Chapter 31

He Cheng’an was first taken aback, then his gaze fixated on Lu Yun.

As he lifted Lu Yun and spun around in the courtyard, Lu Yun laughed in his arms, her voice ringing like silver bells.

“Hey, Cheng’an, you need to stop, please stop!” Lu Yun exclaimed.

When He Cheng’an finally stopped, still holding Lu Yun, he looked up at her, his eyes shining with astonishing brightness. “If you want me to, then I will—I’ll be with you for a lifetime.”

Hearing those words about a lifetime, Lu Yun continued to look at him.

Although she did not provide him with a verbal answer, she nodded in agreement.

If He Cheng’an truly intended to be with her for that long, she was willing.

The darkness hidden in her eyes quickly concealed itself.

She was the Female Supporting Character Lu Yun from this period drama, as well as the Lu Yun who lived in the twenty-first century—one whose parents had divorced, growing up alone amid the winds and rains.

Could it be that someone’s love could truly remain unchanged for a lifetime?

Just a nod was enough to make He Cheng’an feel his blood boiling with excitement.

He smiled widely, spinning around with Lu Yun a few more times. When he finally stopped, he still couldn’t bear to put her down.

It was only when Lu Yun glanced at him that he happily set her down.

—o—o—o—

As Lu Yun and He Cheng’an set off for the Lu Family, He Cheng’an pushed the bicycle.

He had brought along many items; the front basket, handlebars, and the front seat were filled with things he had bought for the Lu Family.

Despite this, he still left room for Lu Yun, pushing the bike while taking her along to the Lu Family.

Even as the cold wind blew, He Cheng’an felt no chill at all. He was more concerned about Lu Yun, reassuring her that the Lu Family would definitely like him.

Lu Xiang’an stood outside the alley, waiting. When he saw the two approaching, he was stunned by the sheer amount of items He Cheng’an was carrying. Just how much had he bought?

Lu Yun waved her arm at him. “Brother!”

As Lu Xiang’an approached, he greeted He Cheng’an and then helped carry some of the items. He teased Lu Yun, “Can’t you walk by yourself?”

While speaking, he discreetly glanced at He Cheng’an’s expression.

He Cheng’an maintained a polite demeanor, yet smiled as he replied, “It’s because I wouldn’t let her.”

Lu Yun nodded. “Yeah, it’s a bit chilly for my feet today.”

After speaking, she prepared to get down from the bike. He Cheng’an set down the items he was carrying to assist Lu Yun, then picked them back up again.

Seeing how awkwardly he was handling the items, Lu Xiang’an hadn’t thought about how convenient it would have been to set them down to help Lu Yun get off the bike first.

It seemed that what Li Ling had said was indeed true and not exaggerated at all.

Not only had Zhang Meili taken Lu Dong to find Li Ling, but Lu Xiang’an had also gone to see her once.

“Mom and Dad are back from the market with the groceries. We should hurry home,” Lu Xiang’an said.

With Lu Yun and Lu Xiang’an leading the way, they walked deeper into the alley.

Those who lived in the same alley and recognized Lu Yun.

When they saw the items they were carrying, they started asking if Lu Yun had brought her boyfriend back.

“Lu Yun, is this your boyfriend?”

“Yeah, my boyfriend.”

“I heard you’re dating someone.”

“He looks pretty good.”

“The two of you together? To be honest, you really do look like a couple.”

When they reached the courtyard, Lu Yun called out for Zhang Meili. Zhang Meili, busy with her work, wiped her hands and came over. She glanced at He Cheng’an but didn’t say anything.

Lu Yun remembered what Lu Xiang’an had told her, so she took the initiative to introduce, “Mom, this is my boyfriend, He Cheng’an.”

Zhang Meili responded, “Look at you, why did you bring so many things?” After saying this, she looked at Lu Xiang’an, who was trailing behind carrying items. “Is this from you too?”

Lu Yun nodded. “Yeah.”

He Cheng’an respectfully said, “Hello, Aunt.”

He then turned to Lu Dong, who had just come out of the house. “Hello, Uncle.”

“Alright, don’t just stand outside; hurry in and sit down,” Zhang Meili instructed.

