79. Unexpected
Before I even got close, the clamor of people and the aroma of a variety of food hit me. It was a hot, fumes-scented atmosphere, far different from the quiet and elegant atmosphere of Wuguzhai, and full of the freshness and liveliness of grains.
Chen Yunsheng looked at the bustling crowd before him, feeling a bit lost. Even during his rebellious adolescence, he'd only visited a few small restaurants. He'd only been to the market with his grandmother when he was very young, but those memories had long since faded with time.
Jiang Nan found his bewildered look rather odd. Then, she smiled shrewdly, "Come with me. I'll show you the nightlife of the Jichuan people."
She led him to a stall selling multi-grain cakes with familiarity. The stall owner was a plump woman. While she was skillfully bagging the cakes for the previous customer, she looked at Jiang Nan and Chen Yunsheng who had just walked over and asked enthusiastically, "What flavor do you want?"
"Auntie, two pieces, one red bean and one original flavor." Jiang Nan said as she paid.
The aunt responded, then swiftly picked up two pieces of shiny multi-grain cakes, wrapped them up and handed them over.
Jiang Nan took the two multi-grain cakes and looked up at Chen Yunsheng. "The red bean one is sweeter, and the original one has a rice flavor. Which one would you like to try?"
Chen Yunsheng looked into Jiang Nan's sparkling eyes and asked tentatively, "Which flavor do you want?"
"I—I want the original flavor," Jiang Nan handed the portion with red beans to Chen Yunsheng, "Be careful, it's hot."
"Thank you." Chen Yunsheng took the steaming cake and took a cautious bite, imitating Jiang Nan's behavior.
The soft and glutinous texture, blended with the dense and sweet red bean paste, is simple yet has a solid warmth, like facing a thick, sun-warmed earth, steady and concrete, without any illusion.
"How is it?" Jiang Nan looked at him expectantly.
"Very—special." Chen Yunsheng answered carefully, then took another bite. He savored the unfamiliar flavor, a memory from Jiang Nan's past.
After hearing his fairly pertinent answer, Jiang Nan began to eat without any manner of manner.
Chen Yunsheng looked at her not-so-elegant eating habits and became a little interested out of surprise - eating habits and sleeping habits are two very private matters, and even close people would keep some things to themselves, but it seemed that she didn't intend to keep anything back from him.
Jiang Nan, who was concentrating on eating, finally felt his overly focused gaze. She smiled at him awkwardly, then immediately restrained herself a little and chewed slowly.
"Did you often eat this in high school?" Chen Yunsheng tried to cover up his momentary trance by chatting.
"Hmm," Jiang Nan said, pointing to the outline of a building not far away while eating. "See? That's my high school. After evening self-study, I was so hungry that I ran over here to buy this. Back then, my classmates and I would often eat snacks and chat while walking home."
Her words were tinged with nostalgia for youth. Chen Yunsheng listened quietly, unable to help but imagine a teenage Jiang Nan, dressed in school uniform and carrying a backpack, wandering through this bustling street, contentedly enjoying a warm multi-grain cake. That image was unlike the teenage years he knew, filled with elite education and strict rules.
At this moment, he seemed to touch the fresh and warm part of her life that he had never participated in through this small piece of cake.
Afterward, the two of them stood in the bustling night market, sharing a simple meal and chatting about trivial matters. After finishing their pastries, Jiang Nan bought him a cup of fruit tea, saying it would help him with his greasy food. Chen Yunsheng didn't protest; he accepted everything Jiang Nan offered him with grace.
He had only visited the market with his grandmother when he was very young. In other words, this was a completely new experience. No longer a social gathering with wine and food, nor a simple meal alone, but walking on the most ordinary streets with the people he loved, experiencing a simple but real life.
For Jiang Nan, it was a very novel experience to see this usually arrogant man, now a little clumsy but serious, accompanying her to eat snacks worth a few dollars at the night market - but she prayed very much that he would not make Chen Yunsheng sick.
Afterward, the two of them strolled around the night market for a while. Jiang Nan, like a dedicated tour guide, introduced him to various snacks. Chen Yunsheng mostly just watched, occasionally taking a small bite at her strong recommendation and then commenting on it with comments like "not bad" and "unique taste," which made Jiang Nan laugh.
Jiang Nan felt that Chen Yunsheng was really not that picky when it came to food.
But after laughing, Jiang Nan felt something was wrong. So after taking Chen Yunsheng for a walk, Jiang Nan casually asked, "What's your favorite dish? We'll make some for you in a couple of days."
Upon hearing this question, Chen Yunsheng instinctively gave an ambiguous answer: "Anything is fine." After saying that, Chen Yunsheng realized he was being perfunctory and immediately added, "Just keep it light."
Jiang Nan turned to face him and walked backwards slowly. "Even if it's light, there are still many cuisines. Would you like local cuisine, Hangzhou cuisine, Cantonese cuisine? Or Huaiyang cuisine?"
Chen Yunsheng was silent for a minute or two before speaking: "Sweet and sour pork ribs, is that okay?"
"Of course," Jiang Nan turned back. "How about some steamed fish? My dad's best at that." She glanced at Chen Yunsheng, trying to adjust the atmosphere. "Do you think my spare ribs are to your liking?"
