Chapter 41.2

As they were about to leave, the phone rang. Ge Mei answered and then turned to Jiang Nian, smiling, “It’s for you.”

Jiang Nian guessed it was Lu Yu. She walked over and picked up the phone, hearing Lu Yu’s familiar voice, “Just finished work?”

His voice was as magnetic as ever. Jiang Nian found that every time she spoke to Lu Yu on the phone, her ears felt ticklish. She smiled and said, “Yes, just finished. I’m about to go to the cafeteria for dinner.”

“Is it cold in the city these days?”

“It’s almost spring, so it’s not that cold anymore.”

“How’s the embroidery going?”

Jiang Nian replied softly, “Halfway done.”

If she worked faster, she could finish in twenty days, but she didn’t want to boast and then fail to meet the deadline.

“Lu Yu, my sister-in-law made food. She’s inviting you to join us,” came Song Bai’s voice from the other end.

“You should go,” Jiang Nian said.

There was a brief silence before Lu Yu’s deep voice came through the phone, “Alright. After you eat at the cafeteria, go back to the dormitory early. If you need anything, call this number, and the guard on duty will find me.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up, Ge Mei and Zhang Xiao were smiling at Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian was puzzled. “Why are you laughing?”

Zhang Xiao said, “Every time you talk to your brother-in-law on the phone, your conversation is so brief. Anyone who didn’t know better would think you’re just reporting your status to each other.”

Jiang Nian: …

Ge Mei smiled too, but her smile was more meaningful.

Zhang Xiao had never been in a relationship, so she didn’t understand. However, Ge Mei, who had been married for years, could see through the subtleties of relationships easily. A brother-in-law who cared so much about his sister-in-law, visiting her and calling to check on her, was crossing the boundary of their roles.

Ge Mei had gotten to know Jiang Nian over the past few months and understood her situation. She had previously talked with Jiang Nian about her background and knew a bit about her relationship with Deputy Commander Lu. Ge Mei wasn’t sure about Jiang Nian’s feelings, but it was clear that Deputy Commander Lu’s feelings for her were not simple.

Ge Mei said to Zhang Xiao, “Go to the cafeteria and get the meals. I need to talk to Jiang Nian.”

“Okay.” Zhang Xiao took Jiang Nian’s aluminum lunch box and headed to the cafeteria. Jiang Nian and Ge Mei were the only two people left in the embroidery shop. Ge Mei said, “You sit down first. I’ll go get some water.”

Jiang Nian didn’t know what Ge Mei wanted to talk about, so she sat by the window. Ge Mei came back with a thermos and two enamel cups, poured them each a cup of water, and then sat down, holding her cup and smiling at Jiang Nian. “I remember you mentioned before that Deputy Commander Lu isn’t your biological brother-in-law?”

Jiang Nian was surprised she brought this up. She nodded, “Yes, Lu Yu was temporarily placed with the Xu family by his mother.”

But his mother never returned, and the book didn’t mention her again, so Jiang Nian didn’t know if Lu Yu’s mother was still alive. If she were, why hadn’t she come back for her son? Lu Yu was excellent in every way and was her child. Could she really be that heartless?

Ge Mei smiled, “So Lu Yu has been with the Xu family for many years?”

Jiang Nian blew on her hot water. “About fifteen years.”

Lu Yu was entrusted to the Xu family by his mother when he was ten, saying she would come back for him soon, but she never did. Since then, Lu Yu has stayed with the Xu family, helping out with work. If it weren’t for her father-in-law insisting on sending Xu Cheng and Lu Yu to the army to train as soldiers, Lu Yu wouldn’t be who he is today. To Lu Yu, the Xu family were his benefactors and the people closest to him.

Ge Mei took a sip of water. “So you know each other well.”

Jiang Nian was puzzled and looked up at Ge Mei, not understanding her meaning.

Ge Mei didn’t want to be too direct in case Jiang Nian wasn’t interested. She subtly hinted, “You’re not biological relatives, so legally and emotionally, there’s no real connection.”

Jiang Nian: ???

She blinked. “So?”

She knew that she and Lu Yu weren’t biologically related, but she didn’t understand why Ge Mei was bringing this up.

Ge Mei: …

She didn’t know if Jiang Nian was genuinely clueless or just pretending. She had hinted clearly, yet Jiang Nian still looked confused.

Ge Mei thought perhaps Lu Yu was the only one with feelings, and Jiang Nian didn’t have any such thoughts?

When Zhang Xiao returned, Ge Mei had just left. She handed the aluminum lunch box to Jiang Nian and sat across from her, opening her own box. “Did Sister Ge leave?”

Jiang Nian absentmindedly nodded.

Zhang Xiao waved a hand in front of her face. “What are you thinking about? What did Sister Ge say to you? You look distracted.”

Jiang Nian shook her head. “Nothing much.”

She just didn’t understand why Ge Mei suddenly brought up her and Lu Yu.

After dinner, they washed the aluminum lunch boxes and took them back to the dormitory to use for breakfast the next morning.

In the next two days, Jiang Nian began to embroider another part of the base pattern. Zhai Peipei asked Jiang Nian, “Do you have any red silk thread left?”

