Chapter 19: Jiang Se’s Half-Faced Lean On His Chest

“Wangchuan” held an event on Christmas Eve and invited a local folk music band to perform.

Jiang Ye rarely had two days off, so he rushed back from Jiangcheng early in the morning, saying he wanted to take Jiang Se to experience the liveliness by the Wangchuan.

After dinner, they had just passed through Liyuan Street and were about to turn onto Fuchun Street when Jiang Se’s phone in her coat pocket rang.

When she answered the call, the voice on the other end immediately asked, “No. 39, Jinxiu Alley, do you want it?”

They hadn’t seen each other for more than half a month, and the man’s voice sounded somewhat unfamiliar when it came through the phone line.

Upon hearing “No. 39, Jinxiu Alley,” Jiang Se froze for a moment, then realized that the property dispute had already made its way to Assistant Li.

She had long anticipated that Lu Huaiyan would eventually learn of this, so she wasn’t worried.

Ahead, children were playing in a snowball fight, making a lot of noise.

Perhaps hearing her side of the conversation, before Jiang Se could respond, he asked, “Where are you?”

Jiang Se glanced at the young man beside her who was occasionally glancing at her and calmly replied, “I’m heading to Wangchuan.’”

“‘Wangchuan’?” The person on the other end paused for a second, then seemed to recall something and said, “Ah, your parents’ bar.”

After finishing that sentence, he quietly gave instructions to his driver.

Soon after, Jiang Se heard him say, “Send me your location, I’ll come to meet you.”

Tonight, the Wangchuan was especially lively.

Boats drifted gently on the water, lanterns were hung along the riverbank, and the ripples of the water fragmented the dim yellow light.

Jiang Se stopped in her tracks, looking at the red lanterns hanging from the trees, and said slowly, “It’s too noisy here, it’s not convenient to talk. How about I come to find you?”

The young man beside her, Jiang Ye, had been all ears since she answered the call.

Hearing this, he quickly turned his head to look at her.

Not knowing what was said on the other end of the phone, Jiang Se’s expression paused for a moment before she simply said “Okay” and hung up.

Jiang Ye pouted, “Aren’t you going to ‘Wangchuan’?”

“Hmm, tell mom and dad, I’m going to meet a friend.”

When Jiang Se answered the phone earlier, Jiang Ye accidentally caught a glimpse of the caller ID on the screen and recognized it as the man she didn’t get along with.

Although they had only met once, he still remembered the sense of pressure that man had given him.

The boy kicked a snowball that some kid had rolled, then said, “Where are you going to meet him? I’ll take you there and pick you up when you’re done talking.”

“No need, he’s coming from the airport. We’ll meet here.” Jiang Se said, then glanced at him and changed the subject. “Huang Xu said that tonight Chen Liyin and Huang Xuwill both be at ‘Wangchuan.’”

Jiang Ye felt uneasy under her gaze and responded with confusion, “Why are you bringing this up? It’s not their first time at the bar. Mom and dad know them.”

Jiang Se put the phone back in her coat pocket, speaking casually, “Little Ye, every girl’s affection is precious. So, you should figure out your own feelings as soon as possible, don’t waste someone else’s time.”

Jiang Ye froze for a moment after hearing that. After a second, he glanced at her and said, “Don’t listen to Huang Xu’s nonsense. I know what I want.”

“Then go and make it clear, don’t avoid it. Who you like and who you don’t like, just make it clear.” Jiang Se’s voice remained light. “Don’t think you have to protect everyone. Others aren’t as fragile as you think, and you’re not as strong as you think.”

Jiang Ye remained silent for a moment, then looked down at the snow piles on the ground that he had kicked over. After a while, he raised his head and said to Jiang Se, “Got it. I’ll talk to her tonight.”

Jiang Se nodded slightly. “Go ahead. Don’t worry about me here. I’m not at odds with that person. I wasn’t before, and now—”

Remembering what the man had said on the phone, she curled the corner of her lips. “Now, there’s even less of a problem.”

---

When Lu Huaiyan called Jiang Se, the car had just left the airport.

Li Rui was sitting beside him, listening as he spoke to Jiang Se, “It’s faster to go from the airport to your place than for you to come to Junyue, so just wait for me where you are.”

