Zhang Yujie's Thoughts

"Honey, what do you want for lunch?" Xiao Dan held Li Yang's hand as they got off the Route 50 Bus. The two walked toward Pedestrian Street. The sun was especially scorching today, and even early in the morning, there was already a hint of heat.

"Cold noodles. The weather's getting hot." Li Yang smiled at Xiao Dan's wifely manner, and his heart immediately blossomed with joy.

"Then I'll make you egg cold noodles for lunch. Did you bring your keys? Don't always wait for me to come back and open the door for you." Xiao Dan pouted as she reminded him.

"I know. You're not even married into the family yet, and you're already acting like a little wife, nagging me and all." Li Yang put on the lofty air of the man of the house.

"You're awful!" Xiao Dan kicked Li Yang, then ran off laughing.

"Honey, remember to come back early. Bye-bye." The two parted at the entrance of Li Yang's store and went to work.

"Well, well, the injured soldier's all better now?" Zhang Xiaoli teased Li Yang after he clocked in.

"I'm fine. The important thing is that your buddy Xu Rui got hurt badly. Why aren't you going to check on him?" Li Yang shot back lazily.

"I've got nothing to do with him. Why should I go see him?" Zhang Xiaoli ran off sheepishly, as though someone had grabbed her by the tail. There was really nothing between her and Xu Rui. It was just that Xu Rui often got handsy with Zhang Xiaoli whenever he had nothing to do, and Zhang Xiaoli happened to enjoy that sort of flirtation. They had no secrets between them, either. It could only be said that they fooled around when they were bored.

When Zhang Mimi and Liu Yueyue saw Li Yang arrive, the three immediately became their close-knit little team again, and everything returned to how it used to be.

"How's your injury?" Zhao Tiantian walked over with a smile and casually asked about Li Yang's condition.

"I'm fine, sis." As he spoke, Li Yang rolled up his pant leg and revealed the wound on his leg, which had already scabbed over. Even so, the sight made the girls grimace as if their own bodies hurt too.

"Alright, alright, put it down." Tian Tian could not stand looking at it either. Grimacing, she said, "If you're not busy every day, you can sit down and rest. It's fine. I approve it. Focus on recovering first. Be more careful in the future, and don't get hurt again."

"Thank you, sis." Li Yang politely replied to his supervisor.

"I'll get back to work first. If anything comes up, just tell me." After that, Tian Tian went to the store manager's office for a meeting.

The first half hour after starting work was the most comfortable time for Li Yang and the others. It was basically free time.

A wave of customers came in that morning, and Li Yang helped receive them for a while. After that came time for chatting and shooting the breeze. After Li Yang got familiar with Zhang Mimi and Liu Yueyue, the two treated him like one of their best girlfriends. They even regarded Li Yang as a relationship expert, asking him all kinds of emotional questions whenever they had nothing else to do. And his advice really did work.

Just then, Zhang Mimi asked Li Yang a gossip-worthy question.

"Li Yang, one of my best friends recently said something seems to be wrong with her boyfriend. Hurry up and help me figure out what she should do." Like a little mouse, Zhang Mimi furtively looked around at the surrounding activity.

"Don't make things up. If it's you, just admit it. Don't use a friend as a shield."

"You're so annoying." Zhang Mimi's little face reddened as she pinched Li Yang. "You already knew, so why did you say it out loud?"

"Hurry up and talk!" Zhang Mimi barked at Li Yang domineeringly.

"That attitude won't do," Liu Yueyue reminded her. As she spoke, she took out a lollipop from her pocket and stuffed it into Li Yang's mouth. Then she casually said, "Just analyze it for her, Li Yang."

"See that? Now that's more like it." Li Yang put on a deliberately solemn expression, making the two cover their mouths and laugh.

Then Zhang Mimi began telling her story. She also admitted that it was her own boyfriend who had a problem, and that his temper had become much worse.

"Look, you two. Even my skin's gotten rougher." Zhang Mimi waved her little face in front of Li Yang as she complained.

"Hurry up and give her some advice, Li Yang," Liu Yueyue urged anxiously.

"This is simple. Just replace him with someone else." Li Yang blurted it out without hesitation.

"How can that work? How can you just choose something like that?" Zhang Mimi glared at Li Yang angrily, as if he were the one with the problem.

"Mimi, if you don't mind... but let me make this clear first, you can't cling to me because of it. I already have a girlfriend." Li Yang spoke with a straight face, his skin as thick as ever.

