Chapter 38

On New Year’s Day, Lu Yun felt happy because after the celebration, there would be the New Year’s holiday, followed by the weekend.

After all, only those who worked knew how precious holidays were, especially those without overtime.

When she arrived at the office, there wasn’t much work to do. During the break, Lu Yun quietly went out to take a look at the store’s renovations. The workers were hired by He Cheng’an, and they not only worked diligently but also paid great attention to detail.

The store had been freshly painted, the lights had been replaced, and the overall style was particularly clean and simple, with a touch of elegance that made it stand out on the street.

When the renovation workers saw Lu Yun, they hurried over to ask if she was satisfied with their work.

The renovations in the store were set to be completed that day, and He Cheng’an suggested that Lu Yun let the place air out for a few days before opening. Lu Yun agreed, as there were still some lingering odors in the store.

Although the spicy aroma of the dishes could mask the unpleasant smell, she didn’t want to take any chances. She knew it wouldn’t be right to open for business, let alone allow people to eat there under those conditions.

After touring the store, Lu Yun returned to the office. She had no complaints about the renovations; the people He Cheng’an hired were reliable, and besides, they would continue to work with him in the future.

As soon as Lu Yun stepped into the office, she noticed Sister Zhou’s exaggerated and somewhat incredulous expression. Whenever Sister Zhou looked like that, it usually meant she had some gossip.

Sister Sun leaned over to whisper to Lu Yun, “Chen Zhiqiang is getting married to Li Chunxia. Some people even say they’ve already registered their marriage. Li Chunxia is quite capable, isn’t she?”

Back when Lu Yun had feelings for Chen Zhiqiang, Sister Sun thought he was a bit aloof and proud. She never considered that he simply did not like Lu Yun. In fact, she had often wondered what kind of person could match Chen Zhiqiang. Yet here he was, about to marry Li Chunxia.

It wasn’t that Sister Sun thought Li Chunxia was bad, but compared to Lu Yun, Li Chunxia’s only noteworthy credential was her college diploma. Sister Sun could only remark that “different strokes for different folks.”

—o—o—o—

In the afternoon, Li Chunxia was beaming as she went around the Cotton Textile Factory delivering invitations.

During lunch in the cafeteria, Lu Yun and Sister Sun arrived to find people laughing and talking about the news.

“Do you think she’ll send an invitation to Lu Yun? If she does, that would be quite amusing.”

“If she really does, do you think our Changhua would go?”

“Our Changhua is all lovey-dovey with her partner. If Li Chunxia had any sense, she wouldn’t want to create trouble for herself.”

Some people were eager for the drama, but by the time the evening celebration was about to start, there had been no news about Li Chunxia sending an invitation to Lu Yun.

Lu Yun understood that even if Li Chunxia wanted to stir things up, now wouldn’t be the time; or rather, if Li Chunxia were smart, she wouldn’t seek out trouble at all.

After all, in Li Chunxia’s eyes, she was the ultimate victor.

—o—o—o—

In winter, it got dark early. By the time the celebration began, the outside world had already turned black. Lu Yun was more inclined to head home than to watch the Cotton Textile Factory’s festivities.

Li Chunxia still wore a happy expression as she chatted with those around her.

When the time to speak with Chen Zhiqiang, who had come to the celebration with her, she noticed his gaze fixed on Lu Yun’s spot ahead, unmoving.

Rather than feeling upset, she reached out and placed Chen Zhiqiang’s hand on her abdomen.

Li Chunxia didn’t say a word, but both of them understood each other through their gazes.

At the celebration, someone was singing “The Moon Represents My Heart.”

The singer’s soft and gentle style was different from Lu Yun’s, yet it prompted Chen Zhiqiang to stand up and leave the Cotton Textile Factory’s celebration venue.

Li Chunxia exclaimed, “What are you doing? Didn’t you say you’d dance with me later?”

She stood up, wanting to chase after him, but after taking a deep breath, she restrained herself and sat back down, even managing to smile.

Li Chunxia commented, “He thinks it’s too stuffy and wants to go outside for some fresh air.”

After saying that, she stood up and went over to discuss something with Sister Sun. Once Lu Yun and Sister Sun nodded, Sister Sun got up, and Li Chunxia sat down next to Lu Yun.

Li Chunxia said, “I thought it wouldn’t be easy to marry Chen Zhiqiang. Thankfully, you’re with He Cheng’an. I won’t send you a wedding invitation, but if you get married and invite us, I’d actually be thrilled.”

Lu Yun looked at Li Chunxia, who was about to become Chen Zhiqiang’s wife. After a while, she asked, “Are you sure you want to marry Chen Zhiqiang? The Chen family is quite complicated. His aunt can be troublesome, and he has a sister who isn’t easy to deal with either, not to mention his parents, who are quite hard to please.”

Hearing Lu Yun speak so sincerely made Li Chunxia pause for a moment. She replied earnestly, “The Chen family is well-off, too.” She glanced at Lu Yun, whose expression was complex; Lu Yun’s beauty was so striking that even another woman couldn’t help but want to look away.

She continued, “Now that I’ve spoken with you, I feel more at ease.”

