Su Ying could no longer remember how she had made her way downstairs or how she had got into the car. By the time she came to her senses, she was standing next to a building that looked distinctly old, with a Republican-era architectural style.
Her heart was pounding so hard it felt as though it might leap right out of her throat.
Sitting in the ride-hailing car, she could only hope the driver would drive faster, faster still. Even though countless voices inside her were saying, ‘A last-minute invitation means he’s treating you as a fallback’, ‘Who in their right mind would ask someone out for a meeting late at night?’, ‘He must have ulterior motives’… she chose to ignore them all.
She even thought, with a touch of self-destructive resignation: if Senior Brother really is a ‘bad guy’, so be it; it would finally put an end to this six-year-long secret crush.
The location Senior Brother had sent was in a park; the car could only stop at the park entrance.
After getting out, the chill of the wind cooled her flushed cheeks slightly.
She followed the navigation, her pace quickening until she reached her destination.
Before her stood a three-storey old building with arched windows and doors of coloured glass. Two old-fashioned brass lamps hung above the entrance, and the warm yellow light filtering through the windows looked particularly cosy on this winter’s night.
Su Ying peered cautiously at the door when it suddenly swung open from the inside.
A young waiter in a white shirt and black waistcoat gave a slight bow:”Good evening, madam. Do you have a reservation?”
It was the first time Su Ying had come face to face with such a handsome man at such close quarters; her face flushed instantly. She froze for a couple of seconds before stammering, “I-I do have a reservation. Table 9.”
“May I ask the surname of the person who made the reservation?”
“Su.”
After checking with his earpiece, the waiter turned sideways and gestured for her to follow: “This way, please.”
As soon as she stepped inside, Su Ying was captivated by the décor of the dining room. It was tastefully decorated, with several embroidered paintings hanging on the textured off-white walls, deep coffee-coloured sofas, and a layer of dark green tablecloth beneath the white ones on every table. A faint fragrance lingered in the air, and amidst the clinking of glasses, she seemed to hear the sound of a string ensemble playing.
Su Ying spotted the person she was looking for almost immediately.
At Table 9 by the window sat a young man wearing a navy blue woollen jumper; the round neckline revealed the collar of a white shirt, and a black jacket was casually draped over the back of his chair.
He had very fair skin and distinctly defined wrist bones. He appeared to be studying the menu, his slender fingers tapping the tabletop intermittently.
Su Ying’s heart began to race even more. She held her breath, softened her footsteps, and walked towards him step by step.
Reaching the table, she tilted her head slightly and asked softly, “Senior Brother?”
The man at the table looked up at the sound of her voice.
Su Ying could now see his face clearly: it was exceptionally clean-cut and handsome, with a cool, pale complexion, a high, straight nose, and a sharp, defined jawline. The gaze he directed at her was calm and gentle.
“Junior Sister,” he said, his voice even clearer and more pleasant than it had been over the phone, “it’s me.”
Su Ying sat down somewhat stiffly on the chair opposite him. Only after she had settled did she pluck up the courage to look around, murmuring, “I’ve been in Chun City for so many years and have even visited this park, yet I had no idea such a place was hidden inside.”
Su Jiayu slid the menu towards her, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “It’s not exactly a famous place, so it’s only natural you wouldn’t know about it.”
Su Ying’s attention, however, was unwittingly drawn to the hand that had pushed the menu towards her. Those hands were fair and slender; in the lamplight, she could even make out the faint blue veins on the back of his hand.
For some reason, she suddenly felt a bit parched.
Just then, a glass of lemon water was pushed towards her.
Su Ying looked up, somewhat bewildered: “Eh?”
Su Jiayu watched her, the amusement in his eyes deepening: “Have a drink.”
Su Ying quickly picked up the glass and took a sip; the cool water instantly brought her back to her senses.
Her gaze fell upon the menu, and then she froze.
These dishes… are so expensive!
But the pictures looked incredibly tempting. Su Ying held the menu up a little higher, covering half her face and leaving only her eyes visible, and asked in a low voice, “Can we really order whatever we like?”
Su Jiayu was in the process of asking the waiter for a refill when he heard this; he turned his head and replied firmly, “Of course.”
Su Ying’s eyes darted about as she muttered under her breath, “But what if we can’t finish it all?”
“We’ll take the leftovers home.” Su Jiayue raised an eyebrow slightly, leaned forward, and lowered his voice to a level only the two of them could hear. “Don’t worry, the portions here are small. It’s more likely you won’t be full than that you won’t be able to finish it.”
His breath was very close as he spoke, and Su Ying’s ear tingled slightly.
Feeling a little more confident, Su Ying thought, ‘At worst, we’ll just split the bill. Surely my senior wouldn’t be that stingy?’
Although she thought this, Su Ying still didn’t feel comfortable ordering too much, so she only ordered a portion of pan-seared Japanese Wagyu M5 and a prawn and mango salad.
Su Jiayu frowned slightly. “Just those two?”
“Eh?” Su Ying closed the menu, looking a bit bewildered.
“What about soup and dessert?” Su Jiayu asked.
Su Ying thought for a moment. “I reckon the steak will be enough. I’ve never seen prawn and mango salad before, so I fancied giving it a go.”
Su Jiayu smiled at this: “Well then, you’ll have come in hungry and left hungry.”
Su Jiayu took the menu and quickly placed the order: a portion of bread, a Spanish seafood paella, a black truffle soft-boiled egg, a cream of pumpkin soup, and a caramel pudding. After ordering, he looked at Su Ying: “Add the soup and dessert.”
Su Ying already felt rather guilty for ordering an exorbitantly expensive steak, but she couldn’t stand up to Su Jiayue, so she simply chose a cream of pumpkin soup and a lava chocolate dessert.
