Chapter 39 Chapter 39 The Pervasive Mustard

Whenever Meng Xingyu came, Song Zhihan would always entertain her. It was Meng Xingyu who gave her all the company during her lonely time abroad.

This time he took the initiative to ask Song Zhihan to try the taste of his childhood, so Song Zhihan called the restaurant he ate at most often and placed an order in advance.

It's not really authentic Hangzhou cuisine, but rather a private restaurant on Fengxi Road that specializes in shredded eel and Dongpo pork. Perhaps it's the gilded memory of the past that makes it so special.

The driver was driving in the front, and she and Meng Xingyu were sitting in the back of the business car chatting.

"How's your work progress? Have you finalized the contract?" Song Zhihan asked, as usual. Meng Xingyu's family owned a publishing house, and this time he was here to discuss cooperation with an e-commerce company. As the times progressed, print media must also evolve.

Meng Xingyu rarely showed a trace of distress: "To be honest, it hasn't been very smooth. We're new here, and there are a lot of rules that we don't understand."

It was very rare for him to show this expression in front of Song Zhihan. Although they were the same age, he was always the one who was at ease.

The differences between the south and the north are not only reflected in eating habits, but can also be seen in every aspect of life.

"Which company are you in contact with now?"

"Bincheng Media."

Song Zhihan nodded. She had some impression of this name. It was quite famous in the media industry and had incubated many Internet celebrities. Their company's new summer products were connected with this company. She thought she could use some help.

After telling Mia this, the car slowly stopped and arrived at the destination.

Meng Xingyu helped her up like a gentleman and picked up the bag that Song Zhihan had dropped on the seat. He was not shy and just slung it over his arm.

Song Zhihan hesitated to speak and finally said nothing.

There aren't many waiters in this restaurant. It's almost always the boss himself who serves the guests. He is very warm to his regular customers.

"Zhihan is here. I thought you haven't been here for a while, right? Did you go out to play?"

Song Zhihan spoke to him with a familiar tone: "No, I've been busy with work recently. I came here as soon as I had some free time. I missed your craftsmanship."

She is always like this, never shy when talking to people, and naturally lively. Even strangers will develop a good impression of her after just a few words.

Meng Xingyu smiled at her, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. He remembered it was a perfectly ordinary weekend, they were touring the countryside of England, staying at a local hotel that night. The owner was initially reluctant to entertain them, but Song Zhihan changed her mind with just a little joke, and when she left the next day, he even gave her homemade maple syrup and chocolate.

The two of them sat down and the dishes were served one after another. The first one was the signature shredded eel. After being cooked in a thick sauce, a circle of brown oil oozed out from the edge. It was not greasy at all and had a unique flavor when eaten. The skin of the shredded eel was crispy after being fried and there was no peculiar smell.

Song Zhihan used the serving chopsticks to pick up some food for him: "Try this flavored shredded eel, it's my favorite dish."

Meng Xingyu gave it a high evaluation and asked with a smile: "The taste you always miss before is from here, right?"

At many moments, on many weekends without classes, Song Zhihan would say that he missed home in a tone of deep nostalgia, and would even cry secretly by himself occasionally.

Song Zhihan nodded: "Yes, I have been eating here since I was a child. The food here is more like a memory to me, a memory of my childhood and home."

This place witnessed too many happy moments belonging to their family of three, which Song Zhihan missed very much.

Meng Xingyu put away his chopsticks, his voice low and his eyes looking straight at her: "Remember, Zhihan, you said before that when you were with me, you felt like home."

"I did say that." Song Zhihan confessed. Meng Xingyu was a very good man who met all her imaginations of a perfect partner. There was indeed a moment when she thought that they would have a distant future together.

A gentle smile appeared on Meng Xingyu's face. He also used the serving chopsticks to pick up some food for Song Zhihan: "Your favorite is bamboo shoots."

The two of them interacted with each other in a harmonious atmosphere. In the eyes of others, they were a well-matched pair.

The boss and his wife sighed, "Time flies! The girl is getting married now."

The proprietress told him to stop talking nonsense and sent everyone to the kitchen while she herself was busy serving the customers in the store.

"What would you like to eat? Our signature dishes include shredded eel, shrimp, and stir-fried bamboo shoots."

Lin Jie's face looked grim, and every word the boss said entered his ears.

The fire of jealousy held him hostage as he watched Song Zhihan and Meng Xingyu go out together, and watched her accept the flowers bought by Meng Xingyu.

He no longer remembered how he got here step by step.

Then he heard those words, that feeling of home.

Song Zhihan felt at home with Meng Xingyu? That was ridiculous. Which home? The original home where he would play the role of older brother from now on.

If it's the latter, then Meng Xingyu will never be able to step into the house.

All this was too absurd. Reason told Lin Jie that he should leave here immediately and stop thinking about it, but the reality was that he just sat there and didn't want to move an inch.

He even found himself craning his ears to try to hear their conversation, but he could hear nothing. He could only infer from their constant smiles that they were having a great time chatting.

Didn’t Song Zhihan say that you can’t go back to your ex? Why is he acting like this now?

"Hello? Are you...waiting for someone?" The proprietress asked this question when she saw that he was taking a long time to flip through the menu.

Lin Jie regained his composure briefly and casually flipped through the menu. "Let's have a few signature dishes. There's nothing to be restricted about."

"Okay, then I'll serve you four dishes, each in half portions."

Lin Jie smiled politely: "No need, just give me the normal portion. I can pack up the leftovers."

