Chapter 14

When Lu Yun returned home, ahe met Lu Xiang’an.

She ignored him completely and taking a detour.

She grabbed a porcelain basin, threw in a towel and soap, and then, holding the basin, went to the bathroom to wash up.

When she came out, Lu Xiang’an was still waiting for her.

He followed Lu Yun into her room, and it was obvious what he wanted to talk about; it was concerning He Cheng’an, whom he had seen at the banquet.

Lu Xiang’an said, “The person you went in with at the banquet today is your boyfriend.”

Lu Yun turned to look at him. “You…”

Lu Xiang’an replied seriously, “What’s his name? Where does he live? I’ll help you find out more. Just by looking at him, he must be way better looking than Chen Zhiqiang. But has he had a girlfriend before? How many people are in his family? Is he nice? As your brother, I should know these things. I want to help you vet him so that I can feel at ease.”

Without waiting for Lu Yun to respond, he continued, “Don’t you dare say you’re not dating him and that you’re just friends. Do I look like a fool to you?”

Lu Xiang’an was eventually pushed out of Lu Yun’s room, and she not only shut the door but also locked it.

Lu Xiang’an stood outside the door and laughed, “What’s there to be embarrassed about? You’re over twenty; dating is perfectly normal.”

Lu Yun couldn’t sleep even if she wanted to.

She lay in her pink mosquito net, tugging at one corner and shaking it back and forth.

Ever since she had come into this world, she had treated He Cheng’an as the Male Supporting Character from a novel, someone who had left her with unfulfilled feelings.

She wanted to make him happy and couldn’t bear to see him sad. But now this novel had become her real world, and she was the Female Supporting Character that the Male Supporting Character regarded as his white moonlight.

—o—o—o—

Zhang Meili and Lu Dong talked in bed until midnight.

They had been watching the changes in their daughter closely.

Recently, Lu Yun had hardly mentioned Chen Zhiqiang at home. She usually returned home early from work, which signified that her feelings for Chen Zhiqiang had faded.

Zhang Meili wanted to take advantage of this momentum, but Lu Dong thought it was better to wait a while before discussing it.

The two of them deliberated for quite a long time but still hadn’t reached a conclusion.

After a while, Zhang Meili got up to use the bathroom.

Upon exiting, she noticed that Lu Yun’s room light was still on.

So, she decided to knock on the door and went inside.

Zhang Meili smiled and said, “Today, your cousin told me about a friend of his. He’s in a great situation and hasn’t had a girlfriend yet. He’s an only child, and both his parents work at a candy factory. His dad treats his mom well, and this kid takes after his father. He’ll definitely be good to his future wife. Why don’t we take a look? If it works out, that would be great; if not, it’s no big deal.”

Seeing Lu Yun remain silent but not contradicting her, she continued, “So tell me, what kind of person do you want? You tell me, and I’ll help you look. If I find someone suitable, I’ll let you know.”

Lu Yun turned over, clutching the blanket as if to sleep. However, Zhang Meili thought it was a rare opportunity and wouldn’t let it go. She nudged Lu Yun, urging her to respond. “Just tell me what you’re looking for.”

Some of Lu Yun’s conditions weren’t exactly realistic, so she simply closed her eyes and muttered, “Someone good-looking, taller, protective of me, partial to me, likes me, listens to me—whatever I say goes…” She abruptly stopped and even sat up in bed.

Zhang Meili poked her on the head with her finger. “You know, dreaming is easy. Do you think there are many men who meet those conditions? If they do, you’d really have to search high and low.”

In Lu Yun’s mind, He Cheng’an’s image surfaced, as if he met every one of her requirements. It wouldn’t even require searching high and low.

Zhang Meili said, “Alright, get some sleep.”

Even though Lu Yun hadn’t agreed to a blind date, Zhang Meili felt happy when she left the room because she knew Lu Yun had completely severed her feelings for Chen Zhiqiang.

When Lu Yun had liked Chen Zhiqiang, Zhang Meili had suggested arranging a blind date for her, but it had led to an argument.

If Lu Yun still had even a slight affection for Chen Zhiqiang, she wouldn’t have this attitude.

Lu Yun looked at the glass fish made from silk thread on her bedside table, stretched her arm out to grasp it tightly, and lifted it to examine it under the light.

Ever since she transmigrated or perhaps since her “return”, He Cheng’an had never truly been the Male Supporting Character from a novel.

His actions were not merely the sparse descriptions found in the book; he was a person who existed in her life.

—o—o—o—

The next day at noon, when Lu Yun was at work, Li Xiaohong called her out.

Since Li Xiaohong had helped Lu Yun deliver soy milk, she often ran errands for He Cheng’an, bringing Lu Yun various items, sometimes food, and other times necessities.

