“Oh, tell me.”

“Tomorrow, put on your flat shoes, and we’ll go for a walk in the park.” Tu Ming thought for a moment. If he suggested taking her for a hike around the Second Ring Road, she would reject it in a second, or even say, “See you!” Lumi’s laziness was ingrained in her bones, everyone could see that.

“Isn’t that what my grandpa downstairs does?” Lumi popped a cherry into her mouth, “I have a suggestion too, you can listen if you want. We can either stay home, or go to your place…”

“Okay,” Tu Ming chuckled, “After we go to the park.”

“Alright then.” Lumi thought about staying at her place or going to his place, that was better than the park. But sometimes, conditions needed to be exchanged. Okay, I understand, I’ll endure it. Who can blame me for being lustful?

“What time should we meet?” Lumi asked him again.

“Seven? Grab some breakfast downstairs at your place before we head out.”

“Why so early?”

“Doesn’t your grandpa go to the park even earlier?”

“True.”

Lumi felt something was off, but she couldn’t say what. She was also nervous, she felt like Tu Ming was trying to trick her. She told Shang Zhi Tao, “He’s not going to make every date at seven in the morning, is he? Does he sleep so little? Once or twice is fine, but if it’s frequent, I can’t handle it!”

“Maybe waking up a few times early will help you sleep with him, wouldn’t it?” Shang Zhi Tao asked her.

“Then I’ll get up. If I’m at this point and I can’t sleep with him, ‘through hardship comes success’, right?” Lumi said nonsense without thinking, then chuckled.

“Then I’ll ask another question, what about after you sleep with him? What are you going to do?” Shang Zhi Tao was a little curious about the development of the situation after Lumi’s impulsiveness.

“Sleep with him? If I sleep with him, then I’ll sleep with him a few more times. We can date, but marriage is not likely. My parents won’t let me date a divorced man, they think it’s too complicated. Besides, my dad’s physique can’t handle the stress.”

“Your parents don’t approve, but what about your own thoughts?”

“My thoughts? I don’t have any thoughts, we’re just getting started!” Lumi was stumped by Shang Zhi Tao’s question. After just one kiss, she was already thinking about marriage? She had dated Zhang Qing for so long and never gotten married! Why think so far ahead? Thinking about things so far in the future is useless! Just enjoy the present moment, happily.

“If Will knew your mindset, he might be pissed off.” Shang Zhi Tao could actually tell that Lumi felt differently about Tu Ming, not like she was just trying to sleep with him, but where they would go from there, no one could say for sure.

Lumi thought about Tu Ming’s appearance, and said confidently, “He won’t be pissed off, but he’ll distance himself from women like me in the future.”

“You’re talking nonsense again.”

“Hahahahahaha.”

Lumi laughed heartily, breaking her habit, and set an alarm. The next day, she woke up at 6:30, even quickly put on light makeup, wear her flats and her jacket, and grabbed her cricket cage before heading out.

She arrived at Tu Ming’s place at 7:05, five minutes late. The sky wasn’t fully bright yet, it was pitch black. Tu Ming had a bulge in his clothes, she wondered what it was, could it be a brick?

“You’re late,” Tu Ming raised his wrist, pointing at his watch, “Five minutes.”

Lumi thought that after kissing him yesterday, he wouldn’t be so meticulous anymore. But no, he still kept track of time, both for work and dates.

“Beauties can’t be late, can they?” Lumi retorted, seeing that Tu Ming wasn’t saying anything, she asked him, “What are we eating? Should we go for stir-fried liver?”

“Okay, eat a little more, you might get tired.”

“What’s tiring about walking in the park? We’ll be done in two hours.” Following behind Tu Ming, seeing that he wasn’t getting into the car, she asked him, “Not driving?”

“Not driving.”

“Walking?”

“Walking.” Tu Ming echoed her tone.

“Alright then!”

She happily walked beside him, hooking her arm around his, her action was very intimate, as if they had been dating for a long time. Tu Ming lowered his head slightly, seeing her hand clutching his sleeve, he asked her, “Aren’t your hands cold?”

“Huh?”

“How about this?” Lumi stuffed her hand into his palm, then used her other hand to make his palm into a fist, loosely holding her hand. “There, your hands won’t be cold anymore. Let’s go.”

Lumi’s hand curled up in his palm. They walked a few steps, and both of them felt a little awkward. “Forget it, forget it! I’ll put my hands in my own pocket!” Lumi gave up.

After eating stir-fried liver and buns, their stomachs were warm. Lumi felt particularly powerful, like she was ready to go all out. Standing at the door of the small restaurant, she asked him, “Let’s go, which park should we go to? I know this area well, you tell me!”

“Follow me, I know this area too.” Tu Ming turned and walked away. Lumi followed behind him, bragging, “Let me tell you, I know all the parks and rivers in this area, even the alleys over there, I grew up here!”

“Mm, I know.”

Tu Ming looked at Lumi, holding back a smile, listening to her chatter as he walked forward.

After about an hour, Lumi said, “Wait, wait, wait! That’s wrong. Go that way and you’ll find a park!”

“No, that way, forward.”

“Where is that?”

“Just follow me, I told you, you wouldn’t know.”

Lumi was a little suspicious, but she continued walking beside him. She would glance at him from time to time, seeing a smile playing on his lips, a strange smile, but a strange smile nonetheless. She always felt like he was up to something.

After walking for the second hour, Lumi sat down on a bench by the side of the street, “I’m not going anymore! This isn’t a walk in the park at all! It’s just walking around! You’re such a jerk!”

Tu Ming also sat down beside her, reached into his clothes, and with a magician’s flourish, pulled out a thermos, unscrewing the lid for her. “Are you thirsty? Here, have some water.” So, it wasn’t a brick he was carrying, it was a thermos.

