30. The same journey with rain curtain
Chi Jin chose dinner. After all, she was treating her boss to a meal, so she couldn't afford to neglect it. Afterward, she'd thought the noodle shop she'd eaten at last time was too casual (not to mention she'd forgotten to pay the bill), so she carefully selected a riverside restaurant that had become a viral sensation. It was said to have an elegant ambiance and exquisite cuisine, earning it high praise.
Chi Jin felt a little regretful the moment he walked in. The lighting was ambiguous, the curtains were low, and the air was filled with a sweet aroma. It was too charming, too much like a couple's restaurant. Looking closer, he saw a sign next to the front desk that read: "Dianping.com - Top 1 Must-Eat Restaurant for Couples in This City."
Her ears felt hot, and she quickly found a seat in the most inconspicuous corner. She didn't even dare to look at the menu, not even looking at the eye-catching "sweet meal for two". She imitated the adults at a social gathering and pretended to be calm and ordered a few signature dishes, trying to appear "serious".
Chen Yisheng sat down across from her and looked around calmly. He didn't comment on the "specialness" of the environment, but casually asked, "This seemed to be a Japanese restaurant before? Have you been here before?"
"No, no! I haven't been here very often. I asked a classmate to recommend it to me." Chi Jin was vague, wishing he could tear the sign off.
"What kind of dishes do you like to eat when your peers go out to play?"
"It's just grilled fish, barbecued meat, barbecued skewers, hot pot, etc. As for cuisine, I like Sichuan and Shandong cuisine, which goes well with rice."
"What about entertainment activities? Besides dinner."
Chi Jin thought for a moment: "Watching movies and doing handicrafts? I'm not really sure what's popular among young people nowadays, and my social circle is also narrow after I start working."
"After the autumn recruitment, there will be a team building event, with the editorial department as the unit. We went to the party venue the year before last and last year, but this year several of our editors-in-chief said they wanted to try something new and more popular with you."
Chi Jin didn't know if he was also frightened by the huge "No. 1 Must-Eat for Couples in the City" and was talking about work desperately.
"There seems to be a lot of script-killing games for company team-building, but they're quite tiring. If you're mainly looking for relaxation, a bathhouse is a good option. Actually, many high-end bathhouses are doing a great job these days, offering one-stop service, a comfortable environment, comprehensive entertainment facilities, public rest areas, women-only areas, and discounts for group bookings."
"Have you been there?"
"When I graduated with my master's degree, I went on a budget trip with my classmates," Chi Jin explained, his tone lightening as he recalled those youthful days. "Our budget was limited, hotels were too expensive, and hostels were fully booked. So, we tried those affordable bathhouses that were very cost-effective. They even included a simple breakfast for the night. With a few acquaintances, the safety was pretty good. Of course, I'm talking about the high-end ones suitable for team building; the experience is completely different."
"Oh, I see." Chen Yisheng seemed to be thinking about something. "There should be many places like this in Jing City. I'll keep an eye out for them."
The two chatted for a while about the team building format, and the atmosphere finally got rid of the initial weirdness and became a little more normal.
Fortunately, the dishes were finally arriving. As expected of a top-tier online restaurant, the presentation was exquisite, with innovative dishes that blended Eastern and Western elements. Several of the signature dishes were truly eye-catching and fragrant.
Chi Jin secretly observed and found that Chen Yisheng seemed to be particularly easy to please when it came to "eating". No matter what she ordered, he would taste it calmly, with no obvious preference or pickiness.
Of course, Chi Jin didn't order any dishes that she didn't like, so Chen Yisheng couldn't tell her food preferences.
Just when she was feeling smug, Chen Yisheng suddenly said—
"It seems you don't like sour food."
Chi Jin's heart skipped a beat, and his hand, which was about to pick up the food, stopped mid-air. How did he know?
He leisurely glanced over the dishes on the table. "There are quite a few signature sour dishes on the menu, like the highly acclaimed secret sweet and sour spareribs, which use aged vinegar and hawthorn for a sweet and sour taste that's appetizing. There's also the Thai Tom Yum Goong shrimp soup, which is known for its spicy, sour, and fresh flavor. The cold lemon shredded chicken is also a classic example of spicy and sour."
