Chapter 58

“Why did you come to the old district?” Fang Jingjing rushed over and hugged her friend tightly, snuggling into the soft, fragrant embrace before remembering to ask. 

Lu Jiu replied, “I came to the farmers’ market to buy flower seeds. Oh, and these are all for you.” 

Fang Jingjing looked at the two large bags her friend pointed to and said, “That’s a lot.” 

Lu Jiu gave her a sidelong glance, “So, should I take one bag back?” 

Fang Jingjing immediately opened the car door, “No way… Hehe, thanks for spoiling me, rich lady.” 

“Stop being cheeky. Oh, by the way, I’m going to Shendu next week, I’ll bring you back some local specialties.” 

Fang Jingjing wasn’t too concerned about the specialties, “Are you going alone?” 

Lu Jiu replied, “How could I? Even if I wanted to, my family wouldn’t allow it. My parents will probably arrange for someone to accompany me.” 

Only then did Fang Jingjing feel relieved, “That’s good. There’s no way you should go alone.” 

“I know, everyone treats me like a child… Anyway, I have to go now.” 

“Already? So soon?” 

“Yeah, I still have to drop off something for Xin Xin at the high school.” 

“There’s no need to rush, right? I have another hour left at work. There’s a new Northeastern restaurant on Shuanggang Road. I’ll treat you to a meal of stewed goose in an iron pot.” 

Lu Jiu felt a bit guilty, “How about I come see you tomorrow instead? I already made plans to have dinner with Wei Shian tonight, and I don’t want to go back on my word.” 

Fang Jingjing playfully grumbled, “Your Officer Wei is too much. Ever since you started dating him, I have to get in line just to see you. Waaa… I’m so sad.” 

Lu Jiu pinched her, “Stop saying that. I haven’t seen him for half a month.” 

“Wow~ So it’s a case of ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder,’ huh? You two must be all sparks and fireworks, with all kinds of… Mmph!” 

Cutting off her friend’s teasing with a hand over her mouth, Lu Jiu quickly opened the car door, blushing as she started the engine and drove away. 

Even though she felt a bit embarrassed, she couldn’t help but wonder what kissing was really like. 

And why was it that, even though she could tell several times that Officer Wei wanted to kiss her, he always held back? 

Meanwhile, after watching her friend leave in a fluster, Fang Jingjing chuckled as she carried the two large bags of snacks back. 

But she hadn’t expected to run into Zhu Qian just a few steps later, standing not far away with an expression that was hard to read—somewhere between envy and jealousy. 

Ugh, what’s her problem? Fang Jingjing rolled her eyes dramatically at her. 

Chapter 29 

By late February, Haicheng had already started to warm up. 

Daytime temperatures hovered around 10 to 15 degrees, so Lu Jiu had recently begun experimenting with different ways to wear skirts. 

For example, today she was wearing a thick, light blue cheongsam with white trim. 

Lu Jiu thought she looked beautiful, but a certain man kept frowning as he looked at her. 

“What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with my outfit?” They had only been together for a few minutes, and he had already frowned several times at her clothes. 

Wei Shian didn’t answer immediately. He grabbed his girlfriend’s hand and held it tightly in his palm, making sure it was warm before he relaxed a little, “Aren’t you cold, wearing so little?” 

It was fine during the day, but now it was evening, and the temperature was only around 4 to 5 degrees. 

“I’m not cold. My hands are warm, aren’t they?” 

“That’s because you just came out of a room with air conditioning.” 

Alright then, her boyfriend was just as fussy as her mom. Left with no choice, Lu Jiu went back inside and grabbed a short cape to throw over her shoulders, “Is this better?” 

Wei Shian was still not entirely satisfied, but considering that girls like to dress up, he decided he would just take her to places with air conditioning. 

With that in mind, he took her hand and led her straight to the parking lot. 

Once they were in the car, Wei Shian habitually buckled his girlfriend’s seatbelt, turned on the heat, and then released the brake to drive off. 

It wasn’t until they were on the road that Lu Jiu remembered to ask, “Where are we going to eat?” 

Wei Shian asked, “Do you have any cravings?” 

Lu Jiu replied, “I want something spicy.” 

Wei Shian teased, “Pig brains? Silkworm pupae?” 

“Stop it! You’re teasing me.” If her boyfriend wasn’t driving, she would have pinched him. 

As they stopped at a red light, Wei Shian gently pressed the brake and, after the car came to a stop, took her delicate hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss, coaxing her, “Don’t be mad, I was just joking.” 

Feeling a bit flustered, Lu Jiu curled her fingers, both amused and annoyed. This man loved to tease her, and after teasing, he’d always coax her—it was a pattern she couldn’t quite understand. 

Annoyed, she couldn’t help but reach out and pinch the exposed part of his wrist. 

It felt like a mosquito bite to Wei Shian, who suppressed his laughter. He then pulled her hand closer and planted another kiss on her fair, slender wrist, asking, “Do you want me to kiss you here?” 

Lu Jiu… 

=== 

At the turn of the millennium, Haicheng couldn’t compare to the bustling cities of Shanghai or Beijing. 

But due to the establishment of several large factories, it attracted a large number of job seekers from other areas. 

As a result, cuisines from all over the country began to converge, gradually turning one street into a food haven. 

Daytime was fine, but by nightfall, the food street would be packed with people. 

Lu Jiu was closely guarded by her tall, strong boyfriend as they navigated through the crowd, finally making their way to a maocai restaurant. 

Seeing the sign, Lu Jiu’s eyes lit up. 

Wei Shian had been watching her reactions closely and knew he had chosen the right place. 

He reached out and gently pinched her rosy cheek, “So, is this what we’re having?” 

Lu Jiu smiled at him, her eyes curving into crescents, “Yes, I haven’t had it in a long time.” The last time was a year ago, when she came with Jingjing. She hadn’t expected Officer Wei to bring her here. 

His girlfriend’s smile was so sweet—her face like a peach blossom, her features delicate and beautiful. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was about to eat some kind of gourmet delicacy. Wei Shian couldn’t resist pinching her smooth, porcelain-like cheek again, “You’re so easy to please.” 

It was so noisy that Lu Jiu didn’t hear him clearly, “What did you say?” 

Wei Shian shook his head, “Nothing, let’s go inside. I don’t know if there’s a table available.” 

Waiting for a table was a hassle, so Lu Jiu immediately looked around and spotted the only empty table by the entrance. She quickly grabbed her boyfriend and made a beeline for it. 

Luckily, she moved fast—just as she sat down, two young men approached, clearly also aiming for the table.