Chapter 36 A Sudden Decision "Tell me quickly, what are you planning to see tonight...?"
When Zhu Liushuang went downstairs to meet Tian Xingyu, she happened to see Lü Feng carrying a bag of melons and humming a little tune as he came back from outside.
"They're freshly picked from the fields in the countryside, very sweet. Do you want some?" Lü Feng had asked her the same question many times before.
Zhu Liushuang was in such a hurry that she didn't have time to look closely: "I'm not eating... I'm in a rush."
A single sentence was thrown far away, and the person quickly disappeared around the corner of the stairs.
Lu Feng weighed the heavy plastic bag in her hand, and a sense of frustration suddenly welled up inside her. To her now, he was nothing more than an insignificant passerby.
He patted his expressionless cheeks, took a few steps upstairs, and after gathering his emotions, knocked on the Zhu family's security door.
"Why are you in such a hurry? Did you leave something behind again?" Gu Chunling's words carried a hint of reproach.
Opening the door, she was met with Lü Feng's honest and smiling face, and her expression froze. "Oh, it's Xiao Feng! Xiao Shuang has gone out."
“I know, I just ran into her in the hallway.” Lü Feng held up the plastic bag in his hand. “I just picked these melons from my grandma’s house this evening. They’re especially sweet this year.”
“We still have several watermelons at home…you can eat them yourselves.” Gu Chunling said with difficulty, “It’s not right to always eat for free.”
“Aunt Gu, you’re too kind. These melons are only worth a few dollars.” Lu Feng said, stuffing several melons into Gu Chunling’s arms. “Xiao Shuang loves them, so I picked a few more. They’re homegrown, without any sweeteners or growth hormones, so they’re safe and healthy.”
Gu Chunling stood inside the door holding a melon, while Lü Feng stood outside carrying a plastic bag, creating an awkward atmosphere.
"Besides, Xiaoshuang often brings us desserts... When I was in school, I often ate at your house!"
"That's so far in the past..." Gu Chunling muttered, but she was too embarrassed to return the fruit to her.
Looking at the hesitant expression on Lü Feng's face, Gu Chunling couldn't help but sigh: "Xiao Feng, you're a good boy, but unfortunately Aunt Gu can't help you. When it comes to matters of the heart, it's up to Xiao Shuang to decide for herself."
When his secret was suddenly exposed, Lü Feng almost lost his smile.
He lowered his eyes, his expression complicated, and replied, "I know," before reluctantly asking, "Aunt Gu, Xiao Shuang rushed downstairs... was she going on a date?"
Gu Chunling nodded slowly, but before she could speak, she saw Lü Feng slump down. His dejected state was so obvious that she couldn't bear to look at him.
She placed the things she was carrying on the table in the entryway before saying, "She went on a date with her best friend."
As soon as he finished speaking, a bright light appeared on the dejected face of the young man at the door.
“Aunt Gu, I know Xiao Shuang doesn’t have those feelings for me right now… but as long as she’s not married, I still have a chance. Speaking of which, we’re childhood sweethearts. I hope you can mention my good points to her more often.”
Gu Chunling couldn't bear to dampen Lü Feng's spirits, so she repeatedly agreed.
After closing the door, she muttered to herself against the wall, "It's not that my Xiaoshuang doesn't like you, it's that she doesn't like her mother!"
...
The cement road under Building 10 in Donghu Residential Area is not wide at all. After a car is parked, the only passable area is a tricycle.
Zhu Liushuang had just run to the entrance of the building when she heard a silver-gray sports car honking its horn about five meters away.
Then the car window rolled down, and a girl with permed hair shouted at her in a boisterous manner: "Shuangshuang, hurry up! If you stop any longer, I'm going to get complaints from the elderly folks about obstructing traffic."
"Here I am!" Zhu Liushuang smiled as she ran to the car, opened the passenger door, and got in.
Her breathing was a little rapid: "I ran down as fast as I could. The rush hour is over now, so stopping for a few more minutes won't hurt."
Tian Xingyu turned on the turn signal to prepare to make a U-turn, but her eyes couldn't help but glance at Zhu Liushuang.
"Hey, I haven't seen you for months, and you look even younger than before! People say work drains your energy, but tonight you look like a naive and silly college student! Especially those legs... When you ran over here, oh my, they were so white they were blinding." Tian Xingyu's words were somewhat sarcastic.
Zhu Liushuang looked down at herself. Before leaving the house, she had changed into a simple and casual outfit: a white chiffon blouse and light blue denim shorts, nothing special. She pouted and pointed to the dark circles under her eyes, saying, "Ayu, stop making fun of me! Can't you see how deep these dark circles are? They're even more exaggerated than a panda's."
Tian Xingyu was busy turning around and didn't have time to continue teasing her friend. She mischievously pinched Zhu Liushuang's cheek and said, "I'll take a closer look when we get there."
