Mu Jingyan stood beside Ruolin, his right hand gripping the overhead armrest, which was easy for him due to his height. Ruolin stood to his left, holding onto the back of the chair with one hand.
They both stared silently out the window at the speeding cars and receding people, each lost in their own thoughts.
Suddenly, the driver made a sharp turn, and Ruolin lost her footing, stumbling and falling to one side. Mu Jingyan timely reached out to support her, placing his hand precisely on her waist to steady her. Only after the driver had brought the car back to a stop did Ruolin realize Mu Jingyan's hand was still there. She felt a warmth from his large palm, and her face flushed instantly. Mu Jingyan seemed somewhat flustered; he quickly removed his hand, stood up straight, and his expression was slightly unnatural.
Because of the crowd, they were now very close, just a step apart. She could faintly smell the minty scent emanating from Mu Jingyan, cool and refreshing.
After putting his hand down, Mu Jingyan said with a hint of apology, "I was offended just now."
"No...no." Ruolin forced a smile, stammered, paused, and whispered, "I should be thanking you."
In that instant, as that warmth enveloped her waist, another person flashed through her mind—the one who had once pressed his lips to hers, warming her and stirring her heart, the one who had just walked towards the elevator without looking back. But that person only flashed through her mind briefly before disappearing. She forced herself not to think about him.
"What kind of meal will you prepare for me later to thank me?" Mu Jingyan followed up on Ruolin's question.
"My specialty dish is a secret for now!" Ruolin said mysteriously.
"Okay, I'll be waiting." Mu Jingyan's face was full of anticipation.
After getting out of the car, Mu Jingyan accompanied Ruolin to the market to buy groceries. Ruolin was in charge of bargaining, while Mu Jingyan carried the purchased groceries. The two worked together very well, just like a young couple shopping together. No wonder the vegetable vendor said, "You two really know how to manage your finances, you're so thrifty."
Ruolin and Mu Jingyan didn't argue, they just smiled in response.
“Actually, we’re not exactly being very frugal,” Mu Jingyan said on the way back.
"Then what exactly constitutes being thrifty?" Ruolin asked, puzzled.
"If the two of us share an apartment, that would be true thrift, and we could save on rent," Mu Jingyan said seriously.
"Get lost! You bastard! Are you trying to take advantage of me on purpose?!" Ruolin said, her face flushed red.
"No way! I'm just telling the truth. Why don't you think about it?"
"Hey! Watch out, or I'll put rat poison in your food later."
"They were thinking of you, trying to help you save money," Mu Jingyan said with an innocent expression.
"Don't give me that. Thank you for your kind offer."
...
As they walked and talked, Ruolin felt much better. Being with Mu Jingyan always made her feel relaxed, unlike being with Han Haoxuan, which always felt like doing something wrong, like taking an adventure.
Chapter 41
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While Ruolin was busy in the kitchen, Mu Jingyan came over and asked, "Do you need my help?"
"Who told you to come over? You can just stay in the living room and watch TV."
"Oh, are you afraid I'll steal your cooking skills? Actually, my cooking skills aren't necessarily worse than yours." With that, Mu Jingyan prepared to roll up his sleeves and come over to help.
"Mu Jingyan, today isn't a cooking competition, it's a thank-you dinner for you, so I can cook by myself. You go watch TV in the living room, it'll be ready soon. Your presence here will affect my performance." Ruolin pushed Mu Jingyan out of the kitchen door.
Mu Jingyan didn't sit obediently in the living room watching TV. Instead, he stood quietly at the kitchen door, gazing absently at Ruolin's busy figure.
This scene felt incredibly heartwarming to him, and it was the feeling of home that he longed for.
Later, he still felt warm whenever he recalled this scene.
The girl he loved was willing to cook and clean for him; at that moment, he was incredibly happy.
He wished time could stand still at this moment, so that he could hold onto eternal happiness.
Mu Jingyan was full of praise for Ruolin's cooking, and she was so impressed that she said, "If you keep praising me, I'm going to consider opening a restaurant."
"I think it's a good idea! If you open a restaurant, I'll be the boss and you'll be the boss's wife, okay?" He said it in a half-joking tone.
Of course, Ruolin never took his words seriously, only regarding them as jokes between old classmates: "Okay, okay, but... I want to be the boss, and you can be the waiter, how about that?"
"You're a feminist!"
“It’s definitely more fun to run a restaurant when you’re the boss.” Ruolin had just finished saying this when her phone rang at an inopportune moment. She picked it up from the table, saw the caller’s name, and didn’t react for a long time.
"What's wrong? Why aren't you answering?" Mu Jingyan asked.
"You eat first, I'll take this call," Ruolin said, taking her phone as she walked towards the bedroom.
"Hello..." After the call was connected, a familiar, magnetic, and deep voice came from the other end.
"..." Ruolin didn't know what to say.
"Are you on the phone? It's me."
"I know."
"Are you having dinner with your best friend right now? Am I bothering you?" The tone was full of sarcasm.
"Yes," Ruolin said deliberately, trying to provoke him. What, are you saying that officials are allowed to set fires but ordinary people aren't allowed to light lamps? Are you allowed to be all lovey-dovey with Xinyu but I'm not allowed to have dinner with a normal male friend?
Han Haoxuan was speechless for a moment. He had really asked himself a question!
"Do you have any plans for the National Day holiday?" Han Haoxuan got straight to the point.
"National Day?" Ruolin remembered that Xinyu had told her that she would be going to Lushan with Han Haoxuan during the National Day holiday. Did she want to drag her along as a super third wheel and make her watch them being all lovey-dovey? No way! So, Ruolin immediately said, "I'm going home to visit my mother during the National Day holiday."