Li Xiaohong had gone from being reserved at first to becoming familiar with Lu Yun. Nowadays, whenever she saw Lu Yun at the Cotton Textile Factory, she would take the initiative to greet her.

Li Xiaohong said, “He said he would wait for you at the old spot outside the Cotton Textile Factory.”

When Lu Yun arrived at the location where He Cheng’an had said he would wait, she indeed found him standing there, holding a lunchbox close to his chest. As Lu Yun approached, He Cheng’an quickly handed her the lunchbox.

He Cheng’an said, “Inside are the fried meatballs you had at your banquet.”

Lu Yun looked at him for a while before speaking. “He Cheng’an, when my salary comes next month, I’ll treat you to a meal. Let’s go to your house, okay?”

Before He Cheng’an could respond, she added, “It’s settled then.”

Even after Lu Yun entered the Cotton Textile Factory, He Cheng’an stood in place for a moment longer. Soon, he took several long strides to catch up, walking beside Lu Yun with bright eyes.

He asked, “What day next month?”

Lu Yun replied, “After the National Day holiday, wait for me here after I get off work.”

—o—o—o—

After Li Ling got married, the National Day holiday arrived quickly. Throughout the holiday, Lu Yun stayed at home, idling away her time.

In Zhang Meili’s words, Lu Yun might as well have spent the holiday in bed.

This led to her feeling somewhat sluggish and listless when work resumed at the Cotton Textile Factory.

This mood persisted until Lu Yun received her salary for the new month.

This month, there were no significant expenses to account for. Lu Yun planned to keep ten yuan for her daily living expenses, set aside ten yuan to buy some pork ribs and trotters to improve the family’s diet, spend five yuan to treat He Cheng’an to a meal, and save the rest.

With this plan, by the end of the year, she would be able to save a considerable amount of her salary.

When Lu Yun felt an unfriendly gaze upon her, she looked into the distance and saw a well-dressed, competent-looking woman staring at her. The woman smiled slightly when she noticed Lu Yun looking back, then turned and walked away.

Upon arriving at the office, Lu Yun sensed that the atmosphere was a bit off. Several people subconsciously glanced in her direction. She sat down next to Sister Sun, and before Sister Sun could ask, she proactively brought up the topic.

Sister Sun said, “We have a new college graduate who joined us last month at the Cotton Textile Factory.”

This was not surprising at all to Lu Yun. The Cotton Textile Factory was quite large, and it would be a long time before it faced closure.

The factory frequently hired new employees, so it was quite normal for someone like a college graduate to join.

There were even some university students working there, as many of the technical staff held university degrees. Since Lu Yun was not someone who worked closely with the new graduate or knew her, it was understandable that she hadn’t heard about her.

Lu Yun watched Sister Sun, waiting for her to continue.

Sister Sun went on, “She has her eyes on Chen Zhiqiang. The two of them work in the same office, and recently they’ve been getting pretty close. During the National Day holiday, someone saw them together at the park, boating on the lake.”

Sister Zhang chimed in, nodding her head. “I know someone who saw them boating. They said their hands even brushed against each other.”

Lu Yun had previously explained her situation only to Sister Sun, and now, noticing that everyone in the office was curious about the news, she felt a surge of appreciation for Sister Sun. It was clear Sister Sun was not one to gossip about others’ private matters.

Lu Yun said, “Well, I wish them a lifetime of happiness.”

In the novels, the Female Supporting Character could marry Chen Zhiqiang because she stood out among the other Female Supporting Characters.

Chen Zhiqiang’s aunt often remarked that it would have been better for him to marry someone else instead of the Female Lead.

When the Female Lead first came to the city from the countryside, she had agreed, partly to humiliate the Female Supporting Character.

Now that Lu Yun was not marrying Chen Zhiqiang, and since the events of the novel hadn’t begun yet, it was certain that Chen Zhiqiang wouldn’t have a chance to meet the Female Lead.

Even if he did, it was unlikely that the Female Lead would end up marrying him. Thus, the one who would marry Chen Zhiqiang might become the next Female Supporting Character.

Lu Yun only thought about what she could do within her means.

—o—o—o—

News traveled fast in the Cotton Textile Factory, and the affair between Chen Zhiqiang and Li Chunxia became a hot topic.

Furthermore, Lu Yun’s casual remark wishing them a lifetime of happiness became a source of amusement for everyone.

After all, in this era, there was no internet to “eat watermelon” (a slang term for gossiping), and with Changhua, the most beautiful woman in the factory, along with the university student supervisor, and now the newly arrived college graduate Li Chunxia, it was more than enough material for a grand gossip.

“It’s true that Lu Yun hasn’t gone to find Chen Zhiqiang in these past few months,” one colleague remarked.

