Chapter 3

That night, Zhang Yu secretly watched her take a bath, and she actually noticed him at the time. She was older than Zhang Yu, and at 16, a girl is more mature both mentally and physically than a boy of the same age, and knows more. She was incredibly shy and nervous, and given their relationship, she didn't say anything, allowing Zhang Yu to stare. After taking a bath, she went to the spot where Zhang Yu had been watching and found the silver bell, but she didn't return it to him. Instead, she quietly kept it. The feeling of being watched was something she had never experienced before, and it troubled her for a long time.

As she grew older, her mind matured, and she felt she should forget this past and start a new life in the big city. That's why she returned the silver bell to Zhang Yu before leaving. In the years since in Zhenhai City, her personality had changed, and she had long forgotten that scene.

Now, seeing the silver bell again, the past came flooding back. Looking at Zhang Yu's serious face, the childishness still not completely gone, she could see the innocence of his younger self.

"Why am I thinking about the past again! Zhang Yu is just a kid! I need to look forward, I need to make something of myself, I can't let the people in town laugh at me!" Yang Ying clenched her teeth and stopped looking at Zhang Yu, lying down and closing her eyes.

Zhang Yu's hands alternated between light and firm pressure, just right, like an experienced old doctor who had been giving massages for years.

With her eyes closed, Yang Ying felt a tingling sensation in her feet, as if an electric current was running from her toes up to her calves, thighs, and throughout her body. She wanted to stop him, but Zhang Yu was doing it out of kindness, so she could only bite her lip and endure it. However, her legs trembled involuntarily, and her chest rose and fell.

Zhang Yu could clearly feel Yang Ying's legs trembling. Looking up, he saw her chest rising and falling, her thighs trembling, and especially her closed eyes, which made him imagine all sorts of things.

Yang Ying had always been beautiful, a budding beauty like a flower about to bloom. But now, she exuded maturity, charm, and allure, no longer the innocent girl she once was, but a blooming rose.

After a moment, Zhang Yu couldn't help but become entranced, muttering to himself, "Auntie is really beautiful..."

His lips grew increasingly dry, and he forgot his actions.

When Zhang Yu's hands stopped, Yang Ying gradually came to her senses from the tingling. She opened her eyes and looked at Zhang Yu. Seeing his entranced expression, her heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks turned bright red. She wanted to scold him but couldn't bring herself to speak, a feeling of shyness and tension overwhelming her. This feeling was exactly the same as when she was watched by Zhang Yu years ago.

Her cheeks were flushed, and a few beads of sweat trickled down, like the juice of a ripe peach.

Zhang Yu couldn't take his eyes off Yang Ying, and she looked back at him. Soon, their eyes met, and the moment their gazes connected, a strong sense of embarrassment hit Yang Ying, making her cry out, "What are you looking at?"

"I'm not looking at anything..."

When Zhang Yu's eyes met Yang Ying's, he also felt nervous. Hearing her angry voice, he was startled, like a child who had done something wrong. He quickly closed his eyes, turned his head away, and his face turned red.

Seeing Zhang Yu's reaction, Yang Ying realized she might have overreacted. After all, Zhang Yu was still just a big kid. She deliberately changed the subject and said gently, "My foot doesn't hurt anymore. Um... can you cook?"

"Yes..." Zhang Yu replied.

"There are vegetables in the fridge and rice in the kitchen. You can cook whatever you like. I can't cook for you right now." Yang Ying said.

"Okay, I'll go cook..." Zhang Yu felt awkward and quickly stood up, rushing out.

After Zhang Yu left, Yang Ying let out a long breath. Her heart was still pounding, and the feeling of tension and shyness still filled her heart.

After a while, she finally calmed down. In her heart, she kept shouting, "No! I can't let him live with me anymore!"

Zhang Yu was in his prime, the age when he was most curious about women. Living together as a man and a woman in a one-bedroom apartment was really inconvenient.

Directly asking Zhang Yu to leave was out of the question, so she would have to find him a place to live and have him move out.

Soon, the sound of a wok clanging came from outside. After a while, Yang Ying could smell the delicious aroma of the food.

"The food is ready." Zhang Yu entered the room and came to help her.

The living room and dining area were combined, and a folding table was set with four dishes and two bowls of rice: stir-fried mushrooms with green peppers, cucumber with sauce, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and stir-fried meat with black fungus.

Both of them were hungry, and they started eating as soon as they sat down.

Eating alone is boring, but eating with someone else is enjoyable. The food Zhang Yu cooked was really good, and Yang Ying ate a large bowl of rice. She hadn't eaten so much in one meal in a long time. Zhang Yu ate even more, finishing three large bowls of rice.

That night, Zhang Yu slept in the small living room. The sofa was a bit narrow and uncomfortable, but since it was summer, he just slept on the floor.

The next morning, Zhang Yu made breakfast, which was congee and sliced cucumber, a light and simple meal. While eating, the two sat opposite each other, and Zhang Yu could see Yang Ying's face. He was surprised to notice that her complexion wasn't good, with a slightly dark forehead, a sign of bad luck.

So, Zhang Yu warned her, "Auntie, your complexion looks bad today. You might have bad luck... Maybe you shouldn't go out today..."

Before he could finish, Yang Ying snapped, "What do you mean? Can't you say something nice! I've had bad luck for the past six months, and I even sprained my ankle yesterday. How can I not have bad luck? Shut your mouth!"

Seeing Yang Ying angry, Zhang Yu didn't dare to say anything more, stuck out his tongue, and hurriedly ate in silence.

After a quick breakfast, Zhang Yu escorted Yang Ying to the real estate agency. The agency wasn't too far from their place. He started by supporting her, but later, finding it too slow, he simply carried her on his back.

Yang Ying wrapped her arms around Zhang Yu's neck and rested her chin on his shoulder, feeling a mix of emotions. She was grateful for his timely appearance, but she knew things were different now.

At Jia Bao Real Estate, they opened the roller shutter door. It was a large, open space of about 60 square meters, with nine desks, filing cabinets, and a water dispenser. The place was spotless, and though the decoration was simple, it gave a clean and tidy impression.

Yang Ying's desk was in the middle. She assigned a spot to Zhang Yu and said, "Zhenhai City may be prosperous, and they say it's full of gold, but it's actually hard to find a job. You can stay and work with me for now. If you find a better job later, you can always switch."