Chapter 022

After eating the cake, it was still not yet seven in the evening.

The restaurant that Lu Jin had chosen was located in a shopping mall in Ancheng’s most prosperous area. The mall was filled with luxury stores, and outside, there was a cultural square with a lively atmosphere. A few hundred meters away was a scenic lakeside area, popular with both locals and tourists.

He Ye called her father to let him know she was out with friends and would be home later.

He Yong understood and supported her decision, believing that enjoying her birthday was the most important thing.

As they walked around, He Ye could feel Lu Jin’s gaze lingering on her.

When they stopped at a balloon shooting game, He Ye spotted a small teddy bear doll that could be hung on a backpack or keychain. The game was simple: shoot three balloons out of ten, and you could pick any mini doll as a prize.

He Ye paid and eagerly picked up the game gun.

Her second shot popped a balloon, boosting her confidence, but her luck ran out, and she didn’t hit another until the ninth shot.

With only one shot left, He Ye’s palms began to sweat.

Suddenly, Lu Jin’s deep voice came from behind her: “Let me try?”

He Ye turned and saw that Lu Jin was standing behind her. The light and night blended into a semi-bright, semi-dark atmosphere as he quietly waited for her response.

He Ye looked to her good friend beside her.

Zhu Qing gave her a knowing smile.

Feeling flustered, He Ye handed the gun to Lu Jin and quickly stepped away.

From a distance, she watched as Lu Jin calmly took aim. He didn’t waste much time, casually pulling the trigger.

With a “bang,” a green balloon burst.

Lu Jin put down the gun and glanced around before locking eyes with He Ye.

She was pleased but tried not to show it, so she avoided his gaze.

Zhu Qing smiled and pulled He Ye over to choose her prize.

He Ye chose the mini teddy bear because it was cute, and there were only three left.

After playing all the games in the square, the group of six strolled toward the lake, chatting and laughing.

The lakeside was crowded with tourists. Zhu Qing checked her phone and pointed toward the musical fountain. “The eight o’clock show is about to start in fifteen minutes. Should we go watch?”

Everyone agreed.

When they arrived, there were still three minutes before the show started, and they managed to squeeze to the front for the best viewing spot.

At exactly eight, the music began, and the fountain on the lake shot up, illuminated by changing lights that danced with the melody.

This was a classic night view in Ancheng, but He Ye had only seen it once before, back when her father hadn’t yet had his accident, and her parents had taken her to see it.

After her parents divorced and her father’s leg was injured, he couldn’t take her out anymore, and He Ye, who was focused on her studies, rarely went out at night.

The sadness only lasted a moment, as He Ye’s attention was quickly drawn back to the beautiful, crystal-clear fountain.

It seemed unusually quiet around her. This didn’t match the personalities of Zhu Qing, Wu Yuanyuan, or even Zhou Xiangming. Confused, He Ye tilted her head…

Her good friends on the left were gone, and on the right…

He Ye looked around and finally realized that Lu Jin was the only familiar face left by her side.

He Ye: “…”

Lu Jin explained, “Zhou Xiangming said they went home.”

Though He Ye didn’t have much experience, she had seen how her classmates often teamed up to help young couples. She immediately understood what Zhu Qing and the others had done.

Seeing this happen to someone else was one thing, but being caught up in it personally was entirely different. He Ye felt stiff and had no idea how to respond.

There was constant noise from other tourists, children laughing, and adults taking pictures all around them.

“Want to find a quieter spot? We can still see the fountain from over there, but there are fewer people,” Lu Jin suggested as he shielded her from a tourist who almost bumped into her while taking photos.

Feeling flustered, He Ye nodded hastily.

With so many people around, she was distracted. After being pushed by tourists a couple of times, Lu Jin moved closer to He Ye and suddenly grabbed her hand.

He Ye: …

No matter how beautiful the fountain was, the July night was still warm, but Lu Jin’s hand felt cool, much like the aura he gave off.

Maybe it wasn’t cold; maybe it was just that his body temperature was lower than He Ye’s, creating a noticeable difference when they touched.

He Ye wanted to pull her hand away, but Lu Jin seemed to sense her hesitation and tightened his grip slightly.

Awkwardly, He Ye let him lead her forward, walking a hundred or two hundred meters until there were fewer people around.

Lu Jin led He Ye to a camphor tree as thick as two people’s waists.

From here, they could still see the fountain, but the tree trunk blocked the streetlights, leaving them in near-total darkness. It was the kind of spot where adults would never let children linger.

As soon as they stopped, Lu Jin released her hand.

He Ye lowered her head.

The tree trunk behind her was only about fifty centimeters from the edge of the embankment. With her and Lu Jin standing there, other tourists had to take the main road behind them.

The lake water, reflecting the faint light, gently lapped against the rocks on the shore, its rhythm matching the beating of her nervous heart.

After a long evening of fun, her ponytail had loosened, and a strand of hair fell by her ear, tickling her in the breeze.

He Ye wanted to tuck the stray hair behind her ear, but with Lu Jin standing there, she didn’t want to move. It felt like if she stayed still, nothing more would happen between them.

Lu Jin watched her with a hint of amusement.

He Ye felt like a student who had made a mistake and was about to be scolded by the head teacher.

But Lu Jin wasn’t her teacher, and he didn’t want to criticize her. Instead…

“He Ye.”

The moment he spoke, He Ye’s heart skipped a beat, and she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

Lu Jin continued, “Today is your eighteenth birthday, right?”

He Ye nodded.