The dishes that Khan Chen Yisheng selected were exactly the ones that Chi Jin had immediately ruled out after taking a quick glance at them when ordering, without even the interest to take a second look.
He paused, and lightly tapped the plate of plum-pickled tomatoes in front of Chi Jin, which had hardly been touched. It was the only cold dish with a slightly sour taste, served as an appetizer, and Chi Jin only reluctantly tasted one.
"You didn't order any of these dishes. Or you ordered them but barely touched them."
Chi Jin blinked his eyes, hiding the turmoil in his heart, and half sincerely and half concealedly praised: "Editor Chen, with your observation skills, it's a pity that you don't become a detective."
"Besides," Chen Yisheng leaned forward slightly, a rare, barely perceptible, almost sly smile flashing across his eyes, "I'm not as 'not picky about food' as you think. It just so happens that I don't eat sour food either."
Fate. This word silently exploded in Chi Jin's heart.
She quickly picked up the water cup and took a sip, suppressing her uneasiness and adopting a slightly exaggerated and flattering tone: "Ah, it's such an honor to share the same food preferences as Editor-in-Chief Chen! It seems our tastes are quite compatible! Now I don't have to worry about the team-building meal not being to my liking."
"It's actually a habit of people in L City. They don't like sour food. Jing City is so close, and they don't have such a strict rule."
The atmosphere grew somewhat tense during the latter half of the meal. Their hometown identity was like an invisible membrane, drawing them closer, yet the ambiguous relationship between superiors and subordinates and the atmosphere made them seem somewhat thicker. Chi Jin struggled to find safe topics, chatting about the changes in L City's old streets and the congestion in Jing City. Chen Yisheng also, for once, spoke a few words about himself, though they remained concise and restrained.
Time passed in the slightly awkward yet undercurrent of small talk. Seeing that the meal was almost finished, Chi Jin immediately waved for the waiter to pay the bill. Since she was treating today, she had to show her respect.
The waiter subconsciously pointed the bill towards the man, but Chi Jin was quick to grab the bill.
However, a bony hand silently pressed a card onto the bill holder handed over by the waiter.
“Swipe the card, no password.”
"Editor-in-Chief Chen!" Chi Jin was anxious and hurried to stop him. "I promised to treat you! Last time at the noodle shop..."
"You're welcome." Chen Yisheng interrupted her, smoothly pushing the bill to the waiter and looking at Chi Jin calmly, "I'll treat you this time. You chose a good place."
He said the last few words calmly, but Chi Jin always felt that there was a hint of teasing in them, which made her cheeks, which had just cooled down, burn again.
The waiter was well-trained and quickly took the card and left. Chi Jin stretched out his hand in vain, embarrassed and helpless: "This... How can I be so embarrassed..."
"Please come back next time." Chen Yisheng gave an excuse lightly.
As they left the restaurant, a drizzle had already begun to fall. The early autumn rain, chilly and wielding a fine web amidst the halo of neon lights, spun a fine, lingering net. The river breeze blew, and Chi Jin, clad in a thin shirt, shivered.
The waiter held a large umbrella, and the two of them politely kept their distance, standing somewhat awkwardly in the limited space beneath it.
The waiter first opened the passenger door for Chi Jin. She didn't want to sit in, but it was raining and she didn't want to delay things, so she said thank you and sat in.
The words of rejection rolled around on the tip of his tongue, but were ultimately defeated by Chen Yisheng's unquestionable gaze and the increasingly dense raindrops.
Chen Yisheng noticed her fatigue and turned on some light music: "You've worked hard today. You can close your eyes and rest for a while."
The car slid smoothly into the rainy night's traffic, the wipers swaying rhythmically from side to side, scraping away the streams of water that continued to gather on the windshield.
"I've troubled you to send me off several times, whether it's in my hometown or in Jing City."
"You don't have to be so polite all the time." Chen Yisheng looked ahead, his voice steady. "Although we're superiors and subordinates, we're also brothers and fellow townsmen. It's only right that I take care of you."
"Thank you, Editor-in-Chief Chen."
"Say that and we're getting distant again." Chen Yisheng turned down the music. "You were supposed to go back with Sun Ting today, weren't you?"
