Chapter 66

Chapter 66

A month later.

Jiang Yiwei hurried out of the Jiangs' courtyard and ran toward Liu Minhua, who was standing on the threshold.

"Brother Minhua, you wanted to see me?"

"That's right," Liu Minhua said with a grin.

Looking at Jiang Yiwei, he sighed. "It feels like it's been forever since we last saw each other. I really miss giving you rides to work and chatting with you."

Since Jiang Yiwei no longer went to work, his bike seat had been empty, leaving him with no one to talk to.

Back when he used to give her rides, they would chat all the way. Now, he was left alone with no one to talk to.

Liu Minhua really missed those chats with her.

"Now you see how much you needed me," she teased.

"Without me to keep things lively, your rides must be so boring."

Truth be told, Jiang Yiwei wasn’t quite used to it yet either.

Before, Liu Minhua would always go with her to and from work. Now, she had to go to school by herself.

"We'll get used to it," she said.

Once they adjusted, they'd naturally grow accustomed to not having our chats anymore.

Suddenly remembering why he had come, Liu Minhua took out a letter and handed it to her.

"Engineer Fu asked me to give this to you."

The letter was from Fu Xunian, who had given it to Liu Minhua to pass along.

Liu Minhua had come today only to deliver this letter.

When she heard it was from Fu Xunian, Jiang Yiwei’s eyes lit up. She took the letter and thanked him. "Thank you, Brother Minhua."

"That's that. My job here is done—I'm heading home now."

His only purpose in coming today had been to deliver Fu Xunian’s letter to Jiang Yiwei.

Liu Minhua looked confused, wondering when Jiang Yiwei and Fu Xunian had gotten so close they were writing letters to each other.

When did they get so close?

As soon as she got the letter, Jiang Yiwei went straight to her room without answering Zhang Cuifen’s questions about who had come to see her.

Opening the letter, she expected a long letter, but it was surprisingly short.

It just said that Fu Xunian had invited her to watch a movie at the cinema near the department store.

"So he finally asked me to a movie," she said to herself.

She covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

It was rare for Fu Xunian to ask her out.

It seemed like she hadn’t seen him since before the New Year, except once after the holiday when she helped Jiang Liling pick up her admission letter.

She wondered how he'd been lately.

After some thought, she wrote him a letter saying she would absolutely come.

Putting on her shoes, she scurried over to the Liu family’s house to find Liu Minhua.

"Brother Minhua."

Since Yi Wei was familiar with the Liu household, she always walked right in without hesitation—this time was no different.

"Yi Wei."

Liu Minhua was cooking when he saw her and looked surprised.

"Brother Minhua, I’d like you to deliver this letter to Fu Xunian for me."

"Deliver a letter? Sure!"

Liu Minhua readily agreed.

"When did you two get so close that you’re writing letters?" He took the letter and casually remarked.

Yi Wei was at a loss for words for a moment.

Just then, Fang Miao gave Liu Minhua a playful swat. "What kind of grown man gossips like this? Hurry up and cook!"

"Sister Fang Miao, be careful! You're pregnant."

Yi Wei rushed to support Fang Miao, who was now nearly five months along. Seeing her belly made Yi Wei anxious.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. I'm doing great—I've been eating well, sleeping soundly, and still helping out around the house."

Glancing at Liu Minhua, who was busy in the kitchen, Fang Miao steered Yi Wei aside and whispered, "So, how are things with Engineer Fu? Have you two made things official between you?"

"You—" Yi Wei gasped, clearly surprised.

Fang Miao chuckled and gave her soft hand a squeeze.

"The day I ran into you two at the cinema, I noticed something special about the way you acted around Engineer Fu. Then during dinner, the way you two bounced off each other and shared those loving looks—I saw it all clearly."

Though Fang Miao had only met Fu Xunian once or twice,

she had noticed something special about Yi Wei's behavior toward him when she invited him to dinner.

Later, during the meal, seeing the way they looked at each other, Fang Miao had her suspicions.

Plus, Liu Minhua often told her how Fu Xunian would ask Yi Wei to help with tailoring and studying—so she knew something was brewing.

She just wasn’t sure if they had made things official yet.

If they had, Liu Minhua would’ve told her straight away.

But Fang Miao hadn’t heard anything from him about them getting together.

I thought they wouldn’t work out, sighing over how perfect they were for each other, yet never got together—such a waste.

Then today, upon learning they had been exchanging letters, Fang Miao was burning to know whether they had actually gotten together.

Seeing that Fang Miao already knew about her feelings for Fu Xunian, Jiang Yiwei dropped the act.

"We’re just friends right now."

Now it was Fang Miao’s turn to be surprised. "You don’t like Engineer Fu?"

