Chapter 86

Chapter 86

Nan Shuyi gently stroked Jiang Yicen's back, letting him stay curled up in his arms.

Although he didn't know why Jiang Yicen was suddenly so down, he guessed it might have something to do with Liu Tan's upcoming departure. He felt just as heavy inside, and he didn't know how to comfort Jiang Yicen, who was grieving for someone else.

He pressed a soft kiss to Jiang Yicen's ear, hoping to offer some small comfort.

Jiang Yicen lay against Nan Shuyi for a long while before finally sitting up.

Nan Shuyi had a scent that calmed him.

He knew Nan Shuyi wore an ocean-scented cologne, but he'd never been to the ocean, so he didn't know what it smelled like—just that this smell soothed him.

Nan Shuyi saw him sit up and asked, "Feeling better?"

Jiang Yicen was still down: "Mm, I'm fine."

Nan Shuyi kept it serious: "People grow old and eventually leave. We'll grow old too."

Jiang Yicen suddenly leaned forward, tracing Nan Shuyi's eyebrow with his fingertip: "I never thought about you growing old. Will you still be a good-looking old man?"

Nan Shuyi knew Jiang Yicen was a sucker for good looks—he appreciated beautiful things, including people. Every time they went out, if Jiang Yicen saw someone attractive, he'd pause to admire them. For that reason, Nan Shuyi sometimes wondered if he wasn't handsome enough for him.

Once, Nan Shuyi even asked Jiang Yicen if he should get plastic surgery to become his ideal type.

Jiang Yicen had laughed and said, "I'm just appreciating beauty. Stylish men and women are just part of the scenery on the street. You're different from them."

Nan Shuyi didn't like him complimenting others: "How am I different? I'm handsome and dashing—don't I count as scenery to you?"

Jiang Yicen had been sipping jasmine iced tea at the time, smiling at him as he spoke slowly: "You're the one watching the scenery with me. Naturally, you're different."

Nan Shuyi thought to himself that language was a real art—he'd been sweet-talked into feeling great.

In Jiang Yicen's eyes, no matter how pretty or handsome anyone was, they were just scenery. And scenery was always easy to pass by and forget—something you could take or leave. Nan Shuyi had no more gripes; he was totally satisfied.

Now, Nan Shuyi caught his fingers and kissed them: "Even when I'm old, I have to be a handsome man."

He couldn't let the scenery out there steal Jiang Yicen's attention.

That remark made Jiang Yicen laugh. It seemed that with Nan Shuyi by his side, his sadness gradually melted away. Without realizing it, Nan Shuyi had taken the place of his old family—he was already his family now.

"I'm going to go wash up. I need to get up early tomorrow morning."

Nan Shuyi sat up too: "I think Old Man Liu still looks quite spirited."

Jiang Yicen: "I feel like it might be a last burst of energy before the end. I hope I'm wrong."

Nan Shuyi reached for his shirt buttons: "Want me to help you wash? Your young madam will help the young master get changed."

Jiang Yicen swatted his hand away: "Stop it. We're in someone else's home."

Nan Shuyi saw his ears turn red and knew his cheeky teasing was working.

He put on a regretful tone: "Fine, then we'll mess around when we get home."

Jiang Yicen was more clingy than usual tonight, so Nan Shuyi didn't tease him further. After they washed up, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

·

The next morning, Jiang Yicen and Nan Shuyi woke up together.

They went straight to the living room to check on Liu Tan, only to find him wearing a tall chef's hat, directing Liu Dan and Liu Han as they wrapped dumplings in the kitchen.

Nan Shuyi could already smell the dumpling filling. He went over and asked, "Why are you wrapping dumplings?"

Liu Tan said, "Our young master loves them."

Nan Shuyi: "What filling?"

Liu Tan said cheerfully, "Sauerkraut and pork. I bought free-range pork and seasoned it to get rid of the strong taste—I promise the young master won't be able to tell. I pickled the sauerkraut myself, using a method passed down through generations. Let the young master taste a bit of home. Young master, just sit tight and wait—I'll cook the dumplings for you in a bit."

