Chapter 104 "Just a casual question".
Shu Ran almost thought she was seeing things. How could he be here? The livestock company was more than half a day's drive from the division headquarters, he...
The people under the tree also saw her and walked over, looking travel-worn.
His gaze first fell on Shu Ran's face, and then, as if unintentionally, swept over Yang Zhenhua beside her.
His gaze was calm, yet it seemed to freeze the air around him.
"Special Envoy Chen?" Shu Ran was genuinely surprised. "What brings you here?"
Chen Yuanjiang walked up to her, maintaining a perfect distance.
"Officer Yang." He didn't answer Shu Ran's question immediately, but first nodded slightly to Yang Zhenhua as a greeting.
"Special Envoy Chen? What a rare guest." Yang Zhenhua was also quite surprised, a polite smile on his face. "Here for a meeting at the division headquarters?"
"Hmm. Just some official business." Chen Yuanjiang said succinctly, his gaze returning to Shu Ran, as if explaining or stating, "Just arrived. I heard you were here."
The words were spoken haphazardly, but Shu Ran understood them. He had arrived at the division headquarters, found out she was near the canteen, and then came looking for her.
But... "I heard"? Who told her? He inquired about her whereabouts as soon as he arrived?
A strange feeling flashed through Shu Ran's mind, but before she could think about it, she heard Chen Yuanjiang say again, "Haven't you eaten yet?"
"I was just about to go," Shu Ran replied instinctively.
"Together?" Chen Yuanjiang said this while looking at Shu Ran, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable naturalness. It was as if he had come all the way from the livestock company just to have dinner with her.
Yang Zhenhua's smile faltered. He glanced at Chen Yuanjiang, then at Shu Ran, sensing an unspoken understanding between the two that he couldn't interfere with.
He smiled knowingly and said, "Well... Comrade Shu Ran, Special Envoy Chen, you two talk, I won't disturb you any longer. We can discuss the report later."
After saying that, he pushed his bicycle and left.
Watching Yang Zhenhua disappear at the cafeteria entrance, Shu Ran turned back to Chen Yuanjiang, raising an eyebrow: "Special Envoy Chen, you handled this official business quite suddenly, didn't you?"
Chen Yuanjiang avoided her probing gaze, raised his hand to pat off non-existent dust from his clothes, and said in a calm tone, "The division's security department had an impromptu meeting. I just happened to be passing by."
"On the way?" Shu Ran almost laughed out loud. From the division headquarters gate to the canteen, it was by no means on the way. She looked at his tense profile, his eyes, which always scrutinized everything, were now slightly lowered, staring at the ground.
A guess suddenly popped into my head—could it be that he... heard about Yang Zhenhua's invitation and came here on a special occasion?
This thought made Shu Ran deliberately put on a stern face: "Oh, a meeting? Then Special Envoy Chen, go ahead and get busy, don't delay important matters."
Chen Yuanjiang finally raised his eyes and looked at her.
He paused for a few seconds before speaking, his voice low: "The meeting is over. Let's eat."
After saying that, without waiting for Shu Ran's response, he turned and walked straight towards the cafeteria. His back was still straight, but it exuded a stubbornness that said, "Anyway, I'm sticking with you."
Shu Ran watched his retreating figure and finally couldn't help but laugh.
It seems the waters of this division headquarters run deeper than she imagined. And the man before her might be hiding more in his heart than she thought.
She quickened her pace and followed him, walking side by side into the bustling cafeteria.
“Officer Chen,” she said softly, with a hint of barely perceptible teasing, “you’re not worried that I’ll be bullied at the division headquarters, are you?”
Chen Yuanjiang didn't stop walking, his eyes fixed ahead, his Adam's apple seeming to bob slightly. After a long while, just when Shu Ran thought he wouldn't answer, she heard him give a very soft "hmm."
The sound was almost inaudible amidst the noise of the cafeteria.
But Shu Ran heard it.
Her heart felt a soft, bittersweet sensation, as if something had gently bumped into it.
The canteen was bustling with noise, a mix of the aroma of food and lively conversation. A short queue stretched between the food windows, mostly consisting of officers and staff from various departments of the division headquarters, dressed smartly and appearing more relaxed than the company-level workers.
The appearance of Chen Yuanjiang and Shu Ran attracted some subtle glances. Chen Yuanjiang's cold and hard demeanor seemed somewhat out of place in the division headquarters.
