Running Towards You - Chapter 55

“Let’s go out. There’s an ice cream shop across the main gate,” Lu Jiahe said, taking her hand and running toward the entrance.

The wind blew through their hair, and Ji Yin felt no trace of heat only a refreshing sense of ease all over.

As they ran, she realized Lu Jiahe had incredible stamina, showing no signs of fatigue at all. Not wanting to slow him down, she quickened her pace.

Lu Jiahe, noticing her sudden competitive spirit, naturally refused to fall behind and sped up.

Ji Yin watched as his figure pulled ahead and instinctively chased after him.

Before they knew it, they were racing each other. By the time they reached the convenience store, Ji Yin plopped onto a chair inside, panting heavily. “How can you run so fast?”

“Weren’t you the one who started running first?”

“I only sped up because you did. But seriously, you’re amazing, you’re not even out of breath.” Ji Yin had always considered herself quite fit, but she never expected someone as refined as Lu Jiahe to have such impressive stamina.

Suddenly, she remembered the well-defined lines on his waist proof of regular exercise. It made sense now, but she admired him even more.

“Let’s get ice cream,” Lu Jiahe said calmly, his face unflushed and his breathing steady.

“Okay, do you want some?”

“I don’t eat cold things.”

Only after she went to buy the ice cream did Lu Jiahe turn around, quickly catching his breath and wiping the sweat from his forehead. He pulled out a hair tie and tied his hair up, finally feeling some relief from the heat.

Ji Yin bought a cone and took a few bites. “Did they change the recipe? It doesn’t taste as good as when I was a kid.”

“Everything tasted better when we were kids,” Lu Jiahe remarked.

“Not really. Dog food was pretty terrible.”

” Lu Jiahe looked at her in surprise. “You’ve eaten dog food?”

Ji Yin nodded. “The older girl next door had a dog. I went over to play once and thought the stuff on the table was chocolate beans, so I sneaked a few bites.”

“…”

Lu Jiahe reached out and patted her head. “It’s a miracle you grew up healthy.”

Ji Yin giggled, but as she ate her cone, a bit of ice cream smudged onto her nose. She stuck out her tongue, trying to lick it off, but it was just out of reach.

Lu Jiahe: “Hold still.”

Ji Yin froze.

He took out a tissue, wiped the ice cream away, and then lightly pinched her nose. “You’ve got a high nose bridge.”

“Really?”

“Mhm.” Lu Jiahe curved his index finger and gently traced the bridge of her nose. “No one’s ever told you that?”

“I don’t remember.” Ji Yin didn’t pay much attention to compliments about her appearance, they always felt a little insincere or like polite flattery.

Lu Jiahe smiled faintly. After she finished the cone, he wiped her hands with a tissue and then took one in his. “Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”

“Okay.” Ji Yin grinned, looking a little silly.

When the car stopped at her apartment complex, Ji Yin unbuckled her seatbelt. “Drive safely on your way back.”

“Mm.” Lu Jiahe watched as she stepped out of the car without hesitation. Rolling down the window, he couldn’t resist asking, “Aren’t you going to invite me up for a drink?”

Ji Yin bit her lip, leaning against the car window as she pleaded, “I really want to, but my place hasn’t been cleaned in ages. I’m afraid you’d be horrified. Can I invite you over after I tidy up?”

“Alright,” Lu Jiahe replied, then asked, “Are you free next weekend? Want to take a short trip somewhere nearby?”

“Probably not. We’re opening a new branch, so things are going to be crazy busy for a while,” Ji Yin sighed.

“Fine. We’ll make plans when you have time.”

“Okay.”

Ji Yin watched her car drive away, then returned home to the mess strewn across her apartment. She tilted her head back and groaned.

With one hand still inconvenient, and both Dong Xiang and Yanzi tied up with the new branch preparations, it seemed she’d have to splurge on a cleaning service.

Once work picked up, even finding time for a meal together became difficult.

Either Ji Yin was swamped with work, or Lu Jiahe was in surgery their schedules never aligned. The only time they could connect was through a brief video call before bed.

“Where’s Ji Yin? Why didn’t you bring her along?” Li Chenyao had invited Lu Jiahe out for a meal during her weekend off, only to find her arriving alone.

“She’s busy with work, so I didn’t ask her,” Lu Jiahe explained.

