Running Towards You - Chapter 59

Both of them were experiencing their first kiss, sharing the same emotions nervous yet exhilarated, giddy and utterly content.

Their gazes were like fireworks with lit fuses; the moment their eyes met, an uncontrollable blaze ignited, seemingly endless.

It wasn’t until Ji Yin’s stomach growled twice that Lu Jiahe chuckled and asked, “You haven’t eaten?”

“Nope.”

“Really?” Lu Jiahe pushed her away in surprise. “You haven’t had dinner?”

“I was planning to head back after dropping off the gift, but I ended up falling asleep as soon as I touched the bed,” Ji Yin admitted awkwardly.

“Come on, I’ll take you to eat.”

Lu Jiahe brought her to a nearby restaurant downstairs. Watching Ji Yin devour her meal with gusto, she laughed. “Don’t eat so fast you’ll upset your stomach.”

“Oh, okay.” Ji Yin slowed her chewing, stealing glances at Lu Jiahe now and then, belatedly feeling a wave of shyness.

Oh my god, she’d just French-kissed Lu Jiahe!

And it had lasted so long!

Noticing Ji Yin’s deepening silence and flushed cheeks, Lu Jiahe teased, “What’s on your mind?”

Ji Yin sneakily scanned their surroundings, ensuring no one was paying attention, before whispering with a red face, “Why does your mouth taste so sweet?”

Lu Jiahe laughed softly. “My little niece insisted on giving me candy after the banquet.”

“No wonder! I thought it tasted so good. I mean, so sweet.”

Lu Jiahe propped her chin on her hand, a smile lingering on her lips as she watched Ji Yin finish her meal. “Full?”

“Couldn’t be fuller.” Ji Yin patted her stomach and checked the time, it was already late. “I won’t go back up. You have work tomorrow, so rest early.”

“Alright, I’ll walk you out.”

“No need, I’ve already called a cab.”

Lu Jiahe accompanied her to the roadside. The car had arrived, and she opened the door. “Message me when you get home.”

“Okay.” As Ji Yin bent to enter, she suddenly turned and planted a loud kiss on Lu Jiahe’s cheek, then quickly ducked into the car, waving through the window.

Lu Jiahe’s eyes crinkled with amusement.

By now, her parents had likely finished their nightly routines, so she waited until after work the next day to bring over the foot-soaking tub and tea leaves.

“What’s this?” Professor Lu opened the door, startled by the large box in her hands.

“A birthday gift from Ji Yin. It was too late last night, so I’m bringing it now,” Lu Jiahe explained.

“She didn’t have to get me anything. Did you tell her it was my birthday?” Professor Lu took the items and set them aside to inspect.

“No, I just mentioned it casually. I didn’t expect her to pick out a gift.” Lu Jiahe turned to pour herself some water.

Liu Jia came over to examine the present, intrigued. “Oh, this isn’t cheap. She really went all out.”

“Really? Is it expensive?” Lu Jiahe had never used a foot-soaking tub and wasn’t familiar with the prices.

“Of course! This brand is quite pricey it must’ve cost several thousand.” Liu Jia fretted. “Wouldn’t this take up most of her monthly salary?”

Hearing this, Professor Lu hesitated. “No, no, her thoughtfulness is enough. You should return it to her.”

“She’s already given it just accept it. If you make her return it, she might think you’re unhappy with her,” Lu Jiahe reasoned.

“There’s even tea leaves here.” Liu Jia glanced at the table. “All for him?”

“Yep.”

“Quite generous. Next time, tell her not to spend so much. It’s just a birthday, no need to waste money on the old man. She should spend within her means.” Liu Jia chuckled.

“Who are you calling old?” Professor Lu protested, picking up two cans of tea leaves and examining them with satisfaction before placing them in the cabinet. “I’ll keep the tea, but tell her to return the foot-soaking tub.”

“But there’s no price tag on it can’t be returned.” Lu Jiahe inspected it carefully. No wonder she forgot to check the price; Ji Yin must have cut off the label beforehand.

During dinner, Lu Jiahe glanced at the foot-soaking tub in the living room and said, “Before I was in a relationship, you two kept nagging me to bring someone home for dinner. Why aren’t you saying anything now?”

“What’s the rush?” Liu Jia laughed. “Even though we’re not stopping you, it’s hard for us to believe this will last. We still need to observe a bit longer.”

