Chapter 7

Chapter 7

When they arrived, Jiang Jining felt the sense of familiarity grow stronger.

He stood before reflective pools, the water expansive, diverging into two channels on either side. A marble path cut through the center, leading to a polished dark bronze gate. Behind it, tall trees cast deep shadows of bamboo and cypress.

"Shi..."

"What are you looking at?"

Bian Jiacheng had stepped away to take a work call. He walked over to find Jiang Jining looking up, staring intently. Following his gaze, Bian Jiacheng asked, "Don't know how to read that character back there?"

Jiang Jining asked him directly, "What is it?"

"Shu. It means a timely rain, a sweet downpour... The decor is nice, still fond of tinkering with these old-fashioned things." Bian Jiacheng admired it with him for a moment.

Shishu.

Was that the restaurant's name?

Once inside, Jiang Jining saw only a few patrons enjoying the courtyard view—beautiful indeed, but the style was understated. Passersby might not even realize it was a restaurant.

The courtyard was a delight to behold.

The main hall offered a completely different atmosphere.

Jiang Jining struggled to describe the sense of vast openness.

Ancient wood elements blended seamlessly with natural design throughout the space, which spanned over a thousand square meters. Solid wood tables were generously spaced. Single-person long tables lined the floor-to-ceiling windows, offering views of the lush greenery in the courtyard under a clear, azure sky.

Jiang Jining thought to himself: If this had been the first place he arrived at, he probably wouldn't have felt fear.

If given the chance, he'd love to vividly describe this modern, fairyland-like courtyard to his elder brother and sister.

"Good afternoon to you both."

A server in a khaki-colored summer uniform with side buttons presented a leather-paper menu. "Mr. Bian reserved the chef's tasting menu. Preparations are already underway, and the first course is expected in about twenty minutes."

Bian Jiacheng flipped through the day's offerings. "This many?"

The server indicated, "The items at the bottom are alternative ingredients. If any dish today contains ingredients either of you are allergic to or dislike, our head chef can make substitutions."

"No issues on my end." Bian Jiacheng picked up his phone, which was ringing incessantly again. Seeing the caller ID, he hung up directly and switched to a messaging app, typing rapidly. "Go ahead and ask him."

After his heat, Jiang Jining's appetite had largely recovered.

However, he found many of the ingredient combinations puzzling. For instance, the current dish, Da Hong Pao Drunken Giant River Prawns... tea-soaked prawns? Would that taste good?

"Introduce them to him one by one." Before leaving, Bian Jiacheng lightly covered Jiang Jining's hand and gave it a pat. "I need to take a call from home."

Jiang Jining nodded and continued looking at the menu.

The server explained each item patiently. Jiang Jining didn't have particularly strong cravings, but he rarely had food aversions or disliked specific ingredients. So, he looked up and said, "I'll have them all, thank you."

Teacher Lin had mentioned that in everyday language, "thank you" was used more widely than "many thanks."

"It's our pleasure."

Facing such beauty, the server's inner monologue was a flustered 'oh my god,' but their manners remained impeccable. "Our restaurant officially opens next week, but the head chef's culinary skills are exceptional. We wish you a pleasant meal."

Jiang Jining wasn't consciously keeping track of time.

Yet, he felt the dishes arrived remarkably quickly. The appetizer was the very prawn dish he didn't understand.

The first course was fresh abalone. Its surface seemed pan-seared or grilled, scored with a decorative pattern, and half-coated in a rich, dark tea-colored granular sauce. It was served on a scalding hot stoneware plate. As it warmed, the aroma of the surrounding lime slices volatilized faster, stimulating the palate.

Fifteen minutes later, Bian Jiacheng still hadn't returned. The first course had been on the table, nearing the end of its optimal tasting window.

Jiang Jining hesitated no longer and took a bite.

The ingredients were exquisite.

More and more dishes arrived.

Each one perfectly aligned with Jiang Jining's exacting aesthetic standards for food.

He stared at the smoked fish before him, chewed again, and it was still sublime, as if he'd experienced a similar sensation before...

*Click—*

Jiang Jining instinctively turned his head.

The newcomer was dressed entirely in black, his eyes bright as stars. Meeting Jiang Jining's gaze, he remained unperturbed. He strode in, raising a slender hand to pick something up, and said to the server who had opened the door for him, "Carry on."

Fu Yuze.

These three characters surfaced in Jiang Jining's mind.

He found it strange himself. Half a month had passed since he jumped into the lake, yet he remembered so clearly.

Fu Yuze placed a glass dessert cup in front of him and took a seat. "Why are you alone?"

Jiang Jining looked; it was the green apple rice pudding from the menu, looking even more refreshing and tempting than it sounded.

"Bian Jiacheng went to make a phone call."

Jiang Jining picked up the small silver spoon on the wooden tray, scooped a bite of the creamy white and green-flecked rice pudding. It was sweet and fragrant. He added, "He's been on the phone constantly."

Was that tattling?

Fu Yuze smiled slightly. Noticing the dishes on the automatic lazy Susan were barely touched, he was more concerned about his own creations. "Not to your taste?"

