Chapter 9: Gratitude

The waiter led Fu Yingcheng into the restaurant, asked how many people were dining, and then took him to a two-person table, handing over the menu: “You can take a look at the menu first, call me when you’re ready to order.”

Fu Yingcheng nodded, lifting his gaze and noticing the girl still standing at the door, looking around. He tapped his finger on the table: “What, are you planning to sit at two separate tables?”

“I was thinking maybe we could sit by the window…” Ji Fanling leaned forward, looking toward the kitchen, trying to spot Aunt Jiang.

The kitchen of Jiang Family Noodles was open-style, with large panes of glass showing the cooking process to the customers. Inside, a few chefs wearing snow-white hats were focused on chopping vegetables and kneading dough.

Fu Yingcheng stood up, holding his coat over one arm.

“Forget it, forget it,” Ji Fanling changed her mind again, “let’s just sit here.”

Fu Yingcheng shot her a cold glance.

Ji Fanling quietly explained, “I might know the owner here because I used to come here often. Back then, this place wasn’t here, it was in the snack street near the school… Do you know that?”

“What do you think?” Fu Yingcheng didn’t answer directly.

Ji Fanling paused, noticing a woman in the kitchen who turned around and spoke a few words to the chefs.

The woman had willow-leaf eyebrows and an oval face, clearly living well. Even after ten years, she didn’t show signs of aging; her complexion was rosy, and she looked healthy, having gained a bit of weight.

“That’s Aunt Jiang,” Ji Fanling’s voice grew even softer.

The man lowered his eyes. The girl kept her gaze on Aunt Jiang while distractedly speaking to him. She leaned forward over the table, getting quite close.

Her eyelashes were distinct, casting shadows on her pale face.

Her breathing was shallow.

It gave the illusion that she was whispering secrets to him.

Fu Yingcheng lowered his gaze: “Are you planning to go to the kitchen to see her?”

“Oh, forget it then.” Ji Fanling slowly recalled the phrases from the news back then, such as “sacrificed after a heroic act,” “saved a seven-year-old boy,” and “the boy’s parents searched everywhere for the benefactor but to no avail.”

She thought about the possibility of being chased by Aunt Jiang’s family to express their gratitude.

That scene—pretty terrifying.

“Have you seen those sci-fi movies? The protagonist with special abilities gets captured by crazy scientists and subjected to terrifying human experiments.”

Ji Fanling carefully controlled her tone: “So, the fact that I’m still alive—aside from the people closest to me—it’s better if no one else knows.”

The man’s eyebrows raised slightly.

It was then that Ji Fanling realized.

Her mention of “people closest to me” had included Fu Yingcheng as well.

“Except for you, that was an accident.”

Ji Fanling slowly tried to clarify, “You found out on your own; I didn’t tell you.”

Fu Yingcheng stared at her, his gaze dark and intense.

After a moment, he tugged at the corner of his lips and said, “You would’ve been better off not explaining.”

Ji Fanling absentmindedly glanced at the menu.

…In truth, she was more interested in seeing Little Xingxing, but unfortunately, he probably wasn’t in the restaurant.

As she looked down, a tall, upright young man ran in from outside, wearing an unzipped bright blue sports jacket. Familiar with the place, he pushed open the door and headed straight into the staff passage.

He brushed past Ji Fanling without her even lifting her head to glance at him, but Fu Yingcheng did slightly turn his gaze.

A while later, the young man came out of the kitchen, now wearing an apron and carrying two bowls of noodles along with some side dishes. He delivered them to a table of customers in the distance, smiling and greeting them, “It’s been a while!”

That table of customers was clearly regulars as well: “Baixing, here to help out your family again?”

“Yeah, it’s Sunday. I came to help after finishing my homework.”

“What grade are you in now? Isn’t school tough?”

“Year 2 of high school. Doing some physical work helps clear my mind after studying,” the young man’s voice was clear and bright.

One of the customers introduced him to another: “This is the owner’s son. He’s studying at Beiwan No. 1 High School, and he’s a top student—definitely university material for Tsinghua or Peking University.”

Ji Fanling: “…”

The girl slowly froze, then quickly popped her head up like a gopher, taking a glance, and her eyes instantly widening.

Little Xingxing!

He’s grown so much!

Ji Fanling sat back down, lowering her voice: “Did you see that kid in Year 2? When I first knew him, he was only as tall as my thigh.” She gestured, indicating the height to Fu Yingcheng.

Fu Yingcheng: “So, was he a dwarf at seven?”

“…”

Ji Fanling couldn’t help but glare at him.

But she was genuinely happy, with her lips still curled up in a smile, so that glare carried no real force.

Jiang Baixing exchanged a few more words with the customers before noticing Ji Fanling’s table looking at the menu. He walked over enthusiastically and said, “Have you two decided what you’d like to order…?”

Ji Fanling silently used the menu to cover her face, only to hear the boy’s voice suddenly rise with excitement: “…Mr. Fu?!”

Ji Fanling: “???”

The boy’s clean-cut face flushed with excitement. “Mr. Fu, why didn’t you say ahead of time that you were coming for a meal… Does my mom know? I’ll go tell her!” With that, he turned and quickly ran off.