After a pause, she added, "Or could it be that Engineer Fu doesn’t like you and wrote to reject you?"

"No, he’s never said anything to me."

Since Fu Xunian had never confessed anything to Jiang Yiwei, naturally, they remained just friends.

"What’s the deal with you two?"

What was going on between Jiang Yiwei and Fu Xunian? Didn’t they like each other? Why hadn’t they made it official yet? Had she misread things back then?

No, impossible. Fang Miao wouldn’t admit she was wrong—she definitely hadn’t been mistaken. These two were clearly into each other.

"Do you like Engineer Fu?" Fang Miao asked Jiang Yiwei.

"I do like Fu Xunian," Jiang Yiwei admitted openly.

"Then you’d better hold on tight. I’ve heard from Brother Minhua that Engineer Fu is principled, a great guy, and easy on the eyes too. If you like him, you should seize the opportunity."

Since Liu Minhua often spoke highly of Fu Xunian in front of Fang Miao, and after meeting him last time, she felt that if Jiang Yiwei liked him, she should move fast—couldn’t let someone else steal him.

Just look at Jiang Yiwei’s beauty and Fu Xunian’s looks.

You know what they say, right?

A match made in heaven.

Yes, exactly—a match made in heaven.

"No need to be shy. There are plenty of girls who chase guys first."

"I made the first move myself with your Brother Minhua."

Fang Miao thought Jiang Yiwei might be too shy and, fearing that a catch like Fu Xunian might slip away, directly encouraged her to take action—even using herself and Liu Minhua as an example.

"Don’t worry, Sister Fang Miao! Engineer Fu isn’t getting away from me."

Jiang Yiwei clenched her fist. Fu Xunian was the one she had her eye on, and she would never let him slip away.

Of course, the most important thing was all the signs Fu Xunian had been giving, which naturally gave Jiang Yiwei confidence—that was the key.

After some more small talk, Jiang Yiwei finally headed back.

Under the moonlight, Jiang Yiwei thought back to the letter she’d written.

*I will definitely be there on time for our meeting.*

Walking briskly, Jiang Yiwei made her way home.

On the day of the meeting, Jiang Yiwei put care into her outfit—a simple white lace-trimmed blouse paired with a light blue midi skirt.

After giving her outfit a final once-over in the mirror, Jiang Yiwei finally left.

In the living room, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair, Zhang Cuifen and Huang Manjun, were talking about Jiang Xiaohua when they noticed Jiang Yiwei’s carefully put-together look.

They both froze for a second.

Zhang Cuifen gave Jiang Yiwei a suspicious once-over.

"You going out to see Xiao Feng and Hong Su?"

Since He Xiaofeng and Hong Su were tight, both had visited her home before. Usually, if Jiang Yiwei went out for fun, it was with Hong Su and He Xiaofeng—or else with Zhang Jiaqi.

Though her outfit seemed ordinary, Zhang Cuifen just felt that Jiang Yiwei had put more effort into her look than usual.

"No, I'm meeting another friend," Jiang Yiwei replied while putting on her shoes.

Zhang Cuifen was burning with questions, but Jiang Yiwei had already stepped out.

The words on Zhang Cuifen’s lips died on them.

"Mom, Yi Wei is grown up now—she knows what she's doing," Huang Manjun said, assuming Zhang Cuifen was worried Jiang Yiwei might do something foolish.

But everyone in the family knew Jiang Yiwei wouldn’t act recklessly; she always knew her limits.

There was no need to worry too much about her.

"Besides, Mom, it's only normal if Yi Wei has a boyfriend. She's almost twenty, studying at school, meeting lots of people—finding someone isn't exactly difficult."

Now that Jiang Yiwei was in school and meeting more people, having a boyfriend was only natural.

Even if Jiang Yiwei wasn’t interested, given her looks, it was only natural for others to like her.

"I'm not against her seeing someone—I just needed to see who the person is first."

Zhang Cuifen wasn’t opposed to Jiang Yiwei dating; she just wanted to know what kind of man he was.

The last thing she wanted was another Fang Guohua.

"Mom, you shouldn't doubt Yi Wei's taste," Huang Manjun reassured her. With Jiang Yiwei’s standards, she'd never go for someone like Fang Guohua. She felt Zhang Cuifen could relax.

"I hope so!"

No matter how much Huang Manjun tried to reassure her, Zhang Cuifen couldn't let go of her worry.

She could only hope that, as Huang Manjun said, Yi Wei’s choice turned out well—and that there wouldn’t be another Fang Guohua.

Otherwise, she would probably pass out.

Jiang Yiwei made her way to the area near the department store. After asking for directions to the cinema, she headed straight there.