Jiang Nian replied, “Yes, I’ll get it for you.”

She pulled out a small bundle of red silk thread from her collection and handed it to Zhai Peipei. Zhai Peipei smiled at her, the first smile she had shown in over a month.

To be honest, she looked quite kind when she smiled.

She just looked fierce when she had a cold expression.

Jiang Nian also smiled a bit. Lu Xiaoqing, who was sitting nearby, glanced at them and wondered what the two of them were smiling about.

However, after thinking about it, she remembered her troubles with Hu Zhongming. These past few days, Hu Zhongming had been avoiding her. She went to the cotton mill several times to find him but couldn’t. This situation had left her distressed and she had been scolded by Ge Mei several times because of it.

In the evening, when they went to the cafeteria for dinner, Jiang Nian and Zhang Xiao sat together. Just as they sat down, they heard whistling from the other side. Zhang Xiao looked up and saw Yang Jun and Feng Ren, her expression changed, and she lowered her head to continue eating. Jiang Nian said, “Ignore them. There are a lot of people in the cafeteria; they won’t dare to mess around.”

Zhang Xiao felt reassured, “Hmm.”

Lu Xiaoqing entered the cafeteria, looked around, and finally spotted Hu Zhongming. She hurried over. Yang Jun saw this and nudged Hu Zhongming with his elbow, “Lu Xiaoqing is here.”

Hu Zhongming couldn’t avoid her this time. As soon as Lu Xiaoqing sat down next to him, he blocked her questioning, “My mom has been sick these past few days. I haven’t been in the mill for the past few days. I just came here today.”

Lu Xiaoqing looked at him suspiciously, “Really?”

Yang Jun and Feng Ren, sitting nearby, nodded in agreement, “We can vouch for Brother Zhongming. He really wasn’t here these past few days. He just came back this afternoon.”

Lu Xiaoqing’s heart finally settled, “How is Auntie now?”

Hu Zhongming said, “She’s better, but she can’t take any stress.” He held Lu Xiaoqing’s hand, “Once my mom gets better, I’ll take you to meet them.”

Lu Xiaojing finally smiled, “You can’t lie to me anymore.”

Feeling reassured by Hu Zhongming, Lu Xiaoqing started complaining to him about her troubles at the embroidery shop these past few days. Hu Zhongming glanced at Jiang Nian, who was sitting a few tables away with her back to them, her slim figure noticeable even in a cotton jacket.

Watching her made Hu Zhongming’s eyes heat up. Compared to Jiang Nian, Lu Xiaoqing was far inferior.

But Jiang Nian had that man by her side, and he feared that pursuing her might bring trouble.

Seeing Jiang Nian and Zhang Xiao finish their meal and leave, Hu Zhongming turned his gaze back to Lu Xiaoqing and said, “Tomorrow is Yang Jun’s birthday. We’ll have dinner at the state-run restaurant tomorrow night. Bring Zhang Xiao and Jiang Nian along to introduce them to our brothers. If you can bring them over and help set them up with our brothers, our relationship will progress faster too.”

Yang Jun was initially puzzled, as he never celebrated his birthday. But then he understood Hu Zhongming’s intention and said to Lu Xiaoqing, “Sister Lu, bring them over tomorrow so we can meet them.”

Lu Xiaoqing, preoccupied with Hu Zhongming’s promise to move their relationship forward, didn’t think much and agreed.

That evening, back at the dormitory, Lu Xiaoqing suddenly became very attentive to Zhang Xiao and Jiang Nian.

Zhang Xiao felt uneasy, considering they had argued recently and only maintained a superficial peace with an underlying tension. Lu Xiaoqing’s sudden attentiveness seemed suspicious to both Zhang Xiao and Jiang Nian.

In the night, Jiang Nian’s sleeping posture was once again extreme.

Zhang Xiao also turned over, and they ended up hugging each other. Zhai Peipei, being older, got up at night and saw them sharing one quilt, with another quilt kicked to the end of the bed.

Zhai Peipei: …

Zhang Xiao used to sleep fine, but ever since Jiang Nian arrived, they seemed to have become the same.

Truly, one learns from their companions.

Zhai Peipei tried to pull the quilt over them but couldn’t, so she climbed to the end of their bed, lifted the quilt, and covered them. The breeze from the quilt brushed Jiang Nian’s face, causing her to squint and, seeing a dark shadow above her, scream and cover her head with the quilt.

Zhai Peipei: …

Awakened, Lu Xiaoqing: …

Half-asleep Zhang Xiao asked in a hoarse voice, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Nian’s trembling voice came from under the quilt, “There’s a shadow above my head.”

Zhai Peipei: …

She said irritably, “It’s me!”

Zhang Xiao looked up and saw Zhai Peipei, “Oh, Sister Zhai, what are you doing here?”

Zhai Peipei, a bit exasperated, said, “You two kicked off your quilt. I was covering you, but Jiang Nian scared me with her scream.”

Jiang Nian, peeking out from under the quilt, smiled sheepishly, “Sorry, Sister Zhai, I was half-asleep and didn’t see clearly.”

