Chapter 54: The 142nd Day Of Knowing Miss Jiang Se

The Lantern Festival in Tongcheng is a major celebration.

On both sides of the Fuchun River, the willow trees were already adorned with colorful lanterns. Their budding branches were wrapped with light tubes strung with small bulbs.

As soon as night fell, the branches were ablaze with golden light, creating a scene reminiscent of “trees on fire and a river of stars.”

“Every year on Lantern Festival night, there’s a lantern show on the Fuchun River. Wooden boats covered with lanterns drift along the river, and the lights underwater reflect and merge with the lights on the banks — it’s both beautiful and lively. Tonight, Mom will accompany you to watch it, and let your dad stay and watch the shop.”

This year, among the three siblings, only Jiang Se was at home.

Jiang Tang’s dance troupe had a Lantern Festival performance, and as the lead dancer, she naturally couldn’t return. Jiang Ye had a competition coming up in a few days and was being scolded daily by his coach to stay focused.

Thinking about the twenty thousand steps she walked on New Year’s Eve, Jiang Se slowly swallowed the last bite of her Eight Treasure Porridge and said, “I’ll just go join the fun for half an hour.”

Yu Shiying agreed, “Didn’t you say a friend was coming to the bar tonight? Around what time? Should we invite him to see the lantern show with us?”

“No need. He has a banquet tonight and won’t be free until after nine. We’ll go see the lanterns as soon as it gets dark, and afterward, I’ll wait for him at the bar.”

“Does he know the way? Our bar is tucked away on Fuchun Street — if you’re not paying attention, it’s easy to miss. You should probably send him a location pin.”

“He’s been to ‘Wangchuan’ before,” Jiang Se said, looking at Yu Shiying with a smile. “On my first day arriving in Tongcheng, he and his cousin came here.”

Yu Shiying paused for a moment, a little surprised.

Of course, she remembered the night Jiang Se returned to Tongcheng — she just wasn’t sure which one it was.

“Was it the tall one, or—” realizing that both men were quite tall with only a two or three centimeter difference between them, Yu Shiying changed her question, “Was it the one who doesn’t smile much, or the one who smiles a lot?”

Doesn’t smile versus smiles a lot?

That was indeed an accurate way to ask.

Except now, the one who didn’t used to smile had started smiling quite a bit around her… often looking at her with a faint, almost teasing smile.

“The one who doesn’t smile much,” Jiang Se said. “Do you still remember him?”

Yu Shiying was stunned again.

Before, Xiao Ye had said that this man didn’t get along with Se Se, and judging from how indifferent Se Se sounded when mentioning him, she thought they had long since cut ties.

“Of course I remember. I even have a photo of you two saved in my phone.”

Jiang Se raised her eyebrows slightly. “A photo?”

Yu Shiying pulled out her phone and showed her a picture taken back when she had visited the Cen family. “I asked the butler if I could take some photos of your childhood pictures, and he said yes.”

Of course, there were more than just this one photo on her phone, but in this particular picture, Se Se’s smile was noticeably different from the others.

Jiang Se quietly stared at the old photo, framed in a walnut wood frame.

In the photo, one man had a gentle, warm smile, while the other’s brows and eyes were slightly withdrawn, looking especially noble and aloof.

He really wasn’t someone who smiled much.

Yu Shiying then asked if it was only him coming tonight.

Jiang Se nodded, thought for two seconds, and said, “His name is Lu Huaiyan. He’s the CEO of the Lu Corporation in North City. The main investor in both Tongcheng’s film city project and the old town renovation project is Lu Corporation.”

Seeing how seriously Jiang Se introduced Lu Huaiyan — so different from the casual way she had introduced Fu Yun before — Yu Shiying felt a slight stir in her heart. She smiled and asked, “What kind of alcohol does he like?”

Jiang Se said, “You don’t need to worry about him. Once he gets here, let him choose for himself.”

Jiang Se had dinner directly at “Wangchuan.” The food was local Tongcheng cuisine, sent over by the owner of the private kitchen across the street. Yu Shiying thanked her by sending back two bottles of liquor.