The department store was already a popular hangout, and the cinema was packed with moviegoers.

Once inside, Jiang Yiwei searched the crowd for Fu Xunian’s figure.

At the same time, Fu Xunian scanned the crowd for Jiang Yiwei.

Then their eyes locked. The second they spotted each other, their worried looks melted into smiles at the sight of one another.

Fu Xunian walked toward Jiang Yiwei.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowd to an open space near the cinema.

"Fu Xunian, you glad to see me?"

"Yeah." Fu Xunian couldn’t hide his grin.

"Me too. And I loved your letter."

She couldn’t help smiling at the sight of him, and that he had written to her.

Fu Xunian’s smile widened as he was just about to speak when—

"'Chronicles of Cloud Mountain' is about to start. They’re taking tickets now."

The crowd outside the theater started forming a line. Fu Xunian waved the two movie tickets in his hand.

"Got us tickets for this show."

"Then let’s get in line."

Since Fu Xunian had already bought the tickets, of course, they would watch the movie.

The two went to join the queue to enter the theater.

By the time Jiang Yiwei and Fu Xunian entered the screening hall, the lights had gone down, leaving only the flicker of the movie screen.

As Jiang Yiwei followed Fu Xunian to find their seats, she tripped a little but caught herself fast.

Hearing the noise, Fu Xunian immediately asked, "You good, Yi Wei?"

The theater was pitch-black, with only the light from the screen reflecting on Fu Xunian's face, making his worried gaze unmistakable.

"I’m good," Jiang Yiwei smiled softly to reassure him. "C’mon, let’s grab our seats."

Though she said she was fine, Fu Xunian still couldn’t shake his concern for her.

He held out his hand to her. "Take my hand."

Jiang Yiwei looked at his hand, then at him, before finally placing hers in his.

Fu Xunian tightened his grip around her fingers, and his touch sent her pulse racing.

Hand in hand, Fu Xunian led the way.

The moment they sat down, he casually dropped her hand, but no one noticed how jittery he was—or his burning ears.

They sat in silence the whole time, not speaking until it ended and they followed the crowd out of the cinema.

As dusk fell, the once-blue sky exploded into sunset colors.

Folks froze, staring at the stunning sky.

Jiang Yiwei and Fu Xunian just stood there, taking it all in.

"Wow, so beautiful!"

The whole sky was ablaze with sunset colors—so beautiful.

"It really is," Fu Xunian said, taking in the sunset.

He gazed at Jiang Yiwei’s face, quiet for a long moment. Feeling his intense stare beside her, Jiang Yiwei slowly turned to look at Fu Xunian, and their eyes met.

Her heart skipped a beat.

The heat and depth in Fu Xunian’s gaze hit Jiang Yiwei like a wave.

"Jiang Yiwei, I have something important to tell you."

She automatically stood taller, her heart clenched nervously. What could Fu Xunian be about to say?

Was this the moment she’d waited for?

Her palms were slick with nerves.

Jiang Yiwei was nervous—but Fu Xunian was no different.

He’d practiced these words forever. He felt it was time—and necessary.

"Yi Wei, I’ve had feelings for you for ages." As he spoke, Fu Xunian’s ears turned bright red and hot.

"I want us to be together."

"I’ll always take care of you. Will you be with me?"

His heart hammered in his chest.

Fu Xunian had never felt this nervous before.

As he waited for her reply, every second dragged. He couldn’t help but wonder—what if she said no? If she liked him too, why wasn’t she answering yet?

"Fu Xunian, when did you start liking me?" Her eyes danced with laughter.

Usually, Jiang Yiwei rarely saw Fu Xunian act this awkward and jittery around her. It was the first time today, and it made him feel real and sweet.

"That time on the bus—it was love at first sight."

It was that day on the bus when she bumped into him, looked up flustered.

Maybe that was when he started falling for her.

The second time he saw her was when she was fixing a bicycle with Liu Minhua. His heart had soared.

That was when he realized—he truly liked her.

As they got to know each other better, his feelings only grew stronger.

He liked her. He wanted to be with her, to stay by her side.

Together, always.

So it was from that bus ride? Jiang Yiwei’s smile deepened. So he had liked her since then.

"Yi Wei, do you like me?"

Fu Xunian wanted to know if Jiang Yiwei liked him too.

"I like you."

When Jiang Yiwei said those words, it felt as if something had just sprouted in Fu Xunian’s heart. He couldn’t help but smile.

"Then, would you go steady with me?"

"I would."

Jiang Yiwei agreed to go steady with Fu Xunian.

If not for the crowd around them, Fu Xunian would have pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Now you’re my girl." From now on, Jiang Yiwei was his.

