Chapter 30
After Chen Yan said "For example, today", the living room fell into a very deep and very long silence.
Lin Qi looked at him, and he looked at her. The air was filled with the warmth of the vinyl record, the rich aroma of meat simmering in the kitchen, and the utter earnestness and honesty in his eyes, which could no longer be concealed.
This time, it was Chen Yan who looked away first.
He cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly and stood up, as if he was hiding something.
"I'm...going to check the kitchen," he said, a hint of panic in his tone that he himself didn't even notice. "I think I can smell the aroma of braised beef in soy sauce."
He walked to the kitchen and opened the lid of the pot. A stronger and more overbearing aroma, mixed with hot steam, instantly filled the room.
He gently poked the beef in the pot with a chopstick, and then, as if he had finally found a fulcrum to calm himself down, he turned around and gave Lin Qi, who was still sitting on the sofa, a relieved and gentle smile.
"Teacher Lin," his voice had regained its previous calmness and a hint of teasing, "Come here and inspect your student's graduation project today."
"Okay." Lin Qi also walked over with a smile, returning to his previous relaxed and happy expression.
Seeing her relaxed look again, Chen Yan was completely relieved. The atmosphere in the kitchen instantly returned to its previous homely feeling with a touch of sweetness.
He took out a clean white porcelain plate from the cupboard, and with a somewhat exaggerated and solemn ritual, he took the piece of braised beef with soy sauce, which had been stewed until it was soft and tender and fragrant, out of the soup pot and placed it steadily on the chopping board.
"Alright." He picked up a sharp Chinese kitchen knife and looked at Lin Qi in a serious tone, trying not to laugh. "The next step will finally enter my professional field."
He paused, and then very skillfully began to cut the beef into slices of even thickness.
"—'cut' the beef."
He had good knife skills, and he neatly arranged the slices of beef with beautiful textures on the plate. He then used a spoon to scoop up some of the thick soup from the pot and evenly poured it over the slices of meat.
He placed the dish, the fruit of their afternoon's labor, in front of her as if he were presenting a work of art.
"Teacher Lin, please." His eyes were full of smiles and anticipation. "Try it. How does our first collaborative work taste?"
"I didn't expect you to be so good at cutting. I can't even cut as well as you." Lin Qi praised, then took a bite and nodded seriously, "Hmm, it's delicious. Classmate Shen, congratulations on your graduation."
Hearing her praise, Chen Yan smiled at first, and then calmly responded to her words with a self-deprecating remark.
"After all, I only know this one step," he said in a serious tone, "I have to practice it properly, otherwise I won't be able to justify myself in front of Teacher Lin."
Her subsequent words "Congratulations on your graduation" made it impossible to hide the smile on his face.
He looked at her, his eyes filled with pure joy and relief, and shook his head: "I don't deserve that title. At most, I'm just an 'auditor' who listens attentively."
"The diploma," he paused, his eyes fixed on her face very seriously, "should be given to our head chef and instructor, Mr. Lin."
He picked up the plate of braised beef in soy sauce and gestured to some refreshing side dishes he had prepared in advance.
"Alright, 'Outstanding Auditor,' I now formally invite our 'Instructor Lin,'" he said with a smile. "Please take your seat and enjoy the fruits of our teaching today."
Lin Qi was amused by his rhetoric and smiled as he helped him bring the food to the table.
The evening sunlight slanted in through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, painting the entire living room with a warm golden hue.
They sat facing each other, the lights off. On the table lay the fruits of their afternoon's labor, and next to it lay the box of Suzhou-style snacks she had brought.
This meal was a very quiet and satisfying one.
There is no more temptation as when we first met, nor the depth when we shared our secrets with each other. There is only a completely relaxed and homely warmth.
They talked about each other's childhood, interesting things that happened in college, and the trivial things that shaped the "Chen Yan" and "Lin Qi" of today.
He said his father was a meticulous engineer, so the house was always in perfect order. She also said her mother was a sentimental Chinese teacher, so she read a lot of "useless" books since she was a child.
They were like two pieces of a puzzle. In their casual chat, they found, bit by bit, the deepest lines in each other that matched well with each other.
After dinner, it was completely dark.
Lin Qi stood up naturally and began to clear the dishes. Chen Yan didn't say anything polite to her, "Let me do it," but took the plate from her hand naturally and walked into the kitchen with her.
One of them was responsible for washing and the other for rinsing. In that small kitchen where only a warm yellow ceiling light was on, no one spoke, but they cooperated with each other in a very tacit understanding.
The sound of flowing water, the clatter of dishes, and the vague sound of traffic during the city's evening rush hour coming from outside the window form the most beautiful symphony about "home".
After cleaning up everything, they returned to the living room.
Chen Yan glanced at the wall clock and saw that it was almost eight o'clock.
"Time flies." He sighed softly.
He looked at Lin Qi, his eyes filled with complete, undisguised tenderness and a hint of... barely perceptible reluctance to let her leave.
"I..." He started to speak, but stopped.
Finally, he just smiled and said in a very calm tone: "It's late. I'll take you downstairs."
"Okay." Lin Qi also smiled, then stood up to get the coat hanging at the entrance.
Chen Yan followed her, and when she put on her coat and was about to open the door, he gently held her wrist from behind.
Lin Qi looked back in some confusion.
He said nothing, simply pulling her closer and leaning down, giving her a kiss that was deeper and longer than any before.
This kiss carries the salty aroma of braised beef in the kitchen, the fresh fragrance of Longjing tea in the living room, and the reassuring and clean scent of him.
When they broke apart, their foreheads were pressed against each other, their breathing a little disordered.
"Let's go," his voice was hoarse because of his emotion, "I'll take you there."
The way back was just as quiet and smooth as the previous two times. The car stopped downstairs of her house, and he got out with her and walked her to the familiar porch light.
"Let's go upstairs." He let go of her hand and helped her tidy up her hair that was messed up by the wind. "Go to bed early."
He looked into her eyes, as if confirming something very important, and asked in a very gentle tone:
"Tomorrow morning, at the usual time, wait for my call?"
Lin Qi looked at him with gentle and expectant eyes and nodded slightly.
"Yeah." She responded, her voice was soft but firm, "Wait for your call."
After receiving her affirmative answer, Chen Yan showed a completely relaxed and satisfied smile on his face.
He raised his hand, very restrainedly, and just used his fingertips to gently touch the loose hair on her forehead.
"Okay," he said, "come in, it's cold outside."
"good evening."
Lin Qi turned around, swiped his card, and walked into the corridor.
Just like every time before, Chen Yan stood there until the light in the familiar window upstairs came on. Then he turned around and slowly walked into the night.
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