039 As long as you treat me well—just calmly go through the remaining two classes in the morning and then head off to school afterward. After class, Lu Yun always grabs his shared meal pot and heads for the canteen, ordering two buns and a bowl of steamed broccoli with tofu. He pushes through the crowd, standing by the canteen entrance, scanning around, looking for someone he knows in the flow of students both inside and outside the building. Soon, a familiar figure appears in his line of sight—Lu Xiaoying. Lu Yun bites into one of his buns and quickly strides toward her. "Xiaoying, you're just now arriving! If you wait any longer, we'll be out of food." He reaches over and places the full pot of vegetables before her, saying, "Hold on to this—let me go get your meal for you." Xiaoying was deep in thought when she’s suddenly startled by Lu Yun's words. She lifts her head and replies, “I’m not hungry yet—I’ll have dinner later.” "But you didn’t even eat breakfast," Lu Yun says, looking concerned. "It’s already noon now—it can't be that you're not hungry." "Xiaoying, is something wrong?" Xiaoying combs a few strands of hair from her forehead and smiles gently. “No, nothing at all—I'm just trying to make sense of some things.” “That’s good,” she says. She glances at the full meal pot in Lu Yun's hands and teases, “Do you think one person can eat all this?” "Used to be," Lu Yun replies, scratching his head. "I forgot to plan ahead when I ordered my food—why don’t we buy a couple more buns and share?" “Sounds great,” Xiaoying agrees, and heads off toward the canteen. Lu Yun quickly stops her, stammering, “Xiaoying, let me go instead—I’m afraid you’ll get overlooked or pushed around with so many people.” Xiaoying looks at him, laughing, "Is that why you're waiting for me?" "Not completely," Lu Yun nods and then shakes his head. “Actually… I just wanted to see you.” Xiaoying’s cheeks glow with happiness as she takes the meal pot from his hands. “Then hurry up—I feel hungry now!” Lu Yun agrees and sprints into the canteen, returning shortly with two egg buns steaming in his arms. He wipes a bead of sweat from his forehead and says, “Are these two egg buns enough?” Xiaoying looks at him, puzzled. "Lu Yun, you’ve been spending more than I thought—your uncle has worked hard to support your education. You should save money more often." Facing Xiaoying’s concern, Lu Yun smiles shyly. “These are for you—I’ll just eat buns.” “I’ll pay you back later,” she says. “But…” Lu Yun quickly interrupts, glancing around nervously and then leaning close to whisper into her ear, "Why would I need money from you? What's the point of buying two egg buns for your wife?" “Go on! You’re being ridiculous!” Xiaoying blushes deeply, giving him a gentle punch. Her words, though, carry a deep warmth—clearly she feels truly fond of Lu Yun. "Didn’t you tell me last night exactly that? Now you're trying to back out again?" Lu Yun says as he takes the meal pot from her hands. Xiaoying grins playfully. "We’ll see what happens—you just watch!" The two talk and walk together, effortlessly in sync, toward the school’s outer area. "Let's go to the forest," Lu Yun suggests. Xiaoying looks around—the only students outside are a few others carrying their meal pots, eating steadily. She nods in agreement. They find a clean spot and sit down side by side. Lu Yun places his meal pot on the ground. "The egg buns are still warm—quick, eat!" He takes Xiaoying’s bun from her hands and hands over the two steaming egg buns. "One each—I’m not that hungry." "Thanks," he says, holding up his own bun. "I’ll just have this one." Xiaoying turns away stubbornly and refuses to take a bite—she won’t eat at all. Lu Yun smiles sadly—ever since Xiaoying told him last night, Lu Yun’s usually sharp mind seems suddenly slow in her presence. He lifts her chin gently and looks into her eyes seriously. “Kiss me on the cheek—I’ll eat.” Xiaoying hesitates, then a deep blush spreads across her cheeks—thinking back to all the things Lu Yun has done for her lately. “I’m not sure you’re serious. You’ve never been very good at academics, and yet you're always so good at being bossy. I’d rather not kiss you.” “Really?” “Nope.” “Well then,” Lu Yun leans in, presses his lips gently to hers—*pff!*—and gives her a firm kiss on the cheek. Xiaoying is startled and pushes him away with both hands. “Ugh! Always trying to get me into trouble! Here—eat quickly before it gets cold!” Lu Yun takes one of the egg buns, still munching on his plain bun. He divides half of the steamed broccoli and tofu into Xiaoying’s bowl. As he eats, he watches her closely. Xiaoying feels a little self-conscious and asks, “Why aren’t you eating? What are you looking at me for?” “Xiaoying,” Lu Yun says softly, "I’d like to ask you—when did you first start liking me?" "Tell me not," Xiaoying replies with a blush. Lu Yun chuckles and says, “Even if you don’t say it—I know. It must have been when we were little kids, playing together from daybreak until bedtime—remember how every time I played with you, the village boys would beat me up?” Xiaoying glances at him with a look of disbelief. "It was just that—everytime we pretended to be a couple in our backyard games, you always insisted on being the bridegroom!" Her face turns crimson as she remembers those awkward moments. "Those village boys—real bear-like—they’re not even capable of holding a conversation! I wouldn’t have anything to do with them." "But they weren’t serious," Xiaoying adds gently, as if she’s been complaining about Lu Yun all along for being too demanding. "I thought you just enjoyed being beaten up." Lu Yun finishes off his buns in two or three bites and then moves close to her side, picks a wild flower from the ground, and clips it into her hair. He looks at her with quiet admiration. “Xiaoying,” he says, “you're far more beautiful than any of those TV stars.” “You’re full of nonsense!” Xiaoying smiles inside—her heart feels sweet as honey. "You don’t even know how to charm people—you just keep saying things that don't make sense." Lu Yun speaks with sincerity. "Xiaoying, I mean it. When we grow up—I’ll take you away from here and move to the big city. I’ll earn a lot of money—more than any TV stars have today—and by then, you’ll have everything you’ve ever dreamed of. I swear!" Xiaoying smiles softly. "All I ask is that you treat me well—as simple as this dish—steamed broccoli with tofu—with no pretense." “Xiaoying,” Lu Yun says, pulling her gently into his arms and pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. Sweetness and warmth spread throughout the forest—the wind stirs through the trees, rustling softly, like a gentle song playing in praise of their love. …… Rural Woman’s Love — 039 “Just treat me well” — Updated!