Love Finds Its Time - Chapter 40

Since Fu Anran started working at Yihan Law Firm, Jian Yizhi really hadn’t heard her parents mention Fu Anran again. They didn’t even ask about her work anymore, looking as if they were very assured that Jian Yizhi could take good care of her. But just because they didn’t openly bring it up in front of Jian Yizhi didn’t mean they weren’t scheming in secret. Three ordinary minds together can rival a strategist, let alone when Jian Yizhi’s parents teamed up with Fu Anran’s parents.

No one knew who first suggested having a barbecue, but in the end both families agreed. Jian Yizhi felt that the idea most likely came from her own two trouble-loving elders—especially her mother, since Han Zhengping was usually just the one to echo along, not to lead the charge.

At Jian Yushan’s insistent request, Jian Yizhi had to take responsibility for buying some ingredients and barbecue sauces, so she tried to get off work a little earlier to make a trip to the supermarket.

“Yizhi, see what you feel like eating and buy more of it. There’ll be so many people,” Jian Yushan reminded her over the phone again and again.

“Mm, got it. What about you and Dad, anything in particular you want?” Jian Yizhi asked helplessly, eyes on her computer screen as her other hand typed on the keyboard.

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that. Your dad and I already told Anran what we like. She said you’re busy with work and wanted to share the load, wouldn’t even let me tell you.” The moment Jian Yushan mentioned Fu Anran, she sounded delighted, as though Fu Anran were her real daughter.

Jian Yizhi grew even more exasperated. “Mom, then why are you still telling me all this? You and Dad’s preferences are already covered. What use am I?”

“You silly child, you and Anran work together. Can you really be so shameless as to let her handle so much for our family alone? Of course you have to help too, isn’t that right?”

So that was it. Openly a detour, secretly another path—Jian Yizhi finally understood. But since this was a family gathering, she couldn’t exactly object. After all, it was just running an errand, not blatant matchmaking.

“Alright, I know. I’ll go with Anran later. Anything else?” Jian Yizhi said coolly. Having figured them out, her emotions were well under control. She had known her parents would find a loophole.

“No, that’s it. Just keep it in mind.”

After hanging up, Jian Yizhi leaned back in her chair with a sigh, staring at her computer for a long time. Finally, she shut it down, gathered her files, and carried her briefcase to the records room.

She knocked on the door and said, “Anran, after work I’ll wait for you at the intersection with the car. We’ll go to the supermarket together.”

“Ah?” Fu Anran, who was flipping through case files, was startled by the sudden appearance of Jian Yizhi. After steadying herself, she nodded. “Alright, I know.”

Jian Yizhi’s gaze lingered on her face, and finally she smiled before turning to leave.

The elders’ little schemes, in the end, had nothing to do with Fu Anran. Though Jian Yizhi felt helpless and annoyed, she couldn’t bring herself to vent those frustrations on Fu Anran. To put it bluntly, Fu Anran herself was also a “victim.”

To avoid suspicion, Jian Yizhi chose to drive to the intersection to wait for Fu Anran.

It was about ten minutes later when Fu Anran walked up and got into the passenger seat at Jian Yizhi’s signal.

As the car slowly moved forward, Jian Yizhi tapped her finger lightly against the steering wheel, glanced at Fu Anran, and said, “Anran, you’ve probably gone through most of the files by now. Next week I have a case in court—you’ll come along to observe.”

Fu Anran, fastening her seatbelt, looked over and replied, “Alright.”

Jian Yizhi thought for a moment, then added, “Tomorrow I’ll have them put a desk in my office for you. For now, you’ll work there.”

Fu Anran paused, her gaze fixed on Jian Yizhi’s profile. “In your office?”

Jian Yizhi explained gently, “Yes. For this period you’re following me anyway. Sometimes I want to tell you things, and if we’re not in the same place, it’s inconvenient. After some time, I’ll have them set up a desk for you on the first floor.” She glanced at Fu Anran. “What? Is there a problem?”

“No.”

Jian Yizhi nodded slightly, and silence fell between them.

Barbecue ingredients weren’t too varied. Jian Yizhi, who rarely ate much, just picked up all the basics she could think of for the gathering.

Fu Anran, however, remembered what Han Zhengping and Jian Yushan liked and made sure to pick more of those.

Jian Yizhi noticed and raised an eyebrow with a smile. “My parents really told you to buy for them? And you even remembered all of it?”

Still selecting corn, Fu Anran replied while glancing back, “Uncle and Aunt don’t like many things, easy to remember.” She held up an ear of corn. “This—does Senior like it?”

Jian Yizhi gave it a glance. “It’s fine. I’m not picky.”

Jian Yizhi’s lack of enthusiasm was clear to Fu Anran, who realized she was only being polite with that vague answer. Maybe it was because the meeting hadn’t been of her own choosing that Jian Yizhi felt some resistance, and this awareness made Fu Anran’s mood sink for no reason. It wasn’t quite sadness, more that she had been delighted to learn Jian Yizhi would be going as well, only now to feel the chill of her indifference. Her emotions dropped back down in an instant, right where they started.

“Then, Senior, do you have something you especially like to eat? Can you tell me?” Fu Anran asked with a bright smile as she returned to the back of the cart and walked alongside Jian Yizhi.

She was just a little shorter than Jian Yizhi, and when she tilted her head slightly upward, she saw the corners of Jian Yizhi’s lips curve as she smiled lightly and said, “Anything’s fine. As long as it’s grilled well, I’ll enjoy it.”

