“…”
Meng Yue was instantly rendered speechless.
This young woman really did let her moral compass be guided by appearances!
There was no stopping her.
Meng Yue had no way to stop her either, so she continued with her work for the day. Time quickly reached 5:50, and the clock-out alarm Chen Luo had set went off.
Why 5:50?
Because he still needed to set aside ten minutes to hand the children over to their parents waiting outside the venue, and that time also counted as part of working hours.
As someone determined to be the number one slacker, Chen Luo absolutely refused to work a single extra minute. He had to clock out right on the dot at six.
The moment the alarm rang.
Chen Luo didn’t waste a single second. He picked up the whistle hanging around his neck and blew it once, and the nine children in the gym quickly assembled.
They stood in a row in front of Chen Luo.
“Left face!”
Chen Luo gave the command.
The nine children immediately turned left, then Chen Luo walked up to the first child on the left and said, “Forward march!”
Straight ahead.
In just a few steps, they reached the main entrance of the gym. By then, nine parents were already waiting outside, and Chen Luo read out the children’s names one by one.
“Zhang Hui.”
“Li Ming.”
“Chen Hua.”
“Cai Kun.”
“…”
After Chen Luo called out each child’s name, the corresponding parent came forward to pick them up. When he reached the fifth child, a young woman walked up.
Chen Luo had a vague impression of her.
She seemed to be Hu Hu’s sister.
“This is your sister, right, Little Hu?” Chen Luo asked.
“Yes.”
Hu Hu nodded and replied.
“Alright, you can go home then.”
After confirming the identity, Chen Luo handed Hu Hu over to her. However, the young woman stood in front of him without leaving, wearing an expression that suggested she had something to say but was hesitating.
“Is there anything else?”
Seeing this, Chen Luo took the initiative to ask.
“Um… Coach Chen, I have a bestie… she wants your contact info, is that okay?” the young woman asked, looking a bit shy.
Conjuring a friend out of thin air.
Using that trick in front of Chen Luo was like showing off one’s axe skills before Lu Ban the master carpenter.
Little did she know.
Her shy demeanor had already been seen through by Chen Luo. But Chen Luo was no longer the way he used to be. Now he only wanted to earnestly turn over a new leaf and be a good person.
Although the young woman in front of him was somewhat pretty.
Her chest was too small…
“No.”
Chen Luo replied in a calm tone.
“Okay, no problem.”
The young woman replied politely, then quickly left with Hu Hu.
After that.
Chen Luo continued calling out the next child’s name, and the parents gradually picked up their children one after another. In the end, only Duoduo and Meng Yue were still left in the gym.
Chen Luo paid them no attention.
He packed the basketball into his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and walked out of the gym.
And quite coincidentally.
He had finished packing up.
Meng Yue had pretty much finished packing up too, and she walked out of the gym almost in sync with him. Chen Luo glanced at Meng Yue and Duoduo, a trace of awkwardness flashing through his eyes.
But their pace remained perfectly in sync.
They silently walked downstairs.
At that moment, Duoduo, beside Meng Yue, spoke up to Chen Luo: “Brother Chen Luo, we’re on the same way, let’s go home together.”
“Sure.”
Chen Luo replied.
They were on the same way to begin with.
If he deliberately made up an excuse to split off, it would only make it seem like he couldn’t let go of the past.
Then.
Chen Luo, Meng Yue, and Duoduo walked back to Linjiang Courtyard together. On the way, Duoduo deliberately walked on the other side of Meng Yue, leaving no buffer between Chen Luo and Meng Yue.
“It’s been a few years… you still play basketball as well as you used to.”
Meng Yue spoke up.
“About the same. I didn’t completely slack off when I went to teach in a mountain village. I played basketball every day.” Chen Luo replied.
“Are you still working out?”
Meng Yue asked again.
“Yeah.”
Chen Luo nodded.
“Are your abs… still there?”
Meng Yue asked another question.
