Running Towards You - Chapter 30

Ji Yin helped Lu Jiahe get home and settled her onto the sofa, not forgetting to grab a bottle of disinfectant spray to spritz both of them thoroughly.

“Dr. Lu, do you want some water?” Ji Yin asked.

“Yes,” Lu Jiahe mumbled weakly, sprawled across the couch.

Ji Yin poured her a glass of water and helped her sit up to drink.

Lu Jiahe gulped down half the glass in one go before setting it down. Her gaze shifted, eventually locking onto Ji Yin’s eyes. “Tell me about what happened between you and that rich lady.”

“Huh?” Ji Yin had originally planned to share some bar gossip, but now she was the one being interrogated. She scratched her head sheepishly. “Oh, it was nothing, really. Back then, my hair was in that awkward in-between length, and I dressed pretty androgynously. The rich lady probably mistook me for a guy and took a liking to me.”

“Mhm, and then?”

“She was really nice to me at the time, so I got all emotional and told her she gave off motherly vibes. That actually made her mad.”

Lu Jiahe clenched her teeth to keep from laughing.

“Then she said she liked me and wanted to rent me a nicer place, even offering me 10,000 a month as pocket money. I thought, ‘Nothing this good comes for free,’ so I asked what I’d have to do in return. She said, ‘Just sleep with me.’” Ji Yin cringed.

“Did you agree?”

“Of course not! I told her I was a woman and that she had the wrong idea. But then she said she liked women and wanted to… with me ” Ji Yin couldn’t finish. She picked up the remaining half-glass of water and downed it in one go. “Ugh, this is so embarrassing. You’re the only one I’ve ever told not even Yanzi knows. You can’t tell anyone, okay?”

“Okay.” Lu Jiahe was quiet for a moment before asking, “Do you hate her?”

“Absolutely. You know what’s the grossest part? She was married!” Ji Yin’s face twisted in disgust. “If I hadn’t known she had a family, I might not have trusted her so much. But she was just after my body,what a creep.”

Lu Jiahe rubbed her temples.

“What, are you feeling sick again? Your alcohol tolerance really isn’t great. You shouldn’t drink so much in the future,” Ji Yin advised.

Lu Jiahe slumped back weakly, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Ji Yin sat quietly with her for a long while before finally asking, “Dr. Lu, what are you thinking about?”

“Creeps.”

“Why would you think about her?” Ji Yin sat cross-legged on the sofa, grinning as she massaged Lu Jiahe’s shoulders. “I used to have the worst luck with people, but things are better now that I’ve met you. You’re nothing like them you’re the best person in the whole world.”

Lu Jiahe’s eyes were lifeless. “No, I’m not.” I’m after your body too.

Ji Yin insisted, “Yes, you are, you are, you are!”

By the time Lu Jiahe had sobered up a bit, Ji Yin was ready to leave. After giving a few reminders, she turned and noticed the large, vibrant bouquet on the table, something that had caught her eye the moment they walked in but only now had the chance to ask about. “Dr. Lu, did you buy these flowers yourself?”

“No.”

“Then who gave them to you? They’re so pretty.” Ji Yin walked over to the table and glanced curiously at the bouquet, spotting a card with a handwritten message.

“On this full moon night, I send my longing across the distance Cheng Jingwen.” Ji Yin read aloud, word by word. “Cheng Jingwen. that sounds like a woman’s name?”

“Yeah, you’ve seen her before the girl who glared at you.”

“Oh, her.” Not interested.

Ji Yin bid her farewell again, and as soon as the door closed, Lu Jiahe flopped onto the sofa and, without realizing it, fell asleep.

The next morning, she woke up feeling terrible even her mom noticed.

“Why so listless? Not going for your workout?”

“Not today, I’m tired.”

“Not going out with Li Chenyao?”

“Not today, I’m tired.”

“Not going on a date?”

“Not today, I’m tired. Huh?” Lu Jiahe looked up. “I don’t have a date.”

Lu Jiahe stayed at her parents’ place until evening before heading home. Liu Jia sighed and said to her husband, “It’s over. They probably broke up.”

“That fast?” Professor Lu asked, incredulous.

“A few days ago, she was rushing out all excited, but today she spent the whole day here. Things must not be going well.”

Professor Lu thought for a moment, then called Lu Jiahe: “Sweetheart, you’re the best.”

Lu Jiahe: “Dad, why the sudden sentimentality?”

Professor Lu: “…” Was I that obvious?

When Lu Jiahe got home, she turned on the TV and idly scrolled through her phone. She had only exchanged two messages with Ji Yin that day.

Ji Yin had sent a “Good morning,” saying she was off on another business trip.

Lu Jiahe replied with a “Good morning, work hard,” and that was it.

She didn’t know whether to take things further.

Last night, she had planned to use the alcohol as courage to confess her identity to Ji Yin, but then that damn rich woman showed up out of nowhere, giving lesbians a bad name!

