Gu Nianyi felt her heart race under Lu Jin’an’s intense gaze. Had he noticed her little scheme?
The experiment aborted halfway.
“You don’t eat leeks? I didn’t know.” Gu Nianyi bit her chopsticks unnaturally.
She averted her eyes from where they met his.
It was her first time doing something like this “bad deed,” and her heart pounded with unease.
She silently pep-talked herself. It wasn’t a big deal.
Lu Jin’an suddenly smiled faintly. “I do eat them. I love them, in fact.”
Gu Nianyi clamped another chopstickful for him. “Then have some more.”
Staring at the mountain of green vegetables piled in front of him, Lu Jin’an helplessly cooperated by finishing off the entire plate of leek scrambled eggs.
He was determined to see what she was up to.
After dinner, Lu Jin’an dawdled in the bathroom. He brushed his teeth over and over, then sprayed mouthful after mouthful of mouthwash.
He breathed into his palm and sniffed. Only once he was sure there was no trace of leek scent did he return to the bedroom.
He wanted to tell her that leeks weren’t the only food that boosted yang energy—there were plenty of others.
But he held back, worried that if she didn’t even know what leeks did, he’d just end up looking foolish.
Why was he even thinking about telling her which foods boosted yang? It wasn’t like he had a problem in that department.
Lu Jin’an deliberately pulled up an educational video and hit play on the sound.
Gu Nianyi heard a man’s authoritative voice booming from the speaker: “The three main benefits of leeks: 1. They stimulate the appetite. 2. They keep you warm. 3. They tonify the kidneys and boost yang.”
What on earth was he doing?
Was he really having issues down there and searching for remedies himself?
She glanced sideways at him, only to be caught by his dark, intense eyes.
Lu Jin’an said in a low, meaningful tone, “Big data these days even knows what you had for dinner.”
Gu Nianyi, already feeling guilty, now felt like she’d been caught red-handed. She let out an awkward laugh. “Yeah, it’s like they installed cameras or something.”
But the next second, another voice came from the phone: “You don’t need just leeks to boost yang. These foods work too. First up, oysters. Then pumpkin, quail eggs, sea cucumbers, chestnuts, lamb, pomegranates, and more.”
The video ended with a helpful reminder: “Food is a supplement, not medicine. If you’re feeling unwell, please see a doctor promptly.”
Gu Nianyi scratched her head. “Dr. Lu, are you giving a lecture or something?”
It felt like the algorithm was targeting her specifically.
And it was only the first day.
Lu Jin’an set his phone aside, his gaze growing even deeper. “Big data recommendations. We had leeks for dinner tonight, after all.”
Was this her fault now?
In reality, she really had been up to no good.
Though it wasn’t entirely her fault—she had no personal experience to go on.
Gu Nianyi was curious too. Was Dr. Lu actually up to it? He looked the part, but plenty of guys who seemed fine weren’t.
The next day, the food on the table was completely normal. No yang-boosting dishes in sight.
Lu Jin’an pondered. Had he wronged her?
Was it his own mind that was in the gutter, always dwelling on this stuff?
In the days that followed, everything on the dinner table remained normal. She didn’t do anything else strange either.
Lu Jin’an gradually put the incident out of his mind.
She’d just made that one dish, nothing more.
As the year-end approached, work piled up with summaries, reports, and plans for the coming year.
Gu Nianyi shifted her focus back to her job.
Love it or leave it.
She couldn’t keep taking the initiative forever.
Though to be honest, she hadn’t really initiated much of anything.
Ming Yue sent a message: 【How’d the experiment go?】
Gu Nianyi: 【Didn’t continue. He got suspicious on day one—deliberately played that video, scared me into stopping right away.】
Ming Yue: 【Fair enough. Just a wild guess anyway.】
The experiment was shelved for now.
Talking about it at work would just make things awkward with all the dirty thoughts floating around.
Gu Nianyi received a call from an unfamiliar delivery service, saying the flowers had been left at the front desk.
Flowers again?
Puzzled, Gu Nianyi headed to the front desk. This time, it was a bouquet of pink-white tulips.
In the midst of autumn’s orange and brown tones, the sudden splash of bright color lifted her spirits.
Who could have sent them?
The card provided the answer.
“May you always be filled with joy, and may all your wishes come true.”
Signed—An.
Shen Lingyun grinned and asked, “Yi Yi, is it your birthday?”
Gu Nianyi shook her head slightly. “No.”
Shen Lingyun chuckled. “Then it must be your anniversary. Your hubby doesn’t seem so unromantic after all.”
