32. Reality and Wishes
The room was silent, with only the vague sound of voices coming from other courtyards in the distance, and the even vaguer sound of wind blowing through the leaves, causing them to sway gently and slap against each other.
Jiang Nan opened his eyes and looked at the faint shadow falling on the opposite wall.
On the wall were only her shadows and the furniture, overlapping like a low-quality ink painting. The brushwork was crude and erratic, neither the figures nor the objects formed a whole, just a pile of blobs of ink.
Jiang Nan stared at these hazy outlines, feeling no sleepiness at all. At the same time, she could sense Chen Yunsheng lying on the couch behind her, seemingly also asleep.
After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Nan heard him sigh very lightly and then turn over.
Hearing the sound of him turning over, Jiang Nan was so scared that he dared not move, and even his breathing became lighter.
But he made no other sound, nor did he make any other movement.
Just when Jiang Nan thought he might have fallen asleep, his voice rang out softly again. Accompanied by the sound of the wind outside the window, his words sounded almost like a dream: "That bracelet... looks great on you."
Jiang Nan felt her heart skip a beat. Then, her fingertips touched the cool jadeite, and she replied in a daze, "Thank you."
She heard her voice was dry.
"Good night." He said these two words and fell silent.
"good evening."
This time, Jiang Nan listened to the breathing sounds behind him that gradually became even and long, and his heart beat like a drum, unable to calm down for a long time.
This man, sometimes cold and distant, sometimes unexpectedly attentive and gentle, was even more complex and unpredictable than the most difficult physics problems she faced in high school. She was so anxious that she quickly flipped through several required textbooks, but she still couldn't get the point.
During this long silence, Jiang Nan's fluctuating heart gradually calmed down. She slowly fell asleep amidst her chaotic thoughts, with the faint scent of cedar still lingering in her nose.
——
The next morning, when Jiang Nan woke up, Chen Yunsheng was no longer on the couch. She slowly stood up and carefully looked around the room. It was just like him: neat, restrained, and devoid of unnecessary decoration.
The dark wood furniture had clean lines, and the books on the shelves were meticulously arranged by height and color. The pens on the desk, like those in the study in his downtown apartment, were arranged in a gradation of dark to light. The air was filled with a faint cedar scent, similar to his own, cool and refreshing, like stumbling into a pine forest on a winter morning.
Jiang Nan stepped barefoot on the ground and walked to the window. She pulled open the curtains and gently pushed open the window, while also looking out at the surrounding environment.
Chen Yunsheng's courtyard didn't have much to display, but it did have a thriving Albizia tree. Its branches, adorned with fluffy pink filaments, resembled soft clouds, a stark contrast to the cold, hard atmosphere of the house. When the wind blew, the delicate petals swayed, casting subtle shadows and light, silently adding a touch of softness to the atmosphere.
Jiang Nan stared at the tree, lost in thought, reflecting on last night's conversation and the delicate atmosphere. She wasn't sure what he meant by that last compliment. On the one hand, she was certain it was merely an objective assessment; if Chen Yunsheng wore a nice brooch or cufflinks, she'd politely offer a compliment. On the other hand, she couldn't help but imbue the words with an ambiguous tone, slipping into a dream brewing with lustful thoughts.
Finally, Jiang Nan sighed and decided not to think about it anymore.
Whatever he meant, she'd better not over-interpret it. She should stay sober, fulfill the agreement, and get what she deserves. This is what she should do.
Afterwards, Jiang Nan turned around and went to the bathroom to wash up, changed his clothes and went downstairs.
In the side hall, breakfast was ready. Old Master Chen sat in the main seat, reading a newspaper. Chen Mingyuan and Su Wanrong were also there, whispering to each other.
The atmosphere seemed much more relaxed than last night.
"Good morning, Grandpa," Jiang Nan walked over and greeted politely, "Good morning, Auntie, good morning, Uncle."
Su Wanrong and Chen Mingyuan responded politely and exchanged a few courteous greetings.
Mr. Chen put down the newspaper and smiled kindly: "Nannan, are you up? Come and sit down and have some breakfast. Yunsheng went to the company early in the morning and said there was an emergency meeting."
"Oh, okay." Jiang Nan sat down next to Su Wanrong.
The servant brought her porridge and four side dishes. She said thank you, then looked at the breakfast in front of her with a sigh.
She wasn't quite sure about the specific ingredients and processing methods of the breakfast in front of her, but she could feel the difference just by looking at it with her naked eyes.
The rice grains are crystal clear, the porridge is translucent, and it exudes a light rice fragrance. The few side dishes look ordinary, but the flavors that waft over are pure and refreshing, not greasy.
In addition, there were several exquisite snacks on the table.
A delicate shrimp dumpling, its thin, cicada-wing-like skin enveloping plump, pink shrimp. A perfectly pan-fried radish cake, slightly crispy and golden on the outside, soft and glutinous on the inside, with finely shredded radish and scattered minced meat. A delicate lotus flower pastry, its layers of crispy skin gently unfolding, resembling a newly opened lotus flower. And a basket of steaming soup dumplings, paper-thin skin and rich, juicy broth.
