Chapter 024

The weather forecast was accurate—it rained on Sunday.

The movie ticket Lu Jin bought was for the 1 p.m. show, but he made plans with He Ye to leave at 10 a.m. so they could play games and have lunch at the mall.

Eating outside meant that He Ye couldn’t bring lunch to her father at noon, so she had to notify him in advance.

The excuse was, as usual, meeting female classmates.

He Yong asked, “You still want to go out and play in such heavy rain?”

He Ye tried hard to hide her guilty conscience: “But today is the only day I’m free.”

He Yong knew his daughter was usually well-behaved and sensible. Not only did he not doubt her, but he also felt sorry for her: “Most people are having fun during the summer vacation. You could make plenty of money with just one or two part-time jobs. Don’t fill your schedule so tightly that you’re more tired than a full-time worker.”

He Ye: “I just like making money.”

He Yong: …

On the way to the supermarket, He Yong found himself reflecting: Had he been giving his daughter too little pocket money? Was that why she was so eager to make money at such a young age?

It was only seven o’clock after breakfast. He Ye stayed in the study for more than two hours before starting to prepare for her outing.

The rain outside was still heavy, with drops hitting the concrete ground and splashing up balls of water. He Ye, watching from the window, decided against wearing long pants and changed into a pair of denim shorts that reached just above her knees.

Since sitting still for two hours while watching a movie would likely attract mosquitoes, she grabbed some mosquito repellent and sprayed all her exposed skin before going out.

Ready to go, He Ye put her keys in one pocket, her phone in the other, and went downstairs with a folding umbrella in hand.

Lu Jin stood outside the unit door, wearing black sports-style shorts and a white short-sleeved shirt. He looked tall, fresh, and clean.

Seeing He Ye, he shook the umbrella in his hand that was still dripping with water: “Shall we share an umbrella?”

He Ye: “It’s better for each of us to have one; it’s more convenient.”

With two people sharing one umbrella, one of them was bound to get a little wet.

Lu Jin smiled, didn’t insist, and followed her into the rain.

He Ye was wearing sandals, and the rain quickly wet her feet, but it was quite comfortable in the summer.

Lu Jin walked beside her. Because of the umbrella, there was a distance of more than a meter between them, so even when he turned his head, he could only see her beneath the umbrella.

Eighteen-year-old He Ye had skin as white as milk. On this wet, rainy day, her legs, exposed beneath her shorts, were slender and straight, almost glowing with a soft light.

She suddenly looked over, as if wondering why he hadn’t said a word.

Lu Jin looked away before she could notice, then met her eyes and said, “It’s only a one-month internship, so I won’t be able to accompany you to your tutoring sessions anymore.”

He Ye: “It’s okay, just focus on your internship. I’m already proficient with my schedule.”

In truth, she no longer needed Lu Jin’s company, but he insisted.

Lu Jin: “After work in the evening, you can come out and meet me.”

He Ye: …

Ever since they started dating, every time they met, they were on the way to a tutoring session. They hadn’t met specifically to “date” until today, their first official date.

What would they talk about?

He Ye didn’t know, but since Lu Jin suggested it, she had no reason to refuse. After all, they were boyfriend and girlfriend, and there had to be some difference between this and their relationship as classmates.

“Well, what time do you get off work during your internship?”

Lu Jin: “It’s hard to say. If I don’t work overtime, it’s around six o’clock. If I do, it might be eight or nine. If it’s too late, I’ll stay away so I don’t disturb your rest.”

He knew how busy she was, preparing lessons every night.

The two chatted about Lu Jin’s internship and unknowingly arrived at the south gate of the community. He Ye’s supermarket was at the east gate, so to avoid being seen by her parents, their dates usually started from the south gate.

Lu Jin called a taxi. He held an umbrella and let He Ye get in first. Then he folded the umbrella and sat next to her.

The dense raindrops slightly wet his hair and shoulders. He Ye thought, “It’s clearly raining—why did I have to choose today to go out?”

Since it was the weekend and it was raining heavily, there weren’t many vehicles on the road, so they arrived at the mall quickly.

The mall opened at ten o’clock, and there weren’t many people around at that time. Lu Jin took He Ye to the information desk to check the businesses on each floor. There were quite a few entertainment options that were suitable for them.

