Chapter 19
Shen Hanyang hadn't slept well all night, and his temples were throbbing violently when he woke up in the morning. He asked Secretary Gao for a day off from work.
After taking two painkillers, my headache finally eased a bit.
At 8:30, the maid had already prepared a sumptuous breakfast. Chen Hanyang usually leaves early and returns late, so it's rare for him to have breakfast at home.
At the dining table, Cheng Jiaming was munching on a small piece of toast, nodding and swaying his head, looking like he was in a great mood.
Shen Hanyang looked at his son: "Is there good news?"
Cheng Jiaming said smugly, "Teacher Yan said she would bring me Anchuan Bazhen Cake, and only for me." He then glanced at him and Wu Yanying with disdain.
Shen Hanyang asked doubtfully, "Are you sure this isn't a dream?"
“I called her this morning, and she told me herself! She’s going to Yasukawa soon, you can check my call logs if you don’t believe me!”
Shen Hanyang frowned: "Why aren't you eating the snacks I brought you from my business trip?"
Cheng Jiaming raised his little face: "How can you compare to Teacher Yan?"
Shen Hanyang's brows furrowed even more.
"I'm not talking to you anymore. I'm meeting Xiangxiang to play badminton today, so I need to take a shower and change." Cheng Jiaming threw down his knife and fork and jumped off his chair.
"Brother Hanyang, I'm going out later too. I'm going to the orphanage with my classmates to do volunteer work today." Wu Yanying said with a gentle smile, her well-behaved appearance contrasting sharply with Cheng Jiaming.
Shen Hanyang nodded: "Let the driver take you with him." Then he went back to his room.
Wu Yanying was left all alone in the living room. She had wanted to chat with Shen Hanyang a bit more, but he seemed completely oblivious to her doing volunteer work. After a while, feeling bored, she went back to her room with a disgruntled expression.
When she finished getting ready and returned to the living room, she happened to see Shen Hanyang taking his car keys in the entryway. She heard him tell the maid that he wouldn't be back for lunch, and then he left alone.
Shen Hanyang drove west and when he arrived at the L University bus stop, he immediately saw Yan Qing waiting for the bus in front of the bus stop sign.
He parked his car on the side of the road and walked towards the bus stop. She didn't notice him until he was right next to her—her attention was entirely on the bunch of ranunculus flowers she was holding in her arms.
"Waiting for the bus?"
Hearing the voice, Yan Qing didn't react at first, her eyes still shimmering with a hazy emotion as she looked up. It wasn't until the clearly defined features of the person opposite her came into clear view that she finally came to her senses.
"Mr. Shen, what are you doing here?"
"Just passing by." Shen Hanyang glanced at the bus stop sign. "Where are you planning to go?"
"Yaskawa."
"Take the bus?"
"First take a bus to the long-distance bus station, then take a long-distance bus there."
Shen Hanyang seemed to be thinking: "After all this trouble, it will take at least three hours to get to Anchuan."
"I know," Yan Qing said, seemingly unconcerned about the three-hour drive.
"I'll take you," Shen Hanyang said.
"No need to trouble you. I go to Yasukawa often. I can just listen to music and enjoy the scenery along the way."
"With so many people on the bus, are you sure your flowers will be intact when you get off?" Shen Hanyang pointed to the bouquet in her arms and then to the space behind her.
Yan Qing turned around and saw a line of students waiting for the bus behind her, the queue still growing. She couldn't help but look down at the flowers in her hand again. She had bought this bouquet of ranunculus the night before. Following the florist's instructions, she had moistened it with water and placed it in a well-ventilated spot by the window, so the flowers remained as vibrant as ever overnight.
Yan Qing hesitated, wondering if the bouquet could withstand a three-hour crowded and bumpy car ride.
“I’m going to Anchuan to visit a friend, and I can give you a ride.” As soon as Shen Hanyang finished speaking, he felt Yan Qing looking at him with a very intriguing gaze.
Anyone could tell that passing by L University and then going to Yasukawa to visit a friend was too much of a coincidence to be believable.
Yan Qing didn't speak and silently looked away.
Left out in the cold, Shen Hanyang suddenly realized that his clumsy lie had been exposed, and he looked slightly embarrassed.
“Let’s go, my car is parked across the street.” He chose a method that even he found ridiculous—talking to himself, leaving her no room to refuse.
In the few seconds that followed him as he turned to walk towards the car, he was even thinking about how he would handle the situation if she didn't follow...
Fortunately, Yan Qing caught up.
The car sped along the highway and arrived in Anchuan in two hours. Yan Qing got out of the car at the entrance of an old residential area, followed by Shen Hanyang.
