Running Towards You - Chapter 52

In the quiet hallway, Lu Jiahe remained silent, and Ji Yin didn’t dare make a sound either. She just held onto the embrace, tightening her grip, afraid that the other woman would leave without hesitation and never speak to her again.

The mere thought of that possibility made her feel as if her heart were being gouged out.

“I was wrong,” Ji Yin whispered.

Lu Jiahe tried to break free but failed, Ji Yin still clung to her desperately.

“I was just feeling a bit down and wanted to try it. I won’t do it again,” Ji Yin added.

“If feeling down makes you want to try smoking, then when you’re upset or angry, would you want to try something even more extreme?” Lu Jiahe asked.

“No, no,” Ji Yin replied, unsure how to convince her. In desperation, she blurted, “If you want, you can hit me, beat me to death if you must. Just don’t ignore me.”

“I don’t hit people.”

“Right, you’re not like me you don’t resort to violence. Then what can I do to make you forgive me?”

Hearing the helplessness and vulnerability in her tone, Lu Jiahe realized she was genuinely scared. She grasped Ji Yin’s hands, loosening them slightly, then turned to face her. “There’s nothing to forgive or not forgive. You’re free to do whatever you want. I’m just a doctor, I can’t monitor whether you follow medical advice every second of the day.”

“You’re not just a doctor,” Ji Yin hurriedly said.

“Then what am I?”

“You’re also my friend.”

Lu Jiahe smiled helplessly. “Even as a friend, if you don’t want to listen to what I say, you’ll just treat it as empty words.”

“I’m not ignoring your words. It’s just that yesterday, I had to sign a contract with someone. Our supermarket is opening a new branch, and that person was”

“You have your work I understand,” Lu Jiahe said. “But if you keep this up drinking, smoking, I really won’t bother with you anymore.”

“Don’t,” Ji Yin hugged her again, this time face-to-face, resting her head on Lu Jiahe’s shoulder. “Dr. Lu, please keep looking after me.”

Lu Jiahe tilted her head, gazing at the back of Ji Yin’s head. She raised her hand, about to rest it there, but then noticed the silent figure standing on the opposite steps and lowered it again.

“I promise I’ll listen to everything you say from now on. I swear will that work?” Ji Yin said.

“What I want isn’t an obedient dog.”

“Woof.”

“…”

Lu Jiahe was so exasperated she nearly laughed. “You really have no shame.”

Hearing her laugh, Ji Yin finally curved her lips upward. “Woof! ”

“Enough.”

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

Lu Jiahe patted her head and whispered, “There’s someone else here.”

Ji Yin abruptly lifted her head and turned to look at the shadowy figure of the “big brother,” who had been forced to openly witness the entire scene.

“So, this is your friend?” The big brother, who had been watching the drama unfold, found it increasingly odd. Ji Yin’s demeanor was exactly like his own when he used to kneel on the washboard.

“Yes,” Ji Yin said.

“Not that man?”

“What man?” Ji Yin was puzzled.

“The one with the dyed yellow hair.”

“That’s my brother-in-law.”

“Oh, damn!” As if he had stumbled upon some earth-shattering secret, the big brother hastily slipped away in his slippers.

“What’s wrong with him?” Lu Jiahe asked.

“Probably got triggered by something.”

“What kind of trigger?”

“His wife cheated on him. He’s been coming here to smoke every day lately, going through almost half a pack each time.”

Lu Jiahe was stunned.

Ji Yin, eager to cater to her interests and gossip a little, suddenly heard Lu Jiahe ask, “So you’ve been coming here to smoke with him every day?”

“That’s not true, Master! I just came here to get some air because I couldn’t sleep. I happened to run into him I’ve never smoked before today. I just took one little puff, and you caught me right away,” Ji Yin hurriedly explained.

Lu Jiahe studied her for a moment before escorting her back to the hospital room. “Go on in.”

Ji Yin stopped at the door, hand on the handle but not pushing it open. Instead, she turned to look at Lu Jiahe. “It’s so late, why did you come here?”

“I saw your messages,” Lu Jiahe replied, meeting her gaze.

After the gathering ended, she had seen the texts Ji Yin sent. Aside from a few deliberately off-topic messages and apologies, she had actually sent over the thousand-word self-reflection essay as promised.