Gu Nianyi stared blankly at the tulips and ventured, “What if it’s not that either?”
“Then he’s pursuing you,” Shen Lingyun replied without hesitation.
Pursuing her?
Was he?
Gu Nianyi’s fingers hovered over her keyboard. Mustering her courage, she messaged him directly.
【Dr. Lu, flowers again?】
Lu Jin’an had just finished his rounds. 【Don’t like them? I’ll get a different kind next time.】
They weren’t on the same wavelength. Gu Nianyi: 【No, it’s just… not a holiday or anything.】
She still lacked the full courage.
Asking outright if he was pursuing her would make her seem self-indulgent.
Lu Jin’an saw through her hesitation. Why send flowers on a random day?
【Passed by a flower shop, saw they were pretty, so I bought them.】
【No other meaning.】
He added that last bit unnecessarily and couldn’t take it back in time.
When Gu Nianyi saw the familiar handwriting on the card, her heart plummeted, struck right in the chest.
No other meaning. She really had been overthinking it.
【I like them a lot.】
Gu Nianyi sent a random emoji of a kitten lying on the ground with a heart, then let the conversation end.
The new Director Yang Jinnian called them into her office. She announced that four of their proposed topics had been approved for funding, and they could start preparing.
The approved projects were:
1. South City Grid Point Forecast Correction Technology Research and Intelligent Application Development;
2. South City Urban Flood Risk Forecast and Warning Research;
3. South City Nearly 20 Years of Ecological Meteorology Comprehensive Analysis and Evaluation;
4. South City Agricultural Meteorology Risk (Wind Disaster, Snow Disaster, Low Temperature, Insufficient Sunshine) Warning Technology Research, among others.
All of them were projects closely tied to public welfare and daily life.
The four of them left the director’s office. Shen Lingyun sighed. “Director Yang is really something else. Back when Director Cheng was in charge, he’d just say funding was limited and shoot everything down. Now she’s actually fighting for us.”
He Ruiyan slung an arm around Shen Lingyun. “Baichuan Group’s procurement is moving to the second round of negotiations, and Director Yang’s pushing hard. If we land it, our bonuses are secure.”
Shen Lingyun said, “Feels like the clouds are finally parting to reveal the sun.”
He Ruiyan agreed. “Yeah, we used to be the marginalized department.”
“Chi Wenjing, you’ve been awfully quiet lately.”
They’d all had their preconceptions about him before, but after hearing he’d gotten involved in the Cheng Fanglin incident and pushed for harsher punishment, they saw him in a new light.
Chi Wenjing lowered his brows. “Listening to you ladies is enough.”
He glanced at Gu Nianyi and let out a low, heavy sigh.
Gu Nianyi messaged the group chat with the two women, saying she had a hospital follow-up and wouldn’t be eating lunch at the office.
She went to the entrance of the Meteorological Bureau to catch a cab.
Meanwhile, in the Cardiac Surgery Department office, Zhou Ziyu was half-reclining in his chair. “Dr. Lu, nice brooch. Didn’t you always hate wearing stuff like that?”
Lu Jin’an glanced down at the brooch, his brow arching slightly. “My wife bought it for me.”
Zhou Ziyu: “…”
No one had asked who bought it, and he didn’t want to know.
The guy was showing off his relationship every single day. Shameless.
He shouldn’t have asked.
Curiosity got the better of Zhou Ziyu. “Where’d you get it? I want one too—it’s pretty unique.”
Lu Jin’an replied calmly, “No idea. My wife bought it.”
Zhou Ziyu: “…”
Every sentence revolved around his wife. If he was so bold, why not shout it to her face?
His phone buzzed. He glanced at it and grinned mischievously. “Message from the gynecology clinic nurse. Wanna hear?”
“No.” Lu Jin’an refused curtly, his tone as cold as the winter wind outside.
He brushed off everything that didn’t involve Gu Nianyi.
Zhou Ziyu smirked. “It’s about Gu Nianyi.”
“Say.”
A flicker of change crossed his otherwise impassive face.
Zhou Ziyu, eager for drama, said, “She booked an expert slot and is waiting for her follow-up. You didn’t know, Dr. Lu?”
Sure enough, the man before him grew restless, tension creasing his brows.
Lu Jin’an truly hadn’t known.
He checked WeChat several times over. Gu Nianyi hadn’t mentioned it to him.
The walk from the inpatient wards to outpatient took about ten minutes. He made it in five.