Although Shu Ran was dressed simply, her delicate features and calm demeanor made people want to take a second look.
The two silently stood at the end of the line.
"What do you want to eat?" Chen Yuanjiang suddenly asked, his voice low and drowned out by the surrounding noise, but Shu Ran heard him clearly.
She glanced at him with some surprise. What would be a perfectly ordinary question in later years seemed particularly abrupt in this era, especially coming from Chen Yuanjiang, and even carried a hint of inappropriate... intimacy.
"Either is fine." Shu Ran lowered her eyes, looking at her frayed cuffs, and that strange feeling in her heart resurfaced.
Chen Yuanjiang didn't say anything more. When it was their turn, he stepped forward and said to the chef at the window, "One order of shredded potatoes, one order of cabbage and vermicelli, and four steamed buns." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the few remaining cans of braised pork in the basin next to him, and added, "Add another order of braised pork."
That braised pork was a rare delicacy, glistening with oil and not cheap. Shu Ran instinctively wanted to say no, but Chen Yuanjiang had already paid the money and given her food coupons without hesitation.
He carried a full aluminum lunchbox and found a corner seat against the wall. Shu Ran followed and sat down opposite him.
The small square table instantly shortened the distance between them. She could clearly see the frayed edges of his military uniform collar and the tiny cracks on his straight nose caused by the wind.
Chen Yuanjiang pushed the glistening braised pork in front of Shu Ran, then picked up a mouthful of bland shredded potatoes and ate it silently with his cornbread. His eating manners weren't elegant, but they were efficient, as if eating was just a task that needed to be completed.
Shu Ran looked at the braised pork in front of her, then at him. He lowered his head, his thick eyelashes obscuring the emotions in his eyes, his whole being exuding the same restraint as always.
She picked up the cornbread, broke it open, and put a small piece of braised pork inside. The marbled pork looked especially tempting against the backdrop of the cornbread. She took a bite, and the long-lost aroma of meat filled her mouth. In this era of scarcity, this was almost a luxury.
"Is everything alright in the company?" Shu Ran swallowed the food in her mouth and changed the subject. She didn't ask him what kind of meeting he was there for; she knew that if he didn't want to say, asking would be pointless.
"Hmm," Chen Yuanjiang responded without looking up. "The children are asking when you're going back."
It was a simple sentence, but it softened Shu Ran's heart. She imagined the children peering out from the classroom door.
"Almost done. Once the materials are ready, I'll give a presentation and then head back," she said.
Chen Yuanjiang paused, finally raising his eyes. His gaze lingered on her face for a moment before quickly returning to the lunchbox: "Have you run into trouble?"
He asked directly, and Shu Ran didn't know how to answer for a moment. What could she say? That someone might be stealing her thunder? That the boss might want to transfer her? These were all just her guesses, without any evidence.
"It's nothing, just work-related stuff," she mumbled, taking a sip of cabbage soup.
Chen Yuanjiang didn't press the matter further, and a subtle silence filled the air. Unlike the previous awkwardness, this silence seemed to convey something unspoken.
The surrounding noise became background noise, isolating them from their little corner.
Shu Ran secretly glanced at him; he was intently picking out the rice noodles.
"Officer Yang..." Chen Yuanjiang suddenly spoke, his voice even lower than before, "How is he?"
Shu Ran's heart sank; as expected.
She looked up and met his gaze.
Shu Ran put down her chopsticks, picked up the military water bottle beside her—the one Chen Yuanjiang had just handed her—twisted it, and took a sip of water. Her movements were unhurried, but her mind was racing.
She looked at Chen Yuanjiang, a very slight smile curving her lips, tinged with a hint of slyness: "Officer Yang? He's quite enthusiastic and well-informed. What's wrong, Special Envoy Chen, are you interested in him?"
She deliberately threw the question back at him to see his reaction.
Chen Yuanjiang frowned slightly, then relaxed. He avoided her gaze and poked at the cabbage in the lunchbox with his chopsticks: "Just asking."
"Oh—" Shu Ran drawled, leaning forward slightly and lowering her voice as if sharing a secret, "He also invited me to see a movie."
Upon hearing this, she saw Chen Yuanjiang's eyes turn cold, but his expression remained unchanged.