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At 8:30 p.m., the two of them finished their teppanyaki and relaxed in the booth, chatting contentedly.
"Oh, by the way, my mom asked me to thank you on her behalf." Zhu Liushuang voiced her question, "Are you two hiding something from me?"
Tian Xingyu didn't react at first, but after a few seconds of reflection, she understood the meaning of "thank you".
When she went to the Zhu family's house in the afternoon, Aunt Gu held her hand and kept wiping away tears. She was worried that Shuangshuang would get sick from being cooped up at home all year round with little social interaction.
At that time, Tian Xingyu was in a hurry to comfort Gu Chunling, so she promised that as long as she had time, she would ask Zhu Liushuang to go out and play more often.
The image of Gu Chunling's tear-streaked face flashed before her eyes, and she guiltily squeezed her hand hidden under the table: "How could I dare to hide it from you! Aunt Gu was probably just grateful that I came back to visit her as soon as I had a holiday, she was so touched!"
She leaned forward, her face seeking praise: "How about that? Wasn't I a good friend? Aren't I your best friend?"
Zhu Liushuang's doubts were dispelled by Tian Xingyu's words. Her heart warmed, and she reached out to touch her friend's curly hair, saying, "So sweet, I knew Ayu loved me the most!"
"Hey! Zhu-Liu-Shuang, why did you pet my head like you were petting a cat?" Tian Xingyu complained. "No way..."
The two of them laughed and playfully hugged each other.
It wasn't the weekend, so the restaurant wasn't very busy, and most of the seats were empty. Therefore, no one paid any attention to the two girls frolicking in the corner.
After paying the bill, Tian Xingyu prepared to take Zhu Liushuang home, but Zhu Liushuang hesitated.
"Ah Yu... could you take me to the south of the city?"
Tian Xingyu asked, puzzled, "What are you doing in the south of the city so late at night?"
"Um..." Zhu Liushuang stammered, "My electric scooter is parked at the partner company's premises. If I don't bring it back, I won't be able to go to work tomorrow."
But actually... you can take a taxi to work instead of riding an electric scooter.
Zhu Liushuang's original plan was this: take a taxi to work tomorrow, and then hitch a ride with a colleague to the south of the city after get off work.
But now, she has changed her mind.
The reason is probably that she still wants to try her luck and see He Ming again.
"Oh...that's fine too. The south of the city is quite far from your home. Will you be able to ride your electric scooter home?" Tian Xingyu asked, worried about her friend's safety.
Zhu Liushuang nodded: "It's alright, I've driven much farther roads before. The roads in the city have streetlights, unlike the pitch-black countryside, so it's very safe."
Tian Xingyu guessed that Zhu Liushuang probably wanted to save some money on taxi fare, and considering her family's financial situation, she agreed without hesitation.
On her way out of the mall, Zhu Liushuang ran to the Starbucks on the first floor and brought back four pre-ordered coffees.
"You just treated me to dinner, and now you're buying me coffee. Have you been making a lot of money lately?" Tian Xingyu teased. "I'm too full. I can't drink coffee!"
Zhu Liushuang shook her head shyly: "Coffee is for...other people."
"Who is 'other person'?" Tian Xingyu asked mischievously, shaking her friend's arm. "Your sweetheart?"
Zhu Liushuang awkwardly touched the tip of her nose: "Nonsense... It suddenly started pouring rain this afternoon, and if it weren't for his... and their help, I would have been completely soaked! So I wanted to bring a cup of coffee to express my gratitude."
"Oh? Him? They..." Tian Xingyu teased, "Which company do they work for?"
"Zhonghe Accounting Firm".
"I've heard of it... but I don't know the way. Could you give me directions in a bit?"
After getting into the car, Zhu Liushuang opened Gaode Maps and skillfully entered her destination. She then switched to the background and brought up the WeChat interface.
He Ming's profile picture was second in her chat list. Without thinking, she tapped his WeChat profile picture and began to organize her thoughts.
[Senior, I'm free right now and I'll come pick up my electric scooter. I'll call you when I get there so I can get the keys for you. /heart emoji]
The reason she knew He Ming was still at the firm at this hour was because she stumbled upon Lin Hui's WeChat Moments while having dinner.
A photo of four people from behind, accompanied by a heartbreaking caption: "[Hopefully I won't have to stay up all night! /crying]"
The message received no reply.
Perhaps she's busy? Zhu Liushuang thought.
It was half an hour later when I arrived at the Zhonghe office building.
The summer night was hot and humid, and there were many mosquitoes. Zhu Liushuang considerately let Tian Xingyu stay in the car, while he got out of the car with the coffee.
She called He Ming as she walked down the building.
"Beep beep beep..." No one answered the phone. She dialed a second time.
This time, the beeping sound was quickly cut off. He Ming hung up her phone.
Zhu Liushuang felt a sharp pain in her groin and looked down to see a large mosquito biting her inner thigh and sucking her blood.
