......
Jiang Jianhuan reluctantly agreed to have dinner with Su Mo.
She put down her phone, paused for a moment, then looked down and continued the work she hadn't finished.
The next day, just before she was about to leave work, Jiang Jianhuan received a text message from Li Sa reminding her not to forget to have dinner later.
Things that had been deliberately forgotten came back to mind. Jiang Jianhuan took a few deep breaths in front of the bathroom mirror, composed herself, and went out.
The place Li Sa booked was very quiet, surrounded by private residences with their doors tightly closed, making it impossible to tell what kind of world lay inside.
The taxi stopped outside a Chinese-style courtyard. Jiang Jianhuan got out, paused for a few seconds, and then stepped inside.
Finding the private room number, Jiang Jianhuan pushed open the door. Su Mo sat there looking like he had been waiting for a long time. The night outside the window was hazy and reflected in his eyes, giving him a sense of coldness and solitude.
She greeted him as if it were nothing more than a casual greeting.
"Have you been waiting long?"
"fine."
It was getting dark outside, but the room was lit with warm yellow light. The two sat facing each other by the window, and Su Mo handed them the menu.
"I've ordered some, see if there's anything else you'd like to add."
"No need." Jiang Jianhuan didn't take it and shook her head.
"I'm not familiar with this area, so you can just keep an eye on things."
"Okay." Su Mo withdrew her hand, then called the waiter over and calmly ordered a few items from the menu to add to the menu.
The waitresses here are all dressed in traditional Chinese cheongsams, and they are quiet and gentle. They showed no surprise or loss of composure when they saw Su Mo, which shows that they are well-trained.
While waiting for the food to be served, Jiang Jianhuan picked up the cup next to her and took a sip of tea. Suddenly, she heard the person opposite her speak to her as if they were old friends.
"How have you been these past few years?"
Chapter 15
This is truly a long-overdue reunion.
When they first met, he coldly said he didn't know him.
The second time, I inexplicably gave her a hard time.
The third time, the fourth time... it always seemed as if there were thousands of mountains between them, and no matter how they tried, they could never reach each other.
Even now.
"It was just normal, nothing special," Jiang Jianhuan replied, putting down her cup. Unlike before, she wasn't as cautious and careful; her answer was more specific and general than the previous one.
"How are you doing abroad?" Su Mo looked at her, his eyes deep, the lamplight casting a shadow on him.
“Going to school and working every day, not much has changed.” Her voice was very soft, drifting gently to his ear, as if it would be blown away into the air if he exerted any force.
"Part-time job? What kind of work do you do?"
"Serving dishes, washing dishes, working as a coffee shop server, a hotel waiter, and other miscellaneous jobs... Later on, I started doing internships in fashion design."
Jiang Jianhuan said in a low voice, looking down at the corner of the table. Su Mo was a little dazed, her gaze unsure of where to look.
Although she didn't live a life of luxury in college, Jiang Jianhuan's clothes and daily necessities were always excellent, which showed how much her family doted on her.
Not to mention doing these things, when they were together, Su Mo wouldn't let her do even the slightest heavy work.
They went to class together, and Su Mo prepared hot water for her. When she was too lazy to move, he carried her food to her building. On rainy days, when the road was dirty, he was afraid of getting her new shoes dirty, so he carried her all the way back to the dormitory.
In his impoverished and pale life, she was a precious color that was carefully protected.
"What about Shen Zaixi? Didn't he help you?" Su Mo asked calmly, his expression showing no sign of anything amiss. Jiang Jianhuan looked up at him.
"Uncle Shen and the others have already helped me a lot, and I can't keep bothering them. Besides, we weren't even in the same city at that time."
"What?" Su Mo was slightly taken aback, her words somewhat disjointed.
“I changed my major and reapplied to a university in another city over the past few months.”
Why... did you suddenly change your major?
Su Mo remembers that she studied fine arts in college. She always had a bright smile on her face as she held a paintbrush, her body covered in various paints. She would sit in front of the easel, wearing a long, dirty dress, like a beautiful Cinderella from a fairy tale.
"Because working in design can bring quicker returns, and besides, I'm quite interested in fashion design."
Jiang Jianhuan smiled, looking calm and relieved. Su Mo suppressed the turbulent emotions in her heart and was just about to say something when the dishes arrived.
During the meal, the two were very quiet, and the only sound in the room was the clinking of bowls and chopsticks.
The dishes at this restaurant are exquisitely prepared, with small portions and simple cooking methods, but the taste is very comforting, somewhat similar to home-cooked meals, yet even more delicious and unique.
Jiang Jianhuan ate two small bowls of rice, and Su Mo watched, her eyebrows and eyes unconsciously relaxing.
"This is your favorite asparagus," he said casually, pushing a plate of vegetables in front of Jiang Jianhuan. After saying that, they both paused in surprise.
The invisible barrier that had been erected between the two of them inexplicably became more and more obvious.
"Thank you." Jiang Jianhuan thanked her naturally, picked up a piece with his chopsticks and put it in his bowl, while Su Mo concealed the strange look on her face.
As the meal drew to a close, the waiter cleared away the leftovers and served fresh tea. Jiang Jianhuan picked up his cup, took a couple of sips, and was about to say goodbye when Su Mo, who was sitting there, suddenly spoke up again.
"Have you resolved everything at home? How are your aunt and uncle in health?"