Chapter 51

One evening, Lu Yun returned to her rented apartment in the provincial city with He Cheng’an.

Once they entered the courtyard, Lu Yun remembered that they were now legally married and had a marriage certificate.

They were a married couple, which meant they could stay in the same room—this brought a slight blush to her cheeks when she thought about it.

He Cheng’an pointed to Zhang Hao’s room and said, “I’ll squeeze in with Zhang Hao tonight.”

Since it had been a few days since anyone had stayed in the room, a faint, stale smell lingered. He Cheng’an opened the windows to let in fresh air, then cleaned the entire room. By the time he was done, Lu Yun had finished her shower and stepped out.

Seeing Lu Yun, He Cheng’an wanted to help dry her hair, but noticing his hands were a bit dirty from cleaning, he hesitated, curling his fingers slightly, and then stepped outside.

In the courtyard, he scrubbed his hands with soap until they were clean. Only then did he return, picking up Lu Yun’s towel and gently urging her to sit down so he could help dry her hair.

Lu Yun sat by the window, looking outside. She started by sitting on the chair normally, but eventually drew her knees up to hug them, as the chair was large enough. He Cheng’an dried her hair slowly and carefully, his movements gentle and far softer than when she did it herself.

Lu Yun asked, “Is it done?”

He Cheng’an replied, “Almost.”

She smiled at him and asked again, “Is it done?”

He Cheng’an smiled back, “Almost, just drying it a little more.”

That night, when it came time to sleep, Lu Yun showed no signs of discomfort from being in a new place. She quickly wrapped herself in the blanket and fell asleep.

Later, Zhang Hao came back and found He Cheng’an still awake, sitting with pen and paper, jotting down notes. Beside him were an account book and a list of payment dates. Zhang Hao leaned in and caught a glimpse of the total price for the house, making him pause for a moment.

“This is for that 101-square-meter house, right?” Zhang Hao asked.

He Cheng’an smiled, “Yes.”

Without further comment, Zhang Hao said, “If you’re planning to buy that place, I don’t have much extra money, but everything you’ve given me is still with me. I haven’t used any of it, so you can use it first.” Not waiting for He Cheng’an to decline, he continued, “I earned all that money working with you. Besides, I don’t need it right now. When I do, you’ll help me out, right? We grew up together; don’t talk to me like we’re strangers.”

After speaking, Zhang Hao thought for a moment and added, “During the Spring Festival, I spent a bit more than I should have. If I’d known you were going to buy this, I would’ve saved a little more. Now, I’ve got just over twenty thousand left. It’s not much.”

Twenty thousand was indeed a considerable amount of money at that time, almost enough to call someone a “ten-thousandaire,” but when it came to buying a house, this amount was not really enough.

He Cheng’an smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll pay you back next month.”

—o—o—o—

The next day, Lu Yun and He Cheng’an returned to the county. After calculating their funds, including the twenty thousand from Zhang Hao, they realized they had just enough to pay in full for the 101-square-meter apartment in Seagull Garden. However, after buying the house, they would be left with very little to spare.

Upon reaching the provincial city, He Cheng’an started coordinating for the renovations, while Lu Yun stayed at He Cheng’an’s rented apartment, studying a language arts textbook.

When Zhang Hao returned, he greeted Lu Yun as “sister-in-law” before asking for He Cheng’an, but not finding him, he looked a little puzzled. “Where’s Brother He?” he asked.

Lu Yun replied, “He said there were still some things to handle over at Seagull Garden, so he went to take care of that. He should be back by evening.”

Zhang Hao was surprised, though he didn’t show it. He knew there wasn’t actually much left to do at Seagull Garden, but he kept his thoughts to himself, merely saying, “Sister-in-law, I’ll go get some fruit for you.”

Lu Yun wanted to say something to Zhang Hao, but considering the close relationship between He Cheng’an and Zhang Hao, she thought she might be too formal with Zhang Hao if she continued talking.

Lu Yun wondered that if He Cheng’an didn’t end up as he did in the novel, whether Zhang Hao’s life might also improve alongside He Cheng’an’s.

—o—o—o—

The following day, He Cheng’an took Lu Yun to the sales office to sign the contract for the apartment.

As the sales staff prepared to print the contract, they smiled and asked, “Would you like both your names on the deed?”

He Cheng’an replied, “No need. Just put my partner’s name on it.”

Although Lu Yun and He Cheng’an had discussed beforehand whose name would be on the property, hearing He Cheng’an say it so decisively at the sales office made her gaze at him with gentle warmth. To Lu Yun, He Cheng’an’s decision felt like he was refusing to leave himself an escape route in this marriage.

Lu Yun had often heard about couples quarreling over whose name to put on the house or over the division of assets before and after marriage.

The sales representative glanced briefly at Lu Yun before saying, “Please wait a moment.”

As Lu Yun sipped the plain water they had given her, she whispered to He Cheng’an, “You looked really handsome just now.”

He Cheng’an held her hand, pressing it to his cheek. Lu Yun looked around, then whispered softly, “Incredibly handsome.”