After eating, mother and daughter strolled slowly along the Fuchun River for half an hour. As night fell, Fuchun Street filled up with small street vendors. Jiang Se guessed a few lantern riddles and won three lanterns, then returned to the bar.

Tonight, Fuchun Street was bustling like a boiling pot, and “Wangchuan” itself was packed to the brim.

Finding it too noisy, Jiang Se hid in the backyard, and while there, she took a photo of the back door and sent it to Lu Huaiyan, messaging him:

[Come in through the back door. There are too many people at the front.]

He must have had his phone in hand, because right after she sent the message, he replied:

[Switch your camera to the front and send another one.]

He was asking for a selfie.

Jiang Se actually switched the camera and took one.

Although the backyard lights were on, the lighting was dim and cold, casting a pale glow. The photo effect turned out ghostly.

Jiang Se sent it to him and asked:

[Do I look like a ghost?]

In the photo, she had tried to find the spot with the most light. Her small, palm-sized face was tilted slightly upward, her dimples shining a pearly white. Her eyes were cold and dark, but her lips were bright red.

Lu Huaiyan stared at the photo for several seconds before exiting it, then replied:

[More like a demon.]

Jiang Se was about to type a reply when suddenly, there was a soft “creak” behind her.

Looking up, she saw the man who had just called her a demon — standing tall and graceful by the wooden door, carrying a coat over one arm, dressed in a white shirt and black pants, exuding a cold aura.

With long strides, he walked toward her under the lights. His deep features gradually emerged from the darkness, while the heavy night faded behind him.

Lu Huaiyan picked up the orange lantern that had been placed by her feet and smiled, “Don’t I look like a scholar captured by a demoness?”

Jiang Se replied leisurely, “I’m too busy tonight to drain your essence.”

Lu Huaiyan paused, gripping the lantern:

“Period?”

“Mhm.”

Since he returned to Tongcheng, they had only indulged once — on the first night.

After that, he had been leaving early and coming back late every day, busy beyond measure. Naturally, there was no time. Tomorrow, he would be heading to Hong Kong City, and they both tacitly understood what might have happened tonight.

Lu Huaiyan didn’t show any disappointment. Instead, he gave a half-smile and teased:

“Seems like your period is my love rival. Always showing up the day before I leave.”

”…”

Jiang Se couldn’t be bothered to explain how regular her cycle was. “What do you want to drink? I’ll grab it for you. It’s too crowded inside; let’s just drink out here in the backyard.”

Lu Huaiyan glanced at her and said, “Aren’t you going to introduce me properly to your parents?”

Meeting his gaze, Jiang Se said with a straight face, “My mom doesn’t like people who don’t smile.”

Lu Huaiyan laughed out of sheer exasperation: “Since the moment I met you, tell me — when have I not been smiling?”

Using the hand that was carrying the coat, he pinched her chin lightly, calling her a “heartless little lady.”

Jiang Se didn’t joke around with him further. She twisted the doorknob and said, “My parents are at the bar counter right now. If you want a drink, just tell them.”

As soon as the door opened, a wave of noise and the sound of pipa strings pouring like pearls rushed in through the crack. The closer they got to the bar, the louder the commotion.

Jiang Se hadn’t exaggerated — “Wangchuan” was truly packed tonight.

Since the bar counter wasn’t a good place to talk, Jiang Chuan simply handed his cocktail shaker to a bartender and, along with Yu Shiying, led them both back to the backyard.

Because of some earlier comments dropped by Jiang Ye and Jiang Se, Jiang Chuan and Yu Shiying didn’t initially have a good impression of Lu Huaiyan.

At first, they were a bit stiff. But Lu Huaiyan was no ordinary person — calculating and astute.

Today, he had deliberately changed into a crisp white shirt, wore a pair of refined gold-rimmed glasses, and, relying on his handsome, aristocratic looks and gentle, courteous demeanor, successfully changed his future in-laws’ opinion of him.

