Running Towards You - Chapter 22

“Hold on tight,” Lu Jiahe instructed before bidding farewell to Cheng Jingwen, “We’re heading off now. See you later.”

The car had been driving for quite some time when Ji Yin, nibbling on her finger, hesitantly asked, “Dr. Lu, is she really your friend?”

“Yeah, a high school classmate.”

Ji Yin’s face twisted in horror as she leaned back against the seat. “Oh no, oh no, oh no.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I actually called your friend a lunatic right in front of you.” Ji Yin cautiously glanced at her a couple of times.

“Well, she was the one who glared at you first,” Lu Jiahe replied.

Ji Yin turned to look at her. “You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be? It’s not like you were insulting me.”

Ji Yin let out a sigh of relief. “But I really didn’t expect you two to know each other. Why was she glaring at me for no reason? I thought she was some kind of tabloid reporter or something.”

Lu Jiahe chuckled. “Let’s just say you misread the situation.”

“Okay.” Ji Yin fell silent for a moment before curiosity got the better of her again. “So, is she classmates with Li Chenyao too?”

“No, Yaoyao wasn’t in our class.”

Ji Yin nodded. “Are you all locals?”

“Yeah.”

“No wonder you have so many friends.”

Having started working early and moved around a lot, Ji Yin had been to many cities but hadn’t made many close friends along the way.

“What do you want to eat tonight?” Lu Jiahe asked.

“I bought some groceries. How about cooking at home?”

Lu Jiahe looked surprised. “You’re cooking?”

“Yeah. Talking about my past job at a restaurant earlier made me want to show off my skills.”

When they got home, Lu Jiahe noticed several plastic bags on the floor. She opened them to find vegetables, fruits, nuts, and dried goods inside.

“Did you buy all this?”

“Yeah, it’s the New Year, after all.”

“Did you disinfect the bags?”

Ji Yin froze. “I forgot! Do these need disinfecting too?”

“Yes, remember to do it next time.” After Lu Jiahe finished disinfecting, Ji Yin took out the ingredients and headed to the kitchen to start prepping.

Just as the food hit the pan, her phone rang. She pulled it out and saw it was a call from Yanzi, so she put it on speaker and set it aside.

“Hey, what are you up to? It’s so noisy over there,” Yanzi said.

“Cooking.”

“Oh my god, you’re actually cooking? Did some big shot hire you as their personal chef?”

Lu Jiahe, who was cutting fruit nearby, glanced at her with a smile.

Ji Yin gave an awkward laugh before replying, “Stop talking nonsense. What’s up?”

“Nothing major. Just chatting with his family about buying a house and settling down. I wanted to ask your opinion, where do you think would be a good place for us to buy?”

“If I knew where was good, I’d have bought a place myself by now.”

“That’s just you being stingy!”

Ji Yin tossed seasonings into the pan one by one. “Have you two even saved up enough to start thinking about buying a house?”

“His parents said they’d cover the down payment,” Yanzi whispered, then added after a pause, “I don’t want to be apart from you either. Have you thought about where you’d like to settle down? Wherever you go, I’ll follow.”

“Hard to say. I’m not getting married or having kids, so don’t wait for me to decide on something this big, make your own choice. Gotta go, my food’s about to burn.” Ji Yin quickly turned off the stove and plated the dish, then casually asked, “Dr. Lu, which city do you think is best for settling down?”

“It depends on their priorities,” Lu Jiahe said, spearing a piece of honeydew melon with a toothpick. It was incredibly sweet, so he casually offered another piece to her lips. “Factors like job opportunities, climate, food, education, and healthcare all need to be considered. It just depends on what they value most.”

“Education and healthcare!” a sudden voice blurted from the phone, startling both of them.

The melon nearly fell from Ji Yin’s mouth. Annoyed, she snapped, “Why haven’t you hung up yet?!”

“Well, I heard Dr. Lu was there,” Yanzi chuckled. “Dr. Lu, what do you think about us settling down in this city?”

“The local education resources are decent, and the medical facilities are good. The only downside is the food tends to be a bit bland.”

