Chapter 38
When they arrived, it was exactly 11:20. Noon still hadn’t come.
Xi Yu drove into the underground parking garage. The two of them took the elevator up and walked toward the restaurant.
This western restaurant was currently ranked first on Jiayang’s must-eat western restaurant list online. It came highly recommended for couples, friends, and family gatherings; the decor was atmospheric, upscale, and grand, and the dining experience was excellent.
As soon as they entered, someone came to greet them and led them straight into the dining area, toward a semi-enclosed booth.
The server stepped aside with a smile and gestured them over.
Under the pale, warm crystal chandelier, in front of the marble tabletop, the cool jade-green tablecloth was woven with a jacquard pattern that shimmered faintly in the light.
Not far away, an ivory vase held bright, vivid phalaenopsis orchids; blue and violet intertwined in a clear, luminous display. Candle holders stood behind them, their soft glow making the pale blue bows on the stemmed wine glasses stand out all the more clearly, and there was a subtle hint of something ambiguous in the air.
Yu Nianyi pressed her lips together. She had specifically said she wanted a date-like atmosphere, and now that she saw it in person, she was very satisfied with how carefully the place had been arranged. She glanced at Xi Yu and saw that her expression was as composed as ever, though her gaze stayed fixed on the table.
Xi Yu took off her coat and sat down, slowly wiping her hands with a wet tissue.
Yu Nianyi walked lightly to her seat and first handed the menu to Xi Yu. She watched as Xi Yu lowered her head and ordered.
With thick curls spilling down her back, Xi Yu slightly lowered her chin and silently scanned the menu on the table. After she finished choosing each dish one by one, she lifted her eyes accurately to Yu Nianyi and handed the menu back.
Yu Nianyi was in high spirits. She mentioned a few recommended dishes she’d seen online, then passed it back.
The server asked, “Hello, would you like any drinks first?”
Yu Nianyi smiled politely. “No, thank you. Just warm water is fine.”
Soft piano music played in the restaurant; the melody was flowing and romantic, slowly seeping into the ear.
Xi Yu sat very straight, casually looking around. Her fingers brushed the stray hair at the corner of her eye again and tucked it back behind her.
The warm light overhead spilled over Xi Yu’s calm face. Her curls were fluffy and smooth, and the stiff, heavy feeling from Yu Nianyi’s first impression of her seemed to have faded somewhat. Now she looked more like an elegant older sister—soft, especially gentle and warm.
It was as if no matter what she said, she would look at you tenderly and indulge you.
Yu Nianyi’s face grew a little hot. Watching the server quietly pour the water beside her, she waited until the person left before looking at Xi Yu across from her again. “Xi Yu-jie, have you been busy lately?”
The moment she looked over, their eyes met.
Xi Yu gave a soft hum. “The main issues have already been resolved. I’m not busy.”
Yu Nianyi’s eyes lit up, the smile in them impossible to hide. “Then does that mean you’ll have time to be my model?”
“Starting today, I’m officially entering the life-drawing course. If Xi Yu-jie isn’t busy, you can come find me at home anytime. With this time, I can finish that piece.”
Xi Yu rested her hand on the table and said nothing, as if thinking about whether her schedule would allow it.
When the piano piece ended, the next melody slowly rose.
Xi Yu looked over again. Behind her lenses, her eyes were clear and black-and-white, bright and transparent. “This afternoon will be fine.”
Yu Nianyi blinked, then nodded slightly. The corners of her lips lifted unconsciously, and her thoughts were already drifting home.
“Then that’s wonderful. Thank you, Xi Yu-jie.”
“You’re welcome.”
The server came over, and the appetizers were placed on the table. After that came the soups, then the main dishes and sides.
The restaurant was mostly filled with couples. Paired off in twos, they were chatting happily no matter where you looked; occasionally someone would clink glasses or take photos, and the atmosphere was very nice.
Yu Nianyi also reined herself in a little. The mood made her unconsciously more proper. On top of that, sitting face-to-face with Xi Yu meant their gazes kept meeting from time to time, and for some reason she started putting on airs, speaking with an affected softness while the smile on her face was impossible to hide.
Xi Yu, on the other hand, was very natural and at ease, as if she would never feel out of place no matter where she went.
But thinking about it more carefully, if she went back to her mother’s restaurant in Lincheng to eat, the contrast would probably still be obvious.
Lanlan Restaurant was an old establishment in Lincheng. Most of its daily customers were regulars and out-of-towners who’d come because of its reputation, so the place was usually full of people speaking in local dialects while they ate and chatted. Most of them knew each other very well, tossing out one sentence after another, especially casual and close.
If Xi Yu were in there, she’d look completely out of place.
At the thought of that scene, the corners of Yu Nianyi’s lips pressed together on their own, and she started smiling to herself.
Across from her, Xi Yu gazed at Yu Nianyi for a long time. Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something; in the end, she lowered her head first and went on eating.
“I suddenly thought about the scene of Xi Yu-jie coming to eat at my home, sitting with those uncles and aunties. It would definitely be especially funny.” Yu Nianyi looked at Xi Yu and said with a smile.
Xi Yu’s movements didn’t stop. She lifted her eyes and asked, “Why?”
“Mm...” Yu Nianyi’s eyes were smiling as she stared straight at Xi Yu. “Because Xi Yu-jie is too beautiful. They’d probably be very curious and ask a lot of questions, like whether you’re dating someone, how work is going, where you’re from...”
Yu Nianyi paused, then laughed. “...Things like that.”
