Chapter 035

Ancheng, University of Finance and Economics.

As final exams approached, college students rushed between dorms, classrooms, and libraries.

A sleet storm made the temperature drop below zero degrees ^[1]is a weather condition with rain and snow.. Zhou Xiangming held an umbrella in one hand and rode his bike quickly with the other, finally stopping in front of the cafeteria.

After getting his lunch, Zhou Xiangming looked for an empty seat.

Suddenly, he saw a girl who frowned at him and pretended not to know him.

Zhou Xiangming smiled and walked over.

He put his backpack on the empty chair next to him, set up his meal, and asked an old classmate across from him, “Why are you here alone? Did you skip class again?”

Zhu Qing frowned: “You’re the one who skipped class. My roommates went to eat at the East Canteen, and I need to go back to the dorm to grab something.”

Zhou Xiangming didn’t respond but took a piece of spicy and sour potato shreds from Zhu Qing’s plate with his chopsticks.

Zhu Qing glared at him and snatched a piece of braised pork ribs from him.

Zhou Xiangming: “That’s too much! Is this a price?”

Zhu Qing: “The one who teases first is cheap!”

Zhou Xiangming: “…”

They ate and talked about their upcoming breaks. Zhou Xiangming looked out the window and suddenly asked, “When do He Ye and the others get their breaks?”

Zhu Qing: “On the 19th, but she has to work as a tutor part-time, so she might not be back until New Year’s.”

After hearing this, Zhou Xiangming took out his phone and checked the calendar, saying admiringly, “We spend all our money in college, but He Ye has been making money all this time.”

Zhu Qing: “Little money-grubber, making money makes me happier than anything else.”

Zhou Xiangming: “You can’t just study and make money. You don’t even post on social media! You rarely post more than three or four times a day.”

Zhu Qing glared at him: “Stop talking nonsense! Are you here to check up for Lu Jin?”

Zhou Xiangming: “Not really. We don’t keep in touch much anymore. He’s busy, and I heard he needs four years to finish his master’s degree.”

Zhu Qing’s eyes widened: “Is that possible?”

Zhou Xiangming: “Daniu’s experience is definitely different from ours. By the way, do you have any news about He Ye? There must be a lot of people chasing her, right?”

Zhu Qing narrowed her eyes: “You always ask me about this every time we meet. If I didn’t know you and Lu Jin are good friends, I’d suspect you like He Ye.”

Zhou Xiangming almost spit out his food: “Don’t say that! My friendship with He Ye is just because we’re classmates!”

“Did Lu Jin send you here?”

“Really not. Even if he thought about He Ye, he wouldn’t show it in front of me. But as his good friend, I want to help him as much as I can.”

Zhu Qing guessed the situation. Since they were old classmates, she shared what she knew: “Someone is pursuing He Ye. He Ye has had a crush on someone since the start of the school year, but she isn’t interested in dating. Just think about it; she broke up with Lu Jin, so who else would she like? Unless she suddenly changes her mind, her four years of college could be impacted.”

Zhou Xiangming smiled, happy for his friend. 

Zhu Qing frowned, feeling down: “She’s single, and now her dad is getting married.”

Zhou Xiangming was surprised: “What?”

Having a stepmother can be sensitive, so both friends worried about He Ye facing a bad situation. 

Zhu Qing shared what she learned: “He Ye said her stepmother is nice, a bit introverted, but cares for her well. She has a gentle smile, so it’s easy to get along with her.” 

Zhou Xiangming asked, “How old is she?”

Zhu Qing replied, “Around thirty-five? It seems she’s been divorced before.”

Zhou Xiangming noted, “At that age, He Ye probably doesn’t want more siblings, right?”

Zhu Qing shrugged: “Who knows?”

These were realistic concerns. For He Yong, being alone in his early 40s could be lonely. But for He Ye, she felt her father’s love might be divided among his new wife and possible siblings, which could impact her inheritance. Even though He Ye didn’t mind, her friends found it hard to say having a stepmother would be a good thing. 

Zhou Xiangming felt overwhelmed. He finished his meal and told Zhu Qing, “By the way, don’t tell He Ye that I asked you about this. Lu Jin hasn’t contacted her again, and we have no idea what he’s thinking.”

Zhu Qing reassured him: “Don’t worry; He Ye doesn’t like hearing me mention Lu Jin. I asked her why they broke up, and she was tired of talking about it.”