There were quite a few onlookers in the courtyard.

Earlier, when Zhang Meili was cooking, she had mentioned that Lu Yun would be bringing her boyfriend home, and everyone was curious to see what he looked like.

Now that they saw him, they thought he seemed quite good, especially when they noticed the items he brought.

They could see milk powder, pork ribs, and surprisingly, even watermelons for the winter.

Normally, one wouldn’t need to bring so much; just a few snacks and some fruits would already be impressive.

Aunt Zhou chuckled, “To bad for that old Li family. She went back to the countryside yesterday. If she were here, who knows how envious they’d be, and what they might say!”

Someone nearby asked, “Why did she go back to the countryside?”

Aunt Zhou replied, “I heard that her nephew’s new wife, who just married into the family, is going through a divorce.”

As they chatted about Aunt Li’s nephew’s gossip, Lu Yun wanted to listen in but, thinking about He Cheng’an beside her, she followed them inside.

When they reached the doorway, He Cheng’an suddenly said, “I forgot; I didn’t lock the bicycle.”

Lu Yun immediately broke into a smile. “I’ll go check it out.”

Lu Xiang’an, who watched He Cheng’an locked the bicycle, paused for a moment, then chose to say nothing and carried the items inside.

He preferred to stay out of the couple’s affairs.

He knew that He Cheng’an genuinely cared for Lu Yun, and that was enough for him.

When Lu Yun went out to check on the bicycle, she walked back slowly, just in time to overhear Aunt Zhou and the others talking about Aunt Li’s nephew.

She happened to hear Aunt Zhou and the others talking about Aunt Li’s nephew. As a result, she heard that being a widow would definitely lead to divorce. Seeing Lu Yun, several people were silent. Lu Yun also blushed and hurried back.

—o—o—o—

Lu Yun wanted to help with the cooking, but Zhang Meili insisted she didn’t need her help. Instead, she had Lu Xiang’an assist her.

The elder Lu Dong was engaged in conversation with He Cheng’an.

Lu Yun was right; as long as Zhang Meili agreed, Lu Dong would surely go along with it.

He and He Cheng’an sat on the sofa, engaging in a question-and-answer exchange that kept the atmosphere lively.

The main thing was that He Cheng’an had many questions to ask, and he also talked about things from the provincial capital.

Lu Dong and He Cheng’an could easily chat for hours without it becoming dull.

During lunch, the original plan was for six dishes and one soup, but Zhang Meili ended up preparing eight dishes and one soup.

Although one of the dishes was merely scrambled eggs with spinach and canned peaches, it was still a bit more lavish than what had been agreed upon.

It was evident that Zhang Meili was more pleased with He Cheng’an than before; of course, it might also have been because He Cheng’an had brought so much with him.

Regardless of Zhang Meili’s reasons, her satisfaction with He Cheng’an was clear.

At the table, Lu Yun sat next to He Cheng’an, with Lu Xiang’an on the other side of him.

When He Cheng’an settled into his seat, he found the scene a bit startling.

With his head lowered, he wore a gentle smile that was different from when he had first seen Lu Yun.

During the meal, Lu Yun took a bite of the canned peaches, concerned that He Cheng’an might feel shy about reaching for the dishes.

She wanted to serve him some food but discovered that He Cheng’an had already placed a piece of her favorite braised pork ribs on her plate.

However, unlike before, he sat up straight without leaning forward to look at her.

—o—o—o—

After the meal, everyone was in high spirits, and Zhang Meili even served He Cheng’an a bowl of fish soup.

When Lu Yun helped to clear the table, Zhang Meili didn’t stop her. He Cheng’an offered to help as well but was called back by her. Once Lu Yun stepped out, Zhang Meili said, “Here, this means you two are pretty much set. But as for the wedding, let’s discuss that later. Once your parents have sorted things out, you can talk to them about it. As for whether Ah Yun goes to meet your parents, and how that goes, I believe you’ll handle it well.”

Since it was Lu Yun who brought He Cheng’an to meet her parents, it indicated a commitment to settle down.

The next step would be marriage, primarily depending on Lu Yun’s wishes. However, when He Cheng’an heard Zhang Meili’s words, he was filled with excitement. He assured her, “Aunt, I will definitely not let her suffer.”