"And you’re my guy." Fu Xunian was hers now, too.

With their relationship official, everything they did showed how close they were.

Before things were clear between them, Fu Xunian had always reminded himself to keep his distance from Jiang Yiwei so she wouldn’t get talked about.

A girl’s reputation mattered, and he didn’t want her getting gossiped about because of him. Now that they were together, he didn’t have to hold back anymore.

Fu Xunian saw Jiang Yiwei home.

After getting off the bus, they walked side by side.

Under the dim moonlight, they were both grinning.

"How are your classes at school? Is it tough?"

"Not really, but the teachers really push us, so we all study hard."

The teachers now taught with such intensity that Jiang Yiwei had no choice but to buckle down. It felt harder than high school.

"You’ve met a lot of your classmates, huh?" Fu Xunian shot her a look as he asked.

"Of course! There are over fifty students in our class, half or so I know."

She naturally knew everyone in her class.

Besides, many of the students were Educated Youth or came from rural areas—people from all over, different age groups. Some were even already mothers or fathers—real all sorts of folks.

A couple had it out for Jiang Yiwei, but most were pretty friendly.

And everyone worked hard. Their hustle made Jiang Yiwei want to fit right in.

"So, there must be quite a few male comrades, right?"

Fu Xunian’s question made Jiang Yiwei freeze.

She gave him a look before smirking.

"Comrade Fu Xunian, are you worried I might take a liking to someone else?"

That came out of nowhere—was he really afraid she’d set her sights on somebody else?

Fu Xunian squinted at her.

"Is your taste that bad?"

"I'm young, talented, handsome, and distinguished—I won't lose to them."

Fu Xunian knew his own looks and presence well enough.

Besides, he was an engineer at the Third Automobile Manufacturing Plant.

Why would he be afraid of losing?

If Jiang Yiwei liked someone else, *then* her taste would be bad.

"So if I picked you, my taste must be great—you're just praising yourself."

The more Jiang Yiwei thought about it, the more she realized Fu Xunian was complimenting himself.

"How is that me praising myself? Isn’t it just facts?" How could she say that when everything he said was true?

"Fine, fine, you win."

Jiang Yiwei said it like that, but she had to admit Fu Xunian wasn’t wrong—he really was impressive.

Last time, even Qu Zhenxin and Zhang Cuifen approved of him. Since she turned down Qu Zhenxin, they’d randomly bring up how she rejected him, worrying she wouldn’t find such a good match again.

If Zhang Cuifen found out about Fu Xunian, she’d be over the moon.

"Last time I was out on business, I passed by your school."

Out of nowhere, Fu Xunian dropped that line, which shocked Jiang Yiwei.

"What? When were you there? Did you see me?"

Was that why he’d asked if she knew a lot of guys at school?

"Yeah! I saw you walking with them."

Fu Xunian knew going to school meant meeting lots of classmates, but seeing it with his own eyes made him anxious and restless.

He knew Jiang Yiwei wouldn’t like those guys.

But he kept worrying—what if being in the same school—same class, even—meant they got close enough to develop feelings?

And he couldn’t always be there with her.

It was the first time Fu Xunian worried Jiang Yiwei might like someone else.

So he decided to confess—he wanted her.

"Oh! So you’re scared I’ll ditch you for someone else?"

"That’s why you asked me out today, huh?"

Guess those guys got under his skin, giving him a crisis complex, so he invited her out and confessed.

Fu Xunian took Jiang Yiwei’s hand. "Yeah, I’m kinda scared. What if you’re around them all the time and start liking them? What do I do then?"

Jiang Yiwei smirked. "Then you’d better treat me *really* well."

"I promise—I’ll treat you like a queen."

Fu Xunian pledged his promise.

Beneath the moonlight, their gazes spoke of mutual love and trust.

Under the blistering summer sun, Jiang Yiwei rode her bicycle, with Zhang Cuifen seated behind her, cradling a small, weighty earthen jar in her arms.

Two days earlier, Jiang Yiwei’s cousin had delivered two jars of pickled ginger strips to their home—crafted by Jiang Yiwei’s grandmother, Old Lady Qiu, herself.

Jiang Lingxin had cherished Old Lady Qiu’s pickled ginger strips since childhood. Knowing this, and considering that it had been a long time since Jiang Lingxin and the child she adopted had last visited, Zhang Cuifen decided to bring some pickled ginger strips to Jiang Lingxin.

She also hoped to see how Jiang Lingxin and her adopted child were doing.

As it happened to be Jiang Yiwei’s day off, and because she missed Jiang Lingxin as well, she accompanied Zhang Cuifen to Jiang Lingxin’s home.