Chapter 10

Jiang Caifu struggled to remember this person, while Lu Jianlan leaned over and asked, “Who is this?”

Jiang Caifu wanted to say she didn’t know him, but the more she looked at him, the more familiar he seemed.

The young man, noticing her frown and thoughtful expression, smiled slightly, “I’m Yuan Che, we went to the same high school, but I was in Class 2.”

He scratched his cheek, seeming a bit embarrassed, “I used to play basketball with Meng Yun a lot. Even if you don’t remember me, you should remember Meng Yun, right? You used to bring him water when you watched us play basketball.”

At the mention of Meng Yun, memories related to him finally surfaced in Jiang Caifu’s mind.

She let out an “Oh!” and said, a bit surprised, “I remember now, it’s you!”

Meng Yun was her cousin. Although they were a year apart, they were in the same grade, and because their classrooms were close, they communicated a lot and had a good relationship.

During their sophomore year, Meng Yun relentlessly begged her to watch him play basketball and bring him water, saying that several of his classmates had girls bring them water, and he wanted to show off too.

Jiang Caifu wasn’t keen on it at first, but he pestered her, and after treating her to a few meals at McDonald’s, she finally gave in and went to the basketball court to bring him water whenever she had time, from time to time, all the way until their senior year.

Meng Yun never expected her to bring him water for so long. He was so moved and called her the best sister in the world. Jiang Caifu just smiled and thought to herself that she went to the court for more than just bringing him water.

Back then, there was a guy named Yuan Che who was always one of Meng Yun’s regular basketball teammates. He was bright, handsome, and always smiling. On the court, he was lively and confident, full of youthful energy, and every time Jiang Caifu sat by the court, she couldn’t help but watch him, her gaze hard to pull away.

After the game, when her cousin came over to talk, he would sometimes mention Yuan Che, praising his performance, and Yuan Che would awkwardly wave it off, but you could still see him beaming with pride, his smile showing off a charming dimple.

Jiang Caifu couldn’t help but think every time she saw him smile: He really shines!

He just seemed to be glowing!

But her interaction with Yuan Che hadn’t been much. The only conversation she clearly remembered was once, when Meng Yun and a few other classmates were playing around, Yuan Che looked at Jiang Caifu and asked with a smile, “You only bring water to Ah Yun?”

At the time, Jiang Caifu was staring at Meng Yun, watching him being playfully messed with by his classmates, his expression so funny that she couldn’t stop laughing.

“Yeah, I only bring him water.” She answered casually.

After all, if she brought water to others, her cousin wouldn’t reimburse her.

Yuan Che nodded slowly, “I see.”

Then he quietly finished the water he had bought.

After that, they spoke even less, and the few words they exchanged could easily be counted on one hand.

But that was fine, since they weren’t close anyway.

Jiang Caifu didn’t mind, but when she next went to the basketball court to watch them play, she still couldn’t help but watch the most dazzling boy on the court.

Her academic life was so dull, she had to find something to distract herself with.

“I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Yuan Che’s tone carried a bit of disbelief. He had bright, almond-shaped eyes, and when he smiled, they narrowed slightly into elongated olive shapes. “At first, I thought I was seeing things. How come you’re suddenly here setting up a stall?”

Jiang Caifu pointed to Lu Jianlan beside her and simply said, “I’m here with her.”

Lu Jianlan’s gaze moved between them before she casually said, “Just experiencing life.”

Yuan Che made a little “wow” sound. “That’s so cool.”

He then shifted his gaze back to Jiang Caifu. “I thought you’d stay in S City right after graduation. When did you come back?”

“Just after graduation,” Jiang Caifu replied.

Making small talk with someone you weren’t very familiar with and hadn’t seen in years was always the most awkward. She didn’t know what to say.

“Are you still in grad school?” she asked, trying to keep the conversation going. “Or are you working around here?”

Yuan Che smiled a little helplessly, “Yeah, I’m in grad school. I’m studying medicine, so it’s hard to find a job without it.”

He seemed to sense Jiang Caifu’s discomfort, so he paused before saying, “I was just out grabbing some food and happened to see you, so I thought I’d come say hi.”

