Running Towards You - Chapter 40

“This is fun,” Lu Jiahe said.

“…”

Ji Yin felt utterly mortified at the thought of their previous conversation being recorded.

“Please delete it!” she pleaded.

“No.”

“Then just delete me instead, I can’t face anyone anymore!”

“Hmm.” Lu Jiahe mused.

Ji Yin perked up, was there hope?

After half a minute, she cautiously asked, “So. have you thought about it?”

“You Northeasterners really love your inverted sentences, huh?” Lu Jiahe remarked.

” Ji Yin was beside herself. “Is that really the point here? Seriously?”

Lu Jiahe chuckled and patted her ruffled head. “Alright, alright, let’s head back. I’m starving.”

“What do you want to eat?” Ji Yin asked, putting on her helmet and stepping onto the bike.

“Let’s order takeout. I just want to go home and lie down,” Lu Jiahe replied, settling onto the backseat and naturally wrapping her arms around Ji Yin’s waist.

Ji Yin sucked in a sharp breath and held it in her stomach, only slowly exhaling after a long moment.

Last time she’d given Lu Jiahe a ride, she hadn’t felt anything at all so why was she suddenly so nervous now?

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she focused on riding and soon arrived home.

The moment they stepped inside, Lu Jiahe slumped onto the sofa, closing her eyes to rest.

Ji Yin wandered around for a bit, ordered some food, then headed to the study to browse the bookshelves completely at ease, as if it were her own home.

When the food arrived, she gently woke Lu Jiahe. “Dinner’s here, Dr. Lu.”

“Okay.” Lu Jiahe sat up, rubbing her arm. “Find any books you liked?”

“Just skimmed a few. I didn’t want to disturb your rest, but I guess I still ended up waking you,” Ji Yin said helplessly.

“I did manage to doze off a little,” Lu Jiahe replied with a smile.

As they ate, they chatted about their recent days. Lu Jiahe asked, “Did you settle things with those vegetable suppliers?”

Ji Yin looked at her in surprise. “How did you know about that?”

“Yanzi told me.”

“Oh. It’s pretty much settled. Prices are rising everywhere, so we had to increase ours a bit too. All we can do is try to minimize losses during transportation,” Ji Yin explained.

Truthfully, vegetables were the least profitable and most perishable products in the supermarket. Quality control was stricter, requiring significant operational costs, and prices were easily affected by weather. Any price hikes also risked customer complaints.

But there was no way around it running a supermarket meant stocking these essential items. Though it was more work, they were what drew customers in.

Not everyone would visit daily for snacks or fruit, but everyone needed groceries. And once they came for vegetables, they’d naturally browse other products too.

“This time, I also met with a few hydroponic suppliers. We’ve pretty much reached an agreement. Overall costs have gone up, but the quality is noticeably better. Honestly, the produce looks so pristine, you could display it at home like flowers,” Ji Yin said with a laugh.

“Really?”

“Don’t believe me? Here, let me show you.” Ji Yin pulled up photos of the lush, vibrant greens, grown in a massive, spotless facility that looked almost breathtaking from a distance.

“Not bad. I think Yanhua Supermarket carries hydroponic produce, right?”

“Yes, but not much. I want to stock up on more varieties. After all, this stuff isn’t affected by the weather, and even if it’s a bit pricey, people nowadays are willing to spend on safe, healthy products,” Ji Yin said.

“Sure,” Lu Jiahe replied, looking at her curiously. “Are you a salesperson? Always out there hustling for business?”

“You could say that,” Ji Yin nodded.

“Tired?”

“Used to it. Being tired is good it means there’s still something to strive for. If I ever really had nothing to do, I’d be scared. I’ve had enough of being broke.”

Lu Jiahe placed a piece of fish in her bowl. “Eat more.”

“You too,” Ji Yin said, adding two pieces to her plate. “You know, I think you’ve lost a bit of weight?”

“Or maybe I’ve just gotten prettier?”

“Pretty, pretty, prettiest! You’re the prettiest!”

Ji Yin smiled brightly. Every time she saw Dr. Lu, her mood lifted, washing away her fatigue and leaving her feeling unusually light.

