CH 39

the news of qi yanbai and lu ye’s relationship became known to lu wenyu the day after it was confirmed.

qi yanbai, worried that the bouquet of irises lu ye had given him might wither if left alone, he brought the flowers to the school the next day on his way to work. he planned to arrange and preserve them as dried flowers in a frame during his free time.

the training center was filled with children of various ages, all of them inquisitive little imps with active minds. when a celebrity teacher brought a beautifully wrapped bouquet of flowers to work, it was like a comet colliding with earth for them. the classroom buzzed with excitement, and everyone started speculating if their teacher had a girlfriend.

lu mingming, as the leader of the gossip squad despite not understanding what “dating” meant, managed to extract a few words from qi yanbai. she excitedly rushed back and shared the news with lu wenyu, saying that her little uncle had “given a huge bouquet of flowers” to teacher qi.

lu mingming might be a silly child, but lu wenyu wasn’t. she sensed that there might be something unusual about this, although she didn’t immediately jump to conclusions. instead, she waited for about a week and brought up the topic during a discussion with lu ye about family matters.

“if i didn’t ask, you wouldn’t have told me, would you?” lu wenyu chided over the phone, her tone light-hearted but with a hint of mock annoyance. “i had to ask you myself?”

“how could that be? i was just waiting for the right moment,” lu ye replied with a smile, half true and half joking. “i thought it was a serious matter, and it’s hard to explain over the phone. i planned to introduce him properly when we meet. who knew this little brat here would be so quick with her questions.”

lu ye had intended to introduce him to lu wenyu properly. however, they were both busy towards the end of the year, and they hadn’t found the time to meet yet.

“sounds serious?” lu wenyu asked, sounding a little surprised. “it seems like you’re quite serious about him?”

“yes,” lu ye admitted. he twirled a pen in his hand nervously, watching the small desk clock tick away, then continued, “i never thought about it, but it seems like there’s no one else in the world who’s as compatible with me as he is.”

not only did they have compatible personalities, but lu ye sometimes felt that there was an inexplicable connection between them. some things didn’t need to be discussed but were just understood. their conversations flowed naturally, and even trivial matters like what to have for dinner were easily decided, with qi yanbai’s suggestions somehow matching lu ye’s preferences.

even a few days ago, when li zhiwen’s granddaughter was born, lu ye had been discussing with his colleagues what gift to give. by lunchtime, qi yanbai casually came to visit him, bringing a small and delicate jade pendant.

“i mentioned it to him during a casual conversation the night before, and he brought it over the next day,” lu ye smiled and said, taking a rare moment to show off. he added, “sometimes i feel like we’re just perfectly matched.”

“mmmh.” lu wenyu had never heard lu ye speak so highly of anyone before. with a teasing tone, she said, “maybe that’s because teacher qi knows how to please.”

lu ye knew that his sister had her own ideas, but he didn’t mind. he laughed and responded, “maybe, but it feels nice.”

“i hope you won’t regret it.” lu wenyu turned the conversation back and said, “anyway, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve known each other. what matters is that if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be—sometimes, making a lifelong commitment can happen in an instant.”

“when did you become a relationship expert?” lu ye playfully teased her, “you seem to have a clear understanding of these things. why haven’t you found a stepfather for mingming yet?”

“because i’m a smart woman,” lu wenyu confidently replied, “i haven’t gotten married because making money is the top priority, and i don’t want to rush into a relationship.”

lu ye knew his sister was a money enthusiast, so he didn’t push the topic further. instead, after discussing their plans for the upcoming holidays, he hung up the phone.

a colleague noticed that lu ye had finished the call and kicked the corner of the desk, sliding out from behind it. he greeted lu ye with a grin and said, “it’s time to leave. how about going to the eastern district for barbecue? we haven’t had our monthly get-together yet.”

“i won’t be going.” lu ye ended the call and organized his belongings, taking out his car keys. he said, “i’ll pick up yanbai after his class.”

“tag him along then,” yao xing suggested with a smile. “it’s a good time to introduce him to the group. there’s a new xinjiang barbecue place in the eastern district that’s rumored to have huge lamb legs. it’s perfect for bringing two people.”

lu ye hesitated for a moment but ultimately declined. “no, let’s save it for next time. he doesn’t like going out much. i’ll see if he wants to go next time.”

“it’s always ‘next time, next time.’ when are you two going to get married?” yao xing jokingly said, not taking it too seriously. “you’ve both been together for so long, sooner or later, you’ll become a family man.”

“that means i have the makings for an excellent husband,” lu ye joked, not minding yao xing’s teasing. he smiled and said, “if you don’t believe it, ask teacher qi.”