Chapter 141 Will We Always Be Like This?
She took him to a secret Japanese restaurant hidden on the top floor of a building in the city center.
The box is not big, but the view is great, overlooking the entire night view of Kyoto.
"I originally wanted to book a table at the French restaurant that my brother often goes to," Jiang Tingwan poured him a glass of sake, "but after thinking about it, I think this place is more suitable."
Jiang Shixu took the wine glass, and his fingertips accidentally touched her hand. The warm touch made his heart move slightly.
"I thought you and Shen Guan..."
"I just asked him for help," Jiang Tingwan interrupted him with a sly smile in her eyes, "This pair of cufflinks requires special channels to get."
She raised her glass. "Happy birthday, brother."
The crisp sound of glasses clinking together was particularly clear in the quiet box.
Jiang Shixu looked at her profile illuminated by the light, and suddenly felt the unhappiness in his chest disappear.
The dinner went very pleasantly.
Jiang Tingwan talked about Tingyue's preparatory work in Kyoto, talked about interesting things in Hong Kong, and even made fun of Xie Duo's ridiculous behavior today.
Jiang Shixu just listened quietly most of the time, occasionally responding a few words, but his eyes never left her.
When the dessert came, the waiter brought an exquisite cake with a candle on it.
"Make a wish, brother." Jiang Tingwan held up her chin and looked at him.
The candlelight flickered in her eyes. Jiang Shixu looked into her eyes and silently made a wish in his heart that he could never speak out.
After blowing out the candles, Jiang Tingwan suddenly took out another small box from her bag.
"There's another gift." She smiled mysteriously.
In the box was the exquisite and luxurious watch, reflecting extraordinary light under the light.
"I picked for a long time," Jiang Tingwan said softly, "and I think this color suits you best."
Jiang Shixu picked up the watch and rubbed the patterns on it with his fingertips.
He suddenly remembered that many years ago, when Jiang Tingwan just went to college, she also gave him a watch.
She was still a young girl at the time, and the style she chose was childish and lively, which was very different from his usual style. But he still wore it for a whole year, until the edges were worn out, and then he reluctantly put it away.
The piece in front of him, both in terms of material and design, perfectly suits his taste.
His sister has really grown up.
"Help me put it on?" he heard himself say.
Jiang Tingwan was stunned for a moment, then smiled and nodded.
She stood up and walked over to him, slipping the strap around his wrist.
The distance was close enough that I could smell the faint fragrance of her hair and see the shadows cast by her eyelashes.
Jiang Shixu lowered his eyes and watched her slender fingers flexibly fastening the clasp of the watch, his heartbeat quickening uncontrollably.
"Okay." She stepped back and admired her handiwork with satisfaction.
Jiang Shixu looked down and found that the color of the watch really suited him.
"Thank you." He said it again, but he felt that these two words were not enough to express his feelings at the moment.
When they left the restaurant, it was already late at night. The lights of Kyoto were as bright as the stars. Jiang Tingwan stood by the roadside waiting for a bus, and the night wind blew her hair. Jiang Shixu unconsciously reached out and gathered her coat for her.
"Is it cold?" he asked.
Jiang Tingwan shook her head and suddenly said, "Actually, I've wanted to celebrate your birthday like this for a long time."
"Um?"
"You always took care of me," she looked up at the night sky, "now it's my turn to take care of you."
Jiang Shixu's heart seemed to be gently bumped by something. He looked at her profile illuminated by the neon lights, and suddenly wanted to treasure this moment forever.
The car arrived, Jiang Tingwan turned around and waved at him: "See you tomorrow, brother."
"See you tomorrow." He stood there and watched her get in the car and leave.
The night breeze blew by, Jiang Shixu touched the watch strap on his wrist, and the corners of his lips rose unconsciously.
This was the best birthday he had ever had.
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As the New Year approaches, the snow in Kyoto is getting heavier.
On the runway of the private airport, Jiang Tingwan wrapped herself tightly in her cashmere coat, and the white breath she exhaled quickly dissipated in the cold wind. Jiang Shixu stood beside her, his black windbreaker making him look as tall and straight as a pine tree, his eyes fixed on the private plane that was about to land in the distance.
