Chapter 455 - 251: Lu Fan Kisses Jiang Yixia in Public for the First Time

Chapter 455: Chapter 251: Lu Fan Kisses Jiang Yixia in Public for the First Time

It was evening in Qingshan Village.

On his way back to Yangcheng, Jiang Ming relayed Jiang Guoqiang’s words to Jiang Yixia word for word.

On the other end of the line, Jiang Yixia was silent. There was only the steady, rhythmic sound of her breathing.

"Sis, Dad said to let you make your own decision." After saying this, Jiang Ming fell silent too.

He paused, then added, "Dad also said he won’t meddle in your affairs anymore, but it’s impossible for him to forgive President Lu right now."

Jiang Yixia didn’t reply.

It was quiet on her end for a long while before she finally spoke. "I know. Drive safe, and text me when you get there."

"Okay, Sis. Don’t overthink it. You know how Dad is—all bark and no bite. He says he won’t meddle, but he just doesn’t want to make things hard for you." Jiang Ming offered a few more words of comfort before hanging up.

Jiang Yixia placed her phone on the counter, her head lowered as she stared at the screen.

The screen went dark, and she lit it up again. It went dark once more, so she turned it on again.

The message from Jiang Guoqiang was still displayed in the chat window.

[You make your own decision. Dad won’t force you.]

There weren’t many words, but she read it several times.

Her eyes reddened, and tears began to fall, drop by drop, landing on the phone screen and blurring the line of text.

She didn’t wipe them away. She just sat there, letting the tears stream down her face.

She remembered when she was little, how Jiang Guoqiang would lift her onto his neck to watch plays. She would ride on his shoulders, tugging his hair, and even though he’d grimace in pain, he would never put her down.

She remembered the year she got into university, how Jiang Guoqiang threw a celebration in the village, got drunk, and cried while hugging her, saying his daughter had made something of herself and that he was so happy.

She remembered the year she returned to the village with her child in her arms. Jiang Guoqiang didn’t say a word, just went to town early every morning to buy pork ribs and stew soup for her.

He never asked who *that person* was, never scolded her. He just silently stayed by her side.

Now, he was telling her to make her own decision.

’He doesn’t hate him anymore?’

’No.’

’He just doesn’t want to make things hard for her.’

Sister Li from the dry cleaner’s next door came over for a visit. She was carrying a plate of sliced fruit, and she pushed the door open with a grin. "Sister Xia, have some fruit! My son sent them. They’re mangoes, super sweet. He said they’re from Hainan, the kind that ripen on the tree."

When she walked in and saw Jiang Yixia sitting behind the counter with red-rimmed eyes, the smile on her face froze, and she almost dropped the plate.

She quickly put the plate on the counter, came around it, and knelt beside Jiang Yixia. Taking her hand, her voice changed. "Oh my, what’s wrong? What happened? Did someone bully you? You can tell me."

Jiang Yixia shook her head and wiped her tears. "It’s nothing, Sister Li. I was just... thinking about some things from the past."

Sister Li looked at her but didn’t press the issue. She patted the back of her hand, stood up, and glanced around the flower shop.

She thought for a moment, then said suddenly, "Yixia, you’re cooped up in the shop all day. You never go out for some fresh air. Come on, I’ll take you out for a walk. I’ll just go tell my old man first."

As she spoke, she started to head out, but she turned back after two steps, picked up the plate of mangoes, and pressed it into Jiang Yixia’s hands. "Eat this first. It’s very sweet. You’ll feel better after you eat."

Jiang Yixia took the plate, speared a piece of mango with a fork, and put it in her mouth. It was sweet, but she couldn’t taste it.

Sister Li reached the entrance and had just started to pull the door open when it was pushed open from the outside.

Lu Fan was standing in the doorway, wearing a thin, dark gray jacket. His hair was neatly combed, and he was carrying two bags—one with pastries, the other with fruit.

He saw Sister Li and greeted her with a smile. "Sister Li, you’re here too? Not busy at your shop today?"

Sister Li’s eyes lit up. She glanced back at Jiang Yixia, then at Lu Fan, and a meaningful smile spread across her face.

She clapped her hands, chuckling. "Well, if it isn’t President Lu!"

"Perfect timing! I was just saying I should take Yixia out for a walk, but I have some things to take care of at my shop and can’t get away. Why don’t you take her?"

"She’s in a bad mood, so you should go with her to cheer her up. You know how it is with women—when we’re feeling down, we need to get out for a bit. Staying cooped up in the shop just makes it worse."

Jiang Yixia froze, about to refuse, but Sister Li had already thrust the purse from the counter into her hand. She then picked up the plate of mangoes and said with a smile, "I’ll watch the flower shop for you, don’t you worry. President Lu, she’s all yours!"

With that, she winked at Lu Fan, hurried out with the mangoes, and even pulled the door shut behind her, moving with a speed that belied her fifty-odd years.

Only the two of them were left in the flower shop.

Jiang Yixia kept her head down, not knowing what to say.

She stared at the tips of her shoes. There was a small smudge on one of them from when she’d moved a flower pot that morning.

Lu Fan looked at her, placed the things he was carrying on the counter, and walked over to stand beside her. He broke the silence, asking softly, "What’s wrong? Who made you angry? Your eyes are all red."

Jiang Yixia shook her head, her voice a bit muffled. "It’s nothing. Sister Li was just talking nonsense. Don’t mind her, she just likes to worry."

Lu Fan didn’t press. He knew that when she didn’t want to talk, there was no point in asking.

He glanced out the window. The sky was completely dark now.

He pulled two tickets from his pocket, dangled them in front of her, and said with a smile, "Stand-up comedy. At the theater in Wanda Plaza. It’s the 8:30 show, so it starts in an hour. We can still make it. Want to go together? I hear this comedian is hilarious, and the online reviews are great."

"When did you buy these? How come I didn’t know?" Jiang Yixia stared at the two tickets, stunned for a moment, her brow furrowing slightly.

Lu Fan chuckled, putting the tickets back in his pocket with a smug look. "I bought them this afternoon. I was going to ask you to dinner, but I was afraid you’d say no, so I bought the tickets first. Dinner, then a comedy show—how great is that? See? My plan is flawless."