Chapter 11
Under the dim, light brown lighting, slow jazz music played in the background.
The steak in front of Jiang Chaochao sizzled, while Xiang Ye, sitting opposite him, was drinking water.
Yes, that’s right.
Rewinding back to half an hour ago.
After Xiang Ye said he forgot to bring Jiang Chaochao’s brooch, he didn’t continue on that topic. Almost seamlessly, he jumped to the next, asking Jiang Chaochao, “Have you eaten yet?”
Without waiting for Jiang Chaochao’s reply, he continued, “I haven’t.”
He said: “I came straight here after the meeting.”
He said: “I’m a little hungry.”
After saying this, he asked Jiang Chaochao again: “Have you eaten?”
Jiang Chaochao swallowed a rising burp and shook his head: “Not yet.”
After saying that, Jiang Chaochao felt incredibly guilty. He rarely lied, but Xiang Ye didn’t seem surprised at all, and his next sentence was, “What do you want to eat?”
Jiang Chaochao’s guilt was immediately replaced by contemplation.
But his stomach had no suggestions at the moment, he couldn’t think of anything he wanted to eat.
“Anything is fine,” Jiang Chaochao gave a non-answer.
“Want to have steak?” Xiang Ye asked.
Jiang Chaochao’s stomach didn’t seem to object: “Sure.”
Xiang Ye: “Okay.”
Then he found himself in Xiang Ye’s passenger seat.
During the drive out of the basement parking, Jiang Chaochao carefully thought about how things had escalated to eating steak.
It seemed to have just happened, one thing after another, very smoothly leading to this point, without a hint of awkwardness or hesitation.
Steak.
Steak was good. Jiang Chaochao loved eating steak when he was a child.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle.
Back to the present.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle.
The steak in front of Xiang Ye was also sizzling.
How funny, having two meals within two hours.
However, Jiang Chaochao ordered a small steak for himself. Based on his current situation, this could be called a won’t-make-me-explode portion.
The tables in this restaurant were spaced far apart, making the surroundings even quieter.
Jiang Chaochao cut a small piece and put it in his mouth, then cut another small piece, and then stared at the steak.
He had just had dinner with his mother, and he had also eaten a lot of fruit.
“What’s wrong?” A voice came from across the table.
Jiang Chaochao looked up and heard Xiang Ye ask him again: “Not to your liking?”
Jiang Chaochao shook his head: “No, it’s delicious.”
Xiang Ye hit the nail on the head: “Your expression looks like you’re eating poison.”
Jiang Chaochao choked, then laughed.
But to prove himself, Jiang Chaochao stabbed the piece he had just cut with his fork and put it in his mouth.
“Delicious,” Jiang Chaochao said. “Super delicious.”
During this whole process, Xiang Ye kept staring at Jiang Chaochao.
Jiang Chaochao knew why Xiang Ye was staring at him. He was putting on a performance, and Xiang Ye was a good audience member.
But Jiang Chaochao didn’t dare look into Xiang Ye’s eyes.
His gaze drifting, Jiang Chaochao saw Xiang Ye smile.
Jiang Chaochao also smiled.
Xiang Ye was smiling at Jiang Chaochao.
Then what was Jiang Chaochao smiling about?
“Do you like steak?” Xiang Ye asked Jiang Chaochao again.
“I do,” Jiang Chaochao said. “My favorite food when I was a child was steak.”
Xiang Ye became curious: “And when you grew up?”
Jiang Chaochao: “I still like it when I grew up, I just haven’t eaten it much.”
Xiang Ye: “Why?”
Jiang Chaochao thought for a moment: “When I was a child, my mom always cut my steak for me. One time, she also cut the steak for another child…”
Speaking of which, Jiang Chaochao felt he had shared a bit too much. He smiled at Xiang Ye: “A bit childish.”
Xiang Ye shook his head: “No, it’s not,” he added. “Not childish.”
Jiang Chaochao said again: “It was a long time ago.”
Xiang Ye gave an “mm-hmm.”
“Can you finish it?” Xiang Ye looked down at Jiang Chaochao’s plate.
Jiang Chaochao was indeed struggling a bit.
Just as Jiang Chaochao was wondering if he should persevere, a waiter passed by.
Then the waiter was stopped by Xiang Ye.
After some maneuvering, Jiang Chaochao’s steak was placed in front of Xiang Ye.
After more maneuvering, the waiter gave Jiang Chaochao a new, empty plate.
And Xiang Ye only had one explanation: “You look full.”
Jiang Chaochao couldn’t refute him.
Since the steak was delicious, and he liked steak, if he couldn’t eat it, what other reason could there be?
So the guilt from a moment ago attacked Jiang Chaochao again.
He hesitated for a moment, then confessed honestly: “I’ve actually already eaten.”
After saying that, he immediately stared at Xiang Ye’s expression.
Xiang Ye was cutting his steak at this moment. He didn’t show any particular expression, and even said, rather unsurprised, “I know.”
On the contrary, Jiang Chaochao was a bit surprised. He thought for a moment, feeling he needed to explain something.
But before he could figure out what to say, Xiang Ye suddenly placed a small, cut piece of steak on Jiang Chaochao’s plate.
“Thank you for having dinner with me,” Xiang Ye said.
Jiang Chaochao felt his heart skip a beat, then he slowly smiled: “You’re welcome.”
Actually, before this meal, Jiang Chaochao had some worries. He was afraid that with their not-so-familiar relationship, it would be awkward in this kind of setting.
But it was the opposite, a very relaxing meal.