Lu Jin said, “Eighteen is the age of adulthood, so now I can officially pursue you.”

Although she had guessed he might say something like this, He Ye still felt nervous and turned her head away.

Lu Jin stepped closer, trying to meet her gaze. “I’ve liked you for a long time, but I didn’t show it too obviously because I didn’t want to affect your studies.”

The more he spoke, the more He Ye wanted to shrink back against the tree trunk. She replied sullenly, “What is there to like about me?”

She really didn’t understand.

Students who dated were usually the popular ones, either very beautiful and lively or excelling in the arts or sports. She was just a bookish girl.

If anything, she thought she was just okay-looking, but there were prettier girls like Chen Xuan in their class and even more in the entire school. She felt even less noticeable.

Besides, she didn’t think Lu Jin was the type to be superficial.

It was just strange—why did he like her?

Lu Jin smiled gently. “It’s hard to explain. I just have a feeling.”

He Ye: …

At that moment, the music from the fountain changed to a soft English song.

He Ye felt something stir inside her, and she stared blankly at the dancing water.

“‘Amarantine,’” Lu Jin said quietly, noticing her attention, “It means flowers that never fade, or eternal love.”

He Ye: …

The song was beautiful, but hearing him talk about love at that moment gave her goosebumps.

Noticing her unease, Lu Jin smiled. “Let’s not talk about that right now. Let’s get back to what we were discussing.”

He Ye lowered her eyes again and gently bit her lip.

Her lips were small and full, and when she bit them, it was noticeable.

Lu Jin watched her intently, noticing how she avoided his gaze, her fair and rosy cheeks, and finally, her alluring lips.

“He Ye,” he said, stepping closer until he was towering over her.

He Ye instinctively leaned back against the tree trunk, her hands pressing into the rough bark.

Lu Jin took one of her hands and looked at her fluttering eyelashes. “He Ye, you’re an adult now. Let’s date. Give me a chance to be your boyfriend.”

This time, his cool hands had finally warmed up, and He Ye’s palms began to sweat.

The fountain’s music continued, repeating “amarantine” as if urging her to accept his pursuit and give love a try.

He Ye had never considered dating right after the college entrance exam. In the past 18 years, she had never thought about it at all.

But now, she was an adult.

Lu Jin was a good classmate and had helped her a lot.

As her good friend said, he was indeed a top-tier guy—handsome and smart. It would definitely be worth dating him.

He Ye couldn’t bring herself to say yes, but she nodded slowly.

Lu Jin smiled, patted her head, and pulled his newly-official girlfriend into a hug.

He Ye tensed up again, still worried. “Be careful not to fall.”

The space was narrow, and there was a risk that Lu Jin might accidentally fall into the lake.

Lu Jin chuckled. “Alright, let’s go somewhere safer.”

With that, he took her hand and led her out of the shadows of the trees.

The city lights came into view again, and they held hands as they walked. This time, though, Lu Jin held her hand openly.

He Ye was still shy but forced herself to get used to the situation. She knew that holding hands was a normal part of being in a relationship.

The fountain music changed, and when the song ended, so did the show.

He Ye checked the time—it was 8:15.

She turned to Lu Jin. “Let’s go home.”

Lu Jin agreed. “Okay.”

He flagged down a taxi and took her to the roadside.

Still adjusting to her new identity as “Lu Jin’s girlfriend,” He Ye took out her phone as soon as they got into the car, trying to distract herself.

Wu Yuanyuan and Zhu Qing had both sent her messages, asking about her progress with Lu Jin.

He Ye didn’t respond right away. Instead, she sent a message to her father, letting him know the party was over and she was on her way home.

Just then, another message popped up.

Team leader: [The gift is at home. I’ll give it to you when you get back.]

He Ye’s curiosity was piqued, and she replied: [What is it?]

Team leader: [One gift is suitable for the female classmate you have a crush on, and the other is for your girlfriend.]

He Ye blushed.

After arriving at the community, He Ye went to the supermarket to meet her father first. To avoid worrying him, Lu Jin entered the community from the south gate.

When He Ye came out of the supermarket and turned toward the east gate, she saw Lu Jin waiting under the shade of a tree on the side of the road, sitting on his bicycle.

She walked over with her eyes downcast.

Lu Jin handed her two gift boxes, one large and one small. The larger one was flat, while the smaller was a cube about the size of her palm.

He Ye awkwardly took the boxes and sat in the back seat of the bicycle.

For a minute or two, neither of them spoke.

When they arrived at Building 7, He Ye jumped off the bike and was about to go inside when Lu Jin asked, “Are you going out tomorrow?”

He Ye glanced at the bicycle and replied, “I have a tutor interview.”

Lu Jin said, “I’ll go with you. What time should we leave?”

He Ye hesitated for a few seconds before telling him the time.

All of her classmates had accepted his company, and now that they were boyfriend and girlfriend, she felt there was no reason to refuse.

Holding the two gifts, He Ye went upstairs.

Once in her bedroom, she closed the door and, out of curiosity, opened the large flat gift box first.

Inside was a wooden-style photo frame that could be placed on a desk. The frame contained a cartoon-style picture of a girl standing between two rows of supermarket shelves, holding a large bag of instant noodles, and looking up at the top shelf with some worry.

He Ye immediately recognized herself in the cartoon girl’s expression.

Lu Jin messaged her: [There’s something written on the back of the frame.]

He Ye turned the photo frame over and found a few English words inscribed on the inside edge: “Crush at first sight.”