His voice was as deep and strong as always, with a calm and unhurried tone, but when he said that, it always gave the illusion of “I want to see you soon.”

Did it seem a little flirtatious?

Must be just an illusion, right?

Boss Lu is eager to go find Miss Jiang Se, surely to clarify the matter of No. 39, Jinxiu Alley.

Thinking about it this way, he couldn’t help but feel that Lu Huaiyan was quite a hard-hearted person.

It’s Christmas Eve, yet instead of doing something romantic, he’s set on discussing business matters—what a mood killer.

Just as he was thinking this, the man beside him suddenly asked, “Do you think she won’t settle with them privately?”

Li Rui was startled and nodded. “Yes, Miss Jiang Se is very firm. When those people caused trouble at the cheongsam store, she immediately called the police and hired a lawyer. Coincidentally, there was a painting of Miss Jiang at that store, which got smashed that day. Miss Jiang is now in the process of suing them, demanding compensation. She has left them utterly confused.”

He took a sip of water, noticing that Lu Huaiyan hadn’t spoken, so he continued, “However, those people are also quite shameless. They claim that when the old lady signed the contract, her husband didn’t know about it, and after throwing down 200,000, they tried to take back the store. The original owner refused to return it, so they initially demanded 2 million. After seeing that Miss Jiang Se was firm and not easily fooled, they lowered the demand to 1 million.”

“1 million?” Lu Huaiyan glanced at the trees passing quickly outside the window, letting out a light laugh. “They’ll probably get nothing.”

Such people who bully the weak and fear the strong are everywhere. Li Rui was used to it, and upon hearing that, he agreed, “They were just unlucky. I heard from Lawyer Chen that if the original owner hadn’t been broke, they would’ve settled for 2 million to keep things quiet.”

Lu Huaiyan withdrew his gaze from the window and turned to look at Li Rui. “Who was the original owner?”

Li Rui thought for a moment and replied, “Her name is Zhang Yue. She’s a fairly well-known cheongsam designer in Tongcheng.”

Zhang Yue?

Lu Huaiyan didn’t recognize the name and fell into silent thought. He didn’t know how much time had passed before he suddenly heard Li Rui call, “Boss Lu, is that Miss Jiang Se?”

Lu Huaiyan looked in that direction.

At the bustling street corner, he spotted Jiang Se immediately.

She was holding a traditional oiled paper umbrella, which had the distinctive features of Tongcheng. The dark green umbrella was dotted with scattered snow, and the umbrella edge lifted slightly as snowflakes fell in soft flurries.

People around her kept glancing at her, but she seemed oblivious, standing calmly in the snow with a cold, indifferent air.

Lu Huaiyan stared at the half of her face visible under the umbrella’s edge and quietly ordered, “Stop the car.”

As the black sedan slowed to the side of the road, a young man appeared out of nowhere and walked over to ask Jiang Se for her WeChat.

Lu Huaiyan didn’t rush to stop him from doing something that might end in failure. He lowered the car window and leaned his elbow on the door, watching the scene indifferently.

The young man was clearly nervous about asking a girl for her WeChat and stuttered as he spoke.

Jiang Se patiently listened and then calmly responded, “Sorry, I don’t add strangers on WeChat.” Her tone remained polite.

The young man still held a rose-shaped candied apple in his hand. He looked at Jiang Se, a clear expression of reluctance in his eyes.

“I mean no harm. I just… don’t want to miss the chance. You may not believe in love at first sight, but—”

“I truly don’t believe in it. And,” Jiang Se gently interrupted him, raising the same type of candied apple he was holding, “Someone already gave me an apple for Christmas tonight.”

At this point, anyone with a bit of tact would have given up. But this man seemed a little stubborn and was still lingering, unwilling to leave.

Jiang Se furrowed her brows, irritation rising within her.

Just then, a soft laugh suddenly came from behind her.

The voice was low and deep, and amidst the bustling noise of the street, it passed by almost unnoticed by everyone.

But Jiang Se happened to hear it. She turned around, following the sound.

Lu Huaiyan’s gaze met hers, and without hesitation, he pushed open the car door and stepped out, walking towards her. He then took the umbrella from her hand and asked, “Have you been waiting long?”

