Chapter 62

Dou Zhengrong waited for Lu Chen at a spot he had to pass on his way to and from work.

Seeing Dou Zhengrong there was unexpected for Lu Chen, but he didn’t hesitate and followed him to a quieter spot. For Dou Zhengrong to seek him out like this, it must have been something important.

After they stopped, Dou Zhengrong asked a few casual questions about Lu Chen’s time studying in the county before getting to the point.

As expected, what Dou Zhengrong said next left Lu Chen stunned.

He asked, “Do you know a male educated youth named Song Yue?”

Lu Chen’s expression darkened, and he replied in a low voice, “I do.”

Just hearing Song Yue’s name reminded him of the scenes where Song Yue had pestered Meng Yinyin.

“Did something happen while I was away?” Lu Chen’s tone was calm but laced with certainty.

Dou Zhengrong, noticing Lu Chen’s reaction, realized he was aware of Song Yue’s interest in Meng Yinyin. Relieved that he wouldn’t have to explain the context, Dou Zhengrong recounted what happened in the vegetable plot that day.

When Lu Chen learned that Meng Yinyin had almost been taken advantage of by Song Yue, a murderous aura filled his eyes. His fists clenched tightly at his sides. He was grateful that Dou Zhengrong happened to be there because he couldn’t bear to imagine what might have happened otherwise.

After overcoming the initial wave of fear and anger, Lu Chen suppressed his turbulent emotions and sincerely thanked Dou Zhengrong.

“Brother Dou, I don’t know how to repay you for this. If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

This was the most solemn promise Lu Chen could make.

Dou Zhengrong, sensing his sincerity, nodded. “It’s okay, it’s just a small favor. I would have helped anyone in such a situation.”

Although grateful to Dou Zhengrong, Lu Chen was consumed by anger toward Song Yue and overwhelming guilt for Meng Yinyin. She must have been so afraid when faced with Song Yue.

Yet, despite being home for a day, she hadn’t mentioned anything to him. Was it because she didn’t want him to worry, or did she simply not want to tell him?

Lu Chen pursed his lips as his thoughts swirled.

At work, Lu Chen’s cold gaze swept toward the Educated Youth point, landing squarely on Song Yue.

Song Yue, who was waiting for the brigade leader’s motivational speech, suddenly felt a chill down his spine. A wave of unease washed over him. He instinctively turned to look around and saw Lu Chen staring at him from a distance with an expression as cold as ice.

Lu Chen’s gaze felt like a dagger, sending a shiver through Song Yue. He quickly turned back, pretending nothing was wrong, but his heartbeat quickened.

Why was Lu Chen looking at him like that? Had he already found out about what happened with Meng Yinyin?

Song Yue wasn’t foolish. After some thought, he concluded that Meng Yinyin must have told Lu Chen.

Though he had mentally prepared for this possibility, the thought still infuriated him.

Fine. If she wanted to blow things out of proportion, he wouldn’t hold back either!

Initially, Song Yue planned to let it go since nothing substantial had happened. But if Meng Yinyin insisted on making trouble for him, he wouldn’t sit idly by.

Throughout the morning, Lu Chen and Song Yue didn’t cross paths as they worked in different areas. Still, Lu Chen’s frustration lingered, making him unusually silent. While he was naturally reserved, his coworkers noticed that he seemed especially intense today.

Watching Lu Chen threshing grain with extraordinary strength and speed, someone joked, “What did the grain do to you, Lu Chen?”

Another chimed in, “Guess it’s just his youthful energy with nowhere else to go!”

It seems that young guys like Lu Chen are still needed to do the work.

Everyone laughed, oblivious to the anger Lu Chen was channeling into his work.

It wasn’t until he returned home at noon that he managed to compose himself.

Since Meng Yinyin chose not to tell him, he decided to act as if he didn’t know for now. However, he was determined that Song Yue would still pay the price he deserved.

After adjusting his emotions, Lu Chen returned home. By then, Meng Yinyin had already prepared the meal. Although the dishes were just simple stir-fried vegetables, at least they were presentable and edible—not like the barely edible braised potatoes from yesterday.

Meng Yinyin had come to terms with her limited cooking skills. No matter how much she tried, there wasn’t going to be significant improvement, so she decided to stop tormenting herself.

After all, her goal in cooking wasn’t to make gourmet dishes, but to show Lu Chen care and affection, helping him turn over a new leaf. In this case, taste wasn’t the priority; the sentiment and thought behind it were what truly mattered.

With that in mind, Meng Yinyin gave up on pursuing flavor and simply focused on cooking the food properly. She managed to finish everything just in time before Lu Chen returned from work.

Even though Lu Chen already knew that Meng Yinyin planned to cook for him, seeing the scene before him still tugged at his heart.

Meng Yinyin, wearing a small apron, held a dish in her hands. When she noticed his return, she raised her head and glanced at him.

“You’re back?”

The sight was almost identical to the home and partner he had dreamed of.

At that moment, the anger that had weighed on Lu Chen all morning eased a little.

“Yeah, I’m back,” he replied, his gaze naturally drifting to the dining table.