"Get lost. Who knows?" Zhang Mimi looked at him disdainfully.

"Then there's nothing to talk about. I wouldn't be willing anyway. My girlfriend adores me every day. I don't want to do anything that would betray her. You'd better find someone else."

Zhang Mimi got so angry that she and Liu Yueyue launched a combined Wang Ba Fist attack on Li Yang, though it felt more like back-patting and scratching an itch.

Just then, customers arrived. The two hurriedly stopped and went to work. Li Yang sat leisurely in the corner, looking around. The older employees did not bother him either. The management had already spoken, so why would anyone meddle in something that was none of their business?

"Li Yang, come to the usual place." Zhang Yujie sent him a text message. Li Yang looked at it, then got up and headed toward the stairwell, going up to the fourth floor. There were usually hardly any people there. Zhang Yujie often asked Li Yang to come chat when she had nothing to do, so it had become their usual place.

"Hurry over here, Li Yang." Zhang Yujie jogged over and grabbed Li Yang's hand, first looking left and right, leaving Li Yang completely confused.

"What is it?" Li Yang softly asked as he looked at Zhang Yujie's flushed face.

"Hehe, whose fault is it that you haven't come to see me for so long? I just missed you." After Zhang Yujie grew closer to Li Yang, she had become increasingly bold around him.

"My ex-boyfriend came looking for me yesterday. He said he recently saw an old Chinese doctor, who prescribed him medicine to help regulate his body. He wants to start over with me." Zhang Yujie voiced the doubt in her heart.

"So you want me to analyze it for you, right?" Li Yang asked tentatively as he looked at her.

"Mhm." Zhang Yujie nodded obediently.

"What about you? What do you think in your heart?" Li Yang took her to a secluded place where no one was around, and the two began talking.

"Li Yang, I like you, but I know you don't really like me, right?" Zhang Yujie looked deeply dejected.

"Yujie, I won't lie to you. You're a good girl. I'm afraid I wouldn't treat you well and would hurt your heart."

"Some time ago, by chance, I got a girlfriend. We suit each other quite well, so I suggest you find someone you love again. I'm sorry to you. Don't blame me."

"It's okay, Li Yang. I can accept it. Thank you for being honest with me. If you were a scumbag, I wouldn't like you either. Just based on that, I know I didn't misjudge you. You're a man worth entrusting my life to. If we still have fate between us in this life, I'm willing to date you, Li Yang."

"I've made up my mind. I won't agree to my ex-boyfriend's request. Since we broke up, there's no need to keep any lingering hopes. I hope I can wait for someone like you to appear. Li Yang, can we be friends from now on?"

Zhang Yujie pretended to smile bravely, but her heart felt as though it were being cut by knives. She did not want to appear weak and vulnerable before Li Yang.

"Yujie, you're a good girl. We'll always be friends. If one day we have fate between us again, I'd be willing to feel the same way as you." Li Yang spoke those heartfelt words sincerely.

If Yue Xiaodan had not suddenly appeared, Li Yang definitely would have gotten together with Zhang Yujie without hesitation. Honestly, although Zhang Yujie was not particularly beautiful, she was still quite a good choice for marriage. Sometimes, dating and choosing someone to marry really could not be viewed the same way.

"Li Yang, I wish you both happiness. My contact information will never change. You'll always be able to reach me. Can you hold me properly one last time?" When Zhang Yujie spoke those final words with tears in her eyes,

Li Yang wrapped an arm around Zhang Yujie's slender waist, gentle and sweet...

No one knew how long passed...

"I'm sorry." Li Yang cleared his head and looked at Zhang Yujie in his arms, his heart filled with guilt and self-reproach. He knew he had lost control just now and done something he should not have done.

Li Yang took out a pack of wet wipes Xiao Dan had given him that morning from his pocket and handed it to her...

"Li Yang, keep watch for me." Zhang Yujie regained her senses and did not let Li Yang help her.

Before leaving around lunchtime, Zhang Yujie held Li Yang and chatted with him for a while.

"Li Yang, I willingly gave myself to you. Don't feel burdened by it. It can be considered the fulfillment of one of my wishes. Thank you for accepting me, Li Yang."

"Listen to yourself. Being able to have you is an honor for me too. It's just a pity I can't walk on with you. I hope you can find someone better than me. If one day, like you said, we have fate between us, I'll marry you, Yujie."

