Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Can I Marry You and Take You Home? In the apartment, Jiang Shixu was wearing an apron and cooking for Ruan Chutang himself. Chu Tang leaned against the kitchen doorframe, arms crossed, watching him with leisurely amusement. "Never thought the young master of the Jiang Family would know how to cook." Jiang Shixu washed the vegetables slowly and methodically. "Last time, didn't you ask me where I bought the meals I sent you?" He turned to Ruan Chutang with a gentle smile. "I made them myself." Chu Tang couldn't help but be amazed. "You made them yourself? Why do they taste exactly like the dishes my mother used to make?" A smile lingered at the corner of Jiang Shixu's lips. "I secretly learned when I came to your place to mooch meals." Chu Tang looked skeptical. "No way. You only came a few times back then—how could you have learned?" The first time she met him, she had just passed her tenth birthday not long before. And her mother had passed away on her twelfth birthday. In the nearly two years in between, Jiang Shixu had come to her house to mooch meals no more than five times. There was no way he could have learned her mother's cooking skills. "I don't believe you." Chu Tang eyed him sideways. Jiang Shixu sliced the celery into strips, then cut and marinated the beef. "Last time I said I'd take you somewhere, remember? You got hurt that day, so we didn't go. I'll take you tomorrow." Chu Tang: "Does that have anything to do with cooking?" "Yeah, it does." "Alright." Soon, Jiang Shixu had made two dishes and a soup. Stir-fried beef with celery, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and winter melon soup. Chu Tang usually ate very little for dinner—sometimes nothing at all. But today, with Jiang Shixu cooking personally and the dishes matching her taste perfectly, Chu Tang, for the first time ever, finished an entire bowl of rice. The dishes on the table were also polished off by the two of them. After the meal, Chu Tang went to wash the dishes but was stopped by Jiang Shixu. "You sit. I'll wash them." Chu Tang giggled and teased him: "Wow, Brother Shixu, you're so domestic! Can I marry you and take you home?" Jiang Shixu smiled and flicked her on the forehead. "I'll marry you." After the kitchen was cleaned up, Jiang Shixu, showing proper restraint, didn't bring up staying the night. At the door, Ruan Chutang leaned against the doorframe, watching his handsome face and thinking to herself: Why didn't he ask to stay? Is she not attractive to him? With that thought, Chu Tang instinctively glanced down. Mm, her figure wasn't bad either. Jiang Shixu's eyes held a smile. "What are you looking at? You seem lost in thought." Chu Tang coughed awkwardly and shook her head. "Nothing. Be safe on the road." "Mm, see you tomorrow." Jiang Shixu turned and left, carrying the trash bag with him. Chu Tang watched his retreating figure and curved her lips. This man—he was so upright it was almost infuriating. He didn't even have a hint of "wicked thoughts." ... Gu Zechuan was taken to the police station to give a statement. He was originally going to be detained, but his assistant came over, paid the bail, and got him out. The two walked out of the police station gates. It was already four in the morning. The assistant looked green around the gills. He had just gotten back to the hotel and had his pants off when he suddenly received a call from Gu Zechuan asking him to come to the police station. His girlfriend had come all the way to Jiangcheng with him. During the day he was busy with work and had no time to accompany her, and at night he finally had a chance to enjoy some shameless couple time—but before he could even get cozy with his girlfriend, he was summoned by that phone call. This boss of his—his real boss—had just gotten out of the hospital and was already in a fight that landed him in the police station. Now, the person was bailed out, but his girlfriend was throwing a fit and demanding a breakup. The assistant sighed helplessly, got into the car, and took the driver's seat. "Mr. Gu, where to now?" Gu Zechuan looked exhausted. "Back to the hotel." Hotel suite. Gu Zechuan turned on the lights. The spacious room was cold and empty. He walked to the window, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag. The smoke invaded his organs, leaving a dull ache. He looked at the desolate