Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Date
Dinner starts at 11:30 sharp.
The kitchen prepared a Poria cocos and pork rib soup for Yong Meiru. She scooped a spoonful of soup from the white bone china bowl and slowly and deliberately put it into her mouth. At her age, she should be taking care of her health and enjoying her children and grandchildren. She looked at Chen Yuchu and Yan Jiu calmly.
The two of them had just pretended to be affectionate in front of her, but now they had revealed some of their true colors. When their eyes met, Yan Jiu hurriedly avoided her, not acting like someone in love at all.
I'm afraid I'm just acting in front of her.
Yong Meiru had been young. She and Chen Hongfu had been engaged since childhood, and her love had lasted for decades. She could tell at a glance whether someone was sincere or not. A trace of regret flashed through Yong Meiru's eyes. It was a pity that Chen Hongfu didn't love her at all.
But she hopes that her descendants can be happy.
She coughed lightly, "Yuchu, what are you going to do this afternoon?"
Chen Yuchu's slender fingers slowly put down the cutlery. The ornate and intricate chandelier above his head fell on his flawless face. In a mellow and deep voice, he slowly replied, "Let's have a video conference."
Yong Meiru knew that her grandson was usually busy with work, but today she seemed determined and snorted, "You can work anytime. Your employees don't get paid for nothing. You don't need to keep a close eye on them all the time."
Yan Jiu felt something was wrong when she heard this. She quickly glanced at Chen Yuchu. He remained calm and composed, his expression unchanged by his grandmother's scolding. She withdrew her gaze, smiled, and continued in a sweet voice, "Grandma, I'll accompany you wherever you want to go this afternoon."
Yong Meiru shook her head in disapproval, "Xiaojiu, you are just too sensible."
She looked straight at Chen Yuchu, "What do you think?"
Chen Yuchu's calm gaze fell silently on Yan Jiu. She had changed into a light yellow dress, and a string of warm white Akoya pearls adorned her neck and slender wrists. Under the dim light, her whole body exuded the gentle and demure aura of spring. He rolled up the cuffs of his white shirt, his thin lips slightly raised, and said nonchalantly, "I should accompany my wife. Grandma, do you want to join us?"
Yong Meiru then revealed a satisfied smile and teased, "I won't join you guys, so you don't think I'm in the way."
Yan Jiu was startled by Chen Yuchu. She had never thought that he would accompany her today. She could not help but move closer to Chen Yuchu and gently shook his shirt.
A faint floral scent immediately filled Chen Yuchu's nose. His dark eyes calmly gazed at the slender, porcelain-white fingers on the shirt. He also lowered his head, imitating Yan Jiu's behavior, and muttered four words in a hoarse voice, "A loving couple."
As Chen Yuchu moved, the pearl earrings on Yan Jiu's ears hit his body and swayed uncontrollably. She raised her eyes to confirm what he meant, and the first thing that caught her eye was his sharp Adam's apple and pale thin lips.
Her eyelashes trembled, and she retreated to her seat, lowered her eyes, and remembered that they had agreed to pretend to be a "loving couple."
After all, they could do their own things outside. Chen Yuchu could go to the meeting as usual, and she could go to the store or just browse around on her own. That would satisfy Grandma too.
Yong Meiru took in all their actions.
*
The spring sunshine was just the right temperature. The streets were bustling with traffic, and golden light streamed through the glass onto Chen Yuchu's handsome profile, casting a faint golden glow on his angular face. The collar of his white shirt was open, revealing his sharp Adam's apple, which made him look even more noble.
It was a rare occasion that Chen Yuchu wasn't busy working in the car, and Yan Jiu felt a little uncomfortable. She shifted her gaze to the slowly moving traffic outside the window, trying to reduce her presence and breathe very softly.
In the overly quiet atmosphere of the car, a deep voice slowly reached Yan Jiu's ears.
"What are you going to do later?"
