Chapter 56

He Cheng’an was wholeheartedly focused on his renovation company, but he was not one to overlook any profitable business opportunity.

To facilitate the trade of mushrooms, he had rented a warehouse in the provincial capital, which was used to store the mushrooms he had brought back from the countryside.

Since he had enlisted Han Jiangang’s help, it was clear that he did not intend to run this business the same way he had in the past.

On the weekend, Han Jiangang went to the provincial capital, accompanied by Li Ling, and they also went to see Lu Yun. When Li Ling saw Lu Yun, her expression showed a hint of envy. “Cousin, you look even more like a local than the locals do. If you said you came from the capital, people would believe you.”

Lu Yun found Li Ling amusing; she didn’t think Li Ling was trying to flatter her. Although Li Ling was grateful to He Cheng’an, she was not overly polite with Lu Yun, which created a slight distance between them.

Li Ling glanced at the books Lu Yun was studying and felt as if she had returned to her school days. Looking at those texts made her want to sleep, especially the math books, which were simply too hypnotic.

Recently, as she had been struggling with insomnia, she thought about buying a math book to read at home.

“I actually forgot to tell you something,” Li Ling said. “I ran into Chen Zhiqiang in the county.”

Lu Yun had not heard any news about Chen Zhiqiang for a long time. Ever since she married He Cheng’an, she had almost ceased to view the world as a novel. She knew that in the future, Chen Zhiqiang would go into business, even venturing into a field similar to He Cheng’an’s.

At first, Lu Yun had worried about it, but later realized she could not influence Chen Zhiqiang’s actions. Besides, He Cheng’an could not monopolize the renovation business in the provincial capital, and neither could Chen Zhiqiang; each had to rely on their own abilities.

As for suggestions for Lu Yun, such as sabotaging Chen Zhiqiang’s business while he was still starting out, Lu Yun found she could not do that either.

Li Ling continued to share what she knew with Lu Yun: “It seems that at first, he secured quite a few renovation contracts through his father’s connections. Later, he established his own renovation company and managed to get quite a number of contracts by offering competitive prices. I also heard that Li Chunxia is about to give birth.”

She spoke mysteriously. “I heard this from others; they said that Li Chunxia, with her big belly, went to a nightclub to find Chen Zhiqiang. You know about nightclubs, right? It’s very trendy to talk business there nowadays. There are many women inside, and they wear very little. I heard that when Li Chunxia went in, she came out looking extremely pale, and later she even had stomach pains. Chen Zhiqiang took her to see a gynecologist afterward.”

“Who said that?” Lu Yun asked.

“Who else could it be? Many people at the Cotton Textile Factory know about it. Apparently, some people from the Cotton Textile Factory passed by that day, and the story spread quickly. You’re my cousin, so that’s how it got to me.”

Lu Yun hadn’t been to any nightclubs recently, perhaps because she had not paid attention to that aspect of life. However, nightclubs had indeed become popular.

Although Lu Yun did not have a personality that inclined her to frequent KTVs or nightclubs, she had gone to many before her time-traveling. At that moment, she felt a surge of curiosity about what nightclubs were like now.

Lu Yun said, “You’re staying in the provincial capital tonight, right? How about we go to a nightclub?”

Li Ling was drinking water, and she sprayed it out at Lu Yun’s words.

When He Cheng’an and Han Jiangang returned, they also heard Lu Yun’s remark. Lu Yun continued talking to Li Ling, “Aren’t you curious about what a nightclub is like? Plus, there are many beautiful women inside; I wonder if there are a lot of handsome guys too. But I think most people probably go there to conduct business, right? Oh, and I just remembered the skating rink; it’s much prettier there.”

Lu Yun looked up and met He Cheng’an’s gaze.

Lu Yun thought, “……..”

As she spoke about the nightclub, Lu Yun had been so caught up in reminiscing about her life before traveling through time that she had forgotten she had a husband. It was indeed inappropriate for her to discuss such places.

Nightclubs and skating rinks were not suitable outings for her at the moment.

Han Jiangang and Li Ling had opened a guesthouse in the provincial capital. After they all had dinner together that evening, the two of them prepared to leave.

As Li Ling was heading back, she winked at Lu Yun, who had almost forgotten about the nightclubs and skating rinks, but now they came back to her mind.

As usual, He Cheng’an prepared foot soak water for Lu Yun. Even though she took a shower almost every day, soaking her feet was a different experience.

He Cheng’an had learned about this from a couple of health-conscious neighbors and had taken to having Lu Yun soak her feet whenever he had the chance.

Lu Yun sat on the bed, her toes wiggling in the basin of warm water.

Even after they finished the foot soak, He Cheng’an did not bring it up, and Lu Yun thought they had moved on from the topic.

That night, as they were going to sleep, Lu Yun asked He Cheng’an to turn off the light, but he remained still, pressing his lips tightly together as he asked her, “Ah Yun, do I look good?”

Lu Yun: “………”

She recounted what had happened to He Cheng’an, locking her gaze with his as she asked, “He Cheng’an, have you ever been to a nightclub?”