Jiang Yicen got into the role faster than anyone: "Alright, I love the dumplings you make—thin skin, generous filling, and the most fragrant meat mixture."

Nan Shuyi had heard Liu Tan call Jiang Yicen several times now. Liu Tan was genuinely confused, mistaking him for his former employer. No wonder Jiang Yicen had told him last night to get used to the new role—so this was it. He was now the old employer of a ninety-year-old man's household.

Liu Tan continued: "We also wrapped wontons this morning. Take lots back with you when you return to Lincheng."

Jiang Yicen's smile slowly faded: "Okay."

Liu Tan remembered what he liked, and while that made him happy, it also made him sad. Every word showed Liu Tan's care for him, but every word was also a goodbye.

Nan Shuyi asked, "Can we have both wontons and dumplings for breakfast? They smell amazing."

Liu Tan nodded: "Of course. You can have both at once."

He quickly sent Liu Dan to cook the dumplings and boil the wontons for them.

After waiting half an hour, Jiang Yicen and Nan Shuyi sat down to breakfast.

Liu Tan stood nearby watching them, which made Nan Shuyi feel a bit awkward: "Won't you sit down?"

Jiang Yicen said, "Go on, tell us if it's good."

Liu Tan: "Yes, young madam, don't my wontons smell good?"

Nan Shuyi choked, almost coughing on his own saliva. The old man was so confused that he really did take him for the young madam.

But since he'd promised Jiang Yicen he'd play along and adapt, he leaned into the role, using his restaurant company boss's palate to critique.

"The broth is sweet and fresh, the wrappers are silky, and the filling is tender—these are the best wontons I've ever had. You taste the wontons in their purest form. So fragrant." Nan Shuyi genuinely loved them; he was telling the truth. It wasn't easy to taste the craftsmanship of a top-tier national banquet chef, and he savored every bite.

Liu Tan was pleased with the praise. After watching them eat the sauerkraut and pork dumplings, he finally let Jiang Yicen and Nan Shuyi be and went back to the kitchen to continue with other tasks.

Jiang Yicen asked Liu Dan: "What time did he get up to start working?"

Liu Dan sighed: "Couldn't stop him. He was up at four in the morning preparing the broth."

Nan Shuyi: "What's the old man doing now?"

Liu Dan: "He's cooking the mung bean soup that Master Jiang and Madam Jiang loved most in the summer."

Nan Shuyi glanced at Jiang Yicen: "I thought his former employer was a young master. Turns out there were a master and madam above him too."

Jiang Yicen suddenly looked at him seriously and corrected him: "You should call them father and mother."

Nan Shuyi thought he was joking and played along: "Yes, yes—father and mother."

Jiang Yicen naturally knew Nan Shuyi wasn't being serious. And precisely because he knew that, he dared to make such a request of him.

His soul from the last century had traveled into a modern person's body—no one would ever guess it. If he told anyone that his soul had crossed into a future person, he'd probably be drowned in a pig cage or thrown into the river. So he could only take this opportunity to mention "father and mother" to Nan Shuyi; at any other time, he wouldn't dare. Reincarnation was nothing short of a supernatural event.

After breakfast, Jiang Yicen and Nan Shuyi didn't head back to Lincheng either—at the very least, they were staying for the lunch that Liu Tan had been meticulously preparing since yesterday.

The two of them obviously couldn't go into the kitchen to help, so they hung out in the courtyard under the wisteria trellis. Last time they'd come, it was still winter; now it was already summer. Half a year had passed, and the yard had completely changed.

Nan Shuyi had brought his laptop to get some work done, while Jiang Yicen occasionally replied to work messages. When he noticed the tea beside Nan Shuyi's hand was nearly gone, he refilled it; when the tea got cold, he brewed a fresh pot himself.

Nan Shuyi suddenly felt something about the surroundings and about Jiang Yicen, who was pouring tea for him at that moment—he thought he finally understood what "red sleeves adding fragrance" meant.

He wanted to kiss Jiang Yicen, but considering they were in someone else's home, he restrained himself.