Yan Jiu knew that Chen Yuchu had been very busy with work since returning to China, with multiple forces involved. He had previously been in charge of the overseas work, and they had to hold cross-border video conferences every day. Just now, Chen Yuchu was acting in front of his grandmother and would definitely not accompany her, so she had already decided what to do.
So it was natural to say: "Watch a movie."
Chen Yuchu raised his eyebrows, his eyes swept across Yan Jiu's long eyelashes, and he opened his thin lips slightly: "What movie?"
""love letter""
This is a romantic film that has been shown once in China, and this time it's a re-release. Yan Jiu checked and found that there aren't many screenings, so today is a good opportunity.
Yan Jiu's eyes, as calm as autumn water, curved up, and his sweet voice rang out: "Which mall are we going to? I'll book the tickets."
Hearing Yan Jiu's voice, which was obviously in a good mood, Chen Yuchu's deep eyes were tinged with warmth. His slender fingertips opened the phone screen, sent a message, and then said slowly: "I'll buy it."
Movie tickets weren't expensive, and Chen Yuchu even gave him a pink diamond. Yan Jiu didn't bother to be polite with him on this matter, and responded politely, "Okay."
The car fell into silence again, with only the cool smell of mint in her nostrils. Yan Jiu's thoughts wandered around in her mind in a very chaotic manner. She couldn't help but think of the kiss with Chen Yuchu. It was not as cool as mint, but unbridled and overbearing, like the snow in early winter covering her, as if to leave his mark on her.
She curled her porcelain-white fingers and pursed her now-swollen lips. She felt a twinge of guilt, recalling that kiss, and a sense of awkwardness. Fortunately, the road ahead wasn't crowded, and they soon reached the mall's underground garage.
After the car stopped, Yan Jiu slowly exhaled the breath she had been holding. She said quickly, as if she was short of oxygen: "Send me the QR code for the movie ticket. We'll go back together after you finish your business."
She spoke very quickly, and after she finished speaking, she took a breath, her face turning a little red.
Chen Yuchu raised his eyes casually. Compared with Yan Jiu, he seemed very calm. He met her gaze and asked calmly, "What should I be busy with?"
Yan Jiu was momentarily stunned by the question. She certainly had no idea what Chen Yuchu was up to. She never delved into his business affairs, also to prevent Chen Yuchu from thinking she had some ulterior motives. A trace of confusion crossed her face, and she bit her lower lip, her voice a bit bewildered. "Company matters."
Wen Yaruyu's voice was very attractive in the confined space. Chen Yuchu's tone was steady but carried a hint of the pressure of a superior. He spoke directly to Yan Jiu, "Madam, we are on a date."
Yan Jiu knew the word "date", but when Chen Yuchu said it together, she seemed to be unable to recognize some Chinese characters. She raised her eyes tentatively to look at his expression, but as expected, she could not see clearly in the dim light of the underground garage.
Yan Jiu's heart was tense; she hadn't prepared for this date in the slightest. All she could think about on the journey from home was what she was going to do alone. She didn't dislike Chen Yuchu, but their marriage had been arranged from the start, and she hadn't considered anything romantic like a "date."
As if romance was never supposed to belong to them.
Chen Yuchu's brow furrowed slightly. Before they got married, the Chen family had already looked up Yan Jiu's information and knew she had a boyfriend. He wasn't a feudal man and wouldn't get angry because his wife had been in a relationship with someone else.
But at this moment, he couldn't help but think, if it was that man, how would Yan Jiu feel at this moment.
Chen Yuchu's eyebrows and eyes obviously turned cold, and even the temperature in the car dropped a bit, but he was rational after all. He didn't even frown on the day he was sent abroad by his grandfather, and he would not frown now.
He will eventually get what he wants, whether it is a company or something else.
The man's thin lips curled up in a shallow arc, his attitude gentle and gentlemanly, "Madam, is this okay?"
Chen Yuchu didn't mention the word "date" again, but Yan Jiu was keenly aware that he was not in a good mood. Even though he spoke very gently, her heart still trembled involuntarily, and she subconsciously said, "Okay."