And Dr. Lu was just so good at conversation, casually dropping jokes that made her chuckle.

Most importantly, Dr. Lu knew exactly how to steer the conversation.

On her way here, Ji Yin had been fretting over how to respond if Dr. Lu brought up that strange dream again. She’d prepared a dozen answers, only for Dr. Lu to never mention it at all, leaving her relieved and much more at ease.

After the meal, Ji Yin had a pile of errands waiting for her, so she had to say goodbye to Lu Jiahe.

“Leaving so soon?” Lu Jiahe blinked in surprise.

“Yeah, still got some things to take care of,” Ji Yin sighed.

Truthfully, she’d long grown accustomed to this nonstop pace of life and even enjoyed it. But just then, for a fleeting moment, she wanted to drop everything and stay the night, just lounging around at Dr. Lu’s place.

“Alright, let me get your clothes for you,” Lu Jiahe said, packing the sweatshirt into a bag and handing it to her. “All washed want to check?”

“No need. With how clean you are, I’d never doubt you’d skip washing it,” Ji Yin laughed, heading toward the door. Suddenly, she turned back and pulled out the little yellow duck from her pocket. “Why did you give this back to me again?”

“Afraid you’d forget me,” Lu Jiahe said.

Ji Yin frowned, raising her voice. “How could I ever forget you?”

“Who knows? Maybe after that dream, you’d start avoiding me.”

Ji Yin’s throat tightened slightly. So the dream was brought up after all!

Nervousness sent her blood rushing, quickly flooding her face with warmth.

“That’s not, I didn’t dream about you,” Ji Yin insisted stubbornly.

“Fine. Guess I’m not your good friend, then,” Lu Jiahe lowered her head, voice soft and wounded.

“You are! You’re my good friend my best friend!”

“Then who did you dream about?”

Lu Jiahe lifted her gaze, eyes shimmering like glass towers bright yet fragile.

“…”

“It was you.”

After a long silence, Ji Yin finally crumbled under her stare, her face burning red as she admitted it.

Lu Jiahe’s lips curled faintly, her expression perfectly composed as she asked, “If it was me, why couldn’t you just say so?”

“I was… scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“Scared you’d think I was being inappropriate.”

Ji Yin hung her head in shame, only to hear a soft laugh.

“It was just a dream. You didn’t actually do anything to me, so how could it be offensive?” Lu Jiahe said.

Ji Yin cautiously glanced at her: “You’re not mad at me?”

Lu Jiahe shook her head: “As long as you don’t kill me in the dream, it’s fine.”

“…” Ji Yin couldn’t help but laugh at her words. “That would never happen!”

“Good. Dreams are random they don’t necessarily reflect what people think about during the day, right?” Lu Jiahe said with a faint smile.

The more Ji Yin heard this, the guiltier she felt.

Heaven and earth as her witness, she truly didn’t know why she had that dream.

But what made her uneasy was that in the dream, she hadn’t resisted at all she had even enjoyed it. Even after waking up, she found herself lingering on the memory. What the hell was wrong with her?

“Don’t overthink it. Maybe tonight you’ll dream about kissing a male friend instead.”

Ji Yin grimaced. “Don’t jinx me.”

“Or maybe you’ll dream about kissing another female friend.”

Ji Yin imagined the scenario and paled. “Let’s just drop it. Do I really have to keep having dreams like this?”

Lu Jiahe suppressed a laugh and asked with feigned seriousness, “You were fine dreaming about kissing me, but not someone else?”

Ji Yin froze, unable to respond.

“Alright, it’s getting late. You should head back to your work, and I need to go work out,” Lu Jiahe said, gently pushing her toward the door.

“Seriously? You’re this exhausted and still going to the gym?” Ji Yin’s attention was instantly diverted as she turned back to ask.

“Of course. The more tired I am, the more I need to exercise. Otherwise, if my health fails, how am I supposed to find a wife?” Lu Jiahe said.

Ji Yin was slightly surprised. “Are you planning to date someone?”

“Not yet. But I need to be in good shape first, so I’ll have the energy to pursue her. Don’t you think?” Lu Jiahe replied calmly.

Ji Yin studied her for a moment. “Who are you planning to pursue?”