"Hey, wait a moment."

After watching the proprietress leave, Lin Jie turned his gaze back to the steaming tea. He took a sip and swallowed slowly to calm the turmoil in his heart.

Since you are here, you might as well try the cooking of this shop. Since Song Zhihan recommended it to friends who came from afar, there must be something special about it.

While waiting for the food, he kept a close eye on the movements not far away.

Compared to his vigilance over every little movement, the person being 'monitored' is much more at ease.

Especially Meng Xingyu, he almost wanted to talk about every scenic spot they traveled together, but Song Zhihan had a headache about how to remind him tactfully. In fact, she didn't really want to recall these things.

"By the way, Zhihan, the company's work focus next year will be here, and my dad and others also intend to let me take full responsibility, so... I may stay here all the time next year. Let's go out and play together, just like we used to." He looked at Song Zhihan with hope in his eyes. Being looked at by him with such a gentle gaze, rejection would become cruel.

But Song Zhihan understood his implication and didn't want to accept it.

"If we're friends, of course."

The light in Meng Xingyu's eyes had mostly faded, and he spoke in a difficult tone, "Zhihan...you know, I don't just want to be your friend."

The past he referred to not only included traveling together, but also the close relationship between boyfriend and girlfriend, meaning that everything had returned to its most beautiful point.

Song Zhihan was a little annoyed by his sudden appearance.

"Xingyu, have you forgotten why we broke up in the first place?"

The cold questioning froze Meng Xingyu's smile on his face, followed by regret.

He knew very well the reason why they broke up; it was all because of him.

"I haven't forgotten, not even for a moment. It was my fault, Zhihan. I was too selfish and didn't fully consider your feelings. I regret every day we're apart, so I want to beg you for another chance, a chance for us to start over."

Song Zhihan shook his head firmly, "Impossible. You and I will only be friends for the rest of our lives. You're not wrong, I'm the one who's too worried about gains and losses. That's why, even after we broke up, I still consider you a friend. So let's stop talking about that. Let's go back to our original relationship and be good friends."

After graduating from college, the two went to different cities to study for their master's degrees. The distance between them was not far, but the workload was heavy and they had few opportunities to meet. Song Zhihan suffered from the neglect of her family on the one hand, and fell into the loneliness of being ignored by her boyfriend on the other. She broke out with unprecedented separation anxiety, and all the problems in her personality were infinitely magnified. She needed someone to be with her all the time, and the person she demanded endlessly was Meng Xingyu.

But he did not give Song Zhihan enough sense of security. Perhaps he was too busy at the time. He had to balance his studies, travel back and forth between the two places, and take into account Song Zhihan's sensitive emotions. One day, he exploded and broke up with her.

After that, there was no contact for half a year until they returned to their undergraduate school together to participate in the same event. Only then did their relationship ease and they gradually resumed contact.

Song Zhihan did not deny the good times she had with Meng Xingyu, but she would never forget his indifference towards her at that critical moment.

So Meng Xingyu will only be a friend to her, and she will no longer place any expectations on him.

Meng Xingyu still didn't give up: "Is it really impossible, Zhihan?"

Song Zhihan sighed and said gently, "Yuhang is a very good city. I welcome you and will always be willing to treat you as a friend."

"Okay, I understand." Meng Xingyu didn't say anything else, and there was bitterness in his smile.

He shouldn't blame anyone, it was all his own fault.

"Dongpo pork won't be soft and tender if it gets cold, so eat it quickly." While picking up the dishes, Song Zhihan did not forget to introduce to him the differences between this restaurant and other restaurants.

Meng Xingyu adjusted his mood and smiled at Song Zhihan. He was an adult with full thinking ability and knew that some things should not be forced. As Song Zhihan said, it would be good for them to be friends.

The phone rang. Song Zhihan saw that it was Mia calling. He told Meng Xingyu and went out to answer the phone alone.

Meng Xingyu continued to taste the food. During this time, the boss came to ask about the taste. He gave high praise with all kinds of words.

The praise was so good that it attracted the attention of others. The guests at the next table said, "This shredded eel dish is good. Please give me one portion too."

The voice sounded familiar. Meng Xingyu turned around and saw that the person was even more familiar.

It turned out to be Lin Jie.

His smile froze for a moment, but then returned to normal and he greeted him, "Mr. Lin, long time no see."

Lin Jie responded with the same surprise: "It's been a long time since we last met. Are you in Yuhang on business? Or for pleasure?"

Meng Xingyu didn't answer directly, but dragged the person who had left into the battle: "Zhihan and I came here to eat together. She said she must try this restaurant."

This meeting without any reason could be considered a gathering between friends or a date between lovers. He originally wanted to use this to provoke Lin Jie and dispel his arrogance.

Unexpectedly, Lin Jie smiled knowingly and pulled out a chair next to him as if uninvited: "Really? That's perfect, let's eat together. This gives us a chance to show our hospitality."

In just a few words, he and Song Zhihan were put into the same camp, and Meng Xingyu became a guest.

Meng Xingyu looked at him and his smile became playful.

This Lin Jie is always around Song Zhihan.

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The author has something to say: Lin Jie: Yes, I am so thick-skinned [glasses]

Some friends asked about the progress of the truth coming out. Let me briefly explain to everyone that Meng’s scenes will be finished soon, and then he will torture Lin Jie for a while, and then the truth will be revealed and they will have a good relationship [panda head]

ps: Dear soft-hearted gods, please click on my pre-collected "Don't Pull My Swimming Trunks" [cat head]