The ticket that Zhou Ji bought is also for today.
During the Golden Week, they finished work relatively early. Zhou Ji didn’t immediately head to the station; instead, he went to Duan Ye’s room. Apparently, he wasn’t someone who could keep secrets hidden. Fortunately, Jiang Yumo and Ning Zhiyu had seriously reminded him, bringing up all the points they could think of where he might cause trouble and putting them to rest.
As usual, Duan Ye came back from work and took a shower.
Zhou Ji sat on the sofa and quietly gave a thumbs-up.
This action was quite good.
He glanced at the time, and Jiang Yumo would be arriving in about an hour. When these two affectionate individuals met, they would surely be hugging and embracing each other. The fact that Duan Ye was fresh and dry was the key.
Duan Ye came out of the bathroom and saw that Zhou Ji hadn’t left yet. He furrowed his brows and asked, “Aren’t you afraid of missing the train?”
Zhou Ji responded with an “Oh,” and said, “I’ll leave right away.”
After speaking, he had a look of wanting to say something but stopping himself.
What should he do? He really wanted to remind his Brother…
Duan Ye didn’t pay much attention to his appearance when he was alone; he just wore loose shorts. His hairstyle was the same as always, and he wouldn’t even use a hairdryer in the middle of winter. Now, he casually sat on a chair, checking the time for Jiang Yumo’s train to return home. It should be arriving soon. He thought of calling her, but he was worried that she might be resting on the train, so he had to wait.
Zhou Ji sized up Duan Ye, unsure whether to nod or shake his head.
Showing off his upper body through thin clothes… Would this be considered a plus in the eyes of girls?
Fortunately, those shorts were decently modest, without any issues.
Zhou Ji shifted his gaze away again and began to observe this single room that was identical in layout to his. The room wasn’t large, probably around twenty square meters in total. The furnishings were extremely simple, just a 1.5-meter bed, an old nightstand, a wardrobe with a mirror, and the sofa he was sitting on.
Thankfully, the landlord here was considerate. Although there was no TV or refrigerator, there was air conditioning.
Seeing that Zhou Ji hadn’t left yet, Duan Ye said in a deep voice, “Still not leaving?”
Why sit here all this time?
An alarm bell rang loudly in Zhou Ji’s mind. Although he was reluctant to admit it, he also felt that Lao Duan was indeed a person with quite sharp senses.
The more he says, the more he can go wrong. If he continued to linger and speak a few more words, Lao Duan might start to suspect something.
Then… What would he be facing?
Zhou Ji thought of Ning Zhiyu and Jiang Yumo, and instantly shivered. He quickly stood up. Under Duan Ye’s suspicious gaze, he found a perfect excuse to explain his unusual behavior today, “Lao Duan, can you lend me some money?”
Duan Y e: “……”
So all this hesitation was for this?
He casually picked up his wallet from the table and took out a few bills to hand to him, “Didn’t you just receive your salary?”
Zhou Ji accepted the money and said smugly, “Who am I going to meet? I’m meeting my girlfriend, my future wife. Of course, I need to bring some extra money. If she likes something, I have to buy it for her, right?”
After taking the money, Zhou Ji thought of something important again.
Borrowing money was just an excuse. He was indeed going to meet his girlfriend, but Duan Ye’s girlfriend was also coming over! Duan Ye couldn’t be left without money!
Zhou Ji thought for a moment, only took two bills, and put the rest back on the table, “This should be enough.”
Duan Ye also realized that Zhou Ji was acting unusual today, but he usually didn’t pay much attention to Zhou Ji’s odd behavior, let alone analyze it deeply. He simply thought Zhou Ji was too excited or having another strange thought.
Zhou Ji waved his hand, “Thanks, I’m leaving. If I don’t go now, I won’t catch the train.”
Duan Ye didn’t even look at Zhou Ji, continuing to stare at his phone’s time.
Before leaving, Zhou Ji took a last look and sighed in his heart, feeling both envious and admiring. Oh, Duan Ye, Duan Ye, do you know that you’ll be surrounded by great happiness in just over an hour?
Well, he didn’t need to envy Duan Ye. After all, he would also meet his girlfriend tonight~
Jiang Yumo walked out of the station and saw Zhou Ji leaning against the wall, looking bored.
She thought she was seeing things at first, but as she walked closer, she tentatively called out, “Zhou Ji?”
Only then did Zhou Ji notice her and smiled, “Sister, long time no see.”
