“How do you like it?” Lu Jin, who had just changed into a shirt, came over and asked her.

He Ye whispered, “When did you buy it?”

Lu Jin replied, “After military training.”

He Ye asked, “Did you know I’d come?”

Lu Jin smiled, “I had confidence in Tsinghua University.”

He Ye smiled and playfully hit him.

Lu Jin pressed her against the wall, his eyes moving over her hair and face. He whispered, “You look even better than in high school.”

He Ye blushed and turned her head, “It’s getting late. I’ll go shower.”

Lu Jin’s Adam’s apple moved as he watched her leave, but he let her go.

He used a towel to help clean He Ye’s suitcase, then carried it into the guest room.

He Ye closed the door, took out her pajamas and underwear, and, ignoring her boyfriend’s gaze, went into the bathroom.

Compared to a five-star hotel bathroom, the space was small, but it was filled with Lu Jin’s daily toiletries, making it feel homier than a hotel.

He Ye quickly showered, but drying her hair took longer.

When she came out again, it was already 11:40.

Lu Jin followed her into the guest room.

The curtains were drawn, and the lights were on.

The sound of wind and rain outside covered their mixed breathing. Her boyfriend’s hand made He Ye feel even more nervous than his gaze.

He Ye was still anxious, afraid he might lose control in his own place.

But Lu Jin kept his promise.

The next day, He Ye slept until nearly 9 a.m. before waking up naturally.

After changing her clothes, she opened the curtains. At some point, the rain had stopped, and the sky was a clear blue, like a giant gemstone. He Ye admired it for several minutes.

Ancheng, a city known for its rainy weather, didn’t often have such clear skies.

She opened the window, and the fresh air from after the rain blew onto her face.

He Ye thought, today is the perfect day to go out and explore.

In a good mood, He Ye left the room and went to the living room, where she saw Lu Jin sitting on the sofa, reading a thick professional book.

He was wearing a white shirt, and his cold features gave off an academic vibe, completely different from the person he had been last night.

“I, I’m going to wash my face. You continue reading.”

He Ye hurried to the bathroom.

When she came out, Lu Jin had left the sofa and was bringing breakfast from the kitchen.

He hadn’t eaten yet and sat opposite He Ye.

He Ye looked down and said, “I can’t stay up that late again tonight. I want to have breakfast in your school cafeteria.”

Lu Jin: “I knew you came here just for Tsinghua.”

He Ye smiled.

Lu Jin, seeing his sweet girlfriend, clarified, “Last night was a one-time thing. I promise I won’t stay up late again.”

He Ye focused on eating, avoiding thinking about “staying up late” again.

After breakfast, Lu Jin rode his bike and took He Ye to the university.

Even though it was the National Day holiday, the campus was still full of students.

Lu Jin first took He Ye to the teaching building, parked their bicycles downstairs, and then walked her around the entire campus.

Classrooms and libraries were popular places for students to study.

There were only a few students in Lu Jin’s classroom.

When He Ye saw people inside, she didn’t want to go in anymore.

Lu Jin didn’t push her and led her forward. Just then, a boy walked out of the bathroom.

Lu Jin smiled at him.

The boy was shocked: “…”

The coolest and most handsome guy in the class, smiling so warmly? What was happening?

After snapping out of it, the boy looked at He Ye and the two holding hands. He finally understood, “Is this your girlfriend?”

Lu Jin stopped and proudly introduced her: “Yes, He Ye, He as in the surname He, Ye as in leaf.”

He Ye: “…”

The boy was quite chatty and said to He Ye, “Wow, finally meeting her! Let me tell you, Lu Jin loves to show off. At the start of the school year, everyone introduced themselves, but Lu Jin was the only one who made sure to mention he wasn’t single! He wanted everyone to know he had a girlfriend!”

He Ye: “…”

Was he really that shameless?

After the boy went back to the classroom, He Ye pinched Lu Jin’s arm.

Lu Jin asked, “What’s that for? Tightening my grip?”

He Ye: “Because you were talking nonsense.”

Lu Jin: “But I wasn’t single, and I even wrote that on my social media.”

He Ye: “…”

Later, when He Ye was tired and resting, she checked Lu Jin’s social media and indeed found a note saying “not single.”

Lu Jin explained, “I’m not like those classmates who hide their relationships even though we’re adults.”

He Ye handed him her phone and stood up to leave.

Lu Jin grabbed her, pulled her into his arms, and tried to kiss her.

He Ye blocked him, feeling guilty: “There are people everywhere.”

Lu Jin replied, “I don’t care about them.”

He Ye: “…”

She wasn’t as bold as him, so she pushed him away. If they were going to kiss outside, they had to find a private place.

They spent the whole day exploring the campus, including the library.

He Ye even borrowed a book using Lu Jin’s campus card, thinking she could finish it in three nights.

But tonight, at least, she didn’t have time for that.

Kissing and hugging, from 8pm to 11pm, in a continuous cycle.

“Okay, I’m going to bed!”

He Ye hugged the quilt tightly and urged Lu Jin to go back to his room.

They were going to climb the Great Wall tomorrow, so Lu Jin looked at the time and decided not to insist any further.

