Chapter 524: Jiang Yixia and Lu Fan Take a Late-Night Walk and Confide in Each Other!

Jiang Ming lowered his head even further.

“Alright, alright,” Lu Fan said cheerfully. “We got the money back, so this matter is over. Just be careful next time.”

“There’s a next time?” Jiang Yixia glared at Jiang Ming.

“No, no, absolutely no next time.” Jiang Ming shook his head hastily.

The car first pulled up downstairs at Jiang Ming’s rented apartment. He got out, stood by the side of the car, and glanced at Lu Fan. He opened his mouth to say something but swallowed his words.

“Go on up, get some good rest,” Lu Fan said with a smile.

“Thank you, President Lu,” Jiang Ming replied before turning around and jogging into the building.

Jiang Yixia let out a sigh as she watched his retreating back.

As the car continued forward, Jiang Yixia leaned against the window, watching the street view outside without saying a word.

“Are you still angry?” Lu Fan asked.

“No.” Jiang Yixia shook her head, her voice softening. “I just feel that for someone his age, he’s still so immature.”

“Men always have to learn the hard way to grow up,” Lu Fan chuckled. “When I was in my twenties, I was even more immature than him.”

Jiang Yixia glanced at him without speaking.

As the car reached the riverside, Jiang Yixia suddenly spoke up. “Stop for a moment.”

Chen He pulled over by the curb. Jiang Yixia pushed the door open and stepped out. Lu Fan followed suit.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Let’s take a walk,” Jiang Yixia said in a calm tone, looking out at the river.

Lu Fan walked beside her, the two of them strolling shoulder-to-shoulder along the riverside promenade. In the distance, Guangzhou Tower was brightly lit, alternating between shades of purple, pink, and blue, casting its colorful reflections on the water’s surface.

They walked for a stretch in silence.

“Do you still remember the first time you treated me to a meal?” Lu Fan suddenly broke the silence with a smile.

Jiang Yixia paused for a moment and turned to look at him. “I remember. Why?”

“You ordered pickled fish, twice-cooked pork, and a tomato egg soup,” Lu Fan recalled cheerfully. “It turned out the pickled fish was so spicy that you cried after just one bite.”

“I choked, I wasn’t crying,” Jiang Yixia glared at him.

“Tears were streaming down your face, yet you still claim you were choking.” Lu Fan laughed. “At the time, I thought this girl was really interesting—ordering pickled fish when she couldn’t even handle spicy food.”

Jiang Yixia’s face flushed slightly. She turned her head away to look at the river, stubbornly defending herself. “I didn’t know that restaurant’s pickled fish was so spicy.”

“After that, you refused to go back to that place,” Lu Fan said, still smiling. “Every time I wanted to eat there, you said no.”

“Their food wasn’t good anyway,” Jiang Yixia explained.

Lu Fan just smiled, leaving the remark unanswered. They continued their walk for another stretch.

“Do you remember the first time you went to my dorm?” Lu Fan brought up another memory.

Jiang Yixia’s face grew even redder. “Why bring that up?”

“You helped me do laundry and soaked my white shirt with a red sock,” Lu Fan chuckled. “The white shirt ended up turning pink.”

“That was your own carelessness!” Jiang Yixia anxiously defended herself. “Who told you to throw a red sock in the washing machine?”

“I was young and ignorant back then,” Lu Fan joked. “But I actually wore that pink shirt quite a few times, do you remember?”

Jiang Yixia blanked for a second before a smile finally broke through. “I remember. When you wore it out, your colleagues asked why your shirt was that color, and you said your girlfriend washed it.”

“I was telling the truth,” Lu Fan grinned.

Jiang Yixia shot him a glare, but she couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

As they approached a bench by the river, Lu Fan stopped and gazed out at the water.

“Yixia,” Lu Fan called out to her.

“Yeah.”

“Have you ever wondered what we would be like now if you hadn’t left back then?”

Jiang Yixia fell silent for a moment before replying softly, “There are no ‘ifs’.”

Lu Fan smiled softly, dropping the subject.

A breeze blew off the river, sweeping Jiang Yixia’s hair across her face. She reached up to tuck it behind her ear, but the wind immediately whipped it back. She brushed it away again. Watching her, Lu Fan suddenly laughed.

“What are you laughing at?” Jiang Yixia asked.

“Laughing at you,” Lu Fan said cheerfully. “You’re exactly the same as before. The moment the wind messes with your hair, you get all flustered.”

Jiang Yixia glared at him, but this time, she didn’t argue back. They stood there for a little while longer before Jiang Yixia turned to head back. Lu Fan stayed by her side, keeping an even pace.

“Let’s go. Time to head back,” she said.

“Alright.” Lu Fan nodded.

Once back in the car, Jiang Yixia leaned against the window and watched the world outside. A faint smile graced her lips, though she didn’t even realize it herself.

The car arrived downstairs at her apartment building. She stepped out, stood by the side of the car, and looked at Lu Fan.

“Thank you for today,” Jiang Yixia said.

“What are you thanking me for?” Lu Fan chuckled. “Jiang Ming is like a younger brother to me too.”

Jiang Yixia didn’t reply. She simply turned and entered the building.

Leaning back against the seat, Lu Fan watched her silhouette disappear into the stairwell and smiled.

“Let’s go. Head back,” he told Chen He.

The engine rumbled to life as the car drove out of the residential complex. Looking through the rearview mirror, Lu Fan cast one last glance at the building. A light had just flicked on in an upstairs apartment.

By the window stood a lone figure, gazing down at the street below.