Chapter 42: Finding Him

The suburbs were lush with trees and grass, and even the air carried a different scent, a blend of green grass and cow dung unlike the residential areas.

The evening air was humid, and a few wisps of light clouds dissipated, leaving behind a meandering ink-colored expanse on the horizon of the distant mountains, until the sky gradually lowered a deep-blue curtain.

This was the second time Jiang Ning had come to this machinery factory.

The last time, she hadn’t come of her own volition. She had appeared out of thin air and started arguing with her cheap husband about divorce.

In the blink of an eye, so much time had passed since that day.

Time, neither long nor short, since she had arrived in this world, she had her idle moments, but also many busy ones. Although everything progressed not as easily as she had imagined, she had adapted, and she was starting to get used to life here.

The large iron gate of the machinery factory was half-closed, and the “Fifth Machinery Factory” metal sign above it was faded, slightly rusted and patchy.

Jiang Ning carried her bag and was led by the guard to the familiar factory manager’s office on the upper floor.

“Sister-in-law, the factory manager is still in a meeting. Why don’t you take a rest first?”

The guard recognized her, his heart sinking, fearing that the factory manager’s wife was going to cause another commotion.

Although Jiang Ning seemed unusually calm today, he felt that the prelude to this woman’s explosion might be this calm demeanor. He dared not be negligent, and quickly brought her a glass of water before hurriedly closing the door and leaving.

Jiang Ning was helpless. She had been polite, but they still thought she was holding back, ready to explode at any moment.

Fortunately, she didn’t come to the factory often, so their impression of her remained the same, and she didn’t care. After all, they wouldn’t interact often.

Jiang Ning put down her bag and stood up to casually look around.

The place was still exactly the same as the last time. That heavy, large wooden desk, a rusty ceiling fan overhead. At that time, Lu Dingquan had been sitting behind the desk, holding a pen, raising his head towards her with a rather cold expression.

Cold, wasn’t it? And fierce too?

She couldn’t remember his exact expression, only that that glance had directly formed her initial impression. She had been nervous and apprehensive, as if she didn’t dare to look at him.

It hadn’t been long ago, but it felt like it had been a lifetime.

Jiang Ning held the enamel cup and went to the window, wondering when Lu Dingquan would finish his meeting. Had he not noticed his documents were missing?

If the meeting went on late, would she have to wait here until evening?

The office’s gauze window was broken, with a hole in it. She had seen it last time, and it still hadn’t been repaired. It was covered in dust.

She looked toward the factory building in the distance. It was orderly, and although she couldn’t see the inside, she could vaguely feel the serious atmosphere that was usually bustling with activity.

Her gaze continued to move, inadvertently falling on the area below.

A woman had emerged from the porch downstairs.

The office was on the fourth floor, not high, and in the twilight’s deep-blue sky, she could vaguely make out that it was a girl.

She had a braid tied behind her head, gracefully hanging down her shoulders, and was wearing plain, ordinary floral cloth clothing, but she was very pretty, with a naive purity about her.

Jiang Ning recognized her.

If she wasn’t mistaken, it was the same girl she had accidentally overheard asking a question on the street outside the apartment building when she went out today.

So, she hadn’t heard wrong?

Captain Lu…

It wasn’t a misunderstanding, the person the girl was looking for was indeed Lu Dingquan.

Jiang Ning took a sip of water, curiously watching downstairs.

This young girl didn’t look like a local. She had gone to his neighborhood to find him, but she didn’t know where he lived, or perhaps he wasn’t home at the time, and she missed him, so she came to the factory again.

What kind of relationship could a young girl have with Lu Dingquan?

Not long after, Shi Feng appeared downstairs, carrying a large bundle in his hand. He spoke to the girl in a low voice, the girl nodded, and they walked out one after the other.

Jiang Ning didn’t look anymore, because a mosquito flew in through the gauze window. She quickly waved it away, but it didn’t go.

The girl downstairs turned around, her steps slow, and she actually glanced towards the office.

It was quite far away, but Jiang Ning noticed the girl’s turning movement. She didn’t know if she saw her inside the window.

She looked at the sky again. Deep-blue clouds pressed down on the gray-blue sky, and the air was stuffy.

She was bored waiting, and thought she would leave the documents here and go back first. She would ask him about borrowing the car tomorrow.

Jiang Ning put down her teacup, lowered her head and took out the stack of files from her bag, placing them on the desk and using a bottle of ink to hold them down.

This way, Lu Dingquan would notice them when he came back.

His desk was a bit messy. She saw a safety operation manual next to the ink, with a “Lu” written on the cover.

Strong lines, bold and vigorous.

Was that his handwriting?

So his handwriting was so beautiful. It truly reflected the person.

Jiang Ning supported herself on the desk, unable to resist flipping through it.

“Click” a sound, the door was opened from the outside, and that familiar tall figure walked in.

Jiang Ning’s movement stopped, she closed the book and stood up casually, “…Finished your meeting?”

Lu Dingquan obviously knew she had come, and he wasn’t surprised to see her here. His black eyes caught sight of the book in her hand, and he casually hung his coat behind the door. He closed the door and walked over.

“Waited long?” he asked.

Jiang Ning thought he would use the desk, and automatically stepped aside, but he stopped in front of her, his clear, handsome eyebrows casting a gaze at her.

Jiang Ning: “Not long, I just got here.”

He didn’t ask what was going on, so she had to take the initiative, “Your things fell at my place. I don’t know if they’re important, so I brought them over.”

Lu Dingquan looked at the stack of documents on the desk. Jiang Ning noticed that he only glanced at them lightly, as if they weren’t very important.

She pursed her lips, suddenly feeling a little reluctant to speak.

It seemed like a wasted trip.

It was quite a distance to get here, and she was afraid she wouldn’t make it in time, so she hadn’t eaten before taking the car.

She had thought she could curry favor with Lu Dingquan, but looking at his expression, perhaps he didn’t like her coming here to find him? After all, the previous memories weren’t very pleasant.

Jiang Ning forced a smile, “Nothing else, I’ll go back then.”

Lu Dingquan’s eyes were deep, his gaze following her, “Did you eat?”

She had already picked up her bag, lowering her eyelashes and snapping the buckle, “I did.”

He said, “Eat before you go back, I’ll take you.”

She raised her eyes silently, meeting Lu Dingquan’s gaze.

But he suddenly lifted his thin lips, raised his hand, and before she could react, his palm’s fingertip brushed against her right cheek.

“There’s dust,” he said in a calm voice.

Jiang Ning didn’t have time to dodge, and quickly reached out to cover the spot he had just touched.

She wiped it herself, and her fingertips indeed had a bit of dust on them, probably from rubbing against the gauze window earlier.

Under his gaze, she wiped it again with the back of her hand, making sure it was clean before raising her head and asking, “I’ll go back now, are you free to take me?”

It was indeed getting late, and as they spoke, the wind picked up outside.

But he had also said he wouldn’t be able to go back tonight.

Lu Dingquan looked at her, then reached out again. She instinctively took a half-step back, but he just took the bag she was holding in her hand. His action was a little forceful, and she had to let go, watching helplessly as he put the bag back on the chair.

“Eat first,” he pulled at his collar, his voice slightly low, and casually picked up the teacup on the desk, “I haven’t eaten either, from the meeting at noon until now.”

Jiang Ning was about to remind him that this was the cup she had drunk from, but seeing him quickly finish it in two sips, she chose to keep quiet.

And… what did he mean by “also”, she had already said she had eaten.