Chapter 42

On Friday, when Lu Yun went to work, there was a big incident in the office.

Xiao Sun had broken up with her partner, and the partner had come to the office, pleading with Xiao Sun not to break up with him.

He even turned red-eyed in front of her.

Xiao Sun said, “Your family can come up with a bride price, but you just refuse to do so. Even if I said the bride price could be given to me to take back, you still wouldn’t be willing. You only tell me that you can’t come up with it, yet do nothing at all. How can you expect me to believe that life will be better after we get married?”

She glanced at Lu Yun’s desk, tightly pressed her lips together, and the girl who usually was shy and rarely spoke in the office managed to say such a thing. It was unclear how much psychological preparation she had done or how long she had thought about these words.

Sister Sun, worried that Xiao Sun would soften her heart, said, “If you don’t go out, I’ll call security!”

After Xiao Sun’s partner left, she followed him outside.

She cried for a while and returned with red eyes but did not mention her partner again.

Lu Yun did not need to ask; he roughly understood what Xiao Sun’s thirty yuan red envelope meant.

The incident probably started with He Cheng’an buying her a pager. He Cheng’an had said he bought a 2000-3000 yuan pager for Lu Yun, and he also paid the monthly fee for it.

He Cheng’an was not wealthy enough to disregard such money; he simply wanted a way to contact Lu Yun when they were in the provincial capital, which was much better than sometimes not being able to reach each other by phone.

However, Xiao Sun’s partner was unwilling to come up with even a bride price.

This stark contrast was indeed quite saddening and served as a wake-up call.

At noon, when Lu Yun went to the cafeteria for lunch, she called Xiao Sun over and handed her the red envelope she had given her. She said, “You don’t need to thank me. It’s you who has figured things out. If you can’t come to terms with it, no matter how much I say, it won’t matter.”

Not wanting to linger with Xiao Sun any longer, Lu Yun went out to catch up with Sister Sun, who was waiting for her.

Hand in hand, Lu Yun and Sister Sun headed to the cafeteria together.

—o—o—o—

It was the coldest time of winter when Lu Yun returned home and was reluctant to go out. He had hired two new people for the store, both of whom He Cheng’an had helped find.

They were from Zhang Yuan’s hometown. When Lu Yun got home, he didn’t think about going to the store but lay in bed, covering himself with a blanket. Zhang Meili and Lu Dong looked after their daughter in this state, taking the time to check on the store when they could.

Lu Yun planned to go to the provincial capital in the future. Once the store here was up and running, he intended to have Zhang Meili and the others watch over it, so he didn’t say much and only smiled.

When He Cheng’an arrived, he shook off the chill outside and removed his coat, which was covered in wind and snow, before stepping inside.

Lu Yun put down the book he had been reading, his eyes sparkling. “Do you know why Xiao Sun gave me thirty yuan?”

He Cheng’an took a chair and sat by Lu Yun’s bed. After thinking seriously for a moment, he asked, “Why?”

As Lu Yun began to recount the events of the day, He Cheng’an nodded along, occasionally handing Lu Yun an orange from the table to eat.

 By the time Lu Yun finished, He Cheng’an was smiling as well.

“That really is quite good,” He Cheng’an remarked.

He continued to talk with Lu Yun about how Zhang Yuan’s family had come to discuss Zhang Yuan’s situation.

Zhang Yuan’s parents knew about his salary and wanted to thank Lu Yun for it. They even mentioned that since Zhang Yuan was strong, he didn’t need to be paid so much.

They hoped he would work hard and stay with Lu Yun because his pay was even more than the interns at Lu Yun’s Cotton Textile Factory.

“What happened next?” Lu Yun asked.

He Cheng’an replied, “I think you didn’t want to see them. You’re not familiar with them and hardly want to talk, especially since they are Zhang Yuan’s parents. It would be awkward if you met them. I had a few words with them, and they returned to the countryside in the afternoon.”

Lu Yun really didn’t want to meet them. She curled further into her blankets; it was particularly cold today, much colder than the previous days. Since Lu Yun had last used the electric blanket at a high temperature and had gotten too hot, she didn’t dare turn it up that high again. He Cheng’an noticed Lu Yun’s movements and thought of something.

He Cheng’an said, “Wait for me a moment, I’ll step outside.”

Lu Yun nodded and replied, “It’s cold outside; make sure to wear more.”

He Cheng’an returned after more than half an hour, and Lu Yun couldn’t see well outside because frost had formed intricate patterns on the window.

When He Cheng’an entered, he brought two comforters and a down blanket. He said, “This down blanket will keep you warm if you put it on top of your quilt. Adding two more layers of comforters will definitely keep you warmer than without.”

Lu Yun watched him with a smile, but she still didn’t want to move. When He Cheng’an picked her up along with her blanket, Lu Yun was momentarily taken aback.

With his great strength, he easily carried both Lu Yun and the blanket. He set her down in a chair, laid the thick comforters over her, and then picked her back up again.

