Click the links or go to the menu to go to the shop.
Lu Yixin’s cold soon got better, but Lu Boyuan was still almost scolded into a pig’s head by Liu Miqing.
Liu Miqing had always felt guilty toward her free-range daughter. Taking advantage of this incident, she gritted her teeth and used up the rest of her annual leave for the year, carrying large and small bags as she rushed to Huating, intending to make up for Lu Yixin properly.
Because Fang Yongnian lived right across the street, “making up for Lu Yixin properly” turned into “calling Fang Yongnian over to make up for him too.”
It was a very ordinary and simple matter, yet Lu Yixin began to feel troubled.
She changed her mind, she didn’t want her parents to know about her and Fang Yongnian so soon.
“We only just started!” Her crooked logic was always at her fingertips. “Who meets the parents right at the start!”
Fang Yongnian was too good to her. Now, she was afraid and rejected any change.
“Besides, don’t you think this makes it more romantic?” She grew even more excited. “My biggest dream in this life is to date in secret. Everything looks normal above the table, but below the table, we’re holding hands!”
It was unclear whether Fang Yongnian was stunned by “the biggest dream of Lu Yixin’s life,” but the man who had originally planned to make their relationship public when Liu Miqing arrived in Huating thought for a moment, then replied, “Let’s talk about it later.”
“I think I’ve become my Fang Niannian’s weakness!” Lu Yixin said proudly over the phone with Zheng Ranran, her tone soaring to the heavens. “He’s always been the kind of person who never budges once he’s decided something, but this time he actually agreed with me!”
“And don’t you think maybe he’s scared too?” Lu Yixin cupped her cheeks with both hands. “Maybe he’s like me. Worried that my parents will strongly oppose us, so he’s hesitating too!”
“Nonsense.” Zheng Ranran rolled her eyes at the ceiling.
Even as an outsider, she felt that the scene would probably be too stimulating and not suitable for minors to watch—let alone for the people involved.
“Anyway…” Lu Yixin concluded with a face full of spring color, “I feel like after Fang Niannian agreed with me, he’s slowly become different.”
It was as if he had suddenly gained seven emotions and six desires, coming to life bit by bit.
Her love had never been one-sided, and Fang Yongnian definitely hadn’t surrendered just because he was afraid of her persistence.
“I really like how he is now.” After almost three months of dating, she still felt her heart race every time she thought of him.
“You two have only had one forehead kiss,” Zheng Ranran poured cold water on her.
“Three times!” Lu Yixin refuted righteously.
“Two for 0.3 seconds, one for three seconds?” Zheng Ranran could practically recite Lu Yixin’s barren romantic progress by heart.
“You two have only held hands once.” Unable to outargue her, Lu Yixin decided to bite back.
In terms of progress, neither of them could claim victory!
The two girls fell silent for a moment, then quietly hung up.
They had only just touched the sweetness of love, treading carefully, full of nervous excitement.
Fortunately, the people they liked felt the same way. Because it was so beautiful, because there was still a long road ahead, they, too, slowed their steps.
Love is mutual.
Testing, loving—they are both mutual.
୨୧ ⏔⏔⏔⏔♡⏔⏔⏔⏔ ୨୧
Liu Miqing made pastries again—purple sweet potato buns filled with delicate red bean paste, shaped like roses.
The first phase of the clinical trial for the generic drug Fang Yongnian’s team was working on had just concluded. The company needed to undergo an on-site inspection by the Drug Administration’s experts to verify the consistency of the generic drug’s quality and efficacy based on the clinical trial data.
The inspection would last four days, and to ensure the authenticity and completeness of the data, both the project team and the inspection team had to remain fully enclosed for the entire duration.
The day before the lockdown, they all got off work on time. As soon as the elevator doors opened, the smell of food wafted out.
Lu Yixin was wearing a light yellow apron covered with flour, arguing with Liu Miqing in the living room that the purple sweet potato buns she made were shaped like roses, not fists. Her voice was clear and crisp, her words spilling out rapidly like a string of firecrackers.
Liu Miqing, as usual, spoke softly. When she saw Lu Boyuan return, she went up to take his briefcase.
Lu Yixin clasped her hands behind her back and winked at Fang Yongnian, who followed Lu Boyuan into the house.