He Ye stayed at school until the day before it closed.

When He Ye came home for winter break, He Yong wanted to pick her up from the high-speed rail station, but she declined. Ancheng is close to Shanghai, and she knows the roads well, so she didn’t want to keep her father from shopping.

Around ten o’clock that morning, He Ye arrived at his supermarket with a suitcase. 

He Yong was at the cashier counter while his fiancée, Wu Li, was organizing things in the warehouse. Hearing the father and daughter talking, she rushed out and looked at He Ye affectionately.

He Ye greeted her with a smile: “Auntie.”

Wu Li replied, “Hey, you’re finally back! Your dad keeps talking about how much he misses you. You two can chat for now; I’ll prepare lunch. I bought food this morning.”

Since November, Wu Li had moved in with He Yong, and they were planning to hold their wedding during the Chinese New Year when He Ye would return to their hometown.

He Ye said, “I’ll help you. I’ve been calling my dad every couple of days, but we didn’t have much to discuss.”

He Yong laughed, enjoying those calls, even if they were about the same old things: asking if she had eaten, if she was tired from class, and reminding her to use a thicker blanket.

Wu Li hurried to carry He Ye’s suitcase, and they went home together.

Although He Ye struggled with social anxiety, Wu Li made it easy for her to accept, showing how well their personalities matched.

Wu Li cared about He Ye’s life but didn’t pressure her with too many questions.

Living together felt natural for them. Wu Li helped He Ye wash her clothes and would casually ask her to help with some simple chores.

“It has been raining a lot, but the sun came out yesterday. I washed your sheets and quilts, and I’ll dry them in the sun all day. You can bring them in this afternoon and set them up,” Wu Li said.

When He Ye entered the room, she noticed the sheets drying on the balcony and smiled: “I washed the dormitory sheets yesterday too. The weather is similar on both sides.”

Wu Li replied, “You should pack your suitcase first. I’ll go wash the vegetables.”

He Ye sighed and walked into her bedroom with her suitcase.

The curtains were drawn, allowing bright sunlight in. The table and floor were clean, and her green ivy plant was thriving and vibrant.

Her dad took care of her well, but he wasn’t good with plants. He often forgot to water them until the leaves turned yellow. It was Aunt Wu who took over the cleaning when she moved in.

This time, He Ye noticed her father looked healthier and younger, likely due to Aunt Wu’s presence.

He Ye was genuinely happy for her dad.

Regarding possible siblings and inheritance, He Ye didn’t worry much. Her father had worked hard to raise her and provided a good life and education. He had fulfilled his duty, and she felt confident she could take care of herself.

At noon, they shared a joyful family reunion dinner.

After cleaning the kitchen, Wu Li checked to see if He Ye needed help, then went to the supermarket with He Yong.

The supermarket was doing well, and it was tough for He Yong to manage alone, so it was great they could work together.

He Ye stayed in her room and video-called her grandmother.

Her grandmother said, “You’re back. Is it okay with the new person at home?”

He Ye smiled: “It’s fine. I just miss you and grandpa.”

Her grandmother replied, “You should come back to live here. It’s almost the New Year; everyone should come back.”

This was He Ye’s plan.

She got along well with Aunt Wu, but since Wu Li and her father were still young, they would likely want time alone together. With her living there, it might feel awkward. So, she decided that in the future, during holidays, she would stay with her grandparents when possible.

“I’m meeting my high school friends tomorrow,” she said.

“That’s good. I’ve cleaned the room for you. You can come back anytime.”

In the afternoon, He Ye said goodbye to her dad and Aunt Wu before going to meet Zhu Qing and Wu Yuanyuan.

Half a semester apart wasn’t too long, and when the girls reunited, they quickly felt comfortable again.

Zhu Qing and Wu Yuanyuan both decided not to mention Lu Jin.

After dinner at the restaurant, He Ye said goodbye to her friends and took the bus back to her community.

The bus stopped at the East Gate station. He Ye went to the supermarket for a while before heading home.

On the way, she felt a bit nervous. Whenever someone rode by on a bicycle, He Ye worriedly looked at them and relaxed when she saw it was a stranger.

Back in her bedroom, He Ye quietly packed her luggage to take back to her hometown.

Since she wouldn’t be living there often anymore, she needed to take a lot of things with her.

