Chapter 10

The journey from the county town to the provincial capital took about three hours.

At first, Lu Yun felt excited because he had never traveled far or taken a bus since arriving in this world. He watched the scenery outside with curiosity.

However, as time passed, the bumpy ride started to make him feel nauseous, although he did not show it; he simply leaned back against the seat.

During the ride, Lu Yun glanced several times at He Cheng’an, who was sitting next to him. He had no visible reaction to Lu Yun’s discomfort.

It was probably because He Cheng’an’s imposing presence intimidated others around them, making them hesitant to glance their way.

When the bus stopped at another station, He Cheng’an stood up and said, “I’ll get off for a moment; I’ll be back soon.”

Lu Yun nodded and replied, “Okay.”

He Cheng’an walked over to the ticket seller, and after speaking with them, he got off the bus. Lu Yun watched as He Cheng’an hurried in a specific direction. After a short while, he returned.

At that point, the other passengers had not yet finished boarding, and He Cheng’an lined up behind them. It seemed that he sensed Lu Yun’s gaze, for he looked over and smiled at him.

Just then, someone tried to take the seat next to Lu Yun. He quickly placed his olive green bag on the seat and looked up, saying, “This seat is taken.”

As he spoke, He Cheng’an had already reboarded the bus and walked over in a few large strides.

“Excuse me,” He Cheng’an said.

He watched as Lu Yun stowed away his crossbody bag before sitting down. Then, He Cheng’an handed Lu Yun a package of hawthorn cake. Lu Yun realized that He Cheng’an had just gotten off the bus to buy the snack, and he probably noticed that Lu Yun looked a bit queasy earlier.

Looking at the bright red hawthorn cake, Lu Yun smiled with his head lowered.

He Cheng’an said, “We’re almost two-thirds of the way there; we’ll be at the provincial capital soon.”

After speaking, he neatly folded the plastic bag that had contained the hawthorn cake and tucked it away, as if thinking ahead in case Lu Yun needed to use it if he got sick during the ride. His attentiveness was both gentle and considerate.

The hawthorn cakes that He Cheng’an bought were sour and sweet, and they really worked. After Lu Yun ate a few pieces, she actually felt much better.

She didn’t feel like vomiting anymore.

When they finally entered the provincial capital, the bus would still make stops at a few points in the city before stopping at the main bus station.

Coincidentally, one of the stops was right in front of the state-owned department store, which was convenient for Lu Yun. She wouldn’t need to get off and transfer to another bus.

As the bus moved through the provincial capital, the scenery gradually became more vibrant compared to what they had seen along the way. It was noticeably more prosperous than the county town, by quite a few degrees. Lu Yun became even more absorbed in gazing out the window.

He Cheng’an had been quietly watching Lu Yun the whole time. When he followed her gaze out of the bus window, he saw that the streets were filled with pedestrians, and there were especially many people riding bicycles in the provincial capital.

Suddenly, He Cheng’an spotted a small red car. He stared at it for a long time, pressing his lips tightly together.

He knew that the car was a Xiali brand model. It cost sixty or seventy thousand yuan—a luxury few could afford.

A few days ago, he’d heard from someone he was doing renovations for that his wife had once ridden in one of those cars. Even people who usually felt carsick in other vehicles would feel perfectly comfortable in this one, and even appeared to have a healthy glow after the ride.

The bus conductor called out, “State-owned department store stop! State-owned department store! This bus will make a return trip around four in the afternoon. Those who need to go back can wait here at this stop.”

There were a lot of people getting off at the department store stop. As soon as the conductor announced it, many passengers stood up.

When Lu Yun saw that He Cheng’an was about to stand as well, she instinctively tugged at his sleeve.

He froze in place, his hand slowly clenching at his side. She hadn’t even pulled with much strength, yet he sat back down.

Lu Yun said, “Let’s not squeeze out with them. Let’s wait a bit; once they’re all off, we’ll go down.”

In the past, whenever Lu Yun took any kind of transportation, she had this habit.

Instead of squeezing in with the crowd to get off, she preferred to wait for everyone else to leave, and then leisurely make her way out—of course, only when there was no rush.

After waiting on the bus for a little while, Lu Yun saw that the crowd had lessen. She then called He Cheng’an, and together they got off.

Once off the bus, they found themselves standing right in front of the state-owned department store.

It was the weekend, and there was quite a crowd around the state-owned department store. The store here in the provincial capital was indeed much better than anything in their county—likely with a lot more variety as well.

Lu Yun asked, “What do you want to buy?”

After a moment, He Cheng’an replied, “A razor.”

—o—o—o—

Lu Yun liked shopping, though not in an overly enthusiastic way. She often felt tired quickly, so her shopping trips were usually quick and purposeful. Before coming to the provincial capital, she had already planned what she wanted to buy: a dress for Zhang Meili, shoes for Lu Dong (since he hadn’t found anything suitable on his last shopping trip in the county), and a trendy cassette tape for Lu Xiang’an.

As for Li Ling, Lu Yun originally intended to check what wedding essentials Li Ling still needed and buy something for her. But now, she decided she would simply gift her thirty yuan in cash.

Once inside the mall, Lu Yun spotted red envelopes for sale. They weren’t the decorative kind found later on, just simple red envelopes, a bit smaller than letter envelopes.

Nowadays, many people would just wrap money in red paper, and that worked fine. Lu Yun checked the price, found it inexpensive, and bought one. She tossed it straight into her bag and continued shopping.

A breezy blue floral dress, a pair of genuine leather black shoes, and the latest cassette tape—after Lu Yun had bought everything on her list, it was just about noon. He Cheng’an followed closely behind her, carrying the bags. Then, Lu Yun accompanied him to buy the razor. Shopping was straightforward for He Cheng’an; he looked at one and immediately bought it. There was no need to haggle here, so it was hassle-free.