“I’ll tell you once I find my target,” Lu Jiahe said with a smile.

Ji Yin stared blankly as the door closed behind her, lingering for a while before slowly walking away.

Inside, Lu Jiahe watched through the peephole until Ji Yin left the doorway, then leaned back against the door and chuckled softly.

By the time Ji Yin finished her errands and returned home, it was already past midnight.

She took a quick shower and collapsed onto the bed, exhausted but unable to sleep as her thoughts drifted back to their meeting earlier.

Her mind kept circling around what kind of wife Lu Jiahe would find.

After getting into a relationship, would Dr. Lu still meet with her often?

What kind of person did Dr. Lu even like?

All sorts of thoughts flooded her mind, making sleep impossible.

She rolled over and spotted the bag on the table. Getting up, she pulled out the hoodie inside, intending to put it back in the closet, but a faint scent caught her attention.

She buried her face in it and took a deep breath it was Dr. Lu’s scent, fresh and romantic, vibrant like a forest, intoxicating.

She changed into the hoodie as pajamas, her mind finally relaxing, and soon fell asleep wrapped in the gentle fragrance.

The next morning, Ji Yin didn’t wake up until past nine. After a quick breakfast, she headed out to meet a client.

Lunch was with the client at a restaurant. After settling the bill, she returned to the supermarket, had a brief meeting with the manager, and then went to check the warehouse stock.

“Ji Yin?” A voice called from behind.

She turned and saw Li Chenyao, accompanied by a friend. “What a coincidence,” Ji Yin said with a smile.

“It really is. So you actually work here?” Li Chenyao asked.

“Right, what would you like to buy?”

“The college entrance exams are next month. My colleague and I came to pick up some small gifts for the students.”

“Food or practical items? If you buy a lot, I can give you a discount,” Ji Yin said.

“Really?” Li Chenyao’s friend asked.

“Mm, go ahead and pick. Just give me a call when you’re ready to check out.”

Ji Yin was about to leave when Li Chenyao grabbed her arm.

“Any recommendations?”

“I’ve never bought gifts for students before, so I’m not sure. Want me to take you to the stationery section?”

“Sure.”

When they reached the stationery area, Li Chenyao’s colleague started browsing on her own, but Li Chenyao stayed close behind Ji Yin.

She listened attentively to whatever Ji Yin said, but Ji Yin couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about her today, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

“Li Chenyao, I’ve decided I’m getting fountain pens,” the colleague called out.

“That’s a whole class of students. You’re really going all out,” Li Chenyao remarked.

“It’s fine. This is my first graduating class. I want to leave them with a nice memory,” the colleague said with a laugh.

“You’re buying gifts for the students out of your own pocket?” Ji Yin asked, surprised.

“Yeah, the school would never spend money on this,” Li Chenyao replied. “Just recommend something cheap for me something symbolic is enough.”

“Got it.” Ji Yin led her to the next aisle when suddenly, Li Chenyao started gossiping.

“My colleague she’s pretty, right?” Li Chenyao whispered.

Ji Yin glanced back. “Yeah, she is.”

“Comes from a good family too. Otherwise, who’d casually spend money on gifts for students?”

“True.”

“And she’s got a master’s from a Double First-Class university.”

“What’s Double First-Class?”

Li Chenyao choked for a second. “It’s like the 985 and 211 schools.”

“Impressive,” Ji Yin nodded.

“She’s also into girls,” Li Chenyao added, even quieter. “I actually tried setting her up with Zaozao before even arranged a dinner.”

Ji Yin looked at her in surprise. “Really? So did they. hit it off?”

“Nope. Zaozao was all ready to go, but then she ran into you after you’d escaped from the hospital and ended up taking you all the way back.”

“Oh…” Ji Yin gave an awkward chuckle.

Following Ji Yin’s recommendation, Li Chenyao picked out a quirky little desk ornament that could also hold sticky notes perfect for a study table.

At checkout, Ji Yin rang them up separately and gave them a small discount.

“Thank you,” Li Chenyao’s colleague said cheerfully. As she left, she pulled out a candied hawthorn stick from her bag. “Really appreciate it here, this is for you.”

