Chapter 039

Lu Jin’s car followed Zhou Xiangming’s car steadily.

Zhou Xiangming wanted to complain about his former good friend several times, but Zhu Qing stopped him as soon as he opened his mouth: “Focus on driving, safety first.”

Zhou Xiangming had to hold it in.

Zhu Qing turned around and asked He Ye: “Would it be awkward for you if Lu Jin ate with us?”

He Ye smiled bitterly: “I’m almost used to it.”

In any experience, the first feeling is usually the most shocking. If the same embarrassing situation happens several times, you get used to it.

Zhou Xiangming interrupted, looking unhappy: “You shouldn’t have been so soft-hearted and asked him to come.”

He Ye replied: “He is your best friend after all. If you end your friendship, you’ll be the one suffering.”

Zhu Qing added: “Yes, I was so angry that I cried last night.”

Zhou Xiangming’s eyes widened: “What? Which one of you…?”

Zhu Qing replied: “You can see it with your own eyes. Drive carefully!”

Zhou Xiangming: “…”

Half an hour later, both cars drove into the mall’s underground garage.

Zhou Xiangming picked a parking space near the elevator hall, while Lu Jin drove a bit further to find an empty spot.

Zhu Qing held He Ye’s arm, and the three of them waited outside the elevator for Lu Jin.

Soon, Lu Jin got out of the car and walked over slowly.

He wore a black trench coat over his shirt, unbuttoned.

The all-black outfit highlighted his tall and slim figure, with a leather belt accentuating his proportions.

Just his figure alone could make passing girls secretly fall in love with him.

Zhu Qing didn’t move but leaned closer to He Ye and whispered, “Lu Jin is such a show-off, but he is really handsome.”

He Ye looked down as soon as Lu Jin got out. She felt shy to look but agreed in her heart.

Zhou Xiangming stood in front of the two women with disdain, reminding them: “Please remember who is the true friend who picked you up and treated you to hot pot in the middle of winter!”

Both women laughed: “You!”

When Lu Jin approached, he saw He Ye standing next to Zhu Qing with a relaxed smile on her face.

But she seemed to sense his approach and suddenly stopped smiling, looking away.

Zhou Xiangming snorted and walked in first. After a few steps, he sensed something was off. He turned back and saw Zhu Qing holding He Ye’s arm, chatting and smiling at Lu Jin.

Zhou Xiangming: “…”

Zhu Qing continued chatting with Lu Jin: “University bully, don’t blame Zhou Xiangming for being angry. Why didn’t you tell him you were back? Saying you were too busy doesn’t work. Try another excuse.”

Zhou Xiangming narrowed his eyes, wanting to hear Lu Jin’s excuse.

Lu Jin replied, “I didn’t tell him, but I didn’t hide it either. If he was smart enough, he could have guessed I was in China based on our game time.”

If he were in the U.S., Zhou Xiangming wouldn’t be able to call him whenever he wanted.

Zhou Xiangming was furious: “That’s nonsense! I only called you on weekends so I wouldn’t bother you at work. When did I ever call without checking if you were free?”

Lu Jin explained: “Actually, I was busy, so I didn’t think about meeting up.”

Zhou Xiangming: “…”

Zhu Qing was amused by his frustration and said, “Alright, alright, Lu Jin is busy but still made time to play games with you. You should be grateful. If it were anyone else, he might not even recognize them.”

Zhou Xiangming quickly turned his attention to her: “You might not match up. He Ye can’t have forgotten.”

He Ye: …

Why bring that up?

Zhu Qing glared at Zhou Xiangming and said to Lu Jin: “Are you kidding? The university bully is so handsome, and there are so many beautiful women in Beijing and abroad. I guess he changes girlfriends every month. Just like He Ye, she’s also very popular at Jiaotong University. Boys deliver breakfast and milk tea to her every day.”

He Ye pinched Zhu Qing, but she endured it.

Lu Jin smiled and said, “Being dumped once is enough. I never talked about it again.”

Zhou Xiangming stopped in shock, and Zhu Qing gasped dramatically.

He Ye: …

She regretted trying to reconcile; now she had to face this situation.

Lu Jin glanced at her and calmly said, “Just trying to lighten the mood, nothing else.”

Zhou Xiangming tried to smooth things over: “You’d better be quiet. The more you talk, the more awkward it becomes.”

Since there were too many people waiting for the elevator, the four of them quietly stopped chatting.

When the elevator arrived, He Ye followed Zhu Qing inside. They squeezed in and stood in the innermost corner, with Zhou Xiangming and Lu Jin outside.

