“Old Xing—”
“Huh?”
Xie Dingyuan pointed to the doorway. “Someone’s looking for you.”
It was the waiter who helped place their order earlier, peeking in nervously from outside. “Brother Xing, a few more tables just came in. The kitchen’s short on hands…”
Translation: Get back there ASAP.
Left with no choice, Old Xing reluctantly dragged himself away.
He hadn’t finished chatting with the young lady yet…
“How about we add each other on WeChat?”
Xie Dingyuan’s eyelid twitched. He had a bad feeling about this.
Sure enough—
Jiang Fuyue nodded. “Sure.”
“Hey! Next time, Uncle will give you a discount!” Old Xing quickly pulled out his phone to scan her code.
After they added each other, Jiang Fuyue accepted the request, and only then did he leave in satisfaction. As he stepped out, he suddenly remembered his old classmate was still there, so he quickly grinned and added, “Old Xie, take your time~ if you want more, just say the word! I’ll bring it out myself!”
Xie Dingyuan: “…” More?!?!
At that moment, the meatballs in the pot floated to the surface—perfect timing.
“You want some?” Jiang Fuyue scooped two with the slotted spoon, offering them to him.
“I’ll get it myself,” Xie Dingyuan said stiffly.
There was a trace of sulkiness in his tone.
Unfortunately, Jiang Fuyue didn’t notice at all. She just responded with an “oh” and put them into her own bowl.
Xie Dingyuan: “?” Why didn’t she insist a second time?
“Mmm, the taste is great—fresher than the last batch. Must be newly made.” She took a bite and gave a nod of approval.
Xie Dingyuan pursed his lips. That made him even more sulky.
By the end of the meal, there wasn’t much left—just a few meatballs floating on the soup surface. Jiang Fuyue found it a shame but was too full to continue.
Her eyes turned, and she asked Xie Dingyuan, “Do you want them?”
His eyes lit up instantly. This time, he didn’t say he’d do it himself. He obediently pushed his bowl toward her. Jiang Fuyue, without fuss, placed the meatballs into his bowl.
Xie Dingyuan took a bite: Mmm… smells so good.
…
After the meal, Xie Dingyuan went to pay.
By the time they stepped outside, night had fallen, and the evening breeze carried a hint of chill.
“Achoo—” Jiang Fuyue rubbed her nose.
The next second, warmth settled on her shoulders. The man had draped his jacket over her.
He didn’t touch her, withdrawing his hands immediately.
So when Jiang Fuyue turned her head to look at him, the man was already standing half a step away.
No inappropriate closeness, no ambiguous vibe.
Precisely because of that, she accepted it naturally. The wind really was cold. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied politely, the perfect gentleman.
But to Old Xing, who had hurriedly followed them out and happened to witness this moment, it was like having a pot of boiling hotpot broth dumped over his head. He stood there dumbfounded, fat face slack with shock.
The love-inept, emotionally tone-deaf Old Xie from back then… actually put a jacket on a girl now?
Look at that calm demeanor, that composed posture—yet the twitching fingers behind his back told a very different story!
“Ahem! Old Xie, wait up—”
Both man and woman turned back at the same time. Under the streetlights, he looked handsome and cool, she looked elegant and ethereal—an unexpectedly perfect match.
Old Xing was briefly dazed.
Then he bustled up with a grin and slapped a few red bills into Xie Dingyuan’s hand. “Here. My treat today—I promised the young lady. We added each other on WeChat already, can’t go back on my word.”
Xie Dingyuan had been ready to refuse the money… until he heard the second half. His face darkened, and he silently put the cash away.
So generous, huh?
Old Xing shot him a knowing side-eye, then turned to Jiang Fuyue with a laugh: “Come often, girl. Uncle’s got you.”
Then he looked at Xie Dingyuan with a sly, meaningful grin. “You too—bring your niece along often, the door’s always open for you!”
Xie Dingyuan: “…” Wish I could mute this man permanently.
“Let’s go.” He turned with a frosty expression.
Jiang Fuyue said goodbye and followed.
Old Xing stood there watching them walk off, grinning like he’d just soaked in a hot spring, heart bubbling with joy, even humming a tuneless love song.
A nearby waiter caught a snippet:
🎶 “Ambiguity brings nothing but pain, no proof we ever loved the same…” 🎶
Tsk!
On the way to the parking lot, they walked side by side beneath the glow of city lights. She wore his jacket, he watched her profile out of the corner of his eye.