Zhai Peipei wasn’t sure whether to stay angry, so she just hummed and went back to bed.

After Jiang Nian’s scream, the four of them took a while to fall back asleep. The next day, Jiang Nian got up early to finish her work, asking Zhang Xiao to help her get food. Although she couldn’t say this place was bad after being here for over a month, it was clear that the family quarters were better.

For her, a small courtyard, a room, and the ability to cook her own meals were far better. The cafeteria food had become tasteless to her, and she longed to go back to the family quarters to cook a proper meal.

In the evening, when work was done, Zhang Xiao came over with an aluminum lunchbox and asked, “Sister Jiang, are we going to the cafeteria together or should I get food for you?”

Before Jiang Nian could reply, Lu Xiaoqing said, “What food? Let’s go to the state-run restaurant. The food there is much better than the cafeteria’s, and they have meat.”

Zhang Xiao wondered where Lu Xiaoqing got the money to treat them to the state-run restaurant and why she was suddenly so generous.

Since last night when Lu Xiaoqing began to show excessive attentiveness, Jiang Nian felt something was off. Now, with Lu Xiaoqing suggesting they go to the state-run restaurant for dinner, Jiang Nian’s suspicion peaked instantly. Thinking about the company Lu Xiaoqing often kept—Hu Zhongming, Yang Jun, Feng Ren—she sensed trouble brewing.

Lu Xiaoqing tugged at Jiang Nian’s arm. “Stop embroidering and let’s go.”

Jiang Nian freed herself from Lu Xiaoqing’s grasp, her tone suddenly distant and cold. “If you want to go, go ahead. I still have to meet my deadline. If I don’t finish the embroidery on time, I can’t bear that responsibility.”

Zhang Xiao, seeing Jiang Nian’s refusal, added, “Yes, the deadline is crucial. I’ll go get dinner for Sister Jiang.”

With that, Zhang Xiao left.

Lu Xiaoqing attempted to pull Jiang Nian again, but Jiang Nian evaded her, looking at Lu Xiaoqing with displeasure. “I said I’m not going. Please don’t force me.”

If Lu Xiaoqing continued to press her, Jiang Nian would really lose her patience.

Being rejected twice in a row by Jiang Nian left Lu Xiaoqing feeling embarrassed and angry. Hu Zhongming had promised to help her. If she could bring Jiang Nian and Zhang Xiao along, he could introduce her to his parents sooner. Lu Xiaoqing was counting on this opportunity to get married faster and settle down with a city hukou ^[1]an official document issued by the Chinese government, certifying that the holder is a legal resident of a particular area..

Now, Jiang Nian has become the biggest obstacle to her acquiring a city hukou.

Zhai Peipei stood up to tidy the threads, giving Lu Xiaoqing a cold look. “If Jiang Nian says she’s not going, why are you still insisting? Is there something shady you’re hiding again?”

Lu Xiaoqing hadn’t expected Zhai Peipei to hit the nail on the head, but she didn’t admit anything. Instead, she gave Jiang Nian a displeased look and said, “You don’t know what’s good for you,” before leaving.

Jiang Nian: …

This woman is insane.

Seriously.

After Lu Xiaoqing left, Zhai Peipei commented, “You’re smart not to go with her.”

Jiang Nian glanced at Zhai Peipei and smiled wryly. “I’ll take that as a compliment from you, Sister Zhai.”

Zhai Peipei paused, then laughed out loud for the first time and reminded her, “Be cautious when you’re out. Not many good people surround Lu Xiaoqing. Keep your distance.”

Jiang Nian nodded. “Thank you for the reminder, Sister Zhai.”

With that, Zhai Peipei left. Jiang Nian continued embroidering in the shop. The phone rang, and she hurriedly answered, “Hello, who’s calling?”

“It’s me.”

It was Lu Yu’s voice on the other end.

Jiang Nian’s voice softened slightly. “Are you done with work?”

“Yeah, what about you? Off work yet?”

“I’m still at the embroidery shop.”

Lu Yu’s voice was low and magnetic. “Haven’t had dinner yet?”

“Zhang Xiao went to get dinner for me.”

There was a brief silence between them. Just as Jiang Nian was about to say goodbye, Lu Yu spoke again. “Can you take half a day off tomorrow afternoon?”

Jiang Nian was surprised. “Why?”

“I’m coming to the city tomorrow to see you.”

“Is something wrong?”

Jiang Nian furrowed her brows. If Lu Yu was asking her to take time off, it must be important. Could it be related to Wu Ying and Li Fangda’s child? Or did something happen in the family quarters?

She speculated for a moment, but Lu Yu’s reassuring voice came through, “Don’t worry, everything’s fine.”

After a moment’s pause, he added, “There’s a new movie premiering tomorrow afternoon in the city. I have some errands there, so I thought I’d take you to see a movie.”

Jiang Nian: ???

Her heart skipped a beat, and she asked in surprise, “Watch a movie?”

It is not because she was surprised, but because she hadn’t expected Lu Yu to ask her out to a movie.

Seemingly anticipating Jiang Nian’s reaction, his deep voice carried a hint of amusement, “Yes.”