“What a shame. I specifically arranged this meal for her, and now she’s a no-show. How is she busier than you, a doctor?” Li Chenyao was baffled.

“Supermarkets have a lot of miscellaneous tasks, plus shift rotations and all that. And now they’re opening a new branch, so I imagine she’s even more swamped,” Lu Jiahe replied.

“Alright,” Li Chenyao nodded, then pressed, “With how busy she is, how much does she earn?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never asked.”

“You’re dating, and you don’t even know her income?”

Lu Jiahe shook her head, smiling. “She doesn’t know mine either. We’ve never pried into that.”

Li Chenyao understood her mindset but countered, “Friends don’t need to dig into details, but you’re in a relationship now. Shouldn’t you at least know these things?”

“She’ll tell me when she wants to,” Lu Jiahe said, sipping her tea before meeting Li Chenyao’s concerned gaze. “What are you worried about?”

“I’m afraid you’ll end up carrying too much financial burden,” Li Chenyao said bluntly.

Lu Jiahe chuckled. “It’s not that serious. She seems pretty low-maintenance even if she didn’t work, I could support her. Besides, she’s not the type to be content as a kept woman. Whether she earns a lot or a little doesn’t matter to me. We won’t starve either way.”

“Well, if you say so, I guess there’s nothing more to add,” Li Chenyao sighed.

“Still, her job is exhausting. We haven’t seen each other in a week. If you come across any job openings that might suit her, let me know,” Lu Jiahe said.

“Fine, look at you, all worried,” Li Chenyao teased, gnawing on a chicken foot as she observed Lu Jiahe’s lack of appetite. “It’s just a week apart, and you’re already moping like this.”

Lu Jiahe gave a helpless smile. “What kind of relationship starts off with barely any time together?”

Li Chenyao’s eyes sparkled with gossip. “So, how far have you two gotten? Have you kissed yet?”

“No.”

“Still not? After pining for her for so long, you finally get her, and you’re still holding back?” Li Chenyao was incredulous.

“So now I’m just a horny devil in your eyes?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“…” Lu Jiahe peeled the shrimp slowly and said, “She’s never been in a relationship before, and now her first one is with a woman. I’m afraid moving too fast might scare her. I’ll wait until she gets used to it before bringing it up.”

“That makes sense. I doubt she even knows how to make love with a woman,” Li Chenyao chuckled.

Lu Jiahe smiled faintly. “It’s fine. I’ll teach her. She’s very smart.”

Not just smart she learns instantly. Last time, when I deliberately teased her by kissing her ear, Ji Yin immediately returned the favor.

If there hadn’t been people around at the time, I probably wouldn’t have been able to resist teaching her how to kiss properly.

The weather gradually turned cooler, but Ji Yin was quite resistant to the cold. While others were layering up, she still wore just a short-sleeved shirt.

These days, she had been negotiating with suppliers for her new store and handling the transfer of the pool hall.

Coincidentally, the person taking over planned to open a pool hall as well, so she could sell all the existing equipment directly to them. After a week of discussions, they finally settled on a bundled price.

Next was the issue of relocating the pool hall employees. Those willing to work at the supermarket could transfer over, while those who weren’t could collect their wages and look for new jobs.

After wrapping up these major tasks, she finally had some free time. She hailed a taxi and headed to the hospital to pick up her girlfriend after work!

She waited at the entrance for a while before seeing Lu Jiahe step out of the elevator, draped in a shawl, chatting with a colleague, a faint smile on her lips.

Ji Yin stared at her, mesmerized, forgetting even to call out to her.

Even though they had been officially together for almost a month, she still found it hard to believe.

Dr. Lu had actually become her girlfriend.

Just thinking about it made her grin uncontrollably.

As she stood there grinning to herself, a finger tapped her forehead. “What are you smiling about?”

Ji Yin looked up at the person she hadn’t seen in days, feeling as if an eternity had passed. “Just thinking of something happy.”

“Isn’t this Ji Yin?” the colleague laughed.

Ji Yin looked at him in confusion. “You know me?”

“Of course! I’ve heard all about you. When you were hospitalized, you kept sneaking out. Now that you’re discharged, why are you back?” the colleague teased.

Ji Yin smiled sheepishly and glanced at Lu Jiahe, who said to her colleague, “We’ll head off first. Bye.”