Lumi took the steaming cup, glanced at the opening, pointed at a spot on the rim, and asked, “Do you usually drink from this spot?”

“Yes. You avoid that spot.”

“No.” Lumi pressed her lips against it. She had lipstick on, and there was a faint lipstick mark on the rim of the cup, a hint of flirtation. She looked at Tu Ming with a hint of smugness, smiling and taking a sip of water.

“Drink more, after you finish, we’ll hike around the Second Ring Road.”

Lumi almost choked on her water, coughing twice. “Did I hear that right? What did you say? Hike around the Second Ring Road? Do you think I’m on a military training exercise? Why would I hike around the Second Ring Road? It’s freezing cold, I can just sleep at home. Am I stupid? I’m going to hike around the Second Ring Road! That’s over 30 kilometers!”

Lumi often ridiculed those who ran dozens of kilometers at a time. She would say: “Life is about stillness, I’ll just lie in bed and take care of myself, don’t even think about making me suffer.”

Now, she was ridiculed, and she was worse off than the people she ridiculed. At least they ran around the Second Ring Road, she was hiking! What was going on?

She was going to get up early and hike around the Second Ring Road! Over 30 kilometers of the Second Ring Road!

Seeing her panic, Tu Ming didn’t say anything. He took out his phone, opened the map, and held it up to her, “Do you know what’s along the Second Ring Road? It’s a really great hiking route. You can see the alleys where you grew up, the moat, the city gates, these are sights you won’t find in other cities. You can also eat something delicious with me here.” Tu Ming tapped a spot on the map, adding, “It’s really delicious.”

“What place doesn’t have something to eat? …Do I have to walk so far to eat?”

“You can stop if you get tired.”

“I’m tired now.” Lumi started to play lazy, “I can’t walk anymore.”

“Then let’s go back. I was thinking that if we finished walking today, I could get the beef and lamb from my car and go to your place for hotpot… Seeing as it’s like this… forget it.” Tu Ming threw out a bait. He knew Lumi’s interests best, and he subtly tempted her. He thought he was being a little bad, but he didn’t mind being a little mischievous with Lumi. If he didn’t go along with her, she might just pack her bags and leave the next day. He knew her well.

…

“To my place? To eat hotpot?” Lumi’s eyes widened as she looked at him.

“Yes. That’s what I was thinking.”

“You brought it in your car?”

“If I’m lying, I’m a dog.” Tu Ming showed her the photos he took of the car that morning.

“Let’s go! Hurry!” Lumi jumped up, took a couple of steps, her movements were a little big, and the cricket chirped from inside her down jacket.

Lumi was like a child, her joy came quickly. She followed Tu Ming as they walked around the Second Ring Road. Crossing the road in front of Changan Street, Lumi walked a little faster. Tu Ming grabbed her wrist to make her look at the cars, and he never let go.

Initially, he held her wrist. Her wrist was slender, and even through the thick down jacket, his hand could still fit around it. Lumi stiffened her hand, not moving. She lowered her head and glanced at Tu Ming’s hand. She actually had a pair of cashmere gloves in her down jacket pocket, but she didn’t want to wear them. She had been waiting for this moment.

Tu Ming’s hand didn’t move, so she waited. After a while, he let go of her wrist, and Lumi’s hand reached out, grabbing his. She looked at the traffic, pretending nothing had happened.

It’s just holding hands!

Look at you, you’re making a fuss over nothing!

Tu Ming pulled her hand into his coat pocket, rubbing his thumb pad against the back of her hand. Lumi, enjoying the sweetness, took a step closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder, “Walking like this, it’s not tiring.”

After walking for a while, she couldn’t help herself, her fingertips lightly traced his palm. A surge of electricity ran from her palm into his heart. He grabbed her fingertip, “Stop messing around.”

“I’m not messing around.” Lumi said in a spoiled tone.

Tu Ming was right, she hadn’t truly seen all the sights along the Second Ring Road. Walking was actually quite nice, except for the tiring part.

Halfway through, Lumi’s legs felt like they were filled with lead. She sat down in a coffee shop, watching the street, refusing to walk anymore.

“Just walk a little further, we’re halfway there.” Tu Ming pretended to encourage her, knowing she was done.

“No, even if you offered me a piece of Tang Monk’s flesh, I wouldn’t move.” Lumi was on the verge of tears. She had never endured such hardship.

Seeing her miserable face, Tu Ming couldn’t help but laugh, “Alright, let’s rest for a while. If you really can’t go on, we’ll just turn back.”

Lumi leaned against the coffee chair, playing lazy. She drank coffee and hot water, ate some pastries, and dragged her feet, refusing to walk. She kept it up until the evening.

Tu Ming never urged her, waiting until she finally agreed to leave before taking out his phone to call a car.

Lumi was exhausted from being dragged around by Tu Ming all day, her legs wouldn’t move. But her mind was still on the hotpot, or rather, it was about Tu Ming going to her place and having dinner with her.

The last time they had dinner together was still vivid in her mind! Lumi looked down, sneaking a peek at Tu Ming’s pants, and chuckled.

When they reached Tu Ming’s car, he opened the trunk, and there it was: beef, lamb, shrimp, vegetables, he had brought a lot.

“Is this a conspiracy? You’re not planning to do something untoward to me tonight, are you? That’s not going to happen, I’m not prepared yet!” Lumi carried a small bag of coriander, pretending she was helping, and while walking, she talked a big game, “You can’t force yourself on me, I’m scared.”

Tu Ming had been listening to her dirty jokes, and finally couldn’t help but ask, “Are you serious?”

“Huh?” Lumi blinked, “What else?”

“Then well, I don’t want to tonight either.” Then he added, “Whoever changes their mind is a jerk.”