Chapter 66

In mid-June, whenever He Cheng’an saw someone from the postal service in the neighborhood, he would look a little longer.

He paid special attention to the talk among people about receiving their college acceptance letters.

Beyond that, Lu Yun noticed that He Cheng’an, who had always been a bit clingy, had become even more attached to her than before.

Lu Yun found herself both amused and helpless. She knew that what He Cheng’an cared about wasn’t the acceptance letter itself; he was concerned about whether she’d feel upset if she didn’t receive one. Since the day Lu Yun had met He Cheng’an after her arrival in this world, he hadn’t changed one bit.

On the weekend, Sister Sun came to the provincial city to go shopping with Lu Yun. Her son was about to start elementary school, and she came to buy some things he would need for school.

Sister Sun smiled cheerfully, saying, “Ever since my mother-in-law came back from the countryside, she’s been devoted to taking care of my son. She’s paying so much attention to him, but my son isn’t particularly warm toward her.

He even asked me several times why Grandma was suddenly treating him so well, wondering if she wants us to help his uncle. I think she must’ve had a rough time at her younger son’s place in the countryside. Otherwise, why would she act like this?

Just think—what we give her is enough for her daily expenses, and she’s quite used to the good life by now. I know her younger son’s character well; if he doesn’t see any profit in it, why would he keep taking care of her?”

As they strolled and chatted, Sister Sun seemed to recall something, and she leaned closer to Lu Yun, speaking in a lower voice. “Oh, by the way, I heard that Chen Zhiqiang’s family is setting him up on blind dates. Guess what happened? Li Chunxia has gone over there several times with her child to make a scene. I don’t think she’s trying to stop Chen Zhiqiang from remarrying; she’s doing it for her child. You know the saying, ‘When there’s a stepmother, there’s a stepfather.’ While some stepmothers genuinely care for their stepchildren, that’s not often the case. If they have a child of their own, they’ll naturally put their own first.”

The story was unfolding.

The female lead was probably about to appear soon, and as for Chen Zhiqiang bringing a child with him, Lu Yun didn’t see any problem with it. Based on the circumstances, it seemed that Chen Zhiqiang was already taking care of two children.

By comparison, the female lead might not even be quite up to his level, so they would probably still end up together.

Sister Sun bought a lot of things at the state-owned department store, while Lu Yun simply bought a belt for He Cheng’an and decided not to buy anything else. She had gone shopping a few days earlier and hadn’t seen anything she particularly needed or liked.

When the two of them left the department store, they saw He Cheng’an waiting for them outside.

Lu Yun walked over and, smiling, asked, “Why did you come here?”

He Cheng’an hugged her tightly, his excitement seeming to surpass even hers. “Ah Yun, the acceptance letter came in the mail.”

Lu Yun patted his back gently. “Feeling relieved now?”

In a low voice, He Cheng’an replied, “Yes.”

He hadn’t wanted Lu Yun to feel disappointed if she didn’t get into college. He also didn’t want her to have to continue studying tirelessly if it didn’t work out, because it truly was exhausting.

After receiving her university acceptance letter, Lu Yun called Zhang Meili and Lu Dong. They were so excited that they could barely form coherent sentences, and in their enthusiasm, they asked when she would hold a celebration banquet for her college acceptance. Lu Yun hadn’t expected she would need to hold such an event; the idea made her feel a bit embarrassed. After all, she wasn’t a child anymore—what was the point of a college acceptance banquet?

She discussed it with He Cheng’an, seeking his opinion. Upon hearing about it, He Cheng’an was all for hosting the celebration.

He argued that it wasn’t just about receiving gifts; it was more about the significance of her achievement.

Besides, other students who got into college were celebrating with even grander events than hers.

One of He Cheng’an’s clients, for example, was planning to hold a celebration banquet for his daughter in a prestigious hotel in the provincial city. If it weren’t for the Lu family’s circumstances, He Cheng’an would have preferred to host Lu Yun’s banquet in the provincial city as well.

However, knowing that it would be difficult for many guests to travel that far, he decided it would be more practical to hold it in their hometown county.

When He Cheng’an and Lu Yun had gotten married, He Cheng’an had arranged their wedding banquet in a hotel in the county, so he was already familiar with organizing events there. Thus, he took the responsibility of making all the arrangements for the banquet.

The two of them were busy with errands in the provincial city, but after wrapping up their responsibilities, they finally returned to the county to prepare for the celebration.

—o—o—o—

Lu Yun’s celebration banquet was set for August. Early in the morning, she was already up and busy, applying Snow Cream foundation. She was still getting ready when He Cheng’an came in.

He placed a set of property documents on the table in front of her. Surprised and delighted, Lu Yun couldn’t help but pause, setting down her makeup and looking at He Cheng’an with eyes wide with joy.

He Cheng’an beamed at her and said, “Congratulations to our Ah Yun for becoming a college student.”

Only then did Lu Yun realize, as she looked at the property deed, that it was for the house in the Rose Garden she had once wanted. She and He Cheng’an could afford it, of course, but they had been focused on expanding their business and opening new branches, which required significant investment.