Chen Yuchu looked at Yan Jiu's fleeing figure, his dark pupils deepened a little. He got out of the car calmly, his posture as straight as a bamboo.
Yan Jiu didn't expect that the entire shopping mall was booked out, and the person who received them was another secretary of Chen Yuchu, whose surname was Huang.
Secretary Huang and Yan Jiu were meeting for the first time, but she didn't show any doubt. She spoke clearly and logically in a tone that was neither distant nor flattering, "We're worried that you might feel uncomfortable with so many people, so the management didn't come out to greet you. We've already arranged for the staff. Would you like to go to the movies first or go shopping?"
The presence of another person actually made Yan Jiu feel more relaxed. Her brows relaxed, and her pale pink lips parted slightly: "I want to watch a movie first."
"Okay, I'll arrange it."
Secretary Huang did not ask Chen Yuchu for instructions, so he probably had already given the order.
Yan Jiu glanced at Chen Yuchu secretly, but still didn't say that he wanted Secretary Huang to accompany her while he could go to work.
She instinctively felt that Chen Yuchu was unhappy because of her hesitation just now. Her thoughts were in a mess, and an incredible idea emerged in her mind.
Could it be that Chen Yuchu had originally planned to date her today?
The long eyelashes trembled slightly like butterfly wings, and the pale pink lips opened slightly. Yan Jiu thought about it but still did not explain.
Secretary Huang made all the necessary arrangements, and Yan Jiu and Chen Yuchu took their seats in the cinema.
We sat in the couple's room.
Yan Jiu had watched several movies at this cinema, but he had only used the regular theater. The couple's theater only had a large screen and a one-piece sofa. Next to the sofa were two small tables filled with snacks and fruits.
Secretary Huang left quietly.
At the beginning of the movie, Yan Jiu's breath was tangled with the smell of mint. In her peripheral vision, Chen Yuchu's calm and cold face was looking at the screen without any ripples. He was sitting upright in the semi-bright and semi-dark space.
Does he watch romantic movies too?
It's somewhat unbelievable.
But soon Yan Jiu put his complicated thoughts behind him and concentrated on watching the movie.
The person next to him seemed to be non-existent, and his presence had completely disappeared.
At the end, when Fujii Itsuki shouted "Fujii Itsuki's" name, tears rolled down Yan Jiu's white jade-like cheeks. His clear pupils seemed to have been washed by a mountain spring. A pink color soon appeared around his eye sockets, and his thin red face under the dark color was dyed with a touching glow.
Yan Jiu is not prone to tears, but he is easily moved. He held back for a long time, but finally couldn't help it at the end.
This film was screened in the UK, and I had originally planned to go with Qin Rong, but she ultimately didn't make it, so she watched it alone. She cried bitterly when the screening ended, and the foreigners around her didn't understand, but they still handed her tissues.
A strong and powerful wrist bone stretched out in front of her, with a square handkerchief placed in the palm.
Yan Jiu turned sideways in a daze and looked at Chen Yuchu, his eyelashes still filled with a few tears, which fell slowly and splashed on the leather sofa, depicting a pure and beautiful peach blossom.
The slender white fingertips curled up, and before Yan Jiu took the handkerchief, the warm fingertips stroked her cheek and gently wiped away her tears.
The skin touched by the fingertips felt tingling. Yan Jiu's eyelashes trembled as he watched Chen Yuchu slowly wipe away the tears from his fingertips with a handkerchief. The royal blue handkerchief became darker in color after being soaked.
She didn't dare look again.
Chen Yuchu stroked the square handkerchief in his hand. A storm had already swept across his deep eyes, but it was suppressed in his eyes, hidden and unexpressed.
It was not difficult for him to imagine that Yan Jiu had watched this movie with her boyfriend and might be crying for him now.
On weekdays, Chen Yuchu asked whatever he wanted to ask.
Today, however, it was rare that nothing was said.
It was as if he accepted her tears completely, even though she was crying for another man.
Just this once.
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