After not seeing her for a day, Lu Jiahe had missed her a little, so she drove to the hospital.

Only to find the bed empty.

The patient in the next bed was still on her phone and said, “Dr. Lu, here to see Ji Yin again?”

“Yeah, do you know where she went?”

“She’s been sneaking out around midnight these past few days, always coming back smelling like smoke. Probably hiding somewhere to smoke.”

That’s how Lu Jiahe had found her.

“So, have you forgiven me?” Ji Yin asked pitifully.

“That depends on your behavior.”

“Okay.”

“Go on in and get some rest.”

“Mm, goodnight.”

Lu Jiahe nodded and turned toward the elevator. At the last moment, she glanced back and saw Ji Yin still standing there, so she waved.

Only then did Ji Yin push open the door and walk to the window. A few minutes later, Lu Jiahe stepped out of the inpatient building.

As usual, Ji Yin watched her leave from afar but this time, as if sensing something, Lu Jiahe turned back.

Their eyes met across the distance.

This time, it was Ji Yin who waved.

Lu Jiahe’s lips curved into a faint smile before she nodded and walked away.

The next day, she and Liu Jia visited the bookstore again, where the owner treated them to a meal.

During lunch, Liu Jia subtly inquired about the staffing situation, asking if they needed more help.

“We’re all set,I even brought my parents over to help with odd jobs,” the owner said with a laugh.

Liu Jia shot Lu Jiahe a helpless look. Lu Jiahe nodded, knowing this plan wouldn’t work.

If Liu Jia pressed the issue, the owner might force a position open for Ji Yin out of gratitude. But the bookstore wasn’t exactly a lucrative business, it survived purely on the owner’s passion.

“Glad to hear you’re well-staffed. If you ever need help, let me know. My daughter has a friend who’s in a similar situation as you loves reading too,” Liu Jia said.

“That’d be great! Most of the staff here are new, and I worry they won’t stick around long. If a spot opens up, I’ll definitely reach out, as long as you don’t mind the bother.”

“Of course not. I love chatting with people,” Liu Jia replied warmly.

After the meal, Liu Jia stayed behind to browse books while Lu Jiahe headed to the hospital.

Inside the ward, a group of patients despite their injuries, were enthusiastically playing mahjong.

One had a neck brace, another a leg cast, but nothing dampened their spirits.

Those with limited mobility enlisted family members or nurses to help arrange their tiles.

Ji Yin operated with one hand effortlessly, exuding the same commanding presence as if she were on a battlefield, even while playing with the tiny mini-mahjong tiles.

“Sorry, pure suit self-draw,” Ji Yin grinned, flipping her tiles onto the table. “Pay up, pay up.”

The other three players groaned incessantly, accusing her of cheating since she’d been winning all afternoon.

Then, someone shouted, “Dr. Lu is here!”

Ji Yin instinctively ducked, covering her head with her hands.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Lu Jiahe walked over and patted her head. “Save your excuses for the courtroom.”

The laughter grew even louder.

Ji Yin looked up, realizing she wasn’t caught smoking or drinking, and stood up awkwardly. “The hospital’s so boring can’t I play a little mahjong?”

“Sure.”

“Look how scared Ji Yin is. She’s seriously the most obedient patient I’ve ever seen,” someone remarked.

“You haven’t seen her when she’s not obedient,” Lu Jiahe chuckled, idly running his fingers over the tiny mahjong tiles on the table they were thumb-sized and utterly adorable.

“Want to join us?” Ji Yin asked.

“No, you guys go ahead.”

Ji Yin sat back down and played a round, noticing Lu Jiahe watching from the sidelines. Just as she was about to ask a nurse to take over for her, Lu Jiahe’s phone rang.

“Hello, Leqin?”

Ji Yin silently arranged her tiles, ears perked up.

“Yeah, it’s in my car. When do you have time to pick it up? Alright, no problem. I’ll head over now.” Hanging up, he said, “Take your time playing. I’ll get going.”

“Where are you going?” Ji Yin immediately asked.

“Leqin left her pen in my car. She’s in a meeting, so I’m returning it.” Seeing how engrossed she was in the game, Lu Jiahe didn’t want to disturb her and left.