“But now it seems like I might be bothering you, standing here like this…”

Jiang Caifu glanced at Lu Jianlan, who seemed in no hurry to send him away, and helplessly said, “It’s not really bothering us.”

Yuan Che scratched his nose. “Okay… by the way, do you still have Meng Yun’s WeChat? For some reason, he suddenly disappeared from my list.”

He pulled out his phone and opened his QR code card, his gaze full of hope. “If you do, could you add me as a friend, and then pass me his contact?”

Jiang Caifu was a bit caught off guard, but she pulled out her phone. “Sure, I’ll send you, his contact.”

She swiftly scanned his QR code, sent the friend request, which was accepted right away, and then forwarded her cousin’s contact.

“Did you get it?”

He nodded eagerly, “Got it!”

“Great.” Jiang Caifu turned off her phone.

Yuan Che looked up at her with shining eyes, “Thank you!”

Each word was spoken with great emphasis, accompanied by an enthusiastic smile, and his happy mood seemed to manifest as a tangible tail, almost spinning like a propeller.

Were Yuan Che and Meng Yun this close? Was he really so happy just because he got a lost-and-found WeChat contact?

Jiang Caifu couldn’t understand the friendship between these guys.

“No problem,” she said.

Yuan Che smiled again and looked at their small stall, softly asking, “Can I buy a few pancakes?”

As soon as she heard they were making a sale, Lu Jianlan immediately greeted him, saying, “Sure, you’re from the same high school, I’ll give you a 10% discount.”

Jiang Caifu: “…”

Does this discount even make a difference?

Yuan Che was a bit surprised when he heard that. “You’re from Xingcheng No. 1 High School too?”

Lu Jianlan waved her hand, saying that it wasn’t important, then asked him what he wanted added to his pancake.

Yuan Che scanned the QR code, “I’ll take four with everything on them, no, actually, make it five. Thanks.”

Oh, making a bigger sale.

Lu Jianlan instinctively looked at Jiang Caifu, who was thoughtfully peeling the packaging off the starch sausage.

Then, she looked back at Yuan Che, who was staring at her so intensely that it seemed like she could almost see through him.

It was like giving a flirtatious glance to a blind person.

Lu Jianlan found it incredibly amusing, but kept her face serious, focusing on making the pancakes. She added generous fillings, and even though the pancake skin got a little torn at the back, it didn’t diminish its deliciousness.

About ten minutes later, Yuan Che waved as he picked up a heavy bag of pancakes and headed back to school.

“I’ll go now. Next time, I’ll treat you both to coffee.”

They both waved goodbyes, not taking his polite words too seriously.

Once his figure had completely disappeared, Lu Jianlan could finally stop pretending to be serious.

She nudged Jiang Caifu’s side with her elbow, looking intrigued, and said, “He’s into you, for sure!”

The last two words were said with emphasis, striking Jiang Caifu’s ear like a thunderclap.

“No way. You can tell just from a brief encounter?” She turned to Lu Jianlan with a puzzled look.

“He made it pretty obvious, it’s like an open card!” Lu Jianlan pointed at Jiang Caifu, exaggerating her tone, “Unlike some people, with such big eyes but still can’t see anything.”

Jiang Caifu: “…”

Could we change the topic?

She picked up the bamboo windmill for making pancakes. “Let me make one for you, I think I’ve got the hang of it.”

Lu Jianlan was indeed distracted by the challenge, egging her on, “Go ahead, try it out!”

“But I’m kind of full now. You can eat it later.”

“As long as you actually make one that’s edible, I’ll definitely eat it.”

From her words, Jiang Caifu could sense some doubt about her ability, which sparked her competitive spirit.

“Wait and see!”

She focused intently, and a few minutes later, she presented a hot, nicely-looking pancake in front of Lu Jianlan.

Lu Jianlan pinched her chin, starting to nitpick, “The pancake skin is torn, the filling is exposed… and maybe it looks good but isn’t tasty?”

Jiang Caifu, annoyed, retorted, “Nonsense! It’s definitely delicious!”