The waterworks residential complex consists of six buildings, each seven stories high. Shen Hanyang estimated that these buildings were at least forty years old, typical old and dilapidated structures.
The soapberry tree planted in the courtyard was quite robust, with its canopy reaching as high as a five-story building. Its leaves were layered, filtering down a lush green light.
Under the soapberry tree, there were stone benches and tables, where several old men were playing chess.
An old man looked up from the chessboard, adjusted his reading glasses, and said, "Xiao Yan is here."
Yan Qing glanced at the chessboard and asked with a smile, "Uncle Zhao, how's the game going?"
The old man surnamed Zhao said smugly, "We've killed Old Yang so badly he can't even lift his head!"
The old man surnamed Yang on the other side was not convinced: "Let's play another round!"
Old Zhao quickly noticed Shen Hanyang beside Yan Qing and nodded with a smile: "Not bad."
Yan Qing blushed and walked silently toward Building 3. Turning a corner, she noticed Shen Hanyang was still following behind, carrying the monitor she had bought for Qiao Yi.
"Thank you, Mr. Shen. You've worked hard. I'll stop here." As she was about to take the things from his hands, her phone rang.
"You brought him straight to meet your parents?" Qiao Yi's voice was barely audible on the phone.
Yan Qing looked up and saw a head peeking out of the seventh-floor window.
"Why didn't you tell me beforehand? I wasn't prepared at all."
"What nonsense is this?" Yan Qing frowned.
Qiao Yi said, "It's hot outside, don't stand in the sun. Hurry up and bring your son-in-law up, I'll go open the door right now!"
Yan Qing glanced at Shen Hanyang, wondering how much of Qiao Yi's frivolous words had been overheard.
Shen Hanyang remained calm: "Your friend is quite enthusiastic. Go upstairs and don't keep him waiting. I'm also a bit thirsty." With that, he strode forward.
Yan Qing closed her eyes and jogged to catch up.
In the apartment on the seventh floor of Unit 2, Building 3, the old security door was wide open. Qiao Yi was already waiting impatiently at the door. As soon as he saw Shen Hanyang, his mouth stretched to his ears: "A rare guest, welcome, welcome! It's good that you're here, why did you bring anything!" As he spoke, he took the monitor from Shen Hanyang's hand.
Seeing Yan Qing holding a bouquet of flowers, Chen Hanyang's gaze softened with admiration: "Well done! Our Qingqing loves flowers the most. Please come in!"
Qiao Yi was about to follow Yan Qing into the house when Yan Qing grabbed him and whispered a warning in his ear: "Don't talk nonsense."
Qiao Yi broke free from her grasp: "Why are you pulling me? I'm getting peanuts for someone."
Under Yan Qing's glare that seemed to want to punch him, Qiao Yi eagerly brought over a plastic snack box, pulled out a chair, and gestured for her to sit down: "Please sit down. I haven't asked your surname yet?"
"Shen Hanyang." Shen Hanyang smiled faintly.
“Chen Hanyang,” Qiao Yi savored the three characters. “A good name. A touch of cold sun, with a profound and distant meaning. It can also be interpreted as the warm sun in the cold winter, comforting people’s hearts. Eat peanuts.”
Shen Hanyang said, "Thank you," but didn't move.
Qiao Yi pulled out a tissue and started peeling it himself.
"By the way, how did you two meet? How long have you known each other? You've kept it a secret very well; this girl has never mentioned it to me."
Yan Qing called out, "Qiao Yi."
Qiao Yi carefully peeled peanuts with his left hand, placing the peeled peanuts on an open napkin: "Tell me how you fought your way through a thousand troops and won over this little girl?"
"A vast army?" Shen Hanyang asked with a hint of doubt.
Qiao Yi chuckled: "It's a bit of an exaggeration, but that's the gist of it."
"Qiao Yi!"
Yan Qing called out several times, but Qiao Yi acted as if he didn't hear her. From the moment he entered the room, his attention hadn't left Shen Hanyang.
At this moment, Qiao Yi suddenly remembered something and said to Yan Qing, "There are still peaches in the refrigerator, get two for Xiao Shen."
Seeing Yan Qing standing still, Qiao Yi got up and walked towards the kitchen: "Why didn't you get some fruit?"
Shen Hanyang sat at the dining table, taking in the entire room. The house was almost completely unfurnished, with cement floors and whitewashed walls. Several patches of plaster had peeled off at the base, exposing the bare cement. A few pieces of old furniture, their age impossible to guess, made the already small living room feel even more cramped. The only striking feature was the two black-and-white photographs displayed on the altar.
In the kitchen, Yan Qing was saying something to Qiao Yi. Although Qiao Yi lowered his voice, his words still drifted into the living room intermittently:
"We had a great chat... Where was it embarrassing?... Boss? Even better, it'll make us even closer!"