The two looked into each other's eyes, and everything went without saying. Perhaps heaven was moved by them; many years later, the two miraculously rekindled their relationship.

Once everything calmed down, they each left and returned to their posts.

When it was time for lunch, Xiao Dan went back early to cook. She told Li Yang to remember to come home for lunch.

After what happened with Zhang Yujie, Li Yang felt incomparably guilty. What a good girl she was. Sometimes love truly made no sense.

After returning home, Li Yang immediately regained his composure. He did not want Xiao Dan to be hurt because of him again. With a cheeky grin, he stepped forward and hugged Xiao Dan, who was chopping vegetables.

"Wifey, I missed you so much."

"Oh, you're awful. I'm cooking." Xiao Dan giggled and turned her head to kiss Li Yang.

"Alright, honey. Once we finish eating, I'll do whatever you want, okay?" Xiao Dan finally sent Li Yang away as though she were coaxing a child.

Seeing Xiao Dan's unwashed underwear soaking in the washbasin, Li Yang volunteered, "Wifey, you cook. I'll wash your underwear." As he spoke, he picked up a small stool and began washing them with a showy air.

"Oh my, honey, did you do something to wrong me today? Are you trying to make up for it?" Xiao Dan looked at Li Yang with an astonished expression.

"Hehe, of course not. I just want my wife to be less tired. You cook during the day. Really, wifey, I'm afraid you'll wear yourself out. Where else could I find such a gentle, beautiful, kind, virtuous wife?" Li Yang sweet-talked his foolish wife.

"Go on, go on. I'll inspect them later and see whether you washed them clean. If you do well, I'll reward you tonight." Xiao Dan smiled seductively and gave Li Yang a flirtatious look, brimming with charm.

Then Li Yang lowered his head and earnestly washed Yue Xiaodan's intimate clothing.

"Lunch is ready, honey." Xiao Dan took off her apron and carried over a large bowl of egg and tomato cold noodles. She had not used dried noodles. Knowing Li Yang liked handmade noodles, she had bought handmade rolled noodles from a shop.

"Coming, wifey." Li Yang was carefully hanging the clothes out to dry. The weather was hot, so hanging them outside in the sun could kill bacteria too—two birds with one stone.

"Alright, wifey." Li Yang walked into the room, set down the basin, picked up his bowl, and began eating.

Then Xiao Dan served herself a small bowl. She ate as little as a cat. Li Yang had once joked that five yuan a day would be enough to feed her, since her entire day's food intake was not even as much as one of Li Yang's meals.

"Not everyone eats like a pig like you do." Xiao Dan always retorted to Li Yang domineeringly. It was only after she had seen what happened at Xu Rui's home that Xiao Dan felt Li Yang's appetite was actually normal.

"Honey, when you get off work this afternoon, come back first and bring in my underwear early." Xiao Dan swung her little feet as she slowly slurped noodles and looked at Li Yang.

"Why? It's not going to rain today." Li Yang wolfed down the noodles in his bowl. His first bowl was almost empty.

"Oh, come on." Xiao Dan pouted, stood on tiptoe, and said reproachfully, "Look at the underwear you bought me. What kind of stuff is that? If I hang it outside, it'll definitely get stolen! A girl downstairs was cursing a few days ago because someone stole her underwear!"

Ever since Li Yang and Xiao Dan started dating, Li Yang had always disliked how traditional Xiao Dan's underwear was, so he bought her all kinds of sexy underwear. Gradually, Xiao Dan came to like those styles too. She knew Li Yang liked them, so she got used to them because she loved him.

There were too many different kinds of renters in the courtyard, so there were bound to be some perverted creeps. As a girl, Xiao Dan naturally understood that. Li Yang was not a creep, of course, and it was his first time hearing that someone stole underwear. Only after Xiao Dan's serious explanation did he finally understand.

"Okay, wifey, don't worry. I guarantee not a single piece will go missing. By the way, wifey, another day I'll buy you that kind of panties for you to try on." Li Yang began enthusiastically promoting them.

"Get lost. Wear them yourself." Xiao Dan kicked Li Yang with a dissatisfied look, then stood up to serve him another bowl of noodles.

"Wifey, don't make things hard on yourself," Li Yang said with a cheeky grin.

"If you keep rambling on," Xiao Dan rolled her eyes and urged, "hurry up and eat!" After saying that, she lay back on the sofa to rest. Li Yang was so scared that he did not dare tease her anymore, truly afraid that this silly girl would get confused tonight.