63. Take a walk after dinner

Chen Yunsheng looked away and poured Jiang Nan a glass of water: "Drink some water."

"Thank you." Jiang Nan took the cup, her fingertips accidentally touching his. At that moment, a tiny electric current-like sensation made her subconsciously want to pull her hand away, but she held back. Then, using the motion of drinking water, she moved a little further away, leaning against the other side of the center island.

"I think I ate too much." Jiang Nan rubbed his stomach gently and found a topic to break the overly quiet atmosphere.

"Yeah, a little bit," Chen Yunsheng replied. He was silent for a minute or two. Then, he put down his water cup, looked out the window at the completely dark sky, and said, "Want to go out for a walk? I just finished eating, so I need to help digest it."

His proposal once again surprised Jiang Nan. She discovered that, after shedding his Mr. Chen facade, he actually understood life very well, even possessing a certain warmth and consideration for his homely side.

"Okay," she agreed happily, "It seems the osmanthus flowers are blooming in the garden downstairs. I can smell a little fragrance every time I pass by these two days."

So the two of them leisurely went for a walk in the garden downstairs.

The early autumn night breeze, mixed with the remaining heat and a bit of refreshing coolness, leisurely blew away the smell of hot pot from the two people.

The garden was quiet, save for the dim yellow circles of light cast by the streetlights and the chirping of unknown insects—a cacophony that was unusual but not annoying. The air was indeed thick with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus, a faint, lingering sign of autumn.

Jiang Nan wasn't familiar with the garden downstairs, but Chen Yunsheng was a morning jogger, so he was very familiar with the intricate paths in the garden. Jiang Nan also trusted Chen Yunsheng and didn't have many objections to the path he chose.

A gentle cool breeze whipped the leaves into waves, creating ripples in the night. Clouds drifted silently across the sky, obscuring the faint glow of the stars and moon, and the darkness deepened. Yet, in this still night, the dim lights seemed even more dazzling.

They walked side by side on the cobblestone path, their steps gentle and light, stepping on the halos of light. Compared to the lively atmosphere at the hot pot table just now, the silence at this moment had a more leisurely and natural feel.

"When I was a child," Chen Yunsheng suddenly said, "there were several large osmanthus trees in the yard of the old house."

Hearing the sound, Jiang Nan tilted his head to look at him. The streetlight cast a soft shadow on his face, making him look much gentler than usual.

She rarely heard him bring up the past, so she listened attentively.

"In autumn, the osmanthus flowers fall all over the ground, and the fragrance spreads far away," he continued. "My grandmother would have people collect them to make candied osmanthus flowers or brew osmanthus honey."

"That sounds impressive," Jiang Nan imagined the scene, feeling it was a bit of a contrast to the elitist vibe he currently gave off. "My mom would just dry it out and put it under my pillow, saying it would calm my nerves."

"Yes, they did that," he nodded and continued, "Later, when the old house was renovated, many trees were moved away, and those few osmanthus trees were not saved either."

His tone was calm, but Jiang Nan could hear a hint of regret. She suddenly realized that his talkativeness wasn't just due to the relaxed atmosphere, but rather that he was sharing. Sharing those trivial and personal memories he didn't often share with others.

"What a pity." She said softly.

"Yeah," he replied, then turned his head to look into her eyes and said, "But it's good like this now."

His gaze was as deep as the distant blue sea in the night, distant and silent.

Jiang Nan wasn't sure if he was referring to the feeling of walking at the moment, or something else. She avoided his gaze helplessly, looking down at the elongated and sometimes overlapping shadows on the ground.

"After the birthday party," he started again, naturally changing the subject, "Grandpa might mention the child."

Jiang Nan was so frightened after hearing about the child that she almost tripped over a loose pebble. Fortunately, Chen Yunsheng reached out and held her up in time.

"Be careful." He held her steady.

"Thank you." Jiang Nan stood firm, feeling as if she had been burned by his touch. And the topic of children had jumped so quickly that it caught her off guard.

Thinking of this, her cheeks instantly burned, and she stumbled over it, "That... this isn't written in the agreement..."

"I know," he said, letting go of her hand, his tone still calm. "I'm just telling you in advance so you don't get scared. Old folks are getting old, so it's inevitable they'll expect these things. Just listen, don't feel pressured, I'll take care of it."

His calmness infected her.

Jiang Nan slowly relaxed, reassuring herself that this was just one of the situations the agreement required. Then, she nodded and said in a fake, relaxed tone, "Okay, I understand."

"Scared?" His voice softened.

Jiang Nan nodded embarrassedly.

"I'll be more careful about how and when I express myself next time," he said softly.

Then the two of them continued walking, and the conversation turned back to work, discussing Summer Pulse's subsequent promotional plans and the recent personnel changes at Youchuang Advertising. He gave her some pertinent advice, his tone more like a friendly discussion than a condescending one.

Jiang Nan found chatting with him quite pleasant. He was quick-witted and insightful, yet he patiently listened to her, even understanding her somewhat unconventional ideas. This feeling, unlike the relaxed and lively chats she had with Wenwen, was a delightful one, a feeling of being respected, understood, and even guided through difficult times.

After a round of walking, the hot pot smell dissipated, leaving only the refreshing night breeze and the faint fragrance of osmanthus. When they returned to the apartment building and entered the elevator, both of them felt a little reluctant to leave.

The elevator slowly ascended, and they were still alone in the cramped space. The numbers kept ticking, and the atmosphere became somewhat subtle again.

"Tomorrow..." Jiang Nan opened his mouth, trying to find something to say, but he didn't know what to say. He said "tomorrow" blankly and couldn't continue.

"I'll take you to work tomorrow." Chen Yunsheng responded naturally.