Ji Yin was flustered and tried to refuse, but the woman just laughed, shoved it into her hand, and walked off before she could protest.

Staring at the candied hawthorn, Ji Yin thought, She seems like a nice person. Would Dr. Lu like her?

Spring and summer brought frequent rain.

As Ji Yin rode her bike home, dark clouds suddenly rolled in, and the downpour caught pedestrians completely off guard.

“Damn it,” Ji Yin muttered under her breath, adjusting her goggles. The only thing shielding her from the rain was her helmet.

By the time she reached her neighborhood, the rain had stopped, but she was already soaked to the bone.

Frustrated, feeling like even the heavens were against her, she glared at the sky and cursed, “Screw you!”

A bolt of lightning flashed in response.

Startled, she covered her ears and dashed into the elevator, only to hear the thunderclap close behind her, which soured her mood even more.

Her clothes were dripping wet, and the people in the elevator all glanced at her in unison, subtly shifting a little to the side.

Head lowered and helmet in hand, she stepped out of the elevator like a drowned rat, only to see someone standing in front of her door.

Lu Jiahe turned at the sound, paused for a moment, then quickly walked over, pinching her soaked clothes as he asked, “Why are you so drenched? Didn’t you bring an umbrella?”

Ji Yin blinked, surprised but visibly pleased. “Dr. Lu, what are you doing here?”

“Change your clothes first, then we’ll talk,” Lu Jiahe urged.

Ji Yin hurriedly fished out her keys. As soon as the door opened, Lu Jiahe stepped in ahead of her. “Go change. I’ll boil some water for you to take a shower later.”

Ji Yin went to her room, changed into dry clothes, tossed the wet ones into the washing machine, and returned to the living room, where Lu Jiahe handed her a cup of hot water.

“Your hair’s wet too. Dry it off,” Lu Jiahe said.

“It’s fine,” Ji Yin replied, casually running a hand through her hair. Only the ends were damp; the rest was dry, so she shook her head dismissively. “It’ll dry soon.”

Ignoring her, Lu Jiahe went to the bathroom and fetched a towel. “Sit down.”

Ji Yin obediently sat, clutching the cup as Lu Jiahe wrapped her hair in the towel.

“If you catch a cold, you’ll regret it. Keep acting tough,” Lu Jiahe chided.

Ji Yin smiled. “I’m just lazy.”

“When are you ever going to start taking care of yourself?” Lu Jiahe asked.

Ji Yin lowered her eyes and stayed silent. Only after he finished drying her hair did she murmur, “Dr. Lu, I think. I’m a little tired.”

Lu Jiahe set the towel aside and stepped in front of her, speaking gently. “Then rest for a while.”

Ji Yin looked up at him, unsure why she felt so exhausted. The emotion had come out of nowhere, maybe it was because of the weather today.

The moment she saw Dr. Lu at her door, an inexplicable sense of grievance had washed over her. She couldn’t pinpoint the reason, but she just wanted to talk to him, to hear him comfort her. Ideally…

Almost as if possessed, she hugged Lu Jiahe.

A moment later, Dr. Lu’s warm hand rested on the top of her head.

Neither spoke.

Yet, in that wordless embrace, Ji Yin slowly regained her composure.

“Go take a shower,” Lu Jiahe said.

“Okay.” Ji Yin stood up abruptly, suddenly full of energy again.

Lu Jiahe only saw a dark blur flash before his eyes, then looked at her beaming face. “Not tired anymore?”

“Nope, fully recharged! Dr. Lu, you’re my charger!”

“That’s so corny. Go shower,” Lu Jiahe said with a laugh.

Ji Yin gazed at his smile, the faint dimples especially striking under the light, and felt an indescribable fondness in her heart.

“Dr. Lu, I read something recently that I think suits you perfectly.”

“What is it?”

“You are the April days of this world,” Ji Yin recited with deep emotion.

“You are the Northeast stir-fry trio,” Lu Jiahe replied with equal solemnity.

“…”

After a moment’s thought, Ji Yin realized it was both rhyming and fitting. She burst out laughing, slapping her thigh. “Dr. Lu, you’re a genius!”

“Sure, now go shower, you dummy.”