Zhou Xiangming sighed, “It’s because He Ye doesn’t treat us as good friends that we’re embarrassed to go.” 

He Ye said nothing. 

He Yong laughed, “Xiao Ye is afraid of bothering you. After all, the banquet is in my hometown, which is less convenient than the city.” 

Zhou Xiangming insisted, “It’s not inconvenient. We have to go to your big wedding.” 

He Yong agreed, “Okay, it’s settled then. You ask Xiao Ye for the address.” 

Zhou Xiangming left with Lu Jin, while Lu Jin stayed quiet as if he was just a sidekick. 

At noon, He Ye went home to cook. When she turned to the east gate, she saw Lu Jin waiting on his bicycle. 

He Ye glared at him from a distance. 

Lu Jin said seriously, “Zhou Xiangming insisted on going; I was just going along.” 

He Ye just sat on the back seat of the bike and wrapped her right arm around Lu Jin’s waist, twisting her fingers wherever they landed. 

Lu Jin rode in an “S” shape in pain and explained, “I went to celebrate Uncle He’s good day, not for you.” 

He Ye let go and scoffed, “You don’t need to celebrate.” 

Lu Jin said, “Those are my future in-laws. I want to witness their wedding.” 

He Ye replied, “…not necessarily.” 

Lu Jin slowed down and looked back at her. “Do you need me to remind you what you did yesterday?” 

He Ye’s face turned red. It was something they did together, so why did he make it sound like she was the only one who took the initiative? 

Lu Jin said, “I’m a traditional man. Since you did that, you have to take responsibility.” 

He Ye said nothing. 

She continued to pinch him. 

Lu Jin gasped, “Pinching won’t work. If you abandon me, I’ll complain to Uncle He.” 

He Ye told him to stop talking. 

Lu Jin rode in silence until they reached Building 7, where he insisted on going up with her. 

Wu Li hadn’t been around lately since her family was busy preparing for the wedding. She would move in after the banquet. 

This was Lu Jin’s first time at He Ye’s house during winter vacation. He casually looked around but didn’t see many traces left by Wu Li. 

He Ye ignored him and walked into the kitchen to tie on her apron. 

Lu Jin stopped her, saying, “What do you want to eat? I’ll cook; you can rest.” 

He Ye replied, “I’m not tired.”

Work at the supermarket was easy today.

Lu Jin opened the refrigerator and said, “I’ll be tired in the afternoon.”

He Ye replied, “…You’re dreaming.”

Lu Jin looked at her and said, “Come over to my place. It’s my day off today. My parents are both at work.”

He Ye walked out of the kitchen, her face red, leaning against the wall with her back to him: “That can’t happen every day…”

Lu Jin said, “You’re going back to your hometown tomorrow. How can you be here every day? That would be just a dream.”

He Ye didn’t say anything more.

Lu Jin took out vegetables and meat from the refrigerator and started cooking.

He Ye sat in the dining area and watched her boyfriend through a glass sliding door as he worked in the kitchen. 

He was tall, had a good figure, and looked good doing everything.

As she watched, her thoughts drifted in an inappropriate direction.

He Ye quickly stopped those thoughts.

After finishing their meal, He Ye and Lu Jin went to deliver food to her father.

Once her father finished eating, He Ye left with her lunch box. Lu Jin waited for her inside the east gate and took her back to Building 10.

They locked the outside door and then the door to his room.

The rose bear was still there, but the balloons and the off-white bedding had been put away.

He Ye looked at Lu Jin’s dark grey bedding and asked, “Did Auntie and the others notice anything last night?”

Lu Jin replied, “No.”

He wouldn’t let them get into that awkward situation.

He Ye felt relieved.

Lu Jin closed the curtains and walked over.

He Ye started to get nervous again and stammered, “Just not for long today.”

Lu Jin said, “Okay, just once.”

At the wedding in He Ye’s hometown, there was a banquet in the morning at the groom’s house. After the meal, the groom and his best man went to the bride’s house to help out. Relatives from both sides went to a hotel for a banquet at noon. In the evening, there was another banquet at the groom’s home.

He Ye didn’t have to go with her father to welcome the bride.

After breakfast, relatives and friends left first, and the chefs responsible for the banquet cleaned up.

There were many chores to do, and He Ye and her grandparents had to help.

Around nine o’clock, a ride-share car stopped in front of the He family’s house.

He Ye, who was cleaning the yard, looked up.

Zhu Qing jumped out first, followed by Zhou Xiangming and Lu Jin.

The three were dressed like college students. He Ye, on the other hand, wore a red dress, had her hair styled, and wore makeup.

When He Ye met Lu Jin’s narrow black eyes, her face became hot.

Zhu Qing exclaimed, “Wow, that dress is beautiful!”

He Ye didn’t look at the boys and explained to her friend, “Aunt Wu gave it to me.”

In addition to the dress, Aunt Wu also gave her a set of gold jewelry. He Ye didn’t have pierced ears, so she only wore gold bracelets and a necklace today.

Zhou Xiangming grabbed the broom from her hand and handed it to Lu Jin, saying to Grandpa and Grandma He, “He Ye looks beautiful; let us handle the cleaning!”

Grandma He smiled and took the broom back: “Why would I need you!”

Zhu Qing took He Ye’s arm and enthusiastically introduced them: “Grandpa and Grandma, we’ve met before. This is Lu Jin, the top student in our class, a freshman at Tsinghua University. This is Zhou Xiangming, who is just average in academics. They both live nearby and are familiar with Uncle.”

