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Chapter 040
As Lu Jin approached the Panamera, he took off his windbreaker and draped it over his left arm.
It was a simple action, but because he was well-built, He Ye felt like she was watching a scene from a movie.
The car was unlocked, and Lu Jin opened the back door, placed his windbreaker on the seat, closed the door, and went to the driver’s seat.
He Ye remembered how bored she had been the night before, so she took off her thick coat and sat in the passenger seat.
The air conditioner was on, blowing warm air.
Lu Jin set up the navigation and glanced at He Ye: “Thanks for tonight; otherwise, Zhou Xiangming wouldn’t have let me go so soon.”
He Ye smiled: “He doesn’t seem like someone who stays mad for long.”
Lu Jin replied, “You know him well.”
He Ye said, “He knows me very well; he’s like a child.”
Lu Jin: “For a 24-year-old man, that doesn’t seem like a compliment.”
He Ye: “…”
The car started and slowly drove off.
He Ye turned around and saw Zhou Xiangming’s car behind them. Zhu Qing waved, but after leaving the parking lot, the two cars went in different directions.
She sat up straight again.
The car was quiet, and He Ye felt a strange sense of comfort.
Even though she wanted to disappear several times during the meal, when topics she tried to avoid came up with Lu Jin, the awkward barrier between them seemed to break down, allowing new feelings to emerge. They could act like old classmates again.
A big part of this was thanks to Zhou Xiangming and Zhu Qing. Their jokes and laughter helped He Ye relax after feeling so embarrassed.
As they drove, Lu Jin suddenly stopped the car by a milk tea shop.
He Ye looked confused.
Lu Jin pointed to the shop about ten meters away: “I want to buy you some milk tea. What flavor do you like?”
It was a common chain brand. He Ye thought for a moment and replied, “Caramel, maybe.”
Lu Jin: “Okay, wait a moment.”
He opened the car door and walked to the milk tea shop.
He Ye had nothing to do, so she watched him stop by the shop, look at the menu, and place an order.
With bright lights in front of him and darkness behind, he looked tall and healthy, with broad shoulders and a loose black shirt.
She received a new message on her phone.
Zhu Qing: [Let me be honest. If you didn’t sleep with Lu Jin once, it would be a lifelong regret.]
He Ye felt guilty for being caught by her best friend from a distance, so she took advantage of Zhu Qing not being able to see her to reply indignantly: [Don’t be so lewd, okay?]
Zhu Qing: [Is there really no thrill in rekindling old love?]
He Ye: [No, the embarrassment is enough for me.]
Zhu Qing: [Think positively. Most people wouldn’t feel embarrassed if they wanted to. Is Lu Jin driving? Are you two talking about anything?]
He Ye looked outside the car again and saw Lu Jin returning with a cup of milk tea.
She quickly typed: [No chat, my phone is running out of battery, let’s not talk about it for now, just focus on accompanying Zhou Xiangming.]
Zhu Qing sent a playful emoji with the word “hunted down.” He Ye smiled and put away her phone when Lu Jin sat down.
“You don’t want to drink?”
After taking the milk tea, He Ye asked a bit shyly, thinking Lu Jin had bought it for himself.
Lu Jin tilted his head and fastened his seat belt: “Driving is inconvenient.”
“That’s true.” He Ye tore off the wrapping paper and inserted the straw into the milk tea. She took a sip of the warm drink but then noticed that Lu Jin was gripping the steering wheel without starting the car.
With the straw still in her lips, He Ye quietly looked at Lu Jin’s face.
Lu Jin glanced over.
Feeling embarrassed, He Ye opened her mouth, waiting for him to speak.
Her lips were red and looked soft, like they had just been kissed.
This was a truth too profound to fully describe.
Lu Jin glanced quickly, then let go of the steering wheel, looking concerned. “From what I’ve observed, you seem very nervous these past two days. Are you not used to dealing with this kind of situation?”
He Ye felt like a nervous student caught mispronouncing a word on stage.
She held her milk tea and lowered her eyes awkwardly.
He looked at her again, and after a moment of silence, he said, “You seem to have not changed at all since then.”
He Ye felt down. She wanted to be calm like him, but things had changed.
“Actually, I’m not as resigned as you think.” Lu Jin gazed out the window and spoke slowly, as if choosing his words carefully. “It’s not about feelings. I didn’t act like a good person back then. I was afraid you’d think poorly of me after seeing me, so I avoided even basic interactions, fearing you’d misunderstand… and I would keep hurting you.”
He Ye felt a loud bang in her mind, and memories she had tried to forget rushed back.
In a dimly lit room, Lu Jin coaxed her to take off her dress, and then he picked her up and pressed her onto the bed…
That afternoon in a strange hotel, He Ye, just eighteen, felt scared and ran away, breaking up with Lu Jin.
