47. Follow-up Questions
Jiang Nan's work efficiency was not very high throughout the whole day.
Even though she was constantly staring at Fu Yifang's cold, hard face on the computer screen, she didn't find his face that scary anymore. What distracted her more than Fu Yifang was her phone.
It was quiet and never lit up again.
She was a little annoyed, but also had a kind of anticipation that she couldn't explain.
Wen Wen leaned over to look at her screen and tutted his words, "Although Lao Fu is indeed troublesome, he shouldn't be so distracted, right? What's the matter? Has Boss Chen drugged you?"
"Don't talk nonsense," Jiang Nan pushed her head away, "I'm thinking about how to conquer this huge mountain called Fu Yifang."
"Come on, this is not how you work." Wenwen returned to his workstation with a smile.
Jiang Nan didn't respond—she didn't work like this, and neither did he. In the past, when he was on a business trip, it was like a drop of water falling into the ocean, silent and unnoticed, with only the occasional necessary information passed to her through Wei Yan, the driver, or the housemaid.
This time he took the initiative to send a message and even made a phone call.
This is not right.
So when it was time to get off work, Jiang Nan packed up and left almost immediately.
The subway was still crowded, but she didn't find it so unbearable today. She even bought some fresh-looking oranges from the fruit stall at the subway entrance, and then leisurely returned to the apartment.
As soon as she entered, her eyes were cast towards the living room shrouded in the afterglow of the setting sun, and then she slipped to the center island and took a look - he hadn't come back yet.
This realization turned the inexplicable expectation in Jiang Nan's heart into a shameful panic.
She pretended to be calm and put the oranges into the refrigerator, but suddenly found that there were still a few macarons left that he had brought back, lying alone in the exquisite box.
She took a small bite of a pink one, the sweetness melting in her mouth, but it didn't seem as good as before. Just then, Jiang Nan's mother suddenly called her via video. She immediately collected herself and squatted behind the counter to answer the call, lest her mother and father notice anything from the background.
Compared to the nervous Jiang Nan, Hong Qiuping and Jiang Youhua were much more relaxed.
"Nannan, are you busy?" Hong Qiuping asked. In the background there were the sounds of pots and pans colliding and Jiang Youhua humming faintly. He must be busy in the kitchen.
"No, I just got off work." Jiang Nan's voice softened unconsciously. "You and Dad haven't eaten yet?"
"Your dad is making it. He bought a chicken today and said he wanted to make soup to try out his new clay pot." Hong Qiuping's voice was filled with laughter. "How about you? Have you eaten it? Don't mess around again."
"Not yet, I'll eat soon," Jiang Nan replied vaguely, then changed the subject, "Mom, let me tell you, our company recently took on a new project, and it's quite troublesome."
She kept on talking about Fu Yifang and Song Wei, with a bit of coquettish complaints in her tone, as well as a bit of grievance and pride that she would only reveal in front of the people closest to her.
"I'm just worried about how to find connections—" She was getting excited when she heard the soft click of the electronic lock opening at the door. She paused, slowly straightened up from behind the island, and peered toward the junction of the hallway and the living room.
A moment later, Chen Yunsheng walked in. He was wearing a neatly tailored dark gray suit, his face a hint of fatigue, and he was clutching a delicate-looking paper bag. His immediate gaze caught sight of Jiang Nan, who was hiding behind the counter, only half her face visible.
Jiang Nan held the phone tightly, forgetting to speak for a moment. But on the other end of the phone, Hong Qiuping was still asking, "Nannan, why are you silent? What's next?"
Chen Yunsheng obviously didn't miss the sound on his phone. He nodded slightly at her, didn't say anything to interrupt her, and just slowly walked towards the center island, while deliberately slowing down his steps.
Jiang Nan finally came to his senses and said quickly, "Ah, Mom, I—my colleague is here to deliver some information. Anyway, that's what I meant. I need to make some more plans. Yeah, I know... Don't worry, you guys drink more chicken soup and take a picture of me to satisfy your craving... Okay, bye, Mom, tell Dad."
She hung up the phone and felt her face getting slightly hot - she didn't know if it was because of what she had just said or because he suddenly came back.
Chen Yunsheng placed the exquisite paper bag on the table and looked at her quietly.
Jiang Nan stood up slowly and awkwardly, trying to make his expression look natural: "Are you back?"
"Yeah," Chen Yunsheng paused for a few seconds at her face, which still retained a lively expression, before looking away. "Are you calling home?"
"Ah, yes," Jiang Nan scratched his eyebrows, "just... just chatting."
She noticed that his eyes were softer than usual, less cold than usual.
"Sounds like a blast." He walked over to the sink and washed his hands before going to the fridge and grabbing a bottle of water.
Jiang Nan was stunned for a moment before realizing he was referring to her phone call. She gave an embarrassed smile, "I...my dad and his family are just like that, they like to ramble on." She thought of Chen Yunsheng and Su Wanrong's less-than-close mother-son relationship, so she didn't mention Jiang's mother directly.