room. No vintage ceramic vase on the glass round table. No fresh flowers. The fridge wasn't stocked with delicious food. No small decorations on the walls. The curtain color wasn't the one she liked... Gu Zechuan closed his eyes, and the image of Ruan Chutang entangled with that man appeared in his mind again. At this very moment, were they doing it? The pain in his chest was so clear. Before coming here, he had imagined many possibilities—but never the possibility that Ruan Chutang was already with another man. They say a relationship ends with two heartbreaks. The first is when you break up. The second is when you see her with someone else. So it was true. ... The next day, crisp autumn air, clear skies. Chu Tang had agreed to go out with Jiang Shixu. She slept in until she naturally woke up, had a simple breakfast, and began to dress up. Today she wore a vintage long dress in black velvet fabric with long sleeves, her wavy hair cascading over her shoulders. The bright red lipstick paired perfectly with the black dress. She was naturally a striking beauty—deep features, a high nose bridge, bold brows, and almond-shaped eyes. This look made her beauty even more assertive, leaving a dazzling first impression. Jiang Shixu's black Cullinan was parked downstairs. Chu Tang came downstairs and saw him leaning against the front of the car, on the phone. When he saw her coming, Jiang Shixu's eyes brightened for a moment. He wrapped up the call in a few sentences, then looked up and gave her a gentle smile. "That outfit and makeup suit you well today." Chu Tang smiled softly and opened the passenger door to get in. "Where are we going?" She buckled her seatbelt and asked him. "You'll find out in a bit." Today he hadn't brought his driver—he was driving himself. The Cullinan passed through the bustling city center and headed toward the suburbs. The high-rises gradually receded into the distance until they could no longer be seen. Jiangcheng was flat terrain, and the scenery outside the city was beautiful. Beneath the clear, azure sky stretched endless golden rice paddies, with farmers scattered here and there harvesting rice. Occasionally they passed a farmhouse or two, where the fruit trees in front had all shed their leaves, leaving bare branches. Chu Tang cracked the window open halfway. A cool breeze rushed in, carrying the faint fragrance of osmanthus, refreshing and soothing. "Mmm, how pleasant." Chu Tang closed her eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the osmanthus scent in the wind. Jiang Shixu drove with focused attention. "Almost there." The car traveled another twenty-odd minutes along a winding, narrow rural concrete road before finally stopping in front of a three-story self-built country house. "We're here." Jiang Shixu turned off the engine and looked at Ruan Chutang. The girl looked surprised. "Where is this?" Jiang Shixu pressed his lips into a straight line, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Get out and take a look." The moment they stepped out of the car, the owner of the house came forward to greet them. The man initially wore a puzzled expression, but upon seeing Jiang Shixu, his face immediately shifted to surprise. Finally, he walked up with a smile. "President Jiang, what brings you here?" As he spoke, the man offered a cigarette. Chu Tang caught a glimpse of the pack—Huanghelou. Chu Tang didn't smoke, but she often saw this brand at the cigarette counters of convenience stores and supermarkets. It cost twenty or thirty yuan a pack. She watched the refined, elegant man beside her accept the cigarette, and the dark-skinned man who looked to be in his forties already had a lighter out for Jiang Shixu. The man said apologetically, "Sorry, President Jiang. I didn't know you were coming today. We don't have any good cigarettes at home—only these." Chu Tang found it curious and watched Jiang Shixu with amused interest. He actually smoked cigarettes that cost twenty or thirty yuan a pack. Judging by this stranger's reaction, Jiang Shixu must come here often. "And this is?" The man's gaze turned to Ruan Chutang. "Miss Ruan." Jiang Shixu replied in a low voice. The man's eyes lit up with delight. "Miss Ruan, you've come!" "Mom! Mom—Miss Ruan is here!" The man shouted excitedly toward the house. Chu Tang tilted her head slightly to look at Jiang Shixu, confusion in her eyes. Did this family know her?