After Jiang Chuan and Yu Shiying left the backyard, Jiang Se casually sat on the swing and looked at Lu Huaiyan, saying, “My parents seem to like you quite a bit.”

Lu Huaiyan, holding a glass of wine, leaned lightly against the thin wall behind him, lowered his gaze, and let out a soft laugh.

He pointedly said: “It’s because they guessed your feelings.”

Knowing that their daughter felt differently about this man, Jiang Chuan and Yu Shiying couldn’t help but view him through a more favorable lens.

Lu Huaiyan had grasped this very parental instinct and successfully reversed the poor impression he had initially left.

Jiang Se fell silent.

The scene of the two standing there inevitably reminded them both of the night they first met in Tongcheng.

That night, Lu Huaiyan had drunk a glass of bitter, sour plum wine and had even had the cigarette in his hand pinched out by her.

The man now, mimicking her, brought up the past: “Did you order that drink for me on purpose last year?”

Jiang Se answered frankly, “Mhm. Who told you to look at me like that.”

“What was wrong with the way I looked at you?”

“Impatient and irritable, yet forcing yourself to show up in front of me,” Jiang Se said plainly. “It was annoying just to look at you.”

Lu Huaiyan stared at her for a moment, then downed the plum wine in one gulp and set down the glass. He walked over and grabbed the swing’s rope, lowering his eyelids halfway as he said:

“Clearly I was the one bringing up old scores. How come now you’re the one holding a grudge? Want to bite me a few times to vent?”

As he spoke, he bent down to kiss her.

Jiang Se pushed off lightly with the tips of her toes, swinging the swing backward in an arc. Smiling, she said: “There’s a surveillance camera in the backyard now. There wasn’t one before, but after you showed up here last year, there is.”

”…”

When she smiled like this, not only did the corners of her lips curve, but her eyes and brows bent gently too.

It was the kind of smile that only appeared when she was genuinely happy.

Lu Huaiyan gazed at her. After a brief pause, he chuckled and said: “Then we’ll go home and kiss.”

He wrapped his hands around her small fists clutching the swing rope and continued: “You’re not wrong either. Back then, my gaze was terrible — how dare I fail to recognize the treasure that is Miss Jiang Se.”

Jiang Se: ”…”

After saying this, he tugged the swing toward him and locked eyes with her: “Today marks the 142nd day since Lu Huaiyan met Miss Jiang Se.”

—

That night, as soon as they got back to the apartment, Lu Huaiyan pinned Jiang Se against the wall and kissed her.

It was Lantern Festival night, and the elderly neighbors next door, having gone out to join the festivities, naturally stayed up later than usual.

As the two of them kissed feverishly by the entryway, they could even hear the neighbors watching short videos and grumbling about the decline of morals.

Unable to resist, Jiang Se pushed him away lightly, panting: “Are you trying to make yourself suffer?”

He was already pressing painfully against her.

Stirring up a fire that couldn’t be put out, yet having no way to quench it — if that wasn’t suffering, what was?

Lu Huaiyan said, “Don’t you love watching me suffer? Perfect chance for me to pay for my sins.”

Seeing that he was teasing her again about the plum wine incident, Jiang Se shot him a glare, about to retort — but before she could get a word out, he kissed her again.

The next morning, when she woke up, her lips were still swollen.

Not badly, but they were vividly red.

She had already made plans with Zhang Yue to go watch the sunrise at Hanshan Temple. As soon as the alarm went off, she tried to get out of bed — only for Lu Huaiyan to drag her right back in.

“Sleep with me a little longer.”

Lately, when he slept, he always liked to hold her tightly in his arms. Jiang Se pushed away the arm he had slung across her ribs, saying, “I promised Boss Zhang we’d go see the sunrise.”

Lu Huaiyan muttered: “No time to send me to the airport, but time to watch the sunrise with someone else?”

“…”

Jiang Se had a feeling that his next words would probably be another “lurid” comment, so she turned her head and shot him a sideways glance.

The man lying in bed didn’t continue that topic. Instead, he cooperatively loosened his grip, his clear eyes gazing at her as he said, “Be careful on the road. When you see the sunrise, remember to take a photo for me.”

