Chapter 063

Lu Jin’s kiss stayed on He Ye’s collar for a long time, with his hands pressed against her waist and back through her clothes.  

He Ye felt like she was tied up and being slowly burned by flames that Lu Jin controlled. Several times, the flames got dangerously close to her, but he skillfully kept them just at the edge of pain.

Lu Jin was like fire, and he was hiding something even more frightening. But it wasn’t exactly hidden; he just didn’t want to conceal it.

He was powerful and cruel, easily managing the temperature of the moment while keeping her from moving away.

In the living room, where the only sounds were whispers and kisses, the alarm clock suddenly rang softly.

Lu Jin held He Ye close, his lips brushing her neck. She tilted her head slightly, her blurry gaze landing on a painting of a white bear holding a bouquet of flowers above the sofa.

The alarm continued to ring.

With one hand holding her, Lu Jin reached for his phone with the other, turning off the alarm and flipping the screen over.

He started kissing her neck again.

He Ye, feeling a mix of emotions, grabbed the short hair at the back of his head. She had clearly agreed to this moment, and Lu Jin understood her, yet he held back. He not only didn’t kiss her like before but also never crossed the line to touch her under her clothes.

While she didn’t necessarily want to take that step, she worried that he was still hesitant because of past breakups that affected his comfort with intimacy.

It might sound trivial to others, but it was a serious issue tied to his mental health.

He Ye never forgot the weight of his apology from six years ago on that cruise ship.

“What are you thinking about?” Lu Jin asked, touching her lips gently.

He Ye didn’t reply.

Lu Jin guessed her thoughts, kissed her ear, and explained, “I want to do more, but I’m afraid it might be too much for you.”

He Ye remained silent.

Lu Jin continued, “I really want to, but I’m not rushing. I won’t give you a chance to hesitate again.”

Feeling a bit frustrated, He Ye replied, “I’m not indecisive; I’m not easily swayed.”

Lu Jin smiled and said, “What’s the difference? One is stuck on the wall, and the other is floating on the water.”

He Ye huffed and playfully distanced herself from him. “Go get your clothes quickly and come back fast!”

Lu Jin leaned back on the sofa, crossing his right leg over his left, not rushing to collect his clothes.

He Ye was anxious. “Are you really okay with Qin Yi being home alone?”

Lu Jin calmly said, “He’s more mature than most kids his age. He won’t do anything reckless.”

He Ye insisted, “No matter how mature, he’s still just a kid. Hurry!”

Lu Jin turned toward the balcony and paused for a moment before saying, “It won’t be quick.”

He Ye was startled, then realized his posture and felt embarrassed, quickly leaving for the master bedroom.

She didn’t turn on the light and buried her head in the quilt, wishing she could undo their conversation.

After a while, she heard a door close, and Lu Jin left.

He Ye remembered her phone was still outside.

When she went to get it and turned on the living room light, she was surprised to see some of Lu Jin’s clothes still hanging on the balcony.

Had he been in such a rush to take care of his kid cousin that he forgot?

Just then, she received a message from Lu Jin: [Please collect the clothes and leave them here for later use.]

He Ye frowned at the word “later.”

Team Leader: [Even kids aren’t as childish as you. You’re too shy to admit you helped your boyfriend collect his shorts.]

He Ye: [As if elementary school students have boyfriends.]

Team Leader: [He Ye from Wenyuan Primary School has one.]

He Ye: […How do you know where I went to elementary school?]

Team Leader: [Zhou Xiangming found out while he was in high school.]

He Ye: [He is so good, why can’t he do it when it comes to me. ]

Team Leader: [Are you confused? Forget that. I’ll drive.]

He Ye couldn’t help but think that Lu Jin valued women over his friends, losing his patience when it came to his buddy.

After putting her phone away, He Ye went to collect the clothes, feeling down. If she’d known she’d be teased by Lu Jin, she wouldn’t have bothered.

On the weekend morning, Lu Jin drove her and Qin Yi to the aquarium.

They had lunch at the aquarium’s restaurant. While Lu Jin ordered food, He Ye sat with Qin Yi, waiting.

Qin Yi quietly asked, “Sister, my brother said he forgot something with you last night. Is that true, or is he just lying to come back to you?”

He Ye replied, “…There really is something.”

Qin Yi asked, “What is it?”

He Ye quickly thought of a suitable response but before she could answer, Qin Yi laughed, “I know! He’s put his heart in yours, right?”

He Ye felt goosebumps from his words.

Qin Yi glanced at his cousin at the ordering counter and joked, “If he goes back tonight, you should keep him busy for a while so I can play games longer.”