Zhang Meili responded, “Alright then, make sure to come by for dinner on the weekends.”

Thinking about it, He Cheng’an was quite a pitiable child; he was about the same age as Lu Xiang’an.

After spending a considerable amount of time at the Lu Family, it was finally time for He Cheng’an to head home.

The Lu Family members accompanied him to the gate and then turned to Lu Yun. “Ah Yun, go see him off outside the alley and come back.”

Lu Yun also had things she wanted to say to He Cheng’an.

She nodded and walked toward the bicycle, intending to speak but swallowed her words, remembering it was cold.

After saying goodbye to the Lu Family, she got on the bike and rode forward with He Cheng’an.

When Zhang Meili returned, the people in the courtyard were asking her about He Cheng’an. With a smile, she said, “He’s quite good. He’s a nice person. Honestly, I think he’s much better than Chen Zhiqiang. He really cares about our Ah Yun. Just look at all those things he brought today; I even saw watermelon! I wonder where he found it.”

“Exactly, Lu Yun found a good boyfriend.”

“He seems good for Lu Yun.”

“True, he’s even better looking than Chen Zhiqiang. But what does he do?”

Hearing this, Zhang Meili chuckled before saying, “He’s doing business in the provincial capital. He’s busy every day. I heard he’s made quite a bit recently; those of us who earn a salary can hardly compete.”

After saying this, she went back inside.

Lu Dong remarked, “Look at you, already starting to lean that way?”

Zhang Meili replied, “If they’re going to get married, they’ll be our family, so of course, we need to support them. Who knows what they might say if we don’t speak up? What’s wrong with doing business? What’s wrong with a stable job? At the end of the day, it’s all about making money.”

Lu Dong nodded in agreement. “You’re right. I think he’s great. It’s obvious he’s serious about our Ah Yun and treats her well.”

After they returned home, looking at the items He Cheng’an had brought, Zhang Meili began to comment, “You see how much this kid brought? If they really end up together, get married, and have kids, I don’t know if they’ll ever save anything! When Ah Yun comes back, we should tell her not to let him bring so much next time.”

Lu Xiang’an chimed in, “You’re protecting your daughter, and now you’re worrying too? He really does seem like a future son-in-law. But he’s genuinely good; the key point is that he treats Ah Yun well. Don’t stress over other things. Just by looking at He Cheng’an, I can tell he won’t let those relatives of his control him; he’s got to have the upper hand over them.”

At this point, Lu Dong felt a bit guilty again.

He quickly decided to take care of the items He Cheng’an had brought instead of letting Zhang Meili do it.

He mentioned that the milk powder was waiting for Lu Yun to drink for breakfast, and he thought that was a good idea.

—o—o—o—

After He Cheng’an rode his bike to the entrance of the alley, he stopped for a moment before getting ready to ride back. Lu Yun found his behavior amusing but didn’t stop him.

Lu Yun said, “Originally, we planned for you to come over today for six dishes and one soup, but my mom ended up making eight dishes and one soup. That definitely means she’s quite pleased with you. He Cheng’an, are you happy?”

He Cheng’an replied, “Happy! Really happy!”

He quickly rode his bicycle back.

When Lu Yun got off, she paused for a moment, then decided to take off her scarf and wrap it around He Cheng’an.

She tied the scarf in a way that looked particularly nice.

Lu Yun said, “I’m heading back now.”

He Cheng’an called out to her, “Ah Yun.”

When he said “Ah Yun,” there was a slight pause in his voice.

It was naturally pleasant to listen to, causing a bit of a tingling sensation in her ears.

At that moment, Lu Yun realized that ever since they got together, they had been addressing each other as Lu Yun and He Cheng’an. She turned to look at He Cheng’an, her eyes curving with a smile.

He Cheng’an called her “Ah Yun” again, his voice low and slightly magnetic. “Ah Yun.”

Lu Yun clasped her hands behind her back, tugging at the fingers of her right hand with her left. She laughed and mimicked the tone He Cheng’an had used the first time he called her “Ah Yun,” saying, “Cheng’an?”

He Cheng’an replied, “Mm, I’m here.”