Chapter 15: A Date

Lu Yuanshan couldn’t hold back and almost burst out laughing, only to be silenced by a glare from Old Master Lu. He immediately kept quiet.

Madam Lu also couldn’t help but smile, but she didn’t dare show it, pretending she hadn’t heard anything.

Lu Zhoushan was at a complete loss for words.

Was it really okay for an elderly lady to act this bold and direct?

No wonder she was the director of a clothing factory—a rare career woman. That kind of presence… impressive, truly.

The family chatted excitedly, all caught up in the joy of Lu Zhoushan’s successful blind date. Only Lu Yaozu sat silently, clearly distracted.

Even his sickly little uncle managed to have a successful date. He couldn’t help but wonder when Jiang Xiaoci’s family would come looking for him.

After he wrote that anonymous report, Jiang Xiaoci’s family should be finding out soon. After all, they were businesspeople—how could their news sources not be reliable?

Lu Yaozu knew they had connections. Someone would surely tip off Jiang Xiaoci’s family.

He figured by now, they were already getting anxious about her marriage, probably just these next few days.

Thinking of this, Lu Yaozu smirked coldly. He had been waiting so many days, and his patience was wearing thin. He decided to stay home on leave for the next few days, just to wait for news.

The next day, Jiang Xiaoci dressed up a bit. She wore the rose-colored scarf her mother had just knitted, and went to the agreed meeting spot at the set time to meet Lu Zhoushan.

It was a rare sunny day. The sun shone warmly, and there were many people out on the streets.

She wore a white coat, the rose scarf around her neck.

Her hair was in the usual braided style, but today, at her temple, a flower-shaped pearlescent hair clip added a soft touch, making her look even more delicate and charming.

With the scarf’s rosy hue as contrast, she looked even more radiant. Lu Zhoushan was almost unable to look away when he saw her.

He walked over to her and said a bit apologetically, “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

He actually wasn’t late at all, just didn’t expect her to arrive even earlier.

The truth was, Jiang Xiaoci didn’t have work and was bored at home. Plus, the weather was great, so she decided to come out a little earlier for a walk.

Hearing what he said, she smiled and shook her head. “It’s fine, I just got here too.”

Her smile was like a breeze in spring—gentle and warm.

Lu Zhoushan looked at her and couldn’t help but smile as well.

He was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, but maybe because the weather was better today, he looked in better spirits. His skin was still fair, but not quite so pale anymore.

He was tall and slim—though still a bit frail, he had the elegance of a bamboo grove. His features were refined. The two of them, standing together, made such a striking pair that many passersby turned to look.

Without drawing attention to it, Lu Zhoushan stepped closer to her, shielding her from most of the male gazes. He asked gently, “Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”

Though still young, Jiang Xiaoci had lived two lives. Her thoughts were delicate and mature. She noticed his subtle protective move and, feeling the lingering chill in the breeze, looked at his still somewhat pale face and suggested, “How about a movie?”

Indoors would be warmer than outside, after all.

He didn’t object and nodded. “Sure.”

They headed to the cinema to buy tickets. It was quite crowded, with groups of people bustling around. The walls were covered in posters of various movie genres.

After browsing for a while, they both pointed to the same movie at the same time.

“Let’s watch this one?” “How about this one?”

They spoke in unison and were surprised to discover they both liked action-packed films.

After a brief pause, they both laughed.

Since their tastes aligned, they quickly settled on the movie, then went to buy drinks. They both chose the same flavor—refreshing, lightly sweet pear soda.

Jiang Xiaoci, slightly concerned, reminded him, “Lu Zhoushan, the soda’s a bit cold. Don’t drink too much.”

Lu Zhoushan looked at her, a little surprised. Touched, he softened his gaze and smiled. “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

Only then did Jiang Xiaoci realize she might’ve overstepped a bit and felt a little embarrassed.

After all, she was still just a young girl. Lu Zhoushan simply smiled at her and spoke in a tone more gentle than she’d ever heard from him: “Don’t worry, girl. I’m not as fragile as you think.”

The way he called her “girl” sounded oddly affectionate coming from him.

Jiang Xiaoci smiled awkwardly and quickly turned away, convincing herself she must’ve misheard.

They had only just met, after all.

They entered the cinema and found their seats.

The movie was a martial arts film set in the Republican era, full of anti-Japanese resistance plotlines.

It was thrilling right from the start—swords flashing, car chases—drawing gasps from the audience.

Jiang Xiaoci was completely engrossed, her eyes shining with excitement, not blinking once.

In this moment, her usual calm demeanor faded, replaced by a lively, vibrant presence.

Lu Zhoushan also watched, but he spent more time stealing glances at the bright-eyed girl beside him. A small, unconscious smile played on his lips. His gaze was tender, full of affection.

She really was just a girl. Watching a movie could make her this happy.

Before meeting her, his life had been simple and monotonous—work, rest, repeat. When had he ever encountered someone like her?

He watched her for a long while, and she didn’t notice at all.

He smiled and finally turned his eyes back to the screen.

—

After the movie, they slowly walked out with the crowd, chatting about the plot.

Outside, a few kids had broken free from their guardians and were running around playfully.

One nearly crashed into Jiang Xiaoci, but Lu Zhoushan reacted quickly. He grabbed her and pulled her close, turning sideways to shield her.

He wrapped one arm around her shoulder and used the other to gently block the oncoming child. His tone was warm but serious: “Hey, don’t run around like that. You almost bumped into someone.”

The kid stuck out his tongue and darted away, while the guardian chased after him and scolded him, twisting his ear. The little rascal grimaced but showed no fear.

Jiang Xiaoci chuckled, thinking how cute (if mischievous) the kid was.

Then she suddenly realized—his hand was still on her shoulder, and he was holding her close.

They were very close. She instinctively looked up, and he instinctively looked down. For a moment, they were practically breathing the same air.

She clearly heard her own heartbeat, and her face flushed bright red.

“Um… I… I’m fine now.”

Lu Zhoushan also looked a bit awkward and quickly let go. His face remained calm, but the way he looked away for a second betrayed that he wasn’t as composed as he appeared.

Trying to shift the moment, he said, “You must be hungry. Let me take you to dinner.”