Chapter 058

After a while, He Ye didn’t want Lu Jin to kiss her for too long outside. She couldn’t tell how long it had been—maybe a few minutes or more than ten. She crawled out from under the umbrella.

Lu Jin didn’t argue. He held the umbrella in one hand and slipped his other hand into his pocket, whispering, “Let’s go.”

It was too dark under the slide for He Ye to see his eyes clearly, so she just thought his voice sounded hoarse.

She picked up the durian and umbrella from the ground, preparing in case Lu Jin wanted to kiss her again later. He Ye opened her umbrella and stepped into the rain.

Lu Jin followed her a couple of steps behind.

She could hear his steady footsteps.

After walking about a hundred meters, Lu Jin caught up and walked beside her.

He Ye turned her head and saw his profile under the umbrella. He looked like a proud and aloof student who had been reported to the teacher for misbehaving, making it hard to believe he would fall in love early.

Suddenly, Lu Jin looked at her.

He Ye smiled and lowered the umbrella.

“What are you laughing at?” Lu Jin leaned closer.

He Ye stayed silent.

Lu Jin playfully tapped her umbrella with his.

He Ye ran ahead a few steps.

_

On Saturday, after breakfast, He Ye went to help at her family’s fruit shop. While working, she chatted with her parents, enjoying their family time together.

By noon, the drizzle had completely stopped, and the sun came out.

There weren’t many customers in the afternoon, so He Yong asked He Ye to go home and rest.

She took a nap and woke up to a message from Lu Jin: [Zhou Xiangming invited me to hike tomorrow morning. Do you want to join us? The tea mountain is easier than during team building.]

He Ye replied: [You guys haven’t hung out in a while, so I’ll pass.]

Sometimes girlfriends let their boyfriends hang out with friends, and good friends also need time to discuss topics their girlfriends might not be interested in.

Lu Jin: [If you don’t go, I’ll turn him down and just take you out instead.]

He Ye was surprised: [……]

Zhou Xiangming and Li Liang had mentioned that Lu Jin prioritized women over friendship, and it seemed they were right.

Lu Jin: [Actually, Zhou Xiangming also asked me to bring you. He might have asked me to come along.]

He Ye’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Zhou Xiangming wanted to ask her about Zhu Qing?

She replied: [Then let’s go together.]

Lu Jin likely told Zhou Xiangming about this because he quickly messaged her: [Being a light bulb ^[1]phrase used to describe a person who feels unnecessary or awkward when two people are on a date. for you two is boring. Why don’t you invite Zhu Qing too?]

He Ye guessed correctly: [Are you still on her blacklist?]

Zhou Xiangming: [I blocked her for a few days before she let me back in, but she barely talks to me. I sent her a hundred messages, and she only replied with “Oh.”]

He Ye asked, confused: [Why send so many messages?]

Zhou Xiangming: [You wouldn’t understand; it’s our way of maintaining friendship. Just go ask her. If she agrees, I’ll bring an extra bottle of water.]

He Ye asked Zhu Qing with some hesitation.

Zhu Qing: [??? You two are going on a date, and you want me to be the light bulb? Or do you want me to carry your backpack?]

He Ye: […Not just us; Zhou Xiangming asked me to call you.]

Zhu Qing: [One red card warning—if you mention him twice, you’ll be blacklisted.]

He Ye: [Got it. I won’t mention him again.]

Zhu Qing: [Haha, so if he hadn’t asked you to call me, you would’ve stuck with that college bully and ignored me, right?]

He Ye felt guilty and quickly texted Zhu Qing: [Next week, let’s go shopping, and I’ll treat you to a meal.] 

Zhu Qing replied: [Okay, I’ll note it down. See you next week!] 

He Ye then informed Zhou Xiangming that she wouldn’t be climbing the mountain. 

Zhou Xiangming responded: [Good! I needed a bottle of water anyway.] 

He Ye admired his response: [If she’s not going, will you also skip it?] 

Zhou Xiangming sent an emotional voice message: “Why shouldn’t I go? Do you think I’m just a light bulb for you? It’s fine if Lu Jin prioritizes women over friendship, but He Ye, you shouldn’t follow his example. Our friendship from high school was much closer than yours with him!” 

He Ye felt criticized by both friends for putting women before friends: “…” 

The next morning, He Ye told her parents she was going shopping with Zhu Qing and would go straight back to Dangui Jiayuan, depending on the situation. Her parents understood that young people have their own lives. 

At 7:30, He Ye took the elevator to the underground garage and saw that Lu Jin was driving. Zhou Xiangming, sitting in the back seat, glared at her with annoyance. 

He Ye approached with a smile. 

Zhou Xiangming got out and moved to the front seat, looking at her to see if she would choose her “relationship partner” with Lu Jin or “friendship” with him.

He Ye was about to walk over when Lu Jin opened the passenger door. 

He Ye thought: “…” 

Zhou Xiangming slapped the back of the driver’s seat: “Isn’t that too much? I see He Ye every day, so what’s wrong with spending a little longer with me today?” 

Lu Jin ignored him and focused on He Ye. 

He Ye weighed her options. Zhou Xiangming felt awkward because Zhu Qing was ignoring him, and he would likely complain about her on the way up the mountain. 

He Ye didn’t have Lu Jin’s calmness. 

She decided to walk to the passenger seat, closed the door in front of Zhou Xiangming’s shocked expression and Lu Jin’s calm gaze, then sat in the back seat. 

Zhou Xiangming laughed loudly, while Lu Jin looked at He Ye thoughtfully. 

She signaled Lu Jin to stop teasing, wanting to be a mature team leader and not engage with Zhou Xiangming, whose emotional intelligence was still like that of a high schooler. 

