The gentleman just smiled without speaking. Lin Lan couldn’t figure out his meaning, so she tried to smooth things over: “Beijing traffic is always like this, with frequent congestion. Please forgive me, Mr. Huang!” She pulled Chu Yue down to sit, “Come, let me introduce you. Mr. Huang, this is my good friend Miss Shen Chu Yue, a somewhat famous beautiful female writer; Chu Yue, this is Mr. Huang Binghao, the young master of Datong Trading Company, who has many business dealings with our Zhong family…”
Chu Yue glanced at Huang Binghao. He was good-looking and dressed appropriately, not the powdered and frivolous type she had imagined. She had thought Lin Lan’s acquaintances were all spoiled young masters, but this Huang Binghao seemed different. It seemed she was determined to make this match happen. What puzzled Chu Yue was why someone with such good conditions would choose such an outdated method of matchmaking. Shouldn’t he already have beauties surrounding him? Did their family not have the concept of social matching?
While lost in thought, Lin Lan nudged her with her elbow, and she snapped back to attention: “What?”
Lin Lan looked displeased. Huang Binghao smiled slightly, “Where are you from, Miss Shen?”
“Hunan!” She answered honestly. Suddenly, she remembered Cloud Lei’s previous blind date experience, where the man also looked presentable and claimed to be a business elite but performed terribly, ending with an “sent by mistake” message. Thinking of Cai Ming’s line to Guo Da during the 2009 Spring Festival Gala, “You’re driving me crazy!”, Chu Yue couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Shen Chu Yue!” Lin Lan called out angrily. Chu Yue came back to herself, “Ah?”
Huang Binghao stood up, looking somewhat embarrassed. Lin Lan had said she would introduce him to a woman, and since Lin Lan was beautiful, he assumed her friend would be similarly attractive. Unexpectedly, the first meeting saw her arrive late by forty minutes! That might have been forgiven, but Lin Lan claimed she was talented and beautiful. However, in his view, she wasn’t as attractive as Lin Lan and seemed absent-minded. It was clear she was dragged here by Lin Lan. He smiled slightly, “Miss Shen seems to be in a bad mood today. Let’s reschedule. Lin Lan, I have something to do, so I’ll leave now. Could you please send Miss Shen home? Thank you!” After these polite words, he turned and left.
Out of the supermarket, she happened to run into Aunt Shen from the neighborhood committee. Because they shared the same surname, they felt an inexplicable sense of intimacy and were slightly more familiar with each other than usual. “Is that Chu’e?” Aunt Shen spotted them immediately and greeted them warmly, “Buying groceries? Oh, is this your boyfriend? He looks so handsome…”
Chu’e felt embarrassed and wanted to explain, but didn’t know how. If he wasn’t her boyfriend, how could she have brought him home for a meal? Seeing Gu Yanzheng standing behind with a smiling face, not clarifying anything and showing no displeasure, she could only let Aunt Shen misunderstand. She mumbled in agreement and then pulled Gu Yanzheng away.
“I’m sorry, I let Aunt Shen misunderstand our relationship. Don’t take it to heart!” Chu’e looked at Gu Yanzheng and said softly.
Gu Yanzheng just smiled without speaking, a strange light flickering in his deep eyes.
Back home, Chu’e changed her clothes and walked into the kitchen. Gu Yanzheng followed her in. Chu’e was startled, “What, are you really going to help?”
Gu Yanzheng recited two Olympic slogans: “I participate, I’m happy!” Chu’e couldn’t help but smile, “Okay, since you’re willing to help, I’ll save some effort.”
The two worked tacitly, one selecting vegetables, the other chopping. Chu’e asked, “Do you usually cook at home or eat out?”
“Outside,” Gu Yanzheng said, “First, I don’t have time, second, I can’t cook!”
“Can’t cook?” Chu’e was surprised.
Gu Yanzheng just smiled.
“Oh, I understand,” Chu’e said, “She must be a career woman, right?” She remembered Yun Lei mentioning in Zhuhai that the couple was always polite to each other, not at all like they were living a married life.
Gu Yanzheng gave a bitter smile, “It’s already difficult for a woman to pursue a career, and even more so without support. In a marriage, someone has to compromise. She doesn’t want to be a housewife, doesn’t want children, doesn’t want to be the woman behind a successful man, so I can only go along with her…”
Chu’e was momentarily speechless. However, from Gu Yanzheng’s words, she could sense that his marriage was not happy. Did his wife realize this?
Chu’e was distracted and almost cut her finger. “Ah!”
“What’s wrong?” Gu Yanzheng asked.
“Nothing!” she answered hastily.
Even doing something as trivial as washing vegetables, if he does it seriously, he looks attractive. So, Gu Yanzheng sitting seriously on the small stool, carefully washing green peppers, looked so handsome in Chu’e’s eyes! She felt her heart crack open, and the tall Gu Yanzheng gently, bit by bit, squeezed his way in.
After some bustling, three dishes and a soup were finally on the table. Kung Pao Chicken, Tea Tree Mushroom Stir-fried Pork Belly, Fermented Black Bean Sardine Lettuce, and Fish Head Tofu Soup – red, green, and white dishes filled the table, looking appetizing.
“Smells great!” Gu Yanzheng looked like a greedy cat, making Chu’e smile. “Sorry, these are just home-cooked dishes, nothing special. You’re used to grand occasions and have probably tasted all kinds of delicacies, so I hope you don’t mind!”
“The most important thing about eating is the cook’s sincerity. The more homely the dish, the more it touches the heart!” Gu Yanzheng picked up a piece of pork belly, “Not too fatty, the tea tree mushrooms are well-seasoned, the taste is really good!”
A hint of happiness quietly crept up from Chu’e’s heart. “Try the soup!” She tied her apron and ladled a bowl of soup for him, watching him eat with relish, her lips curving into a satisfied smile.
Gu Yanzheng stared at her smile, lost in thought.
This scene was like a smooth, elegant painting: a virtuous wife serving soup to her husband, and a husband returning home and enjoying his wife’s cooking, feeling so warm, so cozy! Gu Yanzheng’s mind wandered. Wasn’t this exactly what he had longed for all these years? A life like an ordinary couple! Yet, such a simple wish was so difficult to realize!
“What’s wrong?” Seeing his strange expression, Chu’e asked curiously.
“Xiao Yue,” Gu Yanzheng suddenly sighed, “Whoever marries you in the future will have accumulated good karma from past lives!”
Chu’e was stunned, a blush quietly spreading across her cheeks.
After Gu Yanzheng left, Chu’e cleaned the dishes and tidied the kitchen. She then took a book and a cup of water, sitting on the bamboo mat sofa in the living room. Before turning a few pages, she was captivated by a few lines of poetry:
You know I have a husband, yet you gift me two bright pearls.
Feeling your lingering affection, bound in a red gauze robe.
My family’s high towers and connected courtyards rise,
My love stands with bright spear in hand.
Knowing your heart is as constant as the sun and moon,
I vow to serve my husband until death do us part.
Returning the bright pearls, tears falling,
Wishing we had met before I was married.
Returning the bright pearls, tears falling,
Wishing we had met before I was married!
Chu’e murmured the lines, a touch of melancholy slowly climbing her heart.
This noon is so beautiful, with a gentle breeze outside the window, the gauze curtain flickering, crystal curtains colliding and creating crisp, delicate sounds. The air conditioning is on, filling the room with coolness.
