Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Why didn't you confess to me...
The restaurant was quiet and comfortable, its ambiance imbued with the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi. Jazz music played softly from a record player, and a sushi counter separated the dining area from the kitchen. They were the first group to arrive, and the chef thoughtfully seated them in the center. Sushi is always paired with sake, so Chen Zhuo ordered a small pot of Dassai 23 sake.
Shen Zhuo originally thought that they would just sit there quietly and finish their dinner, but he didn't expect the chef to be very talkative. While processing the ingredients behind the bar, he chatted with them enthusiastically and even asked about the relationship between the two.
Shao Chengzhang replied calmly: "We are husband and wife."
The chef's eyes lit up and he exclaimed "Wow" in an exaggerated tone, "You two really look like a good match! But... your wife is still prettier." He smiled with his eyes narrowed, and his tone was so exaggerated that it sounded like the enthusiastic and slightly exaggerated Japanese elders in Japanese dramas that Shen Zhuo remembered.
Shen Zhuo felt a little embarrassed for a moment, and could only forcefully raise the corners of his mouth and say "thank you".
Every time a dish was served, the chef would introduce it to them, whether it was the ingredients, the way of eating it, or the utensils. Most of the time, Shao Chengzhang was chatting and laughing with the chef, while Chen Zhuo would occasionally respond with a word or two, but most of the time he was listening in silence.
She had originally thought Shao Chengzhang was a quiet person, but now they were chatting back and forth. She listened to Shao Chengzhang and the chef share his experiences of traveling to various countries or eating Japanese food, and then slowly talked about his interests and hobbies, confidently and calmly.
She had never seen him so talkative before.
Shao Chengzhang noticed that Shen Zhuo's eating speed had obviously slowed down. He leaned over slightly and asked her, "Are you feeling full? There are eleven pieces of sushi. Do you want the chef to put less rice in the sushi?"
Shen Zhuo was a little surprised at his attentiveness. After hearing Shao Chengzhang's suggestion, she nodded. Then Shao Chengzhang asked the chef to put less rice and seasoning in Shen Zhuo's sushi.
"That's so thoughtful. It seems like you know your wife very well. Have you been married for many years?" asked the chef.
Shao Chengzhang smiled and said, "No, we got married not long ago."
"Are you newlyweds?" The chef exclaimed again, "Congratulations on your wedding."
The two of them said "Thank you" in unison.
Chen Zhuo didn't finish the eleven pieces of sushi. She was already covering her mouth to stop hiccups after eating the fifth piece. The chef gave the remaining pieces to Shao Chengzhang.
When Chen Zhuo finally paid the bill, the waiter told her it had already been paid. Shao Chengzhang had been sitting next to her the entire time, so when exactly did he pay? After much thought, he could only infer that it was probably when she went to the bathroom before dinner.
She turned to look at Shao Chengzhang and said with a pout, "Hey, it was agreed that I would treat you."
Shao Chengzhang smiled slightly: "I really don't have the habit of letting ladies pay the bill."
It was a long way from the sushi restaurant to the parking lot, and they walked slowly side by side. The night was gentle, the streetlights dim, and the temperature was neither too high nor too low, very comfortable.
After walking for a while, Chen Zhuo said, "I will definitely not let you pay next time."
Shao Chengzhang said with a smile: "Let's try it. What do you want to treat me to next time?"
The thoughts are too obvious.
Shen Zhuo smiled and asked, "Do you want to have dinner with me or do you want me to treat you to a meal?"
"What do you think?" Shao Chengzhang asked instead of answering.
Chen Zhuo didn't respond and said, "I'm not like you, always going to high-end restaurants and eating Michelin stars abroad." Thinking of the topic he and the chef had just talked about, Chen Zhuo couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, "We usually like to eat in small, unremarkable shops."
"Then how did you determine that I would not like this kind of shop?"
"It's hard to imagine." Chen Zhuo really couldn't imagine what Shao Chengzhang would look like in a noisy and crowded restaurant. He always felt so out of place.
“Everyone has many sides.”
"Hmm." Chen Zhuo agreed. "Just like I didn't expect you to be such a social butterfly, able to chat so happily with the chef. I thought you were not good at speaking and didn't like socializing."
Shao Chengzhang lowered his eyes to look at her: "In your impression, am I a very serious person?"
"Yeah."
"Maybe, you can also try to understand me." Shao Chengzhang stared at her.