“Can you skate?” Lu Jin asked.

He Ye shook her head quickly.

Lu Jin smiled. “I can teach you.”

He Ye, who was naturally clumsy, blushed and refused, “No, thanks. I don’t dare to try.”

Lu Jin suggested, “How about the video arcade? It’s easier.”

This activity didn’t require much skill, so He Ye agreed.

Lu Jin wanted to top up 500 game coins, but He Ye, anxious, pulled at his clothes and whispered to him out of the cashier’s earshot, “Why so much? 100 is enough.”

Lu Jin imitated her whisper, “You can come back later, and you get a big discount if you top up 500.”

He Ye protested, “It would be a waste if I didn’t come back. It’s better to play once and top up each time.”

Lu Jin smiled, “Alright, I’ll listen to my girlfriend.”

He Ye: “…”

She left him and went in first.

Not long after, Lu Jin joined her with a box of game coins and asked her to choose a game.

The arcade was large. He Ye carefully walked around, noticing that some machines allowed players to win physical prizes directly, while others awarded points that could be exchanged for gifts.

It was difficult to earn enough points for good prizes with just one hundred coins, so He Ye finally decided to try her luck with the claw machine. Some of the plush toys were quite cute.

Lu Jin followed her with the box of coins. He Ye was in charge of playing, while he inserted the coins and watched.

He Ye soon realized that Lu Jin wasn’t watching the claw but rather her. His gaze was so intense, with an undeniable warmth, that she couldn’t ignore it.

She glanced at the machine beside her and suggested, “Why just watch me play? Why don’t you try something too?”

Someone walked by behind him, and amid the noisy background of the arcade, Lu Jin leaned close to her ear and whispered, “It’s more fun watching you.”

He Ye’s face immediately felt like it was on fire.

Feeling self-conscious under Lu Jin’s gaze, she grabbed the box of game coins and insisted that he try his luck.

Lu Jin smiled, picked out three coins, and started playing, finally focusing on the game.

He Ye stole a quick glance at him.

Under the bright, flickering lights, the boy’s fair and handsome face held a slight smile of pleasure. He did look… quite charming.

With a “clink,” a light yellow tiger plush fell out of the machine.

He Ye: …

Lu Jin picked up the plush toy and, seeing his girlfriend’s admiration, explained, “There are some tricks to this. Want me to teach you?”

Of course, He Ye wanted to learn.

Lu Jin positioned her in front of the machine. He stood behind her, one hand supporting the console on her left and the other inserting coins on her right.

Pressed up against him, He Ye stiffened.

After inserting the coin, Lu Jin naturally guided her right hand to grasp the joystick, his chin resting lightly on her shoulder. His eyes focused on the claw, and he explained the technique into her ear.

He Ye couldn’t concentrate on the lesson. His hand holding hers and his face close to her ear made it impossible to focus.

Lu Jin pressed the button to drop the claw, which managed to grab another light yellow tiger and release it into the prize slot just in time.

“Got it?” Lu Jin let go of her hand, but he still hovered close.

He Ye quickly nodded.

Only then did Lu Jin step back.

He Ye, holding two tiger plushies, suggested, “Let’s try a different game.”

Lu Jin let her choose.

This time, He Ye picked a two-player shooting game. They had to fight off hordes of monsters, leaving no room for distractions.

When there was a brief lull, He Ye sneaked a glance at Lu Jin. He was still intensely focused on the game, but his slightly smiling expression suggested he was enjoying himself.

He Ye was puzzled. How could a top student who was about to attend Tsinghua University actually enjoy such a childish shooting game?

After an hour in the arcade, they chose a local restaurant for lunch.

He Ye took the initiative to order—two meat dishes and one vegetable dish, enough for both of them. To prevent Lu Jin from paying, she quickly settled the bill herself.

As they waited for their food, Lu Jin looked at the two plush tigers He Ye had placed on the table. He asked, “One for each of us. Which one do you want?”

He Ye: “…They’re the same, aren’t they?”

Lu Jin smiled, “They’re a couple’s set.”

He Ye suddenly realized that this academically gifted, cool-tempered guy actually enjoyed teasing people.

It was only twelve o’clock when they finished eating, so they continued to explore the mall. As they passed a women’s clothing store, Lu Jin suddenly said, “I haven’t seen you wear a skirt often.”

