Chapter 3

After Lu Yun returned home, she looked at the closed windows of her room.

She went inside and lit the mosquito coil; after all, she did not want to continue being bitten by mosquitoes.

Besides that, she noticed a bottle of floral lotion and sprayed a bit on herself.

She sniffed and found that the scent of the floral lotion was quite pleasant.

Summer was hot, and after working all day, Lu Yun rode her bicycle back, already sweating.

Fortunately, the Lu family’s house was relatively large, and everyone kept it clean, so there was an extra room for bathing.

However, when relatives visited, they often had to squeeze into Lu Yun’s eldest brother’s small room.

Despite this, her eldest brother did not mind at all.

He also preferred to be clean; when he sweated, he hurried home to take a shower, not wanting to go to a public bathhouse.

Lu Yun took a porcelain basin decorated with mandarin ducks and tossed in her towel, soap, and shampoo. These items were simple, unlike the variety that came later, at least in this small county town.

Nevertheless, Lu Yun was not picky; as long as she had something to use, she was fine with it.

After grabbing a set of clean clothes, Lu Yun went to take a shower.

Most women in love always wanted to share their feelings with someone, especially those who had just started dating.

Although Li Ling was engaged through an arranged marriage, to Lu Yun, it felt like they had just established their relationship. At this stage, girls were particularly sensitive.

When Li Ling saw Lu Yun come out of the shower, towel drying her hair, she quickly approached her. “Cousin, he asked me to go to the movies with him, and I’m a bit nervous. What do you think? If we go to the movies and he, um, tries to kiss me, should I agree? I’ve heard that many people do that when they go to the movies…”

At this point, Li Ling’s face flushed.

Lu Yun couldn’t answer this question because she had never been in a relationship.

When Lu Yun had just graduated, she began working as a food blogger and became busy with her job.

She did not meet many people, and some of her friends preferred to stay at home.

Thus, she did not have many opportunities to find a suitable partner. Furthermore, because her parents divorced and remarried, she was particularly cautious about dating and marriage.

—o—o—o—

That night, Li Ling stayed at Lu Yun’s place, and the two of them shared a bed. It was slightly hot in the summer, but neither of them minded the heat. Each of them held a fan to create a breeze. The soap used for bathing left a faint, pleasant scent that lingered in the air, enhancing the ambiance.

The two of them fell asleep early, yet they could still hear a couple arguing outside the courtyard.

“Cousin, do you really like Chen Zhiqiang that much?” Li Ling asked.

Lu Yun remained silent for a moment.

While reading a novel, she had thought that the female supporting character truly loved Chen Zhiqiang.

After all, a beautiful Changhua—though her family situation wasn’t particularly good, it at least didn’t hold her back—had no need to marry him if she didn’t genuinely like him.

Perhaps she had some feelings but felt unwilling. In the end, as she watched He Cheng’an get imprisoned, she was filled with regret.

Regardless of whether she could regain her memories, she wouldn’t marry Chen Zhiqiang. As for He Cheng’an, she would certainly never allow him to go to jail for her again.

“I don’t like him anymore,” Lu Yun replied.

After saying this, she turned over and prepared to sleep.

Li Ling stammered for a moment, “N-no longer like him? Why? Didn’t you say you’d marry no one but him?”

“Marriage isn’t just a matter between two people. I’ve come to realize that I…” Lu Yun hesitated, organizing her words.

She didn’t deny her past feelings but said, “I did like him very much before. I liked him so much that I could say I would marry no one else. But I feel that we’re not compatible. His family doesn’t like me either. Didn’t you say that if I married into the Chen family, they would only make things difficult for me?”

Li Ling smiled, looking pleased. “It’s good you don’t like him anymore. The person you marry in the future will definitely be better than Chen Zhiqiang.”

As the night deepened, the courtyard gradually quieted down.

Lu Yun and Li Ling lay in bed together. At first, they played and joked around, but soon Li Ling fell asleep. Lu Yun, lying beside her, felt that her sense of belonging to this place had grown a little stronger.

—o—o—o—

After working for five days, Lu Yun felt exhausted, even though she could slack off during work hours.