Noticing the other person's gaze, Shen Zhuo couldn't help but look back, but the moment they met, she quickly looked away. She snorted, "Why don't you take the initiative to confess yourself to me?"
Shao Chengzhang was stunned for a moment and said, "I have always been real in front of you."
"That's fair, I do the same."
"So you're willing?"
"I'm very busy." Shen Zhuo didn't answer directly, but she didn't refuse either. She raised her eyebrows and said, "It depends on my mood."
Shao Chengzhang smiled and tilted his head to look at her. The moonlight fell lightly on her cheek, and the heartbeat that she dared not express was slowly growing.
The two drove home. On the way, Chen Zhuo received Guan Siyu's contract for "Fog Lights". After returning home, Chen Zhuo read it carefully and made some changes to some details. He saved it and prepared to send it to Li Yaqi tomorrow.
Chen Zhuo decided to go to bed early tonight, so she took her pajamas and prepared to go wash up. When she passed by the open wardrobe, she glanced at it and found that the wardrobe that was originally half empty was full again.
After taking a shower and returning to the room, she could vaguely hear the sound of water dripping. It was Shao Chengzhang taking a shower. She climbed onto the bed and leaned against the headboard, browsing her phone.
After a while, the sound of water stopped. She just subconsciously glanced at the door, and that glance made her almost jump up from the bed: "Hey - what are you doing!" Shen Zhuo turned his head abruptly, his voice a little irritated, "Why did you come out without clothes on!"
At that moment, she did see it.
Shao Chengzhang only casually wrapped a white towel around his waist. Water droplets slid down the ends of his hair, winding along his neck and collarbone. His figure was more solid than she had imagined, with broad shoulders and a well-defined abdomen. His muscles were not exaggerated, but just right, yet very seductive.
She actually - actually couldn't help swallowing!
Depend on! ! !
Even though the curtains were drawn and the window couldn't reflect her expression, Shao Chengzhang could guess from her anxious and flustered tone that she was probably blushing again.
He smiled, he found that Shen Zhuo blushed very easily.
She blushes when she's embarrassed, angry, and shy, which is completely unlike her personality.
So cute.
"I forgot to take my bathrobe. I thought you were not in the room." His tone was confident, but his movements were slow. Shao Chengzhang walked to the open wardrobe to get his bathrobe.
The scene just now was like being burned into her mind. The more she tried to avoid thinking about it, the clearer it became. She cursed under her breath, "Pervert," and a soft laugh echoed from the other side.
"What did you say?"
"...I told you to get dressed quickly!!"
"I'm dressed."
Chen Zhuo was sure that she heard the wheezing sound when he laughed. She was angry and embarrassed. She looked like she had never seen the world before... She was almost thirty years old, and who hadn't seen a few naked men?
It's not like she hasn't watched male artists shoot magazines live before. Sometimes it's normal to ask them to be half-naked. She never felt this kind of blood rushing when she stared at the computer to select pictures before. She was also very calm when she saw bloggers showing off their chests and abs online. Why was she so scared just now...
If it happened again, she would definitely not be frightened and scream. Instead, she would pretend to be calm, glance him up and down, and then say coldly, "It's just so-so."
But there is no if… She lay down angrily, and the next second she reached out and turned off the bedroom light, "I'm sleepy, go to sleep."
Shao Chengzhang curled his lips in the darkness and said "good night" to her.
*
After a simple breakfast the next day, Shao Chengzhang drove to Ms. Chi's house with Chen Zhuo and the bags he had bought.
Chen Zhuo originally thought that although Ms. Chi blamed him for getting married without consulting him first, she should still like Shao Chengzhang. After all, it was she who took a fancy to him and asked him to go on a blind date. Meeting him today was completely different.
From the moment Shao Chengzhang entered the room, Ms. Chi's attitude towards him changed 180 degrees, completely different from the satisfaction she had shown when she had previously praised him in various ways.
Shao Chengzhang greeted Ms. Chi, and after much hesitation, he followed Chen Zhuo in calling out "Mom." Ms. Chi groaned, "Please don't call me that. I haven't even had the tea yet, why are you in such a hurry to change your words?"
Shen Zhuo frowned. Shao Chengzhang was stunned for a moment before smiling slightly and saying, "Then I'll just call you Aunt Chi. This is our first official meeting, and I brought this as a gift. I hope you like it."
Ms. Chi picked up a red gift box with "Japanese Dried Abalone" printed in gold foil. This box of ten abalone cost eight thousand yuan.