Jiang Yumo had gotten used to this title and had even become numb to it. She wouldn’t correct him anymore, just treating it as if she hadn’t heard, “What are you doing here?”
Zhou Ji quickly took credit for himself, “Changed my ticket.”
Jiang Yumo looked at him in surprise, “Changed your ticket?”
“Yeah.” Zhou Ji sighed too, “Aren’t I a loyal friend? Because I came to pick you up, I’ll be two hours late to see Yuyu. Don’t be too touched, this is what I should do. After all, you’re my brother’s girlfriend.”
It wasn’t too late yet, the evening sky was just turning dark.
Zhou Ji originally planned to leave earlier, but after thinking it over, he discussed it with Ning Zhiyu and changed his mind.
The city was relatively simple, but since Jiang Yumo was visiting for the first time, she wasn’t familiar with the place at all. She might even struggle to figure out where to catch a bus. And she didn’t want to tell Lao Duan… For safety reasons, he decided to personally accompany Jiang Yumo downstairs their apartment building before leaving.
Zhou Ji was someone who valued others’ goodwill by seven points and wished he could repay it with ten points.
He wasn’t ignorant of gratitude; in fact, he understood better than anyone how sincere his friend Duan Ye was. So, when he ran away from the airport and later sought out Duan Ye, he knew Duan Ye wouldn’t just ignore him.
Jiang Yumo : “?”
Why did that statement sound so strange?
Nevertheless, she felt relieved. Despite having figured out the bus route to Duan Ye’s rental house while on the train, she was still unfamiliar with the area. She was somewhat uneasy, fearing she might get lost or walk in the wrong direction. Having Zhou Ji accompany her was indeed reassuring.
In an instant, she felt at ease.
Zhou Ji led Jiang Yumo around the bus station. There was a taxi lane nearby. Zhou Ji felt the need to explain unnecessarily, “Let me make it clear, it’s not that I’m being stingy about taking a taxi. It’s just that it’s not suitable to take a taxi with just the two of us.”
Jiang Yumo teased him, “You’re quite considerate.”
During this period, Zhou Ji had made remarkable progress. A look at his ideological maturity would reveal it.
Zhou Ji proudly said, “Of course, who is Lao Duan? He’s my brother, and I have a girlfriend. Naturally, I need to be resourceful.”
Under Zhou Ji’s guidance, the two finally got on the bus. Zhou Ji asked her to take a seat and stood beside her, holding onto the handrail. “This is a direct bus. Our area is quite convenient. There’s a supermarket and a shopping mall nearby. The mall isn’t huge, but there’s a movie theater on the fourth floor. You can have Lao Duan take you to watch a movie.”
Zhou Ji continued to talk a lot, and Jiang Yumo listened attentively this time because he was talking about things related to Duan Ye.
“Lao Duan is really hardworking. We’re currently installing windows, and he’s planning to learn about reinforcing steel bars. That’s not a job just anyone can handle, but it brings in extra income. Under his influence, I hardly spend money anymore. Guess how much we spend in a month for utilities and rent?”
Zhou Ji exaggerated, “I’m not sure about Lao Duan’s exact expenses, but I’ve calculated mine. I only spent five hundred yuan on living expenses this month!
“In the morning, I buy a few buns outside. Oh, and I recommend the buns from that Four Seasons Fragrance bun shop. They taste good and are cheap. You can get a filling meal for less than three yuan.
“For lunch, an auntie will deliver food. Not to criticize, but her cooking isn’t great. *Sigh*! Every day, I don’t have much of an appetite. If I find three strips of meat in the green pepper stir-fry, I consider it a win.
“Dinner, sometimes we casually buy something outside, and sometimes we just cook some noodles in the rental apartment, making do with a meal.”
Zhou Ji felt more and more self-important as he spoke, “Neither Lao Duan nor I smoke or drink… Where can you find people like us? We save money to spend on our girlfriends!”
Jiang Yumo listened absentmindedly and suddenly asked, “Is he tired?”
“That’s obvious,” Zhou Ji shook his head, “Tired? Of course, how could he not be tired? I just collapsed onto the bed once I come home every day. At first, I really couldn’t bear it, but now I’m used to it. Moreover, Lao Duan also wanted to learn reinforcing steel bars, so he’s planning to learn drafting from a skilled master. That master has been working for many years, and he really likes Lao Duan. Damn it, he doesn’t like me!”
Jiang Yumo burst into laughter, but at the same time, she felt proud of Duan Ye.
Yes, he was just that kind of person.
