Chapter 24.2

After returning to the county, He Cheng’an had been busy with Zhang Hao for quite a while.

They signed a contract with another homeowner and then spent time showing that homeowner other renovated houses.

By the time they finally had a break, it was already dark, and they hadn’t eaten anything.

Zhang Hao said, “We’ve really been swamped; everyone has had less time to rest these past few days.”

He Cheng’an replied, “I’ll tell them tomorrow that we’ll be giving bonuses at the end of the year. There’s a lot to do now, and they need to stay sharp when working; I don’t want them to slack off. I heard that the nearby community will be finished by early spring next year. We can’t afford to drop the ball right now. For the next few days, we’ll tackle the unfinished work together and hustle a bit more.”

Zhang Hao nodded. “I understand, Brother He, don’t worry.”

As they passed a fruit stand, He Cheng’an paused to look at the oranges, then walked over and bought a bagful. After paying, he carried the bag of oranges with a smile.

Zhang Hao asked, “Have you seen your girlfriend yet?”

He Cheng’an’s smile widened as he replied, “Yes, I saw her.”

—o—o—o—

On the day Chen Zhiqiang went on a business trip to the provincial capital, he rode in the company car from the cotton factory.

As the car drove away from the factory, many people envied him, having never been in a small car before.

Li Chunxia, walking down the street, was asked about it and smiled with pride. “Of course, I’ve been in one! Riding in a small car is way more comfortable than taking a bus or a regular car.”

When people heard that Li Chunxia had been in a small car, many of them began to ask questions, wanting to know what it was like inside and how she had ridden in it.

Just then, Lu Yun encountered Li Chunxia, who raised her voice slightly as she spoke, “I rode in a car with Chen Zhiqiang’s dad. Chen Zhiqiang’s parents really like me; even his aunt likes me! They probably prefer someone cultured who looks a bit more reserved.”

Sister Sun was irritated by Li Chunxia’s remarks, but Lu Yun remained unfazed.

Li Chunxia was merely trying to imply that Chen Zhiqiang’s parents adored her and that her high education was a plus. If Lu Yun still had feelings for Chen Zhiqiang, she might have felt hurt by those words.

However, Lu Yun no longer had feelings for him; in fact, she found herself reflecting deeply on what Li Chunxia had said.

Lu Yun had always wanted to find a way to warn Li Chunxia that Chen Zhiqiang was not the right person to marry. However, she had never found the opportunity.

Since Li Chunxia liked Chen Zhiqiang, she viewed Lu Yun with hostility, even believing that Lu Yun was being deliberately obstructive. Now that she heard Li Chunxia say this, Lu Yun thought about how everyone’s personality was different.

If Li Chunxia married Chen Zhiqiang, she would eventually face divorce and be bullied by the Chen family. But if someone else married him, perhaps the circumstances they faced would differ from hers as the supporting female character.

In an instant, Lu Yun felt a sense of clarity wash over her.

The story began with Lu Yun, the supporting character, and her divorce from Chen Zhiqiang. If she did not marry him, she would not end up divorced, and everything that happened afterward would not unfold exactly as it did in the novel.

Sister Sun remarked, “It’s just a car. What’s so impressive about that?”

Lu Yun nodded, “Sister Sun is right.”

Lu Yun truly did not place much importance on having ridden in a small car. Before travelling in this world, she had obtained her driver’s license and could drive. After her career began to improve, she even bought herself a car.

Now, if Lu Yun were given a small car, she might think it’s inferior to her previous one.

After all, technology had advanced rapidly, and the small cars of Lu Yun’s time were already outdated.

Sister Sun continued, “And what’s so great about having a diploma from a technical college? If someone didn’t know better, they might think she’s a college graduate. She only said that on purpose when she saw you.”

Lu Yun, who had graduated from university, smiled and said, “Yes, yes, yes. Sister Sun, you’re too good to me. Let’s have lunch together at the cafeteria today; it’s my treat. It’s just that I don’t want to eat potatoes anymore. The cafeteria has been serving potatoes too often lately.”

Upon hearing this, Sister Sun quickly replied, “Me too! I don’t want to eat potatoes either. I wonder if the cafeteria can prepare something different. Let’s skip the greens; they must cook some other dishes, though. The soup has been better lately; there have been more eggs in it than before.”

—o—o—o—

When Chen Zhiqiang reached a neighborhood in the provincial city, he hurriedly asked the driver to slow down.

He looked out the window and spotted He Cheng’an moving furniture, his brows furrowing tightly.

He did not understand why Lu Yun was with He Cheng’an.

He simply looked at He Cheng’an and felt that standing next to Lu Yun was beneath him; He Cheng’an didn’t even have a proper job. He claimed to be in business, yet here he was moving furniture.

