Chapter 23
Seeing Lin Qi's familiar yet slightly awkward shy expression, Chen Yan's smile grew even gentler. This feeling made him feel very real.
He stood up and naturally helped her pull the chair a little further to make it easier for her to sit down.
"No, I just got here too." He used a classic, considerate lie to dispel her concerns. "I just finished making tea when you came."
He picked up the small purple clay teapot on the table, poured her a cup of warm Pu'er tea, and pushed it in front of her, moving neither hurriedly nor slowly.
"Half a month no see." He looked at her, as if stating a fact, but also starting a conversation. "Have you been busy with work lately?"
"I also have a project to follow." Lin Qi looked at him, feeling that the blank space of the past half month was instantly filled by the warm tea in front of him and his gentle gaze. "But it's better than yours. I don't have to travel, so I'm not that busy."
Hearing her words, he nodded to show his understanding.
"That's good," he said. "It's not easy to balance work and rest."
He turned the menu to her and, in a relaxed tone, changed the subject away from their somewhat dull work.
"Okay, let's not talk about work anymore."
"Let's see what Guide Lin would like to eat to kick things off at the first stop of our 'grand plan'?" He looked at her with a hint of a smile in his eyes. "You're the star today, so you decide the menu."
Lin Qi looked at the menu carefully and ordered pork belly chicken, barbecued pork buns, and roasted pigeon.
Chen Yan watched her ordering dishes seriously, with a hint of smile in his eyes. The three dishes she ordered were all very authentic Cantonese dishes, and it was obvious that she came prepared.
"You're very good at ordering." He praised with a smile, "The pig stomach chicken warms the stomach, the squab is the signature dish, and the barbecued pork buns... are probably everyone's favorite."
He took the menu naturally.
"You order the main courses, and I'll make up the rest to ensure there are no disappointments."
He didn't ask her any more questions, but quickly flipped to the next few pages and waved for the waiter. He whispered a few words to the waiter in Cantonese, and Lin Qi probably understood the words "steamed grouper" and "garlic choy sum".
The two dishes he ordered, one steamed and one stir-fried, perfectly balanced the richness of the dishes she ordered, and were a very thoughtful combination.
After the waiter took the order and left, he refilled her tea.
"Alright," he put down the teapot and leaned back in his chair, "Now, we can start the first stop of our 'gourmet plan'. Guide Lin, how are you?"
Lin Qi didn't answer his question. Instead, he said in surprise, "You speak Cantonese? I really want to learn, but it's so difficult."
She seemed to have found an outlet to confide in others, and enthusiastically shared: "There are a few Cantonese songs I really like, such as Faye Wong's 'Ambiguous' and Priscilla Chan's 'Moonlight Serenade'. Do you know how I sing them? I mark the pinyin under each line and sing along."
After saying that, she smiled embarrassedly.
Hearing her frank and lovely "confession", Chen Yan was slightly stunned at first, and then, a very clear smile with a full smile completely blossomed on his face. He even wanted to laugh so much that he had to pick up the teacup and take a sip of tea to hide his almost unconcealable smile.
He put down his teacup and looked at her, the smile in his eyes not fading at all: "Using pinyin to mark... you're so smart."
There wasn't a trace of ridicule in his tone, only complete admiration for her, as if he found her interesting and adorable.
“This is probably the most serious way to learn a song I’ve ever heard.”
He paused and explained naturally why he could speak Cantonese: "I worked there for a few years before. I had no choice but to learn it because of the environment."
Then, leaning forward slightly, he lowered his voice so as not to be drowned out by the surrounding noise, and his eyes fell on her face with a smile that revealed the answer to a mystery.
"But, Faye Wong, Priscilla Chan..." He read out the two names slowly.
"It seems that the remaining 20% of our long-standing suspense about my musical taste is now..."
He looked into her eyes and announced the answer word by word.
"Today, it can be officially announced."
"What is it?" Lin Qi's eyes lit up instantly.
The light in her eyes was like a child who had finally received the long-awaited candy, which made Chen Yan feel better.
He didn't answer directly, but kept the question a secret. He picked up the teapot and slowly refilled the tea for the two people. Then, he put the teapot down, leaned back in his chair, and said in a relaxed, yet nostalgic tone:
“Classical music is a conversation with oneself when you are alone.”
“Rock and roll is shouting with all your might when you are young.”
He paused, withdrew his gaze from the distant memories, and fell on her face again, and his voice became gentle.
“And old Cantonese songs…”
He looked into her eyes and spoke softly but clearly, giving the final answer:
"It's the tenderness that remains in my heart after I've learned to reconcile with this world."
Just then, the waiter brought a steaming pot of pork tripe and chicken soup, and the rich aroma of pepper filled the air. He picked up the spoon, poured her a bowl of soup first, and pushed it in front of her.
"Let's drink the soup first," he said. "Is this answer enough for us to finish the soup and then talk slowly?"
"Come, let's toast to reconciliation first!" Lin Qi was deeply touched by his words "the tenderness after reconciliation". Smiling, she raised her teacup and gestured to him, "After that, we can chat slowly!"
Seeing her pick up her teacup and say the chivalrous phrase "respect first, reconcile", Chen Yan was thoroughly amused. The admiration and smile in his eyes almost overflowed, and he cooperated by also picking up his own teacup and gently clinking it with hers in the air.
The sound of "ding" is crisp, clear and pleasant.
"Okay." He replied with a smile, his voice full of relaxation and joy. "Let's reconcile."
After saying that, he drank the tea in the cup in one gulp, just like her.
He put down his teacup, picked up the serving chopsticks, picked up a piece of stewed pork belly for her, and put it in her bowl.
"After the reconciliation, let's toast to our 'grand plan.'" He looked at her and said seriously, "Guide Lin, please."
Lin Qi chuckled, lowered his head and started eating seriously.
Seeing her smile, Chen Yan also showed a very relaxed smile. He also picked up the chopsticks, poured himself a bowl of soup, and then quietly and attentively tasted the food in front of him.
For a moment, there was no conversation between them, only the occasional clink of dishes and chopsticks, and the satisfying, subtle sound of chewing. The surrounding restaurant's clatter seemed to become a lively background sound, only highlighting the peace and tacit understanding in their little world.
They no longer need to use words to fill the gaps; simply sitting together and eating food from the same pot is already a very comfortable communication.
After a while, Chen Yan saw that the teacup in front of her was empty, so he naturally picked up the teapot and refilled it for her.
"Eat slowly," he said softly, in a normal tone, as if he were talking to a family member. "We have plenty of time."
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