Chapter 104 Extra 1

After the New Year, Fu Yanle brought gifts and went to Nancheng with Yu Jingchen to visit his maternal grandmother.

Qi Subai's father passed away early, leaving her mother alone. In order to take care of the elderly woman, Yan Zhaoming and Qi Subai originally wanted to bring her to live with the Yan family, but the old woman insisted on staying with her husband, and the children could not do anything about it. Fortunately, the two families lived not too far apart, so the younger generation of the Yan family could only visit her every few days and spend holidays at the courtyard where the old woman lived.

The car stopped in front of the courtyard gate. Fu Yanle got out of the car and looked at the flowers inside through the wooden fence. A cluster of pink flowers mixed with white flowers was beautiful and vibrant.

"Brother Chen, what is this?"

Yu Jingchen didn't know either; the flowers blooming here weren't like this when he last came.

"This is called Scarlet Claw Hibiscus, which is a type of camellia."

Fu Yanle turned around at the sound and saw an old lady in a light blue dress standing at the gate of the courtyard. She looked a lot like Qi Subai, her daughter, with a refined appearance and temperament. Time had left wrinkles and lines on her face, but she was very gentle.

“Grandma.” Yu Jingchen led Fu Yanle over.

Qi Subai's mother and Yu Jingchen were not actually related by blood, but the Yan family and the Yu family were in-laws, and very close in-laws at that. So the two families didn't pay much attention to how they addressed each other. Yu Jingchen, like the two of us younger brothers, called the old lady "Grandma".

Fu Yanle quickly said, "Hello, Grandma. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Chen Ge's boyfriend. My name is Fu Yanle."

"Hello, Yanle." The old lady shook Fu Yanle's hand, her eyes smiling. "I've heard the children in the family mention you before. I also wanted to meet you, but I'm too old to travel that far, so I had you come over to visit."

Fu Yanle said, "Grandma, what are you saying? It was originally supposed to be me and Chen Ge who came to see Grandma."

"Good child." The old lady took Fu Yanle's hand. "Don't stand outside the yard, come in with me."

Fu Yanle followed the old lady inside, reached back and pulled Yu Jingchen up, taking his hand in hers.

As the group entered the courtyard, the old lady turned around and saw the two men holding hands tightly, and couldn't help but smile. She led them into the main house, pointed to the soft sofa, and said, "Please sit down. Xiaochen likes to drink tea, so I brewed it a while ago."

Yu Jingchen pressed down on the old lady's hand and said, "Grandma, I'll pour it myself, don't bother."

"What's this all about? I'm an old woman, and although I can't go very far, I still need to keep moving around." The old lady poured Yu Jingchen a cup of tea, then looked up at Fu Yanle and said, "I heard that Yanle likes to drink, so I also brought a pot of camellia wine."

She took out a set of white jade wine utensils from a cabinet next to her and poured a cup for Fu Yanle. "Good boy, have a taste."

"Thank you, Grandma." Fu Yanle took the wine glass with both hands, turned it slightly, and exclaimed in admiration, "The wine and the glass complement each other perfectly. The glass is glossy and the wine is rich yet clear. It's really beautiful."

Grandma smiled and said, "Try it and see if you like it. If you don't, Grandma has other ones here."

"Good." Fu Yanle approached the wine glass, took a small sip, and her eyes lit up. "Delicious! It has the mellow aroma of tea, refreshing and smooth, and the rich and bold flavor of wine. The tea flower flavor is suppressed at the bottom, subtle and lingering. Grandma, your winemaking skills are amazing—no, they're incredible!"

Yu Jingchen coughed and said, "The process of brewing camellia wine is very particular. The camellias must be picked after the snow, and then soaked, dried, and evaporated before being added to the wine."

"That's right, you also need to use rock sugar to suppress the astringency, then bury it and wait to drink it next year," the old lady said. "I brew wine every year and bury it in the yard. When the time is right, I take it out and put it in the cabinet. I just go and get it when I want to drink it."

Fu Yanle said enviously, "This is so wonderful!"

The old lady pointed to the cabinet next to her and said, "Good child, if you like, you can go to the cabinet and choose whatever flavor you want. I have flower wine here, which is not very strong. It's quite enjoyable to have a little drink here."

Upon hearing this, Fu Yanle glanced at Yu Jingchen, then nodded and said, "Then I won't be polite, thank you, Grandma."

"You're welcome," Grandma said, getting up. "I'll go to the kitchen to prepare lunch. You two children can watch TV inside or play in the yard. Xiaochen knows this place well, so you don't need me."

Fu Yanle stood up and rolled up his sleeves. "Grandma, let me help you! My cooking skills are five-star, I guarantee I can help you out!"

The old lady said with a smile, "Grandma likes to cook by herself. It's a pleasure. Good children, have fun."

“Okay,” Fu Yanle said obediently. “If Grandma needs anything, we’ll be there right away.”

After the old lady left, Fu Yanle also pulled Yu Jingchen out the door.

There are two walls in the courtyard, and the ground in front is filled with flower beds and pots of various colors. Camellias of all colors are piled together, and vines are wrapped around the railings on the walls. Small flowers of yellow, white and red are spread out, showing their beauty even in the snowy winter.

Fu Yanle quickly rushed over, struck a pose, and said to Yu Jingchen, "Take a picture of me!"

“Okay.” Yu Jingchen stepped back a little and opened his phone’s camera. Since being with Fu Yanle, in order to satisfy Fu Yanle’s need for beautiful photos, he had specially studied relevant theories and techniques, and his photography skills had made a qualitative leap.

