Chapter 554: Jiang Yixia: Then Chase Me All Over Again!

Yangcheng. In a flower shop.

Jiang Yixia was wrapping flowers when the wind chime at the door rang. She looked up and saw Lu Fan walk in. He wasn’t carrying a cake or coffee; he came in empty-handed.

“How come you came empty-handed today?” Jiang Yixia asked.

“I missed you, so I came to see you.” Lu Fan sat down across the counter, beaming.

Jiang Yixia glanced at him, said nothing, and lowered her head to continue wrapping flowers.

Lu Fan sat there, watching her work. After a while, he spoke up, “Yixia, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?” Jiang Yixia didn’t even look up.

“Silu and Sifan came to see me yesterday,” Lu Fan said.

Jiang Yixia’s hands paused for a moment before she looked up at him.

“They gave me some advice. They told me to pursue you,” Lu Fan said with a smile.

Jiang Yixia’s face instantly flushed red. She looked back down at her flowers. “They’re worrying over nothing.”

“I think they’re right,” Lu Fan said seriously. “I can’t just keep dragging this out.”

Jiang Yixia remained silent.

“Yixia, I want to pursue you again.” Lu Fan looked at her, his tone earnest.

Jiang Yixia’s hands stopped briefly, then resumed wrapping the flowers.

“I don’t want your money, I don’t want your car, and I don’t want your house,” Jiang Yixia said softly, keeping her head down. “I don’t care about any of those things.”

Lu Fan said nothing, waiting for her to continue.

“If you really want to pursue me, then do it just like you did eighteen years ago.” Jiang Yixia looked up at him. Her face was red, but her eyes were deeply serious. “Pursue me all over again from the start.”

Lu Fan was stunned for a moment, and then he smiled—a genuinely happy smile. “Okay.”

“Starting tomorrow,” Jiang Yixia said, looking away.

“No need to wait for tomorrow.” Lu Fan stood up, delighted. “Starting right now—I, Lu Fan, starting right now, am pursuing you all over again.”

Jiang Yixia glanced at him, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips, though she quickly suppressed it.

“What time does your flower shop close?” Lu Fan asked.

“Six o’clock,” Jiang Yixia replied.

“Then I’ll come pick you up at six,” Lu Fan said with a smile. “I’ll walk you home.”

“There’s no need. I can walk myself.” Jiang Yixia frowned.

“Aren’t you being pursued by me right now? What kind of man pursues a girl without walking her home?” Lu Fan said righteously.

Jiang Yixia let out an exasperated laugh. She didn’t reply and simply lowered her head to continue working.

Lu Fan sat in the shop for a little while longer before standing up. Walking to the door, he turned back to look at her.

“Six o’clock. I’ll be here to pick you up,” Lu Fan said, then pushed the door open and left.

Listening to the wind chime ring, Jiang Yixia looked up and watched through the glass door as Lu Fan crossed the street. She lowered her head, a smile resting on her lips.

At 6:00 p.m., Lu Fan appeared at the entrance of the flower shop right on time. He had changed into a crisp, clean white shirt and combed his hair, looking much more vibrant and energetic. In his hand, he held a bouquet of flowers. They weren’t the kind sold in flower shops, but wildflowers picked from the side of the road—a mix of yellow, white, and purple, bundled together and tied with a blade of grass.

Jiang Yixia looked at the bouquet of wildflowers in his hand and couldn’t help but laugh. “You brought these for me?”

“Are they pretty?” Lu Fan handed the flowers to her. “Picked them from the roadside. They’re fresh.”

Jiang Yixia took the flowers and lowered her head to sniff them. They didn’t have much of a scent, but they were quite lovely to look at. She placed the bouquet into a vase on the counter, took off her apron, and grabbed her bag.

“Let’s go,” Jiang Yixia said.

The two of them left the flower shop and walked side by side toward her home.

“Why didn’t you drive today?” Jiang Yixia asked.

“Why would I drive when I’m pursuing a girl?” Lu Fan grinned. “Walking shows true sincerity.”

Jiang Yixia didn’t respond, but there was a smile on her lips.

They walked for a while and passed by a rice noodle roll shop. The shop wasn’t large, and the sign above the door had faded, but it was packed with people. Thick, white steam billowed out from the bamboo steamers.

“This rice noodle roll shop has been open for over twenty years,” Jiang Yixia suddenly said. “I brought Silu and Sifan here to eat before, and they both said it was delicious.”

“Then we’ll have to come eat here together next time,” Lu Fan said with a smile.

Jiang Yixia shot him a glance but said nothing, continuing on her way.

After another stretch, they passed a bookstore. It was a modest shop, its glass display window showcasing a few new books with colorful covers. Jiang Yixia’s steps slowed for a moment as she glanced at the window, but she quickly kept walking.

“Want to buy a book?” Lu Fan asked.

“No.” Jiang Yixia shook her head.

Lu Fan didn’t press further, and the two of them continued walking.

The streets were growing more crowded. It was the evening rush hour, and hurrying figures were everywhere. Jiang Yixia walked on his left, her pace steady. Lu Fan walked on her right, his hands hanging by his sides.

After walking a bit further, Lu Fan suddenly spoke. “Yixia, do you remember our first date? You wore a yellow dress.”

“I remember.” Jiang Yixia nodded. “I saved up for a long time to buy that dress.”

“You looked especially beautiful that day,” Lu Fan smiled. “I didn’t even dare to look at you.”

“You didn’t dare?” Jiang Yixia couldn’t help but laugh. “Your eyes were practically glued to me that day.”

“Were they?” Lu Fan beamed. “How come I don’t remember?”

“Of course you don’t remember. You were so busy staring at me that you didn’t even watch where you were going and almost walked straight into a telephone pole.”

Lu Fan burst out laughing, looking incredibly happy. Watching him laugh, Jiang Yixia found herself smiling as well.

The two of them arrived at the bottom of Jiang Yixia’s apartment building and came to a stop.

“We’re here,” Jiang Yixia said.

“Yeah,” Lu Fan nodded. “I’ll come pick you up again tomorrow.”

“There’s no need. Just focus on your own work.” Jiang Yixia shook her head.

“My main task right now is pursuing you. Nothing else is important,” Lu Fan said with complete seriousness.

Jiang Yixia glared at him playfully, then turned and entered the building. After walking a few steps, she stopped and looked back at him.

“Take care on your way back,” Jiang Yixia said.