For someone like her, who was

used to flexible work hours before her time travel, this was still too tiring. She wished she could spend the entire weekend lying at home, doing nothing.

There was no comparison. Lu Yun had previously found attending events as a food blogger cumbersome, but now she felt that being a food blogger suited her much better than sitting in an office.

As the sun set and the outside air became less hot, Lu Yun took some money and rode the bus to a bookstore.

Not far away, a man saw Lu Yun enter the bookstore. After noting the location, he hurried off, not caring about the heat; once he started running, sweat poured down his face.

The bookstore at this time certainly wasn’t as large as the ones Lu Yun had visited before, especially in a small county town during the 1980s.

It was quite small, but Lu Yun managed to find some books, though not many. She bought all the cookbooks available.

After checking out, she exited the bookstore, carrying a tote bag.

Li Ling spotted Lu Yun and waved her arms vigorously. “Cousin! Cousin!”

Lu Yun looked over and saw Li Ling standing next to a man who looked reasonably good. She guessed he was Li Ling’s blind date.

Lu Yun took a closer look at him. He wasn’t particularly tall or handsome, but his features were decent.

He seemed reliable and hardworking—not the kind of person who would stand by and let Li Ling be bullied after marriage. However, he wasn’t as exaggeratedly praised by Li Ling’s mother.

Li Ling quickly shoved two movie tickets into Lu Yun’s hands. “Cousin, my boyfriend’s dad sprained his ankle, so I have to accompany him back. Here are the movie tickets for you. If we don’t use them, we’ll just throw them away, and that would be such a waste!”

Without time to explain further, Li Ling grabbed her boyfriend’s hand and hurriedly rushed toward the bus station.

After watching them board the bus, Lu Yun finally looked down at the two movie tickets Li Ling had given her. It was for a romantic film starting at 5:10 PM. On her wrist was a simple, somewhat worn-out watch; after all, she needed one for work, and it wasn’t convenient to be without it.

It was now 5:03 PM, with only seven minutes left until the movie started.

As Lu Yun arrived outside the cinema, she wondered if anyone would buy her tickets…

—o—o—o—

By 5:08 PM, she still hadn’t sold them.

She couldn’t tell whether this movie simply wasn’t popular or if everyone interested had already gone inside.

Unbeknownst to her, perhaps due to the small size of the county or fate between her and He Cheng’an, she unexpectedly spotted him outside the cinema.

When He Cheng’an approached, he noticed the two movie tickets Lu Yun was holding.

He had never been to a cinema before, but he knew that young couples loved to go to movies for dates and to buy sodas and popcorn.

He had also tried to buy tickets once, hoping to invite Lu Yun, but she had walked past him without even glancing at the tickets.

Pressing his lips together, He Cheng’an hadn’t said a word when Lu Yun handed the tickets to him.

“I got these two tickets from my little cousin, but I couldn’t sell them. Let’s go in together and avoid wasting them.” After Lu Yun finished speaking, she turned around and walk ahead.

As she walked ahead, Lu Yun couldn’t help but sigh internally.

After all, He Cheng’an was the male supporting character she had unresolved feelings for.

She really couldn’t bear to see him looking sad.

While reading the novel, Lu Yun had often wanted to comfort him.

Now, she realized she had become the female supporting character he couldn’t reach.

He Cheng’an felt like he was dreaming.

By the time he came to his senses, Lu Yun had already walked quite far ahead.

He hurriedly ran to buy soda and the largest size of popcorn.

The cashier watched the man rushing off with his soda and popcorn and quickly called out, “Comrade, don’t forget your change! Don’t run off without it!”

After watching He Cheng’an catch up to Lu Yun, the cashier couldn’t help but reminisce about the early days of her own relationship, feeling nostalgic.

However, her partner hadn’t rushed off like this man—looking at his flustered expression, one might think he was afraid his wife would fly away.

Before her time travel, Lu Yun had only gone to the cinema during the Spring Festival; she rarely visited otherwise.

However, she felt curious about this 1980s cinema.