He Ye replied, “It’s inconvenient to ride a bike to school in a skirt.”

Lu Jin suggested, “You can wear one now.”

He Ye shook her head, not particularly interested.

Lu Jin glanced at the store a few more times.

They visited a store for daily necessities on the third floor. He Ye picked out two pens and a notebook, while Lu Jin grabbed a pack of chewing gum.

After paying, Lu Jin unwrapped the gum as they walked out, popping one in his mouth before offering another to He Ye. “Want one?”

Since he offered, He Ye took it. The gum had a refreshing lemon-mint flavor.

Next on the agenda was the movie.

He Ye hadn’t watched the “Transformers” series before, so it was new to her. Although some people complained that the fourth installment was terrible, He Ye actually thought it was okay.

Lu Jin said, “If you like it, we can watch the first three together at home next time.”

He Ye asked, “You haven’t seen the earlier ones either?”

Lu Jin nodded, checked his watch, and suggested, “It’s only three o’clock. There’s a park nearby. Want to go for a walk?”

He Ye hesitated, “In this heavy rain?”

Lu Jin smiled, “It’s the perfect time. It’s too hot on sunny days.”

He Ye admired his enthusiasm for going out. Since she had nothing else to do at home, she decided to join him for a walk.

Lu Jin was carrying a large shopping bag, which contained a tiger doll, daily necessities, and umbrellas for both of them.

As they walked out of the mall, the moderate rain had turned into a heavy downpour. Fortunately, there was no wind, so the rain wasn’t blowing everywhere.

Lu Jin took out his large black umbrella, held the shopping bag in his left hand, and held the umbrella with his right hand. He motioned for He Ye to take his arm.

He Ye hesitated, “I can handle it myself…”

Lu Jin gave her a meaningful look, saying, “You’ll get used to it sooner or later.”

Unable to withstand his gaze, He Ye slowly moved closer.

Lu Jin led the way. After walking for about ten minutes, they arrived at the park he had mentioned. The park was quite large, with lush green trees standing quietly in the heavy rain. Several recreational facilities were washed clean by the rain. There were no other visitors in sight, giving the park a serene and peaceful atmosphere.

He Ye was initially worried about the inconvenience of traveling in the rain, but she soon found that the environment was quite pleasant.

“There’s a pavilion over there. Why don’t we sit there for a while?”

“Good idea.”

The pavilion was situated near a pond, with layers of landscape plants behind it, making it a cool spot even on a sunny day.

Sitting in the pavilion, they could see ripples spreading across the pond. Although there were lotus flowers planted there, their petals were drooping from the rain.

As He Ye watched, she suddenly noticed that Lu Jin was holding up his cell phone and taking a picture of her.

She lowered her head, feeling awkward.

Lu Jin sat next to her and handed her the phone.

He Ye saw herself holding onto the chair with both hands, her head tilted, and her skin appearing particularly fair against the dense green backdrop.

“Want to take a group photo?” Lu Jin asked.

He Ye thought about it and nodded, realizing this was part of what love felt like.

Lu Jin switched his phone to selfie mode, held it up with his right hand, and put his left arm around He Ye’s shoulders to hold her close.

He Ye: …

She awkwardly tilted her head toward him and looked at the camera.

Because she wasn’t relaxed, the photo didn’t turn out very well. Despite this, Lu Jin examined it for a long time.

While Lu Jin focused on the photo, He Ye looked away, trying to distract herself.

Suddenly, Lu Jin leaned closer and said softly, “He Ye, what if we tried kissing?”

He Ye turned in surprise and saw Lu Jin looking at her seriously, making her nervous.

He asked again, “Is that okay?”

He Ye felt uncertain and unprepared. She didn’t know what to do.

Lu Jin gently wrapped one arm around her and lifted her chin. He Ye closed her eyes, feeling awkward.

As their lips touched briefly, it felt strange to her. She didn’t understand why people liked kissing.

“Open,” Lu Jin whispered, his voice shaky. He Ye was confused.

Then, Lu Jin’s lips touched her neck, making her flinch in surprise.

Before she could react, he kissed her again, with more confidence this time. He Ye felt overwhelmed and unsure of how to respond.