34. Unkindness

Jiang Nan's mood for the whole afternoon was disturbed by Liang Yue's phone call.

Before yesterday, she thought that she just had to play the role of a good granddaughter-in-law, but what Chen Minghui, Li Li and Liang Yue did in the past two days made her suddenly realize that the trouble she was going to encounter might not only be due to her emotional wandering, but more so to attacks based on interests.

The position of Chen Yunsheng's wife occupies too many interests and resources, and those who cannot benefit from Chen Yunsheng will naturally turn around and attack her, the obviously weaker Mrs. Chen.

Jiang Nan wanted to discuss this with someone, but she couldn't tell anyone. So, she was torn between worry and anxiety until the evening, when Chen Yunsheng suddenly sent her a WeChat message with a concise and to-the-point message:

I have a social engagement in the evening and won’t be back for dinner.

Jiang Nan looked at the message, hesitated for a moment, and decided not to tell him about Liang Yue's phone call for the time being. There was no clause between her and him about dealing with such emotional disputes. Furthermore, she had no evidence to prove that Liang Yue's phone call was particularly excessive.

Mr. Chen's investigation into her identity is more suitable for face-to-face communication.

After a minute or two of silence, Jiang Nan simply replied with two words:

OK

Then Jiang Nan put down her phone and decided to cook herself a bowl of noodles with two eggs to heal her ruined mood.

At the same time, in a private room at another high-end restaurant in the city, Chen Yunsheng put down his phone and stood up to greet customers.

After three rounds of drinks, the scene was very lively, but there was a hint of fatigue between his brows.

Then, he took the opportunity to put down his wine glass and glanced at his cell phone.

Jiang Nan didn't say much, just replied with "OK".

Those two simple words, without any ambiguity or imaginative thought, left nothing to the imagination. Yet, Chen Yunsheng could still imagine her expression as she typed those words—calm yet a touch conflicted. He could almost conclude that she'd probably just make some noodles or some bread and fruit to get by for dinner.

He was curious whether she had seen the dessert and wanted to know her opinion of its taste.

But he didn't know how to start.

Then, he suddenly remembered the time when she worked overtime late into the night, grabbing rice balls at the convenience store. He frowned slightly, feeling somewhat helpless. That time, he had actually seen her back as she entered the convenience store by chance, and out of humanitarian concern, he had stopped the car halfway to look for her.

She's a combination of contradictions: sometimes she puts a lot of effort into researching new dishes, and sometimes she just eats whatever she wants without any standards.

"Mr. Chen, what's up? Is your wife looking for you?" A customer at the same table joked with a smile.

The news of Chen Yunsheng's sudden marriage was no secret in the entertainment industry. Those who had met Jiang Nan all said that Mrs. Chen was well-educated and well-mannered, but too reserved, not like the daughter of a wealthy family. Therefore, people in the entertainment industry were curious about Mrs. Chen, but because of Chen Yunsheng, they didn't dare to really inquire about her.

"Nothing. Nothing about work." Chen Yunsheng put away his phone and smiled his usual indifferent smile. Then he picked up his glass and naturally changed the subject, but his mind drifted away for a moment.

Chen Yunsheng suddenly found himself increasingly disliking these social occasions. Although he had long been accustomed to using food and wine as fuel for everything, and was accustomed to closing deals and concluding conversations at the dinner table, every glass of wine he drank at the table carried a clear purpose.

But it was this clarity that made him particularly miss the time when he had dinner with Jiang Nan in the apartment.

In fact, Chen Yunsheng is more accustomed to eating alone.

Sent abroad to study at the age of seventeen, he had long since learned to live alone. It's fair to say he relished solitude, cherishing those moments of freedom and freedom, free from distractions and worries. After returning to China, it took him some time to adjust to the fact that he would have to eat in front of so many people.

However, Chen Yunsheng still likes to eat alone.

Those were his few moments of peace and quiet. Without any whispers of ulterior motives, he didn't need to maintain elegance or chew slowly, but rather ate calmly and leisurely.

Therefore, when Jiang Nan first moved in, he was a little uncomfortable.

But slowly, those homely yet steaming meals, in her company, became indescribable delicacies. Even the first time she frantically prepared a bowl of instant noodles, the aroma so strong it almost polluted the environment, was filled with a sense of ease.

Those moments were quiet, even a little awkward, but they were real and did not require any disguise.

Besides that, he found that when he ate with Jiang Nan, he would unconsciously pay more attention to his eating manners than usual. Even if it was a simple bowl of noodles, he would instinctively chew slowly, trying not to make any indecent noises.

This discovery left him feeling somewhat bewildered.

He considers his eating manners to be a deeply personal matter, one he doesn't want to reveal to others. In the old house, with his grandfather and parents, he pays attention to dining etiquette, but his inner self is reserved and restrained, more like a habit ingrained in him since childhood.

However, this kind of care seems different from the care he showed when facing Jiang Nan.

He wasn't deliberately trying to maintain an elitist image; he was just vaguely worried about leaving a bad impression. Or rather, he hoped to maintain a posture that was at least decent enough to avoid making her feel disgusted or uncomfortable.

This kind of subtle mentality was something he had never experienced in anyone else. Even during the extremely short blind date dinner with Liang Yue that was strongly promoted by his second uncle, he just mechanically maintained politeness and distance, with no ripples in his heart, let alone caring about details such as how the other party viewed his eating habits.

Why Jiang Nan?

He asked himself, trying to find a definite answer.

Perhaps it was because she always ate with such earnestness and contentment. Even a bowl of instant noodles could be made to taste delicious. Her eyes often lit up slightly at the sight of delicious food, revealing a simple yet contagious joy.

