The next day, as the morning light had just begun to spill across the alley entrance, Su Nuonuo carried a heart full of sweet anticipation and walked in her small leather shoes into the familiar old street.
In her previous life, she had once accidentally come across Lu Zhiye working part-time in this repair shop. At that time, she had only felt heartache seeing him working so hard at such a young age, but she had not dared to approach him. Later, she heard from Grandpa Lu that he had started working here in his second year of high school.
So in this life, she had come early. She wanted to reclaim all the time she had missed, little by little.
The rolling shutter door of the repair shop was only half-open, leaving a gap about half a person tall. A faint smell of engine oil mixed with the cold scent of metal drifted out, yet it did nothing to dampen her excitement.
She pushed open the glass door inside, and the clear ring of a bell instantly alerted the busy boy inside.
Lu Zhiye was crouched beside a motorcycle tightening screws. His jet-black hair was damp with sweat and clung to his temples, fine beads of perspiration sliding along his jawline and disappearing into his collar.
He wore gray work clothes, his wrists stained with oil, adding a hint of rugged masculinity to his youthful demeanor.
Hearing the noise, he abruptly looked up. His dark eyes met her bright, sparkling gaze.
His entire body froze instantly, and the screwdriver clattered to the ground, rolling twice.
“Little Ye!”
Su Nuonuo called him brightly, walking in with light, eager steps.
Her skirt brushed past the scattered parts on the floor, her brows curved into sweet crescents, her gaze fixed directly and warmly on him. She showed no discomfort at the surrounding oil and noise at all.
“I’ve come to keep our appointment. We agreed—see you tomorrow~”
Lu Zhiye’s Adam’s apple rolled hard. His ears flushed instantly, the redness spreading from his neck all the way to the tips of his ears.
He hurriedly stood up, wiped his face with the back of his hand, and instinctively brushed his forearm against his clothes, only realizing too late that he was smearing more oil onto himself. His voice was low, tight, and filled with flustered innocence. “Y-you… why are you here? It’s dirty here.”
He was afraid of getting her clean skirt dirty, and even more afraid that his oil-stained appearance would make her dislike him.
Su Nuonuo didn’t mind at all. Instead, she stepped closer and softly reached out to touch the back of his oil-stained hand. Her fingertips brushed against the grease as she smiled mischievously yet with clear concern. “I don’t mind it being dirty. Everything Lu Zhiye does looks good.”
Her straightforward words struck him hard, causing his entire body to stiffen. His heartbeat skipped a beat, and even his breathing became disordered.
He lowered his gaze, staring at the oil on her pale fingertips, and said stiffly, “Don’t touch randomly. Oil is hard to wash off.”
“Don’t worry~” Su Nuonuo wiggled her fingers, her eyes filled entirely with his reflection, carrying the quiet heartache of her previous life.
She continued, “I know Little Ye started working here in his second year of high school. I came to see you and spend some time with you.”
At her words, Lu Zhiye’s pupils contracted slightly.
It was one thing that Grandpa had told her the address—but how did she even know this?
He frowned, about to question her, when Su Nuonuo quickly grabbed the edge of his clothes and shook it playfully, acting spoiled. “Little Ye, you look super handsome when you’re working~”
As she spoke, she stood on tiptoe and raised her hand to brush aside the stray hair on his forehead.
The soft touch sent a tingling sensation straight to his heart, leaving him completely stiff and at a loss. His earlier composure melted into flustered panic.
He quickly turned his head away, his ears red as if they were bleeding. Raising a hand, he clumsily tidied his hair. His voice was barely audible, hiding his agitation. “Don’t mess around. I still have work to do.”
“I won’t~” Su Nuonuo obediently let go.
But she didn’t leave. She simply stood half a step away, quietly watching him work. Her bright eyes remained fixed on him, full of joy and affection.
She watched him bend down to tighten screws, the lines of his arms taut and defined; watched him raise his hand to wipe sweat, the curve of his Adam’s apple moving; watched his focused, serious expression, her smile impossible to conceal.
The scenes she had missed in her previous life—this time, she finally held them firmly within her grasp.
Being watched like that made Lu Zhiye extremely uncomfortable. His movements slowed slightly as he worked.
Every so often, he would sneak a glance at her, only to meet her direct gaze, causing him to quickly look away again. The redness at his ears never faded—he was utterly pure and flustered.
Little Nuomi had been brought along early in the morning and curled up inside a nearby cardboard box. It let out a soft meow, and Su Nuonuo chuckled. “Little Nuomi misses me too~”
Just then, voices from the doorway broke in with teasing tones. Two of Lu Zhiye’s lackeys walked in with their arms around each other. The moment they saw Su Nuonuo, they immediately began joking:
“Brother Ye! No wonder you got here so early. So it’s because your girlfriend came to visit~”
“Whoa, sister-in-law is so pretty. Brother Ye’s been hiding her well! Even brought her to experience life at our repair shop?”
Lu Zhiye’s expression darkened instantly. The gentleness he had shown Su Nuonuo vanished in an instant. His eyes turned cold as he swept a sharp glance at them and snapped in a low, harsh voice, “Get lost. Mind your own business!”
That fierce demeanor was completely different from his earlier flustered helplessness in front of Su Nuonuo.
The lackeys were stunned by his outburst. After exchanging glances, they shrugged and wisely backed off.
They didn’t dare tease him further and quickly went to a corner to sort parts, though they kept sneaking glances back, clearly amused.
Being called “sister-in-law” made Su Nuonuo feel sweet inside.