Chen Yunsheng nodded: "Very special."
Jiang Nan nodded thoughtfully, then took him for a walk with great interest before returning to the car with satisfaction.
On the way back to the hotel, Chen Yunsheng leaned back in the passenger seat and closed his eyes to rest. The alcohol and the warmth of the food made him lazy and he didn't want to move at all.
"Thank you for your hard work today." Jiang Nan lowered his voice.
"It's not hard." He opened his eyes and tilted his head slightly to look at her profile as she drove. The light from the street lamp cast a warm yellow rim on her face, but what Chen Yunsheng noticed was the faintest smile on her lips.
"I'm very happy today." His voice was very soft, like a whisper.
Jiang Nan smiled and said, "Just be happy. I'll take you to eat something else if I have the chance in the future."
"good."
——
The next two days were peaceful and warm.
Jiang Nan accompanied her parents on a tour around Jichuan, visiting several famous scenic spots. Chen Yunsheng was mostly busy with his work during the day, but he would try to come back in the evening to have dinner with Jiang Nan and her family, sometimes at Jiang's house, sometimes outside.
As they met more and more often, his relationship with Jiang Nan's parents gradually became harmonious.
Jiang Youhua discovered Chen Yunsheng's impressive chess skills, and the two occasionally played against each other. Suddenly, they developed a strange feeling of friendship, even though their age difference was irrelevant. Hong Qiuping, on the other hand, increasingly found this young man calm and reliable. Although he was quiet, he was thoughtful and attentive to Jiang Nan. Her initial doubts gradually faded.
Meanwhile, Chen Yunsheng also learned some information about Fan Zijian's background through Wei Yan. The Fan family did run a building materials business, a moderately large one. However, in the past two years, they had become quite close to the Liang family, not only with financial transactions but also with frequent gatherings.
And the birthday party photo was confirmed to have leaked from Liang Yue.
Guan Qianqian, Fan Zijian's girlfriend, may have accidentally seen and recognized Jiang Nan on Fan Zijian's phone. Fan Zijian told Liang Yue about this, which led to Fan Zijian's investigation in the hotel that day.
Although Chen Yunsheng had already had a half-truthful showdown with Old Man Chen, Chen Minghui was unaware of it. In other words, he probably wanted to use the true situation of Jiang Nan's family to make a fuss, or even say that someone had leaked the arranged marriage to him, a thing of the past.
Chen Yunsheng sighed silently that the ghost was still lingering, and then planned to clarify the matter the next time he went to the old house.
——
On the evening of the 4th, after Chen Yunsheng finished a sumptuous home-cooked meal at Jiang's house, it was already late. As usual, Jiang Nan drove him back to the hotel.
Chen Yunsheng glanced at the hotel door, then unbuckled his seat belt and looked sideways at Jiang Nan: "My flight is tomorrow morning. Can I meet you at home in the evening?"
"Okay, see you at home." Jiang Nan bought a ticket for the afternoon, but she still said, "I'll take you to the airport."
"Don't bother, Wei Yan will arrange it," Chen Yunsheng gently rubbed her hair, "Thank you and uncle and aunt for these few days."
"Why are you being so polite to me?" Jiang Nan smiled. "Hurry up and get some rest."
"Okay, drive carefully." Chen Yunsheng got out of the car, waved to her, turned and walked into the hotel lobby.
Jiang Nan watched his back disappear behind the revolving door before slowly starting the car. Not long after driving out, a familiar car suddenly came from the opposite direction—a bit like Fan Zijian's unique and high-end car.
But the two cars passed each other, and the visibility was poor at night, so she couldn't be sure of her judgment.
Jiang Nan wanted to let this matter go, but she was still a little worried.
Although Chen Yunsheng did not tell her any secret news, she could feel that Chen Yunsheng came to Jichuan not only to meet his parents and deal with his mysterious affairs, but he might also have some secret matters related to Chen Minghui to resolve, and Fan Zijian seemed to have ulterior motives.
After a brief thought, she turned around at the intersection ahead and stopped in an inconspicuous corner. Then she began to consider whether to call Chen Yunsheng and ask him about the matter.
Elsewhere, Chen Yunsheng had just stepped out of the elevator. The corridor was silent, devoid of any unwanted sounds. He then took out his room card and walked to the door of his room.
There was a slight click and the door unlocked.
He pushed open the door, but was stunned.
The room was lit with an ambiguous, hazy, pink light, and a special aroma lingered in the air.
As he scanned the room with suspicion and vigilance, a woman in a sexy silk nightgown walked out gracefully from the depths of the room.
It’s Liang Yue.
After seeing Chen Yunsheng, she showed a charming and shy smile: "Brother Yunsheng, you are back? I prepared some food, which was airlifted from Jiangcheng. Do you want to eat something?"
Chen Yunsheng's expression changed slightly.
At this moment, the phone in his pocket vibrated. He stared at Liang Yue warily, then immediately took out his phone and answered: "Hello."
"Chen Yunsheng," Jiang Nan said cautiously, "you—"
"Nannan," Chen Yunsheng said quickly, "I have something urgent to do here. Can you come back and pick me up?"
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