“Ji Yin, hurry up and play your tile! What are you spacing out for?”

Ji Yin tossed out a tile. “Damn! Wrong move! Take it back, take it back!”

“No take-backs!”

Ji Yin had won quite a bit of money. With Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, she wanted to get Lu Jiahe a gift but had no idea what he might need.

So, she subtly probed Li Chenyao: [What does Dr. Lu need right now?]

[Li Chenyao]: A girlfriend.

“…”

She then asked Yanzi, who was visiting: “What do you think Dr. Lu is missing?”

Yanzi pondered. “Materially, she seems to have everything. Probably just needs a boyfriend.”

“…”

Ji Yin clutched her winnings, frustrated that she couldn’t even spend them!

So, she jokingly brought it up over WeChat: [I wanted to get you a Mid-Autumn gift, but everyone says you don’t need anything just a partner [dog emoji]

[Lu Jiahe]: Why get me a Mid-Autumn gift?

[Ji Yin]: Well, it’s almost Mid-Autumn.

[Lu Jiahe]: But I won’t be around for it.

[Ji Yin]: Where are you going?

[Lu Jiahe]: I just left for a conference today.

[Ji Yin]: When will you be back?

[Lu Jiahe]: Friday.

Ji Yin counted the days four more to go. Not long.

Yet, after just one day, time seemed to crawl. She couldn’t muster enthusiasm for anything, not even mahjong. Sighing all day, even the chain-smoking guy in the hallway noticed and asked, “Why do you look even gloomier?”

“She’s away on a work trip.”

“How long’s she gone for?”

“Four or five days, he won’t be back until tomorrow.”

“…” After a moment of silence, her older brother suddenly remarked, “You’re lovesick, aren’t you?”

Ji Yin pursed her lips, shot him a glare that seemed to drain all her energy, then weakly shuffled back to her hospital room along the wall, like a walking corpse.

The only thing that could slightly lift her spirits was work-related matters.

Dong Xiang had already found a renovation team, and since the previous renovation blueprints were still available, they could start work immediately.

During the last renovation, Ji Yin had overseen everything with him, so he was already experienced and didn’t require much supervision, only consulting her for major decisions.

“I sourced all the materials from the original suppliers to make bargaining easier. But the lighting store we used before went out of business, so I found a few decent alternatives. Take a look and pick one.”

“Lighting photos don’t always match the actual effect, but there’s no rush. I’ll go check them out in person in a few days,” Ji Yin said.

“Got it. Also, someone from the billiards hall reached out to me. I’ll send you their WeChat later so you can discuss it directly with them.”

“Alright.”

The moment she relaxed, Ji Yin began missing Lu Jiahe again.

“Yanzi, stop doing your makeup and come talk to me!”

“About what?” Yanzi blinked, her thick false eyelashes fluttering.

The moment Ji Yin saw her like this, she pulled out her phone to take a picture. “Let’s talk about how these two palm-leaf fans ended up stuck to your eyelids.”

“All thanks to my hardworking hands!” Yanzi lunged playfully to snatch the phone, grumbling as she prepared to leave. “I can’t come tomorrow, Dong Xiang asked me to help out.”

“Go ahead, work comes first. Besides. tomorrow’s Friday, right?” Ji Yin suddenly perked up.

“Yeah.”

“Perfect!”

Ji Yin waited eagerly for Friday to arrive. The moment she woke up in the morning, she grabbed her phone to ask Lu Jiahe exactly when she’d be back.

Lu Jiahe said her flight would land around 3 p.m.

At 2:30 p.m., Ji Yin checked in again to ask where she was.

[Lu Jiahe]: At the airport, but there’s a heavy rainstorm here. The flight’s delayed no idea when we’ll actually take off.

Ji Yin was startled and kicked the foot of the bed in frustration. How could it rain now, of all times?

So annoying!

With no clear idea of how long the delay would last, Lu Jiahe was also feeling gloomy, unable to leave yet stuck wasting time sitting around.

She hadn’t seen Ji Yin in almost a week.

Just as her agitation peaked, Ji Yin called her on video.

“What’s up?” Lu Jiahe asked.