Only then did Jiang Jining notice Fu Yuze was wearing chef's attire—a substantial black jacket with side buttons, the collar fitted snugly. It was clearly custom-tailored, possessing a kind of handsome distinction unlike anyone else's.

But where was his hat?

The chefs at the villa all wore hats.

Unconsciously, Jiang Jining realized his thoughts had wandered off again.

Looking up, Fu Yuze was still waiting for his answer.

Jiang Jining averted his eyes. Using the serving chopsticks, he picked up a honey-pepper crispy roasted eel ball from a nearby untouched dish. He compared it carefully to the few bites he'd tasted earlier and offered his heartfelt evaluation: "...Your culinary skill is consistently high. If the ingredient quality remains as uniform as today's, I believe this place will be bustling with customers."

Fu Yuze nodded slightly. "I appreciate the auspicious words."

"Have you eaten food I've prepared before?"

Jiang Jining: "..."

If you've never tasted it,

you'd never remember his name.

Jiang Jining had a growing suspicion that his recent reluctance to eat the villa chef's meals was probably because of Fu Yuze's cooking.

"Only teasing."

Fu Yuze took the initiative: "I had something come up that night and was a poor host. These have some great flavor too—try them while they're hot."

"We should wait for him."

Jiang Jining was starving, actually. Bian Jiacheng wouldn't care if he sampled everything first, but *he* did.

Fu Yuze started to get up to go get him when the door was pushed open. The steadiness in his voice hadn't quite left him—"He's pulled this crazy stunt more times than I can count. What more is there to say? I'm done."

Bian Jiacheng walked in, his tone shifting back to its usual nonchalance: "Using our Ningning as your guinea pig?"

With that, he swept a glance over the table full of delicacies, then gave his friend a sympathetic look. "Is this really your best? Doesn't look like it."

Jiang Jining spoke up to clarify: "We were waiting for you. We haven't started eating yet."

"My bad, my bad." Bian Jiacheng's attitude did a complete one-eighty for him, quickly ladling out a bowl of soup. Seeing that Fu Yuze was also waiting, he was about to put down the ladle when Jiang Jining suddenly looked up. "Thank you."

So you behave when there's an outsider around, huh?

Bian Jiacheng cheered up. Not wanting to look bad, he served Fu Yuze a full bowl too. "Enough?"

Fu Yuze gestured for him to put it down. "Thank you."

Copycat.

Bian Jiacheng snorted and sat down.

His butt had just touched the chair, thrilled to see Jiang Jining finally start eating, when his phone started vibrating again.

Even Jiang Jining couldn't ignore it. "You're really busy today, huh?"

"Nah."

Bian Jiacheng immediately turned off his phone.

Fu Yuze accidentally caught a glimpse of the contact name. "It says 'Uncle Bian.' Don't get it wrong."

"You've got to be kidding me."

Bian Jiacheng answered the call in front of both of them.

But this time, after just a few words, his expression darkened uncontrollably. He looked down to see the other end had already hung up.

Jiang Jining had been meaning to say: "If you have something to do, go ahead. I know how to get home by myself now."

The words themselves were perfectly normal.

But to those who knew the context, it carried a different weight.

Fu Yuze, at least, kept his thoughts to himself.

"Keep an eye on Ningning for me."

Bian Jiacheng got to his feet anyway and told Fu Yuze, who cut straight to the point: "Not resolved yet? Or are you enjoying it?"

"Who's enjoying it?" Bian Jiacheng didn't want to affect Jiang Jining's meal. "...I've gotten tangled up with a lunatic. It's hard to explain in a short time. My mom is just a troublemaker. Even now, she's still pressuring me about marriage. I'm really fed up—"

Fu Yuze simply said, "Go ahead."

"Thanks." Bian Jiacheng didn't forget to remind Jiang Jining to eat well.

After he left, the private room became much quieter. Fu Yuze watched Jiang Jining, who continued eating with single-minded focus, and asked, "Is it good?"

The two tacitly avoided discussing gossip about their mutual friend.

Jiang Jining finished the food on his plate in small bites and suddenly spoke up: "Pressuring about marriage... what does that mean?"

Fu Yuze looked at him quietly.

"What does 'pressuring about marriage' mean?"

Jiang Jining organized the modern language, showing a desire to understand this new concept.

"Literally." Fu Yuze hadn't expected to explain this to a boy under twenty who genuinely couldn't comprehend it. "When someone is of a suitable age but hasn't started a family, their parents get anxious and urge their children to get married."

Jiang Jining asked again, "Get married?"

Fu Yuze calmly substituted the term: "Wedding."

Jiang Jining suddenly understood, but his clear, bright eyes still held a trace of confusion. "Then, why pressure them? Getting married... is a joyous occasion. Everyone should want it, right?"

The wedding night.

It's one of life's four great joys.

Hearing his words, Fu Yuze didn't explain but instead asked, "Are you also looking forward to it?"

The first thing that popped into Jiang Jining's mind were his parents, who married young and remained affectionate for decades; his elder brother and sister-in-law, childhood sweethearts; and his elder sister, who would dress up elaborately for palace banquets just to see her beloved. Though he hadn't experienced it himself, growing up surrounded by such examples, he naturally nodded.

