“Aze is here?”
Lu Madam’s eyes were too blurry to see clearly, but even from just a faint silhouette, she recognized her most beloved grandson.
Having just been massaged by An Ning, she felt comfortable all over.
When Lu Madam spoke again, she sounded exactly like a gentle and loving grandmother from an ordinary family, with none of the anxiety she had shown over the past few days.
Lu Qingze couldn’t help but glance at An Ning a few more times.
After the grandmother and grandson chatted for a while, nearing ten o’clock, Lu Madam patted Lu Qingze’s hand and said, “Go back. You’re busy with work during the day and still come to see me at night. Get some rest early.”
“Alright.”
Lu Qingze stood up to leave.
Lu Madam then turned to An Ning, “An’an, it’s getting late. You should go back and rest too. I sleep lightly and don’t need anyone to stay with me at night. Also…”
Not noticing the momentary disappointment on An Ning’s face, Lu Madam asked with a somewhat embarrassed expression, “An’an, can I have your Yi Qing Er Bai for breakfast tomorrow?”
Uh…
An Ning pursed her lips, “I… I live in the company apartment, and I don’t have any kitchenware.”
“Aze…”
Lu Madam smiled and looked at Lu Qingze, “I want to eat An’an’s cooking. That’s… not too much to ask, is it?”
Although he didn’t know what the old lady and the young girl had talked about since An Ning arrived, just hearing his grandmother call her “An’an” repeatedly told him they got along quite well.
Lu Qingze looked at An Ning with a playful expression, “What do you say, Miss An?”
One moment she was worried about having nowhere to sleep tonight, and the next, another possibility presented itself.
An Ning cautiously glanced at Lu Qingze, “Then… sorry to trouble you?”
“Let’s go.”
Lu Qingze walked out of the ward.
Behind him, An Ning adjusted Lu Madam’s pillow and dimmed the lights.
“Grandma, I’m leaving now. I’ll bring you breakfast tomorrow morning.”
“Alright.”
“Goodnight, Grandma!”
Afraid that Lu Qingze would leave and she’d end up sleeping on the streets tonight, An Ning closed the door and hurried after him.
The next second, she crashed heavily into Lu Qingze’s chest.
A strange yet fresh scent rose to her nose, like the smell of shower gel.
An Ning covered her nose and took a step back, looking at Lu Qingze, “Are you made of iron?”
The girl’s eyes were moist, as if she was genuinely hurt, on the verge of tears.
Lu Qingze was taken aback, feeling an indescribable, strange sensation in his heart.
After a long pause, he said hoarsely, “Sorry.”
Then, avoiding her gaze, he turned to look out the window.
The bright glass reflected his and An Ning’s profiles. Remembering the collision just now, Qin Jiangzhou’s words inexplicably surfaced in Lu Qingze’s mind.
From a girl’s nose to a boy’s chin—that’s the perfect height for a couple to kiss.
Because… you only need to lower your head to reach it.
As the thought of kissing crossed his mind, Lu Qingze snapped back to reality.
Glancing at An Ning, he turned and walked away, “Let’s go.”
An Ning rubbed the tip of her nose and glared angrily at his retreating back.
She was the one who got hurt, yet she wasn’t angry.
What was he angry about?
As they walked out of the inpatient building, An Ning looked up and realized how dark the sky had become.
Following Lu Qingze to the parking lot, An Ning’s eyes flickered.
VIP ward.
And a private car.
These conditions were much better than what Aunt Fen had described.
“Lu Qingze…”
An Ning stopped in her tracks and looked at the man who had turned around. “The matchmaker told me you’re 35, an IT engineer, introverted and not good with words, and that your family is pressuring you to get married within this year.”
Lu Qingze was taken aback.
An IT engineer?
That was indeed his area of expertise, so it wasn’t entirely wrong.
Introverted and not good with words?
Whether he was introverted or not was uncertain, but it was true that he disliked idle chatter.
As for the family pressure to marry—that was absolutely true.
Only the age part didn’t match.
His eyes flickered slightly as he looked at An Ning. “Do I… not look 35?”
“No.”
???
Was that the point?
The words slipped out, and the focus instantly shifted.
An Ning frowned. “With your looks, forget marriage—if you just wanted to date, you wouldn’t even have to lift a finger. Girls would be lining up for you.”
She raised her eyes to look at Lu Qingze, her gaze full of scrutiny. “You don’t have some hidden illness, do you?”
???
The man looked up in astonishment.
Before he could utter a word of explanation, An Ning spoke again. “If you really do have some problem, then the price I mentioned earlier won’t apply anymore.”
!!!
In his 28 years of life, Lu Qingze had never met a girl like An Ning. He was stunned.
An Ning continued, “Although I’m in a hurry to get married, I have my reasons. Ultimately, I just want to transfer my household registration without alerting my family.”
But if Lu Qingze had some issue, it wouldn’t be helping her—it would be dragging her down.
If he could marry and divorce smoothly, she’d give him the 100,000 yuan in full.
But if, as Aunt Fen said, his family was pressuring him to marry, and he himself had some problem…
If they really got married, what if he clung to her?
She couldn’t just jump out of one fire pit and willingly leap into another, could she?
Others came into this world to experience the bittersweet flavors of life.
Could it be that she was here to endure tribulations?
One moment, she was timid and submissive, as if willing to do anything as long as he agreed to help her. The next, she had transformed.
It was like a docile kitten extending its tiny claws, hooking its sharp nails into his sleeve.
A faint smile appeared in Lu Qingze’s eyes.
For a moment, it felt like he was back in school.
And he was the bystander watching his good friend tease the girl he liked.
The only difference was that this time, he wasn’t the bystander.
“What if I do?”
Lu Qingze’s words.
An Ning’s eyes widened in shock. “You… you have… some illness?”
On her way downstairs, she had already thought of a strategy. If the other party really did have a problem, the payment method would have to change.
If he agreed to marry, she’d pay him 30% upfront as a deposit.
The rest would be paid after they got the divorce certificate.
But now that he was openly admitting he had an issue, An Ning felt a bit panicked.
What if they got married and couldn’t divorce? That would be a real problem!
An Ning began to hesitate.
When she looked up again, she saw Lu Qingze looking hesitant, as if unsure whether to say it or how to say it.
In a flash of insight, An Ning’s heart skipped a beat. “You… you’re not… into men, are you?”
Facing Lu Qingze’s suddenly darkened expression, An Ning thought she might have guessed right.
“It’s fine, it’s fine, you don’t have to say anything. I won’t ask anymore, alright?”
Lu Qingze’s anger, in An Ning’s eyes, instantly became the fury of someone whose secret had been exposed.
An Ning waved her hands repeatedly, “No need to say more, no need… Let’s hurry up and go.”
Just moments ago, she had been worried about whether it would be safe to stay at his place tonight.
Now, An Ning was completely at ease. As she walked forward, her entire being felt indescribably light and relieved.
He was good-looking.
And she wouldn’t have to fulfill any obligations.
This was clearly a marriage partner tailor-made for her by fate.
Simply… perfect!
Almost instantly, he sensed the change in the girl’s mood.
Watching her relaxed shoulders and light steps.
Behind her, Lu Qingze’s tense jawline gradually softened.
Good.
An Ning, there’s plenty of time ahead!