“Nothing, just thought you might be bored and wanted to chat.”

Lu Jiahe smiled knowingly. “Perfect timing.”

They chatted idly, occasionally lapsing into comfortable silence without awkwardness, just gazing at each other before breaking into silly grins.

The airport arranged accommodations for the stranded passengers. Lu Jiahe was squeezed into a tiny room with poor soundproofing, forcing her to keep her voice low while talking to Ji Yin.

“It’s almost 1 a.m. shouldn’t you be asleep by now?”

“When are you going to sleep?” Ji Yin asked.

“I’ll sleep once you do.”

“Alright, then let’s sleep together. Goodnight!”

“Mm, goodnight.” Lu Jiahe smiled faintly.

After only two or three hours of sleep, she was woken by airport staff the flight would depart within two hours.

She hurriedly got ready to board and sent Ji Yin a quick message about the takeoff.

[Ji Yin]: Got it. I’ll be waiting!

When Lu Jiahe saw the reply, she froze for a long moment, repeatedly checking the current time 4:30 in the morning.

[Lu Jiahe]: Why aren’t you asleep yet?!

[Ji Yin]: I’m a little insomniac, worried something might happen to you.

[Lu Jiahe]: What could possibly happen in an airport?

[Ji Yin]: I once got my money stolen at a train station, and there was even a murder at a high-speed rail station before. You absolutely have to watch out for your belongings and personal safety.

Lu Jiahe didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

By the time she landed, it was already past seven. She rushed straight to the hospital, where the patients in the ward were already waking up one after another.

She scanned the room from the doorway but couldn’t spot Ji Yin anywhere. The other patients didn’t know where she’d gone either.

She turned and checked the fire escape, but still found no trace of her. Left with no choice, she called Ji Yin directly.

“Where the hell have you run off to this early in the morning?”

“You’re back?”

“Yeah, I’m at the hospital now. Where are you?”

“I’m at your place.”

Lu Jiahe stiffened for a split second before grabbing her luggage and hurrying home.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, she saw Ji Yin standing by her front door.

Her steps faltered, an inexplicable nervousness washing over her.

The exhausted Ji Yin looked up at her, and her tired eyes instantly lit up. She took a few quick steps forward and wrapped her uninjured arm around Lu Jiahe in a tight hug. “You’re finally back.”

“Why aren’t you resting properly at the hospital? What are you doing here?” Lu Jiahe carefully extricated herself from the embrace, cautious not to bump Ji Yin’s other arm.

“I came to give you a gift. Even though Mid-Autumn Festival is already over.” Ji Yin said.

Lu Jiahe spotted a box of mooncakes by the door and laughed as she fished out her keys. “This box of mooncakes?”

“That’s the small gift. There’s a bigger one,” Ji Yin said mysteriously.

“What bigger gift?”

“I’m just afraid you might not dare to accept it. Promise me first no matter whether you want it or not, you won’t scold me later, okay?”

“If it’s a big gift, why would I scold you?” Lu Jiahe chuckled. “Stop keeping me in suspense. Show me the gift already.”

Ji Yin hesitated, her expression shifting several times before she took a deep breath and turned around with an air of finality, as if burning her bridges.

Lu Jiahe was baffled until she saw the piece of paper stuck to Ji Yin’s back, on which three clumsily written characters in a childlike scrawl spelled out:

Girlfriend.

“I, I wanted to give you a girlfriend. Do you dare accept this gift?” Ji Yin’s voice grew smaller and smaller, and by the time she finished speaking, she weakly dropped her head, pressing her forehead against the wall. She was so embarrassed she could die, yet also unbearably nervous.

“Is being my girlfriend something to be ashamed of? Why are you facing the wall in repentance?” Behind her, Lu Jiahe’s usual amused voice rang out.

Ji Yin slowly, ever so slowly, turned around, her face as red as a ripe tomato.

“Is it okay?” she asked timidly.

Lu Jiahe took a step forward, closing the distance between them, and asked softly, “What’s okay?”

“Can I, be your girlfriend?”

Lu Jiahe tilted her chin up slightly and kissed her lips. In the face of Ji Yin’s dazed, euphoric gaze, she answered her question with a deep, heartfelt smile.

“Of course you can.”