She pursed her lips and smiled secretly. Seeing Lu Zhiye reach for a socket wrench nearby, she quickly stepped forward and grabbed it first, rising on her toes to hand it to him. “Little Ye, here~”
Their fingertips brushed across each other’s warm palms, and both of them paused at the same time.
Lu Zhiye’s Adam’s apple moved slightly. He quickly took the wrench, his fingers instinctively curling in, too shy to look at her. His voice was low and hoarse. “Thank you.”
The redness on his ears deepened once again.
He lowered his head and continued working, his heart both flustered and sweet.
Sunlight filtered through the gap in the rolling door, falling onto the two of them. In the air filled with the scent of engine oil, a sweet atmosphere of budding affection quietly spread.
The lively, everyday atmosphere of the repair shop became the sweetest backdrop for them—his fierceness was reserved for others, while all his gentleness was given to her.
Lu Zhiye held the wrench Su Nuonuo had handed him, his fingertips burning slightly. He even softened his strength while tightening screws, afraid that moving too roughly might scare the little girl beside him.
Soon, Su Nuonuo spotted him reaching for a screwdriver again. She quickly bent down to pick one from the pile of parts, gripping the wooden handle as she handed it to him, saying softly, “Is it this one?”
“Mm.”
Lu Zhiye’s Adam’s apple rolled rapidly. He didn’t dare look at her and quickly took it.
In a corner, the lackeys watched in amazement, whispering among themselves:
“Damn, Brother Ye’s contrast is insane. He’s so gentle with his girlfriend it’s like he could squeeze water out of her, but he’s as fierce as a grim reaper with us.”
“Didn’t you see? When sister-in-law handed him tools, his hand was shaking. This is textbook pure-hearted school bully!”
Before they could finish, Lu Zhiye shot them a cold glance, his eyes filled with ice as he reprimanded in a low voice, “Say one more word and you’ll do all the work today.”
The lackeys immediately fell silent, heads down as they continued assembling parts, though they still stole glances, their shoulders trembling as they tried not to laugh.
Su Nuonuo heard everything clearly. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her heart felt sweet as honey. She deliberately stepped closer and asked softly, “Little Ye, what are they saying?”
Lu Zhiye instantly panicked. He quickly turned to glare at the lackeys, then turned back to meet her gaze. His tone softened immediately, with a clumsy attempt to cover up. “Nothing. They’re talking nonsense. Don’t mind them.”
“Oh~” Su Nuonuo dragged out the tone with a playful smile, her eyes full of mischief. She reached out to brush away the dust on his shoulder.
“Then Little Ye should focus on work. I’ll help pass you tools and won’t cause trouble.”
She had a good memory. In her previous life, she had vaguely seen how he worked, so she could accurately anticipate what tools he would need. Ratchets, pliers, screwdrivers—she handed them over quickly and precisely each time without him needing to say a word.
The more Lu Zhiye worked, the smoother things became, but his heart grew softer and softer.
What he had once considered a dirty and exhausting job now felt different because she was there. Even the smell of engine oil seemed pleasant.
Occasionally, he would look up and meet her focused gaze, bright and shining like starlight.
He would immediately look away again, gripping his tools tightly, his heartbeat racing as though it might burst.
Little Nuomi woke up, crawling out of the cardboard box. It padded over to Su Nuonuo’s feet and meowed, rubbing against her pants.
Su Nuonuo bent down to pick up the kitten, gently stroking its fur as she looked up and smiled at Lu Zhiye. “Little Ye, look, Little Nuomi is clingy with me~”
Lu Zhiye looked up. Morning light fell on the top of her head. The girl’s features were soft and sweet, holding the kitten in her arms—a scene so gentle it felt unreal.
His Adam’s apple moved slightly, and he said almost unconsciously, “It takes after you. Clingy.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, both of them froze.
Su Nuonuo’s face turned bright red, but her smile grew even sweeter as she responded directly, “Then if I cling to you, do you want me?”
Lu Zhiye stiffened completely. The wrench in his hand almost slipped again. His ears burned red, and after a long moment of being at a loss for words, he finally squeezed out a single word, soft yet clear: “Up to you.”
In the corner, the lackeys nearly choked from holding in their laughter, covering their mouths as they watched, internally screaming: this is insane—they’re completely whipped!
As the sun climbed higher, cicadas began to buzz noisily in the alley. The repair shop carried the scent of engine oil, but beneath it lingered an unshakable sweetness.
Su Nuonuo remained quietly by his side, passing tools and teasing the kitten, occasionally saying soft, gentle words that left Lu Zhiye flustered. Yet the corners of his lips remained slightly lifted as he worked.
After finishing the last vehicle, Lu Zhiye wiped the sweat from his brow. Turning around, he saw Su Nuonuo handing him a bottle of mineral water, the cap already opened in advance.
She held it out to him softly. “Little Ye, drink some water~”
He took it, his fingers brushing hers. He tilted his head back and took a few gulps. The cool water slid down his throat, but it couldn’t suppress the heat in his chest.
The lackeys wisely packed up and slipped away. Before leaving, they even exchanged knowing looks with Lu Zhiye.
Lu Zhiye shot them a glare, then turned back to Su Nuonuo. Only warmth remained in his eyes.
“Are you tired?” he asked softly, his voice carrying unconcealed concern. “You’ve been standing for so long.”
“I’m not tired.” Su Nuonuo shook her head, holding Little Nuomi as she leaned closer, her brows curved. “Being with Little Ye makes me not tired no matter what I do~”
Sunlight filtered through the rolling door, casting their overlapping shadows on the ground.