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Chen Rancheng held his ID card in his hand. In the photo, Shen Tinghe had shoulder-length short hair, and her face still had some chubby baby fat. She was fair and tender, and it was clear that she was very young when the photo was taken.
He was from Yucheng and was five years younger than him.
The ID card twirled between my hand and the table, but no one came.
Just then, I saw someone sit down opposite me. I flipped the ID card in my hand over and pressed it under my hand. I picked it up and put it in my pocket.
Pan Yuemei saw Chen Ran sitting there alone, so she brought over some food. "Little Chen, all alone?"
When she saw Chen Rancheng in the car that picked them up, she thought he was a good guy—handsome, gentle, and successful. He was the perfect son-in-law, and the more she looked at him, the more pleasing he became.
"That young international student said she'd go with us to some tourist attractions today, do you want to go?" She wouldn't give up and insisted on finding out if he was going or not.
Chen Rancheng raised an eyebrow slightly. "When?"
"tomorrow."
He seemed to be considering it, saying, "I happen to be on vacation tomorrow, and of course I'll go with you as I promised." He was polite and courteous, showing no airs of officialdom whatsoever.
Pan Yuemei thought to herself, "I have such good taste."
As the event drew to a close, Shen Tinghe, seeing that there were fewer people around, came over to him to get her wallet. She was dressed formally today, in a light pink suit and thick-soled leather shoes, a completely different look from the night at the bar.
He spoke with poise and confidence, his demeanor was steady and powerful, and his subtle expressions revealed a lively spirit.
How do we get back?
"...The school bus took us."
Chen Rancheng nodded upon hearing this, and Shen Tinghe, seeing this, didn't exchange pleasantries, saying, "I'll be going now."
He nodded.
After watching Chen Tinghe leave, Shi Yu walked over to him and lowered her voice, "Wang Si asked if you are free tonight. He would like to invite you to dinner."
Chen Rancheng glanced at Shi Yu, "Is he that free?"
The timely rain made it clear.
Shen Tinghe was surprised when Professor Wang approached her after the event to ask if she was free the next day, as they wanted to go for a walk in the neighborhood. A look of astonishment flashed across her face, and she nodded, saying she was.
The Louvre was in the first arrondissement, and their hotel happened to be nearby. They said they wanted to visit it, so Shen Tinghe took the subway to their hotel the next day.
Paris has a dense and convenient metro system, and Shen Tinghe usually chooses the metro for travel because taxis are really expensive in Paris.
The weather has been great these past two days; the overcast skies of the past few days are gone, and the sky is a clear blue with shimmering sunlight.
A figure loomed over the narrow passageway, blocking out the sun overhead.
Shen Tinghe raised her eyebrows, looking at the person in front of her with a shocked expression. She blinked and then looked at Professor Wang, who was warmly welcoming her, not quite understanding what was going on.
Chen Ran was dressed casually, having shed his well-tailored and exquisite suit, making him appear even more gentle and approachable, as if they were meeting for the first time in southern France.
Professor Pan was even more enthusiastic than Professor Wang. If he hadn't been stuck in his seat, he would definitely have rushed to sit with Chen Rancheng.
Across the aisle, Chen Rancheng sat down in the empty seat to the left of Shen Tinghe.
The car drove through the streets, heading towards the Louvre.
Professor Pan Yuemei, sitting in the front, turned around and looked at Chen Rancheng, asking seemingly casually:
"Xiao Chen, are you dating anyone?"
Chen Ran was taken aback. Having been abroad for the past few years, he was a little flustered when he first heard this nonsense, but he calmly brushed it off.
Shen Tinghe looked over when he heard the sound, and his attention was immediately drawn to Pan Yuemei's red lips with their distinct lip lines.
Chen Rancheng caught Shen Tinghe's gaze, "No."
"What kind do you like?"
"Beautiful."
"Just being pretty is enough? What about kindness and filial piety?"
"Get to know it slowly."
Pan Yuemei couldn't help but purse her lips. She had thought he was an honest and reliable kid, but it turned out he was shallow and only cared about looks. Chen Rancheng remained calm and composed, offering no explanation.
The atmosphere in the car suddenly quieted down, and Pan Yuemei was far less lively than before on the road ahead.