At noon, Liu Tan finally finished cooking a table full of dishes.

Several types of staple foods were served, as if Jiang Yicen was never coming back to his house—he wanted to make everything at once, so Jiang Yicen could try a bit of each.

Not only were the dishes from last night's menu included, but several more had been added.

Nan Shuyi counted: nine dishes and one soup, making it a perfect ten.

"This is way too much! There's only four of us—can we even finish all this?"

Jiang Yicen, though, stayed quiet. He took the chopsticks Liu Tan handed him.

Liu Tan's eyes were welling up: "I still feel like I didn't make enough. The young master must miss the flavors of home, and I won't have many more chances to cook. Young master, please taste it and see if it tastes any different from before."

Jiang Yicen nodded: "Alright."

He started eating. He had his own dining habits—his first bite was always a vegetable.

Liu Tan asked Jiang Yicen: "Young master, the soup is at just the right temperature. Please try it—today I simmered turtle soup. I remember this was the Second Young Master's favorite."

Jiang Yicen took a sip: "Right, Second Brother loved turtle soup the most. Too bad turtle was scarce back then and hard to find."

The next second, Liu Tan used the serving chopsticks to put a piece of fish on his plate: "This is pufferfish. Back in the day, the master pulled some strings and fed it to that traitor—he was dead in one bite. The pufferfish was bought through my father's connections. It was justice served."

Jiang Yicen asked: "That actually happened? How do you know?"

Liu Tan: "You were still young then, and the master kept many things from you. It wasn't until after liberation that my father told me."

Nan Shuyi ate while listening to their back-and-forth. He thought Jiang Yicen was playing his part remarkably well—as if he really lived in that era, as the young master Liu Tan talked about.

Liu Tan had not only prepared a rich and exquisite meal today, but the presentation was also extremely refined, and even the bowls, chopsticks, and plates were chosen with great care. This really looked like the standard of a traditional, established family.

Nan Shuyi couldn't help but compare it to the Jiang family. Jiang Gongming's garden villa was decorated in a traditional Chinese style, and likewise, the tableware was quite expensive. But compared to the luncheon Liu Tan had prepared today, he felt Jiang Gongming was like a dog that failed to imitate a tiger—without that family heritage, it just came off as pretentious and laughable.

He hadn't felt this way on his last visit. Why did it feel so strong this time?

The moment Jiang Yicen picked up his chopsticks, he seemed to become that young master of the Jiang family Liu Tan talked about. When food reached his mouth, he didn't just wolf it down—he took a small bite first, then ate the rest slowly. He ate slowly and gracefully, chewing without a sound, and even the delicate blue-and-white porcelain bowls and chopsticks only made the faintest clink when they touched.

Nan Shuyi sat across from Jiang Yicen and watched him. He realized that Jiang Yicen was the star of the luncheon—his dining posture and demeanor, along with where Liu Tan stood, all resembled the dining rituals of a great family.

They didn't look like a modern boss and employee; they looked like the young master and chef of a great household. It wasn't a film, nor a deliberate performance—the scene seemed natural, as if it were a relationship that had existed in some other time and space.

Watching Jiang Yicen eat was truly a delight, but at that moment, Nan Shuyi felt a distance between himself and Jiang Yicen—he had become the modern man who had stumbled into this luncheon.

Still, it was just a fleeting thought.

Lately, he seemed to worry about Jiang Yicen and had become more sentimental.

The state-banquet-worthy luncheon ended an hour later.

Jiang Yicen didn't want this meal to be something Liu Tan regretted, so he only put down his chopsticks when he truly couldn't eat another bite.

"The young master's appetite is pretty small—not like the Second Young Master, who could finish everything every time."

Jiang Yicen looked at the table full of dishes. He alone had eaten nearly a third, and the rest had been taken care of by his young madam.

"My appetite isn't small either."

"The young madam is like the Second Young Master—a hearty eater."

Liu Tan then turned his attention to Nan Shuyi. He walked over and placed food on his plate, and the latter had no way to refuse. He ate until his stomach was round, and if he kept going, he'd need digestive tablets.

