He first looked into the living room, which was very quiet, with only a floor lamp quietly lit. Lu Lin was still asleep.
Yan Heqing took off the paper bag, opened it, and found his clothes inside, which smelled faintly of laundry detergent and had already been dry-cleaned.
Yan Heqing remained silent for a moment, then closed the door, changed his clothes, and went out again.
After washing up, Yan Heqing went to the kitchen.
Opening the refrigerator, there wasn't much inside; it was mostly water, which meant Lu Lin probably didn't stay at this house often.
Fortunately, there were a few trays of eggs and a pack of noodles.
Yan Heqing skillfully made two bowls of egg noodles. After finishing, he wiped his hands clean and wanted to call Lu Lin for breakfast. When he turned around, Lu Lin was wearing a dark blue bathrobe and had been waiting at the door for some time.
This was the first time Yan Heqing had seen Lu Lin without his suit. After a brief pause, he politely said, "Good morning, Mr. Lu."
Turning around, he brought over two steaming bowls of noodles. Lu Lin's gaze was fixed on him. "What did you cook?"
Egg noodles.
As they approached the door, Lu Lin stepped aside, and only followed after Yan Heqing left the kitchen.
This is an extremely simple egg noodle dish, consisting of only noodles and eggs, yet it's surprisingly delicious. The broth is lightly seasoned, the eggs are tenderly fried, and a sprinkle of pepper adds a comforting touch.
After finishing breakfast, Lu Lin took a napkin to wipe his mouth and looked at Yan Heqing, who was dressed neatly across from him. "Going to work?"
Yan Heqing stood up, picked up his bowl and chopsticks, a slight smile playing on his lips. "No, I have a date."
Lu Lin looked away, pressed his thumb to the corner of his mouth, and then put down his napkin. He also got up, but Yan Heqing took his bowl first and carried it to the kitchen.
The sound of running water came from the kitchen, and Lu Lin walked back to his room.
Yan Heqing tidied up the kitchen, but didn't see Lu Lin when he came out. So he went to the bathroom to get his shoes. They were dry overnight. He picked them up and came out. Lu Lin was already dressed and changing his shoes in the entryway. After changing, he looked up at Yan Heqing with a calm expression. "Are you coming back after your date?"
Yan Heqing, holding her shoes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, asked, "Can I come back?"
"The access code is 212190." Lu Lin pressed the elevator button. "I don't come back here often, you can stay until you don't want to anymore."
After saying that, he entered the elevator.
The elevator doors closed, and Yan Heqing's figure was reflected on the clean, bright panel.
A few seconds later, Yan Heqing bent down to change his shoes.
Lu Lin got into the car, fastened his seatbelt, and took out his phone to dial the housekeeping number.
Meanwhile, Yan Heqing was also on the phone.
Beep, beep, beep...
The ringtone went off for a long time before the other end finally answered. Lin Fengzhi's voice, still a bit sleepy and grumpy from just waking up, said, "Who is it?!"
"It's me." Yan Heqing said calmly, watching the numbers on the elevator descend. "I saw your message. Where shall we meet?"
Only a wall lamp was on in the bedroom, perfect for sleeping. Lin Fengzhi moved his phone aside to check the time—only eight o'clock! He flopped back onto his pillow, closed his eyes, and complained, "Brother, what are you doing? So early! I'm still sleeping. Wait until I wake up—"
"Now," Yan Heqing interrupted without room for argument, "Get up immediately."
Lin Fengzhi was bewildered by Yan Heqing's tough attitude. This was the first time Yan Heqing had treated him like this. Had he quarreled with the woman who was pursuing him? Lin Fengzhi suddenly opened his eyes. He was no longer sleepy. He got up and gave the address of the largest luxury shopping mall in the city.
They agreed to meet at nine o'clock. Lin Fengzhi off the covers, jumped out of bed, and finished washing up in a few minutes. He changed his clothes and rushed downstairs like a gust of wind.
Downstairs, Mother Lin was cutting paper-cuts for the window. Several finished "Fu" characters and paper-cuts were laid out on the coffee table. Seeing Lin Fengzhi, she smiled and teased, "The sun must have risen in the west! You're up so early today!"
Lin Fengzhi winked mischievously, "I have an appointment today."
Seeing him rush into the entryway, Mother Lin quickly put down the scissors and called out to his retreating figure, "Which cute girl is it? Bring her home! You haven't had breakfast yet!"
"Not hungry!" Lin Fengzhi hurriedly went to inquire, haphazardly tied his shoelaces, and got up to run as fast as he could.
"This child..." Mother Lin shook her head, then sat down again to cut paper snowflakes.
Lin Fengzhi had just run out the gate to get his car from the garage when a white Porsche pulled up in front of him. The window rolled down, revealing Lin Fengyi's face. "Get in, I'll take you."
*
Yan Heqing didn't take a taxi. Lu Lin's residence wasn't far from the shopping mall Lin Fengzhi mentioned, about a 10-minute walk.
It wasn't raining or snowing today, but the wind was strong, stinging his face. Yan Heqing pulled his scarf tighter, then took out his phone and removed Lin Fengzhi from his blacklist.
With only a few days left until the Lunar New Year, the streets are decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and most of the people on the road are commuters hurrying to work, all heading towards the subway entrance.
Yan Heqing walked against the flow of people. When he arrived at the mall, Yan Heqing didn't stop. He walked a little further and found a bookstore, so he went inside.
After picking out a few books and paying, Lin Fengzhi called, "Brother, aren't you here yet? I'm here!"
"Coming right away."
After hanging up the phone, the shop assistant handed the packed books to Yan Heqing, saying, "Welcome to visit again."
Yan Heqing took the bag, pushed open the glass door, and walked out of the bookstore.
After walking back for a few minutes, I saw Lin Fengyi standing next to Lin Fengzhi in the distance.
Lin Fengzhi looked around, saying, "Second Brother, you go ahead, I'll wait by myself."
Lin Fengyi didn't move. "I'm worried about you going alone. Let's wait for Yan Heqing to arrive before we leave."
These words instantly triggered Lin Fengzhi's temper. He looked away and complained, "I've already said I'm an adult, so please don't..."
He suddenly stopped talking.
Lin Fengyi sensed something was off about those words and pressed further, "Whose friend?"
Lin Fengzhi shut his mouth and turned his head away without speaking. Lin Fengyi noticed his evasive gaze and became even more suspicious. "Is he a friend I know?"
Lin Fengzhi annoyed, he had let it slip in a moment of carelessness. He racked his brains for an excuse, when he saw a familiar figure. His eyes lit up, his savior had arrived!
He left Lin Fengyi behind and ran forward with long strides, "Brother!"
Lin Fengyi turned his head and saw Yan Heqing.