Lu Yun asked, “Aren’t you afraid that if you marry into that family, life will be chaotic, and you’ll be constantly at odds with the Chens?”

Li Chunxia looked at Lu Yun in surprise, as if she hadn’t expected that Lu Yun might have lost interest in Chen Zhiqiang for such reasons. This made her feel more secure, and she even said, “I’m not like you, but you’re lucky you didn’t marry Chen Zhiqiang.”

Neither of them continued speaking; they weren’t the type to share their innermost thoughts. Li Chunxia had come over to find some reassurance, and now that she had it, she didn’t want to discuss her feelings with Lu Yun any further.

Not only did Li Chunxia feel reassured, but Lu Yun also felt a sense of relief regarding Li Chunxia’s upcoming marriage to Chen Zhiqiang.

Perhaps it was a subconscious desire to remind Li Chunxia of the complexities ahead.

—o—o—o—

After staying at the celebration for a while, Lu Yun decided it was time to leave.

Just as the dancing began and the music started playing, she made her way through the corner of the room, intending to exit without disturbing anyone.

Sister Sun grabbed Lu Yun’s sleeve and said, “Did you bring a flashlight? It’s dark outside.”

Lu Yun replied, “I did. I’m heading back now.”

Sister Sun offered, “How about I walk you back?”

“No need,” Lu Yun said. “I’ll check to see if anyone else is heading in the same direction. If not, I’ll wait a bit. You stay here and enjoy yourself.”

Once outside, Lu Yun spotted He Cheng’an.

She wasn’t sure how long he had been waiting, but he must have been concerned she wouldn’t find him, as the flashlight in his hand was still turned on.

Lu Yun turned on her flashlight, waved it a little, and tilted her head with a smile.

She was heading back early because the Lu family still had some wood ear mushrooms that hadn’t been packed yet. She had initially planned to stay and help, but since everyone else had it under control, she had agreed with He Cheng’an that he would pick her up after the Cotton Textile Factory’s celebration.

However, Lu Yun found the celebration to be rather uninteresting and preferred to return early to see if she could lend a hand—perhaps by sticking on labels for the specialties or passing around some tape.

Lu Yun didn’t walk over; instead, He Cheng’an got off his bicycle and approached her.

“What brought you here?” Lu Yun asked.

He Cheng’an replied, “It’s dark, and I was worried you might want to come back early but wouldn’t feel safe going alone.” After saying this, he took hold of Lu Yun’s hand and said, “Let’s head back. Zhang Hao just dropped off some fruit, including the grapes you like.”

As they walked forward together, Lu Yun asked, “How much of the wood ear mushrooms have been packed?”

He Cheng’an answered, “It’s all packed.”

“Packed already?” Lu Yun echoed, surprised.

“Yep, all done,” he confirmed.

—o—o—o—

On the way back, He Cheng’an rode ahead while Lu Yun followed, one arm wrapped around his waist and the other holding the flashlight to illuminate the path in front of them.

As she observed the numerous scratches on He Cheng’an’s hands from gripping the handlebars, her eyes suddenly felt a bit sore, and she leaned against his back.

When He Cheng’an felt her lean against him, he stiffened slightly, and Lu Yun said, “He Cheng’an, I’m really glad you came. I’m so scared of the dark. Earlier, Sister Sun wanted to walk me back, but she seemed to be enjoying the celebration so much that I didn’t want to bother her. I was hoping to see if anyone else could go back with me.”

She added, “I’m so relieved you showed up; you’re like my hero.”

He Cheng’an restrained his impulse and didn’t stop the bicycle, continuing to ride steadily forward.

As Lu Yun watched him ride into the courtyard of his home, she remained silent, thinking that He Cheng’an must be going to grab something.

She followed him inside, and just as she stepped in, He Cheng’an reached back to close the door, effectively enclosing Lu Yun in his arms against the door.

He leaned down and softly coaxed her, “Could you say what you just said one more time?”

Lu Yun felt her cheeks flush. She didn’t respond, and He Cheng’an leaned in closer, whispering “Ah Yun” in her ear, continuing to coax her to repeat herself.

Holding onto him, Lu Yun, despite feeling her face burn, spoke very earnestly and clearly: “I’m really glad you came; you’re like my hero.”

—o—o—o—

Although everyone celebrated the Lunar New Year, New Year’s Day was still an important holiday. With the turn of the year, it was now 1989.

Lu Yun found it hard to articulate her feelings; without realizing it, she had moved from 1988 to 1989, but mostly she felt a sense of satisfaction.

Unable to sleep, Lu Yun tossed and turned in bed. Just then, Zhang Meili came over, exclaiming, “Ah Yun, meeting He Cheng’an is such a blessing for you.”

Zhang Meili had gradually come to appreciate He Cheng’an, feeling that he was indeed hard to find, not just for his looks, but for the way he treated Lu Yun.

Zhang Meili continued, “When he was packing the wood ear mushrooms today, he was so fast—he didn’t even stop for water. I thought he was in a hurry, but who knew he was just going to Cotton Textile Factory to find you?”

After saying this, she patted Lu Yun’s shoulder and said, “Alright, you should get some sleep. Tomorrow morning, go see him; he’s coming over to celebrate New Year’s with us.”