Xi Yu didn’t speak, quietly watching Yu Nianyi ramble on and on, her little mouth chattering nonstop, her expression vivid as she described it all.
“But you don’t need to worry. They’re just used to asking about other people’s lives and offering a casual bit of concern.” Yu Nianyi giggled. “Like me, I don’t have that problem.”
Xi Yu set down her knife and fork and slowly wiped her hands. “How so?”
After swallowing the meat in her mouth, Yu Nianyi said, “My mom knows I like girls, so she just told the neighbors I’m not getting married.”
Xi Yu gave a quiet hum and lowered her eyes without saying anything.
“At the time, the neighbors were shocked for a long while. The way they looked at me was so strange, like they were watching some kind of exhibit at the zoo.” Yu Nianyi habitually curved her lips and wiped her own mouth too.
Xi Yu said, “Your mother and you seem to have a very good relationship.”
Yu Nianyi narrowed her eyes in a proud smile. “Of course. She raised me by herself since I was little; she’s the hero in my heart.”
The two of them stood up in turn. Yu Nianyi put on her coat, then wrapped her scarf around her neck.
Xi Yu walked beside her, very quiet.
“Auntie must be amazing too, to raise someone as wonderful as Xi Yu-jie.” Yu Nianyi glanced at Xi Yu’s side profile and launched into praise mode. “And Xi Yao is fun too; she’s quirky and clever, with a straightforward and righteous personality.”
Xi Yu lowered her eyes and looked into Yu Nianyi’s. “Xi Yao told you about her things.”
Yu Nianyi shook her head hard and laughed. “No. I just need to look at Xi Yu-jie and Xi Yao to know what kind of person Auntie is.”
A faint arc lifted in Xi Yu’s usually calm brows; she nodded.
-
Yu Nianyi stood at the door, took out her key, and unlocked it first. Then she turned sideways and bent slightly, making an inviting gesture.
Xi Yu glanced at her before stepping inside. “Thank you.”
Yu Nianyi deliberately softened her voice, sweet as honey. “No need to be polite. I’m always happy to serve Xi Yu-jie.”
“You can give me your coat. I’ll hang it up for Xi Yu-jie.” Yu Nianyi walked over beside Xi Yu and familiarly rested a hand on her back.
Xi Yu looked back at her, then took a step forward and quickly took it off herself. “Sorry to trouble you.”
Yu Nianyi looked at the suddenly empty hand, smiled without caring, took the coat, and hung it up.
She walked to the refrigerator and asked Xi Yu, “What do you want to drink?”
Xi Yu was just about to speak when Yu Nianyi continued, “There are some drinks at home, milk, white tea, Tieguanyin, and black tea. I don’t know if any of them are the kind Xi Yu-jie likes?”
Xi Yu froze for a moment and looked at Yu Nianyi for a while before saying, “Aged Shoumei.”
Yu Nianyi was busy looking at the packs of tea she had bought. Hearing Xi Yu speak, she looked up a beat late. “A... Shoumei?”
Xi Yu looked at Yu Nianyi’s slightly confused expression. “Mm.”
“Aged Shoumei.”
Yu Nianyi quickly lowered her head and looked at the packaging bag. After staring for a while, a smile suddenly appeared on her face. “Just right, I do have some. Xi Yu-jie, please wait a moment.”
With that, she went straight into the kitchen.
Xi Yu sat on the sofa and casually scanned the surroundings. On the coffee table were several transparent plastic containers, inside which were corn, peanuts, broccoli, and diced chicken.
Further down, there was a fairly large cage, with quite a few things inside and even a big wheel. She searched for a long time before spotting the hamster curled up asleep with its paws over its head.
The hamster was bundled into a little ball, very quiet.
After watching for a while, Xi Yu stood up again and walked straight toward the kitchen.
The apartment Yu Nianyi rented had an older layout; it had three bedrooms and one living room, and from the living room it was only a few steps to the kitchen door. There was a small dining table at the entrance, and the tea Yu Nianyi had just taken out was placed there.
Most of the packaging was different; some were aluminum foil packets, some were kraft paper bags. There were all kinds of tea, not much of each, but the selection was comprehensive.
It didn’t look like tea she drank herself; it looked more like something prepared for entertaining guests in a pinch.
Xi Yu lowered her eyes and looked at it for a while, then withdrew her gaze and looked through the glass door at the person inside.
The person inside was completely unaware. She was currently looking down at her phone, her brows tightly furrowed, looking especially focused.
Xi Yu lightened her steps, took two small steps to the right, and slightly lifted her chin to look at Yu Nianyi’s phone screen.
A usual search page flashed by, with an icon shaped like tea leaves, followed by a long block of text.
Suddenly, the electric kettle finished boiling. Yu Nianyi hurriedly put down her phone and turned somewhat awkwardly to lift the kettle.
Xi Yu pressed her lips together, staring fixedly at Yu Nianyi’s busy back, then turned her head and lightened her steps as she went back to sit on the sofa.
She crossed her left leg over her right and rested her arm on her knee, fingers covering her lips as her eyes turned toward the window.
The sun outside was still blazing bright, dazzlingly so, making Xi Yu’s eyes look exceptionally clear.
Not long after, Yu Nianyi came over carrying two cups of tea and carefully set them on the coffee table.
They were ordinary cups from home. In each cup were three tea leaves, slightly curled; threads of pale amber slowly spread through the water, and a steady fragrance with a faint sweetness drifted through the air.
“All right, Xi Yu-jie. Be careful, it’s hot.”
TL Note:
Aged Shoumei = a type of aged white tea.