Lu Yun suddenly realized that she had indeed become somewhat like a delicate female supporting character, her laughter light and unsteady. With two more comforters on the bed, it felt particularly soft and comfortable. With the addition of the lightweight down blanket, Lu Yun felt certain that she wouldn’t wake up frozen today.

—o—o—o—

The business at Lu Ji Spicy Skewers gradually got on track, with many customers enjoying the skewers daily. Even Lu Yun’s skewers shop was well-known in the surrounding area.

With the assurance of making money, Lu Yun was ready to start on her next plan: to apply for university.

The original text described how a delicate female character could not endure the hardships of studying, but Lu Yun recently felt that reading was quite manageable for her. Of course, it was possible that this was different from doing exercises; she wanted to give it a try first.

On the weekend, Lu Yun went to a bookstore to buy any available books related to the college entrance exam. She carried the books to the checkout and said, “Boss, I’m ready to pay.”

A male voice almost simultaneously echoed, “Boss, I’m ready to pay.”

Lu Yun did not expect to run into Chen Zhiqiang at the bookstore, but she maintained her composure. She had heard that Chen Zhiqiang and Li Chunxia had gotten married before New Year’s Day, hosting a banquet at a restaurant where Li Chunxia wore a wedding dress, indeed basking in the spotlight.

At that time, Lu Yun had been busy with the spicy skewers shop and had only caught snippets of the news, but it stirred no feelings within her.

Seeing Chen Zhiqiang at the bookstore buying materials related to the college entrance exam did not surprise Lu Yun.

The original text mentioned that the Chen family wanted the female supporting character to attend university, and now that Li Chunxia, who was a college diploma holder, had married Chen Zhiqiang, they would certainly encourage her to study for the college entrance exam as well.

Things had a proper order to them. Lu Yun pushed her selected books forward and said, “Boss, I’m ready to pay.”

Even after Lu Yun left the bookstore, Chen Zhiqiang remained standing there, staring at her retreating figure, seemingly lost in thought.

The bookstore owner chuckled, “I know that girl; she comes to my store often. Sometimes she comes with her partner, and they look like they have a great relationship.”

Chen Zhiqiang withdrew his gaze and said, “Checkout.”

—o—o—o—

When Lu Yun got home, she didn’t feel that she couldn’t endure the hardships of studying; sitting still and reading was a bit cold, and while she felt tired from quickly thinking through the exercises, she attributed it to not having studied for a long time.

After spending over an hour buried in exercises, Lu Yun finally paused.

She could only say that if she wanted to attend university, she indeed needed to study diligently.

In the following days, Lu Yun dedicated herself to doing exercises and reading every day. When she encountered questions she didn’t know, she would leave them blank, thinking she would find someone to explain later. By the end of a few days, she had lost a few pounds.

When Lu Yun looked at herself in the mirror, she thought that if someone in the future commented on her, they would find it hard to imagine her as a delicate little flower. She could confidently stand up to challenge that notion.

When He Cheng’an returned, he found Lu Yun slumped over the table, looking listless. He began to pull out things as if performing magic: first a hair accessory, then a beautiful outfit, and finally a set of YSL cosmetics he had bought from a state-owned department store, which even included lipstick.

Lu Yun was indeed interested in these items. She opened the trendy YSL cosmetics to smell the fragrance and tested some on the back of her hand. When she looked up, she smiled at He Cheng’an.

Next, she tried the lipstick and found the color to be quite classic. She was pleased, noting how vibrant it looked.

He Cheng’an asked, “Can you tell me why you’re unhappy?”

Lu Yun showed him the exercises she had done. “Doing these exercises is exhausting, but I want to go to university. There are also things I need to memorize. Some of what I remembered yesterday, I forgot as soon as I woke up today.”

As she spoke, she realized she hadn’t told He Cheng’an about her desire to attend university, nor had she mentioned it to anyone else.

Lu Yun promised, “You’re the first person to know I want to go to university.”

After saying this, she felt a bit off. She had encountered Chen Zhiqiang at the bookstore, who might have guessed her thoughts. She pondered how to express this to He Cheng’an.

She added, “You’re the first person, He Cheng’an.”

He Cheng’an looked down, silent.

Lu Yun had previously liked Chen Zhiqiang; she had said she liked his type, not someone like He Cheng’an. If Lu Yun got into university, there would likely be many people in the university who looked and had the same charm as Chen Zhiqiang.

He Cheng’an couldn’t quite articulate his feelings about this, but he certainly wouldn’t be unhappy about Lu Yun wanting to attend university. In fact, he hoped she would succeed.

After an unknown amount of time, He Cheng’an asked in a low voice, “Ah Yun, if you get into university, will you still want me?”

Lu Yun burst out laughing and replied, “Didn’t you have my guarantee letter?”

After saying this, Lu Yun looked into He Cheng’an’s eyes, which sparkled like stars as she blinked at him. “Even if I get a PhD, I still want you.”

Hearing Lu Yun’s words made He Cheng’an smile as well.