She was so reluctant to hand over the pancake, but in the end, she handed it to Lu Jianlan anyway.

After a moment of contemplation, she took out her phone and took several pictures of the pancake from different angles, even posting it on her Moments.

Lu Jianlan let out a sigh, a bit regretful, “I should’ve posted it too, I forgot…”

Not long after posting, mutual friends started asking where the stall was in the comments. Jiang Caifu gave them the address, and within seconds, she saw Lu Jianlan tagging several friends to come check it out.

“Hey, can you stop organizing team-building in my comment section? Can’t you just post your own stuff?”

Lu Jianlan grinned, “Your Moments is my Moments.”

She then grabbed a handful of roasted chestnuts and stuffed them into Jiang Caifu’s hands, reminding her, “You just bought these, eat them quick, they’ll lose their flavor if they cool down.”

“…I would’ve forgotten if you didn’t remind me.”

Because of the earlier distraction, Jiang Caifu had completely forgotten about the sugar-coated chestnuts she just bought. Fortunately, they hadn’t been left too long, so they were still warm and soft, though a bit dry if eaten too much.

While eating the pancake Jiang Caifu made, Lu Jianlan continued to critique, “It’s not as good as mine, but for a beginner, it’s not bad.”

Jiang Caifu shot her a blank look, and once she finished her pancake, she grabbed the chestnuts she had just peeled and shoved them into Lu Jianlan’s mouth, “Still can’t shut your mouth even when you’re eating!”

With her mouth full of chestnuts, Lu Jianlan ate happily, “Love you!”

Jiang Caifu remained unmoved, “That’s so cheesy.”

Afterward, a few more customers came by. Lu Jianlan got into the rhythm, and her pancake-making speed increased.

Jiang Caifu watched from the side and realized Lu Jianlan had a knack for this.

“If you can’t find a job in the future, you could totally do this for a living,” she said.

Lu Jianlan stared at her, “You mean, if I can’t find a job after a PhD, does that mean the job market is that tough?”

“…” Jiang Caifu seriously doubted if she was bragging. After finishing the last chestnut, she clapped her hands, “Forget I said anything.”

As evening approached, the sun slanted in the west, and the sunlight that had once enveloped their stall gradually dimmed. The wind also picked up, making Jiang Caifu regret not wearing a turtleneck sweater.

In this kind of weather, a scarf would be too warm, but going out with an exposed neck felt chilly.

In their department group chat, the manager suddenly sent a few screenshots…

Caifu, let her have some time to handle those orders.

Seeing this, she replied with a painful “Received,” then immediately turned and hugged Lu Jianlan, banging her head against her shoulder.

“Why do I still have to work on a Saturday! I hate this!”

Lu Jianlan looked at her with sympathy and comforted her, “Look on the bright side, at least it’s not asking you to work overtime at the office.”

“Thanks, but that doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“Then how about we go for barbecue tonight? After we eat…” She casually glanced at the side of the road and her eyes suddenly lit up. “Whoa, there’s a guy walking over here.”

Jiang Caifu pretended she didn’t hear it, continuing to wail as if no one was around.

Lu Jianlan clicked her tongue and whispered in surprise, “This guy’s got some looks, handsome enough to make everyone else around him look like they’re in a different layer of the photo.”

Jiang Caifu stopped her wailing immediately.

She quickly turned her head to look, her ingrained obsession with handsome men being triggered without mercy.

But after just a couple of seconds of looking, she quickly turned her gaze away and rested her head back on Lu Jianlan’s shoulder, even raising her hand to cover her face.

Trying to hide it only made it more obvious, attracting even more attention.

Lu Jianlan noticed her odd behavior and clicked her tongue. “Is it someone you know again?”

Jiang Caifu remained silent.

While they were talking, the young man they had mentioned had already completely stopped in front of them.

He was very tall, standing silently in front of the stall with an imposing and aloof aura. He wore a gray-black long coat, which at first glance seemed similar to the one Jiang Caifu was wearing.

…No, it wasn’t just “similar.”

Lu Jianlan carefully compared the two in her mind and let out a low whistle.

So, it was the same style.