Or perhaps it was because she was the only person in that space he called home who shared food with him and had such daily interactions with him. Those brief moments around food inexplicably added a touch of subtle yet real homeliness to the house.

At this moment, the customer raised his glass to toast again. Chen Yunsheng collected his thoughts, raised his glass to greet him, and a flawless smile appeared on his lips, perfectly covering up the momentary distraction.

But that moment of trance made him start to consider whether he should ask Wei Yan to turn down some unnecessary social engagements as much as possible.

This thought flashed through his mind, and even Chen Yunsheng was stunned for a moment.

His concern for Jiang Nan has actually begun to influence his decision.

Chen Yunsheng suppressed these messy thoughts until the social event was over and the clients were sent away, then Chen Yunsheng allowed himself to continue thinking about this matter.

He got in the car and rubbed his swollen temples.

I was drunk and my stomach was upset.

Chen Yunsheng told his driver Zhang Lei to go back to the apartment, then leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest.

The light from the car window cast bright and dark shadows on his face, reflecting the drunken fatigue between his eyebrows.

For no apparent reason, he suddenly wanted to eat a bowl of hot, simple noodle soup - a handful of noodles, an egg, and a few slices of vegetables, just like the plain noodles Jiang Nan often made.

I don’t know what she is doing at home, Chen Yunsheng suddenly thought.

For him, the word "home" has been vaguely connected with Jiang Nan and the food she cooked since some time ago.

After a few minutes of silence in the shadows, Chen Yunsheng pulled out his phone and swiped his fingertips across the screen, wanting to talk to Jiang Nan. But in the end, he just clicked on the weather forecast and took a look at tomorrow's temperature.

There were lines that couldn't be crossed, he reminded himself, and he needed to stay clear-headed.

At least not now.

——

Jiang Nan wandered around the kitchen for a while and cooked a bowl of egg and vegetable noodles.

But when the noodles were served and she was about to pick up her chopsticks, the doorbell rang.

Jiang Nan was a little surprised.

She and Chen Yunsheng had almost no visitors—she wanted to invite Wenwen to visit, but neither of them had the courage to bother Chen Yunsheng.

While Jiang Nan was hesitating, the doorbell rang again.

She put down her chopsticks and hesitantly walked to the door, hoping that Chen Yunsheng was too drunk to unlock the phone with his fingerprint. However, as soon as she reached the entrance, she stopped in her tracks.

Two figures appeared on the electronic lock's screen.

Standing outside the door were Li Li and Liang Yue, smiling broadly, carrying gift boxes of different sizes.

Jiang Nan's first reaction was to pretend she wasn't home. But Li Li was clearly prepared. She rang the doorbell again, and her voice came through the electronic lock with exaggerated warmth: "Nannan, are you home? Your sister Yueyue and I are here to see you."

Jiang Nan felt his scalp tingling, and he sighed that these two people were simply haunting him.

After the doorbell rang again, Jiang Nan forced herself to calm down. It seemed like hiding was impossible, and even trying to avoid it would only make her look guilty. She composed herself, found her slippers, and put them on—in the summer, she preferred to walk barefoot.

She suppressed her annoyance and vigilance, forced a polite smile, and opened the door: "Second Aunt, Miss Liang, why are you here?"

Li Li immediately squeezed in and stuffed the gift in her hand to Jiang Nan: "Oh, come to see you two! We didn't talk properly at the old house yesterday. Where's Yunsheng? Hasn't he come back yet?" She asked knowingly, and while walking towards the living room, she looked at them subtly, with a hint of envy and jealousy in her eyes.

Liang Yue also followed in with a sweet smile: "Sister Jiang, sorry to bother you. I... I may have been a little rude yesterday. I came to... apologize." As she spoke, her eyes drifted towards the house, as if she was looking for something.

Jiang Nan sneered in his heart.

They acted as if they were here to assert their sovereignty or to investigate.

"Yunsheng has an appointment tonight and hasn't come back yet," she put the gift on the entrance cabinet and said calmly, "Second Aunt, Miss Liang, you are too polite. There is actually no need to make such a special trip."

"How can that be?" Li Li agreed casually, looking around at the restrained yet luxurious decoration, feeling indignant.

She and Chen Minghui had no children, so no matter how much they took from the old man, it would never be worth as much as this house. She spat inwardly, thinking that Chen Yunsheng was taking advantage of his only son, otherwise, half of this money would be hers.

"Oh, this house is really nice. Yunsheng has good taste. This location and decoration must have cost a lot of money, right?" As she spoke, her eyes drifted towards Jiang Nan vaguely.

"Yunsheng is in charge of the decoration." Jiang Nan closed the door and answered indifferently.

Liang Yue calmly surveyed the furnishings in the house and continued with a smile, "Yes, Brother Yunsheng has always valued the quality of life. Sister Jiang is truly blessed to be able to live here."

"Second Aunt, Miss Liang, please take a seat," Jiang Nan said, trying her best to maintain the courtesy of a host. Even though she was eager to send the guests away immediately, she still said, "What would you like to drink?"

"Anything is fine, just plain water," Li Li said, sitting down on the sofa with a familiar air. She patted the seat next to her and said, "Nannan, stop busying yourself. Come and sit down and talk to Second Aunt."

Liang Yue sat down on the single sofa on the other side, glanced at the two plush rabbits sitting side by side on the entrance cabinet, and pursed her lips in disdain.

"Aunt, Miss Liang, drink some water to moisten your throat." Jiang Nan went to the kitchen and poured two glasses of water, placed them on the coffee table in front of them, and then sat down a little away from them.