Silent, but not awkward.
“…Did you like the hotpot?” he finally asked.
“It was good. But you don’t seem to like it much?”
“It’s okay now.”
He wanted to say: With you, it’s okay.
From afar, Shen Qiannan: “?” So it was never about me, huh…
Jiang Fuyue raised a brow. “But Old Xing said you never step foot in hotpot places?”
The man tensed. “That was before. I’ve changed.”
“Oh.”
They arrived at the parking lot. Old Zhang was already waiting in the driver’s seat.
Xie Dingyuan opened the back door for Jiang Fuyue, then got in after her.
The ride was smooth. Jiang Fuyue dozed off. They didn’t talk again.
Old Zhang sneaked glances in the rearview mirror. He couldn’t make much out, except for one thing—when his eyes skimmed the girl wrapped in that tailored blazer, something sparkled faintly in his gaze.
Half an hour later, the black Benz pulled into Yutian Huafu.
“…We’re here.”
Jiang Fuyue returned the jacket. “Thanks.”
Then she opened the door and got out.
Suddenly—
“Tomorrow morning, shall we go together again?”
She turned back. In the glow of the streetlight through the lowered car window, his handsome face seemed softer, his coldness tempered with warmth.
His eyes, fixed on her, seemed to shine.
Jiang Fuyue considered. “If it’s not a bother?”
Xie Dingyuan nodded. “Not at all.”
“Okay.”
“See you tomorrow.”
…
That night, Jiang Fuyue finished two papers, then went to bed early.
Before sleeping, she mentally mapped out tomorrow’s schedule, down to what to complete in the morning and where to resume in the afternoon.
If possible, she wanted to make it even tighter.
But Old Bai’s progress was too slow—she was downstream and had to wait for his data before continuing.
If only it were Xie Dingyuan. He’d definitely keep up…
And Xie Dingyuan?
He was in his study, a file open beside him—but his eyes weren’t on it. One hand supported his head, staring off into space.
There was nothing in front of him—just empty air.
The smell of hotpot still lingered faintly on his clothes. In the still, cold night, it seemed even stronger.
Normally, he would’ve changed and tossed his clothes straight into the laundry.
But not today.
He didn’t want to.
It was like… if he kept the smell, he could keep the feeling too.
That feeling—walking beside her, even with a proper distance and no words exchanged—his heart still thumped uncontrollably.
In almost thirty years of life, it was unfamiliar, new, and fatally fascinating.
It made him want to explore more.
He found himself… different.
Hotpot, once intolerable, now bearable.
His old aversion to closeness with women? Gone—but only with Jiang Fuyue.
The girl he once found hard to deal with—now, everything about her drew his attention.
That night, Xie Dingyuan opened his notebook titled: “Observation Record of Jiang Fuyue’s Perplexing Behaviors”
And wrote—
“Because of her, I think I’ve become someone else.”
“But it’s not a bad feeling.”
“She’s more fascinating than any research subject I’ve ever had.”
“Should I start a new notebook?
‘Observation Records on My Own Perplexing Behaviors’?”
…
The next morning, Jiang Fuyue had breakfast and prepared to leave.
Little Brother Jiang gulped down the last bite of his sandwich, grabbed his backpack, and scurried after her. “I’m walking out with sis!”
Han Yunru handed them each a bottle of hot milk as they put on their shoes—smaller size for Jiang Fuyue, extra-large for Jiang Chenxing.
“Drink it on the way.”
She’d hired part-time help at the shop, so she could stay home two extra hours to make breakfast.
Just a few steps outside—
A familiar black Benz rolled up.
The window lowered, revealing a handsome face.
Xie Dingyuan glanced at the little brother hugging his milk bottle. At the same time, Jiang Chenxing was inspecting him.
Hmm… he’d seen this uncle before.
Back then, his face looked scary.
Now? Not so scary. Kinda handsome, even.
But he didn’t smile much—felt a bit hard to approach.
Sensing his stare, Jiang Chenxing instinctively moved closer to his sister.
Jiang Fuyue patted his head and turned to Xie Dingyuan. “You go ahead. I’ll wait with him for the school bus.”
Xie Dingyuan opened the door. “Get in.”
Jiang Fuyue: “?”
“I’ll drop him off first, then we’ll head to the lab together.”
That… works.
Sister Yue: I’m sleeping.
Old Xie: I’m thinking about her.