Look, Jiang Chaochao, who had lied about having already eaten, was thanked by Xiang Ye in the end.
He didn’t ask him why he lied, nor did he blame him for not being able to eat after ordering.
For the rest of the time, Jiang Chaochao occasionally ate some of the other snacks on the table, and Xiang Ye would occasionally cut some steak and place it on Jiang Chaochao’s plate.
They also chatted.
About Jiang Chaochao’s life at school, the movie he didn’t finish watching this afternoon, about Xiang Shici, and yesterday’s performance.
It was a very comfortable and relaxing meal. Although he said he couldn’t eat, he ended up eating quite a bit.
The meal stretched past ten o’clock.
Jiang Chaochao was certainly satisfied. After all, before leaving the house, he had only expected to see Xiang Ye briefly, just to pick up his brooch and leave.
The brooch!
Sitting in the passenger seat, Jiang Chaochao suddenly looked up and opened his mouth.
But after thinking for a moment, he closed it without saying anything.
Mm-hmm.
There was still the brooch.
Hee hee.
Since Xiang Ye couldn’t see Jiang Chaochao’s expression from his driving position, Jiang Chaochao didn’t bother hiding it.
He nestled into the passenger seat, secretly smiling in the darkness where even peripheral vision couldn’t reach.
What else could he do?
He was really happy today.
Xiang Ye’s car was comfortable, and the music was pleasant.
He looked handsome driving, and the way he turned the steering wheel was also incredibly cool.
Jiang Chaochao was secretly enjoying himself when a sudden sound broke the tranquility.
A call came in through the car’s Bluetooth system, the caller ID showing “Xiang Shici.”
Xiang Ye directly answered the call, and Shici’s voice came through the car speakers.
“Uncle,” Shici asked, “Grandma said you’re near World City, what time are you coming home?”
Xiang Ye: “Coming back now.”
Shici giggled: “Then…?”
Xiang Ye immediately understood: “Where are you?”
Shici: “I’m very close, at the Exit 8 of the subway station, east gate.”
Jiang Chaochao also understood this.
And in the next second, Xiang Ye suddenly turned his head and asked Jiang Chaochao: “Is it okay?”
Jiang Chaochao nodded: “Sure.”
“Sure,” Shici, unaware of the situation, also replied on the other end of the phone.
Xiang Ye didn’t correct her or explain, simply saying: “Three minutes.”
Shici: “Okay!”
The call ended. Jiang Chaochao felt it was a little funny.
Is it okay?
Sure.
It was like in class, seemingly answering the teacher’s questions, but secretly whispering at the same time.
Three minutes later, they met Xiang Shici at the subway exit.
Xiang Shici couldn’t see clearly inside the car, so she ran over and directly opened the passenger door.
“Oh, sorry.”
Seeing someone in the passenger seat, Shici quickly closed the door, then opened the back door and got in.
Only after she was seated did she see who was in the passenger seat.
“Hey?” Xiang Shici was very surprised. “Xuechang!”
Jiang Chaochao turned around: “Hello.”
“Hello, hello,” Xiang Shici was still surprised. “Uncle, you, you were with xuechang tonight?”
Xiang Ye: “Mm-hmm.”
Xiang Shici didn’t know whether to be surprised or happy: “So you guys are so close.”
Xiang Ye, however, said, “Not sure if we’re close,” then he asked Jiang Chaochao, “Are we?”
Jiang Chaochao secretly laughed.
Why was Xiang Ye suddenly talking like this?
It was because at the restaurant earlier, they had talked about the difference between having dinner with friends and having dinner with acquaintances.
At the time, Jiang Chaochao had subconsciously categorized Xiang Ye as an acquaintance.
That was the truth!
“I don’t know, maybe not,” Jiang Chaochao said in the car.
Xiang Ye nodded, then nodded again: “Okay, Mr. Jiang.”
Jiang Chaochao suppressed his laughter.
And the niece in the back seat, hearing this exchange, slowly shut her mouth.
Huh? Mm-hmm? Hey? What?
She felt like she could ask something more.
But what to ask?
Mentally apologizing, Xiang Shici decided to keep quiet.
She opened her phone and clicked on Weibo.
She originally wanted to browse through her groups, but she suddenly remembered something.
“Uncle, my classmate said you posted pictures on Weibo,” Shici said.
Xiang Ye gave an “mm-hmm”: “Your Uncle Xiao Jing forced me to.”
Shici laughed: “That sounds like him.” She then opened Xiang Ye’s Weibo: “My classmate said you looked very handsome, I’m here to appreciate it.”
After she spoke, the car fell silent.
And a certain silent person in the car was feeling incredibly awkward.
Xiang Ye’s Weibo…
The silence didn’t last long before a voice came from the back seat.
“Very handsome, Uncle.”
She also asked: “How many days did you go to Xinjiang for?”
Xiang Ye: “Ten days.”
Shici: “So cool, I’ve never been there.”
Xiang Ye: “It’s summer vacation now, you can go if you want.”
Shici hummed: “Lots of classes.” Then she suddenly laughed: “Haha, your fans are calling you ‘husband’ in the comments again, Uncle.”
Someone was acting like it was no big deal.
Someone was pretending not to understand.
“Haha, my classmates also commented,” Shici read out her classmates’ comments: “They said Uncle is so handsome.”
“Hey.”
Shici suddenly sat up straight: “Uncle!”
Xiang Ye: “What is it?”
Xiang Shici grabbed the back of the driver’s seat in surprise, pointing to her phone and asking, “You, you know Bianbian?”
