Chapter 32

Listening to He Cheng’an’s response, which consisted of just a few simple words, Lu Yun felt a sense of reassurance.

She looked at He Cheng’an and called out to him again; the two seemed to revel in their exchanges.

Suddenly, as Lu Yun called out, she laughed. “Cheng’an, He Cheng’an?”

He Cheng’an leaned down and placed a kiss on Lu Yun’s cheek.

When he responded again, his voice was right next to her ear.

Lu Yun felt her ears grow warm, and she reached up to touch them.

When she looked up, she noticed that He Cheng’an’s ears were red, just like hers.

She stretched out her hand to touch He Cheng’an’s ear.

He Cheng’an remained still, maintaining his previous posture as he gazed at Lu Yun.

“He Cheng’an, your ears are red,” Lu Yun remarked.

He Cheng’an’s voice quivered slightly as he replied, “Yeah, I know.”

Lu Yun didn’t look at He Cheng’an; instead, she lowered her gaze to her toes. “I’m going back now. You should hurry home too.”

After saying that, she turned to leave.

He Cheng’an called out, “I’ll take you to work tomorrow.”

Lu Yun did not turn around, but she answered, “Okay.”

He Cheng’an rode his bike home quickly. He wasn’t sure whether his ears were still red from earlier or if it was the cold wind that made them flush. He called out, “Ah Yun,” and his smile grew brighter.

—o—o—o—

That evening, a thin layer of frost covered Lu Yun’s window.

Sitting inside, she couldn’t see outside unless she opened the window. The night was particularly cold, but fortunately, Lu Dong had kept up with the trend and bought an electric blanket.

With the electric blanket on the bed, it could keep her warm all night, though she would wake up feeling too dry the next morning.

Zhang Meili and Lu Dong came over to set up an electric blanket for Lu Yun.

As they were leaving, they reminded her not to keep the temperature too high and to turn it off once it got warm enough.

On second thought, Zhang Meili paused before leaving and added, “If He Cheng’an is free this weekend, bring him back for a meal. He’s always running off to the provincial capital, and who knows if he’s prepared for winter. Has he even bought the things he needs?”

Lu Yun replied, “He has, he has, don’t worry.”

Lu Yun secretly turned the electric blanket to the highest setting but, hearing Zhang Meili’s words, quickly stood up, nodding at her while standing right by the blanket’s switch.

Before stepping out, Zhang Meili warned once more, “Don’t sleep with it on high.”

Lu Yun understood this well. Her plan was to warm up the bed on high first, then turn it off once it was nice and cozy. So she nodded at Zhang Meili with a reassuring smile.

That night, Lu Yun indeed felt warm and comfortable as she slept, but she forgot to turn off the electric blanket.

—o—o—o—

The next morning, she woke up to find her throat sore; it was dry and scratchy, clearly a result of overheating. She got up, grabbed her tea mug, and drank a large cup of cold water. Even then, her voice sounded a bit off.

Fearing Zhang Meili’s nagging, Lu Yun left for work without even eating breakfast.

He Cheng’an was waiting for her. When she saw him, she simply smiled without saying a word.

He Cheng’an grew concerned, guessing what might be wrong. “Is your throat sore?” he asked anxiously.

Lu Yun nodded, her voice hoarse and slightly muffled as she answered, “I left the electric blanket on the highest setting last night, and now my throat hurts. I even drank a whole mug of water.”

He Cheng’an took her to a breakfast stall by bike. He found her a place to sit and went to buy her a big bowl of soy milk. He bought only one stick of fried dough, cautious not to overdo it with other items.

After placing the food in front of Lu Yun, he took a spoon, cleaned it, and handed it to her.

He Cheng’an said, “Wait here for me a bit. I’ll be right back.”

Early in the morning, the breakfast stall was bustling with people. Lu Yun sat at a table, sipping her soy milk in small sips, feeling much more comfortable, though she hadn’t touched the fried dough stick.