Chen Zhiqiang stared for a long time. He couldn’t even imagine what Lu Yun would look like after marrying He Cheng’an. Perhaps Lu Yun would regret meeting someone like He Cheng’an.

The driver, sitting nearby, remarked, “It’s hard to find a decent job these days. Look at them; Director Chen is still so talented and capable.”

—o—o—o—

In the afternoon, when Lu Yun arrived at work, someone from the factory called looking for her. S

he initially thought it was He Cheng’an reaching out, but when she picked up the phone, she heard Chen Zhiqiang’s voice.

“It’s me, Chen Zhiqiang,” he said.

“Is there something you need?” Lu Yun asked.

After a moment of silence, Chen Zhiqiang replied, “Come to the provincial city. After we meet, if you still want to be with He Cheng’an, I won’t disturb you again.”

He knew that saying it this way would ensure Lu Yun would come.

Lu Yun had already taken a leave of absence this month and wouldn’t be able to earn full attendance at the cotton mill.

Taking another half-day off would only yield half a day’s pay, but most importantly, Chen Zhiqiang had mentioned He Cheng’an. He said that if, after they met, she still intended to be with He Cheng’an, he wouldn’t interfere, and Lu Yun didn’t understand what he meant or why it involved He Cheng’an.

“Where?” she asked.

After Chen Zhiqiang told her the address, Lu Yun was surprised, as Zhang Hao had mentioned that the neighborhood they were renovating in the provincial city was indeed the address Chen Zhiqiang had given.

Chen Zhiqiang thought for a moment and said, “I have some things to take care of here, so I’ll have the factory driver pick you up at the bus station and then come get me. We’ll go together.”

After returning, Lu Yun took a leave of absence and asked Sister Sun to cover her unfinished work.

However, Sister Sun had also taken a leave of absence a few days earlier to take care of her child, so Lu Yun ended up doing Sister Sun’s work as well.

—o—o—o—

When Lu Yun arrived in the provincial city, the factory driver came to pick her up.

Once in the car, she wanted to glean some information from the driver, but the driver, possibly knowing Chen Zhiqiang, kept his mouth shut and didn’t say a word.

It was also possible that he didn’t know anything at all. After asking a few questions and getting no response, Lu Yun decided not to press further.

Afterward, Lu Yun accompanied the driver to pick up Chen Zhiqiang.

Chen Zhiqiang was dressed in a suit today since he was in the provincial city for a meeting.

Once he got into the car, both he and Lu Yun sat in the back seat. They met in silence, and after Chen Zhiqiang provided the address, the car moved smoothly along the road.

Eventually, they arrived at the Seagull Garden community. When the car came to a stop, Chen Zhiqiang initially intended to get out and show Lu Yun what He Cheng’an was doing.

However, upon seeing He Cheng’an come out of the community and begin unloading furniture with some workers, he paused his movements.

“Take a look for yourself,” he said.

He Cheng’an was unloading furniture in the cold wind alongside several workers. His clothes were a bit dirty, smeared with white paint, and Lu Yun spotted Zhang Hao nearby, struggling with the heavy furniture and tiles, his expression indicating the effort was taking a toll on him.

Lu Yun’s voice was calm as she asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Chen Zhiqiang replied, “Lu Yun, he doesn’t have a proper job. He claims to be in business, but is this business really just helping to unload furniture? Are you sure you want to be with someone like him? Are you sure you want to spend your future with him?”

Inside the car, it was warm, creating a stark contrast with the biting cold outside, as if they were in two different worlds.

Lu Yun responded, “Don’t bother me again. Also, He Cheng’an is not inferior to you; he has never been worse than you. In fact, from my perspective, you are the one who can’t compare to He Cheng’an.”

She reached out and opened the car door, and the cold wind rushed in. “Chen Zhiqiang, I don’t know why you suddenly decided to do this, but a real man must keep his word. Don’t make me look down on you/”

With that, she got out of the car.

The driver sighed, “The girls these days really are confused. If they marry someone like that, how will they get by? Marriage isn’t just about love, you know.”

For a moment, Chen Zhiqiang began to doubt whether he had made a mistake or if he was just being overconfident.

In his view, Lu Yun liked him.

Even if she was with He Cheng’an, she would still have some feelings for him, possibly even acting out of spite.

He thought that by bringing Lu Yun to see He Cheng’an in such a pitiful state and telling her to break up with him to be with him instead, Lu Yun would at least consider his proposition, even if she didn’t agree outright. He expected her to think about their future together after marriage. But she hadn’t done any of that.

Suddenly, Chen Zhiqiang felt a heaviness in his heart. He hadn’t anticipated Lu Yun would act this way.

He thought she was merely being impulsive as he watched her step out of the car and run toward He Cheng’an in the cold wind.