His voice was still a little hoarse, his whole demeanor lazy and languid. The comforter draped loosely around his waist, exposing his bare, smoothly toned chest.

They always shared one blanket when they slept. Jiang Se thought it was just right; he, on the other hand, felt hot — and despite that, he insisted on holding her while sleeping, leaving him no choice but to sleep shirtless.

Every night, she fell asleep wrapped in his body heat.

Jiang Se withdrew her gaze and softly replied, “Mhm.”

As she was heading downstairs, she happened to receive a call from Guo Qian.

The time difference from Tongcheng meant it was thirteen hours earlier where Guo Qian was. At the moment, the young lady was attending a Lantern Festival party organized by some Chinese students.

As soon as the call connected, Guo Qian said mysteriously, “Guess who I just ran into at the party?”

“Who?”

“Fu Jun’s former sweetheart,” Guo Qian said. “That girl from the conservatory who sang opera. After Fu Jun’s death, didn’t she disappear completely? Turns out she came to the U.S. to continue her studies. She looks… like she still hasn’t gotten over Fu Jun’s death.”

Jiang Se remembered that girl.

Before the Cen and Fu families arranged their marriage alliance, Fu Jun had a first love.

They had started dating back in high school — it was never a secret in Beicheng. Even someone like Jiang Se, who was a few grades below them, had heard of their relationship.

You could say Fu Jun loved that girl — but not enough to defy Old Master Fu for her sake. He never rejected the engagement to the Cen family either.

You could also say he didn’t love her — yet he had never been with anyone else, always protecting that girl like she was the apple of his eye.

Cen Li always said Fu Jun was a hypocrite, and it was partly because of this.

Jiang Se had once agreed with Fu Jun that after she graduated from university, they would proceed with the engagement — but the wedding itself would be postponed indefinitely.

At the time, Fu Jun had stared at her with interest for a long while before laughing and saying, “Looks like you don’t want to marry me either. If you’re willing to wait, once my grandfather steps down and I take over the Fu family, we’ll dissolve the engagement.”

They were both disinterested in each other. Their meetings were merely for show.

Until their last meeting — for some reason, Fu Jun suddenly tried to kiss her out of nowhere.

Jiang Se had quickly dodged and splashed a glass of wine on him to snap him out of it.

But instead of getting angry, the man just wiped himself with a napkin and laughed, saying, “I realize marrying you wouldn’t be so bad after all.”

In the quiet stairwell, Guo Qian was still talking: “It’s normal she can’t move on. After all, Fu Jun practically worshipped her back then. Being loved like that by a young master — who could ever forget it?”

Jiang Se fumbled in her bag for her Bluetooth earbuds, but her mind wandered.

Love?

She used to think so too.

That was why she hadn’t wanted to play the evil queen in someone else’s Cinderella story — she thought if she dragged things out a few years, they could end the engagement peacefully.

But Fu Jun’s inexplicable attempt to kiss her had been real too.

What kind of man, truly in love with someone else, would suddenly try to kiss another girl?

Fu Jun had been acting strange all that day. The way he looked at her…

Jiang Se slowly descended the stairs, finally finding the earbuds. She was about to put them in when a scene suddenly flashed across her mind.

That day, they had met at a revolving restaurant in Beicheng.

When the waiter led her to the private room, Fu Jun was already there, making a phone call.

At the moment when the padded door opened, she faintly heard the man’s warm, smiling voice drift over: “A toad from Boxian dares to dream of swan meat?”

The sentence was half-muffled by the restaurant’s background music, so Jiang Se hadn’t caught it clearly. She hadn’t paid it much attention either, assuming Fu Jun was scolding someone coveting his beloved first love.

A toad from Boxian…

No wonder the name “Boxian” always sounded familiar to her.

It was from Fu Jun.

Her footsteps abruptly halted in the narrow, dimly lit corridor. Jiang Se lifted her eyes, her gaze gradually sharpening.

Another coincidence?

Fu Jun also knew someone from Boxian — and he, too, had died in an “accident.”

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