"How long will mother stay this time?" Jiang Tingwan exhaled, and it immediately turned into icy mist.
"One week." Jiang Shixu answered briefly, taking off his scarf and wrapping it around her neck. The cashmere still had his body temperature and a faint scent of cedar.
Jiang Tingwan wanted to say that she was wearing a turtleneck sweater and didn't need to wear a scarf, but at this moment the plane they were waiting for slowly arrived.
The plane slid onto the apron, the cabin door opened, and Huo Yunshu appeared at the top of the gangway.
She was still as cool and elegant as I remembered. She wore a moon-white cheongsam with a silver-gray mink fur coat over it, and her hair was neatly tied up. She still had that cool and noble temperament.
"Mother." Jiang Tingwan walked up to her and took the luggage from her hand.
Huo Yunshu's eyes stayed on her face for a moment, and he reached out to brush away the snow in her hair. He said in a steady voice, "You've lost weight."
These two simple words made Jiang Tingwan pause. In the past, her mother would never pay attention to these details.
On the way back in the car, Huo Yunshu casually asked Jiang Tingwan about her life in Hong Kong City.
She looked at the passing scenery outside the window: "Is everything going well in Hong Kong?"
"It's pretty good," Jiang Tingwan raised the corners of her lips slightly, "but the winter is not as cold as Kyoto."
"Have you met the right person?" Huo Yunshu changed the subject, his voice still cold but not as distant as before.
Jiang Tingwan paused and shook her head: "Not yet."
Seeing this answer, Huo Yunshu did not ask any more questions.
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The Jiang residence is brightly lit.
Huo Yunshu looked normal when she entered the entrance, as if this was still her home.
To some extent, this is true.
She and Jiang's father divorced peacefully and there was no disagreement between them. Moreover, this was how they got along before the divorce.
"Has he made arrangements?" Huo Yunshu asked as he took off his coat.
Jiang Tingwan thought for a moment and realized who Huo Yunshu was talking about. She still didn't want to call Mr. Huo "father".
Jiang Shixu nodded: "I'll pick him up in an hour."
Huo Yunshu's gaze lingered on Jiang Shixu for a moment: "You are not young anymore, it's time to settle down your lifelong affairs." She paused, "You are different from Ting Wan."
The air froze for a moment.
Jiang Tingwan's hand trembled as she was pouring tea. It was true. Jiang Shixu had much more responsibilities on his shoulders than she did.
"Yeah." There was no emotion in Jiang Shixu's voice.
Huo Yunshu turned around and went upstairs to rest, leaving only the two of them in the living room.
Jiang Tingwan glanced at Jiang Shixu, only to see him sorting his car keys as usual, as if the conversation just now had never happened.
He is different from her.
The snow started falling again, and the outside of the window gradually became white.
Jiang Shixu stood in front of the French window, watching the snowflakes covering the stone path in the courtyard.
"Let's go," he turned around and picked up his coat, "to pick up Grandpa."
Jiang Tingwan followed him, and the two of them stepped into the snow one after the other. Their footprints stretched side by side on the snow, and were soon buried by the new snow.
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As dusk fell, snowflakes hit the car windows, making a crackling sound.
Soon after the car left Jiang's house, it turned onto the tree-lined road leading to the Huo's manor. The ancient pines on both sides were covered with thick snow, and under the illumination of the car lights, they looked like two rows of silent guards.
The car was heated well, and Mr. Huo sat in the back seat with his cane across his knees. He was wearing a dark gray Mao suit, his silver hair was neatly combed, and he looked through the car window at the vague mountain shadows in the distance.
"Yun Shu...are you okay?" the old man suddenly spoke in a low voice.
Jiang Tingwan looked back from the passenger seat: "Mom looks good, but she hasn't adjusted to the jet lag yet. She needs to rest first."
Mr. Huo said "hmm", tapped his knuckles on his cane twice, and then stopped asking questions. The car fell into silence again, with only the hum of the engine echoing in the small space.