Upon entering, her curiosity quickly faded as she found it rather dull.

The movie had already started playing when she entered.

Unlike modern cinemas where audiences could choose various seating options, this one had long benches with seat numbers affixed to them.

The inside of the cinema was also darker than modern theaters.

As Lu Yun walked ahead, she noticed the seats on the movie ticket and turned around to call He Cheng’an.

However, the space was a bit cramped, and He Cheng’an was following closely behind, causing her to almost tumble into his embrace.

Standing there, Lu Yun could hear the strong, rapid beating of He Cheng’an’s heart, and the air around them seemed to grow a bit warmer.

Lu Yun quickly regained her composure and said, “The seats are just ahead.”

He Cheng’an responded with a soft, “Mm.” When Lu Yun wasn’t looking, he reached up to touch his ear, feeling it was a bit hot.

—o—o—o—

Since this was the movie Li Ling had chosen for her date, it was undoubtedly a romantic film.

Before entering, Lu Yun had glanced at the ticket, and at first, she was engrossed in the movie.

The orange-flavored soda was refreshing, and the popcorn was quite good. However, as the film progressed, there were just too many kissing scenes for her liking.

The cinema was filled with an atmosphere of intimacy, and Lu Yun even spotted a couple kissing nearby, which made her feel quite restless in her seat.

After exiting the cinema and taking a breath of fresh air, she felt a bit more comfortable.

Still holding her unfinished soda, Lu Yun finished drinking it outside the cinema and felt a bit stuffed.

She handed the empty bottle to He Cheng’an, asking him to return it.

He Cheng’an appeared somewhat unapproachable, but he followed Lu Yun’s instructions without question—no protests or objections.

His appearance matched the preferences of many young girls, and during that short time, several girls stole glances at him.

However, once He Cheng’an stood next to Lu Yun, they all lost interest.

Standing together, Lu Yun and He Cheng’an looked like a perfect pair.

They complemented each other remarkably well.

He Cheng’an glanced at a nearby restaurant before looking at Lu Yun and saying, “I’ll walk you home.”

They would still need to take the bus, which was crowded during this time. Lu Yun felt a bit anxious, as riding the bus in the summer heat could be quite uncomfortable.

However, she didn’t want to walk home either; by now, the Lu family would probably be getting ready for dinner.

Once on the bus, He Cheng’an quickly found a seat for Lu Yun and stood beside her, ensuring there was no one crowding her space.

When Lu Yun looked up, she saw the tall man standing firmly, holding the bag of books she had bought—his brow furrowed in concentration.

She thought he looked even better than the descriptions in the novel.

“I can hold the bag,” Lu Yun offered.

He Cheng’an shook his head, pleased to hear Lu Yun initiate a conversation. “No need, it’s not heavy.”

—o—o—o—

That evening, the Lu family had vegetable noodles served in large bowls.

The four members of the Lu family were employed in stable jobs and had their own home in the county, living quite comfortably.

“Where have you been? If you don’t hurry up, the noodles will get mushy. Come in and eat!” Zhang Meili called out.

Standing in the courtyard, Lu Yun turned on the tap to wash her hands. She really wanted to take a shower before dinner, but clearly, if she took too long, Zhang Meili would get angry.

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Lu Yun called back.

Carrying the bag of books, Lu Yun walked into the house, and her family watched her intently.

Although she continued to work in the Cotton Textile Factory, she had no intention of remaining there forever. In the novel, while it mentioned that the Cotton Textile Factory didn’t go bankrupt, it also noted that the factory’s performance was lackluster.

Lu Yun’s salary there was decreasing, and it seemed she was just going through the motions. The text even hinted that the factory might face closure in the future, so Lu Yun had already started to consider her options.

“I’ve recently developed an interest in cooking, so I bought some cookbooks to read,” she said.

Zhang Meili and Lu Dong exchanged glances but remained silent. Lu Dong was focused on his meal, nearly leaning into his bowl of noodles.

Zhang Meili’s cooking was quite good, and the vegetable noodles were made with fresh, vibrant greens.

However, Lu Yun had already filled up on soda and popcorn before returning home and found she couldn’t eat much.