“Food isn’t an issue, it’s actually better for when we have kids, since they’ll need less oil and salt. Honestly, education is my top priority. No one in my family ever got a proper education, so I really hope my future child can attend a good university. Thanks, Dr. Lu! I’ll definitely think it over!” Satisfied at last, Yanzi finally ended the call.

“Dr. Lu,” Ji Yin suddenly called out.

“Hmm?”

“Ah” Ji Yin opened her mouth wide.

Lu Jiahe quickly caught on, she was asking to be fed. He speared another piece of honeydew and held it out. Ji Yin took a big bite.

“Mmm! So sweet!”

“It really is. Where did you buy it?”

“Definitely from Yanhua,” Ji Yin seized the chance to promote. “Yanhua’s produce is top-notch.”

“Yeah, not bad.”

“Ah”

Lu Jiahe fed her a few more pieces before Ji Yin shooed him away.

“Alright, alright, I need to get back to cooking. Stop tempting me with melon.”

Amused, Lu Jiahe went to the living room to organize the items from the bags. Passing the liquor cabinet, he glanced at the busy figure in the kitchen, a faint smile curling his lips. He took out a bottle of wine and poured some to let it breathe.

“I didn’t make much, and the taste is just so-so. Dr. Lu, you’ll have to make do,” Ji Yin said, plating three dishes before pulling out a bag of marinated snacks from the bag.

One look at the less-than-appetizing presentation, and Lu Jiahe knew she wasn’t being modest. He chuckled. “Actually, I’m not that picky.”

“You’re not picky? You won’t even eat apples.”

“That’s because I ate them every day as a kid. Got sick of them.” He poured two glasses of wine.

“Well, good. Since it’s your first time eating my cooking, don’t get tired of it too fast,” Ji Yin teased.

“Let’s make a toast,” Lu Jiahe said. “For the new year, wishing you health and safety.”

“And wealth,” Ji Yin added.

“May you strike it rich.”

“Thank you, thank you. Same to you.”

“My profession isn’t exactly suited for striking it rich.”

“I meant the health and safety part.”

“Got it. Cheers.”

Their glasses clinked with a crisp sound.

Lu Jiahe picked up his chopsticks and sampled the shredded chicken, stir-fried pork with king oyster mushrooms, and spicy and sour potato strips, nodding as he ate.

Ji Yin asked uncertainly, “Is it good?”

Lu Jiahe simply said, “I’m not picky.”

Ji Yin laughed and took a few bites herself. “The chicken’s a bit dry, the pork’s overcooked, and the potatoes are too bland.”

“Isn’t the blandness to suit my taste?”

“True, but do you actually like it?”

“It’s alright.”

“Now I believe you’re not picky,” Ji Yin burst out laughing.

As they ate and chatted, Lu Jiahe suddenly asked, “Earlier on the phone, you said you don’t plan on getting married or having kids?”

“Well, given my family situation, it’s hard to have any desire for marriage,” Ji Yin said.

“There’s something I’m quite curious about.”

“What?”

Lu Jiahe took a sip of wine before asking, “Given your father’s circumstances, why would Yanzi’s mother still marry him?”

“He put on an act. When he wasn’t drinking, he could still pass for a decent person. Besides, we had already moved away by then, so Yanzi’s mother had no idea about his true nature. He was smooth-talking and good-looking. At the time, Yanzi’s family was struggling financially, and that man helped her out a lot, so she softened up.”

Ji Yin shook her head with a sigh. “That’s why they say you can know a person’s face but not their heart. I can’t be sure what kind of person I’ll meet in the future. Dr. Lu, you’d better keep your eyes open, don’t let some man fool you so easily.”

“I won’t,” Lu Jiahe said firmly. “And I won’t get married, either.”

“Why?” Ji Yin was surprised. She had assumed someone like Dr. Lu, who grew up in a happy family, would easily embrace the idea of starting a new one. Puzzled, she asked, “Is it because you don’t like the idea?”

“Objective circumstances don’t permit it,” Lu Jiahe replied with a smile.

“What objective circumstances?”

“You’ll find out later.”

Ji Yin nodded, sensing there was something unspeakable, and didn’t press further.

After dinner, the two went about their own activities. Lu Jiahe sat in the study watching an American TV show, while Ji Yin sprawled on the couch outside, flipping through an interview magazine.