Fu Yuze poured a fresh cup of tea. "Does Bian Jiacheng know?"

"Why should I tell him?" Jiang Jining found the question offensive and lowered his head to drink his soup. "What does it have to do with him?"

How could anyone still misunderstand his relationship with Bian Jiacheng!

The more Jiang Jining thought about it, the angrier he became. The flame in his heart grew with the wind—hot inside, cold outside. He took a sip of the golden soup and calmed down again.

So delicious.

Fu Yuze personally understood the phrase "love hasn't yet taken root." He asked, "Then why are you willing to tell me?"

Jiang Jining suddenly frowned. "You're the one who asked me."

After a while, Fu Yuze suddenly smiled. Unnoticed, that plate of rice pudding was already empty. He stopped insisting on finding topics and let the other focus on finishing the meal.

No matter how much Jiang Jining liked it, he couldn't finish the entire table.

Fu Yuze had no choice but to accompany him throughout. For the dishes Jiang Jining showed particular favor towards, he timely acted as a food consultant. Not only was his cooking excellent, but his eloquence was also impressive... unexpectedly, the listener ate with increasing enthusiasm.

The chef's taste in food was top-notch.

And he was also quite handsome.

Jiang Jining has always been drawn to good-looking people since he was little. As a child, if he encountered a particularly good-looking adult, he would show extra favor, obediently nestling on their shoulder without crying or fussing. Even now that he’s grown up, he hasn’t been able to change this habit.

Truth be told—

Fu Yuze is the most striking.

Bian Jiacheng is also very handsome, but his personality is too flashy and domineering.

When Jiang Jining first arrived here, he was put off by Bian Jiacheng’s forwardness, so he never developed that ‘good looks’ bias for him.

Thus, Fu Yuze still wins out.

On the way home, they passed through a bustling commercial center.

Jiang Jining was captivated by several drones at the top of a skyscraper—they were arranged into two full, three-dimensional heart shapes, which then moved close together, overlapping before transforming into the shape of a ring.

Coincidentally, there was a huge display screen at the base of that building.

A pigeon-egg-sized Paraíba blue diamond.

The electronic screen scrolled through black-and-white movie clips, showing the male protagonist placing this sole splash of color on the female lead’s finger. Stylized white script scrolled across the screen—"Now, please recite your wedding vows."

Wedding?

Wedding again.

Jiang Jining watched the ceremony for a while. It seemed… weddings in this world were also quite beautiful. So why was Bian Jiacheng being pushed to get married? Why did it bother him so much?

The ads on the street were showing it openly.

Asking someone here if they were married should be perfectly normal.

Jiang Jining suddenly turned his head, looking at Fu Yuze, who was steering with one hand, and asked him, “Are you married?”

Fu Yuze returned his hand to the wheel and said, “No.”

Jiang Jining asked again, “Why not?”

This topic was familiar to him, but there were discrepancies. He wanted to learn more: “How old are you this year?”

Fu Yuze told him, “Twenty-five.”

Jiang Jining didn’t know what to say. “…Twenty-five. And what about Bian Jiacheng?”

Fu Yuze casually offered up: “A year and a half older than me.”

That’s almost twenty-seven. Jiang Jining thought to himself, *You’re both so old already*, and couldn’t help but murmur, “No wonder… you’re being pressured by your families to marry.”

Twenty-five or twenty-six… When his father was twenty-five, he had already been born, and he had an older brother and sister before him.

Fu Yuze suddenly asked him, “Am I very old?”

Jiang Jining affirmed, “Yes.”

“When do you think one should get married?” Seeing that this youngster had such strong opinions, Fu Yuze slowed the car, all ears.

“Around… eighteen or nineteen.”

Jiang Jining had originally wanted to say sixteen or seventeen.

He’d had the accident after accompanying his parents to a palace banquet. His parents doted on him and didn’t want him to marry early, so they kept him from marrying for a few extra years. In the blink of an eye, he was already nineteen.

After he turned fifteen, matchmakers would come knocking at their door every few days in the city. They would praise him from head to toe after just one glance, eagerly trying to arrange a marriage for him. It was enough to make your ears bleed.

Teacher Lin told him that the legal age here is eighteen.

Jiang Jining had a brainwave and split the difference, blurting out, “However, at my current age, I should also be getting marr—”

“Honk honk honk—”

“What’s going on up ahead?”

“Tsk, driving so fast in the city center—are they crazy? One after another, not caring about their own lives and endangering others. They’ve gone mad…”

Outside the car, the crowd surged. Police tape was quickly strung up. Traffic on the opposite side was paralyzed due to a serious accident.

Jiang Jining was interrupted and looked outside.

Two cars ahead made way for Fu Yuze. He gently pressed the accelerator, pulling ahead a distance. “Don’t look. Someone got hit.”

The lane they were driving in wasn’t affected.

When Jiang Jining first arrived, he was almost hit while crossing the street. He was kind of scared of seeing things like that and didn’t dare glance outside at all, fearing nightmares. But until they reached their destination, he remained silent for a long time.

Just now…

Had he almost told Fu Yuze about getting married?