Chapter 40

It was too boring. Jin Nian had returned home and scrolled through her phone for two hours, and it was only 11:30 pm. The wind chime flowers on the TV cabinet that she had bought the previous week had already withered. The temperature was still high, and the flowers would not have survived for long. Jin Nian threw the flowers into the trash can and suddenly remembered that she still owed Lu An a bouquet of Claude Monet.

Jin Nian opened the fridge and realized that there was nothing inside. She usually liked to cook by herself, but when she lived alone, sometimes the food she cooked would end up in the trash can. It was impossible for her to live with her parents. She had moved out because she wanted her own private space and did not want to live under their noses every day. At noon, Jin Nian made herself a plate of spicy Xinjiang fried vermicelli. She looked at the slightly empty house and suddenly remembered what Qiao Ranran had said in the morning. She was right. It would be good if Jin Nian could find someone to live with. Then, she would not have to be nagged by her family.

However, yesterday she had just broken off her engagement with great fanfare, and today she was thinking of finding someone to marry her on a whim. This idea seemed too unrealistic. But since she was young, Jin Nian had always dreamed of marriage and a happy family. She wanted to cook for her beloved and yearned for the two of them to exercise together when the weather was good and cuddle on the sofa with red wine on rainy days. These simple things were the most attainable happiness for her. In life, when a person has an impulsive idea, it’s likely to happen again.

After eating to her heart’s content, Jin Nian lay on the carpet and stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. She found a comedy variety show to watch. But listening to the laughter on TV, she felt even more lonely. She opened her phone and scrolled down the chat interface. It hadn’t been long since their last chat, and she quickly found the person she was looking for. However, she noticed that Lu An’s profile picture and WeChat name had changed again. He had changed his WeChat name to his own name, and his profile picture was a blue whale.

As if possessed, Jin Nian typed out a line of words, “Hey, why don’t we just make do?” The message had just been sent when Lu An replied, “Are you saying that being with me is just making do?

She knew him the best and could even imagine the annoying expression on his face when he sent this message. Lu An would never be complacent because of his pride. He always had a calm expression. He cruelly refuted the flaws in the other party’s words and made her sober up a little. The consequence of being hot-headed was being ridiculed. When Jin Nian thought of Lu An’s arrogant and disdainful expression, she felt like she was losing her mind.

Jin Nian lay on the carpet and replied to Lu An, “How can that be? Young Master Lu has a luxury car and a mansion. How can it be just making do? It’s me not good enough for you.” After sending the message, Jin Nian waited for Young Master Lu’s next taunt on the other end of the phone as if she had accepted her fate. This time, Young Master Lu replied instantly. Jin Nian looked at it and almost thought that she had seen it wrongly. “Go downstairs,” Lu An said. “Bring your ID and household register. I’ll go pick you up.”

Jin Nian sat up straight. “What?” What’s wrong with him? Was Lu An also muddle-headed today? Jin Nian held her phone and was thinking about how to reply to him when he called her directly. “Hurry up. I’ll be downstairs in a minute.” “Are you joking with me?” Jin Nian held her phone and was at a loss. “Why are you here so early?”

“I was just passing by on business.” Lu An seemed a little impatient. “Didn’t you want to make do with me? We can go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get our marriage certificate now.” “Are you serious?” “What’s the benefit of lying to you? Do you think I don’t dare?”

“But…” Jin Nian didn’t think that Lu An was afraid. She was just about to speak when Lu An interrupted her. “I have to go back to Hong Kong tomorrow,” Lu An said on the other end of the phone. “What? What are you doing back in Hong Kong? Are you coming back?” “After returning to China, I flew directly to Binhai. I haven’t had time to visit Grandpa yet. He wasn’t feeling well recently. He called me yesterday and scolded me for being heartless.” “Okay,” Jin Nian responded. “Is your house on the thirteenth floor?” Lu An asked again. “Yes,” Jinnian nodded. “Open the door.” Lu An said.

“Goodness!” This person went straight to her doorstep! In the end, Jin Nian still ran to open the door for him. She was too hot-headed to think about anything else. At this moment, it was as if she was being led by the nose by Lu An. After what she had experienced in the morning, she did not have the mood to tidy herself up. She was wearing the simplest sweater and sweatpants, and there were even a few drops of oil from Xinjiang fried vermicelli on her white sweater. It was only when she met Lu An that she didn’t have the slightest burden, nor did she care if she was dressed appropriately.