Fang Yongnian lowered his head to change shoes, hiding the smile in his eyes.
He had always liked the atmosphere in Lu Yixin’s home. Now that their relationship had changed, that fondness had turned into joy. The kind that made the corners of one’s lips lift without realizing it.
“I also made purple sweet potato buns,” Lu Yixin whispered to him while her parents were talking, secretly slipping over. “The ugly ones are the ones I made.”
Fang Yongnian glanced at her with a smile and nodded.
Out of the corner of her eye, Liu Miqing caught sight of Lu Yixin and raised her voice. “Don’t bother Uncle Fang. Go wash your hands quickly, there are other guests coming today.”
Lu Yixin was puzzled. “Who?”
“Yu Hanfeng,” Lu Boyuan announced proudly, revealing the mystery.
That night when Fang Yongnian had accompanied them to the hospital in the middle of the night had left a deep impression on him. He felt he needed to show more concern for this junior fellow, and the first thing that came to mind was Fang Yongnian’s personal life.
So, after discussing it with Liu Miqing, he decided to turn tonight’s dinner into a matchmaking dinner.
It was the first time the scholarly Lu Boyuan had ever done something so gossipy, and he was in high spirits, full of enthusiasm.
Lu Yixin quickly turned to look at Fang Yongnian.
Completely kept in the dark, Fang Yongnian looked back at her with a blank face.
“You two… how could you make this decision on your own!” Lu Yixin stomped her foot in anger.
“Your Uncle Fang isn’t an outsider,” Liu Miqing said while busy setting the dishes on the table, offhandedly adding, “Besides, what does this have to do with you?”
From where her parents couldn’t see, Fang Yongnian shook his head slightly at Lu Yixin, who was about to explode like a fire-breathing dragon.
“Did Yu Hanfeng agree?” he frowned.
“She did,” Lu Boyuan said cheerfully. “I just sent a message to test the waters, and she agreed right away.”
“Honestly, Yu Hanfeng seems to really care about you,” Liu Miqing chimed in, echoing her husband.
Lu Yixin was so furious she could almost jump, but seeing Fang Yongnian’s furrowed brow, she forced herself to hold it in.
“Let’s talk when she arrives,” Fang Yongnian said no more.
Yu Hanfeng was a busy person, she wouldn’t come all the way here just for fun or out of idle curiosity. If she agreed, there must be another reason.
Unable to act too obviously in front of her parents, Lu Yixin dashed to her room, grabbed her phone, and started jabbing at the screen.
Fang Yongnian first switched his phone to silent. After a while, he turned it on.
He ignored the string of question marks, exclamation marks, and ellipses at the top, his finger pausing for a moment on the emoji Lu Yixin had sent—a picture of someone smashing a boulder on their chest.
“Be good.” He just typed a single word and pressed send.
In her room, Lu Yixin—who had almost gone feral in rage—suddenly quieted down. She sniffled, poked her head out from the doorway, and said, “Why isn’t she here yet! I’m starving!”
Still angry, but now she had found something she could shout about.
Fang Yongnian sat on the sofa, amusement flickering in his eyes.
She was really very good, so good it made his heart itch.
୨୧ ⏔⏔⏔⏔♡⏔⏔⏔⏔ ୨୧
When Yu Hanfeng arrived, she brought a bottle of red wine in a Western fashion. She was still dressed for work, wearing full makeup.
She nodded and smiled at Lu Yixin, who had come to open the door for her, then leaned in close and whispered, “Do you want me to help you?”
Lu Yixin froze for a moment, suddenly recalling Fang Yongnian’s furrowed brow since earlier.
“No.” She also lowered her voice to whisper back beside Yu Hanfeng’s ear, refusing firmly and without the slightest hesitation.
Yu Hanfeng smiled, her eyes curving beautifully like crescent moons.
“Then what should I do?” she continued in a low voice. “I have to help you today.”
Lu Yixin: “……”
“So remember, you owe me one.” Yu Hanfeng’s last sentence came quickly; after saying it, she straightened up and greeted Liu Miqing and Lu Boyuan with impeccable manners.
As if that little act of roguish coercion just now had never happened at all.
