Jiang Baiwan didn’t know that Ji Chen started to try food he had never eaten before because of her few words. When Ji Chen remembered to look for Jiang Baiwan again, her new store was already being renovated.

“Ji Chen?” Jiang Baiwan looked at Ji Chen standing at the door of her house, somewhat surprised. “Why are you here?”

Ji Chen nodded at her and then walked in very naturally. “Can’t I come?”

Jiang Baiwan hurriedly shook her head to deny. “No, no, you can come anytime.”

Ji Chen looked back at her with a half-smile. “I thought you would be very angry after seeing those photos.”

I was very angry, but I can’t do anything. Jiang Baiwan pouted, but didn’t say these words.

“Jiang Baiwan.” Ji Chen’s face suddenly became serious. “I just want to help you, but there’s no good solution for the time being, so I can only make this decision. Actually, I came today to apologize to you.”

Jiang Baiwan was caught off guard by Ji Chen. She was a little dazed and subconsciously said, “It—it’s okay. I’m not angry.”

“A girl’s reputation is very important, I know that.” Ji Chen’s ears turned a little red. “I just hope I didn’t cause you any trouble.” As he said that, Ji Chen put the box in his hand in front of Jiang Baiwan. “This is to show my apology.”

Since it has already come to this point, Jiang Baiwan could only accept Ji Chen’s offer of apology. “It’s okay, but next time you have to tell me early—Forget it, it’s better not to have a next time.”

Ji Chen hooked the corner of his mouth and naturally changed the subject. “How’s your shop looking?”

“It’s already being renovated.” Jiang Baiwan was very excited when her shop was mentioned. “After a while, I’ll recruit people and then I can open for business!”

Ji Chen inclined his head. He looked at Jiang Baiwan’s happy expression, and after hesitating for a long time, he finally asked, “Do you like Malatang?”

Without much thought, Jiang Baiwan nodded. “I used to— When I ate Malatang before, I thought it was really delicious; the most delicious in the world!”

Ji Chen nodded thoughtfully but when he looked at Jiang Baiwan again, his eyes were a bit more meaningful. “I thought you didn’t like to eat these foods. After all, you wanted to keep in shape, so you basically didn’t eat meat.”

When Jiang Baiwan heard this, she didn’t blink an eye as nonsense came out of her mouth. “That was me before. I’m a brand new person now. Don’t look at people with old view.”

Ji Chen raised his brow but didn’t speak. Jiang Baiwan quietly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that she should have fooled him.

Fortunately, Ji Chen didn’t continue to dwell on this topic. He sat for a while and then got up to leave. Jiang Baiwan sent him to the door. Ji Chen suddenly turned around and asked Jiang Baiwan, “Have you thought of the name for your shop?”

“It’s a secret.” Jiang Baiwan laughed. “I’ll invite you to see the shop after it’s ready in two days, and then I’ll make you a bowl of Malatang!”

With a smile on his face, Ji Chen lowered his head slightly and looked straight into Jiang Baiwan’s eyes, it’s as if there were stars shining in his eyes. “Then I’ll be waiting.”

Jiang Baiwan responded. Watching Ji Chen’s far away back, she didn’t know why but Jiang Baiwan’s face suddenly felt a little hot.

———

Jiang Baiwan didn’t break her promise. After her shop was renovated, she really called Ji Chen. At that time, Ji Chen was in a meeting. He was sitting in silence as he listened to his subordinates reporting when his phone vibrated suddenly.

Ji Chen glanced at the caller ID. Unexpectedly, he whispered a few words to Assistant Xu, then grabbed the phone and left the conference room.

Back in his office, Ji Chen pressed the answer button. “Jiang Baiwan?”

“Ji Chen, my shop is finished!” On the other end of the phone, Jiang Baiwan’s voice was full of joy. “Are you free now?”

Hearing Jiang Baiwan’s voice, Ji Chen subconsciously softened his tone, “I’m free.”

“Great, come to my house and I’ll show you around my shop!” Jiang Baiwan said.

When Assistant Xu came to find Ji Chen with the meeting minutes…… he saw his president in the break room, changing his tie in front of the mirror. A dozen ties of different colors and patterns were on the side. Assistant Xu’s expression became a bit stiff, while Ji Chen’s expression remained unchanged and just continued to pick up another tie.

“President Ji.” Assistant Xu couldn’t help himself. “The one just now looks better.”

Ji Chen glanced at him, hesitated for a moment, then finally listened to Assistant Xu’s suggestion and changed into the previous tie.

Assistant Xu took the opportunity to say, “President Ji, this is the minutes of the meeting.”

“Put it on the table.” Ji Chen paused, then added, “I’m going out later.”

Assistant Xu could understand just from looking at Ji Chen’s tangled look as he was changing ties. “Rest assured.”

Ji Chen fixed his tie and hurried out. Assistant Xu looked at his back and couldn’t help sighing in his heart—— Even someone as cold as President Ji could also appear like a kid when he has a crush.