Chen Luo paused for a few seconds before replying awkwardly, “They’re still there.”
“Your abs are still there…”
Meng Yue’s tone carried a hint of mockery as she said, “You still want to use your abs to lure girls!”
“No way.”
Chen Luo smiled bitterly and said, “It’s just become a habit.”
“Like hell anyone believes you!”
Meng Yue replied softly.
But in her heart.
Meng Yue did somewhat believe Chen Luo, because when that girl asked for his contact info earlier, he had actually turned her down.
That surprised Meng Yue a little.
In the past!
Chen Luo never turned anyone away!
It seemed.
What happened three years ago really had changed Chen Luo.
Thinking of this.
Meng Yue felt even more secretly delighted.
“Whatever.”
Chen Luo replied in a slacker-like manner, and the two of them walked silently toward Linjiang Courtyard. More than ten minutes later, they arrived at the mall plaza.
At that point.
Meng Yue stopped and said, “Do you want to go to the supermarket and buy some groceries together?”
“I’m ordering takeout tonight.”
Chen Luo thought for a moment and replied.
“Takeout isn’t healthy.”
Meng Yue said, “You should come with me to buy groceries. It’s better to cook and eat at home.”
“Alright.”
Chen Luo nodded and replied.
Then he followed Meng Yue to the supermarket on the basement level of the mall to buy groceries.
It was no big deal.
Just buying groceries.
Chen Luo followed Meng Yue to the seafood section. Meng Yue bought over a pound of large shrimp, while Chen Luo bought two crucian carp. Then they went to the vegetable section together.
Chen Luo bought two stalks of celery and some enoki mushrooms, and that was it.
“You’re just having fish tonight?”
Meng Yue looked at Chen Luo’s groceries and asked.
“That’s enough for one person.”
Chen Luo nodded slightly and replied.
“I have some fried crispy pork at my place. Why don’t you buy another vegetable, and we can make a crispy pork soup when we get back?” Meng Yue suggested.
She remembered.
Chen Luo used to love the crispy pork she fried. Every time it was freshly made, Chen Luo would hover around the pot, eating the golden, freshly fried crispy pork straight out of the oil.
Sometimes he would also mess around behind her while she was frying the pork.
Back then, Meng Yue would put up a show of resistance on the surface.
But inside, she was actually very happy.
The truth was.
Meng Yue didn’t even like eating crispy pork. She fried it every time specially for Chen Luo. But ever since Chen Luo left three years ago, Meng Yue had gradually grown to like crispy pork.
“That works.”
Chen Luo nodded and replied, “Teacher Meng’s crispy pork is delicious.”
So.
Chen Luo bought a little tofu to take back, and Meng Yue bought three potatoes and some red chili peppers. Then they went to the checkout counter together.
It was dinnertime.
The line at the checkout counter was full of older men and women, while the self-checkout machines nearby had only a few people using them. Meng Yue took Duoduo to a self-checkout machine.
Then she skillfully scanned the items and paid.
After scanning her own groceries, she looked at Chen Luo and said, “I’ll pay for yours too. You can transfer me the money later.”
“Okay.”
Chen Luo replied.
He then handed his groceries to Meng Yue. For some reason, when she took them, her hand always managed to brush against his fingers.
After checking out.
Chen Luo carried his groceries and went home together with Meng Yue and Duoduo.
They crossed the street.
Walked into the small courtyard.
At that moment.
Gu Qing, who was practicing yoga on the second-floor balcony, heard the sound of the iron gate of the small courtyard being pushed open. She looked up and happened to see the three of them walking in.
Lined up in a row.
The sunset cast the silhouettes of the three of them, and they really looked like a family of three.
For a moment.
Gu Qing felt… like the sky had collapsed!
She had specifically come to the balcony to practice yoga so that when Chen Luo got off work, he would see her figure when he came back and realize she had grown even more.
But as it turned out…
Chen Luo came back and immediately dealt her a silent critical hit!
Counterattack!
I must counterattack!