She was afraid that if she came clean, Ji Yin would lump her in with the creeps. Sigh.

Luckily, once work started, she didn’t have much energy to dwell on it. And Ji Yin seemed busy too, their conversations grew fewer and farther between.

Occasionally, Lu Jiahe would pick up her phone, instinctively open their chat, only to find the conversation still stuck on the last exchange. She’d then put her phone down, feeling a little dejected.

Had Ji Yin actually noticed something? Was she deliberately avoiding her?

By March, the weather had gradually warmed up, and the heavy coats were finally put away.

The air was fresh, and the roads home were lined with blooming flowers, this was the joy of spring.

Lu Jiahe drove to work. Outside her clinic stood several large trees, lush and full of life.

Another day of outpatient appointments. She turned on the queuing system and began her shift.

Patients came and went. At one point, she glanced up and caught a familiar figure outside the door, but it disappeared into the crowd the next second.

She paused, unsure if it was just her imagination.

Come to think of it, they hadn’t seen each other since that night at the bar. Their WeChat exchanges had dwindled too, as if both were intentionally keeping their distance.

After seeing a few more patients, a child was carried in by an adult, followed by a woman none other than Ji Yin.

Lu Jiahe looked at Ji Yin in surprise, and Ji Yin gave her a shy smile.

“Doctor, can you check what’s wrong with my son?” the child’s mother asked.

The little boy’s face was streaked with tears, his ankle swollen.

“Put him on the bed. How did he twist it?” Lu Jiahe put on gloves and gently pressed the ankle, making the child cry again.

“He was running around in the supermarket. The floor had just been mopped and was too slippery he took a bad fall.” The mother finished speaking and glanced at Ji Yin.

“Don’t worry, sis. If there’s really any problem with the child, we’ll compensate,” Ji Yin said.

“Let’s get you an urgent X-ray first. The results should be ready in about half an hour, and then we can check for any fractures,” Lu Jiahe replied.

“Alright.” The mother carried the child out, with Ji Yin accompanying them the entire time.

Half an hour later, Ji Yin returned with the X-ray films and took them to Dr. Lu. Seeing the child still wiping away tears, Lu Jiahe took a small yellow rubber duck from her drawer and handed it to him. “It’s okay no fractures, just a sprain. I’ll prescribe some ointment for you to apply at home. Rest well, and you’ll recover soon.”

“Are you sure there are no fractures? Could he get a full-body scan? I’m worried he might have other injuries from the fall,” the mother insisted.

“The X-ray shows no other bone damage. The external injury is just a scrape on his arm, and the likelihood of internal organ damage is very low. Besides, he’s still young, and some diagnostic equipment isn’t ideal for children. A full-body scan isn’t necessary. Little one, do you feel any discomfort anywhere else?”

The child shook his head.

Reluctantly, the mother gave up.

After her shift, Lu Jiahe drove past the hospital entrance and spotted Ji Yin standing by the gate, fiddling with the little duck in her hands.

Rolling down the window, Lu Jiahe called out, “What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you.” Ji Yin looked up and quickly stuffed the duck into her pocket.

“This isn’t the place to talk. Get in first.”

Ji Yin swiftly climbed into the car.

“Haven’t eaten yet? What do you feel like having?” Lu Jiahe asked.

“Anything’s fine.”

Lu Jiahe picked a random restaurant. Once seated, she took out hand sanitizer and asked, “Did you send off that mother and child?”

“Yeah.” Ji Yin nodded, resting her chin on her hands. “That could’ve cost us a fortune. Good thing you said the full-body scan wasn’t needed.”

Lu Jiahe chuckled. “I didn’t say that just for your sake. The kid really didn’t need it.”

“Ugh, running a business is such a hassle. There’s always some issue popping up every few days.” Ji Yin exhaled deeply.

“Why worry? That’s your boss’s problem,” Lu Jiahe teased.

“True. Whoever’s the boss has it rough.” Ji Yin clicked her tongue.

Lu Jiahe poured her a cup of hot tea. “What have you been up to lately?”

“Same old business trips. Running me ragged.” Ji Yin took a few sips, then glanced at Lu Jiahe only to be caught in the act.

“Why are you looking at me?”

Ji Yin quickly lowered her eyes. “No reason.”

“Tell me the truth.”

“Why haven’t you been replying to my messages?” Ji Yin set down her cup carefully.

“You’re the one who stopped chatting with me.”

“You stopped replying, how was I supposed to keep talking to you?”

Lu Jiahe hadn’t expected to be blamed instead. She pulled up their chat history to find proof, only to realize the last message was from Ji Yin, a photo of her lunch, which Lu Jiahe had left unanswered for three whole days.

“…”

Lu Jiahe explained, “I was in surgery that day. By the time I saw your message, it was already evening. I was exhausted, and the moment had passed, so I didn’t reply right away. I figured I’d explain the next time you messaged, but you never did. Were you upset?”