He Ye suspected something: “Did you really play games secretly last night?”

Qin Yi replied, “How can that be called secret? My brother didn’t even change his computer password. He let me play. Before he left, he even lied about changing it, but I didn’t fall for it.”

He Ye admired, “You know his password?”

Qin Yi said, “It’s too easy to guess. He’s changed his phone a few times, but the screen saver password has never changed. I bet his payment password is the same too.”

He Ye’s heart raced as she asked, “The first three, the one with 520?”

Qin Yi nodded, “Yeah, 520, 708. You know too?”

He Ye said casually, “Once, I went to his place for something, and he gave me the door lock code.”

Qin Yi asked, “Why didn’t he save your fingerprint?”

He Ye replied, “…We haven’t gotten to that stage yet.”

At this time, Lu Jin placed his order and came back.

He Ye secretly glanced at Qin Yi.

Qin Yi blinked, turned around, and asked Lu Jin what he ordered.

He Ye picked up the juice on the table, lowered his eyes, and took two sips.

Since Qin Yi would be staying at Wangchao Mansion for the next two nights, and Lu Jin wouldn’t take him to school until Monday morning, officially ending his babysitting duties, He Ye asked Lu Jin to take her back to Xiaofeng, so that he wouldn’t come to see her again tonight. Even elementary school students could guess his true purpose.

Around five in the afternoon, He Ye prepared dinner, ate it herself, and then took it to the fruit shop for her parents to eat. She took over the cashier counter.

The fruit shop mainly serves residents in the community, and it’s doing quite well.

An aunt came to pay for some fruits. It was the first time she met He Ye, and she asked He Yong and his wife if they had hired any new employees.

Wu Li introduced her daughter, a top student in college, with great pride.

The aunt listened and praised He Ye, her satisfaction growing. After Wu Li finished praising her daughter, the aunt praised her own son and then asked He Ye if she had a boyfriend.

The aunt’s meaning was clear. He Ye didn’t want to create misunderstandings, so she admitted in front of her parents: “Yes.”

He Yong was sitting in the back, happily eating, and almost choked when he heard this.

The couple’s surprise was obvious. He Ye smiled and explained modestly, “We are colleagues from the company. We just confirmed our relationship this week. I want to get to know each other for a while before telling you.”

By saying this, she also saved her parents from being tempted by other matchmakers and wasting their energy.

After hearing this, the aunt paid the bill and left with a bit of regret.

He Yong and his wife then focused on asking their daughter about the colleague’s situation.

He Ye mentioned Lu Jin’s conditions and made up some more information to make it sound realistic.

Wu Li: “Are there any photos?”

He Ye: “I won’t show you even if I have them. Wait until I’m sure we won’t break up.”

Wu Li smiled and said, “Okay, I believe our Xiao Ye’s taste is definitely good. We’ll wait until you want to show it to us.”

He Yong: “…Dating is good, but don’t be too honest. Observe his character more.”

He always hoped that his daughter would find a reliable boyfriend. Now that she was really in a relationship, why was he so worried?

He Ye looked at Wu Li helplessly.

Some topics are just better for mother and daughter to discuss. Wu Li signaled He Yong to go outside to cut fruit and told her daughter something privately.

He Ye smiled: “Mom, don’t worry, I’m not stupid; I can tell if he really likes me or not.”

He Ye stayed at Xiaofeng’s house on Saturdays and Sundays. Lu Jin was busy with his elementary school students and couldn’t find time to see his girlfriend.

The two met again at the office on Monday morning.

Lu Jin had to take his elementary school students to school but couldn’t drop them off too early. So, he returned and was the last to arrive at the office.

As soon as he came in, his cold and calm black eyes first looked at He Ye’s workstation.

He Ye pretended not to notice and focused on the screen.

Feng Qiuyu clicked his tongue and said, “The leader’s eyes look like he is waiting for something.”

Cheng Rui: “He just took care of elementary school students for two days. Why do you think that?”

They had already asked He Ye about Lu Jin.

Married man Wang Wei coughed and said, “It’s like this in the early stages of a relationship. When I first got my wife, I felt uncomfortable if I didn’t see her for even one day.”

Cheng Rui: “Now?”

Wang Wei: “My wife doesn’t love me anymore. If she didn’t need my help with the children, I doubt she would miss me if I didn’t go home for a few days. She only has eyes for my daughter.”

There was a hint of resentment in his words.

Cheng Rui couldn’t help but ask: “When a couple breaks up, does the girl miss the boy more, or does the boy miss the girl more?”

Jiang Xu: “It depends on who loves more. Anyway, when I went back to my hometown during the Chinese New Year last year, I was the one who took the initiative to message someone.”

