Chapter 18: Entering the "worldly world" for her

The dance at the yacht club and the words "Teach me how to love someone" were like a key that opened a new door in Huo Linshen's emotional world that he had never explored before. He began to consciously and clumsily try to fulfill his promise in a way that Su Lingwan could feel.

His change was still silent and practical, but with a kind of heart-breaking seriousness.

A few days later, one evening, Huo Linshen ended his meeting early and personally drove to the studio to pick up Su Lingwan. Instead of taking her to a fancy restaurant or private club that required formal attire, as usual, he parked the car at the entrance of a bustling alley.

Su Lingwan looked at the noisy yet lively street scene outside the window with some surprise. In her ears were the shouts of various vendors, the sizzling sounds of cooking, and the laughter of the people in the market.

"here it is……?"

"I heard the clay pot rice and typhoon shelter fried crab here are good." Huo Linshen unbuckled his seat belt and looked at her sideways. His tone was still calm, but there was a subtle hint of anticipation in his eyes. "Want to try it?"

Su Lingwan was stunned. Huo Linshen had brought her to a food stall? This was even more surprising than seeing him dance. His high-end suit and inherently elegant demeanor were completely out of place with the surroundings.

But she quickly came to her senses, a warm feeling welling up in her heart. He remembered her once casually mentioning that she missed the lively and casual street food of Nanyang, and complained that Hong Kong's high-end restaurants, while exquisite, lacked a touch of human touch.

He was trying to enter her world and understand her preferences in his own way.

"Okay!" Su Lingwan immediately smiled, her eyes curved into crescents, "I haven't eaten this kind of authentic clay pot rice in a long time!"

She got out of the car excitedly and naturally reached out to hold his arm, but he gently avoided her.

Su Lingwan paused, a slight sense of loss passing through her heart.

Huo Linshen walked around to her side and naturally held her hand. His palm was warm and dry, completely enveloping her hand with a firm grip.

"There are a lot of people here, follow me closely." He looked straight ahead and spoke in a normal tone, as if the action of holding hands was the most natural thing.

Su Lingwan looked down at their clasped hands, the slight sense of loss in her heart instantly replaced by a surge of sweetness. She squeezed him back firmly, her fingertips gently scratching his palm.

Huo Linshen's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, his ears turned slightly red, but he did not loosen his hand, instead he held it tighter.

He held her hand, walking through the noisy crowd toward the supposedly famous food stall. His tall figure and outstanding appearance attracted many glances, but he paid no attention. All his attention seemed to be focused on navigating the crowded crowd and... the soft hand he was holding.

They found a place to sit down—a small, slightly greasy square table with plastic stools. Huo Linshen looked at the stools, his brows furrowed slightly, but he sat down without changing his expression. He even took out a tissue and wiped the table in front of Su Lingwan.

When ordering, he looked at the plastic-wrapped, greasy menu, clearly at a loss as to where to start. Su Lingwan suppressed a smile, leaned over, pointed at the pictures on the menu, and expertly ordered the signature clay pot rice with preserved meat and fried crab in a typhoon shelter, along with an order of salt and pepper mantis shrimp and two cups of iced lemon tea.

While waiting for the food to be served, the surroundings were bustling with noise, and the sounds of finger-guessing games from the next table were deafening. Huo Linshen was clearly not used to this environment. His back was straight and his expression was a little tense, forming a sharp contrast with the relaxed and noisy atmosphere around him.

Su Lingwan looked at him, his expression as if facing a formidable enemy yet forcing himself to remain calm, and found it both amusing and distressing. She reached out her hand under the table and gently placed it on the back of his hand, which was resting on his knee.

Huo Linshen was slightly startled and looked at her.

Su Lingwan gave him a soothing, slightly sly smile and whispered, "Teacher Huo, first lesson: integrate into the environment and relax."

Huo Linshen looked at her bright eyes and sly smile, and his tense nerves strangely relaxed a little. He held her hand with his backhand and said "hmm" softly.

The dishes arrived quickly. The steaming clay pot rice had a scorched aroma; the perfectly cooked Typhoon Shelter crab had a rich garlic aroma; and the crispy fried mantis shrimp were mouthwatering.

Su Lingwan ate with gusto, even peeling the shrimp with her hands, not even noticing that a little garlic paste stained the corners of her mouth. She looked up and saw Huo Linshen looking at the plate of fried crab, his hand holding the chopsticks hesitant, as if he didn't know how to start.

