Running Towards You - Chapter 51.2

Ji Yin’s first thought was, “Does ‘nonsense’ count as swearing?”

“…” Lu Jiahe was so angry she pinched Ji Yin’s uninjured arm.

“Ow, ow, ow I’m sorry!” Ji Yin quickly apologized, sighing. “It’s not that I couldn’t resist. I had no choice. Even if I don’t like drinking, some people do. Do you know how much money this one glass saved me?”

“No amount of money is worth your life.”

Ji Yin shook her head with a wry smile. “I really envy how easily you can say that, never having to worry about money, But we can’t. Our lives are too cheap. We have to earn a lot of money just to make ourselves look like human beings.”

Lu Jiahe gazed at her, realizing he couldn’t persuade her at all.

She clung to her beliefs, but was Ji Yin’s perspective really wrong?

Their vastly different experiences had naturally shaped their divergent values.

Lu Jiahe returned to the car in a somber mood. Professor Lu removed his glasses and asked, “Why did you come out alone?”

“I couldn’t convince her. She has to attend a social engagement.”

“Were those two men her clients?”

“One is her brother-in-law, the other is probably a client.”

“That’s fine then. At least her brother-in-law is with her. I was worried she was with some shady men.” Professor Lu turned on the car radio, preparing to rest for a while.

“Dad, do you know of any easygoing jobs that don’t require socializing?”

“No. Even the dorm supervisors at our university need at least a college diploma now,” Professor Lu replied. “Ask your mom. She knows more people.”

“Finding a job that’s both easygoing and doesn’t require much education is really tough,” Liu Jia mused as she scrolled through her phone.

Lu Jiahe was well aware of the difficulty. “It doesn’t have to be completely stress-free. Just something with fewer social obligations would be enough.”

“You, you’re not even dating yet, and you’re already worrying about her job.” Liu Jia shook her head, feeling little confidence in their relationship. Still, she couldn’t help but sympathize with the girl and was willing to help where she could.

“Hey, this guy actually opened a bookstore.” Liu Jia flipped through her social feed and noticed a former interviewee had posted about his grand opening the next day. She felt a surge of pride. “He used to work on a factory assembly line but would read whenever he had free time. He loved Russian literature Tolstoy and Dostoevsky so much that he even taught himself Russian. Who would’ve thought he’d open his own shop now?”

“That’s perfect! Ji Yin has been into reading lately. This job would suit her well. Can you ask if he’s hiring?”

“It’s not polite to ask for a favor right after his grand opening. How about this: tomorrow, you and I will go buy a congratulatory gift and visit the store in person to ask.”

“Okay.”

The next day, Lu Jiahe and Liu Jia went to visit. The bookstore owner was so thrilled to see Liu Jia that he could barely speak, calling her his “discoverer.”

Years ago, after Liu Jia interviewed him, media attention followed. Many people donated books to him, and the factory even set up a private reading room for him, promoting him to a cultural liaison. That’s how he saved enough to open his shop.

The owner chatted excitedly with Liu Jia for a long time. With the grand opening bustling with activity, Lu Jiahe couldn’t get a word in and wandered around the store instead.

Seeing how busy the owner was, Liu Jia arranged to return the next day to discuss matters properly.

On the way back, Li Chenyao called Lu Jiahe to join her for dinner. Liu Jia said, “Go have fun, but come home early.”

“Okay.”

When Lu Jiahe arrived at the restaurant, he found Le Qin there too, along with a stranger.

Puzzled, he took his seat and immediately received a WeChat message from Li Chenyao.

Turns out, Le Qin was on a blind date and had dragged Li Chenyao along for moral support. Li Chenyao, not wanting to waste such expensive food, had then invited Lu Jiahe to join them for a free meal.

The man was bragging nonstop at the table while the three of them stifled their laughter and stuffed themselves with food. When they saw the look on his face as he paid the bill, they nearly died trying not to burst out laughing.

Upon hearing they were heading to a high-end cocktail party next, the man panicked and quickly made an excuse to leave.

Standing by the roadside, the three of them laughed heartily. Li Chenyao said, “There’s an arcade nearby. Let’s go burn off some energy.”

“Sounds good.” Le Qin turned to Lu Jiahe and asked, “Wanna join us?”