“To be honest, Lao Duan is truly remarkable. He can endure hardship, and he plans for the future,” Zhou Ji said, “He will definitely achieve something in the future.”
“I know,” Jiang Yumo whispered.
Zhou Ji changed the topic, “I wonder how Yuyu is doing over there. Sister, seriously, why didn’t you take the same exam as Yuyu to attend the same school? That way, I could get some information from you, and we could exchange information.”
Jiang Yumo’s mix of melancholy and tender emotions instantly disappeared, leaving only annoyance. She glared at Zhou Ji fiercely, “I didn’t take it because I didn’t want to!”
Zhou Ji slapped his forehead, “Oh, I almost forgot, your grades weren’t good enough to qualify.”
Jiang Yumo : “…”
Ahhhh! So annoying!!
From then on, she ignored Zhou Ji completely.
From the train station to the rented apartment building they were in, it was only half an hour. Zhou Ji used the access card to open the iron gate downstairs for her. “We’re on the fifth floor. The one with the lights on is Lao Duan’s room. See, I told you, Old Duan and I are like monks now. No entertainment whatsoever, so rest assured.”
Jiang Yumo acknowledged with a sound and urged Zhou Ji, “Go quickly, be careful not to miss the train and have to reschedule. Yuyu will have to wait at the station for a long time.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Yumo entered, and Zhou Ji turned to leave.
Her heartbeat grew faster and faster. There was no elevator in this building; she had to climb the stairs. Step by step, she climbed, nervous and excited, imagining what expression he would have. Finally, she reached the fifth floor, stood in front of his door, raised her hand to knock, hesitated, then withdrew her hand. She cautiously took out a small mirror from her bag, fixed her hair, took several deep breaths, but still… her heart was beating so fast it felt like it would burst out of her chest.
Then, she knocked on the door.
This time, she could only stay for a few days. She couldn’t waste another moment.
As Duan Ye was hesitating whether to give her a call, someone knocked on the door. He was taken aback for a moment. Zhou Ji should have already boarded the train; it couldn’t be him. Who could it be then? He walked to the door, this single room didn’t have a peephole. He asked in a low voice, “Who is it?” while opening the door.
This is probably a scene he will never forget in his entire life.
The person outside the door turned out to be her.
Jiang Yumo saw him open the door, and to hide her nervousness, she reached out and gave him a big bear hug. Holding onto his neck, pressing against his cheek, she rubbed against him, again and again, “Surprised, right!”
Duan Ye felt like he was still in a dream.
This was clearly a dream… No, even in dreams, he wouldn’t dare to imagine such a scenario. Yet, here it was, happening so realistically.
He held her waist and tightened his grip inch by inch.
It was this tight embrace that made him feel the reality.
This wasn’t a dream. She had really come, and he was really holding her.
The two of them stood there, hugging silently. The voice-controlled lights in the corridor went off, leaving only the lights in the room.
Being hugged by him, Jiang Yumo felt a sourness in her nose. It hadn’t been long since they were apart… just a month, but for some reason, she missed him terribly. Even though she was in his arms now, it seemed like this feeling of longing couldn’t be eased.
It’s unclear how much time passed, but it was only when voices came from the staircase that Duan Ye regained a bit of clarity. He had strong arms and effortlessly lifted her up by the waist, turning around. She quickly held onto his neck tightly as he carried her into the room.
Duan Ye smoothly reached back and closed the door.
Inside the room, Duan Ye caught sight of the cracked tiles and felt a sense of embarrassment and regret. If he had known she was coming, he would have rented a better place.
Jiang Yumo pulled away from his embrace. He had sent her pictures of the room, but seeing it in person was completely different.
She looked around.
Her heart felt a touch of sourness again. She knew he would be going through hardships, but being in his living space… she could only sense a fraction of it.
She suppressed this emotion, not wanting Duan Ye to notice. No matter how mature he was, he was still a nineteen-years-old boy. At this moment, he should also be feeling awkward. After all, he had always wanted to appear invincible in front of her.
Thinking of this, she intentionally put her hands on her hips and proudly said, “Seems like you’re quite nervous. Today, I’m here to inspect!”
Duan Ye hadn’t taken his eyes off her since she arrived.
As if trying to take in every detail at once, he looked at her more carefully, wishing his eyes were truly cameras, so he could capture many, many pictures of her.
Upon hearing her words, he smiled, “Sure, you’re welcome anytime.”
Aww, cuties!! Wishing them all a happy youth and smooth adulthood, thank you for the chapter!
You know what I feel right now ?
So fucking single!!!!!
Thank you for the update.