Chapter 281 I Have a Friend Getting Married
After Jiang Chenyu finished talking to the boss, he found a seat, took out a handkerchief and wiped the stool before looking up at Cen Lian, "Don't stand there, come and sit down."
Cen Li'an stared at the man in a daze for a moment before he walked towards him, his fingertips lightly resting on the edge of the table. "I just finished my meal and had a bowl of fermented rice dumplings. I might not be able to finish it..."
"It won't be wasted if we can't finish it." He raised the corners of his mouth slightly, his voice low and gentle.
While the two were talking, the boss had already brought the rice dumplings with fermented rice wine to the table.
Cen Lian'an looked at the porcelain spoon handed to him by Jiang Chenyu, and his fingertips paused slightly.
The dim light cast soft shadows on his slender fingers, which had distinct joints and neatly trimmed nails.
This pair of hands used to hold the scalpel is very beautiful, comparable to a hand model~
"Thank you." She took the spoon, her voice so soft that it was almost drowned out by the noise of the night market.
The rice dumplings with fermented glutinous rice on the table were steaming and smelled sweet.
Cen Lian stirred the dumplings gently with a spoon, and the dumplings floated up and down, just like her mood at the moment.
She secretly raised her eyes and saw Jiang Chenyu looking at her intently, his deep eyes glowing amber under the light.
Cen Lian scooped a spoonful and put it into his mouth, and the sweet and sticky taste melted on his tongue.
The rice wine dumplings tasted very good, but were far inferior to those made by Mr. Du.
Halfway through eating, she put down her spoon and looked at Jiang Chenyu apologetically.
"I really can't eat anymore."
To her surprise, Jiang Chenyu naturally took the bowl, picked up the spoon she had used, and continued eating.
Cen Lian'an opened his eyes wide, his lips slightly parted, and he didn't know what to say for a moment.
She watched him put the last dumpling into his mouth, his Adam's apple rolling up and down as he swallowed.
"You..." Her voice got stuck in her throat.
Jiang Chenyu put down the empty bowl and wiped the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief. His elegance and dignity were out of place in this noisy night.
"Can't waste it," he explained, a sly glint in his eye.
Cen Lian felt his cheeks getting hot and he hurriedly lowered his head to straighten the non-existent wrinkles on the corners of his clothes.
She never thought that Jiang Chenyu, whom she had known for less than 48 hours, would actually eat her leftovers.
Or...share a spoon!
The situation was very awkward. It was right for Cen Li'an to remind her, but it seemed like keeping silent was...
Never mind, he didn't seem to care, and if she reminded him now, it would seem like she was being petty.
"Are you sleepy?" he asked suddenly.
Cen Li'an shook his head, his long hair swaying slightly with the movement, "Not sleepy."
"Then I'll take you somewhere." Jiang Chenyu stood up and extended his hand to her.
The moonlight is like water, sprinkling on the deserted beach.
Cen Lian took off his sandals and stepped barefoot on the soft sand, feeling the coolness spread from the soles of his feet.
Jiang Chenyu walked beside her, with his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his strong forearms.
The sea breeze blew by, bringing with it a salty and moist scent, ruffling his short hair.
"How do you know this place?" Cen Lian asked, his voice diluted by the sound of waves.
Jiang Chenyu did not answer immediately, but pointed to a light not far away.
"There's a beach bar over there. Want to try it?"
The bar was built from driftwood and fishing nets, with a few low tables scattered on the sand and hung with stained glass lanterns.
The bartender was a tanned young man who was shaking the shaker skillfully.
"What would you like to drink?" Jiang Chenyu asked, tapping his fingers lightly on the wooden bar.
Cen Li-an looked at the menu and hesitated. "Mojito, with a little rum."
Jiang Chenyu raised his eyebrows, "Are you afraid of getting drunk?"
"Not entirely. I just drank too much last night and I'm not very interested today." She defended herself in a low voice, but saw that the smile on his face deepened.
The wine was served quickly, with the fresh scent of mint mixed with the sourness of lime.
Cen Lian took a sip, and the cold liquid slid down his throat, bringing a slight burning sensation.
She looked at the sea not far away, and the moonlight shattered into millions of silver lights on the waves.
"A friend of mine is getting engaged," she suddenly said, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible. "I've known her for ten years."
Jiang Chenyu turned his head to look at her, with a hint of surprise in his eyes. He never thought that she would take the initiative to bring up this matter.