"Oh, okay, thank you." Jiang Nan nodded.

Chen Yunsheng smiled and said, "You are indeed a good young man in society. Thank you always."

Jiang Nan blushed, then turned her face away and said in a teasing tone, "I'm setting an example for you."

Chen Yunsheng laughed out loud, then nodded slightly at her and said in a gentle voice, "Thank you for being my role model."

Jiang Nan felt her ears burning. Just when she was at a loss, the elevator arrived at their floor with a slight ding sound.

She was pardoned.

As soon as the elevator door opened, she stepped out first, and Chen Yunsheng followed her with a half-smile. When she reached the door, she entered the password and pushed it open eagerly.

As soon as she entered the door, she immediately kicked off her shoes. Then she turned around, wanting to say good night to him, and then hide in the room and completely forget the embarrassment just now.

But Chen Yunsheng stood at the door, with no intention of coming in immediately. He looked into her eyes and suddenly smiled softly: "The hot pot tonight is delicious."

His smile was very light, but it instantly softened all his features. Jiang Nan's heartbeat quickened again.

"I might try the tomato base next time," she heard herself say, "but the tomato base is very overbearing. Everything I eat might taste like tomato."

"But it's not bad to try." His eyes were still on her face, as if he was confirming something, but also as if he was hesitating about something. In the end, he just said gently: "Good night, Jiang Nan."

"Good night." Jiang Nan responded softly. She watched him pass by her and walk into the living room before she gently closed the door.

She looked down at the electronic lock and felt that she could almost hear her own heartbeat, beat after beat, clearly audible in the silent entrance.

He was very talkative tonight, very different.

This was different from any of the previous performances that were necessary for the agreement. This was a more natural and personal approach, with a warmth that made her feel uneasy but also eager.

Moreover, he seemed to be starting to share his life with her.

This realization made Jiang Nan a little excited, but she still tried to remain calm and not allow herself to smile too much.

——

After washing up, Jiang Nan lay on the bed, but he was not sleepy at all.

At this time, the phone vibrated a few times. It was a WeChat message from Wenwen.

She excitedly discussed how to slap Shengcheng and Wang Paopi in the face, while imagining how to spend the project bonus.

Jiang Nan replied absentmindedly, her thoughts constantly drifting to the door. She could hear the gentle sounds of footsteps, the occasional turning on and off of the faucet, and the soft slam of the study door closing.

——He hasn’t slept yet.

This subtle sound of sensing another person's presence dispels the sense of emptiness and loneliness that is common in luxury homes, bringing an indescribable sense of security and excitement.

She remembered what he said about not having to hide anymore, remembered how he said "I'll give it to you" so naturally, and remembered the calm yet deep eyes when he mentioned the child.

These changes hung in her mind, making her toss and turn.

She didn't know how long it had been before she finally felt a little sleepy. In her daze, she seemed to hear a gentle knock on the door.

She woke up instantly, holding her breath and listening carefully.

There was silence outside the door for a few seconds, and then Chen Yunsheng's low voice came, which sounded a little vague through the door: "Jiang Nan?"

Jiang Nan stood up and responded subconsciously: "What's wrong?"

There was silence outside the door for a while, and then she heard him say, "Nothing. I see your light is still on... Go to bed early."

——It turned out that he was just passing by and asked casually when he saw the light under the crack of the door.

Jiang Nan breathed a sigh of relief, yet also felt a little inexplicably lost.

"I'll be asleep soon." She replied softly.

"Okay." There was the sound of his light footsteps leaving from outside the door.

Jiang Nan couldn't sleep at all. He noticed that her light was still on. He stopped to ask. This little bit of concern brushed her heart like a feather.

As she thought about this, she slowly fell asleep.

The next morning, Jiang Nan was woken by the alarm clock. She checked the time and saw it was almost 8:30. She rarely slept so soundly.

She hurriedly got up, washed, and packed everything.

When she left the room, she found the apartment quiet, but on the island was a pot of brewed coffee, and next to it was a simple breakfast—toast and fried eggs, which seemed to be still steaming.

Chen Yunsheng sat on the sofa in the living room, headphones on, looking serious at his laptop. Judging from what he said, it seemed like he was in a video conference.

He saw Jiang Nan come out, say something into the microphone, then pause the meeting and take off his headphones.

"The coffee is still hot." He pointed to the center island.

"Thank you," Jiang Nan said a little embarrassedly, "I got up late."

"It's okay, it's still early," he closed his computer, "you can have breakfast first, I'll be done soon."

Jiang Nan nodded and walked over to the island to pour coffee. The aroma of toast and coffee blended together, creating a warm, homey atmosphere. As she ate the breakfast he had prepared, the feeling in her heart spread again.

At half past eight, the two of them went out on time.

As the elevator descended, Jiang Nan's reflection in the doorway gave Chen Yunsheng a furtive look. He was wearing a casual suit and no tie, looking less serious and more casual than usual.

He noticed her gaze and tilted his head slightly: "What's wrong?"

"No, nothing." Jiang Nan hurriedly looked away.

Chen Yunsheng raised his eyebrows and didn't ask her any more questions.

After entering the garage and getting in the car, Chen Yunsheng started the car and asked her, "What do you want to eat tonight?"

This was a natural, everyday question, but Jiang Nan wasn't afraid. She thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "I suggested hot pot yesterday, and today it's your turn. What do you want to eat? I can make noodles with gravy. Would you like to try it?"

Chen Yunsheng was a little surprised. He turned his head to look at her, and a smile appeared on the corner of his lips: "Okay. I'm looking forward to it."

His smile was light, but it instantly dispelled the dullness in the car like sunshine. Jiang Nan felt his mood brighten up, just like the weather today.