Ms. Chi looked at it and curled her lips: "Now that Japan's nuclear wastewater discharge is so serious, who would dare to eat seafood there?"
She picked up another box and looked at it. It was wild sea cucumbers. She took a look at it and said with disdain, "There are no wild sea cucumbers nowadays. They are all artificially raised and thrown into the sea."
Ms. Chi used to love eating Black Thorn King durian, which costs about 200 yuan per pound. But now she waved her hand and said, "I can't eat it. The doctor said my blood sugar is a little high, so I can't eat these high-sugar fruits."
Chen Zhuo's face darkened a little bit, "Mom, you don't want to eat this or that, why don't we just take it back and return it, and save money."
Ms. Chi glared at her and asked, "Why, you feel bad that he spent some money on me?"
“Aunt Chi, that’s not what Chen Zhuo meant.” Shao Chengzhang helped to explain.
"I gave birth to her and raised her. How could I not know what she meant?" Ms. Chi didn't give him any face and turned to walk towards the kitchen.
Chen Zhuo smiled awkwardly at Shao Chengzhang. Even if Ms. Chi disliked him, there was no need to refute her in such a direct manner.
Shao Chengzhang shook his head to indicate that it was okay, and asked her where to put the things. She picked up two bags and went into the kitchen, and Shao Chengzhang followed her with the rest.
"Please sit in the living room for a while." She drove him out.
Shao Chengzhang was very obedient. He said okay and went out to sit down.
Shen Zhuo turned around and said to Ms. Chi in a low voice, "Mom, what are you doing? You don't have to be so rude even if you don't like me."
"Who am I doing this for? You're just stupid. He said he wanted to get married, and you were so stupid as to get a marriage certificate with him! Have you met his family? Do you know what the situation is? Has the betrothal gift been asked for? Has the wedding been held? These are all guarantees, don't you know?"
Shen Zhuo sighed helplessly: "Mom, we agreed not to have a wedding, and we don't want gifts or dowries."
Upon hearing her daughter's words, Ms. Chi raised her hand and slapped Shen Zhuo on the forearm. "How could I have given birth to such a silly girl like you! Aren't the hardships I've suffered enough to teach you to think? I didn't want anything back then, I just ran away from home and followed your father here, and what happened?"
"Mom, please keep your voice down, for fear that he won't hear! My marriage to Shao Chengzhang is different from yours. Besides, the lesson you taught me is not to get married and not to rely on men for your whole life, not to try to get me to find a good man. You haven't even seen through Shen Furong's character, so can you guarantee that you can see through other men?"
Ms. Chi was so angry at Shen Zhuo that she stuttered, but she had nothing to refute, so she turned around, pushed open the door and went out.
Annoyed, Shen Zhuo pulled a few boxes of cherries and blueberries from her shopping bag and washed them. She tasted one; it was neither sour nor sweet, almost tasteless. It was only early May, hardly the season for cherries. They were expensive and unpalatable, and yet someone like Shao Chengzhang was buying them.
When Shen Zhuo came to the living room with the fruit, Ms. Chi was not there. Shen Zhuo looked around and found that she was washing the mop by hand in the bathroom.
Ms. Chi skillfully clipped the mop onto the mop handle, picked it up and went out to start mopping the floor starting from the living room.
"Mom, what are you doing again?"
"I haven't been feeling well the past few days, and I haven't cleaned up the house yet. It's covered in dust inside and out. I have guests coming today, so I have to mop the floor."
Shen Zhuo was speechless and said impatiently, "Then I can find a part-time worker to clean up for you, right?"
"Do we need to hire someone to clean such a small place? Don't you feel sorry for the money now?" Ms. Chi said angrily.
Shao Chengzhang came over after hearing the noise and said to Ms. Chi, "Auntie, let me do it. You just sit down and rest."
"Okay, then let Xiao Shao come. After all, young men are stronger than me." Ms. Chi was not polite at all. She immediately stopped and handed him the mop. "The bedroom balcony is also dirty."
Shao Chengzhang agreed immediately.
Chen Zhuo grabbed the mop and said, "You don't have to do these." After all, he was a guest. What host would ask guests to do housework in their home?
"It's okay, it's what I should do. You go sit and chat with your aunt, I'll finish it soon." Shao Chengzhang smiled at her gently.
Shen Zhuo suddenly turned his eyes away, avoiding his gaze, with only one thought in his mind: Why does he look so good when he smiles?!
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