Amusement sparkled in Lu Yao’s eyes as she hooked her finger around Shen Zhirou’s and led her into the bathroom, shutting the door behind them. Ye Qi caught the whole scene. His gaze locked on the bathroom door, his eyes nearly shooting flames.
From what he knew of Lu Yao, she never got too close to anyone—let alone acted this clingy.
Liu Pingping, seated in the living room, noticed Ye Qi’s expression for a fleeting moment before he smoothed it away. This time, he didn’t rush to the kitchen to help out. Instead, his eyes kept drifting toward the bathroom.
Inside, Lu Yao leaned back lazily into Shen Zhirou’s embrace, letting her wash her hands.
Shen Zhirou held Lu Yao carefully while adjusting the water temperature. She wet Lu Yao’s fair, jade-like fingers first, then squeezed out some soap to work up a lather. Cupping Lu Yao’s hands in her own soapy ones, she rubbed them gently.
Shen Zhirou washed with meticulous care, scrubbing each finger clean one by one.
Lu Yao nestled contentedly in her arms, her gaze drifting unconsciously to Shen Zhirou’s eyes. “Don’t take anything my mom or the others said to heart. And that Ye Qi? Ignore him completely. He’s been sucking up to my parents for ages, but it’s all wasted effort.”
As she worked the suds over Lu Yao’s hands, Shen Zhirou said softly: “All right. Though it does feel like Auntie and Uncle aren’t too fond of me.”
“It doesn’t matter. If I think you’re the right one for me, that’s enough. You’re marrying me, not them.” Lu Yao let out a light chuckle and leaned in to brush a kiss against the corner of Shen Zhirou’s lips. She was trying to ignore how, around Shen Zhirou, she kept wanting to draw closer and stay glued to her side—something she had dreaded most before.
“All right. As long as I’m the one in Yaoyao’s heart, no one else’s opinion matters.”
Shen Zhirou’s gaze settled on Lu Yao, and in those eyes, Lu Yao could see her own reflection clearly. For some reason, Shen Zhirou’s words stirred a twinge of guilt in her chest. She looked away quickly, but the gentle touch on her hands persisted—Shen Zhirou patiently washing away the soap.
Oblivious to Lu Yao’s tangled thoughts, Shen Zhirou turned the faucet back on and rinsed the foam from her hands with care, rubbing her palms softly over them.
Lu Yao stared at Shen Zhirou in a daze. Part of her insisted she shouldn’t let this continue, that she ought to keep some distance like before. Yet another part refused to pull away, lost in the warmth of Shen Zhirou’s tenderness.
She and Shen Zhirou were getting married anyway. Even if Lu Yao had no intention of letting her heart get too involved, this gentleness belonged to her alone. With that thought, Lu Yao felt a little more at ease.
Shen Zhirou had no inkling of the whirlwind in Lu Yao’s mind during those few moments. Her hands were clean now, and she dried them bit by bit with a white towel.
“There we go. Let’s head back out.” Shen Zhirou hung up the towel and wrapped an arm around Lu Yao, who was still leaning against her.
Lu Yao turned to face Shen Zhirou directly, her arms wrapping familiarly around Shen Zhirou’s neck as she leaned lazily into her embrace. Her gaze drifted up to meet Shen Zhirou’s. “Don’t you want to spend a little more time with me?”
“Of course not,” Shen Zhirou replied, pulling her closer into her arms with a gentle smile. “But this is your house. It wouldn’t be right to hide away in here forever, would it?”
“Fine then. Consider this your reward for helping me wash my hands.” With that, Lu Yao leaned in and kissed her. Shen Zhirou’s lips were soft and inviting—Lu Yao loved kissing her.
After the kiss, Lu Yao lingered in Shen Zhirou’s arms for a moment to catch her breath. She felt a twinge of regret that they were at her parents’ place; if they’d been at her own home, she could have coaxed Shen Zhirou into all sorts of other things. With that thought, Lu Yao pulled back, a sly smile curving her lips as she wiped the smudged lipstick from Shen Zhirou’s mouth. Then she took Shen Zhirou’s hand and led her out of the bathroom.
As they emerged, Shen Zhirou caught sight of Ye Qi glaring at them with clear displeasure. But since she knew Lu Yao had no interest in him, she simply returned his stare with calm indifference.
Lu Yao led Shen Zhirou over to her parents. “Mom, Dad, Zhirou and I have some things to take care of this afternoon, so we’ll head out first. We’ll come visit again soon. And next time we do, please don’t invite any outsiders.”
“You child, how can you talk like that?” Zhang Huichun began to chide her. “You’re so busy with work. If Ye Qi didn’t come by all the time to keep your dad and me company, we’d be bored to death…” Lu Jitong quickly tugged at his wife’s arm to stop her.
“Yaoyao, you and Zhirou go on ahead if you need to,” Lu Jitong said hastily. “Dad gets it. Go take care of your business.”
“Alright then. Zhirou and I will get going. You all chat with Uncle and the others. We’ll come by again soon.”
Shen Zhirou and Lu Yao bid farewell to the family one by one before finally leaving. Throughout it all, Ye Qi pretended not to realize that Lu Yao had been referring to him as the “outsider,” busying himself with little tasks as if he belonged there.
Once Shen Zhirou and Lu Yao had gone, Zhang Huichun turned to Ye Qi in a hurry. “Xiao Ye, Yaoyao’s just got that personality—you’ve known her long enough by now. Don’t take it to heart. That Shen Zhirou must have put her up to it. You mustn’t hold it against Yaoyao.”