“Right? Now that you mention it, I remember that Lu Yun used to come to see Chen Zhiqiang almost every few days and often ran into our office. She even brought him fruit once, and I got to eat some,” another added.

“Well, it makes sense. Lu Yun is the ‘Factory Flower’ after all; she’s so beautiful. Chen Zhiqiang just ignores her and wears a cold face every day. Why should Lu Yun keep chasing after him? Lately, many people have been asking about Lu Yun, and if she’s looking for a partner, I’ll just line up to be the first,” said another.

“What are you dreaming about? You think you could date Lu Yun? Even if you started lining up at your front door, it still wouldn’t be your turn,” someone laughed.

“Do you think Chen Zhiqiang and Li Chunxia are really a thing? I heard they even touched hands. I’ve seen Li Chunxia; she’s not as good-looking as Lu Yun—she’s just got a higher education level since she’s a college graduate,” another chimed in.

At that moment, Chen Zhiqiang walked into the office from outside. “Are you all so idle?” he asked.

The office fell silent almost immediately, everyone lowering their heads and hurriedly searching for documents on their desks. The atmosphere grew tense.

During this time, Chen Zhiqiang found himself thinking not just about Lu Yun’s singing but also about her expression when she had come to deliver fruit on the day he was leaving for a business trip.

She had smiled and asked when he would be back, but he hadn’t answered her, only responding that he would follow the factory’s arrangements.

Later, he had a dream about that day. He wanted to respond to Lu Yun but woke up just as he was about to speak.

—o—o—o—

At the end of the workday, Lu Yun decided to leave the office a bit earlier. As she neared the entrance of the Cotton Textile Factory, she ran into Chen Zhiqiang. She stepped aside to let him pass, but he continued to follow her until they were both outside, where he called out to her.

Chen Zhiqiang said, “Li Chunxia is the sister of a friend of mine, and she just started working at the Cotton Textile Factory, so I’m helping to look out for her. During the National Day holiday, we went boating together because her brother invited me. She wasn’t sitting steady on the boat, so I helped her. I didn’t know someone had seen us, which is why the rumors started that we were boating together and even touched hands.”

He paused then added: “I have nothing to do with her.”

As they stepped outside together, they noticed several people watching them.

Upon hearing Chen Zhiqiang’s explanation,

Lu Yun’s first reaction was to wonder if the plot had truly taken a turn.

She had no intention of being the original partner, the counterpart in Chen Zhiqiang’s life. Since she had crossed over into this world, she had not spoken a single word to him, yet here he was, trying to clarify his relationship with Li Chunxia.

This made Lu Yun furrow her brows in confusion.

Chen Zhiqiang continued, “Really, there’s nothing going on.”

Noticing Lu Yun’s displeasure, he assumed she was truly angry about Li Chunxia. He asked, “Are you free this weekend? Let’s go to the park together.”

Lu Yun felt it was essential to clear the air. After all, she was certain she will never marry Chen Zhiqiang. “Chen Zhiqiang, I’m really sorry about what happened before. I must have caused you quite a bit of trouble. I was just being stubborn and one-sided. Now I understand, and I won’t continue to cling to you,” she stated firmly.

She continued, “I apologize for the trouble I caused you during that time. I wish you and your future wife a lifetime of happiness.”

Chen Zhiqiang looked stunned; he had never expected to receive such a response. “Lu Yun, I didn’t think about being in a relationship before, so I may have been a bit cold to you. The situation with Li Chunxia is really a misunderstanding. I’m not lying to you.”

Lu Yun replied, “It doesn’t matter. I just don’t like you anymore.”

In truth, Lu Yun wanted to express that she had been confused in the past.

However, facing the sacrifices made by the Female Supporting Character in the original story, she didn’t want to attribute all the endings of that character to merely her past foolishness, saying she no longer liked Chen Zhiqiang.

Although Lu Yun didn’t retain her original memories, she could see from the novel that the Female Supporting Character probably stopped liking Chen Zhiqiang long ago; she simply didn’t want to accept it.

Eventually, when He Cheng’an ended up in prison, that was when she felt regret and completely let go.

Seeing He Cheng’an standing not far away, Lu Yun realized she didn’t know how long he had been waiting there.

Just as Chen Zhiqiang was about to say something else, Lu Yun ran over to He Cheng’an’s side.

He Cheng’an smiled at her, lowering his gaze to help her adjust the seat cushion on the back of his bicycle.

After Lu Yun sat down, he cast a lingering glance back at Chen Zhiqiang.

She didn’t miss He Cheng’an’s subtle actions and looked over as well, but she quickly withdrew her gaze.

Once He Cheng’an was settled on the bicycle, Lu Yun reached out to wrap her arms around his waist and asked, “He Cheng’an, would you like to be my boyfriend?”

—o—o—o—