Running Towards You - Chapter 43

Ji Yin had only been to the movies twice in her life. The first time was with Yanzi and Dong Xiang, but she walked out halfway through.

The second time was when a wealthy woman dragged her along under the pretense of discussing business, it was so boring she fell asleep.

Movies simply weren’t her thing. Spending money to sit in a theater for two hours? She’d rather play pool or take inventory in the warehouse.

But this time, it was Lu Jiahe who suggested watching a film.

Since they hadn’t seen each other in days, Ji Yin decided to humor her and tag along.

The moment they stepped into the cinema, the buttery aroma of popcorn hit her. Normally, she wouldn’t even glance at the stuff in a supermarket, but now, the smell was irresistible. She impulsively bought two large buckets and two sodas.

“Can we even finish all this?” Lu Jiahe asked, arms now full with her own bucket.

“If not, we’ll take it home,” Ji Yin chirped as they scanned their tickets and headed in. “So, what’s this movie about?”

“A love story.”

Halfway through, Ji Yin couldn’t hold back her criticism. “What kind of garbage is this? My head hurts just watching it.”

It was an artsy film, full of abstract shots and a meandering plot. Ji Yin wasn’t the only one struggling, many in the audience were dozing off.

“If you’re tired, just sleep,” Lu Jiahe said.

“Then I’m sleeping,” Ji Yin declared, hugging her half-empty popcorn bucket as she drifted off.

When she woke up, she found herself leaning on Lu Jiahe’s shoulder. The movie wasn’t over yet the screen showed the lead couple kissing.

She wrinkled her nose and straightened up, only for Lu Jiahe’s head to suddenly droop forward as she jolted awake.

“So you were tired too, huh?” Ji Yin teased with a smirk.

“Yeah.”

Lu Jiahe hadn’t been sleepy at first, but with Ji Yin resting so comfortably against her, she’d leaned her head on top of Ji Yin’s and gradually dozed off as well.

When the movie ended, they shuffled out with the sparse crowd. Ji Yin stretched. “That was a great nap.”

Turning, she noticed Lu Jiahe rubbing her shoulder. “Did I hurt you?”

“Just a little stiff.”

Ji Yin reached over and massaged it lightly. “Better?”

“Mhm.”

“What made you pick this movie, anyway?”

“The female lead is pretty.”

“…” Ji Yin was speechless. “So you didn’t come for the plot, just the eye candy?”

“Starting with looks is perfectly normal,” Lu Jiahe laughed.

“I thought you had more refined tastes.” Ji Yin paused, then added, “Personally, I think the lead actress is just average.”

“High standards, huh? Who do you think is good-looking, then?”

“You are. Why didn’t you ever consider acting? Your crying scenes are legendary”

Lu Jiahe chuckled and handed her the remaining popcorn. “There’s still so much left. What do we do with it?”

Ji Yin went to the counter for two plastic bags, divided the popcorn, and handed one to Lu Jiahe. “Take it home you can snack on it while watching TV.”

Lu Jiahe shook her head in amusement as she carried her bag of popcorn outside.

Ji Yin checked the time. “It’s still early. Want to grab dinner after some shopping?”

“Can’t. I need to head back.” Lu Jiahe glanced at a message from her dad. “We have guests at home.”

“Alright, I’ll walk you back then.”

Lu Jiahe asked her to deliver it directly to her parents’ neighborhood. The car stopped at the main gate, and as she got out, she said, “Drive safely.”

“Mm.” Ji Yin had one foot on the ground, looking at her, making small talk. “It’s been a while since you last played ball.”

“Playing ball is only fun when Coach Ji is teaching. When are you free?” Lu Jiahe laughed.

Ji Yin thought about her schedule for the next few days. “Next weekend works.”

“Great, see you next week then.” Lu Jiahe waved before turning to head home.

As soon as she opened the door, she heard voices from the living room. Liu Jia called out, “You’re back! Your cousin-in-law and her daughter are already here.”

Lu Jiahe walked in and greeted the mother and daughter.

Her cousin-in-law was warm toward her, exchanging pleasantries for a while before nudging her daughter. “Why are you acting mute? Hurry up and say hello.”

Shuangshuang timidly called out, “Auntie.”

Lu Jiahe placed the bag of popcorn on the table and smiled. “Want some popcorn? The packaging isn’t great, but it’s pretty tasty.”

Shuangshuang shook her head, sitting stiffly and barely speaking since entering the house.

“Where did you get this?” Professor Lu asked.