Fu Yanle took ten photos in a row in front of the flowerbed, and then took several more photos with Yu Jingchen before uploading them to his WeChat Moments.

Just then, a loud bang rang out outside the courtyard. Yu Jingchen seemed to have expected this and stepped forward to open the courtyard gate.

"elder brother!"

Fu Yanle turned his head and saw a young man wearing a black leather jacket stride in.

The man walked up to Yu Jingchen. He was about the same height as Yu Jingchen, but he was obviously arrogant and exuded a fierce and domineering aura. The man turned his head, and Fu Yanle's eyes lit up because he perfectly embodied the phrase "sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes." With thick eyebrows, a high nose, and bright black eyes, he could be described as incomparably handsome.

"Hello, Brother Yanle." The man took off his black gloves and extended his hand. "I am Yanqi."

"Hello." Fu Yanle smiled and shook hands with him.

Yu Jingchen walked over to Fu Yanle, pinched his waist warningly, and said to Yan Qi, "Why are you here at this hour?"

"I heard you were here, so I came all the way here, mainly to see Brother Yanle. Oh, by the way," Yan Qi moved the black bag behind her waist, took out a small gift box, and handed it to Fu Yanle, "Thank you for the New Year's gift, Brother Yanle. This is a rose button that I had a friend carve. I hope you like it."

Fu Yanle quickly accepted it, saying, "Thank you."

"Is this friend Jiu'er?" Yu Jingchen asked.

Yanqi nodded, "That's right, the only people around me who are skilled in these techniques are him and my grandmother."

Seeing Fu Yanle's surprise, Yu Jingchen explained, "The two of them were pen pals before, and they wrote to each other for several years before they found out each other's true identities. They also found out that the half-student that Grandma took in during her spare time was Jiu'er."

"Wow, that's quite a coincidence." Fu Yanle smiled. "I was wondering before, Jiu'er's family has been in the antique business for generations, who did he learn his tailoring skills from?"

Yanqi said, "Jiu'er's master is his father. As for his skills in making clothes and jewelry, he learned them from his grandmother. So even though he never formally became a disciple, he is considered half a student of his grandmother."

The three sat at a wooden table under the eaves chatting, and Fu Yanle brought out the wine and tea.

"You're graduating this summer. Have you thought about what you'll do after that?" Yu Jingchen tapped the table. "Graduate school or work?"

“I’m not going to graduate school.” Yan Qi took a sip of her drink. “Brother, you know I never liked my major. I studied economics in the first place just to try it out and make my parents give up on the idea of ​​me inheriting the family business and going into business. Now I’ve been studying it for three and a half years, and I still haven’t gone from disliking it to liking it. So after I graduate, I won’t work for a company or go into business.”

Yu Jingchen nodded and said, "Since you've tried it and still don't like it, you really shouldn't force yourself. I saw your transcript before. Although you don't like this major, your grades and credits have always been in the top three of your class and major, and you haven't missed any important courses or activities. With this attitude, I'm at ease with whatever you do."

Fu Yanle said with a smile, "My little brother is truly gifted and exceptionally intelligent!"

Yan Qi scratched his head. "I've already signed up, whether I like it or not. Since I've signed up, I should at least learn something, so as not to waste four years of class time and tuition. As for what I want to do after graduation, I..." He glanced at Yu Jingchen's face, "I want to act."

Yu Jingchen was somewhat surprised, "Why?"

“I find it very interesting. Isn’t it amazing to live a life with infinite possibilities with a finite life?” Yan Qi said. “My life has been roughly on a certain trajectory since the moment I was born. No matter how I deviate from it, it is still within my control. I think acting is also a way to broaden my horizons and gain experience. I can learn and experience the power of various emotions from the roles, and I can also express myself through the roles. It’s very interesting to think about.”

“You have a point, but there aren’t many scripts that will suit your taste right now,” Yu Jingchen said. “The market is volatile, good scripts are becoming increasingly scarce, and assembling a good team is not an easy task. Even if a good script and a good team come along, how can you, as an inexperienced newcomer, win their favor? Acting is an art form, and art requires effort, but even more so, talent. Do you possess the talent to pave your own path? You need to think about these questions before making a decision.”

"I'll think it over carefully. Actually, I'm in the school's drama club, and I perform on stage every year, and I also participate in charity performances. I genuinely find it very interesting and meaningful, so it's not just a passing fancy." Yan Qi poured tea for Yu Jingchen and said obsequiously, "If Mom and Dad don't agree, you must plead for me, brother! You're my strongest support and my most reliable harbor!"

Yu Jingchen snorted, took the teacup, took a sip, and said, "I support all your reasonable decisions, but whatever you do, you have to produce results within a certain timeframe, otherwise I will have to consider whether to let you choose again."

"I know, thank you, brother!" Yan Qi raised her glass and clinked it with Fu Yanle's.

Fu Yanle took a swig of wine and said, "Don't worry, I've done the math, and my brother is a rising star."

"Thank you, Brother Yanle, you have such a good eye! Come on!" Yan Qi smiled, raised her glass, and toasted Fu Yanle again.

Yu Jingchen smiled enigmatically, "So you understand now?"

"I am the King of Knowledge." Fu Yanle proudly raised his chin.

Yu Jingchen chuckled and reached out to ruffle his hair.

"Children," the old lady said, coming out of the kitchen with a bowl of rice in her hands. "Lunch is ready!"