On the table were three dishes: stir-fried vegetables, cucumber salad, and sweetened tomatoes, accompanied by two bowls of porridge. The meal was simple and light, with no complexity whatsoever. Yet, to Lu Chen, it was more moving than a banquet at a state-owned restaurant.

Noticing his gaze, Meng Yinyin felt a pang of embarrassment, even though she had accepted the reality of her poor cooking skills.

Especially since Lu Chen kept staring at the modest dishes as if trying to find hidden beauty in them, she felt so awkward she wanted to hide.

“Hey,stop looking! Aren’t you hungry? Eat already! I’m starving!”

Her loud voice suddenly broke the silence, successfully pulling Lu Chen back to reality.

Sensing her discomfort, Lu Chen sat down obediently and began eating.

Meng Yinyin sat down as well but couldn’t help but watch Lu Chen. Every time he picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks, she would tense up.

She didn’t know why she was so nervous—her cooking was clearly inferior to his. Yet, she still wanted to know his reaction. However, she didn’t have the courage to ask directly, thinking it was already a great honor for him that she had cooked at all.

While she grumbled to herself internally, her eyes betrayed her curiosity, blinking as if silently asking, “Is it good? How does it taste?”

Lu Chen, quick to catch on, immediately responded, “It’s delicious.”

Seeing her still looking unconvinced, he added seriously, “This is the best food I’ve ever eaten.”

His sincerity was apparent, and even though Meng Yinyin knew her cooking couldn’t possibly deserve such high praise, she couldn’t help but smile.

“Well, if you like it, then eat more,” she said, suppressing the grin that threatened to spread across her face and maintaining a composed tone.

“You know, I learned to cook just for you,” she added, delivering the line she had rehearsed in her mind while watching Lu Chen’s reaction.

To her surprise, Lu Chen’s expression didn’t change much, except that his gaze softened a little.

Meng Yinyin wasn’t sure if she was imagining things, but considering Lu Chen’s reserved nature, his lack of a strong reaction wasn’t too surprising.

Reassured by this thought, she continued her planned speech.

“I’m cooking for you—does it make you happy? Does it make you feel loved?”

Lu Chen nodded earnestly, his eyes never leaving her.

Meng Yinyin felt her cheeks grow warm under his intense gaze. His eyes seemed to carry a spark, making her blush.

“Well, since you feel happy with this kind of life, let’s keep it this way. You work hard and seriously, and I’ll wait for you at home. You’ll see how beautiful life can be, and we can live happily, embracing each day with a positive attitude!”

Her words began to sound like an earnest lecture.

Lu Chen felt something was off, especially since Meng Yinyin’s gaze seemed to say, “You better take this seriously and not mess up!”

But what could he possibly do wrong?

Thinking he was overanalyzing, Lu Chen listened attentively to her “lesson.”

By the time Meng Yinyin finished her speech, she was out of breath and felt she had said everything she needed to. After taking a sip of porridge, she stared at Lu Chen with a serious expression.

“Did you listen to everything I said?”

She had invested so much effort into her words, and if he didn’t take them to heart and still went astray, she’d be heartbroken.

Lu Chen nodded firmly.

He had listened to every word she said, even though he didn’t fully grasp their meaning. However, since it was from her, he made sure to remember it all.

Feeling her mission was nearly complete, Meng Yinyin believed she had helped adjust Lu Chen’s darker traits at least a little.

Just as she had just relaxed her mind, she suddenly saw Lu Chen move his lips and his expression showed that he wanted to say something but was hesitant.

Meng Yinyin furrowed her brows, thinking that her little plan from earlier might have been discovered, which made her a little nervous.

Fortunately, the next second, Lu Chen spoke, but the topic was not the one Meng Yinyin had been discussing earlier. Instead, it was something else.

“Yinyin, did Song Yue cause you any trouble while I was gone?”

His tone was very light, as if he was worried that the unpleasant name would frighten her. However, from his expression, it was clear that he was very concerned.

Meng Yinyin froze for a moment and instinctively asked, “How do you know?!”

This slip of the tongue indirectly admitted that she had indeed been troubled by Song Yue.

Lu Chen’s eyes darkened immediately. He suppressed the anger in his heart before continuing, “I heard it from someone. Don’t worry, I’ll make Song Yue pay for what he did.”

He heard it from someone? Who told him? The only people who knew about this at the time were just the few of them. She hadn’t said anything, and Yuxiao had also been told not to tell Lu Chen about it. Song Yue certainly wouldn’t have spoken up about it.

So, the only one who could have told him was likely Dou Zhengrong!

How had they gotten in touch again?

Meng Yinyin felt a wave of dizziness. She had worked so hard to change part of the plot, and now Lu Chen was in contact with Dou Zhengrong again. Was the next step that he was going to visit the Dou family and run into Lin Xiuzhi?

As if to confirm Meng Yinyin’s guess, Lu Chen continued speaking the next second.

“I may be back late this afternoon. I was in a hurry this morning and didn’t have time to thank Brother Dou properly. I’ll go to his house this afternoon to give him some gifts…”

Before he could finish, Meng Yinyin interrupted him without even thinking.

“Don’t go!”

Lu Chen was stunned, seemingly not expecting her to refuse.

“I… I mean, I can go. I’ll go, it’s fine!”