He spotted Gu Nianyi in the waiting area outside gynecology, sitting alone on a chair in the corner.
Lu Jin’an strode quickly to her side. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
His breathing was slightly hurried.
Gu Nianyi looked up to see the elegant man hurrying toward her. She started to stand, but he gently pressed her back down.
She tilted her head up a little. “Dr. Lu, you’re skipping work? It’s just a follow-up. It’ll be quick.”
She wasn’t a child anymore—what needed accompanying for everything?
Her gentle, fair face curved into a soft smile, her eyes bending like a breeze. In an instant, it soothed the irritation in Lu Jin’an’s heart.
The words stuck in his throat were swallowed back down. “No matter how busy, I can make time to go with you for the checkup.”
Gu Nianyi murmured softly, “Dr. Lu, I did tell you.”
Five minutes earlier, she’d sent him a message but hadn’t gotten a reply.
If that counted as telling him, then yes, she had.
Lu Jin’an curved his finger and flicked the tip of her hair. “No next time.”
“Dr. Lu, if I tell you every little thing, big or small, you’ll get sick of it.”
She had seen her roommates in love, all lovey-dovey at first, sharing every tiny detail with their partners.
But in time, that led to resentment.
Right now, she was second-guessing everything, which wasn’t like her at all.
Lu Jin’an leaned against the armrest of her chair, drawing out his words with a soft sigh. “Nothing about you is little to me.”
Gu Nianyi glanced around, hoping no one else had overheard.
Just then, a couple passed by in front of them. “Look at that husband over there. Look at you—pushing back when I just asked you to come with me for a checkup.”
Okay, so someone had heard.
Gu Nianyi reminded him, “Dr. Lu, this is a public place.”
Lu Jin’an’s lips curved up, his tone a bit playful. “Alright, we’ll talk about it at home.”
“They just called my number. Dr. Lu, you go ahead with your work.”
Gu Nianyi’s ears suddenly turned red. She hurried toward the examination room.
“I’ll wait for you.”
She had gotten her scans done ahead of time. The doctor picked them up and examined them closely. “No issues. You’re recovering very well. If you’re planning to have a child with Dr. Lu, though, it’s best to wait at least a year.”
A child? That felt like a distant dream.
Things between them were clearer than plain water right now.
Lu Jin’an had said he wouldn’t have a child without real feelings.
By the time they built those feelings, it would probably be a long, long time.
Gu Nianyi smiled. “Got it. Thank you, Director Zhao.”
She stepped out of the examination room and spotted Lu Jin’an waiting ahead. For a moment, she felt dazed.
From unlocking her phone to go grocery shopping, to the movies, to strolling the streets—alone. And now, to doctor’s visits and surgeries—also alone no more.
From here on out, she was someone who had somebody waiting for her.
Gu Nianyi jogged a few steps. “Dr. Lu, I need to head back to work. Bye!”
“Let me take you to lunch.”
Lu Jin’an glanced at his watch. “I need to swing by the office first and drop off my coat.”
Gu Nianyi asked, “Can’t you wear your white coat to the cafeteria?”
That’s how it always looked on TV.
In the hospital, where every second counted, Lu Jin’an was used to a brisk pace. Gu Nianyi walked at a leisurely speed, and whenever they were together, he instinctively slowed down to match her.
“No, too many bacteria and viruses.”
It was all for food safety.
“What have you been busy with lately?”
“Dr. Lu, aren’t you busy these days?”
They spoke at the same time, asking almost the exact same question.
“Not too bad.”
“Busy writing summaries, busy with new projects.”
They answered in unison again.
They exchanged smiles.
Sunlight fell over them, softening even the light.
The cafeteria auntie spotted Gu Nianyi and praised her right away. “Dr. Lu, is this your wife? She’s a real beauty.”
Lu Jin’an replied, “She is beautiful.”
Zhou Ziyu, ever the social butterfly, saw Gu Nianyi in the cafeteria and plopped down right across from her. “Sister-in-Law, can you send me the Heart Link you got for Dr. Lu?”
Gu Nianyi hemmed and hawed. “I bought it in a physical store.”
“How much?”
Gu Nianyi glanced around—Lu Jin’an wasn’t back yet. “Nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine yuan.”
“How much?”
Zhou Ziyu froze, sure he’d misheard.
It looked just like something that’d go for nine bucks with free shipping.
Not real gold or diamonds— no wonder Dr. Lu was showing it off.
Zhou Ziyu said, “You really went all out for Dr. Lu.”