Just then, Lu Jiahe received a new friend request on WeChat, with the note indicating it was from a classmate group.

But judging from the profile picture and username, she couldn’t recall who it was.

There had been a class reunion earlier that afternoon, maybe this person had suddenly remembered her?

After accepting the request, she asked: [Who is this?]

[Zhitong]: Cheng Jingwen.

“…”

[Lu Jiahe]: Weren’t you not in this group?

[Cheng Jingwen]: Just joined.

“…”

Lu Jiahe didn’t know what to say next, but the other person took the initiative to continue the conversation.

[Are you free tomorrow? Let me treat you to dinner.]

[I’m on duty.]

[You were on duty today too, but you still went out with that woman.]

Lu Jiahe fell silent for a moment before calmly typing: [Jingwen, we’re not compatible. Don’t waste your time anymore.]

Setting her phone aside, Lu Jiahe tried to focus on the show, but her mind was restless.

Thud

A sharp noise suddenly came from outside, startling her. She walked to the door and saw that Ji Yin seemed equally startled, bolting upright from the couch and looking around in confusion before picking up the magazine from the floor.

Meeting Lu Jiahe’s gaze, Ji Yin gave an awkward laugh. “I dozed off just now and accidentally dropped the book.”

“If you’re tired, go to bed early. You didn’t sleep much last night, did you?”

“I usually don’t sleep much, but I don’t know why I’m so exhausted today.” Ji Yin yawned as she stood up, glanced at the time, and gasped. “It’s not even midnight, and I’m already sleepy? It must be because your place is too comfortable, I get drowsy the moment I lie down.”

“Go wash up and get some rest.”

“Goodnight, Dr. Lu.”

“Goodnight.”

Over the next two days, Lu Jiahe noticed that someone was always up even earlier than her, with breakfast already prepared.

And just before her shifts ended, someone would come to pick her up.

Though the excuse was always running errands nearby or meeting friends, three days in a row seemed like too much of a coincidence.

After returning home, there would always be a large bag of food waiting for her snacks, fruits, and even a New Year’s gift package.

She looked down at the gift package on the floor, and Ji Yin quickly explained, “It’s been disinfected before being brought in!”

Lu Jiahe chuckled and looked up. “You don’t have to go out of your way to do these things. This room would’ve been empty anyway. These items aren’t cheap, right? Don’t make a special trip to buy them tomorrow. Save your money properly.”

“I’ve been saving,” Ji Yin said. “Besides, these things only cost me the wholesale price. I can afford to give them, especially since I’ll be eating them too.”

“Can employees just buy things at cost price whenever they want? Wouldn’t the boss lose money that way? Aren’t they worried about employees reselling for profit?” Lu Jiahe asked curiously.

“Employees?” Ji Yin froze, blinking in confusion. It took her a while to process the question. “You mean. me, as an employee?”

Lu Jiahe nodded. “Sounds like your supermarket has pretty good benefits. If your family works hard, you might be able to settle down in this city soon.”

“Yeah…” Ji Yin murmured, staring at her in disbelief.

So, Dr. Lu had always thought she was just an employee?

Thinking back, she realized she had never explicitly mentioned being the owner. And since Dr. Lu had only ever seen Yanzi and Dong Xiang at the supermarket, it was no surprise she assumed their whole family worked there.

“Then, if I’m just a small-time supermarket employee, why are you so nice to me, Dr. Lu?” Ji Yin asked softly.

“What kind of question is that? Positions don’t define a person’s worth. Making friends isn’t like a job interview, I don’t judge based on titles or education levels.” As Lu Jiahe spoke, she noticed Ji Yin’s gaze growing increasingly bright and intense. She thought to herself, It’s not like this is the first time I’ve said something like this. Why is she acting so unusually emotional today?

The next moment, she was pulled into a hug. Her body stiffened slightly, and her eyes widened slowly. “You… what are you doing?”

“Dr. Lu, why didn’t we meet sooner?”

Lu Jiahe couldn’t see her expression, only hear her voice. Listening closely, she detected a hint of regret and deep appreciation in those seemingly casual words.

“If only I’d met you when I was fifteen no, if only I’d known you from the moment I was born, that would’ve been perfect.”