Jiang Baiwan waited at home for some time before Ji Chen knocked on the door. She hurriedly opened it for him. “I’ve been waiting for you for a while, what took you so long?”

Thinking of the way he had changed ties, Ji Chen felt guilty for no reason. “There’s a traffic jam on the road.”

“That’s—, it’s the city center after all.” Jiang Baiwan easily accepted this reason. “Come, come, come, I’ll take you to my shop. It’s not far from here and only a short walk away. Don’t drive.”

Ji Chen glanced at his wrist being pulled by Jiang Baiwan without the slightest intention of breaking free. “Okay.”

Jiang Baiwan was eager to show Ji Chen her shop. Her feet were like the wind as she led Ji Chen through the road. After passing two intersections, Jiang Baiwan said, “Almost there! Look over there, can you see my shop’s signboard?”

Ji Chen looked in the direction Jiang Baiwan pointed at and saw a storefront standing among a bunch of other shops. Few large characters were clearly written on the signboard—— ‘Wuhuan^[1]5^th Ring Road; Olympic ring; five rings Malatang’.

Ji Chen: “……”

“This is the place!” Jiang Baiwan led Ji Chen straight to the door of the shop. “How is it? Doesn’t it look very new?”

No, whether the store was new or not doesn’t seem to be the point, right?

Ji Chen looked up at the sign again to make sure he read it correctly. “Why…… is it called Wuhuan?”

Jiang Baiwan lowered her head to open the door and said, “Because I want to go to there! There’s no other reason!”

Ji Chen: “???”

Jiang Baiwan opened the shop’s door, looked back at Ji Chen and found that his face was full of confusion. She couldn’t help but pursed her lips and smiled.

Seeing that Jiang Baiwan didn’t intend to explain, Ji Chen sighed softly, “It’s a good name.”

“Are you sure?” Jiang Baiwan was surprised. “Don’t you think this name is weird? You actually think it’s good?”

Ji Chen really didn’t know what to say now. After a moment of silence, he took the initiative to walk into the shop. “Show me inside.”

Jiang Baiwan’s shop wasn’t big, but though small, it was complete, and because it was newly renovated, the whole shop looks bright and clean. The sun shines through the windows onto the floor making it feel warm.

“You can sit anywhere.” Jiang Baiwan asked Ji Chen with a smile. “How is it? My small shop looks pretty good, doesn’t it?”

Ji Chen smiled and nodded his head. Jiang Baiwan was affirmed and giggled. “Come on, let me show you around!”

The two of them walked around the small shop one after the other. Ji Chen could clearly feel Jiang Baiwan’s inner happiness and was infected by the emotion of the person beside him. Ji Chen’s tense nerves also slightly relaxed.

The atmosphere was just right.

“Right, go and sit down.” At this moment, Jiang Baiwan seemed to suddenly remember something. “I said it before, right? I’ll make you a bowl of Malatang.”

The smile on Ji Chen’s face stiffened. He suddenly remembered the Malatang he had eaten that day; the heavy salt and MSG, and all kinds of unnamed cheap ingredients and the not so fresh…… vegetables, plus the soup that has been boiled for an unknown amount of time. It was a complete nightmare.

But looking at Jiang Baiwan’s smiling face in front of him, Ji Chen didn’t want to refuse at all. His hand shook imperceptibly and then he made a decision, “Okay, then I’ll wait.”

Watching Jiang Baiwan enter the kitchen cheerfully, Ji Chen sighed slightly—— Forget it, he’ll just drink more water when he goes back.

The sound of pots and pans could be heard from the kitchen from time to time. Ji Chen sat on the chair in the outer room, his eyes gazing at the kitchen door as he mentally prepared himself.

But a short while later, a faint aroma gradually came from the kitchen. It wasn’t very strong and smelled a little different from those low-priced Malatang.

Ji Chen wrinkled his nose and his eyes moved slightly.

After waiting for a while, Jiang Baiwan came out holding a big bowl full of various cheap ingredients that Ji Chen couldn’t name, but it looked…… a bit delicious?

Was this some kind of mental illusion?

“Here, chopsticks!” Jiang Baiwan didn’t notice Ji Chen’s trance. She handed him the chopsticks. “Try it.”

With Jiang Baiwan’s expectant eyes, Ji Chen picked up a brown juicy beef ball and gently took a bite.

Jiang Baiwan only felt that her heart was about to jump out of her throat. She watched Ji Chen chew and swallow, and only then did she cautiously asked, “How is it? Is it good?”

It’s unpalatable.

It’s really hard to eat. The soup had almost no taste and the juice absorbed by the meatballs does not increase the flavor. This whole bowl of Malatang tasted light, but compared to the thick and colorful Malatang that day, this light one made by Jiang Baiwan was really unpalatable to the extreme.

Ji Chen thought so in his heart, turned his head and smiled at Jiang Baiwan. “It’s good.”

As he spoke, he put the entire juicy beef ball into his mouth.