He didn't say anything, just acted as a good listener.
Cen Lian's eyelashes cast fine shadows under the light, hiding the emotions in his eyes.
Jiang Chenyu replied at the right moment, "Friends for ten years?"
"Yeah." Cen Lian nodded, his fingers unconsciously stroking the condensed water droplets on the wall of the cup. "From high school to now, it's been ten years."
Jiang Chenyu didn't say anything else, but just looked at her quietly.
Cen Lian turned to look at him and found that the moonlight outlined the perfect contours of his profile, his high nose bridge, his firm chin line, and his eyes that always hid so many emotions.
At this moment, those eyes were looking at her intently, as if they could see through all her disguises.
"You..." Jiang Chenyu's voice suddenly became very soft, almost drowned by the sound of the waves, "Do you like him? The friend who is getting engaged?"
Cen Lian'an's fingertips trembled violently and the wine glass almost fell out of his hand.
The sea breeze suddenly became biting, and she felt a chill running up her spine.
A bitter smile slowly crept up the corners of her mouth, but never reached her eyes.
"He's engaged," she heard her own voice coming from far away. "I'm happy for him."
Under the moonlight, Jiang Chenyu frowned slightly.
He reached out and took her shaky wine glass. The moment their fingertips touched, Cen Lian shrank back as if burned.
"Ten years..." Jiang Chenyu repeated in a low voice, his gaze fixed on the undulating sea in the distance, "It's long enough for a person to take root in your heart."
Cen Lian suddenly felt difficulty breathing, as if needles were piercing his heart.
"You know what?" Her voice was as soft as a sigh. "Sometimes the cruelest thing isn't losing something, but never having it."
The waves hit the rocks on the shore and broke into white foam.
Jiang Chenyu was silent for a long time, so long that Cen Lian thought he would never speak again.
Suddenly, a coat with body temperature was draped over her shoulders.
"It's cold." He said, his fingers lingering on her shoulder for a second before withdrawing them.
Cen Lian pulled his coat closer and smelled the faint scent of cedar.
Under the combined effects of alcohol and emotions, her vision was a little blurred.
In a trance, she felt Jiang Chenyu's hand gently brushing her cheek.
Only then did Cen Lian realize that he was crying.
"I'm sorry," she said, hastily wiping away her tears. "I might have had too much to drink."
Jiang Chenyu did not expose her, but just handed her a dark blue handkerchief.
"The sea breeze does make people cry easily." He gave her a way out, his voice incredibly gentle.
Cen Lian took the handkerchief, and there was still a faint trace of body temperature on the fabric.
She suddenly realized that this was the second time he had handed her a handkerchief tonight.
The first time was in the restaurant, when he wiped the stools with the white handkerchief. [Note: The handkerchief Dr. Jiang used to wipe the stools just now is not the same one as this one!]
"Why did you bring me here?" She finally asked the question that had been lingering in her mind for a long time.
Jiang Chenyu looked at the dark sea, the moonlight cast tiny shadows on his eyelashes.
"Because..." He paused, "I think the beach is more suitable for a date."
Cen Lian was stunned. She never expected that he would talk about the date so bluntly.
Jiang Chenyu gently tilted his head to look at her and patiently counseled, "Some problems take time, just like the clean beach can only be seen after the tide recedes. And it's beautiful here, isn't it?"
Cen Lian just stared at him blankly, forgetting what he should do for a moment.
He stood up and held out his hand to her. "Go back, or you'll get sleepy."
Cen Lian looked at the hand that was stretched out towards him. It was slender, with distinct joints, and a firmness that could not be refused.
She hesitated for a second, then put her hand on it.
Jiang Chenyu's palms were warm and dry, firmly holding her slightly cool fingertips.
The moment he stood up, he felt dizzy, Cen Lian staggered, and fell into Jiang Chenyu's arms.
The scent of mint and cedar instantly surrounded her, and she could clearly feel the warmth of his chest and his strong heartbeat.
"Be careful." His voice came from above his head, with a hint of imperceptible tension.
Cen Lian hurriedly tried to step back, but Jiang Chenyu gently held his shoulders.
"Take your time," he said softly. "Alcohol and the sea breeze are the easiest to make someone lose their balance."
Jiang Chenyu walked beside her, keeping just the right distance so as not to offend her, yet still able to support her in time if her steps became unsteady.
The moonlight stretched their shadows very long, interweaving them on the beach, and then they were quickly smoothed out by the new waves.
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