classmates.

When a program she wasn’t interested in came on, He Ye played with her phone.

Zhou Xiangming @Everyone: [Happy New Year!]

He also sent out a lucky red envelope, and everyone could get one.

He Ye clicked on the red envelope and got the “huge sum” of 0.01 yuan, successfully coming in last.

Zhou Xiangming @He Ye: [On average, five dollars per person. How unlucky can you be!]

He Ye bit her lip. At this moment, Lu Jin also sent a lucky red envelope.

The classmates scrambled for the envelopes, but He Ye managed to get “88.88” this time, which was the same amount as Zhou Xiangming’s.

Zhou Xiangming: [666.jpg]

Zhu Qing: [666.jpg]

Jiang Lingling: [666.jpg]

He Ye quickly gathered a red envelope of 100 yuan and sent it out to divert everyone’s attention.

A private message popped up above the chat box from the team leader: [Happy Chinese New Year and all the best.]

He Ye replied with a smile: [I also wish you a happy Spring Festival and all your wishes come true.]

This Spring Festival for Lu Jin was no different from previous years.

On the fifth day of the first lunar month, he asked Zhou Xiangming to go hiking early in the morning.

At the top of the mountain, a red sun slowly broke through the gray-blue clouds, and ripples appeared on the lake in the distance.

Zhou Xiangming stood on a big rock and imitated a few wolf howls. Then he tilted his head and saw Lu Jin standing tall beside him. His profile was cold, and his eyes were restrained, not looking like a high school student.

But Zhou Xiangming knew that, at least since last summer vacation, Lu Jin was cold on the outside but, like many boys, had his heart controlled by a girl.

“He Ye should be back tomorrow. Have you missed me after not seeing me for so long?”

“I can guess even without you telling me. Is it like what’s written in novels, where one day without seeing you feels like three years?”

“Hey, wait a little longer. Are you going down now?”

The soft sunlight illuminated the mountain path and the two boys walking in front and behind.

The next morning, Lu Jin went to the east gate to buy fruit.

Guangming Supermarket reopened its roller shutter doors. Through the glass window, one could see He Ye helping to clean the store. She was busy and smiling.

Lu Jin also smiled.

Happy New Year, He Ye.

***

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