Su Ying rubbed her fingers together and gave a couple of sheepish giggles: “Senior Brother, you’ve gone to great expense.”
No sooner had she spoken than her smile froze on her face, as if the conversation had come to an awkward halt.
Su Ying dreaded these moments of silence; she felt restless, not knowing where to put her hands or feet.
“Are you hot?” Su Jiayu asked suddenly. “Take your coat off.”
“Oh, right.” Su Ying nodded instinctively, just as she was about to unzip her down jacket. Wait a minute!
What on earth was she wearing underneath?
It was actually her pyjamas!
And not just any pyjamas, but a flannel tracksuit she’d bought on Pinduoduo for 68 yuan—an ultra-thick, triple-layered, quilted set with a hood featuring two enormous fluffy ears!
Su Ying’s expression instantly turned as if she’d seen a ghost. When she looked up, she met Su Jiayue’s gaze; he was resting his chin in his hand, smiling at her.
“Senior Brother, you—” Su Ying’s words caught in her throat. What was she going to ask? Was he had seen her all along? But what could Senior Brother possibly say? In the end, she could only manage to stammer, “Does this look strange on me…?”
“Not at all,” Su Jiayu’s smile deepened, and he asked with genuine interest, “But those ears on your hood are so big—don’t they dig into your head when you sleep?”
Su Ying instantly flushed: “Who on earth sleeps in this at night!”
She didn’t! She wore proper pyjamas to bed! She’d only put this on because it was so warm indoors; she didn’t have any strange hobbies or tastes!
Across from her, Su Jiayu was already chuckling softly.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this little interlude that the awkward sense of distance between them suddenly shattered.
Even if Su Ying was a bit slow on the uptake, she belatedly sensed something.
She pursed her lips, once again keenly feeling the gulf between herself and her senior. If it had been that articulate young lady from the game that day, there surely wouldn’t have been any awkward silences between them.
The waiters began serving the dishes one after another, interrupting Su Ying’s self-pity.
However, once the meal was fully laid out, Su Ying’s expression shifted from anticipation to shock, and finally settled into utter speechlessness.
Holding her knife and fork, ready to tuck in, Su Ying glanced at the plates that nearly covered the entire table, then looked at Su Jiayu, her eyes brimming with disbelief: “ “All these plates, and that’s all we’ve ordered?”
“Make do with it,” Su Jiayu said with a teasing look in his eyes. “Who knows, we might even have leftovers to take away?”
Su Ying muttered gloomily, “You’re just making fun of me, Senior Brother.”
Su Jiayu softened his tone: “It’s fine. If there isn’t enough, we can order more. I’m treating, so go ahead and order whatever you like. ”
Su Ying popped a slice of steak into her mouth; it was tender and juicy, with a faint milky aroma.
It certainly lived up to its price tag—the texture was nothing like the ‘steak patties’ she’d bought at the supermarket for 19.9 yuan per two pieces, or the processed meat from the 49.9 yuan all-you-can-eat steak buffet.
As Su Ying ate her steak, her eyes kept drifting involuntarily towards Su Jiayu; his seafood risotto looked so delicious too…
Perhaps sensing that Su Ying’s gaze was a little too direct, Su Jiayu—who had been eating bread—suddenly used a clean spoon to scoop out a small portion of the seafood risotto, placing it on a dessert plate and pushing it towards Su Ying.
“Your gaze is quite intense, Junior Sister,” Su Jiayu said with a chuckle. “If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think you had a special fondness for me.”
Su Ying’s face flushed crimson; she hurriedly lowered her head to hide her embarrassment.
Senior Brother, really—he clearly knows everything, so why does he have to tease her like this…
When one feels awkward, one always scrambles to find something else to divert one’s attention. Just then, the soft strains of a violin drifted through the air.
Su Ying followed the sound and saw a musician standing not far away. The young lady stood tall and straight, her expression focused as she played; her profile looked exceptionally elegant against the backdrop of the grand hall.
“What’s the matter? Does my junior sister fancy a listen too?” Su Jiayu leaned in closer and asked in a low voice.
“No, no!” Su Ying waved her hands hurriedly in refusal. “Surely they must be charging for this?”
It probably wasn’t cheap either; performing in such an expensive restaurant, it must cost at least several dozen yuan per piece—enough to buy a year’s subscription to a music streaming service.
Su Jiayu smiled faintly and raised a hand to signal the waiter. After a few whispered words between them, it wasn’t long before the musician in the little black dress glided through the crowd like an elegant black swan, coming gracefully to stand before Su Ying.
She curtsied slightly. “Hello, what would you like to hear?”
Su Jiayu looked at Su Ying. “What would you like to hear, junior sister?”
Su Ying’s hands, resting on her knees, unclenched and clenched again as she shook her head vigorously. “I—I don’t know.”
Su Jiayu smiled at the musician. “We don’t know much about music, so please just play whatever you like.”
The musician’s gaze swept over the pair, and the smile on her lips deepened. She nodded, placed her bow on the strings, and a stirring melody burst forth, instantly enveloping Su Ying. After the climax, the music flowed like a clear spring.
The two listened in silence.
The piece came to an end.
“What’s this piece called? It’s so beautiful!” Su Ying’s eyes sparkled, her cheeks flushed.
“‘I Love You’,” the musician replied with a smile. “It was composed by Ayasa.”
Su Ying froze.
‘I Love You.’
She instinctively turned her head, only to meet Su Jiayu’s gaze. In those calm, gentle eyes, illuminated by the candlelight, a tiny, fiery spark seemed to flicker.
That single glance was enough to set her entire heart ablaze.