Chapter 581: 397. Heartbeat
Lu Jincheng and Guan Yongyi spent a short while at Baoli Twelve Oaks Manor.
In the evening, they returned to Jiangnan Garden.
The new home was great in every way, but before moving, they still had a little cat alone at home, waiting to be fed.
Neither the dad nor the mom could feel at ease.
...
"You’ve gained some weight, big baby~"
Pushing open the long-missed door, Lu Jincheng expertly changed into slippers and squatted down, catching Guan Mianmian, who jumped into his arms with all her limbs.
"Did you miss daddy?"
"Meow~~"
The little kitty tilted her head, contentedly rubbing against his chest.
The man held the ragdoll cat, resembling a lion surveying his territory, leisurely strolling around the house.
Master bedroom, guest bedroom, study, living room.
"Some people don’t even make their beds..."
"Mind your own business!"
Guan Guan’s bedroom curtains were still drawn, the bed was messy, and there was underwear piled at the end of the bed, not yet thrown into the washing machine.
Lu Jincheng walked to the door, took just a glance, and was dragged out by the short-haired girl in slippers.
Being scrutinized so freely in her boudoir, her cheeks inevitably turned red.
"Alright then, let’s stay away from the bed."
"What for?!"
"Lest we’re too excited after being apart, and someone can’t control themselves..."
She pouted, almost wanting to kick him.
"Stop being so narcissistic, okay."
"Hahaha..."
The man dodged nimbly.
"I didn’t say who couldn’t control themselves, why are you in such a hurry?"
Lu Jincheng laughed and ran to the living room sofa, patting the seat beside him, inviting her over.
"Come and sit for a bit."
"Oh."
Guan Yongyi intended to tidy up the room, reluctantly moving towards the living room. The man stood up again, walked to the window edge, and moved his right arm.
The surrounding lake-blue blackout curtains, like eunuchs in a palace drama, obediently extended with a "swish," firmly keeping the light outside.
The huge living room suddenly darkened.
"?"
Guan Yongyi was startled, blinking her eyes.
In the next second, Lu Jincheng approached, wrapping her entirely in his arms, nose to nose, the intense emotion in their gazes slowly emerging.
"Did you miss me?"
"Of course I did."
The short-haired girl nodded.
"You say you missed me, why did you spend the night at someone else’s place?"
"Ugh, you stubborn guy."
Guan Guan pouted, rolling her eyes dramatically at him.
"She invited me over herself, it’s one thing to flaunt her love with a grid of nine pictures on social media, but she insisted on me experiencing it in person."
"And the reason was completely reasonable, saying she was scared living alone, after accompanying me so many times last semester, don’t you think I should go?"
"Besides, who said spending the night at someone else’s place means I didn’t miss you? In fact, I wanted you to come, but did you dare?"
The girl’s righteous speech left Mr. Lu momentarily speechless.
If it weren’t for Mou Keyan’s nationwide declaration of love that night, he might have dared to go.
"Huh?"
"She posted on social media... what did she post?"
Thinking for a bit, he could only change the topic.
"Are you pretending, didn’t you see it?"
"Didn’t see it."
As he said this, Lu Jincheng picked up his phone from the coffee table and scrolled through Zhou Sinin’s social media again.
The same series of previous photos.
It wasn’t that he missed anything; there was indeed no new update.
"..."
Guan Yongyi leaned over, seeing the content on the man’s screen, and figured everything out within seconds.
"Heh heh!"
"Only I can see it... she’s really crafty!"
"Damn green tea."
The short-haired girl also lifted her phone, showing Zhou Sinin’s posts in her feed to the man.
"Tsk tsk tsk."
Lu Jincheng held back his laughter.
This kind of subtle competitive technique between female friends, when exposed, undoubtedly makes a man feel delighted for a good while.
"I have to say, she takes really beautiful photos, the whole vibe is instantly elevated."
"Once I move, you can take a set of nine-grid photos for me too."
Guan Yongyi pinched him.
"Alright, alright."
At this moment, Mian Mian, who had been quietly lying on the sofa, stretched lazily.
Her cute little paw accidentally pressed a button on the remote control.
The dim living room was suddenly filled with a burst of multicolored light.
"Wow."
"Hmm?"
"Do you remember the first time I came to your place, and we watched a movie together?"
Cuddling together, the man simply reached over and grabbed the remote, randomly selecting something on the screen.
"I do."
"I always thought that day was particularly romantic."
"When it comes to watching movies... didn’t you always say that most couples don’t go to the cinema just to watch a movie, but for the cinema’s romantic atmosphere."
Guan Guan’s long eyelashes fluttered as she recalled the man’s promise to "help you find yourself," her eyes shining brightly.
From the side, they sparkled.
"Why don’t we skip going out for dinner?"
"Cook ourselves?"
The girl straightened her posture, unconsciously tugging her sleeve up, seriously asking.
"But we haven’t bought groceries."
"No, let’s order takeout and watch a movie at home, how about that?"
"Like that...?"
Guan Yongyi nodded lightly, pursing her lips, grabbing a pillow, and adjusting into a comfortable position, focusing intently on the screen.
"Fine, you pick, it’s okay."
The other party quickly sorted everything.
Order food, select a movie.
The movie would start soon, the screen was dark.
A few seconds later, hearing movements, the man leaned over, asking in a whisper.
"Hey, why are you secretly smiling?"
...
They were watching "Flipped."
——Heartstrings.
The movie released in September 2010, so romantic that you’d want to pair it with a drink.