Jiang Tingwan glanced at Jiang Shixu in the passenger seat through the rearview mirror. He was concentrating on the road ahead, his profile looking particularly stern in the dim light of the dashboard.
She knew that the knot between her grandfather and her mother could not be untied with a few words - Huo Yunshu was forced to marry Jiang's father, and the father and daughter have been in a cold war ever since.
"Ting Wan," Mr. Huo suddenly changed the subject, "Is everything going well in Hong Kong?"
"It's pretty good," Jiang Tingwan breathed a sigh of relief and took the opportunity to talk about Tingyue's recent situation. "Thanks to the help of the people my brother introduced before, several projects have been promoted smoothly since then."
In the rearview mirror, Jiang Shixu frowned slightly when he heard this.
"Are you talking about Xu Bing?" Mr. Huo chuckled. "That guy is indeed quite capable."
Jiang Tingwan's heart was slightly moved - no wonder Xu Bing was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Jiang's affairs, it turned out that there was an assistant from the Huo family behind him.
"Grandpa has known Xu Bing for a long time?" she asked tentatively.
"His father is an old subordinate of mine." Mr. Huo said calmly, but with an unquestionable majesty, "Shixu knows."
The air in the car became much more tense.
Jiang Tingwan now understood that Xu Bing was not just someone who happened to be in Gangcheng as Jiang Shixu said, but someone specially selected by the Huo family and him. This realization made her speechless for a while, and she didn't know what to say.
When the car drove into the gate of Jiang's house, a thin layer of ice had already formed on the fountain pool.
Jiang Shixu parked the car and went around to the back seat to open the door for Mr. Huo.
The old man patted him on the shoulder when he got off the car and said nothing, but Jiang Tingwan naturally understood the deep meaning contained in that action.
This is the elders' recognition of the heir.
On the way to the living room, the snow was falling even harder. Jiang Tingwan looked at the scenery blurred by the heavy snow and suddenly said, "Brother, about Xu Bing..."
"It doesn't matter." Jiang Shixu interrupted her, his voice so calm that no emotion could be heard, "No matter what, helping you comes first."
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The ancient temple bell sounds distant and the air is filled with incense.
Jiang Tingwan and Huo Yunshu walked through the garden path paved with bluestone slabs. On both sides were towering ancient cypresses, and the sunlight shone through the branches and leaves in patches.
"Thank you for accompanying me today." Huo Yunshu inserted a stick of incense, his expression remaining calm.
Jiang Tingwan looked at Huo Yunshu in front of her. She didn't seem to have the habit of coming to the temple to pray before the Chinese New Year in the past.
She was about to respond when she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure from the corner of her eye.
Xie Duo stood under the ginkgo tree, holding a shiny jade tablet in his hand. The sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves, casting tiny shadows on his stern features.
I didn't expect him to be here too.
"I didn't expect you still believed this." The two looked at each other, and Jiang Tingwan walked forward with teasing in his eyes.
Xie Duo turned around, the red string of the jade token swaying between his fingers: "I came here to accompany my elders." His tone was flat, but his eyes fell on her neck, "What about you? What do you want?"
"Everything goes well." Jiang Tingwan smiled and pointed at the jade token in his hand. "What is this?"
Xie Duo lowered his eyes and looked at the warm jade in his palm, on which were engraved the words "Ankang".
He suddenly raised his hand and put the red string around her neck: "But I didn't believe this before." The jade token pressed against her collarbone, and the slightly cool touch startled Jiang Tingwan, "But now there is someone who wants to pray for her."
Jiang Tingwan stroked the jade token with her fingertips and said helplessly: "Why are you always like this?"
"Always the same?" Xie Duo smoothed the hair behind her.
"Always straightforward." Jiang Tingwan smiled, and saw Huo Yunshu out of the corner of her eye, then quietly distanced herself from him.
Xie Duo was silent for a moment, looking at the fluttering prayer flags in the distance: "I didn't dare to do that before." His voice was low, "After you saved me in high school, I only dared to watch you from afar."
"But as soon as I hesitated, you disappeared." The morning breeze blew up the strands of hair in front of his forehead, revealing the faint scar on his brow - it was left from the fight with them that year.