Chen Rancheng had already bought the Louvre tickets in advance. When he returned from the ticket counter, a tour guide followed behind him, handing out translators to each of them.
Shen Tinghe took the ticket and asked the question that had been on her mind, "You knew I was coming?"
Tickets need to be booked a day in advance, and he had the exact number of tickets in his hand, knowing how many people would be there tomorrow.
Chen Rancheng placed the translator in her hand, saying, "Shiyu couldn't come because she had something to do."
...
Shen Tinghe has been deluding herself.
Shen Tinghe gave an awkward "oh," took the translator, put it to her ear, and quickly ran to the front of the line to lead them through the gate after they had their tickets checked.
I tried my best to avoid Chen Rancheng the whole way, because I really lost face just now.
At noon, Shen Tinghe made a reservation at a French restaurant on the banks of the Seine. The food there looked good, and she didn't bother to ask Chen Rancheng if he had made a reservation. What did it matter to her?
The restaurant features floor-to-ceiling windows adorned with unique decorations, where sunlight filters through, casting pale purple shadows.
Shen Tinghe subconsciously picked up the water on the table, took a sip, and then stopped.
There's no hot water in Paris, so the water poured into the cup is always ice-cold. Shen Tinghe has been exposed to ice-cold water several times, but she still hasn't learned her lesson.
The woman sitting next to her was a professor who looked at her dress and asked where she bought it, saying it was very pretty and that she had always wanted to buy a similar dress but hadn't found one that suited her taste.
She was chewing her steak with her mouth full when she heard this, her eyes lit up, she swallowed and wiped her mouth, and said, "My friend owns a shop that designs her own products. She would be overjoyed if she heard you say that. I'll recommend her shop to you. They have a lot of styles."
Shen Tinghe wore a dress in a modern Chinese style, which slightly covered her knees when she stood up. Layers of gauze were wrapped around her, and light orchids were painted on it, making it elegant but not dull.
Because everyone disagreed in the afternoon, and the professors were unwilling to compromise due to their own pride, some wanted to go to the Seine to enjoy the breeze and coffee, some wanted to go to the Tuileries Garden to enjoy the birdsong and flowers, and some wanted to go shopping, so everyone went their separate ways.
Shen Tinghe was happy to be at ease. She was too lazy to move, so she sat in the corner and ate slowly. She waved goodbye to them and said that they could contact her on WeChat if they needed anything. Professor Wang then created a WeChat group for them.
I'd almost finished eating, and the ice cream in the dessert cup in front of me had melted into a puddle with the small spoon. I really wanted to take a bite.
Never mind, we can eat it in a few days.
The sound of cutlery clattering came from the side, and Shen Tinghe realized that there were other people who hadn't left, just like her.
When Chen Rancheng saw her looking over, he tilted his head slightly outwards, indicating that she might like to go for a walk. The sunlight scattered on the Seine, illuminating the shimmering waves.
Shen Tinghe thought for a while, then shook her head; she didn't want to go out yet.
The sound of a chair being pulled out signaled that Chen Rancheng had left. He was very tall and had a commanding presence; even among Europeans, he could be spotted at a glance. He gradually disappeared into the crowd, becoming a black dot.
After sitting for a while, Shen Tinghe also picked up his bag and left the restaurant, choosing a direction opposite to his.
There were newlyweds taking wedding photos on the street, standing next to the church, surrounded by a crowd of people. Besides the photographer, there were many people taking pictures with their cameras, and passersby all smiled and offered their blessings.
A white veil was lifted and hung in the air. Bubbles blown by the children floated nimbly around them. When the veil touched the bubbles, they popped out with a "pop" and splashed into the air. The children twirled and jumped, extremely excited, their silvery smiles echoing in the air.
After taking a set of photos, the newlyweds warmly invited passersby to join in, affectionately taking their hands.
The bride spotted Shen Tinghe immediately. She was a Chinese girl with a messy hairstyle and rosy cheeks. The bride pulled Shen Tinghe toward the photographer. The groom saw that the bride had found a group of Chinese people, so he looked around the crowd and unexpectedly saw another group of Chinese people.
A man as handsome as him.
I put my arm around his shoulder and asked if I could take a picture.
The bride saw the groom coming over and said, "You two are a perfect match." Shen Tinghe followed her gaze and saw Chen Rancheng, who was supposed to be walking south, appear in front of her.
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