Fu Yingcheng: “No need.”

“Oh, oh, got it.”

Jiang Baixing made a quick turn, still full of enthusiasm: “Mr. Fu, you should try our signature Family Noodles, or the seasonal crab roe noodles—they’re really good too.”

Fu Yingcheng didn’t respond and instead looked at Ji Fanling: “Have you decided?”

The girl slowly lowered the menu from her face, revealing just her eyes, which darted back and forth between the two of them. “How… do you two know each other?”

Jiang Baixing finally noticed the girl sitting across from the man.

She was rather unhealthily thin, her skin so pale that it seemed almost translucent, with long bangs hanging over her face. There was a lazy, rebellious air about her, as if she carried a hint of indifference in her bones.

Jiang Baixing, showing the utmost respect to Mr. Fu’s friend, stood straight and spoke neither servilely nor arrogantly: “After I graduated from middle school, my family faced significant difficulties. It was Mr. Fu who supported me through high school. This restaurant is also Mr. Fu’s; my family is just renting it…”

Fu Yingcheng lifted his gaze, and said with cold eyes: “You tell everyone, huh? Why not just hang a banner at the door?” His tone clearly implied that he thought that he (Xingxing) was talking too much.

Jiang Baixing immediately stopped and awkwardly added, “Anyway, Mr. Fu has helped me a lot…”

Back then, when Beiwan was being evaluated as a civilized city, the regulatory department conducted strict inspections on every household. They found out that his family’s business license had expired and hadn’t been renewed in time, so they were fined for operating without a permit.

The noodle shop was forced to close, and at the same time, the lease for their rented house expired, with the landlord demanding double the rent.

As if one disaster wasn’t enough, his father was also diagnosed with uremia, and their family suddenly found themselves burdened with hundreds of thousands in debt, struggling to make ends meet.

At that time, Fu Yingcheng was truly a lifesaver.

He paid for Jiang Baixing’s father’s medical expenses, funded his education, and rented out a prime location store in Yuetong Plaza to their family at a low price. He even invested in the initial startup costs for the business.

The Jiang family was deeply grateful and prepared a gift specifically for Jiang Baixing to deliver to Mr. Fu as thanks.

Jiang Baixing went to Fu Yingcheng’s company, asked around for directions, and waited by the meeting room door for two hours before he finally got to meet him.

At that time, Fu Yingcheng was only twenty-five.

The young CEO, dressed in a sharp suit, tall and long-legged, exuded a striking and almost cuttingly sharp handsomeness. He strode out of the meeting room with long steps, surrounded by people who followed him like stars orbiting a moon.

Jiang Baixing quickly called out, “Mr. Fu!”

Fu Yingcheng stopped giving instructions to his secretary and turned his gaze, frowning slightly. “You’re here for me?”

Jiang Baixing hurriedly presented a flower basket with a card attached. “I’m Jiang Baixing, the one you’ve been sponsoring.”

A flash of disgust passed through Fu Yingcheng’s eyes. “Who let you come up here?”

“I explained the situation to the receptionist, and she let me come up.”

Jiang Baixing, still immersed in his joy, said, “My father is doing much better, and in September, I’ll be starting at No. 1 High School. I just wanted to come and thank you…”

“No need, I don’t need your thanks.”

Fu Yingcheng coldly interrupted, turned, and walked away, leaving only a frosty remark behind:

“—Stay out of my sight from now on.”

Everyone else followed Fu Yingcheng as he walked away, leaving the fifteen-year-old boy standing there in a daze, holding the flower basket, with a lost expression.

He could sense that Mr. Fu didn’t like him.

In fact, it could be said that Mr. Fu really disliked him.

But who would sponsor someone they disliked?

…

He must be overthinking it, right?

*

After listening to Jiang Baixing’s story, Ji Fanling nodded.

She hadn’t expected there to be such a connection between Fu Yingcheng and Jiang Baixing.

—No wonder he brought her here to eat.

The girl lifted her eyes, sizing up Jiang Baixing.

When he was a child, he was soft and round, like a little steamed bun, with his eyes and nose scrunched together. Now his features had matured, giving him a clean and vibrant look, with a hint of youthful handsomeness.

That’s great.

Ji Fanling suddenly felt a swelling, bittersweet sensation in her chest. She awkwardly touched her nose and asked, “How tall are you now?”

Jiang Baixing: “182 cm.”

Ji Fanling: “How are your studies?”

Jiang Baixing, unsure of where the conversation was going, replied, “I was first in my class last term.”

“Not bad, keep it up,” Ji Fanling nodded in approval.

Jiang Baixing: “…”

Was it just his imagination?

The way the girl looked at him had a touch of elder-like affection.

Ji Fanling lowered her head to look at the menu.

In the past, the menu at Jiang Family Noodles had only about seven or eight items, laminated on a single sheet of A4 paper by the window. Now, it was several pages long, full of pictures and descriptions. The most expensive dish, the crab roe noodles, was priced at 88 yuan.

They’ve really made progress.