Ji Yin walked out with her and reached the car when a hand reached from behind to open the door for her.

“How’s your arm recovering?” Lu Jiahe asked.

“I can move it normally now, just can’t bear heavy weight yet.” Ji Yin turned to face her, opened her arms, and hugged her tightly, nuzzling into the crook of her neck with a contented sigh. “At least I can still hold you.”

Lu Jiahe’s eyes curved slightly as she patted her back. “Hungry?”

“Not yet.”

“But I am.”

“Then let’s go eat! My treat!”

Having often seen couples in dramas going on steak dates, she picked a Western restaurant, hoping for a romantic meal.

“This is so expensive?” Lu Jiahe frowned at the menu a single steak cost over 500 yuan. A meal for two would easily run into the thousands.

“It’s fine! It’s a rare occasion,” Ji Yin said, waving over the waiter.

“Sorry, could you give us a moment?” Lu Jiahe said to the waiter before whispering to Ji Yin, “We could just buy steaks and cook them at home. No need to spend this much.”

Ji Yin glanced around the table where men and women were elegantly cutting their steaks, chatting and laughing softly, their faces brimming with happiness.

This setting was perfect for Lu Jiahe. Lu Jiahe belonged here, gracefully enjoying a steak, not slaving away in the kitchen just to save money for her.

“Let’s eat here. I want to treat you to something nice,” Ji Yin said. She lived roughly out of habit, a way of life ingrained since childhood. She never thought to change it, but she didn’t want to drag the refined Lu Jiahe down to her level either.

Lu Jiahe met her gaze for a moment, reading the determination and sincerity in her eyes, and finally nodded. She took the menu from the waiter with a smile and said, “Alright, then today I’ll indulge thanks to you.”

Ji Yin chuckled. “You’re just humoring me. I’m sure you’ve had plenty of nice meals.”

“It’s different this time.”

“How so?”

“This time, my girlfriend is paying. The experience is quite special.”

Ji Yin’s lips curled up instantly, her smile so wide her eyes nearly disappeared. “Not just this time next time, and the time after that, and the one after that too! From now on, whatever you want to eat, just tell me, and I’ll take you!”

“Then you’d better work hard.”

“I will!”

When the steak arrived, Ji Yin, mindful of her injured arm, didn’t dare exert too much force and cut slowly.

A moment later, a plate of neatly sliced steak was placed in front of her, while Lu Jiahe casually took away the half-cut portion before her.

Ji Yin looked up at her, and Lu Jiahe smiled. “Eat the cut ones.”

“You’re so good to me.” Ji Yin dug into the ready-made steak. The beef was tender yet chewy, and even better with the sauce.

“How does it taste?” Lu Jiahe asked.

“Delicious!”

“Let me try.”

“Sure.” Ji Yin instinctively pushed the plate forward slightly, and the two stared at each other in silence.

Glancing down at the steak, Ji Yin had a sudden idea. She speared a piece and held it out to Lu Jiahe, unsure if her germaphobe girlfriend would take it.

The next second, Lu Jiahe took a bite, nodding as she chewed. “Mmm, tasty.”

“What about yours?” Ji Yin asked eagerly.

Lu Jiahe smiled and slid her plate toward Ji Yin. “Want to try mine too?”

Ji Yin stared at the plate for a few seconds before looking up and mustering her courage. “My hand’s not very convenient. Could you feed me?”

“Of course. It’d be my pleasure.” Lu Jiahe couldn’t help but laugh as she fed her piece after piece.

They ended up feeding each other until their plates were empty, leaving no room for dessert.

After a short walk downstairs, Lu Jiahe drove her home.

When the car stopped at the entrance of her neighborhood, Lu Jiahe turned to her and asked, “When’s your follow-up at the hospital?”

“I’ve booked an appointment for next week.”

Lu Jiahe nodded and checked the time. “It’s getting late. You should head back and rest. Don’t overexert yourself.”

“Alright, drive safely.” Ji Yin got out of the car but lingered, unmoving.

The car didn’t move either.

They gazed at each other through the window until Ji Yin blinked, bent down, and asked, “My place is all tidied up Would you like to come up for. a drink of water?”

“Sure,” Lu Jiahe replied smoothly, stepping out of the car with a smile. “I am a bit thirsty.”