“Sure.” Lu Jiahe was in the mood to unwind as well.

As they walked toward the arcade, Lu Jiahe asked, “So, why did you come to this blind date?”

“Ugh, I haven’t come out to my family yet, so they keep setting me up on these dates,” Le Qin grumbled, then glanced at her. “I heard you came out successfully in college?”

“Yeah.”

“So jealous. My dad has heart problems, and my mom’s a stubborn old-school type. Coming out isn’t even an option.”

“Just let things take their course.”

“Guess I have to. Not like I have a partner anyway, so no rush.”

The hospital ward lights went out early. Ji Yin stared at Lu Jiahe’s chat window for a long time they hadn’t spoken in a full day.

Last night, she hadn’t left with Lu Jiahe because the contract signing was imminent. And today was Saturday, so Lu Jiahe didn’t come for rounds.

Lu Jiahe must be mad at her.

[Ji Yin]: Peeking cat.jpg

[Ji Yin]: It’s Saturday did you go out anywhere fun?

[Ji Yin]: I read a bit of Sapiens and feel like I’m in a fog. Like I get it, but also don’t. Can you help explain it to me?

[Ji Yin]: Are you mad at me?

[Ji Yin]: I’m sorry!

[Ji Yin]: Crying cat.jpg

No reply came. Noticing a red dot on her friend feed, she saw Li Chenyao had posted something and clicked to check. Sure enough, Lu Jiahe was in the pictures.

Li Chenyao had uploaded several photos from the arcade, Lu Jiahe on a motorcycle game, Le Qin playing shooting games, and a group selfie of the three of them.

Ji Yin stared at the two women standing behind Li Chenyao, their smiles so bright and carefree.

She got up and headed to the emergency stairwell, where, unsurprisingly, she ran into the smoking guy again.

They exchanged knowing smiles. Ji Yin sat down on the steps and asked curiously, “How come your cigarettes never run out?”

“Troubles never end. My wife brought up divorce again today.”

“If she’s dead set on it, just let her go. You can take care of yourself. Staying together unhappily won’t do either of you any good.”

“Logically, yeah. But I just can’t accept it. What the hell did I lose to?”

Ji Yin fell silent for a moment before sighing dejectedly. “Relationships are so complicated.”

The two of them sighed one after another. Ji Yin scrolled through her feed a few more times and happened to see a new post from Le Qin, just another group photo of the three of them.

Staring blankly at the picture, Ji Yin muttered, “Big bro, I think I kinda, can’t accept it either.”

“You’re still young. If you can’t accept it, then go fight for it, chase it, give it your all. Me? I don’t have that chance anymore. Want one?” The guy pulled out another cigarette and, knowing her habits, lit it for her to play with.

Ji Yin held the cigarette between her fingers, watching the smoke curl upward. The smell was unpleasant, but suddenly, she thought she understood why the guy loved smoking so much.

Maybe the bitterness in your mouth could dull the bitterness in your heart.

She tentatively brought it to her lips, took a puff, but had no idea how to exhale, simply opening her mouth wide.

Her older brother burst into laughter: “You’ve really never smoked before?”

Ji Yin choked violently: “Damn ”

The corridor door suddenly swung open, revealing a figure standing silently at the entrance, watching them.

Coughing, Ji Yin looked over and saw it was Lu Jiahe. Her hand trembled, the cigarette falling to the ground and burning her foot. She quickly stomped it out, then rushed forward, a mix of shock and delight on her face: “It’s so late, what are you doing here?”

“What are you doing?” Lu Jiahe asked calmly. “How much money will this one cigarette really save you?”

“I, I didn’t mean to. I was just bored and tried it, really.”

“Ji Yin.” Lu Jiahe took two steps back and shook his head. “Never mind. I can’t control you. Do whatever you want.”

The lighting was dim, but even in the faint glow, Ji Yin caught a glimpse of disappointment in Lu Jiahe’s indifferent gaze.

It was an emotion she had never seen from him before, not since the day they’d met.

Like a thin, fragile thread tightening around her neck, it nearly suffocated her.

The moment Lu Jiahe turned to leave, she could almost hear the sound of that thread snapping. Without thinking, she flung her arms around him: “Don’t.”