Ji Fanling suddenly noticed the bottom of the menu and froze for a moment: “Why is the plain noodles still… only 3 yuan?”

Back then, the plain noodles were also 3 yuan, but times had changed. Now, with Jiang Family Noodles in such a prime location and with such a large space, selling it for 3 yuan surely meant they were losing money, right?

“My mom said that our plain noodles will never go up in price,” Jiang Baixing replied.

For some reason, Ji Fanling felt a sudden sting in her nose.

She put down the menu. “Then I’ll have a bowl of plain noodles…”

“One Family Noodles and one Crab Roe Noodles,” Fu Yingcheng handed the menu to Jiang Baixing.

“Got it,” Jiang Baixing responded immediately.

Ji Fanling: “?”

Ji Fanling: “Didn’t you say I could order?”

Fu Yingcheng: “You were too slow.”

“Wait, Little Xingxing,” the girl called out again.

The clear shout seemed to travel through time and space, carrying a heart-stirring sense of familiarity, striking the boy’s eardrums like lightning.

Jiang Baixing’s steps suddenly stopped.

“—No peanuts in the noodles, if there are any,” the girl said, resting her chin in her hand as she looked at him.

“Okay.”

Jiang Baixing hesitated as he turned back. “How do you know my nickname?”

How do I know…

Isn’t that what everyone calls him?

Ji Fanling raised her chin slightly toward Fu Yingcheng, speaking calmly, “I heard it from him.”

Fu Yingcheng: “…”

The man silently glanced at her, tacitly acknowledging her words.

With his undeniable presence, the boy didn’t dare to question further. “Ooh, so Mr. Fu mentioned it. No wonder…” His speech slowed down as he spoke.

He wasn’t a child anymore.

His nickname hadn’t been used by anyone except his mother in the last seven or eight years, and even Mr. Fu… shouldn’t have known it.

As the boy took a few more steps, he turned back to glance at the girl again, his pupils filled with traces of confusion.

…

It was as if he were struggling to recall that long-buried face from the depths of his memory.

*

In the kitchen.

Jiang Baixing pulled his mother aside and told her that Fu Yingcheng was in the restaurant but didn’t want to draw attention.

Jiang’s mother immediately nodded, informed the chefs, and decided to personally prepare the two bowls of noodles that Fu Yingcheng had ordered.

Jiang Baixing washed his hands and went over to help. He then leaned in and asked, “Mom, do you still remember what my sister looked like? I remember she had a small mole on her earlobe.”

There had only ever been one person Jiang Baixing would call “sister.”

Jiang’s mother paused mid-action. “You were so young back then, what could you remember? Did you dream of her again?”

“It wasn’t a dream, I’ve got a good memory. Do you remember?” Jiang Baixing asked for confirmation.

“I don’t remember such details.”

Jiang Baixing was peeling crab roe with his hands, but couldn’t help lifting his head again. Through the window, he stared at the girl sitting in the distance, lost in thought. “Sister always said no peanuts—did she not like them?”

“She was allergic to peanuts,” Jiang’s mother said, giving him a strange look afterward.

“Why are you bringing her up so much today? Did she come to you in a dream? After we close tonight, let’s burn some paper offerings for her…”

“Alright.”

Jiang’s mother wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and continued kneading the dough vigorously, mumbling to herself, “She always ordered plain noodles, never had anything fancy here. That day, she didn’t even take a single bite of the noodles before she left…”

Her voice, soaked in guilt, was so low that it was almost inaudible.

“…She must be eating well, wherever she is.”

*

“Hic.”

Ji Fanling stuffed the last spoonful of golden crab roe into her mouth, and couldn’t help but let out a small burp.

The noodles Jiang’s mother had personally made for Fu Yingcheng were piled high with side dishes as if they were free. The bowl even had three freshly shelled, plump female crabs.

She usually just aimed to get full without caring much about quality, and her rough appetite had never handled something this rich. The freshness made her head spin.

“If you’re full, stop eating.”

Fu Yingcheng’s eyelashes fluttered as he looked at her empty bowl, which she had devoured in five minutes. “Have I not been feeding you properly?”

Ji Fanling slowly wiped her mouth. “It’s fine, eating slowly isn’t embarrassing. I can wait for you.”

After Fu Yingcheng finished eating, Jiang Baixing came over to see him off but absolutely refused to take any payment.

Fu Yingcheng had no interest in exchanging pleasantries over trivial matters. He put on his coat and stood up, ready to leave.

Jiang Baixing quickly followed after him. “Mr. Fu, how was your dining experience? Any suggestions for improvement?”

Fu Yingcheng: “None.”

“This is our restaurant’s membership card. With the card, you get a discount on meals and can accumulate points.” Jiang Baixing handed the membership card to Ji Fanling.

Ji Fanling, still thinking about the 3-yuan plain noodles, casually took it and put it in her pocket.

“By the way, earlier you mentioned no peanuts—was that because you think they don’t go well with the noodles?” Jiang Baixing asked subtly.

“Nothing like that.”

Ji Fanling casually tucked her loose hair behind her ear, revealing the small mole on her earlobe.

“—I’m allergic to peanuts.”

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Author’s Note:

Oh no.

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