When she noticed someone about to sit across from her, she quickly said, “Sorry, this spot’s taken. He’ll be right back.”

Only a few minutes later, He Cheng’an returned. He had bought some medicine for Lu Yun and also brought back a bottle of mineral water. Lu Yun was surprised by how fast he was, but He Cheng’an mistook her reaction, thinking she didn’t want to take the medicine. So, he took out a White Rabbit milk candy and gently coaxed her.

“Take the medicine after you finish eating,” he said softly. “Then you can have this—it’s sweet, really sweet.”

When Lu Yun reached out for the candy, He Cheng’an handed it to her right away. She unwrapped it and popped it in her mouth; it was fragrant, creamy, and pleasantly sweet. When she finished, she smiled at He Cheng’an, and in response, he pulled out another candy, this time a sticky sorghum treat, unwrapping it before handing it to her.

Throughout the meal, Lu Yun only finished half her bowl of soy milk, half of the fried dough stick, and the two candies. Afterward, she took her medicine as instructed, then enjoyed another White Rabbit candy. She ended up giving the rest of her breakfast to He Cheng’an.

Watching him drink the soy milk, Lu Yun worried he might not have enough to eat since she knew he had a bigger appetite than hers. She went and bought him a bowl of wontons, two more fried dough sticks, and a steamed bun, then sat beside him, quietly watching him eat.

He Cheng’an ate everything she’d brought—the bowl of wontons, the fried dough sticks, and the steamed bun—all of it.

When he finished, Lu Yun stood up and said, “Alright, let’s head to the Cotton Textile Factory. Let’s go.”

She got up, and He Cheng’an followed closely behind. He called to her gently, “Ah Yun.”

Without looking back, Lu Yun responded with a drawn-out “Mmm.”

—o—o—o—

Once they arrived at the Cotton Textile Factory, Sister Sun heard Lu Yun’s raspy voice and chuckled, asking, “Did you leave the electric blanket on high last night? My son did the same thing. Yesterday, he secretly set it on high without listening to me, and this morning, he woke up with a hoarse voice and told me his throat hurt, so he didn’t feel like eating breakfast.”

Sister Sun took one look at Lu Yun rubbing her head and immediately understood, chuckling to herself for a moment.

Sister Sun said, “Oh, by the way, we got our paychecks today.”

Lu Yun replied, “Payday! I completely forgot. Did we get a raise? Even if it’s a small one, it’s still something to celebrate!”

With December’s paycheck from the Cotton Textile Factory, Lu Yun now had around 180 yuan—enough to start planning for a few things she’d been wanting. As she lay across her office desk, daydreaming about her plans, Sister Sun walked in with a thermos, pouring herself a cup of water and then one for Lu Yun.

Sister Sun mentioned, “The cafeteria’s serving buns with cabbage filling for lunch today. And I heard that for New Year’s next month, the factory’s hosting a celebration with dumplings and a party.”

At that, Sister Sun paused, suddenly recalling last year’s New Year’s celebration. Lu Yun had asked Chen Zhiqiang to dance with her, only to be turned down. Sister Sun thought it might be awkward to bring it up, but little did she know, Lu Yun had completely forgotten about the incident.

Changing the topic, Sister Sun smiled and said, “So, how about bringing He Cheng’an to meet your family this weekend?”

Lu Yun replied, “They’re all very happy about him, even more than I expected. My mom even told me that if he’s free over the weekend, I should bring him over for a meal. She’s already worrying about him!”

Sister Sun laughed. “That’s how it is—‘the more the mother-in-law sees her son-in-law, the more she likes him.’ We’d better hurry to the cafeteria, or all the free pickled vegetables will be gone!”

With that, she took out her lunchbox, ready to go.

As they headed toward the cafeteria, Lu Yun and Sister Sun kept chatting. Since they’d started talking about He Cheng’an, Sister Sun added a few more thoughts.