Feng Qiuyu, feeling resentful, said: “…Please, can we get back to talking about Team Leader?”

Team leader Lu had a blank expression: “Are you all free? Come to the meeting.”

He Ye smiled secretly.

Joking aside, everyone is serious during the meeting.

He Ye sat next to Feng Qiuyu, quietly looking at Lu Jin, who was sitting at the main seat. He was wearing a black shirt today, and his presence was stronger while leading the meeting. He didn’t say much, but every word was important.

He Ye admired and learned from him. Leadership is something some people seem to be born with, while others need to explore and understand.

He Ye is not a natural leader, but she doesn’t want to be just a member of a team.

Although they were in love, during official working hours, He Ye only treated Lu Jin as Team Leader.

Around six in the evening, He Ye and Lu Jin finished work together.

Lu Jin: “Let’s eat out tonight?”

He Ye: “Okay, let’s buy some vegetables after eating. I only have some fruits in the refrigerator.”

Lu Jin: “I’ll go shopping after work tomorrow night. I want to go to the home furnishing store tonight.”

Since they were eating at a restaurant tonight, there was no rush to buy food. He Ye asked curiously, “What do you want to buy?”

Lu Jin: “Pajamas, a pillow, and a four-piece bedding set.”

He Ye: “…”

Lu Jin: “I wanted to buy them on Friday, but the elementary school students ruined my plan.”

He Ye remembered the last time he urged him to hurry in the back seat of the car, but he got bullied by the students. So she asked tentatively: “Do you want to replace the ones at home with new ones?”

She heard him laugh: “Put them with my girlfriend. If she lets me stay overnight next time, I won’t have to wear old pajamas anymore.”

He Ye: “…Since you dislike them so much, your girlfriend should promise that it won’t happen again.”

Lu Jin: “Tell her, I will fight for it.”

He Ye: “…”

After dinner, Lu Jin took his girlfriend to a home furnishing store in the same shopping mall. Almost everything needed for family life, big or small, was available there.

He liked a pure black four-piece suit.

He Ye looked disgusted and asked, “Why do you like black?”

Lu Jin replied, “Should I get another one instead?”

He Ye shrugged, saying, “…It’s up to you, wear whatever you like.”

Lu Jin added, “Well, it’s just for me to use.”

He Ye thought it was better not to respond. She shook off his hand and went to look at other areas.

While admiring the beautiful tableware in the kitchen, Lu Jin returned with a cart full of items.

He Ye asked, “So many? What did you buy?”

Lu Jin pointed to a four-piece suit that matched his girlfriend’s girly style and two sets of women’s pajamas of different styles, explaining, “I’m putting these here just in case.”

He Ye’s face turned red, and she whispered, “Nothing will happen.”

Lu Jin smiled at her and said, “Are you really sure my grandma won’t come to stay with me?”

He Ye was speechless.

She didn’t even bother to glare at him; she just turned and walked away.

Lu Jin held her wrist from behind, waiting until her face was less red before they went to pay together.

Half an hour later, Lu Jin followed his girlfriend into apartment 901, carrying some things he would leave at her place.

He Ye went to the master bedroom to wash her face first.

Lu Jin put the four-piece suit, pajamas, towels, and bath towels into the washing machine to wash before heading out.

After finishing, he found that his girlfriend was still in the master bedroom.

He closed the bathroom door to block the noise of the washing machine, sat on the sofa, and turned on the TV.

A few minutes later, his girlfriend came out. The hair around her forehead and ears was still wet, and her cheeks looked pale.

He Ye had a question for him but thought for a moment before turning off the living room lights.

Lu Jin noticed and picked up the remote, turning off the TV.

The living room became dark.

He Ye walked towards him and wanted to sit next to him, but Lu Jin pulled her onto his lap, just like that night.

She avoided his lips and quietly asked, “I heard from Qin Yi that all your passwords are 52?”

Lu Jin paused and admitted, “Yes, I changed everything to that when I first pursued you.”

He Ye wondered, “Why didn’t you change them after we broke up?”

The photo was a memento of first love, and Lotus had grown attached to it after a year, so it made sense that he wouldn’t throw it away. But why did he continue using his ex-girlfriend’s birthday for his passwords? Wouldn’t it make him uncomfortable to think about it?

Lu Jin replied, “…It reminds me not to rush into love next time.”

He Ye bit her lip.

She had other thoughts, but since her boyfriend didn’t admit anything, what else could she do?

Suddenly, Lu Jin grabbed the back of her head and kissed her forcefully, just like before, but even better.