He Ye went to take a shower.

Lying alone in bed, unable to fall asleep right away, she turned over and looked at the suitcase in the corner.

Indecisiveness took over. After tossing and turning until midnight, He Ye finally sent a message to her boyfriend: [Are you asleep?]

Team leader?: [I can’t sleep.]

Ye Ziyuanyuan: [Why? Can’t sleep?]

Team leader?: [Thinking about my girlfriend.]

Ye Ziyuanyuan: [Then come over here, but don’t turn on the light.]

Soon, there was movement from the bedroom next door. After a while, someone knocked three times gently on the guest bedroom door and then pushed it open.

Lu Jin didn’t turn on any lights, but both of them had already gotten used to the darkness.

Lu Jin saw his girlfriend standing on the bed with her hands behind her back.

He walked over, stopped in front of her, and naturally wrapped his hands around her waist.

He Ye reached out and wrapped a scarf around her boyfriend’s neck, whispering, “Happy birthday.”

Happy birthday to 19-year-old Lu Jin.

Lu Jin tightened his arms, pulled her closer, and buried his face in her clothes.

He Ye: “…”

Was he moved, or was he just taking advantage of her?

“I thought you wouldn’t remember.”

After a few minutes, Lu Jin raised his head and whispered.

He Ye looked at his slightly blurry eyes and asked, “You couldn’t sleep earlier because you were thinking about this?”

Lu Jin: “Not really, I just missed you. Everything about you.”

He Ye picked up the scarf and rubbed it against his face: “I didn’t know what to give you. Last year, Zhou Xiangming suggested a belt and a razor, but you don’t need either of those things. I thought Beijing would be cold in winter, so I picked a thick scarf. It’s not as expensive as the gift you gave me. You…”

“You are the best gift.” Lu Jin pressed his lips to hers and interrupted, “Everything else is meaningless; I only want you.”

Not sleeping, but with her beside him, he felt content.

_

On the morning of the 5th, the two took the high-speed rail back to Ancheng and separated near the east gate of the neighborhood.

When she had gone to Beijing, He Ye told her father that she and her roommates would stay there for seven days and wouldn’t be coming back. In fact, she wanted to surprise him.

As she dragged her suitcase to the supermarket, she couldn’t help but smile.

As soon as she walked out of the glass door, He Ye saw a strange woman sitting in front of the cashier. The woman had fair skin and a very friendly face.

He Ye was stunned.

The woman was also surprised when she saw He Ye, then she stood up nervously and called out, “He Yong” inside.

He Yong limped out and, upon seeing his daughter, was both happy and embarrassed. He pointed to Wu Li and introduced her to He Ye: “This is Aunt Wu. Yes, she is Daddy’s new girlfriend.”

How cheerful he usually was, but as an adult, he blushed while saying this: “I wanted to wait until you got home to tell you, but I was afraid you would…”

He was afraid his daughter might not accept it, so he wanted to say it in person. If his daughter became upset and cried, at least he could comfort her. But over the phone, he would only worry.

Two adults, one in his early forties and the other in her thirties, stood side by side in front of 18-year-old He Ye, looking nervous, as if they had made some big mistake.

He Ye was just surprised and didn’t feel any resistance. She truly hoped her father could find someone he liked.

“Dad, Auntie, don’t be nervous. I—I’m actually pretty happy.”

He Ye smiled and looked at Wu Li again.

Wu Li blushed as she looked at her.

“You two chat, I’ll go back and cook.”

Wu Li left, giving He Yong the chance to properly explain everything to his daughter.

He Ye learned a few basic things about Wu Li and could tell that her father really liked her. It seemed they were already living together.

He Ye was surprised and impressed by how fast adults moved, but it was a bit awkward for her to discuss the details with her dad.

Lunch was ready, and He Yong closed the supermarket to go home with his daughter for the meal.

After lunch, the two adults returned to the supermarket.

He Ye felt amused, as if she had just found out some gossip about her own father. She video-called her grandma to learn more, then shared the news with Zhu Qing.

Lu Jin’s parents weren’t home, so he cleaned up the house and asked He Ye to come over.

When He Ye saw her boyfriend, she told him about her dad’s new relationship.

Lu Jin put down the fruit plate, sat beside her, and watched her carefully.

He Ye: “…I’m really okay. My dad is still young. It’s normal for him to remarry.”

Lu Jin: “I just don’t want you to feel bad.”

He Ye: “Feel bad about what? You sound like Zhu Qing, always worrying about some wicked stepmother like in TV shows.”

Lu Jin took her hand, lowered his head to think for a moment, then looked at her and said, “It doesn’t matter. If the new person isn’t nice, we can get married, buy a house, and move out.”

Once they had their own little family, they wouldn’t have to worry about any tension with biological or step-parents.

In short, he wouldn’t let He Ye become someone who couldn’t feel at home.

Lu Jin wasn’t being impulsive. He had thought everything through. “Even if you don’t want to get married right away, I’ve saved enough for a down payment on a small apartment. I could buy it without telling my parents. I’ll handle the mortgage. You won’t have to worry about it.”

He Ye: “…”

She wasn’t worried; she just thought her boyfriend was overthinking things!