56: Chapter 56 I did it on purpose just now

Lu Chengyue lowered his head and took a sip of water, not daring to look at her.

Xu Wanning had no intention of letting him off the hook. "When did you look at them?"

Lu Chengyue fidgeted, and finally, looking deflated, he spoke up, "The day I added your wechat."

Xu Wanning's eyes widened. "You went through my Moments from the very first day to the last?"

Lu Chengyue nodded. "Mm."

"How many posts?"

"Four hundred and thirty-six."

"You even counted?!"

"I didn't count on purpose."

As they went back and forth with questions and answers, Lu Chengyue's face had turned completely red.

Xu Wanning's heart pounded. "Why did you look at them?"

Lu Chengyue looked up at her, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "Is... is it not allowed?"

"It's not that you can't, it's just that most people wouldn't do that." Xu Wanning couldn't quite put a name to the feeling, but she was happy knowing that while she hadn't been aware of it, he had been thinking about her too.

Lu Chengyue drank another sip of water. "I just wanted to understand you."

Xu Wanning leaned in closer, her eyes alluring. "And what did you learn about me?"

Lu Chengyue set down his water glass and looked at her. "In the second semester of your freshman year, you adopted a stray dog and named it Tuan Tuan. Later, it got sick and died, and you cried for three days."

"In the first semester of your sophomore year, you took an elective photography course. Later, the teacher said your composition had issues, so you gave it up."

"In the second semester of your sophomore year, you started suffering from insomnia, often posting on Moments at two or three in the morning, feeling inexplicably anxious."

"In your junior year..."

Xu Wanning took Lu Chengyue's hand. "A-Yue." Her eyes welled up; this was the first time someone had ever tried to understand her in such a way.

Not by asking, not by guessing, but by quietly flipping through three years of her Moments, and then piecing together a complete picture of her from those fragments.

"Are you crying?" Lu Chengyue's tone grew panicked.

"No." Xu Wanning shook her head.

"Your eyes are red." Lu Chengyue reached out and wiped the corner of her eye.

"Allergic." Xu Wanning joked.

"Allergic to what?" Lu Chengyue actually believed her. He had specifically ordered things that Ningning usually liked to eat, so how could she have an allergic reaction?

"To you." Xu Wanning beamed.

Lu Chengyue froze for a moment, then smiled. The corners of his eyes crinkled, revealing the canine tooth on his right side. His smile was filled with a clumsy, bewildered joy.

Such a heartfelt smile was incredibly attractive.

It was so attractive that Xu Wanning wanted to kiss him, but she held back. It was too soon; it would scare him.

They had ordered four dishes and finished every last bit; there was absolutely no need to take anything home. It was great having a boyfriend who could eat, and the best part was that he didn't gain weight—perfect.

After the meal, the two wandered around the streets. They didn't go shopping for clothes or anything like that, as they already had plenty in their stockpiles.

They did, however, eat plenty of snacks. Despite having just eaten a full meal, it was as if Xu Wanning had an extra stomach, and she kept stuffing herself.

This time, Lu Chengyue didn't eat anything. He couldn't have these kinds of snacks; eating barbecue last time had already been an exception. It wasn't that the shops were unclean, but rather a precaution. As a Firefighter, he had to ensure his body was always ready to respond to a call.

Once she had her fill, she took him for a walk in the park. Watching couples and married pairs walk by, she felt the most ordinary and peaceful life.

It wasn't until 4:30 that they decided to head back; they were tired.

Lu Chengyue drove on the way back. This time, Xu Wanning obediently waited for Lu Chengyue to fasten his seatbelt. As soon as Lu Chengyue leaned over, Xu Wanning, emboldened more than before, didn't blow on him but instead kissed his ear.

Lu Chengyue recoiled abruptly, his ears and cheeks turning red. He covered his ear in disbelief. "You, you..."

Xu Wanning blinked innocently. "What, what did I do?" It was as if the person who had just stolen a kiss wasn't her.

Lu Chengyue was taken in by her acting and genuinely believed she hadn't done it on purpose. "It's nothing, it's nothing."

The car drove all the way to the Fire Station. Lu Chengyue got out, and Xu Wanning got out to switch seats. Before leaving, she rolled down the window and looked at Lu Chengyue, who was standing at the entrance. "A-Yue, I did that on purpose just now."

Before he could react, she drove off.

Behind her, Lu Chengyue's eyes widened suddenly. He stood at the entrance, frozen for a long time, before walking back with his arms and legs moving in sync.

As soon as Xu Wanning arrived home, she was surrounded by her sisters and parents.

"How was it? How was it?"

"How did it feel on your first date?"

"Did it go well?"

Xu Wanning nodded. "It was great. Everything went very smoothly."

Everyone couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Heaven knows how worried they had been at home, especially Lu Zhiyu, who had been terrified that her brother would ruin the date again.

"That's good, that's good." Everyone patted their chests in relief and went to have dinner.

Xu Wanning was too full, so she went back to her room and sat on a recliner, rocking back and forth.

Ding dong.

Her phone suddenly chimed with a wechat message. She opened it to take a look; it was from The Great Leader.

[Nickname, all the plans have been finalized, and we will issue the notifications tomorrow. We may need your help later on, and I will have someone contact you. Thank you for everything you have told us. Even if The Apocalypse doesn't come in this lifetime, we are still grateful to you.]

[You are welcome, Leader. This is what every Huaxia citizen should do.] Only when there is a country is there a home; only by working together can everyone overcome the difficulties.

[Nickname, is there anything else we might have overlooked?] The Great Leader sent another message. Xu Wanning guessed that the leader must not have been sleeping well during this time.

[I don't know if there is anything I haven't mentioned before, but I will write it down again. When that day arrives, satellites will fail, the internet will be disconnected, walkie-talkies will be crucial, water resources will be polluted, trees will be corroded, and the land will be unable to grow crops.]

[When the high temperatures hit, it is best to live underground. When the second Acid Rain comes, if buildings cannot withstand it, they will be corroded quickly, and hiding inside will also be dangerous. I suspect that underground is the safest place...]

How time flies. It had been nearly a month since she returned, and she had told them everything she could remember. During The Apocalypse, the loss of communication was the most frustrating thing—being unable to contact anyone.

In times like these, walkie-talkies were valuable items. Civilian walkie-talkies might have a limited range, but military ones should have a much longer reach.

[Understood.] After replying, the leader didn't send any more messages; they probably went to a meeting.

Just as she was about to fall asleep on the recliner, her phone rang again. Thinking it was The Great Leader with something else, she opened it to find a message from Lu Chengyue: [Ningning, when is our next date?]

Xu Wanning's cheeks lifted into a smile. She held her phone with both hands and typed: [Whenever you have time, I'm free.]

She didn't have much to do now, but starting tomorrow, A-Yue would definitely be busy. She might not be able to see him for a long time.

[Ningning, if the notification really comes down tomorrow, we might be transferred away from the Fire Station, and we won't be able to use our phones for a long time. You must wait for me to come back.]

Having just confirmed their relationship, Lu Chengyue still felt a bit insecure and was afraid that someone else might take advantage of the situation during this time.

[Don't worry, I love you the most.] Xu Wanning smiled and sent the message.

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Lu Chengyue stared at his phone and grinned foolishly.

"I love you the most~~~" Jiang Yishen's 'sarcastic' voice rang out.

Lu Chengyue hurriedly pressed his phone against the bed. "What are you looking at?!"