He didn't speak, and the air seemed to freeze.
Shu Ran felt that inexplicable emotion welling up inside her again, mixed with a sense of triumphant mischief and an inexplicable sense of anticipation.
She waited for his reaction.
Several seconds later, Chen Yuanjiang picked up the cornbread again and took a big bite, chewing with some force. He swallowed the food, his gaze fixed on a spot on the table, his voice stiff: "The division headquarters... has complicated interpersonal relationships. You're all alone, so be careful."
Huh? He didn't comment on Yang Zhenhua, nor did he express any opinion on the film offer. It was just this dry, elder-like advice.
Shu Ran pondered, sensing a different tone. It was a concern that was difficult to express explicitly, perhaps even... a hint of bitterness?
She suddenly didn't want to test the waters anymore. Some things are better left unsaid, understood without being explicitly stated, and that's where the charm lies.
"I know." Shu Ran's joking expression vanished, and she nodded seriously. "Thank you."
This "thank you" is ambiguous. Is it thanking him for the reminder? Or thanking him for his awkward concern? Perhaps it's both.
Chen Yuanjiang seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, his tense shoulders relaxing imperceptibly.
The two stopped talking and silently finished their meal. During the meal, a security officer who recognized Chen Yuanjiang came over to greet him, glancing at Shu Ran curiously a few times. Chen Yuanjiang simply introduced her as "Comrade Shu Ran from the Livestock Company" and said nothing more.
After finishing their meal, Chen Yuanjiang neatly packed up their lunchboxes. He stood up, his gaze falling on Shu Ran's face.
"Let's go."
Shu Ran was taken aback for a moment, "...Where to?"
"I'll take you back to the guesthouse," Chen Yuanjiang said matter-of-factly, as if it were his duty. He naturally took the military water bottle from Shu Ran's hand and slung it over his shoulder. "It's dark at night," he explained, offering a solution after all his actions.
Shu Ran didn't say anything more, silently stood up, and followed beside him.
The two walked out of the cafeteria one after the other. A breeze blew by, and Chen Yuanjiang, who was walking in front, glanced at her sideways, slowed his pace, and happened to block the direction from which the wind was blowing.
The streetlights at the division headquarters were spaced far apart, and occasionally people walking by on their way home would cast curious or knowing glances at them as they walked side by side.
The footsteps sounded exceptionally clear on the quiet road—his and hers.
Shu Ran secretly glanced at him. His posture was always so upright, with broad shoulders and back. In the flickering light and shadow, the lines of his profile appeared much softer.
"How's the report preparation going?" Chen Yuanjiang suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. He didn't look at her; his gaze was fixed on the road ahead.
"That's about it," Shu Ran replied. "Just pick out the key points from what we did in the livestock company."
"Hmm." Chen Yuanjiang responded, pausing for a few seconds as if choosing his words carefully, "Just tell the truth. Everyone can see the work you've done."
"I know," Shu Ran said softly, feeling much more at ease.
After walking a while longer, the outline of the guesthouse came into view. Chen Yuanjiang slowed his pace.
“Lin Xuezhou…” he spoke again, the name carrying a hint of caution in his tone, “His uncle, Deputy Political Commissar Lin, is a fairly upright man who values achievements.”
Shu Ran's heart skipped a beat. He was providing her with information, helping her analyze the situation. He really did know something.
“So, the key is whether what you can offer is substantial enough,” Shu Ran replied, her mind gradually becoming clear.
"Hmm." Chen Yuanjiang gave her an approving look, but quickly looked away, as if it were just an unintentional glance.
They had arrived at the guesthouse entrance. Under the lamplight, his face became clearer, a hint of fatigue between his brows, but his eyes remained sharp.
"I'll stop here." Shu Ran stopped walking. "Thank you for bringing me back."
Chen Yuanjiang stood in front of her, an arm's length apart, neither too close nor too far. His gaze calmly rested on her face.
"Get some rest." That was all he said in the end. Then he took the water bottle off his shoulder and handed it back to her. "Keep this; it'll be convenient for the division headquarters to get hot water."
"Okay." Shu Ran took it and nodded.
Chen Yuanjiang glanced at her, then turned and left.
Shu Ran stood at the entrance of the guesthouse, watching his figure disappear until he was completely out of sight. She stroked the kettle in her hand and walked into the guesthouse.
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