When Jiang Tingwan skipped a grade and went abroad, given his family's financial situation at the time, he had no idea where she was going.
Xie Duo's fingertips unconsciously stroked the edge of the jade token: "So now, I don't want to hesitate any longer."
Huo Yunshu took in all of this from a distance and turned to walk out of the temple.
Jiang Tingwan came back to her senses and found that Xie Duo was still looking at her intently, with a depth in his eyes that she could not understand.
"This jade token..."
"Wear it." Xie Duo interrupted her, "Just consider it as a way to repay the favor of saving my life."
The bell rang again, startling the birds perched on the eaves.
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The Lu family villa was brightly lit, and fireworks were blooming outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, filling the room with colorful lights.
Lu Zhaoye leaned lazily on the sofa, holding a glass of whiskey in his hand, and the ice cubes gently clinked in the amber liquid.
His eyes swept across the center of the living room - Father Lu was hugging Mother Lu's waist, the two of them were standing next to the piano, Mother Lu's fingertips dancing on the keys, playing a gentle serenade, Father Lu looked down at her, his eyes filled with undisguised love.
After thirty years of marriage, we are still in the honeymoon period.
Lu Zhaoye sneered and turned his gaze to the other side.
Lu Yiqiao sat cross-legged on the carpet, holding her phone with a smile on her face, her fingers tapping the screen rapidly, and it was obvious who she was chatting with.
He narrowed his eyes and reached out to pull her ponytail: "Hey, you girls, why don't you see each other during the New Year?"
Lu Yixiao slapped his hand away and glared at him with disgust: "What do you want to say, Lu Zhaoye?"
"Nothing." Lu Zhaoye raised his head and took a sip of wine, his Adam's apple rolling, "I just think you hold your phone every day, aren't you afraid of going blind?"
Lu Yiqiao looked him up and down and rolled her eyes: "You want to see Wanwan, right?"
Lu Zhaoye's heart was touched and he paused for a moment.
"Oh," Mother Lu stopped playing the piano at some point and looked over with a smile, "Are there any progress between Zhaoye and Tingwan?"
When I introduced them to each other before, didn’t he ignore me?
"Go and see him if you want." Father Lu also came over and patted his son on the shoulder: "It's New Year's Day, and you're a grown man, what's the point of hiding at home and drinking alone?"
Lu Zhaoye looked at the three of them, his forehead twitching: "Can you guys stop being so gossipy?"
"How can this be called gossip?" Mother Lu came over and adjusted her son's collar. "You're almost 30 and you don't even have a girlfriend. How can I not be anxious?"
"The girl from the Jiang family is pretty good," Father Lu interrupted, "pretty, smart, and from a good family."
Lu Yi quietly mocked: "And my brother wants to use me to see her all day long."
"Lu Yiqiao!" Lu Zhaoye glared at her warningly.
"What, did I say something wrong?" Lu Yiqiao continued fearlessly, "It was you who wanted to see her, but you insisted that I was going to the concert."
Mother Lu's eyes lit up: "Is there such a thing?"
Lu Zhaoye pinched his brows and felt his temples throbbing. He put down his wine glass and stood up to escape from this place of trouble.
"Where are you going?" asked Mr. Lu.
"Take a breath."
Mother Lu reminded from behind: "Remember to send New Year's greetings to Miss Jiang!"
Lu Zhaoye waved his hand without looking back and strode towards the balcony.
A cool breeze blew in his face, dispelling some of the heat. He took out his phone and opened the chat interface with Jiang Tingwan. The last message was three days ago.
His fingertips hovered over the screen for a moment, and finally he sent only one sentence:
【Happy New Year. 】
Not long after, a new message popped up -
Jiang Tingwan: [Happy New Year, Lu Zhaoye.]
Followed by a small firework emoticon.
Lu Zhaoye stared at that expression for a long time, and the corners of his lips unconsciously rose.
He looked up at the night sky, and just then a huge firework exploded, lighting up the entire sky.
A new year may bring new possibilities.