This state-owned department store was located in one of the busiest areas of the provincial capital. Apart from the store, there were all sorts of eateries around. After finishing their shopping, He Cheng’an led Lu Yun to a restaurant for lunch.

Once they sat down in the restaurant, Lu Yun realized that He Cheng’an was carrying much more than she had expected.

Many of the items weren’t things she had bought, which meant He Cheng’an had been buying things for her as well.

Meanwhile, the only thing he had bought for himself was the small razor.

For a moment, silence hung between them.

Lu Yun was the first to speak. “I feel like having some braised pork.”

He Cheng’an brightened, “Alright, braised pork it is.”

For lunch, He Cheng’an ordered not only braised pork but also stir-fried pork with Beijing sauce and a platter of marinated appetizers.

For the main course, they had two large bowls of rice, along with two separate bowls of tomato and egg soup.

Lu Yun was indeed quite hungry, but even so, the amount of food seemed a bit much. However, to avoid wasting anything, she finished all the soup and rice in front of her before putting down her chopsticks. He Cheng’an ate at a slower pace.

Once Lu Yun had finished, he cleared away the remaining dishes himself.

Lu Yun thought about going to pay the bill, but under He Cheng’an’s watchful gaze, sharp yet softened with a hint of a smile, she eventually stayed put.

—o—o—o—

At precisely 4:10 in the afternoon, the bus heading back to the county town stopped outside the provincial state-owned department store. This time, the bus was much emptier.

Lu Yun took her original seat from the ride in, feeling a certain attachment to it. She thought to herself that if she ever returned to the provincial capital and this seat was free, she would probably choose it again.

There was still half a pack of hawthorn left, which Lu Yun ate on the bus. By the time evening rolled around, around five or six o’clock, He Cheng’an unexpectedly brought out some boiled eggs and buns. However, the smell in the bus was strong, and since many others had also brought food to eat, Lu Yun found she had no appetite for it.

He Cheng’an didn’t eat either. His mind seemed preoccupied with that little red Xiali sedan he’d seen earlier. He thought to himself that he would have to get one someday.

When they arrived back at the county town, it was nearly dark, but luckily, they could still catch the bus that would take them home.

He Cheng’an walked with Lu Yun until they reached the alley outside her place. Lu Yun paused, glancing at the bags he was carrying and the way he stood, stopping just at the edge of the alley.

After a moment, she said, “Why don’t you walk me all the way in?”

He Cheng’an seemed to have endless strength. Despite carrying numerous bags and having walked around the state-owned department store with her earlier, he didn’t look tired at all.

Unlike Lu Yun, who now felt an ache in her calves, each step she took was sore and heavy. She couldn’t wait to get back, take a hot bath, and go straight to bed.

When He Cheng’an walked inside, his steps were slow. He watched the shadows of himself and Lu Yun on the ground, deliberately slowing his pace even more to stay a few steps behind her.

As he gazed at their two shadows, which seemed to overlap as they walked, a strange fullness swelled in his chest, an emotion he couldn’t quite describe.

He Cheng’an spoke up, “Your little cousin sent me an invitation, inviting me to her wedding.”

Lu Yun nodded, understanding. “She mentioned it. She says you’re like half a matchmaker to her, so of course, she has to invite you.”

He Cheng’an continued walking with her until they reached her doorstep. Then he asked, “So… am I allowed to go?”

Lu Yun turned to look at him, slightly tilting her head. “Why wouldn’t you be?”

Then, as if something had just occurred to her, she added, “I told her to seat you at the friends’ table. If you’d feel more comfortable, you can bring a friend with you; it’s perfectly fine. Also, she said you don’t need to bring a gift.”

Listening to Lu Yun’s gentle, soft-spoken words, He Cheng’an found himself wishing she would keep talking to him like this.

But Lu Yun glanced up at the darkening sky and said, “You should head home too. Thank you for today.”

He Cheng’an nodded. “Alright, I’ll head back.”

Though he said that, he only left after he watched her enter the courtyard gate. Once he exited the alleyway where Lu Yun lived, He Cheng’an felt an unusual lightness in his steps. A rush of excitement and joy bubbled up inside him, an energy he couldn’t contain, and he felt a sudden urge to shout out loud with happiness.

—o—o—o—

When Zhang Meili saw Lu Yun, she fussed, “Child, why are you only getting home now? Did you have dinner? We saved some food for you. Look at you, go take a bath and then get to bed. It’s a good thing tomorrow’s your day off. Otherwise, I’d probably have to go make excuses to get you leave from work since you’d never make it up in time.”

Lu Yun looped her arm through Zhang Meili’s and said, “I went out to buy gifts for everyone! I got something for you, Dad, and Eldest Brother.”

As soon as the Lu family heard there were gifts, they all gathered around. Lu Yun took out each item she had bought, showing them one by one.

Zhang Meili muttered about why Lu Yun had bothered to buy these things, but she took the dress and went into the house to try it on. It was the perfect size, and it was in a style that was currently popular. Zhang Meili liked it, but because it was a gift from Lu Yun, she felt a special fondness for it. She stepped back out into the courtyard and did a little twirl, showing it off.

Zhang Meili asked, “Well, how do I look in this dress?”

Lu Dong was stomping around the courtyard in his new shoes. “I don’t know why, but these feel way more comfortable than my old ones!”

Lu Xiang’an nodded. “It’s true! This cassette tape even looks better than the ones I’ve bought myself.”

Blushing, Lu Yun teased back, “Well, next time I won’t get you anything.”

Then, she grabbed her washbasin and things and headed off for a bath.

—o—o—o—

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