Aside from that, there hadn’t been a pressing need to buy it right away. She understood what was more important for them at the moment, but she hadn’t expected He Cheng’an to surprise her with this house as a gift for her college acceptance banquet.

He Cheng’an handed her an account book, explaining, “The small packs of snow fungus soup have been really popular here in the county. Last time I came back to arrange the hotel for your celebration banquet, I finalized the accounts.” After a pause, he continued, “I’m planning to add a series of health porridge products to the lineup. With that, I’ll buy you even more houses.”

When Lu Yun and He Cheng’an stepped out, they ran into Aunt Li.

Although Aunt Li still felt a twinge of jealousy when she looked at them, she knew they had now become people she couldn’t hope to reach. Even if she tried to speak ill of them, there was no one who would join her anymore. As for her nephew, she dared not even mention him.

Once, she had claimed that Lu Yun had poor taste for not liking her nephew, only to be laughed at so much that her face turned red with embarrassment.

At the celebration banquet, the Lu family members were all radiant with joy. The entire county seemed alive with festivity.

Midway through the banquet, Lu Yun slipped away. She had done everything she needed to do, and there wasn’t any reason for her to stay at the banquet the entire time, especially since Zhang Meili and Lu Dong were there to oversee everything.

What Lu Yun didn’t expect was to run into Chen Zhiqiang and the female lead outside the hotel. They were on a blind date. She paused for a moment, and Chen Zhiqiang noticed her as well. His date, the female lead, followed his gaze and looked over at Lu Yun. Many years later, she would still remember that stunning first impression of Lu Yun.

Lu Yun continued walking forward, but Chen Zhiqiang rose from his seat and strode over, standing directly in front of her. Ignoring him, she tried to pass by, but he reached out and held her arm, looking intently at her. “You know who she is, don’t you?”

Lu Yun looked at him, her expression calm. “What are you talking about?”

Chen Zhiqiang persisted, his voice firm. “You know, don’t you?”

Lu Yun’s expression grew serious. “Are you talking about your blind date? That has nothing to do with me, but yes, I did hear some people mention it.”

Chen Zhiqiang gestured to the woman he had been sitting with. “I mean her. You know, don’t you?”

Lu Yun paused, then replied, “You know?”

Chen Zhiqiang said, “Yes, I know.”

Lu Yun nodded. “Yes, I know too.”

Others nearby couldn’t understand their cryptic exchange, but the two of them understood perfectly.

They each knew that Lu Yun was aware of future events, and Chen Zhiqiang was, too.

However, Lu Yun was uncertain about how much he knew and how he had come to know it.

Chen Zhiqiang’s eyes turned red as he looked at Lu Yun, tears streaming down his face. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Something felt off to Lu Yun.

Why would Chen Zhiqiang be apologizing to her?

If he knew something, shouldn’t he be rushing to marry the female lead instead?

Taking the initiative, Lu Yun said, “Let’s talk.”

Not far away, Zhang Hao and He Cheng’an stood watching. He Cheng’an was holding a takeout container of Lu Yun’s favorite oil-braised shrimp. After Lu Yun had indulged in a few extra bites earlier, He Cheng’an had gone to find the manager to have another order prepared for her.

—o—o—o—

Lu Yun and Chen Zhiqiang headed to his office in the county. Once inside, Lu Yun pulled out a chair and sat down. “How did you find out?”

Chen Zhiqiang replied, “I had a dream. In the dream, I was going to marry you and then get divorced. Later, I ended up marrying someone I met through blind dating. I thought it was all nonsense, but I didn’t expect to meet the person from my dream. And I didn’t expect that when you saw her, your expression would change from the usual indifference you showed me.”

Lu Yun asked, “And then?”

Chen Zhiqiang continued to gaze at her. “And then…” He hesitated, not wanting to share what happened after his supposed divorce with her.

By now, Lu Yun had calmed down. “It’s all a fantasy. None of this ever happened. That dream was only something that could have occurred if I had chosen you. But I didn’t choose you, so you shouldn’t let it trouble you. You should just marry your date from today. It would be a good thing for both of us; we’d both find our happiness.”

She stood up and avoided telling Chen Zhiqiang the full truth. “I hope this ends here. Or rather, let’s say that when I dreamed of the future, this is where it concludes. I may have had a different dream than you. I only dreamed of us getting married and then divorced, while you and your wife would be happy together. At first, I thought it was all a lie, but later I wondered if being with you would lead to that outcome. So I tried to accept my husband. But during this time together, I…”

Reflecting on her days with He Cheng’an since arriving in this world and their life after marriage, where she had always expressed her affection for him, Lu Yun concluded, “I love him. I really love my husband.”

As Lu Yun left, she unexpectedly ran into Zhang Hao. He approached her, looking hesitant, and finally said, “Sister-in-law, when you were coming out with Chen Zhiqiang, I happened to see you with Brother He. He didn’t say he was angry or jealous, but he looked really down.”