“No, no,” Ji Yin quickly waved her hands. “I thought you were annoyed with me, and because of what I said last time about the wealthy woman, you might think I’m not serious, so you didn’t want to be friends anymore.”

“That’s not it at all,” Lu Jiahe replied, both amused and exasperated upon hearing this reason.

“Really? So we’re still good friends?”

“Of course.”

“That’s great!” Ji Yin beamed, rubbing her hands together. She had almost thought Dr. Lu didn’t want anything to do with her, and it had left her distracted all week while she was out of town.

She had just returned last night, and today a child had fallen in the supermarket. Normally, she would have left it to the manager to handle, but she suddenly realized this was the perfect opportunity to see Dr. Lu. So she readily agreed to cover the medical expenses and even took the initiative to bring the child to the hospital for a check-up.

With the misunderstanding cleared up, both of them were in much better spirits and ate even more heartily.

Midway through their meal, Liu Jia called: “Why aren’t you back yet? The food’s getting cold.”

Oh no, she’d forgotten about her parents at home.

“Don’t wait for me. I’m out having dinner with a friend. I’ll bring something back for you later ”

“Alright, take your time. No need to rush back. Don’t worry about us we’re going out for a walk,” Liu Jia said before hanging up.

On Saturday afternoon, Lu Jiahe carried two bags of rice to her parents’ house.

“A friend gave these to me. Let’s have them for dinner tonight.”

“Sure,” Liu Jia said, putting the rice away. Glancing at the stove, she added, “Zaozao, go downstairs and buy a bottle of soy sauce.”

“Okay,” Lu Jiahe replied, grabbing her car keys.

“Where are you driving to? There’s a convenience store right downstairs with soy sauce.”

“I’ll go to Yanhua to get some good quality ones.”

“Soy sauce is pretty much the same everywhere. Yanhua is just ” Before Liu Jia could finish, Lu Jiahe was already out the door. Muttering to herself, Liu Jia wondered, “Why the hurry? Who’s at Yanhua anyway?”

Before getting out of the car, Lu Jiahe checked the rearview mirror, powdered her face, applied some lipstick, spritzed on perfume, and stepped out feeling fresh and confident.

She wandered around the supermarket for a long time without spotting the person she was looking for, but luckily, she ran into a relative.

“Yanzi.”

Lu Jiahe had guessed that Yanzi was in charge of the membership section, and sure enough, she spotted her busy at the membership counter.

“Dr. Lu?!” Yanzi’s face lit up with delight. “Here to shop again?”

“Yeah, is your sister around?”

“She is! Do you need her for something?”

Seeing the line of members waiting behind her, Lu Jiahe said, “Nothing important, just asking. You go ahead with your work.”

A few minutes later, Lu Jiahe received a call from Ji Yin.

“Dr. Lu, where are you?!”

“In the supermarket.”

“I’m coming to find you right now!” Ji Yin exclaimed before hanging up excitedly.

Half a minute later, another excited call came: “Dr. Lu, which section are you in?!”

“East 8th Zone.”

“East 8th Zone… East 8th Zone? Does our supermarket even have an East 8th Zone?!” Ji Yin was dumbfounded.

A soft chuckle came through the phone. “Then why don’t you turn around and see?”

Ji Yin turned and immediately spotted Lu Jiahe. She dashed over, stopping just in front of her with a grin. “Almost didn’t brake in time.”

“What would’ve happened if you didn’t brake?”

“I would’ve ended up hugging you.”

Lu Jiahe pondered for a moment before replying with a smile, “If it can’t stop, then it can’t stop. What’s the big deal?”

Ji Yin regretfully extended her hand, “But my hands aren’t sanitized.”

“Then forget it,” Lu Jiahe said, turning toward the seasoning aisle.

“What are you buying?” Ji Yin asked, walking alongside her.

“Soy sauce,” Lu Jiahe replied, picking up a bottle.

“Soy sauce is good. Buying soy sauce is good,” Ji Yin babbled incoherently.

Lu Jiahe chuckled and tilted her head to look at her. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing, just. you smell really nice today. What perfume is that?”

“I’m not sure either. Someone gave it to me. Want to take a sniff?”

Ji Yin actually leaned in to smell it but couldn’t quite place the scent. The more she smelled it, the more intoxicating it became, and the more she wanted to keep smelling it she felt like she was drowning in the fragrance.

Noticing she hadn’t pulled away for a while, Lu Jiahe’s fingers twitched slightly, brushing against the soy sauce bottle as she suppressed the turmoil inside. She turned her head and whispered softly by Ji Yin’s ear, “I don’t always need others to sanitize, you know.”

Ji Yin blinked, then happily wrapped her arms around Lu Jiahe, breathing in her scent. “Hehe, got you. I smell the forest on you.”