“Observe what?”

“See if you two can stick it out for a year or so.”

“You’re underestimating us.”

“You can think of us as worrying over nothing.” Liu Jia grinned.

Lu Jiahe pouted. “What you need now is a chance to get to know her. You should meet her in person.”

“If she treats you well, we’ll naturally understand what kind of person she is. We’ll see the reflection in you.” Liu Jia replied.

Professor Lu nodded beside them, then suddenly sneezed.

The conversation immediately shifted to his health.

“With the temperature dropping these past few days, you should take better care of yourself. Wear more when you go out,” Lu Jiahe said.

“Don’t worry, I barely get sick all year,” Professor Lu replied.

“You’re getting older every year stop acting tough. There’s some nasty virus going around lately. Remember to wear a mask tomorrow so you don’t bring it home and infect us,” Liu Jia added.

“Fine, fine.”

For the sake of the family’s health, Professor Lu had no choice but to wear a mask whenever he went out.

The first two days were fine nothing unusual, just the occasional sneeze.

By the third day, he started feeling dizzy. Even during lectures, his head was foggy. He barely made it through class, and his legs wobbled as he walked.

In no condition to drive, he slowly made his way out of the campus and stood at the roadside, trying to hail a cab to the hospital when a honk sounded behind him.

Turning around, he saw a motorcyclist and realized he was blocking the way. He instinctively stepped back, only to trip over a low step. Staggering, his dizziness flared up again, forcing him to squat weakly to steady himself.

Ji Yin, on her bike, initially thought she’d encountered someone trying to scam her. But upon closer look, the old man seemed genuinely unwell, too weak to even speak. Probably not a con.

“Sir, are you okay?” Ji Yin parked nearby and walked over to check.

Professor Lu weakly shook his head, then let out a loud sneeze.

“Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“Yes…” He swayed as he tried to stand.

“Let me take you.” Ji Yin quickly supported him. Seeing his condition, she realized the motorcycle wasn’t safe, so she hailed a taxi instead. Helping him inside, she gave the driver the address of Lu Jiahe’s hospital.

“Sir, could you call your family?” She took off her helmet and placed it on her lap.

Professor Lu called Liu Jia, then weakly looked at her, pausing for a few seconds as if uncertain before scrutinizing her carefully. “Thank you, young one. What’s your name?”

“You’re welcome. I’m Ji Yin. Don’t talk too much now rest for a bit. I’ll let you know when we arrive.”

“Alright, thank you.” Professor Lu, his head throbbing painfully, closed his eyes.

When they reached the hospital, Ji Yin helped him out of the car and took him to the emergency room.

“Did you bring your ID?” Ji Yin asked.

“Yes.” Professor Lu pulled out his ID from his wallet and placed it on the counter.

Ji Yin accidentally caught a glimpse and exclaimed cheerfully, “You’re also surnamed Lu?”

“Mhm.” Professor Lu nodded. “Do you have a friend with the same surname?”

“Yeah, she’s my girlfriend.” Ji Yin grinned.

Professor Lu smiled faintly, though Ji Yin didn’t notice it behind his mask.

“What kind of person is she?” Professor Lu asked.

“Absolutely perfect, but.” Ji Yin looked at him in surprise. “Sir, aren’t you shocked at all?”

“Who you love is your own business.”

“Wow, city folks are really open-minded.” Ji Yin couldn’t help but marvel, impressed that even an elderly man like him was unfazed.

Professor Lu chuckled again.

After completing the paperwork, the nurse hooked Professor Lu up to an IV drip.

Ji Yin poured a cup of warm water and set it beside him.

“Thank you. How can I repay you?” Professor Lu asked.

“No need. Anyone would’ve helped.” Ji Yin sprawled casually in her seat, crossing her legs and pulling out her phone to call Dong Xiang.

“It’s me. Something came up I’ll be late. No, not me, I ran into an old man and had to take him to the hospital… Oh, right, I was supposed to take Yanzi to buy the ‘Three Golds’ today, but I’m stuck here. I’ll transfer you the money, you two can pick them out yourselves.”

After hanging up, she noticed the old man staring intently at her and grew wary. “Why are you looking at me like that? I recorded everything just now, don’t even think about scamming me.”

Professor Lu laughed so hard his head started hurting again. “I’m not scamming you. I’m just curious, who are you buying the ‘Three Golds’ for?”