A little while later, Qiao Yi came out carrying a basket of peaches: "Our Anchuan peaches are incredibly sweet, famous throughout the country. Have a taste."
Shen Hanyang smiled and politely declined, "Thank you, but my stomach isn't very good, and I can't eat cold food."
When Yan Qing came out, she saw a handful of peeled peanuts on the napkin in front of Shen Hanyang, and she rolled her eyes at Qiao Yi.
"Mr. Shen, if you're busy, please go back first. Thank you very much for today."
"No, please!" Qiao Yi urged. "Have lunch before you leave, especially if you have a sensitive stomach. You need to eat on time. Has Qingqing shown you her cooking skills?"
Shen Hanyang answered truthfully: "No."
"Then let's have a home-cooked meal at home today. Qingqing will cook, and I'll help. She can just pick a few ingredients from the fridge and make a decent meal."
Shen Hanyang looked at Yan Qing, his eyes questioning, "Is it convenient?"
Yan Qing was helpless.
"It's settled then." Qiao Yi happily pulled Shen Hanyang along and started chatting again.
"It was only when I met you that I felt that the characters I created had a real form."
"Are you a writer?"
"I'm not very talented, but I can write some online novels."
I will definitely read it when I have the chance.
Qiao Yi perked up immediately upon hearing this: "Great! Qingqing is also one of my readers, so you can all give me your feedback. The book I'm currently writing is called..."
"Qiao Yi, come wash the tomatoes." Yan Qing's voice interrupted their conversation.
Qiao Yi, who was in the middle of an exciting conversation, became unhappy: "They were talking about something important..." Seeing Yan Qing glaring at him, he could only mutter as he got up.
"His arm is injured, let me do it." It was Shen Hanyang who spoke.
Shen Hanyang casually rolled up his sleeves and placed a bowl of tomatoes under the tap. After washing the tomatoes, he also offered to peel the preserved eggs. The kitchen was small; two people standing together couldn't turn around properly, and it was inevitable that they would bump into each other when moving around.
"I'll do it," Yan Qing said.
Shen Hanyang kept working, but said, "These tomatoes are better than the ones I usually eat. They smell like tomatoes from my childhood."
Qiao Yi heard this and said, "Our Anchuan is a small place, but our products are genuine. Cucumbers taste like cucumbers, and apples taste like apples. The improved varieties eaten in big cities may look good, but they taste much worse. Oh dear, we're out of drinks. I'll go downstairs and buy some."
Yan Qing stopped him: "How can you go with a limp arm? Just drink some water."
Qiao Yi craned his neck to peek into the kitchen: "Aren't you making pounded pepper and preserved egg? That's not satisfying without soda. I'll be right back."
Shen Hanyang walked out of the kitchen: "I'll go buy it."
Qiao Yi stopped him, saying, "How can I let you run errands?"
Shen Hanyang smiled and said, "I'll go." He glanced at the busy figure in the kitchen and added, "She's unhappy."
Qiao Yi scratched his head sheepishly: "My daughter's all grown up, she's got a temper now."
After buying drinks, Shen Hanyang lingered outside for a while. Back at the waterworks' residential compound, the elderly men were still engrossed in their chess game. Shen Hanyang went closer to watch.
After watching for a while, the old man playing the red general invited him, "Young man, do you know chess? Want to play a couple of games?"
Shen Hanyang did not refuse; the old man gave up his seat, and he sat down in the red area.
After several rounds, the opponent was utterly defeated. The old man holding the black pieces shook his head repeatedly: "Your moves are unusual; there's no way to counter you."
A bystander jokingly remarked, "Old Feng, you're seventy years old. How can your mind keep up with the young people?"
Old Feng looked at Shen Hanyang's remarkable demeanor and said, "When have we ever had such an outstanding talent here? Young man, which family are you from?"
Old Zhao, who had spoken to us earlier, said, "You're late. We've already met him. He's the boyfriend of Old Qiao's daughter."
Shen Hanyang smiled but remained silent.
Another old man said, "Stop chatting, it's time for lunch!" So the chess game ended, and everyone went home, leaving only Chen Hanyang sitting alone under the shade of a tree.
On the chessboard, the pieces of both red and black remain in their final formation. The black general is surrounded on all sides, trapped in a desperate situation by the valiant red pieces.
For some reason, Qiao Yi's question suddenly came to mind: "How did you manage to fight your way out of thousands of troops?"
When he returned to Qiao Yi's house, the door was not closed. He heard Yan Qingzheng telling Qiao Yi, "His son is already eight years old, and he has a girlfriend who hasn't graduated from university yet. The two of them live together."
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