“Went to the movies with a friend. We bought too much, so I brought some back.”

Professor Lu glanced at her and sighed. “You all chat. I’ll go buy groceries.”

Professor Lu found an excuse to leave, leaving the women alone. Seeing that Lu Jiahe, the doctor, had returned, her cousin-in-law finally set aside her embarrassment and began discussing the child’s situation with them.

As soon as she started, tears welled up in her eyes, and she smacked her daughter a few times, scolding her for being irresponsible.

Lu Jiahe and her mother took turns, one comforting the cousin-in-law, the other leading the younger girl into the bedroom.

“Shuangshuang, sit here for a bit. The computer’s on you can watch a movie or play games if you want,” Lu Jiahe said gently. “Or would you like some snacks? How about I take you to the supermarket for a walk?”

Shuangshuang shook her head, remaining silent.

Lu Jiahe called Ji Yin to ask if she’d gotten home safely. They chatted for a while until she heard movement nearby and ended the call.

She picked up a tissue and wiped Shuangshuang’s tears, patting her shoulder. “What’s done is done. Now we just need to figure out how to handle it, okay?”

Shuangshuang buried her face in her arms on the table and sobbed. It took her a while to calm down. Facing someone closer to her age, she felt more willing to open up. “Auntie, I don’t know what to do. I’m so scared.”

“Do you want this child?” Lu Jiahe asked.

“I don’t know.” Shuangshuang touched her stomach. “I’m not ready to be a mom at all. I still can’t believe there’s a baby inside me.”

“Then let’s not talk about the baby for now. Tell me about your boyfriend is he good to you?”

Lu Jiahe’s voice was calm and measured, unlike Shuangshuang’s mother, who often raised her voice. The girl’s frayed nerves eased slightly, and she answered honestly, “Sometimes he is, sometimes he isn’t.”

“Why didn’t he come with you this time?”

“He told me to get rid of the baby. His parents think it’s shameful too. They don’t approve of us and won’t give him money to get married,” Shuangshuang whispered.

“So he has no income? And he needs his parents’ permission to marry?”

Shuangshuang nodded tearfully.

“Then do you think you’ll be happy spending your life with him? How will he support you in the future? By driving a motorcycle for fares? Or by constantly asking his parents for money?”

Shuangshuang silently looked at her.

Lu Jiahe wiped her tears and touched her slightly yellowed clothes: “Your parents work outside and left you with the elderly to raise. They neglected you, and you long for love, don’t you?”

Shuangshuang nodded.

“But the more that’s the case, the more you can’t just let yourself drift through life. Have you thought about what kind of job you want to do in the future? What kind of person you want to become?”

“I want to be a big boss,” Shuangshuang said somewhat shyly.

“Then have you thought about how to become a big boss? If you get married and have this child, where will the money come from to raise them and yourselves?”

Shuangshuang’s face turned pale. Just thinking about what lay ahead felt like staring into an endless abyss.

In the evening, Professor Lu returned from grocery shopping and cooked several dishes by himself.

At the dinner table, her cousin’s wife kept praising his cooking skills, while also taking the opportunity to educate her daughter: “See? When you look for a man, you should find someone like your great-uncle here highly educated, good at cooking, and who treats his wife and children so well.”

The words made Professor Lu a little embarrassed. Lu Jiahe laughed and said, “That’s true. A good man like my dad is hard to come by.”

“So you just decided not to look for one at all, huh?” Professor Lu retorted.

Lu Jiahe couldn’t help but chuckle as she placed a peeled crab into his bowl. “Well, I have you to thank for understanding and caring for me.”

“It’s your mother who spoiled you too much,” Professor Lu said helplessly.

“Don’t blame me,” Liu Jia refused to take the blame. “I don’t know who it is that keeps bragging about his daughter to his students all the time. You should be ashamed don’t let the students laugh at you.”

Shuangshuang ate her meal timidly, quietly observing their family with an indescribable envy.

After settling Shuangshuang and her mother in for the night, Lu Jiahe stayed at her parents’ place, where everything she needed was readily available, so she didn’t have to worry about a thing.

Just as she was about to go take a shower, Professor Lu called her into his study.

“Do you have a photo of the person you like?” he asked bluntly.

“Why?”

“Can’t I even take a look? What kind of treasure is this that you’re hiding so carefully?” Professor Lu pressed.

Ever since they caught wind of her budding romance, her parents had been probing for details about the other person. Knowing she couldn’t avoid it, Lu Jiahe pulled up a photo.

