Chapter 15: Candied Hawthorn**

Jiang Chengxiao gave Jiang Jingru no opportunity.

Not bothering to care whether she accepted Qin Hailin’s help, he quickly walked towards Song Xilan, slightly turned his body, lowered his head, and gently asked, “Are you going back?”

Song Xilan, at 1.67 meters tall, was considered fairly tall for a woman, but Jiang Chengxiao was still a head taller.

Song Xilan nodded. “Yeah, I’m heading back.” Her voice was soft and gentle.

“Can I walk you?” Jiang Chengxiao subconsciously softened his voice when speaking to her.

“Oh, no, I rode my bike here.”

“I need a favor, can we talk while walking?”

“Okay then!”

Watching the two walk side by side out the door, Qin Hailin sneered. No wonder he didn’t like him, turns out he was already with someone else.

Jiang Jingru muttered, “What a blind, disgusting man. What kind of taste does he have, looking at such a fat, ugly woman?”

Qin Hailin disdainfully glanced at her. “That’s still better than your skinny figure.”

He was just getting back at Jiang Jingru for pushing him earlier, completely forgetting that he had just mentioned his favorite female image was that of Lin Daiyu.

Outside the hotel, Jiang Chengxiao patiently waited for Song Xilan to unlock her bike, then took the handlebars to push the bike for her as they walked side by side.

Song Xilan had most of her attention focused on the words continuously emerging in her mind, so much so that she didn’t notice how intimate their current position—walking side by side—was.

You have to understand, these days, even a married couple going out together would prefer to keep a three-foot distance.

To others, it was obvious they were probably dating.

[This plot development is off! The female lead should have met the villain after she time-travelled and started a business. Why have these two already met?]

[And the villain isn’t returning to Beijing—how is he going to become the future business tycoon?]

[Did you all not notice? After that night when Xilan snatched the dumplings from the male lead and handed them to the villain, the entire plot just spiraled out of control! It was like a runaway horse that couldn’t be stopped.]

[Told you not to spoil it for us who are watching for the first time! Now, everyone’s guessing the plot, and that’s what makes it interesting!]

[I’ll bet two packs of spicy strips that this pair will become a couple.]

[Honestly, they do look really good together, they have a couple’s vibe.]

[Because they’re both confident people. But I’ve always felt that Yang Jingyu has a bit of a small-town vibe, it’s just his background, nothing he can do about it.]

[Here we go again with the elitism based on background. Can’t someone from a rural background grow into a great person?]

[Bringing up controversial opinions. Warning for being flagged.]

Song Xilan felt really pleased. She had single-handedly changed the course of the plot—she was amazing!

She smiled to herself, her steps growing lighter.

Seeing her happy, Jiang Chengxiao felt inexplicably pleased as well. He pointed to a street vendor selling candied hawthorn and asked, “Do you want to have some?”

“Sure! I’ll go buy some.” Song Xilan said, hopping over like a little bunny.

She returned with two sticks of candied hawthorn and handed one to Jiang Chengxiao.

Jiang Chengxiao: “…” He had only asked if she wanted some. Since he had grown up, he hadn’t eaten anything so openly in public like this.

Seeing that he wasn’t taking it, Song Xilan looked at him with big, questioning eyes and tilted her head. “Don’t you like them? They’re really good.”

Jiang Chengxiao smiled. In her eyes, was there anything that didn’t taste good?

The girl was so cute. He really couldn’t bear to disappoint her, so he took the stick. “Thanks!”

Happy that he took it, Song Xilan eagerly bit into one of the fruits, cheeks puffed out like a little hamster storing food.

“By the way, you said you needed my help with something?”

Jiang Chengxiao: “Well, I’m from out of town, and I’m staying at the Swan Hotel for now.”

“Wow!” Song Xilan exclaimed, “The Swan Hotel is really expensive.”

Jiang Chengxiao smiled bitterly, “It is. My work arrangements might take a while to sort out, so I’m thinking of changing to a cheaper hotel. But since I’m new here, I don’t know which hotels are clean and reasonably priced. So I wanted to ask if you could help me out and recommend one.”

Song Xilan responded, “I don’t usually stay in hotels, so I’m not too familiar with the details. But I’ve heard of a few places with good reputations. I can go with you to check them out.”

Jiang Chengxiao’s face lit up with joy. “That would be great, but will it be too much trouble for you?”

“No, not at all. I don’t have work today, so I’m free.”

“Then let’s go quickly. I’ll ride and you guide me. Come on, hop on.”

Song Xilan hesitated. “I might be a little heavy.”

Jiang Chengxiao patted his arm. “Are you doubting my strength? With your size, I could carry two of you.”

Song Xilan laughed at his teasing.

Jiang Chengxiao then handed her the candied hawthorn he hadn’t eaten yet. “Can you help me eat this?”

Song Xilan looked serious. “It’s really delicious. You should try it!” She raised her hand and held the stick up to his mouth.

Unable to refuse her, Jiang Chengxiao opened his mouth and bit into a piece. As their eyes met, a tiny spark seemed to crackle between them.

Both of them felt a bit awkward.

Jiang Chengxiao quickly swung his leg over the bike and sat down, while Song Xilan lowered her head and sat in the back.

“Are you settled? I’m going now!”

“Mm.”

Jiang Chengxiao stretched his long legs and pedaled off, suddenly noticing how beautiful the sunlight was and how sweet the hawthorn tasted.

Song Xilan had been very thorough in helping him. Every hotel they went to, she asked all the details about the price, services, etc., and even went into the rooms to check if the bedding was clean, if the bathroom was okay, and whether the hot water was hot enough.

Then she would ask for Jiang Chengxiao’s opinion.

Jiang Chengxiao didn’t really care much about these things. He was flexible with his accommodation. He could enjoy a luxurious hotel room or sleep under the stars in a remote area.

But he found it interesting how meticulous Song Xilan was in helping him. He pretended to hesitate, showing indecision.

Sure enough, Song Xilan immediately said, “It’s fine, we can go to the next one and compare.”

After looking at two more places, Jiang Chengxiao saw her flushed cheeks and a little sweat on her nose, and suddenly, he felt a bit reluctant.

“Alright, this one is good. I think it’s fine.”

“You’ve worked hard today. You’ve been such a big help. How about I treat you to dinner tonight as a thank you?” Jiang Chengxiao suggested.