He Cheng’an shook his head. “No, I haven’t.”

Before Lu Yun could continue, he hurriedly assured her, “In this lifetime, being able to marry you is the greatest fortune for me, Ah Yun. You’re not getting tired of me, are you?”

As he said this, he looked at Lu Yun with a hint of grievance in his expression.

Lu Yun replied seriously, “How could that be? For me, meeting you is an incredible stroke of luck as well.”

When Li Ling talked about nightclubs with Lu Yun, Lu Yun didn’t even consider He Cheng’an in the conversation.

She trusted him so completely that it wasn’t until she thought about the concept of trust that she realized she had come to trust He Cheng’an over time.

Because she trusted him, she also had faith in their future together.

At that moment, Lu Yun suddenly became aware that the thing that needed trust was never the marriage itself, but the person she had married.

She could not blame the institution of marriage just because she had seen intimate lovers become strangers after a divorce.

The fault lay solely with the people involved.

He Cheng’an called her: “Ah Yun.”

Lu Yun replied in the simplest and most straightforward way, “He Cheng’an, to me, you are the best.”

—o—o—o—

By July, the weather had started to warm up. Lu Yun was reluctant to use the electric fan, as the wind it produced made her face and eyes feel dry. Every day after work, He Cheng’an would see Lu Yun studying and would sit beside her, using a hand fan to cool her down.

Recently, Lu Yun’s mood had been a bit unsettled, as the college entrance examination was scheduled for the 7th, 8th, and 9th of July.

However, she did not participate, and although she knew her own abilities, she still felt a bit anxious.

He Cheng’an shared some good news with Lu Yun: “I signed another homeowner in the Rose Garden community today.”

When Lu Yun heard the name “Rose Garden,” her first reaction was that the name sounded quite romantic.

Thinking this, she told He Cheng’an her thoughts, and he nodded in agreement, as if to affirm her sentiment. The word “rose” indeed had a romantic ring to it.

Usually, when He Cheng’an was able to sign a contract with one homeowner in a community, it meant he could subsequently sign many others in the same area. Lu Yun felt that while the quality of the work was one thing, He Cheng’an’s ability to attract clients was another.

However, these matters were primarily handled by He Cheng’an and Zhang Hao. They had brought on a newcomer named Xiao Chen to help with selecting furniture since they were overwhelmed with work. Xiao Chen was quite friendly and more eloquent than Zhang Hao, but Lu Yun still preferred Zhang Hao.

After all, he was different from the others; he genuinely wanted to support He Cheng’an and had grown up alongside him.

Lu Yun believed that as their business grew, it would be impossible for her to handle everything herself.

She said, “It would be best to rent another storefront to serve as the office for the renovation company. If the business develops well in the future, we’ll need to rent several more of these storefronts and manage them properly. Each location should have a person in charge, and we need to ensure that their commission is sufficient.”

After saying this, she suddenly remembered that the person in front of her was a big shot in the industry. Lu Yun realized that her ideas were only possible because of her past experiences from her time travel; in terms of real talent and skills, she could not compare to He Cheng’an.

He Cheng’an had been considering matters related to the renovation company but had not thought about what Lu Yun just suggested. After she finished speaking, he felt he had a clearer direction on what to do, and he noticed that Lu Yun’s expression seemed to brighten.

Lu Yun felt a bit shy and said, “I read it in the books.”

—o—o—o—

As the weather warmed up, Lu Yun tended to sleep on the side away from He Cheng’an.

When it was cold, she would share a blanket with him, but as the weather got hotter, they each took their own blankets.

He Cheng’an always fanned Lu Yun until she fell asleep before he went to bed himself.

The next day was a new day, and Lu Yun had made plans with He Cheng’an to meet in the afternoon at their house in Seagull Garden.

Since He Cheng’an worked in renovations, their house had already been completed. During the renovation process, Lu Yun had often visited, but seeing the finished product brought a different feeling altogether.

Once they bought the furniture and appliances and aired out the place to eliminate the formaldehyde, they could move in.

Feeling in high spirits, Lu Yun had deliberately changed into a dress to see their newly renovated home. Because of the hot weather, she decided not to let her hair down. Many people were saying that this summer would likely be even hotter than last year.

Both of Lu Yun and He Cheng’an’s two homes had been furnished in the same way—one for each of them. When Lu Yun arrived at their first house, which was over a hundred square meters, she found the door closed.

Thinking that He Cheng’an hadn’t arrived yet, she took out her key and opened the door. As she pushed it open, she was greeted by the sight of roses inside. She covered her mouth in surprise.

He Cheng’an emerged from within, holding a large bouquet of roses. “Ah Yun, do you like it?”

Lu Yun immediately recalled her conversation with He Cheng’an about the Rose Garden the day before. She hadn’t expected him to prepare roses for her today. How could she not like them?

Lu Yun walked over and let He Cheng’an pull her into his embrace. “What should I do? I feel like the Rose Garden has some significance for us. In the future, when we start making money, let’s buy a house in the Rose Garden.”

He Cheng’an replied, “Okay, we’ll listen to our Ah Yun.”