He was dressed all in black: a black cashmere coat, black shirt, black trousers, and even the belt buckle at his waist was a matte black.

As he walked through the snow, he exuded an elegant aura, as if stepping out of an ink wash painting.

The man beside him seemed to realize something and quickly looked him up and down. After his gaze lingered on Lu Huaiyan’s side profile for a moment, he glanced at the car and quickly diverted his attention, tactfully walking away.

Lu Huaiyan held the umbrella above Jiang Se’s head, his gaze lowering to glance at the candied apple in her hand. He smiled and asked, “This apple, was it really given to you by someone else?”

Jiang Se responded with a soft “Hmm.”

The candied apple wasn’t particularly well-made. The thin apple slices were stacked into a rough rose shape, and a layer of red syrup coated the outside. At first glance, it resembled a red rose.

This kind of apple was typically given to young couples during festivals. Almost every couple walking along Fuchun Street tonight had one.

This apple was bought for Jiang Se by Jiang Ye, who had bought four in total—three for Jiang Chuan, Yu Shiying, and the girl he planned to confess to tonight.

When handing it to Jiang Se, he had hinted, “Use it to fend off bad luck tonight.”

Now, Lu Huaiyan remarked similarly, “It doesn’t look very good, but it’s quite fitting for fending off bad luck.”

“…”

Jiang Se looked up at him.

Noticing her gaze, Lu Huaiyan smiled. “What are you looking at? Do you really think you’ll eat this candied apple?”

The apple was packaged in a brown paper box, with a green hemp string wrapped around the wire handle to form a heart shape.

Jiang Se’s slender fingers hooked the heart-shaped handle. She didn’t say whether she would eat it or not, instead saying, “I’ve already ordered two cups of milk tea. We should go pick them up. We can talk at my place later.”

Fuchun Street, busy with people coming and going, wasn’t an ideal place to talk.

The oiled paper umbrella was only half as wide as her body, and Lu Huaiyan, wearing black leather gloves, held the umbrella over her head. He tilted his chin slightly forward and said, “Lead the way. I’ll go with you.”

He caught a glimpse of her phone in her hand and suddenly asked, “I shouldn’t be considered a stranger to you, should I?”

Jiang Se had been looking ahead at the crowd, but when she heard this, she turned her head to look at him, yet she didn’t respond.

Lu Huaiyan gave her a sidelong glance, his lips curving into a slight smile, and said, “So, can we add each other on WeChat?”

It was quite a curious thing—these two had never exchanged WeChat before.

Lu Huaiyan had two phone numbers: one for public use and one for personal. But neither number had Jiang Se’s WeChat.

The snow fell silently, drifting onto the umbrella and slowly sliding onto the man’s shoulder. A light breeze blew it away, sending the snowflakes dancing in the Christmas Eve air.

Jiang Se met Lu Huaiyan’s gaze, smiled slightly, and without much hesitation, responded, “Sure.”

The path was crowded, with people riding scooters, skating on skateboards, and a constant stream of pedestrians passing by.

Jiang Se walked on the farthest side of the road, with trees on one side and him on the other.

Lu Huaiyan kept a protective distance, ensuring that the bustling crowd didn’t disturb her. They each had one free hand, but their actions to add each other on WeChat were smooth and without hesitation. In less than half a minute, they were both added as friends.

Lu Huaiyan used his private account, with a profile picture of an ancient ink block. His name was simply “Yan.”

Jiang Se’s profile picture was equally simple—just a tree blooming under the night sky.

That tree, Lu Huaiyan had seen it before. It was the catalpa tree in the back courtyard of “Wangchuan.”

The sight of the tree immediately brought back memories of that night.

She had walked over from the swing, her long, slender fingers gently pressing on the cigarette filter.

The cigarette went out.

But something else had caught fire.

On that snowy white night, they walked through the lively streets with almost identical, unhurried steps.

Neither of them was in a rush to bring up the matter of No. 39, Jinxiu Alley.

They both had ample patience.

The milk tea shop Jiang Se chose wasn’t on Fuchun Street. After winding through several alleys, Lu Huaiyan finally saw a simple wooden sign under a large banyan tree, with just few simple characters written on it: Half a Day of Leisure.