"Oh...then please give my regards to your aunt," Han Haoxuan said, somewhat disappointed.
"That's not necessary, my mom doesn't know you. But I appreciate your kindness."
"I won't disturb you and your very, very good friend's meal. Say goodbye, you can hang up now." Han Haoxuan also emphasized the word "very good."
"I don't want to see you again, so I won't say goodbye. You can hang up now," Ruolin said softly.
"You hang up first," Han Haoxuan insisted.
"Okay." Ruolin hung up the phone.
Han Haoxuan was used to hearing the busy tone on the other end of the phone, but why did he feel so bad this time? Was it because she was having dinner with another man? Was it because she rejected his invitation? Or was it because she said she didn't want to see him again, and he felt depressed because of that?
Ruolin returned to the dining table, looking rather unhappy.
"Was that your boyfriend calling?" Mu Jingyan asked tentatively.
"No. I don't have a boyfriend, didn't I say that before?"
"Who's that? A debt collector? Judging from your worried look, you're probably being chased by someone for a debt, right?" Mu Jingyan pretended to be nonchalant.
"You are my biggest creditor right now, as long as you don't come after me for the money."
"I'm so honored! Would you like to repay me?"
"Here we go again! Mu Jingyan, are you serious or not? Don't you want me to pay you back soon so you can get married? You know that's the dowry your family prepared for your future mother-in-law!"
"Can't I just be kidding you?"
"You've become naughty, Mu Jingyan." Ruolin couldn't help but laugh as she looked at Mu Jingyan's childish expression.
"Don't you women often say that women love bad boys? So I need to become more popular with women."
"You've really gone bad, Mu Jingyan. How I miss the kind, innocent, studious, and ambitious Mu Jingyan I used to be!"
"Oh? You had a crush on me?" Mu Jingyan stood up as if he had discovered a new continent, staring intently at Ruolin.
"...No." Ruolin hadn't expected Mu Jingyan to ask her that, and hurriedly denied it.
"Let's eat, the food's getting cold." Mu Jingyan sat down, feigning composure. Ruolin's flustered expression and blushing face earlier had already hinted that she might have actually had a crush on him. This made him secretly pleased.
Although he was a bookworm in school, high-achieving boys were always popular in high school, and with his good looks, he won the favor of many girls. This was evident from the burning gazes they gave him, but he never imagined that Ruolin was one of them.
"Hey! Don't get any ideas! And don't even think about making a move on me! They say a rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow, and you should follow that rule too, right..." During the meal, Ruolin didn't forget to dispel Mu Jingyan's "idealistic" thoughts.
"I'm not a rabbit..." Mu Jingyan muttered softly.
"By the way, why don't we see you bringing your girlfriend home often?" God knows, Ruolin only asked this question out of pure curiosity.
"Who told you that? I don't have a girlfriend." Mu Jingyan looked at Ruolin with a puzzled expression.
“I saw it with my own eyes. At the party organized by Zhang Tianliang last year, didn’t you bring a girl with you? The two of you were so intimate. Others might not have seen it, but I did.” Ruolin was much calmer now than when she saw that scene.
“That’s my cousin! I swear!” Mu Jingyan said solemnly.
"Why are you being so serious? I'm not a judge." Ruolin couldn't help but laugh.
"Shen Ruolin, I didn't expect you to be so interested in my private life! You even ask if I have a girlfriend. But why didn't I see you at that party?" Mu Jingyan then remembered that last year, Zhang Tianliang, a lively member of his high school class, had indeed organized a party. His cousin Rongrong wanted to take the opportunity to meet some handsome guys and insisted that he bring her along. So, Ruolin mistook his cousin for his girlfriend!
"That's natural. In your eyes, I'm just a little grass that nobody knows."
"You are not grass, you are a flower, the most beautiful and vibrant flower in the world. I have always admired you."
Don't give me that! You men love to flatter!
"Seriously, shouldn't we consider finding fertile ground for this flower of yours?"
"No thanks, I don't want to think about relationship issues right now."
"You're from Harvard?"
"What?"
"It means believing in Buddhism and entering the Buddhist order!"
"You smooth talker! Mu Jingyan, you've changed so much!" Ruolin shook her head repeatedly.
"Actually, I haven't changed much. It's just that we didn't have a chance to sit down and chat before, so you didn't know me well. I also have an extroverted side. And people always change as they grow up. You've become more outspoken too. You're not the quiet and introverted Shen Ruolin you used to be."
"I wouldn't call myself shrewish, but I've become much more optimistic. I used to cry when I encountered difficulties, but now I've forgotten what tears taste like. Whether you laugh or cry, it's still a day, and life goes on, so why not live it with a smile?" Ruolin said this with a smile, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, as if telling life that she would not give up.
However, seeing this expression, Mu Jingyan couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.
“Ruolin…” Mu Jingyan approached Ruolin, reached out his arm, and gently put his arm around her shoulder. “You are very strong.”
"Thank you for the compliment. But this is just a skill that life teaches us," Ruolin said casually.
This sight of Ruolin made Mu Jingyan feel both heartache and admiration. He liked her unassuming nature, her personality that was sometimes quiet and sometimes lively, and her kindness and strength.
"Take your hand away! Don't take advantage of me!" Mu Jingyan wanted to stay close to Ruolin a little longer, but Ruolin suddenly said something that ruined the mood. He had no choice but to awkwardly move his hand away.
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Two