Running Towards You - Chapter 25

What on earth happened between you two in just one night?

Li Chenyao was utterly shocked and was about to interrogate her thoroughly when Ji Yin emerged.

“All set, let’s go.”

Li Chenyao had no choice but to suppress her curiosity for the time being and set off with them.

This time, they were driving Li Chenyao’s car for the road trip. Ji Yin sat alone in the backseat, quietly searching for information about commercial districts and shops in Jianwu City on her phone, not making a sound the entire time.

Li Chenyao glanced up and caught sight of her in the rearview mirror. “Ji Yin, what are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m checking if there are any good places for shopping in Jianwu,” Ji Yin replied, looking up.

“That would be the city center, of course. Oh, and there’s also this creative street with all sorts of quirky little shops great for photos too,” Li Chenyao said, her eyes flickering toward Lu Jiahe, who was napping. “You and Lu Jiahe can go check it out later.”

The next moment, Lu Jiahe opened her eyes and stared at her expressionlessly.

Li Chenyao grinned. “I knew you were faking sleep.”

“Faking what? Your driving is just so bad it’s impossible to sleep,” Lu Jiahe retorted.

Ji Yin leaned forward from the back. “Dr. Lu, didn’t you rest well last night?”

Seizing the opportunity, Li Chenyao chimed in, “What exactly did you two do last night?”

“Nothing much. I just took her for a ride on my bike. Did she catch a cold from the wind?” Ji Yin reached out and pressed her hand against Lu Jiahe’s forehead.

“No,” Lu Jiahe shook her head.

Ji Yin sighed in relief and turned back. “How about we switch drivers at the next rest stop? I’ll take over.”

“…” Li Chenyao protested indignantly, “My driving is perfectly fine!”

“Dr. Lu is practically getting carsick from your driving.”

“That’s just her excuse!”

“Are you just not good at accepting your own flaws?” Ji Yin asked earnestly.

Lu Jiahe burst out laughing.

Li Chenyao was fuming. As soon as they reached the rest stop, she got out of the car. “Come on, let’s see how good your driving really is.”

Ji Yin took the driver’s seat and had just fastened her seatbelt when Lu Jiahe asked uneasily, “Have you driven before?”

“Yes, don’t worry.”

Lu Jiahe unconsciously sat up straighter. Once the car merged back onto the highway, it moved at a steady, if not slow, pace, and she gradually relaxed.

“This isn’t much different from how I drive,” Li Chenyao remarked from the backseat.

“Her lane changes are way smoother than yours,” Lu Jiahe said.

Li Chenyao pouted. “You’re biased.”

Lu Jiahe instinctively glanced at Ji Yin, only to catch her stifling a laugh. She couldn’t help but smile too.

“Dr. Lu, why don’t you take a nap?” Ji Yin suggested.

“Mm, I’ll rest for a bit.” Lu Jiahe closed her eyes and soon fell asleep, only waking when a sharp turn caused her to tilt sideways.

“Where are we now?”

“We’re in the mountains. The hotel isn’t far,” Li Chenyao answered.

Lu Jiahe looked out the window at the scenery endless greenery, snow-capped peaks, it was truly breathtaking.

“Dr. Lu, look over here!” Ji Yin called out.

Lu Jiahe turned to her and stared blankly for a moment before asking, confused, “At what?”

“There are goats on the mountain over here!” Ji Yin quickly explained.

Lu Jiahe turned her head to glance toward the mountains. The flock of sheep had already passed, leaving only a glimpse of one or two stragglers. “Oh, so you were looking at the sheep.”

“Otherwise? Were you staring at some beauty all this time?” Li Chenyao’s voice drifted over from behind, laced with amusement.

Ji Yin froze for a moment before bursting into silent laughter. Not one to be outdone, she shot back with a compliment, “Li Chenyao, you’re a beauty too.”

“Hmph, obviously!”

After winding around a few bends, the hotel finally came into view. As they parked, Ji Yin executed a smooth reverse maneuver that left Li Chenyao stunned.

“Wait, you actually have some skills?”

Lu Jiahe was equally surprised. “Do you drive often?”

“Not really. Guess I’m just a natural,” Ji Yin replied.

“Strong sister,” Li Chenyao quipped.

After checking in at the front desk, it was time to assign rooms. The three of them stood awkwardly in the elevator, exchanging glances.

The morning’s dilemma resurfaced. Li Chenyao, eyes gleaming with mischief, asked, “Zaozao, who gets the single room this time?”