Ye Qi flashed a quick smile. “How could I, Auntie? I know exactly what Lu Yao’s like. She didn’t mean any harm. Let me help you and Uncle tidy up. You all keep chatting with Uncle and the others.”
Ye Qi carried on as if he were the master of the house, making himself right at home. And Zhang Huichun ate it up—she adored how diligent he was, how well he knew how to please the elders and read the room. He was just the kind of capable son-in-law she dreamed of.
“Thanks so much, Xiao Ye,” Zhang Huichun said with a smile.
“What trouble? You’re being too polite, Auntie.” Ye Qi laughed as he headed toward the kitchen.
With Ye Qi out of earshot in the kitchen, Lu Wenshen finally spoke up. “Auntie, I can see Yaoyao’s really different around Shen Zhirou. When have you ever seen her so clingy? Those two are probably the real deal. Yaoyao definitely wants to get married.”
“Sigh. But I just can’t shake the feeling that Shen Zhirou isn’t good enough for our Yaoyao,” Zhang Huichun replied, sinking onto the sofa with a sigh. She’d certainly noticed Lu Yao’s attitude toward Shen Zhirou earlier, which made the whole situation trickier. “She’s got an ordinary job, and her family’s nothing special. Xiao Ye, on the other hand—we know all about him.”
As if struck by a sudden thought, Zhang Huichun turned to Lu Jitong. “Don’t you think Shen Zhirou looks a little like Wen Jin?”
“Wen Jin?” Lu Jitong frowned, straining to dredge up the memory. “That’s from years ago. But now that you mention it, yeah—they do share something. Their eyes.”
“Exactly, the eyes,” Zhang Huichun agreed. “No wonder Yaoyao’s so taken with her. It all makes sense now.”
Zhang Huichun and Lu Jitong continued chatting, but Lu Jifeng and his family were utterly baffled.
“Wait, who’s Wen Jin? What are you two even talking about?” Lu Jifeng asked.
Zhang Huichun leaned back against the sofa and let out another sigh, her gaze turning distant—as if she were peering right through the wall before her, back into the people and events of the past.
She spoke slowly: “Wen Jin is the first love our Yaoyao has never been able to forget. Back then, Yaoyao was still in university, just about to graduate from her senior year. They were only together for a few months, but Yaoyao brought her home several times. Then, for some reason, Wen Jin went abroad. You all know what happened after that. Yaoyao has always carried a torch for her and hasn’t dated anyone since. It was only this year that she finally loosened up a bit and agreed to the blind dates I set up for her, but they all fizzled out without going anywhere. Shen Zhirou is the only one she’s formally dated in all these years.”
“So the person you’ve always said Yaoyao has in her heart is Wen Jin?” Lu Jifeng smiled as he spoke. “I’ve heard you mention before that Yaoyao has someone she likes, but you never said her name. This is the first time I’ve heard it today.”
“Has Yaoyao told Shen Zhirou about this? If she hasn’t, and Shen Zhirou finds out later, it’s definitely going to cause problems between them. Hiding it from her like this isn’t right either,” Liu Pingping chimed in.
“Hey, who knows. Right now, I don’t even want Shen Zhirou with our Yaoyao. If Yaoyao tells her, then great—they can break up, and she can find someone better,” Zhang Huichun said dismissively.
“That’s not quite how it works,” Liu Pingping muttered under her breath before turning back to play with Taotao.
Ye Qi, who was washing dishes in the kitchen, had overheard everything. He washed his hands and came out, smiling as he walked over. “So Yaoyao’s first love is named Wen Jin. I didn’t know her name before either.”
“It’s been so many years—what’s in a name anyway? I can barely remember what she looked like anymore. I just remember that the girl had such clear, beautiful eyes, a lot like Shen Zhirou’s. Otherwise, with Shen Zhirou’s pretty average background, how could Yaoyao have taken a shine to her?” Zhang Huichun took a sip of her tea, her tone laced with dissatisfaction.
“So that’s how it is,” Ye Qi murmured softly to himself. He concealed the golden gleam in his eyes and smiled as he began peeling fruit. “Auntie, don’t worry. If it’s just because she looks similar, things between Yaoyao and her won’t last. It’s only a fleeting novelty. Once that’s worn off, they’ll naturally drift apart.”
“I think you’re right. One of these days, I need to sit Yaoyao down for a real talk. It’s been so many years—even if she was crazy about Wen Jin, she should be over it by now. People have to move forward,” Zhang Huichun said, shaking her head. She just couldn’t understand why her daughter had hung her heart on a single tree for so long.
“I believe Yaoyao will come around eventually. Don’t get upset—have some fruit,” Ye Qi said. In the time it took to speak, he had already prepared a plate of fruit salad, which left Zhang Huichun beaming from ear to ear.
“If Shen Zhirou were even half as good as you, I’d feel safe handing Yaoyao over to her,” Zhang Huichun remarked as she took a bite of apple.
“Thanks for the compliment, Auntie. Hearing that makes me happier than winning a million bucks,” Ye Qi replied with a smile.
“You’re such a charmer,” Zhang Huichun said, grinning so wide she could hardly close her mouth.
When Shen Zhirou and Lu Yao got home, Lu Yao took a quick shower and then flopped lazily onto her bed. Yet it still felt like something was missing. In a soft, coaxing voice, she urged Shen Zhirou, “Zhirou, aren’t you going to sleep with me?”
“Alright, coming right now.” Shen Zhirou set her tablet aside and slipped into bed, instinctively drawing Lu Yao into her arms.
Lu Yao shifted back with practiced ease, her eyes drifting half-closed as she prepared to nap.