Professor Lu put on his reading glasses and saw a girl with black hair only a side profile, her face not fully visible.

“Oh, is she reading?”

“Of course. She’s very studious. Sometimes she even sends me little reflections on what she’s read,” Lu Jiahe said with a smile.

The photo was taken the last time they stayed over together. The two of them had been sitting on the couch, each doing their own thing, while Ji Yin had been reading a book for a long time. She had secretly snapped the picture.

Professor Lu breathed a sigh of relief, assuming she had just gone out with another friend today, and handed the phone back to her. In a low voice, he said, “You saw what happened with Shuangshuang. You have to be very careful when choosing a partner.”

“I feel like there’s more to what you’re saying.”

“All the decisions you’ve made in your life, whether it was choosing a school or a job we’ve never interfered. But when it comes to finding a life partner, we can’t be your safety net. In the end, we’ll leave this world before you do.”

“Dad! Don’t talk like that, you’re both going to live a long, healthy life! Starting tomorrow, you’re both coming with me to exercise.”

Professor Lu chuckled. “Alright, get some rest now.”

The test results came back Shuangshuang was in good health and could proceed with the abortion.

After careful consideration, Shuangshuang decided to follow her mother’s advice and terminate the pregnancy.

After the procedure, Lu Jiahe brought her and her cousin’s wife home from the hospital, instructing, “Stay at my place for the next few days and rest well. Don’t overthink things. Cousin, she’s weak right now, make sure she gets plenty of nutritious meals.”

“Of course, of course. Thank you we’re really causing your family so much trouble.”

Over the weekend, the cousin’s wife prepared a lavish meal to express their gratitude to the family.

Lu Jiahe had just finished eating when she received a call from Ji Yin.

“Dr. Lu, I’m at the pool hall. You can come whenever you’re ready.”

“I’ll head over now.” Lu Jiahe hung up and hurried inside.

A short while later, the cousin’s wife saw her all dressed up, fragrant as she passed by, and couldn’t help but ask, “Zaozao, where are you off to in such a hurry?”

“Don’t mind her,” Liu Jia said. “She’s off to seduce er, attract her crush.”

Ji Yin leaned one hand on the counter while holding the quarterly financial report in the other. After reviewing it, she signed and handed it to Dong Xiang.

“Yin-jie, want some ‘mimi’?” Li Fang looked up and asked.

“What?”

“This.” Li Fang pulled out a few packs of shrimp crackers.

Ji Yin laughed. “Still such a kid. Sure, give me one.”

When Lu Jiahe arrived, she saw Ji Yin and Li Fang happily munching on shrimp crackers, one pack in each hand.

“Dr. Lu!” Ji Yin brightened at the sight of her and quickly walked over.

“Hand,” Lu Jiahe said, taking a step back.

Ji Yin obediently held out her hands. Lu Jiahe pulled out a wet wipe and meticulously cleaned each finger that had touched the shrimp crackers.

Ji Yin couldn’t help but laugh. “Dr. Lu, do you want some ‘mimi’ too?”

Lu Jiahe raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Whose ‘mimi’?”

“Just ” Ji Yin started to show the shrimp crackers in her hand but suddenly froze, the implication dawning on her. Her face flushed. “Damn it, Dr. Lu, how could you”

“How could I what? And what’s with the swearing?” Lu Jiahe tossed the wet wipe aside and pinched Ji Yin’s cheeks, pulling them outward. “If I hear you curse again, don’t blame me for smacking your mouth.”

“Seriously? ‘Damn it’ counts as swearing?” Ji Yin protested.

No sooner had she spoken than Lu Jiahe lightly tapped her lips.

Ji Yin was stunned. “Isn’t ‘damn it’ just an interjection?”

Another tap.

“Damn it.”

Tap.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it.”

Tap, tap, tap.

“Are you addicted to this?” Lu Jiahe was both exasperated and amused to see Ji Yin grinning.

“You’re hitting me just hard enough it’s like tickling. Kinda fun,” Ji Yin teased.

“…” Lu Jiahe grabbed both her cheeks and yanked them sideways.

“Ow ow ow!” Ji Yin winced in pain.

Dong Xiang, who had just finished filing the documents, came out and asked Li Fang, “Where’s Yin-jie?”

Li Fang, still chewing shrimp crackers, stared dumbfounded. “Over there getting disciplined.”

“Bullshit. Since when does Yin-jie let anyone push her around?” Dong Xiang turned and saw the scene, equally stunned.