“Me,” Lu Jiahe said.

Li Chenyao countered, “You’re closer to Ji Yin. You should room with her. I’ll take the single.”

“No way.”

Ji Yin glanced between them. “How about you two share, and I take the single?”

Lu Jiahe and Li Chenyao exchanged a look, realizing this was the most practical solution. Reluctantly, they agreed.

“Why didn’t we just book three single rooms?” Lu Jiahe muttered once they were inside.

“Who knew you’d develop other thoughts after just one night!?” Li Chenyao was on the verge of losing it. She shut the door and pulled Lu Jiahe onto the small sofa. “I’m dying here. Spill it, what exactly happened last night that’s got you feeling guilty already?”

“Nothing much. I just suddenly found her. kind of attractive,” Lu Jiahe admitted frankly.

“Attractive how?”

Lu Jiahe pondered seriously. “Hard to explain. Just a feeling.”

Li Chenyao raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re saying the feeling hit you?”

Lu Jiahe sighed. “Can we keep it serious?”

“I am being serious! Didn’t you always say relationships depend on the right feeling? Does she have what you’re looking for?”

“Actually. yeah,” Lu Jiahe conceded after a pause.

Li Chenyao groaned. “You’ve never even thought about this before, have you? You’re just agreeing with me for the sake of it, aren’t you?”

Lu Jiahe offered a faint smile.

Rolling her eyes, Li Chenyao pressed on, “And what about her? Does she like you back?”

Lu Jiahe shook her head. “She’s probably straight.”

“Are you out of your mind? Of all people, you fall for a straight girl!?” Li Chenyao gasped.

“But I don’t think she’s that straight,” Lu Jiahe muttered.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Is she a spring straight one moment, bent the next?”

“She hates men and has no plans to marry or have kids.”

“Does that mean she likes women?”

“No idea.”

“That doesn’t automatically rule out her being straight. I’m not planning to marry or have kids either, you know.”

“Hence why I’m still considering it,” Lu Jiahe sighed.

“Considering what? Dropping this whole idea?”

“Yeah.”

Li Chenyao nodded emphatically. “Drop it, drop it. Find someone on the same wavelength. There are plenty out there. If all else fails, you can always meet my colleague again.”

“Enough of this. Let’s eat first,” Lu Jiahe said.

Grabbing their bags, the two headed out to find Ji Yin for dinner.

Lunch was settled at the hotel. The open-air terrace, nestled halfway up the mountainside, allowed them to enjoy the scenic mountain views while eating. With such beautiful scenery accompanying the meal, everyone’s appetite improved.

Li Chenyao and Lu Jiahe recited a few fitting poems, sparking a conversation between them. Ji Yin, however, was completely lost in their discussion and focused solely on devouring his food.

The afternoon itinerary included a visit to an art gallery currently hosting a traveling calligraphy and painting exhibition.

After finishing his meal, Ji Yin said, “You two go ahead to the art gallery. I have other things to take care of, so let’s split up for now.”

“Where are you going?” Lu Jiahe asked.

“Just some work-related matters. Besides, I’m not really interested in art galleries,” Ji Yin replied, scratching his head.

“Alright, then contact us when you’re done.”

“Sure.”

Ji Yin hailed a taxi and headed straight for the city center. Along the way, he struck up a conversation with the driver: “Hey, when your family goes out shopping, where do you usually go?”

“Where else? The mall, of course. It’s air-conditioned, warm in winter and cool in summer. When we’re tired, we can find a shop to sit down. My wife shops for clothes, the kids play games, everything’s taken care of,” the driver said.

“Do you usually buy daily necessities online or at the supermarket?”

“My wife is addicted to online shopping, but my mom prefers going to the supermarket. Every week, she drags the whole family there, mainly to take the kids along.”

“Which supermarkets do you usually go to?”

“Just the one inside the mall.”

Ji Yin nodded. That was the advantage of setting up shop in a mall one-stop shopping.

However, malls mostly only partner with well-known chain supermarkets, leveraging brand recognition for mutual benefit. Ji Yin had to find another path.

“Which ring road do you live on?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Oh, I’m planning to look for work here, so I wanted to get a sense of the local prices and spending levels.”

“Well, you’re welcome here! Apart from the city center, prices in the other districts aren’t too high. Once, I went to a supermarket in the city center, and the prices there nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“Which supermarket was that?”

The driver named one.

Ji Yin immediately said, “Take me to that supermarket, please.”

“Huh?”