Chi Jin didn't expect him to suddenly mention Sun Ting. He was stunned for a moment, then hummed vaguely.
"'Developing'...what progress do you mean exactly?"
The directness of the question made Chi Jin's scalp tingle. She felt her cheeks begin to heat up again, and she gritted her teeth and replied perfunctorily, "It's just... we just met, just ordinary schoolmates. He said that at the wedding this morning, probably just for show."
"Oh." Chen Yisheng's tone was flat, and it was impossible to tell whether he believed it or not.
"Actually, my mom has asked me to go on blind dates many times, and I've always refused. But this time, I can't escape it. I'm sure you've been on blind dates before, and it's really a headache to figure out how to deal with the blind date."
"I haven't."
Chi Jin was choked for a moment, and after a while he spoke: "I've recently felt that this is indeed a major event in life. He is much more normal than the boys I would meet on blind dates in my stereotype. Maybe we will really get in touch with him."
"Your requirement is just 'normal'?" he asked, his tone devoid of emotion.
"Well, it's just to relieve boredom. I've said before that being alone for a long time can be quite insecure."
Without warning, a car in front of him suddenly braked! Chen Yisheng reacted extremely quickly and slammed on the brakes.
"Ah!" Chi Jin was caught off guard, and the huge inertia made her fall forward! The bag in her arms flew out of her hands, and her body slammed uncontrollably into the side window!
"Ah..." She touched her painful forehead and looked up to meet Chen Yisheng's sidelong gaze.
The two pairs of eyes suddenly collided in the dim and swaying carriage, amid the deafening sound of rain and the lingering fear.
The distance was too close. So close that Chi Jin could see the subtle arrangement of the few light moles at the corners of his eyes, so close that she could feel his hot breath gently brushing against her hair.
A few seconds seemed like a century.
Finally, he was the first to look away, his gaze returning to the chaotic road ahead.
"...Are you okay?" His hands gripped the steering wheel, and his voice returned to its usual steady state, even a little deliberately cold, as if the lightning-fast grip and tense eye contact just now had never happened.
Chi Jin suddenly came back to her senses, her heart still pounding like crazy, her cheeks burning hot enough to fry an egg. She lowered her head in panic, not daring to look in his direction, and said in a voice as thin as a mosquito: "No, it's okay."
She hurriedly tried to pick up the bag that had fallen at her feet, her fingertips trembling.
This eye contact is so weird.
Panic, helplessness, and throbbing.
She couldn't explain it clearly.
Half an hour later, the car was parked downstairs of the unit.
He unbuckled his seat belt, picked up his large black umbrella from the driver's seat with a swift movement, pushed open the car door, and with a stride of his long legs, walked around to the passenger door.
Wow——
The car door was opened, and the cold rain and damp night wind instantly rushed into the car.
Chi Jin clutched his bag, looking at the tall figure standing outside the car door, holding an umbrella. The dim light from the street lamp filtered through the edge of the umbrella, casting bright and dark shadows on his stern profile. Raindrops dripped down the ribs.
He silently held out a hand, palm up, waiting to pick her up... or, waiting to help her out of the car?
This posture, under the dim light of the rainy night, actually exudes a sense of protection that makes people feel at ease.
Chi Jin hurriedly dodged his outstretched hand and almost crawled out of the car with her bag in her arms. She spoke quickly: "Thank you, Editor-in-Chief Chen! I can run back in a few steps by myself! Bye!"
Before she finished her words, she plunged into the dense rain like a frightened rabbit, and her frail figure quickly disappeared in the dark corridor.
Chen Yisheng stood there, holding his umbrella. Raindrops pounded against the wide canopy. He gazed gravely at the hurried figure disappearing into the corridor, then glanced down at his own hand, which hung in the air.
The scent of jasmine in the car lingered at the tip of my nose, and also... the clean and reassuring scent of soapberry that seemed to be clearer after being washed by the rain, belonging to her.
He sighed almost inaudibly and rubbed his palm unconsciously with his fingertips.
"...Goodbye." He whispered to himself at the empty corridor entrance.
The sound was quickly drowned out by the sound of the rain.
He turned around, and his tall figure re-entered the black SUV.
The engine roared, and the taillights drew two blurry red light tracks in the rain, quickly disappearing at the end of the street.
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