Lu Jin turned his attention back to driving after she buckled her seatbelt. 

Zhou Xiangming began to complain about Zhu Qing, saying she was unreasonable. 

He Ye listened without much reaction. When Zhou Xiangming said he was thirsty, she casually remarked, “If my friend suddenly ignored me without a reason, I’d feel bad for a while, then just act like we were never friends. After all, they are just friends.” 

Zhou Xiangming: “…You are too petty. We have been friends for many years. It’s best to save the relationship if possible.” 

Lu Jin chimed in calmly, “Men and women are different. She must have a boyfriend. If you keep bothering her, how will he feel?” 

He Ye agreed: “Yes, if you truly care about her, respect her choice. Maybe she wants distance because she has found someone else.” 

After saying this, she and Lu Jin exchanged a brief look in the rearview mirror. 

Zhou Xiangming, who usually talked a lot, fell silent. 

When someone who usually laughs stops, it can feel quite sad. 

He Ye couldn’t help but add, “I’m just guessing, though. I don’t know what she’s thinking.” 

Zhou Xiangming looked at her and snorted, “Let her think what she wants. I want to see what kind of boyfriend she finds. What kind of guy is worth giving up a friend like me from six years?” 

He Ye: “…” 

She knew she shouldn’t feel sorry for him. 

Seeing He Ye couldn’t help improve his situation with Zhu Qing, Zhou Xiangming dropped the subject when they reached the mountain. He kept chatting with her and Lu Jin about different topics. 

Lu Jin was good at socializing and seemed comfortable with anyone, easily leading conversations. 

Zhou Xiangming was cheerful and enthusiastic, making his sincerity felt. 

This allowed He Ye to chat more easily with him. Noticing Lu Jin didn’t mind, she didn’t try to get closer to her boyfriend. 

At the mountain’s peak, there was a pavilion where He Ye sat on a bench to rest. 

Zhou Xiangming noticed the seat next to her and looked at Lu Jin. He snorted and sat on the opposite side. 

He wanted to keep the peace between his friends. Since Lu Jin was quiet, Zhou Xiangming took on the task of making conversation, not wanting their hike to be dull. 

Lu Jin took off his backpack and sat beside He Ye. 

He Ye wasn’t as fit as them, and she was panting, her face red and sweat on her forehead. 

Lu Jin handed her water first. After she drank, he offered her wet wipes. Once she wiped her face, he took the wipes and put them in a trash bag he brought. 

Zhou Xiangming was taken aback. 

Lu Jin opened a portable box and handed it to He Ye. 

Inside were fresh strawberries. 

Feeling a bit embarrassed under Zhou Xiangming’s gaze, He Ye pinched one and turned away, pretending to admire the scenery. 

Zhou Xiangming said, “When you have a boyfriend, the service is better than a five-star male nanny.” 

Lu Jin replied, “My girlfriend gives me a chance, so I have to appreciate it. Unlike you, who is single and only needs to worry about yourself.” 

Zhou Xiangming: “…” 

He Ye laughed so hard she could hardly eat the strawberries.

As they walked down the mountain, Zhou Xiangming chatted with He Ye. He suddenly remembered, “Are you going back to school for the graduation ceremony?”

He Ye replied, “Yeah, on the 19th of this month.”

Zhou Xiangming checked his phone and saw that the 19th was a Thursday.

“Are Uncle He and the others going to watch the ceremony?” he asked.

“I didn’t want to ask them to come. My dad has trouble walking, and the fruits in the store can’t be left there.” 

The He family doesn’t care much about these ceremonies. If He Ye were the father, she would rather work an extra day to earn more money, which makes more sense.

When He Ye last mentioned this, her father said he would go if she wanted him to. He Ye felt bad for her father’s legs and thought it would be better for him to rest instead of traveling to Shanghai.

Zhou Xiangming looked back, feeling envious: “If Uncle He doesn’t go, someone can attend the ceremony as family without worry.”

He Ye glanced at Lu Jin’s shadow and said, “It wouldn’t be right for a whole group to take leave for this.”

Lu Jin chimed in, “Can I just take sick leave in the afternoon?”

With Zhou Xiangming watching, He Ye didn’t laugh.

Zhou Xiangming, who felt like he wasn’t bothering them, suddenly felt very out of place.

So after they came down the mountain, Zhou Xiangming decided not to eat with them and took a taxi instead.

He Ye walked with Lu Jin to the parking lot. 

This area was still a scenic spot, full of trees, making it especially quiet.

As Lu Jin approached, the Panamera (a luxury car brand) unlocked automatically, but then he suddenly took He Ye’s hand and pulled her into the back seat.

He sat down first, on the outside.

He Ye was still confused. Lu Jin pulled her across his legs and closed the car door quickly.

He Ye’s heart raced, and she instinctively put her hands on her chest, glancing outside the car, then at him: “You, what are you doing?”

“If you want to kiss, can’t we just go home?” she thought.

Lu Jin knocked on the car window: “Even if someone puts their face close, they can’t see inside.”

He Ye looked ahead again…

Well, the front seat was empty.

“Then there’s no need to rush, right?” 

She lowered her eyelashes and mumbled softly. She felt awkward but leaned into his arms.

Lu Jin looked at her with dark eyes: “I thought you liked sitting in this seat, so I wanted to sit with you for a bit.”

He Ye finally understood he was there to get back at her.

Although she had good reasons for choosing Zhou Xiangming then, as her boyfriend, Lu Jin deserved some affection too.

He Ye closed her eyes and said, “Then hurry up, but no more than five minutes.”

Lu Jin replied, “Sitting in a chair, how fast can it be?”

He Ye: “…”