Before she even started, she gave Zhang Meili more than half of her bowl and sat down to sip on the broth before attempting to eat the noodles.

On the way back, Lu Yun felt stuffed, her stomach beginning to ache.

That night, Zhang Meili couldn’t sleep, turning to her husband, Lu Dong, and said, “Our family is doing well, and Ah Yun has always been a beautiful daughter since she was born. We’ve spoiled her, but why does she want to learn to cook? This must be something Chen Zhiqiang’s mother said, or maybe it was that troublemaking aunt of his.”

She continued, “Just look at Li Ling. I heard she went out with her boyfriend today, and his family is very pleased with her. They’re even planning to get married during the National Day holiday. If it weren’t for Chen Zhiqiang, Lu Yun would also be at the right age to find someone. Why can’t I pick someone for her from a simpler family, a man who knows how to treat his wife well?”

Lu Dong replied: “Chen Zhiqiang is on a business trip out of town, right? He should be coming back soon.”

Zhang Meili’s tone grew even sharper. “Yes, he’s coming back in a few days.”

—o—o—o—

Li Ling often came running to Lu Yun’s place. Early in the morning, before Lu Yun had fully woken up, Li Ling showed up, carrying a large bundle, the contents of which were a mystery.

“Cousin, guess who I ran into on my way here?” Without waiting for Lu Yun to respond, she continued, “I ran into He Cheng’an. I don’t know why, but he was especially nice to me when he saw me. He even apologized for that blind date thing.”

After finishing her sentence, she placed the large bundle beside her. “This is what he asked me to bring you, and he said I should help you set it up.”

Lu Yun couldn’t help but recall what her friend had said: the Male Supporting Character was truly pitiable.

He really liked the Female Supporting Character in the story, but he hadn’t felt any favoritism in return.

He loved her with all of his heart. This was something he wanted to receive but never received. All he wants was to give everything to the Female Supporting Character.

So it was no surprise that He Cheng’an would send her various gifts.

The first time she met him, she mistakenly gave the dress called “Snow White” to Li Ling.

The gift was meant for Lu Yun to wear, but she ended up giving it away, leading him to believe that Lu Yun truly disliked him.

But what he was genuinely upset about wasn’t just that Lu Yun had given the gift to Li Ling; it was because the snow-white dress was something, he knew Lu Yun desired.

As she opened the bundle, Lu Yun discovered that it contained a mosquito net, adorned with pink lace.

Even from her perspective as a modern person, this mosquito net was trendy and beautiful.

Li Ling was excited. “I saw this in the provincial city before. There were only a few in the store, and I couldn’t grab one. When I asked about the price, I realized I definitely wouldn’t buy it; it was too expensive. How did he think of getting you a mosquito net?”

Lu Yun touched the remnants of the mosquito bites on her cheek, remaining silent. He Cheng’an had thought the mosquito repellent scent was overwhelming, and since Lu Yun had mentioned she didn’t like the smell of floral sprays, she assumed that was the end of it. Unexpectedly, He Cheng’an had gone out and bought her a mosquito net.

Meanwhile, Li Ling was already starting to set up the mosquito net nearby.

—o—o—o—

After a joyful weekend, Lu Yun was back to her office routine, spending her time “fishing” at work.

She found it rather dull to do so alone, but when her coworkers joined in, it became enjoyable.

Their conversations about daily life felt like a delightful way to pass the time.

Suddenly, the chatter shifted, and everyone turned to look at Lu Yun, chuckling lightly.

“Chen Zhiqiang is coming back to the factory this afternoon.”

“Did you notice? Our Changhua is looking especially dressed up today, dazzlingly pretty.”

“………”

In truth, Lu Yun hadn’t dressed up at all; she simply looked striking with minimal effort.

A quick wash and a simple hairdo made her appear as though she had put in a lot of thought into her appearance.

Facing the teasing from her colleagues, she awkwardly replied, “I was a bit confused before; I’m feeling quite embarrassed about it.”

As her coworkers listened to Lu Yun, they seemed to pick up on the juicy gossip.