She swatted at the mosquito with all her might, but the mosquito escaped, leaving her thigh skin bright red.
Looking up, the office building in front of her was only lit by a few scattered lights, appearing extremely desolate. Zhu Liushuang stood somewhat awkwardly in the square, suddenly realizing that her impulsive decision was both rash and laughable.
A bright red dot remained on my leg where I had been bitten by a mosquito. Soon the dot swelled up and became a large bump.
She suddenly didn't know where to go next.
"Shuangshuang, why aren't you going up?" Tian Xingyu called out in confusion as she opened the car window.
Just as Zhu Liushuang was about to answer, her phone screen suddenly flickered.
Sorry, I'm in a meeting. I gave the car keys to Lin Hui; he'll bring them down for you. The car is in the parking shed downstairs.
He was in a meeting; he didn't intentionally hang up on her. Zhu Liushuang reached out to scratch her red, itchy mosquito bite, and her disappointment lessened considerably.
Okay, thank you, senior! I'm so sorry to bother you so late. /poor/poor
"Shuangshuang?" Tian Xingyu urged her from behind.
Zhu Liushuang turned off her phone, turned around and walked quickly back to the car, opened the door and got into the passenger seat: "Tell me to wait downstairs, someone will come down and bring me the keys."
Tian Xingyu leaned closer to Zhu Liushuang and couldn't help but pinch her cheek: "Why do I feel... someone is a little unhappy? She was all smiles when she got out of the car."
"Ouch—that hurts!" Zhu Liushuang said fiercely, as if a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "If you pinch my face again, I'm going to tell Aunt Jin!"
Unfortunately, her attempt to distract her didn't work. Tian Xingyu pressed on relentlessly: "Tell me quickly, who were you originally planning to see?"
"No one! You're overthinking it!" Zhu Liushuang turned her face away, habitually touching her earlobe as she spoke.
"Don't try to fool me..." Tian Xingyu wasn't like others; she wasn't so easily fooled. "Every time you get nervous, you touch your earlobe. We've known each other for so many years; do you think I don't see through you?"
Unable to explain herself, and under her friend's relentless pressure, Zhu Liushuang was ready to surrender. Just then, her phone started ringing incessantly. The caller ID showed: Lin Hui calling.
Help has arrived! Zhu Liu's face lit up with joy, and he hurriedly opened the car door: "I'll take this call, the keys should be delivered by now."
She didn't notice Tian Xingyu's slightly excited look in the car and ran towards the office building on her own.
"Hello, Miss Zhu? This is Lin Hui. Teacher He asked me to bring you a set of keys."
"Yes, I know. I'm downstairs in your office building now. Thank you for your help!"
A few minutes later, Lin Hui found Zhu Liushuang.
"So this keychain is yours! We were gossiping this afternoon about how Teacher He had such a cute keychain on his desk." Lin Hui's words carried a hint of inquisitiveness.
Zhu Liushuang pretended not to have noticed and said calmly, "I went to the tax bureau with Teacher He this afternoon. On the way back, we happened to encounter a thunderstorm, so we couldn't drive and had to ask Teacher He for help."
"Miss Zhu is truly charming. Our Teacher He isn't usually a very enthusiastic person, especially towards women." Lin Hui's tone was exaggerated, as if he was about to look at Zhu Liushuang with new respect.
"Around evening, Teacher He asked me to drive him to Nanbanpo. I was wondering why he was going there. I saw his SUV parked on the side of the road from afar. I was wondering how he got to the company without a car. Turns out... he drove your electric scooter?"
From Lin Hui's account, Zhu Liushuang roughly pieced together the whole process of He Ming helping her park the car.
My heart is full and I feel so comforted.
"Now that the mission is complete, I'll head up first." Lin Hui noticed that Zhu Liushuang didn't want to continue the conversation, and feeling bored, he turned to leave.
He had only taken two steps when the girl behind him called out to him again.
"Lin Hui, please wait a moment!"
"Is there something else you need me to pass on to...Teacher He?" Lin Hui raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued.
"I happened to see your WeChat Moments on my way here and knew you were working overtime tonight, so I ordered a few coffees." Zhu Liushuang put on a sweet smile. "I'll go get them for you, it'll be quick." With that, she turned and ran towards Tian Xingyu's sports car.
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Author's note: Because I like him, I want to see him all the time! Unfortunately, Senior He is a busy office worker.
So, how did Senior He help Shuangshuang park her car in the evening? He first parked his own car on the side of the road, then drove Shuangshuang's car back to the office and parked it there. Then he asked his assistant, Lin Hui, to drive him back to his car... going to great lengths.
Waaaaah, Shuangshuang's love for Senior He has grown even more today!
My last three work assignments have been incredibly busy, with work inspections and various activities happening all day long. Hopefully, I'll have more time to write next week!
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