“My sister.”

“Is she getting married?”

“Soon.”

“Then why are you buying them? Shouldn’t her in-laws handle that?”

“Really?” Ji Yin looked stunned. “Aren’t the ‘Three Golds’ part of the dowry?”

“No.”

“Oh damn, I almost made a fool of myself.” Ji Yin, with zero experience in wedding preparations, quickly called Dong Xiang again. “Never mind about the ‘Three Golds’ money have your mom handle it.”

Professor Lu was both amused and exasperated. He asked, “Are you also covering your sister’s dowry?”

“Yeah. It’s just the two of us left in the family. I want her to have a grand wedding.” Ji Yin hadn’t planned to share this with a stranger, but she figured she might learn something useful. “Sir, what else does the bride’s family need to prepare for a wedding?”

“Customs vary by region. You should ask locals. If you can’t find anyone, you could cough cough!” Professor Lu broke into a violent coughing fit.

“Alright, alright, I won’t bother you. Rest well.” Just as Ji Yin finished speaking, her phone rang again.

On the other end of the line, someone said something that made her expression change slightly. “What? The car got towed?”

Professor Lu coughed for a moment before speaking. “I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”

“It’s not your fault. I’ll just go pay the fine later.”

“Let me add you on WeChat. I’ll cover the fine.”

“No need for WeChat. Your family should be arriving soon, right? I need to go retrieve my car.”

“Go ahead. My wife will be here shortly.”

“Alright, then I’ll head out first. Take care.” Ji Yin stood up and left.

Professor Lu closed his eyes but soon heard the sound of Ji Yin returning.

“Sir, this is a roasted sweet potato from the vendor at the entrance. It smelled so good that I accidentally bought too many. Here’s one for you if you’re hungry, have some to tide you over.” Ji Yin placed the sweet potato next to his cup and left without another word.

A while later, Liu Jia arrived in a hurry. After checking on his condition, she noticed the sweet potato and asked, “Where did this come from?”

“Ji Yin gave it to me.” Professor Lu shook his head with a faint smile.

“Who? Ji Yin?” Liu Jia exclaimed in surprise. “The Ji Yin I’m thinking of?”

“Yes.” Professor Lu thought for a moment and said, “Invite her over for dinner this weekend. She’s quite interesting.”

After finishing her meeting, Ji Yin was about to message Lu Jiahe when the other’s call came through.

“Where are you?”

“At the supermarket.”

“I’m at the entrance. Let’s grab a meal together.”

“Really?” Ji Yin immediately ran outside and, upon seeing the figure standing there, threw herself into their arms in sheer delight.

Lu Jiahe laughed as she caught her. “Why do you always run like this? Be careful the floor’s slippery.”

“I just get so happy when I see you.” Ji Yin took her hand and skipped away cheerfully. “What do you feel like eating?”

“That place over there. I’ve already reserved a table.” Lu Jiahe pointed to the restaurant diagonally across the street.

After the meal, Lu Jiahe drove her home.

As Ji Yin opened the door, she noticed a bag in Lu Jiahe’s hand and asked curiously, “Where did that come from?”

“It was in the car.” Lu Jiahe followed her inside and pulled out a piece of clothing from the bag. “It’s getting cold, so I bought you a coat.”

“Wow!” Ji Yin looked at her in surprise, running her fingers over the fabric. “It feels so nice. Was it expensive?”

“Not at all. Try it on.”

It was a brown overcoat, timeless in design and it looked especially elegant on Ji Yin, accentuating her tall frame and graceful demeanor.

Lu Jiahe gave her an approving once-over, adjusting the belt for her. “Ji Yin, you look beautiful.”

Ji Yin’s heart raced again. She wasn’t used to receiving compliments, but every word of praise from Lu Jiahe made her blush and her pulse quicken with joy.

“What should I do? I like you so much ” Ji Yin embraced her and leaned in for a kiss.

Their reflections lingered on the window as they held each other quietly, their kisses fervent and warm.

After a long while, they slowly pulled apart. Cupping Ji Yin’s face, Lu Jiahe tilted her head up and kissed the tip of her nose. “Come over to my place for dinner this weekend.”

“Sure.”

“I mean my parents’ place.”

“What?!” Ji Yin’s legs gave way, and she slid onto the sofa in shock.