But He Ye never viewed Lu Jin as a bad person.
Especially in college, hearing her friends complain about their boyfriends’ desires made her realize that Lu Jin just wanted intimacy too. When she had clearly expressed her rejection, Lu Jin chose to leave. After, when she was crying on the road, he agreed to take her home without hesitation.
She couldn’t completely dismiss Lu Jin because of one mistake. He had done many good things for her.
“No, I don’t think so.”
He Ye tightened her grip on the milk tea, trying to suppress the memories: “It must be embarrassing, but I definitely don’t doubt your character.”
“Honestly?”
“Um.”
“That’s good. Just like Zhu Qing said, let’s put aside past grudges. We’re old classmates, so we should interact normally without affecting our work.”
He Ye nodded: “Yes, exactly.”
Lu Jin smiled and drove.
He Ye relaxed and continued drinking her milk tea.
Perhaps with the ice broken, Lu Jin spoke more than the previous night: “What’s the relationship between Zhou Xiangming and Zhu Qing now?”
This topic made He Ye feel comfortable. She smiled and said, “Although they refuse to admit it, I think they like each other. You’re close with Zhou Xiangming. Didn’t he say anything during your chats?”
Lu Jin said, “We don’t really talk about those things; we just play games.”
He Ye, surprised, asked, “You actually play games?” He always seemed too cool and grown-up for that.
Lu Jin glanced at her and asked, “Not like her?”
He Ye nodded, thinking Lu Jin seemed more interested in hiking and working out than playing video games.
Lu Jin calmly reminded her: “I think I played Monster Invasion City [1]is a type of arcade game involving action and adventure themes. with someone in the arcade.”
He Ye: “…”
Even if they talked about it, did he really need to bring up examples from their past relationship?
She sipped her milk tea and looked outside.
Lu Jin: “From what Zhu Qing said, you had several relationships in college, so you must have experience with ex-boyfriends?”
He Ye nearly choked: “When did she say I had several relationships?”
Lu Jin: “Every day, boys rush to bring you breakfast and milk tea. With so many, there must be one you like.”
Thinking of those experiences gave her a headache. She wouldn’t accept gifts given in person, but was anxious about those who asked other girls to deliver things directly to her dorm. She feared they would ask for compensation later if she threw the gifts away.
“No, I’m not interested.”
“So, you haven’t talked about it at all in these years?”
“Um.”
Lu Jin suddenly smiled: “Then I was really honored back then.”
He Ye: “…”
The car stopped at the east gate of the community, and He Ye had only finished half her milk tea.
Lu Jin extended his hand: “It’s cold outside; put on your coat first.”
Compared to the previous night, this felt like a nice gesture from old classmates after they put their worries aside.
He Ye didn’t hesitate and gave Lu Jin the milk tea. She straightened up and put on her coat.
Lu Jin looked ahead, waiting for He Ye to zip it up before returning the milk tea.
“Thank you. I’m leaving now,” He Ye said.
“See you tomorrow,” Lu Jin replied.
He Ye stood by the road, watching the familiar black luxury car drive away. It felt similar to the night before, but her mood was different.
Last night, she felt a little lost. It wasn’t that she wanted to rekindle an old relationship, but when someone she was once close to feels like a stranger, those memories can seem pointless.
But how can they be pointless?
He Ye didn’t know what Lu Jin thought, but she would probably never forget that when she was eighteen, there was a handsome boy in a white shirt who would ride his bike to pick her up every day.
That night, He Ye slept well and comfortably.
The next day, she arrived at work early and went to the fourth floor for breakfast.
The cafeteria was very big, with more breakfast options than in a university cafeteria. He Ye ordered small wontons, a red bean paste bun, and a tea egg [2]is a boiled egg steeped in tea and soy sauce..
She chose an empty seat and was peeling her tea egg when someone stopped at the corner of her table.
She looked up.
Today, Lu Jin was wearing a white shirt with one button undone, giving him a more relaxed look.
“Is it convenient, He Ye?” he asked, looking down at her as if he would move to another spot if she shook her head.
He Ye blushed at him calling her “classmate He Ye” and nodded.
Lu Jin sat down across from her.
She glanced at his tray, which had milk, fruit, and a double sandwich.
“Do you come to the cafeteria for breakfast every day?” He Ye asked, continuing to peel her tea eggs to keep the conversation going.
“Yeah,” Lu Jin replied.
After a moment, he added, “You wouldn’t come here just because I’m eating in the cafeteria, right?”
He Ye paused, thinking that if they had met in the cafeteria yesterday morning, she probably would have come just for that.
***
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