Chen Yunsheng lowered his head, revealing a faint, bleak smile. He then unscrewed the bottle cap and took a sip of water. He faced her sideways, his neck tilted back slightly, his Adam's apple rolling gently as he swallowed.
The thin light coming through the floor-to-ceiling windows gently fell on him, outlining his slightly tired figure.
Just now, at the door, he'd heard her brisk, even slightly naive, voice as she spoke on the phone. It was completely different from her usual cautious, polite demeanor with him, occasionally sporting a professional smile. This was a fresh, warm feeling, steeped in the trivialities of daily life and the bonds of family.
He had only received this kind of warmth from his grandmother, but with her passing, it became a luxury that he could only feel but could no longer truly obtain.
He suddenly understood why he had some different feelings towards this seemingly ordinary girl.
Perhaps it is because of these ordinary moments that he has never experienced but is inexplicably attracted to - people who love life and love living are always brilliant.
Jiang Nan watched him silently drinking water, and felt that something seemed different about him today. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but she could sense a layer of gray covering him, a mixture of loss and relief.
"Is work going well?" Jiang Nan asked.
"It went very smoothly." He turned his head to look at her, his eyes sweeping over the paper bag. "I bought it on the road. Want to try it?"
Jiang Nan blinked and hesitated for a moment before accepting: "Thank you."
Inside the paper bag was a transparent box containing several uniquely shaped pastries in matcha, light pink, milky white, and brown colors, which looked delicious.
“It looks delicious,” she said.
"The clerk said it was a sign." He stood aside and watched her open the box, with no intention of leaving.
Jiang Nan picked up a piece of milky white and took a small bite. It had a delicate texture and a hint of coconut, and was indeed delicious.
"How is it?" he asked.
"It's delicious," she nodded, took another bite, and then politely asked, "Would you like to try it too? It's not very sweet, you should... like it."
Jiang Nan remembered that he didn't like things that were too sweet, and the sweetness of the pastry this time was even lighter than the matcha cake last time. It wasn't very sweet, so it should suit his taste.
Chen Yunsheng was silent for a moment after hearing her invitation. He stared intently into her eyes, considering something more important: perhaps he could learn from her attitude towards life and make his own life less lonely.
So, just as Jiang Nan was racking his brains to think of a new direction to change the topic, Chen Yunsheng nodded: "Okay."
Hearing this, Jiang Nan quickly pushed the box towards him.
He didn't touch the pastries in the box, but looked at the coconut-flavored pastry in her hand, which she had taken two bites of.
Jiang Nan didn't understand.
But Chen Yunsheng had already averted his eyes. He calmly took another milky white piece from the box and took a bite. He chewed slowly, savoring the faint coconut aroma.
"Does it taste okay?" Jiang Nan asked, glancing at his profile.
Chen Yunsheng nodded and smiled with a hint of ease.
Jiang Nan smiled, lowered his head and took another bite.
The two of them stood at the center counter, quietly eating their cakes. The atmosphere was subtly awkward, but not unbearable.
"Is the business trip...fun?" Jiang Nan tried to find a topic.
"It's not very fun," he said simply, swallowing his food. "Too many meetings."
"oh."
Nothing to say again.
Jiang Nan ate the cake in small bites, hesitating whether to ask for clarification right now.
Chen Yunsheng finished the cake in his hand, wiped his hands with a tissue, and asked her casually, "How's your project going?"
The mention of work brought Jiang Nan's attention back a bit. "Not so good. Mr. Song specifically wanted to invite Fu Yifang, an artist with a very bad temper. I contacted him for a day, but all I got was a polite three-way response from his studio."
She said in a complaining and weird tone, "Thank you for the invitation, but I'm sorry, I don't have time. I look forward to working with you next time."
Chen Yunsheng was amused by her appearance and repeated: "Fu Yifang?"
"Well, you know him?"
"I've heard that he has a bit of a peculiar temper." He picked up the water bottle and asked, "Do you need any help?"
Jiang Nan suddenly became nervous. She remembered how he had handled the rumors before. It was quick and decisive, but it also made her feel uneasy. She quickly shook her head: "No, I'll think of a solution myself."
Chen Yunsheng looked at her suddenly nervous expression, was silent for a moment, and then nodded gently: "Okay."
His reaction was so calm that Jiang Nan felt a little guilty. She opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but she didn't know how to put it. Should I say I'm afraid you'll use your money power and make me owe you more?
In the end, Jiang Nan just said softly: "Thank you for the pastry, it's delicious."
"As long as you like it," he said, "It's getting late, go to bed early."
"...Okay." Jiang Nan nodded blankly, watching his back as he walked towards the bedroom, his heart suddenly filled with a heavy sense of loss and full courage.
"Chen Yunsheng!" She suddenly called out to him.
He stopped and turned to look at Jiang Nan with a hint of doubt in his eyes.
Jiang Nan grasped at the hem of her clothes helplessly, feeling her heart leap to the tip of her tongue, pounding like it was about to burst. But she forced herself to remain calm. After a second or two, she took a deep breath and looked up into his eyes.
In the dead of night, this voice could be clearly heard. She said:
"What did you mean last time when you said... that you didn't want it to end so soon?"
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