As she was packing, she found a box at the back of her closet.

He Ye paused and sat on the bed holding the box.

Inside was a beautiful dress and an expensive jewelry box.

She couldn’t bear to throw away the dress or the jewelry, as she had no chance to return them.

These were reminders of her first love with Lu Jin.

He Ye decided to keep the box as a memory, thinking she might not fall in love again during her college years.

She packed the box into her suitcase.

He Yong didn’t want his daughter to move away, but he couldn’t change her decision.

The next morning, He Ye went out with her suitcase.

She needed to go to the stop outside the South Gate to take the bus to her hometown.

This route was closer to Building 10.

He Ye walked away nervously.

She feared she might run into someone familiar. At a fork in the road, she suddenly saw a familiar figure on a bicycle.

Before he noticed her, He Ye picked up her suitcase and sprinted to the nearest fork in the road, quickly hiding behind a building. Even then, she was worried Lu Jin would catch up, so she hurried down another road.

Her heart raced, feeling both nervous and a bit silly.

No one chased her.

He Ye relaxed, took a few random turns, and finally reached the main road.

Before turning the corner, she peeked out.

Suddenly, she saw Lu Jin standing under a tree, dressed in a black suit, looking cold and indifferent as he stared in a certain direction.

He Ye quickly ducked back.

A new message appeared on her phone.

Dad: [Xiao Ye, are you still upset with me?]

He Ye: [No! I’m just older now, and you guys are newlyweds; I don’t want to be a third wheel ^[2]phrase used to describe someone who feels unnecessary in a couple’s situation..]

Dad: [That’s nonsense; you’re my little cotton-padded jacket ^[3]which means a source of comfort for a father., not a third wheel. Come back; I can’t bear to leave you.]

He Ye: [No, I’ve already told my grandparents I want to be their little cotton-padded jacket.]

He Yong took a while to respond and finally sent a “tears” emoticon.

He Ye smiled.

Just as she was about to put her phone away, she looked up and froze.

Lu Jin, who had been further away, was now standing just a few steps from her, looking directly at her.

She hadn’t seen him for half a year, and while he hadn’t changed much, he seemed more confident and his gaze was more intense.

He Ye: “…”

Meeting her ex-boyfriend and high school classmate made her social anxiety even worse.

Lu Jin smiled faintly: “I’m not your enemy; why are you so scared of me?”

His comment made He Ye blush.

Lu Jin looked at her suitcase: “Where are you going?”

He Ye looked down: “Going back home.”

Lu Jin: “Why go back home?”

He Ye pursed her lips.

Lu Jin explained calmly: “Zhou Xiangming said he saw your dad’s fiancée at the supermarket, so are you feeling excluded?”

He Ye didn’t want to be seen as the sad daughter, so she explained seriously: “My dad is getting married, and Aunt Wu is a nice person, but I don’t want to be a third wheel. I’ll feel more comfortable going back to my grandparents.”

Lu Jin: “Is that really good?”

He Ye nodded: “Yes, really.”

Lu Jin: “I hope you live well. If you have any problems in the future, feel free to tell me, whether it’s about school or life.”

His words felt ambiguous, but he spoke calmly, as if just being polite.

He Ye smiled: “Okay, thank you.”

Lu Jin: “Can I take you to the bus stop? It’s on the way.”

He Ye looked down: “No, it’s not far.”

Lu Jin: “Alright, I’ll go first.”

He Ye nodded.

He watched as Lu Jin rode away on his bicycle.

Feeling relaxed, she slowly moved forward, dragging her suitcase.

A few minutes later, she arrived at the familiar bus stop.

Just as she was about to board the bus, she saw a bicycle at the entrance of her community. She instinctively looked, but didn’t see who was riding it.

Then she got on the bus.

She barely stood at the back with her suitcase when the bus started moving.

He Ye held onto the pole, watching the station and her community disappear behind her.

Many memories flashed through her mind, including moments with her dad, Lu Jin, and Zhou Xiangming.

Eventually, those images faded.

Over the next five years, He Ye would still see her dad during the Chinese New Year, but she wouldn’t see Lu Jin or Zhou again.

Zhou Xiangming would occasionally send her messages and share photos on WeChat Moments, but Lu Jin never did that.

They were still friends online, but it felt like they were complete strangers, having never met or fallen in love.

***

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