In the living room, Lu Yi quietly leaned on the glass door to peek, then turned around and made a "done" gesture to his parents.
Mother Lu smiled with relief, while Father Lu shook his head and whispered to his wife, "His speed in chasing people is not even one tenth of mine back then."
Mother Lu patted him in an angry manner, but her eyes were full of sweetness.
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On New Year's Eve, the Jiang family's old house was brightly lit, and the courtyard was hung with red lanterns. The warm light reflected on the snow, as if a layer of gold powder was sprinkled on it.
After dealing with the last wave of relatives who came to pay New Year's greetings, Jiang Tingwan rubbed her cheeks which were a little stiff from smiling, and quietly slipped to the porch in the backyard.
The night breeze was cool. She exhaled a breath of white air and looked up at the inky sky.
"What are you hiding here for?"
A familiar voice came from behind me.
Jiang Shixu stood behind her without her knowing. His black coat made his shoulders stand out, and the jewel cufflinks she gave him shone charmingly under the light.
"Happy New Year, brother." Jiang Tingwan turned around, her eyes curved into crescents.
Jiang Shixu looked at the smiling girl in front of him, and his eyes softened a little. He raised his hand and rubbed her hair: "Happy New Year."
His palms were warm and dry. Jiang Tingwan suddenly pulled out a bulging red envelope from his sleeve like a magic trick: "For you."
Jiang Shixu lowered his eyes, opened it and took a look——
There was no money inside, but an amulet embroidered with a golden word "Fu" (good fortune). The stitching was fine and it had a faint scent of sandalwood.
"My mother and I prayed for it when we went to Hanshan Temple," Jiang Tingwan said softly, "and the master blessed it."
She knew Jiang Shixu had everything. Gold, silver, jewelry, famous watches and luxury cars were just things that he could easily get. But he had always been silently paying for her, and he was the one she could not let go of. In front of the gods and Buddhas, her most sincere wish was that he was safe and healthy.
Jiang Shixu lowered his eyes and looked at the amulet in his palm, his Adam's apple moving slightly.
After a while, he also took out a red envelope from his pocket and curled his lips slightly: "What a coincidence."
Jiang Tingwan opened it out of curiosity, and found a peace amulet inside. The words "Peace Every Year" were embroidered on the vermilion silk cloth, and there were small golden bells on the corners, which made crisp sounds when shaken.
"Brother——" She looked up and met Jiang Shixu's deep gaze.
Suddenly there was a loud "bang" outside the yard, and countless fireworks soared into the sky, blooming brightly in the night sky.
Golden streams of fire fell like rain, silver light bands poured down like stars, and red lotus-like sparks bloomed one after another, illuminating the entire night sky.
The snow was reflected in a flickering light, and the lanterns under the corridor swayed gently in the air waves, casting flickering light and shadows.
"Brother." Amid the deafening sound of firecrackers, Jiang Tingwan smiled even more and naturally took Jiang Shixu's arm: "We really have a tacit understanding."
Her cheeks were flushed by the fireworks and her eyes were filled with bright light.
Jiang Shixu paused slightly, his arm muscles tensed unconsciously, but in the end he just uttered a soft "hmm".
Another cluster of fireworks exploded in the sky, and purple-gold light cascaded down like a waterfall.
Snow particles were flying in the halo, like a handful of broken diamonds.
Jiang Tingwan looked up and unconsciously leaned closer to Jiang Shixu.
"Cold?" he asked.
"A little." Jiang Tingwan nodded. She had just come out of the living room and was not wearing much.
Jiang Shixu took off his scarf and carefully tied it around her neck.
The cashmere fabric still retained his body temperature and had a faint scent of agarwood.
"Brother." she called softly.
"Yeah." Jiang Shixu replied softly.
"Will we always be like this?" Always like this, safe and healthy.
Fireworks exploded above their heads, casting their shadows on the snow, snuggling together.
Jiang Shixu looked at the girl standing next to him, who was defenselessly dependent on him.
He said softly, "Yes."
She didn't know that he and the "this" in her mind were not the same.
But he wanted to allow himself to sink in for a moment at this moment.
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