Luckily, Liu Dan and Liu Han came to say that the sweet soup was still simmering in the kitchen and needed Liu Tan to adjust the heat, which drew him away. Only then did the two set down their chopsticks.

Nan Shuyi leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach: "I'm so full."

Jiang Yicen told him: "There's still sweet soup coming later."

Nan Shuyi: "That old man sure has a lot of energy."

If it weren't for the special circumstances, he'd have a thing or two to complain about.

As Jiang Yicen had said, an hour after finishing lunch, Liu Tan directed Liu Dan to bring them two bowls of mung bean sweet soup, watching them with eager eyes, waiting for them to taste it.

Now, they were back in the living room.

Jiang Yicen and Nan Shuyi had stood in the courtyard for a full hour just to walk off that bowl of sweet soup.

Liu Tan watched with satisfaction as they finished the soup. After the bowls were cleared, he suddenly said to Nan Shuyi: "Young madam, could I have a private word with you?"

"Of course." Nan Shuyi helped him to the courtyard. Liu Tan, unusually, didn't sit in his recliner.

He suddenly took Nan Shuyi's hand and said: "Young madam, the young master is in your care from now on. The young master is kind-hearted, with a heart full of light and brilliance, like a spirit. When I'm no longer here, will you take good care of him for me? In this world, he likely has no other family. His coming here is a bond of nine lifetimes with you—something no one else could ever ask for. I beg you, I'll have Liu Dan and Liu Han serve the Nan family from now on, just as long as you treat our young master well."

"He may not understand many things. Show him the most beautiful side of this world. I also wish that with you, when he's cold, there's hot soup to warm him; when it's hot, there's chilled watermelon you've cut for him; when the temperature drops, someone drapes a coat over him; when he's troubled, someone reads to him, plays the piano with him, writes calligraphy with him, and paints with him."

The more Nan Shuyi heard, the more something felt off: "What do you mean?"

Liu Tan didn't answer—perhaps he didn't want to. "Can you promise me?"

Nan Shuyi nodded: "Alright, I promise you."

Liu Tan: "Thank you."

He then waved toward someone behind Nan Shuyi. Jiang Yicen happened to be standing at the doorway, looking their way.

Seeing Liu Tan wave, he walked over.

Nan Shuyi stepped aside with unspoken understanding. He knew Liu Tan wanted to speak with Jiang Yicen alone, and he was also mulling over Liu Tan's parting words, which sounded like a dying man's last wishes.

Liu Tan: "Young master, thank you for recovering our family's recipe book."

Jiang Yicen: "It was my duty."

Liu Tan: "Our family's unfilial descendants will also need your care in the future."

Jiang Yicen: "I will."

Liu Tan smiled, his face creasing into a web of wrinkles: "I know you've always had the kindest heart. I never thought I'd get to see you before I died."

Jiang Yicen said, "Guess it's fate that brought us together. Back then, you barely came up to my shoulder."

He motioned toward his own shoulder.

Liu Tan laughed heartily and loudly: "Yeah, I was pretty famous for not growing much back then."

Jiang Yicen recalled, "Everyone called you 'Shorty.'"

Shorty—that was his nickname back in the day.

Liu Tan had been laughing just moments ago, but now he was crying: "Young Master, you're the Sixth Master. I didn't mistake you."

Jiang Yicen: "No, you didn't. Thanks for the meal you made me today—I'll never forget it."

Liu Tan wept again.

Liu Dan and Liu Han watched from the sidelines as the old man went from laughing to crying, and finally helped him back to his room to rest.

The two stayed in Liu Tan's room for an hour before coming out, probably having gotten an earful from the old man again.

In the evening, as they sat in the courtyard, Jiang Yicen and Nan Shuyi were greeted by the summer sunset, yet neither had the heart to appreciate it.

Just then, Liu Dan approached with red-rimmed eyes and said to them, "The old man just passed away."

Jiang Yicen figured Liu Tan must have passed with a smile on his face.