“I never expected to see so many masterpieces this time! Even though many are replicas, it’s still worth it. Every time I see the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection, I just want to see Wang Xizhi’s original so badly!” Li Chenyao burst out the moment they left the exhibition hall.

Lu Jiahe laughed. “Back in middle school, my mom went to Taiwan for an interview, and I tagged along. I was lucky enough to see Letter on a Clearing Sky After Snowfall at the museum.”

“I’m so jealous! I’m going to see it next time!” Li Chenyao exclaimed, raising her arms.

Outside, the sky had already darkened. Lu Jiahe checked his phone, still no word from Ji Yin so he called him: “Are you done yet?”

“Not yet. You two go ahead and eat without me,” Ji Yin replied.

“Alright.” After hanging up, Lu Jiahe turned to Li Chenyao and said, “Looks like it’s just the two of us for dinner.”

“What’s with that expression? Is having dinner with me really that unbearable?” Li Chenyao huffed.

“Of course not, I’m thrilled,” Lu Jiahe said with a professional fake smile.

After dinner, they strolled around the area for a while. By the time they returned to the hotel, it was already past ten.

Lu Jiahe knocked on the door of the neighboring room, but there was no answer. He muttered, “Why isn’t he back yet? Did something happen?”

“Call and ask,” Li Chenyao said.

Lu Jiahe dialed again, and the call was quickly answered.

“Hello, Dr. Lu.”

Lu Jiahe detected a hint of exhaustion in her voice and asked, “When are you coming back?”

“I’m already on my way back,” Ji Yin replied weakly.

“Have… have you eaten yet?” Lu Jiahe blurted out awkwardly.

“Not yet.”

“It’s this late, and you still haven’t eaten?” Lu Jiahe asked incredulously.

Ji Yin chuckled sheepishly. “Got too busy and forgot.”

She really had forgotten. She had spent hours meticulously browsing through that independent supermarket, sampling plenty of items. After thoroughly inspecting every key section, she visited a few nearby supermarkets to scout them out. Before she knew it, it was already this late, almost closing time and she had to hurry back.

She dozed off in the car and only saw the message Lu Jiahe had sent her over ten minutes ago when she arrived at the hotel.

[Lu Jiahe]: If you’re back, come to our room.

Ji Yin knocked on the door, and Lu Jiahe opened it from inside. “Come in quickly.”

“You guys aren’t asleep yet?” Ji Yin followed her in.

“Yao Yao’s taking a shower,” Lu Jiahe said, lifting two takeout boxes from the table. “I ordered this for you. It just arrived and is still warm. Take it back and eat it right away.”

Ji Yin took the warm meal, feeling her heart warm along with it, her exhaustion instantly melting away. “Thank you, Dr. Lu!”

Then she pulled something from her pocket and handed it to Lu Jiahe. “This is for you a thank-you gift.”

It was a ballpoint pen with a cartoon character printed on the casing a figure in a white coat, resembling a doctor.

“I passed by the stationery section in the supermarket and thought of you when I saw this,” Ji Yin said with a grin. “I noticed doctors always have pens in their pockets, so maybe this’ll come in handy.”

“Thank you, I love it. I’ll keep it with me,” Lu Jiahe said with a soft smile as she pocketed the pen. She then looked up at Ji Yin’s beaming face and, after a moment of thought, suddenly asked, “Then how should I thank you for your gift?”

“No need” Before Ji Yin could finish, she felt a soft touch on her cheek.

Lu Jiahe leaned in and kissed her on the face.

Ji Yin froze, her eyes widening as she stared blankly at Lu Jiahe.

“Is this okay?” Lu Jiahe asked.

“Y-yeah, I guess,” Ji Yin stammered, touching her cheek. After locking eyes with her for a long moment, she turned to leave. “I’ll go back and eat now.”

Li Chenyao had just finished her shower. As soon as she opened the bathroom door, she saw Ji Yin covering her face, brushing past her before darting out the door.

“What’s wrong with her? Why’s she covering her face? Did she get hurt?” Li Chenyao closed the door and pointed outside.

“Not exactly hurt. I just kissed her,” Lu Jiahe said.

Li Chenyao had been hit with one shock after another these past few days, and her expression was now completely out of control. “What are you doing, using your beauty to commit crimes at this hour?”

Lu Jiahe simply smiled.

“What’s going on with you? Weren’t you just saying this morning that you were going to let her go?!” Li Chenyao demanded.

“I can’t let go anymore,” Lu Jiahe replied with a faint smile. “She blushed.”