She couldn't help but chuckle, picked up a crab claw, opened it skillfully, dipped the plump crab meat inside in some soup, and then, very naturally, handed it to his mouth.

"Try it, it's delicious."

Huo Linshen looked at the crab meat that was passed to his mouth, then looked at her face, which was covered in oil but had an unusually bright smile, and his eyes flickered with complexity. He hesitated for a moment, but finally leaned forward slightly, opened his mouth, and ate the crab meat she handed him.

The spicy, fresh flavor exploded in his mouth, completely different from the light and delicate food he usually ate. He chewed slowly, but his eyes never left Su Lingwan's face, which was filled with an expectant smile.

"How is it?" she asked, blinking.

"...Not bad." He swallowed the food and gave a fair evaluation. Although his expression remained unchanged, Su Lingwan keenly caught the flash of recognition of the novel taste in his eyes.

She smiled even more happily and peeled another shrimp for him.

After the meal, although Huo Linshen remained quiet and ate slowly, the tension between his brows, which had been caused by the environment, had mostly dissipated. He even imitated Su Lingwan and tried to peel the shrimp with his hands. Although his movements were clumsy, they were filled with a kind of heartwarming seriousness.

After dinner, Su Lingwan was still not satisfied, so she took Huo Linshen to take the Star Ferry.

A cool breeze blew across Victoria Harbour at night. They sat side by side on a wooden bench in the lower deck, their gaze fixed on the world-famous nightscape outside the window: neon lights flickering, skyscrapers rising like an inverted galaxy.

Unlike the clamor of the food stalls, the ferry was much quieter, with only the roar of the engine and the sound of waves crashing against the hull. Many locals and tourists sat on the boats, enjoying this inexpensive yet unique way to see the night scene.

Huo Linshen looked at the familiar scenery outside the window, but from a perspective he would never normally choose. It felt a bit novel. He felt Su Lingwan gently lean her head on his shoulder.

His body stiffened slightly, but he didn't move, letting her lean in. The faint scent of gardenia in her hair, mixed with the lingering smell of smoke from the food just now, lingered in his nose, forming a strange and comforting smell.

"When I was little, my dad often took me here to ride the Star Ferry." Su Lingwan looked at the lights outside the window, her voice soft and nostalgic. "He said that when you look at a city, you shouldn't just look at its tallest and brightest spots, but also its most ordinary corners. Just like a diamond, it has its most dazzling facets, but also the foundation that holds its light."

Huo Linshen listened quietly, feeling the weight and warmth of her support. He had never experienced such a simple, peaceful, even somewhat "cheesy" interaction with anyone. There was no sharp business negotiation wit, no hypocrisy of clinking glasses, only the gentle breathing and words of the people around him, and the night view outside the window, which he had seen countless times, but for the first time, felt so... warm.

He raised his hand, somewhat awkwardly, and put his arm around her shoulders, allowing her to lean more comfortably.

"Yeah." He responded softly.

Su Lingwan sensed the clumsiness and caution in his movements, and her heart softened. She closed her eyes, enjoying this rare moment of tranquility and intimacy.

"Huo Linshen." She suddenly called him softly.

"Um?"

“Thank you,” she said. “Thank you for being willing to…experience this with me.”

Thank him for being willing to step into this completely unfamiliar "world" for her, and try to understand the ordinary, trivial, yet vital happiness that she likes.

Huo Linshen was silent for a moment, and his arm around her shoulders tightened slightly.

"No need to thank me." He looked at the neon lights outside the window and said in a low but clear voice, "Wherever you are, that's good."

“…”

Su Lingwan's heart trembled violently because of these words, which were not love words, but were more touching than any love words. She raised her head and looked at him.

He was also looking down at her, the dim light in the cabin casting gentle shadows in his deep eyes, in which her figure was clearly reflected, with a pure warmth that she had never seen before.

There is no cold calculation, no distant scrutiny.

Only her.

At this moment, Su Lingwan was extremely sure that this man was using all his clumsiness and sincerity to try hard, step by step, to learn how to love her.

And she is willing to be his only mentor and lead him through this strange but surprising journey.

The Star Ferry slowly docked, and the short journey ended.

But their long journey of love and learning has just begun.

Huo Linshen held Su Lingwan's hand and followed the crowd down the ferry, merging into the still bustling night of Central. He was still not used to such dense crowds, but he held her hand firmly.

Perhaps, getting involved in the "worldly world" is not as unbearable as imagined.

As long as there is someone around who can make him see the colors and feel the warmth.