The meal is served with chilled rice dumplings made from fermented glutinous rice wine. The small white and glutinous dumplings are immersed in the fermented glutinous rice wine, sprinkled with some dried osmanthus flowers, giving off a hint of coolness.
All the bowls and plates are made of simple and elegant sweet white porcelain, which looks warm and subtle, not luxurious.
Jiang Nan blinked, momentarily stunned by these understated yet unusual items. When he and Chen Yunsheng lived in a city-center apartment, breakfast was either simple pastries prepared by his aunt, or noodles and frozen dumplings cooked by her. He had never been picky about anything.
It was not until this moment that she suddenly realized that it was not that he was not picky, but that he was accommodating her daily life, so much so that she had never thought that he was accustomed to living such an extremely refined life in the old house.
Jiang Nan was silent for a minute or two before starting to eat.
She thought that every moment she had delusions about Chen Yunsheng was nothing more than his tolerance and consideration due to his cultivation, and had nothing to do with romance or love.
Looking back now, those gentle looks and considerate actions that she had repeatedly described in her heart were just the gentlemanly demeanor that was ingrained in his bones, the way of treating others that had been engraved in his blood for generations.
Jiang Nan laughed to himself in his heart and continued to sip his porridge with his head down.
At this time, Su Wanrong looked at her and asked calmly, "Did you sleep well last night? The bed in the old house may not be as soft as you young people are used to."
"Very good. The environment is quiet and I sleep very soundly." Jiang Nan replied with a smile.
Su Wanrong nodded and continued to sip her porridge. Chen Mingyuan asked gently, "I heard from Yunsheng that you've been very busy with work recently. Take care of yourself and don't overwork yourself."
"Thank you for your concern, uncle. I will pay attention to it." Jiang Nan responded calmly.
In fact, Chen Yunsheng was as gentle and considerate as his parents, but he was just her husband, so she always had unrealistic thoughts about him.
No one spoke after that, and breakfast took place in a slightly silent but peaceful atmosphere.
Li Li and Chen Minghui did not show up. I don’t know whether they did not stay overnight or deliberately avoided me.
As they were almost done eating, Grandpa Chen suddenly said to Jiang Nan, "Nannan, will you accompany Grandpa for a walk by the lotus pond later? The lotus flowers are blooming beautifully this year, and those new koi fish are adorable too."
Jiang Nan was a little surprised, but immediately agreed: "Okay, Grandpa."
Hearing this, Su Wanrong looked up at the old man, then glanced at Jiang Nan. Her eyes became complicated, as if filled with uneasiness and solemnity, but she ultimately said nothing.
After breakfast, Jiang Nan accompanied the old man and slowly walked towards the lotus pond in the old house.
The morning air was filled with the fragrance of moist grass and trees. The sunlight was a little thin, but it still penetrated the dense shade of the trees, casting spots of light on the ground.
"Nannan," the old man said slowly, "Don't take what happened last night to heart. Minghui and Li Li can be a little confusing sometimes."
Jiang Nan quickly said, "Grandpa, I don't care."
The old man sighed, "Second Uncle Yunsheng... has a quick mind and always thinks of some crooked ways. I won't let Liang Yue come to our house again."
Jiang Nan knew the old man was trying to comfort her and make his point clear. She did feel a sense of comfort, but she didn't want to overstep her bounds. She chuckled and said, "Grandpa, that's not necessary. Miss Liang is young and doesn't understand."
"You're very tolerant," the old man said, then changed the subject and talked about Chen Yunsheng. "Yunsheng is a cold-tempered child who doesn't talk much. He's more like his mother. But he knows what's on his mind. He knows who's treating him well and who's plotting against him. Once he's committed to something or someone, he'll... stick with them until the end."
Jiang Nan's heart trembled slightly, not sure whether the old man's words had any hidden meaning.
"You are a good kid, down-to-earth and kind-hearted. Yunsheng asked you to lie, but you lied so-soly, with your face full of the expression that I wasn't telling the truth." He chuckled softly a few times.
"Grandpa—" Jiang Nan stuttered, "You—you all—"
"Of course I know. Your parents are both high school teachers, not retired professors." The old man gave a soothing smile, then paused to gaze at the lotus flowers blooming in the pond. "Yunsheng is probably worried that a bunch of old guys like us are trying to pretend to be well-matched. But I can tell he really likes you."
After saying that, the old man turned to look at Jiang Nan and continued, "I feel at ease knowing Yunsheng is with you."
The recognition and weight of these words left Jiang Nan at a loss for words. She could only whisper, "Thank you, Grandpa."
"That kid might not be very good at expressing himself sometimes," the old man smiled, a hint of teasing in his eyes, "I can only ask you to be more patient. But you still have a long life ahead of you."
Jiang Nan agreed vaguely, his thoughts wandering.
The old man's recognition made her feel warm, but this warmth was accompanied by heavy pressure and invisible constraints.
There was no wish for more days between her and him.
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