“I used to worry about you and He Cheng’an meeting each other’s families, but now that it’s happening, I’m thrilled for you both. When you get married, you have to let me know! I’ll be there at the wedding.”

Just as she said this, she spotted Chen Zhiqiang walking toward them, and her face showed a hint of awkwardness.

Since both Lu Yun and Chen Zhiqiang worked at the Cotton Textile Factory, running into each other was quite normal.

When they crossed paths this time, Lu Yun pretended not to see him, linking arms with Sister Sun and continuing forward.

In Lu Yun’s view, if Chen Zhiqiang had any sense of pride, he wouldn’t make any further moves—especially after she’d called him out on his so-called “manly promises” that day.

Chen Zhiqiang, being someone who valued his pride, showed no particular expression upon overhearing that Lu Yun and He Cheng’an had already met each other’s families.

He kept walking, uncertain for how long, until finally stopping and glancing back.

Lu Yun was laughing with Sister Sun, but he couldn’t help wondering if their laughter had anything to do with her and He Cheng’an.

A flicker of doubt crept into Chen Zhiqiang’s mind: Had he been wrong about his choice that day?

—o—o—o—

In the cafeteria, Lu Yun wasn’t especially interested in the buns and pickles, but thankfully, they were also serving plain rice porridge. She took a few sips, though she found it somewhat bland. To add some flavor, she nibbled on a bit of pickle. The pickles in the cafeteria were so salty that a single bite made her reach for several spoonfuls of porridge. It was as though salt had been used with reckless abandon.

Sister Sun leaned in and said, “Is it just me, or does Chen Zhiqiang look at you differently now? You two didn’t even speak today, but… he’s a college graduate and usually a bit distant, you know? He tends to be indifferent to people, but this time, when he looked at you, there seemed to be… something more, almost a kind of deep affection.”

With that, Sister Sun raised her eyebrows, picked up her tray, and moved to the table next to them, leaving Lu Yun slightly puzzled.

Lu Yun called after her, “Sister Sun?”

Sister Sun chuckled awkwardly. “Deep affection, huh? But who could match the level of devotion your boyfriend shows?”

Just then, Lu Yun looked up to see He Cheng’an sitting down across from her, holding a lunch box and a thermos. She blinked in surprise and asked, “Why didn’t you go to the provincial capital?”

He Cheng’an pressed his lips together and said, “No rush.”

When he opened the thermos, a warm aroma of rock sugar pear soup drifted out. Inside his lunch box were soft, glutinous pastries that didn’t look like anything from a store.

They had a handmade quality to them that suggested he’d made them himself—despite his cooking skills being good, there was still a difference compared to professional chefs.

Curious, Lu Yun leaned over the table, looking at He Cheng’an. “Did you make these?”

He nodded and ladled some soup for her. Watching him closely, she tilted her head and asked, “Are you upset?”

He Cheng’an must have overheard Sister Sun’s comments earlier; otherwise, Sister Sun wouldn’t have suddenly moved to another table to eat, leaving Lu Yun feeling that this whole situation was a bit awkward.

She didn’t want He Cheng’an to be upset over something so trivial.

Thinking she was the one who was annoyed, He Cheng’an quickly shook his head. “I’m not upset.”

Lu Yun nodded. “Of course not. Why would you be upset? It’s not like I even talk to him. Besides, Sister Sun’s right—he couldn’t be more affectionate than you.”

She reached out, her fingers brushing against He Cheng’an’s eyelashes.

His lashes trembled under her touch, but he sat still, letting her do as she pleased.

He Cheng’an’s Adam’s apple moved as he quietly asked, “Do you think they’re nice?”

“What?” Lu Yun asked, a bit lost.

“My eyes,” He Cheng’an said after a moment, looking at her intently.

Lu Yun burst into laughter, covering her mouth. “Yes, much nicer than his—beautiful, really beautiful.”