Before long, the sales staff returned with the contract. He Cheng’an carefully reviewed it before asking Lu Yun to sign. After finishing up the paperwork, they completed the payment and received the keys to their new home. Only then did they leave the sales office at Seagull Garden.

Lu Yun had purchased a home before, making her one of those who owned a fully paid-off property. But this time, her feelings were different. He Cheng’an held her hand as they walked together into the Seagull Garden community, a place that held a unique meaning for both of them.

They had chosen an apartment on the sixth floor—the highest floor in the building. There weren’t many tall buildings around, so the sixth floor already offered a good view, especially of the distant scenery. However, it also meant they’d have to climb six flights of stairs each time, which would be a small challenge for Lu Yun and He Cheng’an.

They’d seen similar units on other floors, but none had quite the right combination of position and level within the complex. For Lu Yun, no other place seemed as fitting.

When they arrived, Lu Yun looked around at the bare, unfinished apartment, yet to her, it was breathtakingly beautiful. She even felt that although the layout was the same as other units, hers was somehow better—perhaps because this was her and He Cheng’an’s home.

Lu Yun stepped out onto the balcony, taking in the view. She called, “He Cheng’an!”

He Cheng’an walked over and stood beside her. Together, they looked out toward the distant sea. Although it was far off, the gentle spring breeze made the scene feel especially refreshing.

Suddenly, He Cheng’an reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty-yuan note. Lu Yun, seeing it, covered her mouth in surprise. “Twenty yuan? Where did you get twenty yuan? You were hiding money from me?”

Lu Yun hadn’t wanted her family to worry about the house purchase. Though she and He Cheng’an would be strapped for cash after buying the property, her shop back home would soon bring in some profit, and He Cheng’an was also expecting an income shortly.

He Cheng’an leaned close to Lu Yun’s ear and whispered with a smile, “I didn’t stash any money away. When we came back to the provincial city yesterday, one of the renovation companies needed extra hands. Since I have the skills, I worked a bit. Now, let’s go get something to eat.”

Lu Yun rested her head on He Cheng’an’s shoulder and called his name softly, “He Cheng’an.”

“It wasn’t tiring; I only worked for the afternoon,” he reassured her.

After a moment, Lu Yun gently cupped his face, speaking with sincerity, “Since you worked so hard to earn this money, we should be careful with our spending. Let’s find a place with better value for our meal.”

—o—o—o—

To help her spicy skewer shop thrive, Lu Yun implemented a membership program. Customers could now recharge a membership account with the shop, receiving an additional one yuan for every ten yuan they added.

This promotion gradually helped Lu Yun’s life return to normal. Meanwhile, He Cheng’an was busy in the provincial city, securing contracts to renovate properties for new clients, which brought in additional income. He also visited various markets around the city, buying a bulk supply of dried black fungus to sell.

About a week later, he returned to Lu Yun with an account ledger and the earnings he’d made over that period.

Zhang Meili couldn’t help but express to Lu Dong, “I’m so pleased that Ah Yun married He Cheng’an. I never imagined Ah Yun would find such a wonderful partner.”

Lu Dong nodded in agreement, sharing the sentiment.

That afternoon, Sister Sun came by to visit Lu Yun, bringing her canned goods and fresh fruit. Lu Yun had been studying, but seeing Sister Sun arrive, she quickly put away her study materials and invited her to sit down.

Sister Sun couldn’t help but feel a bit envious as she looked at Lu Yun, who seemed even more radiant than she had during her previous job.

The two chatted about their recent lives and eventually discussed Lu Yun’s time in the provincial city.

As Sister Sun was about to leave, she suddenly remembered something. “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you—Chen Zhiqiang quit his job. I heard he got into a big argument with his family about it, and he even had a huge fight with Li Chunxia.

The argument was loud enough that the neighbors heard. Li Chunxia’s pregnant, and she wanted Chen Zhiqiang to stay in a stable job, but he quit without consulting anyone.

Afterward, Chen Zhiqiang’s aunt, Chen Xue, got into it with Li Chunxia too. They even had a bit of a physical scuffle. Since Li Chunxia’s pregnant, she didn’t dare push hard, but Chen Xue ended up getting hit by Li Chunxia, who then went back to her parents’ home.”

Lu Yun couldn’t help but sigh, thinking that the Chen family had finally met someone who wouldn’t be easily bullied.

In the novel, Chen Zhiqiang had quit his job to start a business, and it was around the time he got involved with the female lead that he became entrepreneurial.

However, Lu Yun felt that based on the novel’s timeline, it wasn’t supposed to happen at this point.

Unbothered by this news, Lu Yun continued to focus on her own business.

Later that day, when Zhang Meili and Lu Dong returned from helping out at the spicy skewer shop, they both looked rather displeased.

Before Lu Yun could ask, Lu Dong spoke up, “A new spicy skewer shop has opened right next to yours. They’ve even copied your membership promotion but are offering more generous discounts than you are.”