Zhou Xiangming added, “What do you mean I’m just average? I’m a top student for getting into No. 2 Middle School, but I can’t compare to Lu Jin and He Ye.”

Grandma He quickly said, “They’re all amazing. Xiaoye, please take them in and have a seat.”

He Ye had no choice but to take the three of them to the living room.

She found three disposable paper cups and was about to get water from the dispenser when Lu Jin came over and took over.

He Ye couldn’t look at him any longer and sat next to Zhu Qing.

Zhou Xiangming walked around the living room and said to He Ye, “I didn’t realize you lived in a villa.”

He Ye replied, “…We have this kind of house here; it’s different from city villas.”

Zhou Xiangming joked, “That’s great; Lu Jin could be a live-in son-in-law.”

Lu Jin, who came over with three glasses of water, smiled and seemed to agree.

He Ye glared at him.

Zhu Qing asked, “Did Uncle He and his family take wedding photos? Can you show me?”

The photos were in the room upstairs. He Ye could go get them.

Lu Jin sat on the sofa, his eyes following He Ye until she disappeared upstairs.

Zhu Qing snickered and whispered, “Be careful not to be caught by Grandpa and Grandma.”

Zhou Xiangming teased, “I came to my girlfriend’s hometown when we just started dating. You must be so happy, right?”

Lu Jin ignored them. When Grandpa He and Grandma He came in, he stood up.

Grandpa He waved his hand, saying, “Sit down, sit down. You’re welcome. You’re amazing; you got into Tsinghua University.”

Lu Jin replied, “He Ye’s score was high enough, but she didn’t apply because she was afraid of being transferred.”

Grandpa He asked, “What major did you study?”

Lu Jin started chatting with the old man.

He Ye came down and glanced at him before continuing to talk with Grandpa He.

After half an hour, He Ye took the three of them to the hotel for lunch.

As relatives and friends arrived, He Ye couldn’t stay with them the whole time.

Zhu Qing observed her friend smiling and chatting and whispered, “It’s really hard for her. She can’t speak as much in a whole year at school.”

Zhou Xiangming replied, “There’s nothing we can do. She has to handle this herself.”

They both looked at Lu Jin.

Lu Jin wasn’t worried about social situations, but today he was only a classmate and couldn’t help He Ye socialize.

He could only watch as she tried hard to seem relaxed.

After the lunch banquet, Lu Jin and the others were about to leave. He Ye only had time to say goodbye before heading back to work.

It was not until nine o’clock in the evening, after all the guests had left, that the He family courtyard returned to peace.

After a busy day, the grandparents went back to their room to rest early. He Yong and his wife closed the door. They didn’t rush to their wedding night but instead counted the money they received as gifts that day.

He Ye stayed in her room, took a shower, changed into pajamas, and prepared to check her phone for a while.

Team leader: [Are you done?]

Ye Ziyuanyuan: [Yes.]

Team leader: [I’m in the alley in front of your house.]

He Ye sat up and looked out the window in disbelief.

Ye Ziyuanyuan: [It’s so late, when did you come?]

Team leader: [It’s about eight o’clock. I just wandered around your town. Is it convenient for me to come out now?]

He Ye thought for a moment and replied, [Wait for me for five minutes.]

The temperature had dropped again in the past few days; it was only seven or eight degrees Celsius outside ^[1]is a low temperature for winter..

He Ye changed into a down jacket and tiptoed downstairs. She prepared an excuse, hoping her father wouldn’t find out.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly.

It was cold in winter, so most residents in the town went to bed early. If they didn’t sleep, they stayed home and watched TV.

He Ye leaned over to look, making sure there was no one on the street, then hurried to the alley diagonally ahead.

There were streetlights outside, but the alley was pitch black.

He Ye saw a tall figure.

Lu Jin raised his phone, using the light from the screen to illuminate his face.

After confirming it was him, He Ye quickened her pace and walked over.

Lu Jin held her against the wall, so if someone came, they wouldn’t recognize He Ye because of his body and arms.

The wind was also blocked by him, and He Ye felt warm, cared for by her boyfriend.

“So far away, what are you doing here?” 

Although she liked it, He Ye still complained in a low voice.

Lu Jin: “I can’t help it. I miss you.”

He Ye: “Didn’t we see each other during the day?”

Lu Jin: “That was a meeting between classmates. This is how boyfriends and girlfriends should be.”

He Ye: “…I can only hold you for a while. If it’s too late, I’m afraid my dad and others will find out.”

Lu Jin: “Well, a moment will be enough.”

He Ye thought he would kiss her or even touch her, but Lu Jin just hugged her and looked down at her.

“At noon, I was particularly envious of your father.”

He Ye: “…”

Lu Jin: “After we graduate from college, let’s have a wedding, okay?”

Such a night, such a hug, such questions, made it easy to get lost in feelings.

He Ye tried to stay rational: “I still have to study for my master’s degree.” 

Lu Jin: “Then we’ll get the marriage certificate after graduation and hold the wedding after I finish my graduate studies.”

He Ye: “…It’s still a long way off, why think so early?”

Lu Jin: “I can’t help it.”

He Ye: “Let’s talk about it when the time comes. Maybe you’ll fall in love with someone else soon.”

Lu Jin touched the corner of her lips: “Don’t say such things. You may not believe it, but I will only love you.”

She is like a free lotus leaf.

He is different.

Lu Jin is like a ferry, which, once built, can never be moved.

He chose the most special lotus leaf, using the water source to lure her over. He wanted her to take root here and never leave.