Chapter 071

Zhu Qing discovered that a seafood buffet restaurant she loved was offering a set meal for two at a very affordable price.

She sent a screenshot to her best friend.

He Ye: [It looks good, shall we go eat there tonight?]

Zhu Qing: [So happy? The college bully is willing to let me come as well?]

He Ye: [He is on a business trip and will be back on Friday afternoon.]

Zhu Qing: [Today is just Wednesday, so you must be very lonely these days, right?]

He Ye reflected on her nearly twenty-four hours at the resort hotel over the weekend and thought it was nice to feel lonely sometimes.

After work, she took a taxi to the cafeteria. Zhu Qing had arrived earlier and was waving at her with a bright smile.

“Wait, don’t move!” Zhu Qing called out as He Ye was about to sit down.

He Ye didn’t understand why Zhu Qing stopped her. Zhu Qing looked her up and down and asked, “Have you lost weight?”

He Ye: “…”

She had lost over a pound, but it shouldn’t be that noticeable.

Zhu Qing added, “You look great! Have you started working out?”

He Ye lied, saying, “Yeah, I go for a run by the riverside in the evening.”

Zhu Qing teased, “You’re motivated by your college bully, right? You used to be so lazy.”

He Ye nodded and poured herself a cup of tea. They chatted while eating for over an hour, then decided to shop for summer clothes since the temperature was rising.

In the dressing room, Zhu Qing asked, “What are your plans for May Day^[1]refers to the International Workers’ Day celebrated on May 1st.?” 

He Ye replied, “Isn’t it too early to think about May Day?”

Zhu Qing said, “Just chatting.”

He Ye considered traveling for May Day but hadn’t decided where. When she tried on a black suspender skirt that Zhu Qing insisted on, she thought it might reveal too much. 

Zhu Qing exclaimed, “You look so pretty! You have long legs, and this dress makes you look even taller! Buy it!”

He Ye admired herself in the mirror and felt good about it, even though her shoulders were a bit exposed. 

“It’s perfect for your May Day trip. You need to look nice when you go out!” Zhu Qing encouraged.

He Ye didn’t need much convincing and bought the dress.

After their fun shopping day, He Ye took a taxi back to Dangui Jiayuan. After showering, she noticed her boyfriend had messaged her, asking if she was home.

Sitting on the sofa, she replied, [I answered half an hour ago. I was just in the shower.]

Lu Jin then called her via video. 

He Ye, in her cute pajamas, held her phone higher so he couldn’t see anything below.

When the video connected, she glanced at Lu Jin’s face and then looked at his background. It was past nine o’clock, and he was still in the hotel room, likely just out of the shower. His damp black hair contrasted with his fair skin.

She peeked at him for a moment before switching the camera view.

“I want to see you,” Lu Jin said.

He Ye playfully replied, “Let’s look when you come back.”

“Why did you change the camera?” he asked, his dark eyes fixed on the screen.

Feeling flustered, He Ye said softly, “It’s the same if you look at it again.”

“It’s different,” Lu Jin insisted.

She couldn’t hold back and switched the camera back.

Lu Jin stayed still, gazing at her in a way that made her heart race. He Ye looked away, trying to hide her blush.

“You’re blushing,” Lu Jin teased.

“Say one more word, and I’ll hang up!” she threatened.

He cooperated and changed the subject, asking, “What did you buy tonight?”

He Ye smiled, “I got a skirt. Zhu Qing recommended it.”

“Let me see,” Lu Jin requested.

“No,” she replied.

“Move your hand,” he urged.

She laughed, “No.”

“You seem really happy when I’m not around,” Lu Jin noted.

He Ye stayed silent.

“Didn’t you miss me at all?” he asked.

She still didn’t respond.

“Wait,” he said before the video call ended.

Now alone in the living room, He Ye didn’t want to watch TV. Instead, she lay on her bed, flipped through her phone, and finally sent him a text: [A little bit.]