With her mouth half open, Lu Yixin hurriedly tapped out everything Yu Hanfeng had just said and sent it to Fang Yongnian on WeChat.
After a while, Fang Yongnian replied four words this time: Leave it to me.
Lu Yixin was immediately soothed, hugging her brand new phone as she bounced happily into the living room, enthusiastically pouring water and serving tea for Yu Hanfeng.
She didn’t even know why—but the moment she saw Yu Hanfeng, she felt an urge to act like the host. She figured it must be some kind of territorial instinct.
“Let’s eat first,” Liu Miqing said as she brought out the last dish, a steamed yellow croaker. “Just simple home-cooked food, Miss Yu, I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” Yu Hanfeng sat down with a smile. “President Fang said your cooking is very good.”
Lu Yixin glanced at her, then at Fang Yongnian.
Fang Yongnian coughed lightly and poured himself a glass of water.
Liu Miqing set the bowl of soup she had originally meant for Yu Hanfeng down in front of her daughter, with a heavy clink.
After so many years of mother-daughter tacit understanding, Lu Yixin instantly understood: her mother meant, eat more, mind less.
But—how could this be called meddling!
Right now, she felt that this entire dinner table was a battlefield of blades and schemes, each with their own hidden intent!
“I came today mainly to confirm something with you,” Yu Hanfeng said, taking a sip of soup and taking the initiative to speak.
If she didn’t, this little girl really looked like she was about to flip the table.
And if she didn’t, she felt that Fang Yongnian—because of this little girl—might speak up before she did.
If that happened, things would only backfire.
This favor, she had to keep.
“These past few years, the overall economic climate hasn’t been good. The old man has decided to restructure part of his holdings for an IPO. For the sake of the listing blueprint, he’s included our pharmaceutical company in the plan.” She began speaking straight about work.
“So I wanted to confirm something with you. After these three generic drugs hit the market, I’m planning to apply for another five generics early next year, and in the second half of the year, initiate a new original drug development project. With the company’s current scale, can we sustain that pace?”
The dining table instantly fell silent.
Lu Yixin, who moments ago had been ready to flip the table, bit down on her chopsticks and suddenly understood why Fang Yongnian had been frowning.
She knew her Fang Yongnian wouldn’t like Yu Hanfeng. His personality wouldn’t go for such a strong-willed woman. The only reason he’d frown at Yu Hanfeng could be because of work.
But why had Yu Hanfeng chosen this moment to bring up work?
It was obvious she knew about her and Fang Yongnian. That was why she’d asked whether she wanted her help, and why she’d said she intended to use this favor.
Why? Why insist on cashing in a favor with her?
Lu Yixin bit her chopsticks, watching Fang Yongnian.
He hadn’t spoken at all, quietly eating. When he reached for the purple sweet potato buns, he picked only the ugly ones—the ones she had made.
“Eat, eat, company matters should be discussed at the office…” Liu Miqing finally spoke, feeling slightly awkward at how Yu Hanfeng had derailed the dinner. After all, sitting at this table were her and Lu Yixin—both outsiders to the company—and it just didn’t feel appropriate to talk about work here.
Yu Hanfeng smiled.
“President Fang knows, I’m a firm believer in singlehood.” She shrugged. “When I was twenty-four, I froze my eggs. My plan is to have a child after I get my inheritance. In my life plan, there’s no room for dating or marriage.”
“My family is too complicated. There are too many agreements that have to be signed before love or marriage, so I’d rather skip it altogether.”
Her Chinese still carried a strange accent. When she spoke in long sentences, it sounded as if Chinese wasn’t her first language.
But her word choice was precise, and her expression—fluent and clear.
In any case, Lu Boyuan and Liu Miqing understood her perfectly.
And because they understood, they were left slightly open-mouthed, not knowing what to say.
This dinner had originally been meant as a matchmaking meal. They had even planned to take Lu Yixin out to a movie afterward, to leave the space to Fang Yongnian and Yu Hanfeng.
But now, right in front of them, she had refused—completely unambiguously. She made it perfectly clear: she was here to talk business.
No wonder Fang Yongnian had asked earlier whether Yu Hanfeng had agreed.
He had known from the start that she never intended to be with him.