Lu Jin faced outward while Zhou Xiangming leaned sideways.

He looked down at Zhu Qing beside him with a sly smile: “Do you feel especially safe right now?”

Zhu Qing, who was only 1.55 meters tall, gritted her teeth and stepped on his foot hard.

Zhou Xiangming said, “Don’t just step on me; He Ye is laughing too.” 

Zhu Qing quickly turned her head. 

He Ye thought her best friend was going to tickle her for fun, so she dodged to the side and accidentally bumped into Lu Jin, who was trying to avoid being close to her. 

Her face turned red, and she quickly moved back to Zhu Qing. 

Zhu Qing, who had just been teased about her height, acted dissatisfied: “Being tall makes you special, right? You can’t squeeze Lu Jin, but you squeeze me?” 

He Ye wished she could disappear. She decided that she would never attend another event with Lu Jin if Zhou Xiangming was involved. 

When the elevator finally arrived, He Ye breathed a sigh of relief as they stepped out into the more open space. 

Zhou Xiangming led the way to a hot pot restaurant.

Since it was just the four of them, they chose a quieter corner instead of a private room. 

Zhou Xiangming and Zhu Qing let He Ye pick her seat first. 

He Ye sat down, and just as Zhu Qing was about to sit next to her, Zhou Xiangming suddenly grabbed her arm and squeezed in beside He Ye, saying proudly: “I won’t sit next to an online friend.” 

Very good, at the company gate, Lu Jin was just a “stranger,” but now he was an “online friend.” 

Zhu Qing had to sit across from He Ye, while Lu Jin sat next to her. But with only four seats, they were still close to each other. 

They scanned a code to order their favorite dishes and removed any duplicates. 

Zhou Xiangming looked at Lu Jin provocatively: “I will only pay for the three of us; you pay for yourself.” 

Lu Jin replied, “It’s my treat.” 

Zhou Xiangming said, “You want to show off your wealth, right?” 

Zhu Qing chimed in, “You don’t have to eat. Stop being so sarcastic.” 

He Ye quietly scrolled through her phone. 

Zhu Qing asked Lu Jin, “What was your first impression when you saw Xiao Ye’s resume? Haha, don’t blame me for being curious; you two are really something.” 

He Ye bit her lip and glared at her. 

Zhu Qing tilted her head, waiting for Lu Jin’s answer. 

Lu Jin glanced at He Ye and said, “When I saw the name, I thought it was a duplicate, but when I saw the school, I was sure it was her.” 

Zhu Qing asked, “If you knew everything, why didn’t you tell our Xiao Ye in advance? She ran into her ex-boyfriend unprepared and almost freaked out.” 

He Ye gave up trying to fight back. She took small sips of tea and pretended not to hear anything. 

Zhou Xiangming defended her: “Otherwise he would be called a dog; he has no humanity!” 

Lu Jin explained calmly, “I hadn’t seen her post anything on WeChat Moments in years, so I thought she had blocked me.” 

He Ye, who was sipping tea, almost choked. 

Zhu Qing kindly handed her a tissue. 

Zhou Xiangming coughed and said, “This is a complete misunderstanding. He Ye really didn’t post anything on WeChat Moments.” 

Zhu Qing teased, “It’s true she didn’t post, but how do you know she didn’t block Lu Jin?” 

He Ye quickly said, “No, why would I block him?” 

Zhou Xiangming explained, “Isn’t this normal? It’s the usual process after a couple breaks up. Like my college roommate, who was dumped by his girlfriend after ignoring her for days.” 

Zhu Qing asked, “Why did they break up?” 

Zhou Xiangming answered, “The girl wanted him to go shopping, but he was too busy playing games, so they broke up. They argued often, and shopping was just the last straw. By the way, He Ye, what did Lu Jin do to upset you back then? Zhu Qing and I have been wondering about it for six years; it’s practically a mystery.” 

He Ye thought, “You want me to dig up something so painful when you just want to make fun of me?” 

Suddenly, Lu Jin said, “Nothing much. She wanted to keep it a secret from Uncle He, but I wanted to be open about it.” 

He Ye looked surprised. 

Lu Jin smiled and said, “Thank you for saving face for me.” 

His eyes were serious, not smiling; they felt distant, as if he was talking about a past crush that was long gone. 

He Ye agreed with his statement silently. 

Zhou Xiangming was speechless: “That’s it? I thought you were cheating on her and that He Ye was mad.” 

Lu Jin said, “Unless I decide to pursue her, I won’t lead on any woman, especially when I’m not single.” 

