Chapter 20 Goodnight. Qu He.
The two simple words carried an air of undeniable authority.
Qu He had no choice but to bend down and sit down.
A cool evening breeze swept through, lifting strands of hair that brushed against Zhuang Bieyan's wrist before quickly disappearing.
The touch was so light it felt like an illusion.
Zhuang Bieyan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his fingers on the doorknob tightened slightly.
He quietly closed the door and went around to the driver's seat.
"Would you like Chinese or Western food?" he asked, one hand resting on the steering wheel.
"Either is fine," Qu He said.
"So, that's my decision?"
"good."
Engine starts.
The frame of the rearview mirror frames the sunset like a flowing, golden-pink oil painting.
...
Inside the Maybach, the air was so quiet it was almost stagnant.
Qu He turned her head to look out the window, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the seat belt; she could almost hear her own heartbeat.
It's a bit awkward.
The green light turns red, and the car stops.
Qu He finally broke the silence, and after thinking it over, she finally found a topic: "President Zhuang, Xiao Xi's ceramics should be ready in about half a month."
Zhuang Bieyan tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel and said in a deep voice, "Okay."
What a cold, indifferent, and icy word.
This is what you call a conversation killer.
Qu He quietly scratched her palm.
"that..."
Just as she was about to find another topic, Zhuang Bieyan suddenly spoke up: "Miss Qu, am I that scary?"
"Huh?" Qu He was taken aback and turned to look at him.
Zhuang Bieyan suddenly turned to look at her, a ripple of emotion flashing in his eyes behind his glasses: "If there's anything about me that makes you uncomfortable, you can tell me."
Caught off guard, Qu He quickly waved her hands, "No, no, how could that be?"
Zhuang Bieyan's lips curled up almost imperceptibly as he lightly tapped the steering wheel with his fingertips: "That's good."
He raised his hand and pressed the play button. "Want to listen to some music?"
"Can."
A Cantonese female voice flowed out softly, "A heartless person helps an orphan, temporarily weathering the storm..."
When the green light came on, the Maybach rejoined the traffic.
The music eased some of the tension in the air.
Qu He quietly breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed a little. Only then did she belatedly realize that Zhuang Bieyan must have seen through her discomfort and said those things to take care of her feelings.
This man is frighteningly meticulous.
The Maybach is turning at the intersection.
Qu He looked at the street scene receding outside the window and asked, "Is this heading towards Shi'an Street?"
"Um."
Zhuang Bieyan stared ahead, then suddenly paused, "A friend just opened a restaurant."
He spoke calmly, but Qu He still caught a momentary pause in his words.
It wasn't until the car stopped and she saw the sign that she understood why he had hesitated to speak.
On the gleaming golden signboard, three large, gilded characters are etched in a flowing, elegant style:
Yushan room.
Beneath the eaves and brackets is a vermilion gate, flanked by two gilded Pixiu statues.
This naming....
This style...
It's truly...unique.
"Mr. Zhuang." A manager in a black uniform quickly approached and said respectfully, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming, Mr. Zhuang?"
Zhuang Bieyan said calmly, "It was a spur-of-the-moment decision."
The manager nodded, his gaze lingering briefly on Qu He before quickly suppressing the surprise in his eyes: "Young Master Yu instructed that Chun Ting Yue on the third floor is not open to the public except for Mr. Zhuang. Please, both of you."
The manager bowed and led the two inside.
Qu He followed them through the winding corridors, where a pavilion stood beside a rockery and flowing water, from which came the melodious sound of a guzheng.
At the end of the corridor was the lobby on the first floor. The manager led the two of them up the elevator to the third floor from the other end.
The third floor consists entirely of private rooms.
The manager explained to Qu He that the entrance to the private room was covered with Suzhou embroidery silk carpets, and the nameplates on them were personally inscribed by a master of Chinese classical studies at the request of Young Master Yu.
Qu He looked at the house numbers she passed: "Rainy Bell", "Drunken Hibiscus", "Like a Dream", "Spring Court Moon"...
This, placed alongside the gilded signboard at the entrance, creates a strangely...harmonious effect.
It's simply taken the extremes of both vulgarity and elegance.
Qu He became somewhat curious about this Second Young Master Yu.
Suddenly remembering something, she asked the manager, "This Second Young Master Yu, could his name be 'Yu Shan'?"
The manager turned around and looked at her in surprise: "Does this young lady know our Second Young Master Yu?"
Is that really its name?
Qu He was surprised.
The manager led the two into the "Spring Court Moon" private room.
Pushing open the door reveals a double-sided Suzhou embroidered bamboo screen, behind which sits a round walnut table with two menus on it.
The manager lit sandalwood incense, served tea, and quietly closed the door before leaving.
The two sat facing each other, and Zhuang Bieyan suddenly spoke: "Steaming hot."
Qu He was taken aback, not understanding what he meant.
But the next second, a line of poetry suddenly popped into my mind, and I subconsciously recited it: "In the south there are fine fish, steaming and sizzling."