Inside the yard, there were several large oiled paper umbrellas, and under each umbrella, a wooden table that could seat four or five people, with a small red clay stove in the center. On it, a small pot of goat’s milk was bubbling away.

It was clear this was a very popular place; every umbrella had people sitting under it.

Jiang Se went inside to pick up the milk tea and return the oiled paper umbrella.

The shop owner clearly knew her. He casually placed some roasted longan into a takeout box and, pretending not to notice, glanced at Lu Huaiyan, who was waiting under the banyan tree.

Then, the owner quietly asked something. Jiang Se smiled and shook her head, saying, “No.”

The snowy courtyard, cold and silent, seemed to come alive with her smile.

Lu Huaiyan watched the smile at the corner of her lips, and he also smiled faintly.

His hearing was excellent, and he had clearly heard the owner’s question.

The owner had asked her: “Is that your boyfriend?”

She had replied, “No.”

At that moment, Lu Huaiyan thought, no matter whether the milk tea the girl held was good or not, he would definitely come back here again with her.

As her man.

---

The owner of “Half a Day of Leisure” had been a long-time friend of Jiang Chuan and owned a small ranch in the northwest.

The milk tea here had a unique flavor, and Lu Huaiyan could immediately tell it was the kind Jiang Se liked.

The girl had a habit of adding both sugar and salt to her black tea, and this slightly sweet-salty milk tea was similar in flavor.

For Lu Huaiyan, this milk tea wasn’t unpleasant, but it definitely wasn’t to his liking.

After one sip, he didn’t try any more.

They didn’t linger at “Half a Day of Leisure.” After picking up the milk tea, Jiang Se led Lu Huaiyan towards Liyuan Street.

Tonight, all the young people from this area had gone to the Fuchun Riverbank, and the streets were empty as they walked. It was quiet until they were almost at the end of the alley, when they finally heard a few children’s playful voices.

Several children, about eight or nine years old, were lighting sparklers in an empty lot. As the two of them passed by, one of the children must have lit something else. A burst of white fire accompanied by a sizzling sound shot directly at Jiang Se’s face.

Jiang Se’s reaction wasn’t slow, but Lu Huaiyan was faster. Grabbing her elbow, he pulled her into his arms, and with a gentle spin, he was already standing in front of her.

The milk tea fell to the ground in that instant, and the firework hit his right shoulder, burning a black mark through his cashmere coat.

Jiang Se’s half face pressed against his chest, her nose gently brushed against the button on his shirt.

She was surrounded by a warm, rich, and fragrant scent of incense.

This familiar feeling made her thoughts blank for a moment, and in that moment, the man’s calloused hand had already lifted her face, his deep gaze locked on hers.

“Are you hurt?”

Distant memories crept into her mind like needles. Jiang Se looked at Lu Huaiyan but didn’t speak.

Not hearing her answer, Lu Huaiyan subconsciously looked into her eyes.

Her pupils blended with the light overhead, and her eyelashes were extraordinarily long.

His gaze darkened, and with a slight lift of his thumb, he gently brushed her eyelashes, saying, “Did that scare you?”

Jiang Se blinked, as if she finally came to her senses. She took a step back and, with a calm tone, said, “I’m fine.”

While speaking, her cold, indifferent gaze had already moved past Lu Huaiyan, directed at the kids behind him.

Lu Huaiyan followed her gaze and saw the group of kids who had been playing with the fireworks. They had nearly caused an accident, but now they were so scared that they ran home without even saying “sorry.”

Seeing what Jiang Se was looking at, a smile flickered in the man’s eyes. He seriously reported the house numbers, “Liyuan Street 33, 26, 21, and one more that turns into another alley, don’t know the house number.”

After finishing, he turned back to look at Jiang Se, his tone leisurely, “When will you go around to complain to each house?”

“…” Jiang Se glanced at his shoulder. “I’ll make them pay for the repair of your clothes.”

“Of course they should pay.” Lu Huaiyan picked up the empty milk tea cup that had spilled everywhere, tossed it into the trash can, then took off his milk-stained leather gloves and threw them into the bin as well. Looking at her slowly, he said, “Don’t forget to make them pay for another cup of milk tea. That was your first milk tea you bought for me. At least double the price.”

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