While pushing the shopping cart, Jian Yizhi glanced at the food on her side, picked up some baby bok choy, and tossed it into the cart. Casually, she asked, “What about you? I don’t think I’ve seen you pick anything you personally like.”

Fu Anran had just been thinking of something to say, but upon hearing the question, she replied, “What I like is pretty much the same as Uncle and Auntie’s, so I’ve already picked plenty.”

Jian Yizhi looked back, smiled, and said nothing.

After walking around the produce section and just before leaving, Fu Anran gathered her courage to ask, “Senior, in the future, can I invite you out sometimes?”

“Of course you can. Why are you asking like that?” Jian Yizhi answered without hesitation, glancing at her curiously.

Fu Anran thought for a moment, suppressing the faint shyness in her heart, and said softly, “Then can you take this time as me inviting you out for the first time? Thinking of it that way… would it feel better?”

Jian Yizhi stopped in her tracks, her gaze lingering on the girl beside her, whose face had turned slightly red.

She had to admit that there had been some lingering displeasure in her heart—an unwillingness born of being manipulated. But after Fu Anran’s words, and after seeing the clear eyes before her, those emotions seemed to dissolve for no reason at all.

What a peculiar way of shifting the mood. The first time inviting her out?

Jian Yizhi glanced around, and when she saw no one nearby, she hesitated briefly. Then, with a smile in her eyes, she raised her hand to gently pinch Fu Anran’s cheek. The faint warmth at her fingertips lifted her spirits instantly.

“Why are you blushing? Usually, people who invite me like this don’t succeed,” Jian Yizhi said, half-serious and half-joking.

Sure enough, Fu Anran looked up at her in shock, which made Jian Yizhi laugh. She flicked Fu Anran’s forehead playfully. “I’m teasing you. Come on, let’s check out and head home for dinner.”

“Mm… okay…”

Fu Anran touched her face, recalling the coolness of Jian Yizhi’s fingertips earlier, which only made her cheeks feel hotter. She shook her head slightly and quickly caught up with Jian Yizhi’s steps. When she looked again, the curve of a smile was still resting on Jian Yizhi’s lips.

***

The sky gradually darkened, and many rooms in the dorm building where the Inside and Outside the Drama program crew stayed had already lit up.

The broadcast announcing Qin Wang’s successful escape from prison sounded just as Shi Qingqiu was returning from the director’s office. Without pausing, she walked back to the dorm she shared with Wen Qinghan.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw Wen Qinghan standing by the window, one arm crossed over her chest and the other holding her phone as she spoke. Shi Qingqiu didn’t disturb her and quietly took her pajamas to the bathroom.

When she came out not long after, she saw Wen Qinghan sitting on the edge of the bed, a faint smile on her lips as she spoke into the phone. “Mr. Yan, you flatter me. It’s rare for me to get a break. Since there are no problems on Yizhi’s end, I can rest easy.”

She followed up with two soft “Mm”s before hanging up.

Only then did Shi Qingqiu walk over with a small bottle of medicine in her hand. Sitting beside her, she twisted off the cap and said, “Qinghan, give me your hand. I’ll apply the medicine before you sleep.”

Wen Qinghan stayed quiet, but she extended her hand. After a while, she said softly, “It’s almost healed. There’s no need to apply it. It wasn’t serious in the first place.”

Without looking up, Shi Qingqiu seemed to deliberately avoid her gaze. She kept applying the medicine carefully and lowered her head to blow gently over the back of Wen Qinghan’s hand.

What had happened last night seemed like nothing more than a fleeting, trivial moment, leaving no visible consequence between them.

But Wen Qinghan had noticed. Perhaps Shi Qingqiu herself hadn’t realized, yet her body and mind were instinctively resisting—resisting anyone or anything that might draw too close to her heart. Her awareness hadn’t caught up, but her instincts had already responded.

“How could that be? Since we have the medicine, of course we should use it. It’s not like we don’t,” Shi Qingqiu said at last. She gave a final gentle blow before carefully placing Wen Qinghan’s hand back on her lap. Twisting the cap shut, she said, “Alright, tomorrow’s our last stop. Let’s rest early tonight.”

Wen Qinghan tugged lightly at Shi Qingqiu’s sleeve. Meeting Shi Qingqiu’s puzzled gaze, she lifted her lips into a faint smile. “Qingqiu, could you blow a little longer? The medicine hasn’t dried yet, and it feels cold.”

As if afraid Shi Qingqiu wouldn’t believe her, she raised her hand and shook it lightly, showing the still-damp medicine on the back of her hand.

Shi Qingqiu couldn’t help but laugh. “Can’t you blow it yourself? It’ll dry in a moment.” Though she said that, she still held Wen Qinghan’s hand again, lowering her head slightly to blow gently across her skin.

Watching Shi Qingqiu’s focused expression, Wen Qinghan’s gaze softened as she said with mock gravity, “Blowing on my own would ruin my image. And since you’ve already blown halfway, you can’t just quit now.”

That was absolutely twisted logic. Hadn’t she stressed countless times about maintaining her image on this trip? Besides, in this room, it was just the two of them. Who would laugh at her?

When Shi Qingqiu imagined Wen Qinghan blowing on her own hand, she couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips. Somehow, it seemed… kind of cute.