Zhu Qing whispered, “I guessed it was you… ahem, the hot pot is here; let’s eat first and forget the past. We’ll still be old classmates!” 

He Ye looked gratefully at the waiter because Zhu Qing had guessed the truth, which He Ye had always denied. 

The sixth sense of good friends is really impressive! 

After Zhou Xiangming stole several pieces of hot pot meat from Lu Jin’s chopsticks, Lu Jin finally relaxed and let go of his anger over Lu Jin hiding his return. 

Zhu Qing laughed, “Haha, your anger is really pointless.” 

Zhou Xiangming replied, “What do you know? I’m just being generous.” 

Zhu Qing glared at him knowingly, then looked quickly at Lu Jin and He Ye. 

Zhou Xiangming then picked up a piece of meat for her, returning her look. 

After eating hot pot, Zhou Xiangming suggested, “Let’s go watch a movie?” 

Zhu Qing checked her phone and said, “A movie lasts two hours, and if I get home after ten, my mom will definitely think I’m dating again.” 

Zhou Xiangming said, “Auntie is just overly protective and doesn’t consider who would actually like you.” 

Zhu Qing swung her bag to hit him and asked, “Is your skin itchy again?” 

Zhou Xiangming laughed and ran ahead, with Zhu Qing chasing after him, both of them playfully ignoring the stares from others. 

He Ye smiled at her ex-boyfriend standing a few steps away and said, “They’ve always been like this.” 

Lu Jin agreed, “Yeah, let’s go.” 

He took the first step, and He Ye followed a little behind.

Zhou Xiangming and Zhu Qing, tired of the noise, returned to join the others. Zhou Xiangming asked He Ye, “Where do you live now? Still with Xiaofeng?” 

Zhu Qing replied, “Come on, Xiaoye is now living alone; he has his own house in Dangui Garden, not far from the river.” 

Zhou Xiangming said, “Oh, then let’s take a detour and drop you off first.” 

Zhu Qing lives in the old city of Jiangbei, while Zhou Xiangming lives in a new luxury neighborhood, also in Jiangbei.

He Ye was about to agree when Lu Jin said, “I can take you there. It’s on my way.” 

Zhou Xiangming looked suspiciously at Lu Jin: “Is it really on your way, or do you have other motives?” 

Lu Jin looked at He Ye. 

He Ye confidently replied, “It’s really convenient; our neighborhoods are next to each other.” 

A few minutes later, Zhu Qing stood by Zhou Xiangming’s car, watching He Ye follow Lu Jin to the Panamera like a well-trained rabbit. She sneered and asked Zhou Xiangming, “This was a scheme, right? Only He Ye couldn’t see it.” 

Zhou Xiangming raised his hand, swearing, “I swear, if Lu Jin and I have colluded, I’ll be single for life!” 

There was no need for collusion; all he needed to do was throw some sand on the ground, and Lu Jin would build a high-speed rail track. 

Zhou Xiangming’s excited eyes showed his cleverness and pride in helping his friend pursue He Ye.

Zhu Qing raised an eyebrow: “Is even the fact that you hid his return to China fake?” 

Zhou Xiangming stopped smiling and gritted his teeth, “That’s true. I’m not done with him!” 

Zhu Qing said, “But you’re still helping him trick He Ye?” 

Zhou Xiangming sighed: “Those are two different things. Seeing Lu Jin like this makes me uncomfortable.” 

Zhu Qing got in the car first and fastened her seat belt, saying sarcastically, “He seems to have let it go, acting all serious.” 

Zhou Xiangming replied, “When hasn’t he pretended? He only acts somewhat popular around He Ye.” 

Zhu Qing recalled how during the summer vacation, when Lu Jin pursued He Ye, he would help her with drinks and food. His friends teased her, making He Ye blush, but Lu Jin was confident as if he had loved He Ye for years. 

“He hasn’t talked about it in all these years?” 

“Well, he’s busy as a top, how could he have time? Besides, he’s never let go of He Ye.” 

“Did he tell you that?” 

“He’s not the type to confide in others. I noticed it myself. Oh, don’t tell He Ye; let Lu Jin pursue her slowly. He must have offended her badly, otherwise, he wouldn’t be so cautious now. When we just moved to Xiaofeng, he met He Ye once in a supermarket. The second time, he had the guts to stop her at the community gate and try to get close.” 

Zhu Qing was shocked: “Love at first sight?” 

Zhou Xiangming replied, “Of course, but you can only envy that; you don’t have the ability.” 

Zhu Qing: “…”