It’s so exciting when he’s around, and so boring when he’s not.

Soon, Lu Jin called her again via video.

On Friday at 11:30, He Ye received a message from Lu Jin: [I’m at the company gate. Come here after work.]

He Ye replied, [Didn’t you say you’d be back in the afternoon?]

Lu Jin answered, [I had a lunch party at noon, but I postponed it.]

He Ye asked, [Isn’t that a good thing?]

“It might affect others, but it doesn’t matter to me,” he replied.

This was unusual, but since Lu Jin said it, she accepted it.

He Ye suggested, [Why don’t you come up? Let’s eat at the cafeteria together.]

Lu Jin replied, [Go home and eat. I’ll take a break.]

He Ye felt a bit shy. 

The company’s lunch break runs from 12 noon to 1:30 pm.

As noon approached, He Ye tidied up her desk and told her colleague Feng Qiuyu, “Sister Yu, I have something to do, so I won’t go to the cafeteria. You guys go ahead.”

Feng Qiuyu looked at the screen and replied, “Okay, go ahead and get busy.”

He Ye left first. Some employees chose nearby restaurants, but luckily, she didn’t know anyone there.

He Ye tried to act normal, but once she got into her boyfriend Lu Jin’s car, she realized she was sweating. Seeing him still looking at her, she said, “Why don’t you drive?”

His flashy car might draw attention, and he hadn’t gone into work, so it seemed like he had a plan.

Lu Jin smiled but held back teasing remarks, afraid she might get annoyed. Normally, they hit red lights, but today they made it to her community in just ten minutes.

Once inside, he quickly took her to the bedroom. Lu Jin made noodles for them, and when he brought them out, it was almost 12:50 PM, so they had time to eat.

In the bedroom, He Ye was still lying under the quilt, her hair a mess, her face flushed as if she was asleep. When she saw Lu Jin, it felt like the last twenty minutes had just been a dream. She turned away from him.

Lu Jin leaned over and asked, “Did you scold me?” She didn’t deny it. He teased her, saying, “You should have known how much I wanted to be with you.”

She covered her ears in response.

“Let’s eat, or we’ll be late,” he urged, and she couldn’t refuse.

At 1:20 PM, they arrived at the company garage. He Ye reminded him, “Wait at least an hour before going back.”

Lu Jin agreed.

After getting out of the car, He Ye returned to the office, where her colleague Cheng Rui asked, “Where have you been?”

“My friend had some issues, so I went to be with her,” she explained.

Cheng Rui asked if it was a male or female friend. He Ye smiled and said, “Female, my best friend since childhood.”

Thanks to Zhu Qing, her childhood friend, He Ye had found good excuses to meet Lu Jin over the years.

She focused on her work and lost track of time. When she glanced at the clock, it was already 3:30 PM, meaning Lu Jin had stayed in the garage for two full hours without anyone making the connection.

After work, He Ye noticed her menstrual period had arrived early, but she had prepared for it and didn’t tell Lu Jin.

Later, he took her to dinner. Once home, Lu Jin pushed her against the door, eager for intimacy after their brief meeting earlier.

He Ye, hugging his neck, asked, “Didn’t you notice any changes in me? Zhu Qing did.”

Lu Jin paused, “A little thinner?”

She avoided his gaze and whispered, “It’s all your fault.”

He replied, “You can’t tell from my face, but your legs have gotten thinner.” 

He Ye had always been slim, and while she wasn’t a fan of sports, she had a good bone structure that made her look great in clothes. 

Lu Jin liked how she looked with a bit of extra weight but had unintentionally helped her lose it. He liked her no matter her size.

As he held her close, she felt embarrassed and hid her face in his shoulder. Lu Jin kissed her ear, holding her tightly, and touched her waistband, making her giggle.

After a minute, He Ye was shaking with laughter, and Lu Jin wondered what was so funny.