Gu Nianyi replied, “It’s a secret.”
“Don’t worry, I can keep my mouth shut.”
With Lu Jin’an still not back, Zhou Ziyu got gossipy. “Dr. Lu’s been going back to Cypress View Pavilion way more since getting married. Used to just crash at his apartment.”
“And he leaves work early now. He used to skip night shifts and never make it up. Now he’s nitpicking about every minute.”
A cool voice sounded from behind him, though he hadn’t noticed the arrival. “Shut up.”
Lu Jin’an sat down and asked softly, “How’s the taste?”
Zhou Ziyu eyed the man across from him. Why wasn’t he getting yelled at for talking to his own wife like that?
Double standards.
This guy was hopeless, already peeling shrimp for her.
“I like the fish tail. Here, for you.”
Lu Jin’an placed the meatiest, least bony part of the fish into her bowl.
He knew why she only ate the tail but didn’t call her out.
The fish tail trick went back to her childhood. Her parents had always said the tail and chicken wing tips were the most nutritious, so they’d give those to her.
Over time, she’d been brainwashed into liking them.
The news was full of stories about girls being won over by guys with just a bag of snacks, calling them easy to please.
But think about it—that was just the unmet need from never being prioritized at home.
Just like the shell-on shrimp she’d once picked for him, or the celery he’d taken off her plate.
Or the room full of stuffed animals.
All traces of needs she’d never had met.
After lunch, Lu Jin’an drove Gu Nianyi back to the Meteorological Bureau.
When he returned, he saw Zhou Ziyu lurking about suspiciously and gave him a smack. “What are you doing?”
Zhou Ziyu’s eyes were glued to the brooch. “Just researching this thing. What makes it worth nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine yuan?”
“What?”
“I didn’t say anything. You must’ve misheard.” Zhou Ziyu switched up his words fast. That leaky mouth of his.
He’d figured it out: nine thousand nine hundred ninety out of that price was brand markup, and nine yuan was the brooch’s actual worth.
On a day without overtime, the two of them lounged in the living room, petting the cat.
“Why’d you get me such an expensive brooch?” He’d overheard the price at lunch.
“Because you’re a good guy, Dr. Lu. And the heart design is adorable.”
Gu Nianyi hadn’t known what to get him. A watch was too pricey, and she couldn’t afford a car or house. Lu Jin’an didn’t have other hobbies.
The heart was where the heartbeat lived.
It raced even more around someone you liked.
Another “nice guy card.” Lu Jin’an feigned casualness. “Do you tell other guys they’re good often?”
Gu Nianyi didn’t sense the danger brewing. She thought for a moment. “Not really. Just the class monitor in high school, the group leader in college, and that senior a year ahead of me…”
Lu Jin’an turned to stare at her, his eyes gleaming with undisguised, predatory amusement.
He wanted to seal those fluttering red lips.
Not many times, yet she remembered them all.
Lu Jin’an reached up, his hand wrapping around Gu Nianyi’s slender neck. He tilted his head and captured her glossy cherry lips.
“Meow meow.”
He covered Nian Gao’s eyes. Not kid-friendly.
Then he deepened the kiss, slow and intense, until her heart was in a whirlwind.
Gu Nianyi’s breath hitched, at a loss. She slowly closed her eyes and lifted her arms to loop around his neck.
She was kissing him back.
The man kissed fiercely, his breath hot, drawing her into a tangle of tongues.
Teasing, sucking.
His kisses weren’t like him at all—always lingering, profound, like a sudden storm.
It left her tongue numb, her heart pounding wildly.
Gu Nianyi had been crouching; she wobbled and nearly toppled.
Lu Jin’an cupped the back of her head and eased her down onto the floor beneath him.
His deep eyes looked down at her.
“Remember them so clearly? Who else?”
“No one.”
Gu Nianyi’s lips were rosy and glistening, drawing him in step by step.
He couldn’t get enough.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Through the video feed, Lu Jin’an saw a property staffer in uniform outside, holding a package.
He asked offhandedly, “What’d you order?”
“I didn’t order anything. Maybe Ming Yue did.”
Gu Nianyi grabbed an art knife to slice open the sturdy packaging—and instantly regretted it.
Lu Jin’an’s long fingers lifted the flimsy strap dress, his gaze dropping with a mocking smile.
Who ordered this strap sleep skirt?
The back was sheer, held up by two thin straps—would they even hold?
A skirt that short—what did it cover?
Recipient: Yi Yi. And the phone number was hers.
Now, no way to explain herself.