Qu He thought of the Second Young Master Yu that the manager had been talking about, and then she thought of Aunt Yu, who was one of the watch contacts that Zhuang Xi had mentioned before.
"This Young Master Yu, you don't have an older sister named Yu Jiayu, do you?" she blurted out.
Zhuang Bieyan raised an eyebrow, his gaze behind his glasses shifting slightly, seemingly unsurprised by her answer.
Qu He herself was stunned.
She didn't remember when she had read the Book of Songs, but she felt inexplicably familiar with this particular line of poetry.
She lowered her head and took a sip of jasmine tea, unaware of the fleeting complexity in Zhuang Bieyan's eyes.
The aroma of tea wafted through the private room of Chun Ting Yue.
Zhuang Bieyan pushed the menu in front of her: "Is there any dish you particularly like?"
"Either is fine," she replied habitually.
Zhuang Bieyan paused in his flipping through the menu, looked up at Qu He sitting opposite him, and said sincerely, "Everyone who comes into this world will have their own likes and dislikes."
His voice was soft, yet each word was clear, with a hint of guidance: "If Miss Qu can't find someone she truly likes, why not take the first step and try them all?"
Qu He's heart skipped a beat.
He was clearly talking about the food, but Qu He felt as if he was talking about more than just the food.
However, Zhuang Bieyan's words stirred up waves in her heart.
Because it had been so long since anyone had asked her what she "liked" that she had almost forgotten.
Over the years she'd been with Qian Zhaoye, she'd long since gotten used to deliberately suppressing her own preferences. Whatever he liked to eat, she ate; whatever he disliked, she didn't try.
Her joys and sorrows almost entirely revolved around one person.
And what about herself?
What exactly does she like?
Seeing her deep in thought, Zhuang Bieyan, who was sitting opposite her, felt a hint of tenderness in his eyes.
He pressed the call button, and after the manager came in, he ordered a few signature dishes, put down the menu, and then leisurely sipped his tea.
The sandalwood incense in the private room had a calming effect, and Qu He relaxed, suddenly feeling relieved and enlightened.
She took the menu and began carefully selecting her dishes.
This was the first time in five years that she ordered entirely according to her own preferences.
After taking the order, the manager checked the menu and left.
After the sandalwood incense in the private room had burned out, the first dish was served.
The two ate in silence.
Qu He noticed that Zhuang Bieyan took off his glasses while eating.
The next dish served was the apple duck she had ordered; the aroma of the fruitwood-roasted duck whetted her appetite.
Qu He took a bite, her eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but nod.
Zhuang Bieyan smiled slightly: "Suitable for your taste?"
"Yes!" Qu He nodded.
Zhuang Bieyan chuckled and poured her half a cup of jasmine tea.
Qu He put down her chopsticks and said, "It's just as President Zhuang said, if you dare to try, you'll be pleasantly surprised."
"If you like it, that's fine. Actually, it's not just about food, but also about many people and things," Zhuang Bieyan said, looking into her eyes.
Without the glasses in between, the two looked into each other's eyes, and the amber vortex in his eyes carried a strange, alluring quality.
Qu He suddenly realized that there was a hidden meaning in his words.
"The desserts at this shop are also quite good. Miss Qu can try them later." Zhuang Bieyan subtly changed the subject. "Yu Shan specifically consulted a French pastry chef."
Qu He remembered that there seemed to be a dessert among the dishes he ordered.
Qu He nodded.
She suddenly remembered something and said, "Actually, Mr. Zhuang, you don't need to be so polite. Just call me Qu He."
Zhuang Bieyan put down his chopsticks, his gaze deep: "In all things, there should be reciprocity."
The roots of Quhe's ears felt hot.
Does this mean she should call him by his name directly?
She opened her mouth, but the three words seemed too hot to utter; they lingered on her tongue for a moment, but she couldn't say them.
Qu He simply lowered her head and continued eating.
Sitting opposite her, Zhuang Bieyan looked at the small whorl on the top of her head, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.
Dinner ended in a wonderful harmony.
Over the course of the meal, Zhuang Bieyan easily brought up several topics, and the meal was quite pleasant.
As she left, Qu He belatedly realized that this was the first time she had felt truly relaxed since Qian Zhaoye left.
The night was falling.
The Maybach was parked downstairs at Baiyu Bay again.
Qu He lowered the car window, and the night breeze brushed against her cheeks, taking away the last trace of gloom.
"Thank you, Mr. Zhuang..." She turned to look at Zhuang Bieyan, paused, and then said, "Thank you for dinner tonight."
This was a heartfelt statement from her.
The streetlights cast dappled light and shadow on his face through the gaps in the leaves.
Zhuang Bieyan nodded slightly: "Good night, Qu He."
Qu He: "...Goodnight..."
The Maybach's taillights disappeared, and Qu He turned and went upstairs.
Unbeknownst to her, a black Maybach, like a lurking beast, had been parked in the shadows beneath the trees around the corner for a very, very long time...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
