The Art of Teasing - Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Ye Ling said, "Fine, we'll walk then." As she spoke, she rose and began tidying the documents on her desk, looking ready to head out for the meal.

Wen Zhengyu said, "I'll go back to my office to get an umbrella."

Ye Ling responded, "Alright, I'll wait for you downstairs."

Wen Zhengyu gave a soft "Mm" and left Ye Ling's office.

She stood waiting for Ye Ling at the main entrance downstairs, umbrella in hand. Before long, she saw Ye Ling approach her, empty-handed, and say, "Let's go." She glanced behind Ye Ling—not a single attendant was in sight. Somewhat surprised, she asked, "CEO Ye isn't bringing bodyguards?"

Ye Ling laughed. "Just going out for a meal, a few steps away. No need to worry about you kidnapping me and selling me off."

Wen Zhengyu gave Ye Ling a long, measured look, then regretfully bit the tip of her tongue, silently cursing herself for being so talkative. With Ye Ling, silence was golden! Wen Zhengyu stepped out of the studio, opened her umbrella, and had only taken a few steps when she heard Ye Ling calling after her: "Zhengyu." She turned back, looking at Ye Ling with puzzlement.

Ye Ling closed the distance in a few strides, first glancing up at the umbrella, then breaking into a smile. "Hey, Zhengyu, you wouldn't actually be trying to pursue me, would you?"

Wen Zhengyu truly wanted to pinch Ye Ling's face just to see how thick her skin really was. She said, "I don't understand what CEO Ye means."

Ye Ling pointed to the umbrella in Wen Zhengyu's hand. "You went back to your office and only grabbed one umbrella—wasn't that so we could share it?"

Wen Zhengyu quietly clenched her fist, her tone dispassionate as she said, "I only keep one umbrella in my office."

Ye Ling very naturally stepped beneath Wen Zhengyu's umbrella, saying, "No matter. My office doesn't have any umbrellas. Do you mind sharing half?"

Wen Zhengyu thought to herself: I do mind. But Ye Ling was already standing under the umbrella. She couldn't very well push Ye Ling out into the rain, so she had no choice but to give up half the umbrella to shield Ye Ling from the rain. As she stepped down the stairs, she instinctively glanced at the high heels on Ye Ling's feet and thought: If you fall, I'm not helping you up.

Ye Ling's hands settled on Wen Zhengyu's arm, linking with her.

Wen Zhengyu stared at Ye Ling's hands in shock, extremely unaccustomed to physical contact with Ye Ling. She wasn't paying attention to her feet; her foot slipped on a step, and her body pitched backward. Ye Ling immediately grabbed her, steadying her.

After Ye Ling had steadied Wen Zhengyu, she said, "I was worried I'd slip, so I held onto you. I didn't expect you'd be the one about to fall. How about you link arms with me instead?"

Wen Zhengyu neither agreed nor refused. She let Ye Ling link arms with her and silently held the umbrella as they walked towards the cobblestone pedestrian path nestled between the greenbelts.

The gentle, drizzling rain drifted down softly, as if the entire world had been dyed in watercolor hues. The wind that greeted them carried the damp scent of moisture; both people and scenery melted into the misty rain. The crisp, cool breeze swept away the noise and bustle. On the nearly deserted pedestrian path, a singular tranquility prevailed.

Wen Zhengyu loved quiet. She liked stepping on the rain-soaked ground and fallen leaves, walking alone in the rain. She also loved standing beneath the eaves of the Old Family Mansion, watching the rain drip from the roof edge, splashing into the little hollows worn into the ground by years of constant dripping, each droplet bursting into tiny floral splashes of water.

She felt something unusual beside her and turned her head to find Ye Ling gazing at her intently. Perhaps the act of turning back had startled Ye Ling; Ye Ling offered her a smile, then averted her gaze.

Wen Zhengyu glanced at Ye Ling suspiciously, thinking: Was that a covert glance, or a completely open look? That look Ye Ling had just given her—was that fondness?

She pulled back her thoughts and led Ye Ling across the pedestrian crossing between the roads, turning into the alleyway ahead.

The residential alley was very narrow. Some homes were still occupied, brimming with the atmosphere of daily life inside and out. Other dwellings had been converted into small bars, inns, or handicraft shops. The ground was paved with the gray bricks installed by the municipal government some years ago, and the buildings lining both sides had been uniformly restored with white walls and black-tiled roofs.

At the end of the alley stood a tiny sugar-figure shop. The storefront was miniscule, only large enough for a small stall set up right at the door. The sugar-figure maker was an elderly gentleman who had been crafting them there since Wen Zhengyu was very small. As a child, holding her grandmother's hand in her left and her grandfather's in her right, she would often stroll here on walks. They would always buy three sugar figures—one for each of the three of them, grandchild and grandparents. Over ten, twenty years had passed; the elderly gentleman and her grandfather had both grown very old, and her grandmother was no longer in this world.

She said to Ye Ling, "There's a sugar-figure shop up ahead. It's been here since I was in kindergarten. It's quite a walk from our Old Family Mansion to this spot. Every time my grandfather and grandmother went for a stroll, they'd walk for ages, often coming all the way over here. Back then I was small, and I thought the path was so very far and long. My grandparents would encourage me with the prospect of a sugar figure, so for the sake of that sugar figure, I'd grab their hands and drag them along at a run—" She stopped mid-sentence when she saw that the small stall was gone. White funeral banners hung at the door, and some spirit money was scattered on the ground.

The elderly sugar-figure maker—was he gone?

Wen Zhengyu stood frozen in place. Her eyes, for no discernible reason, suddenly misted over.

She remained dazed for a long moment before finally collecting herself. She sighed quietly, suppressing the pang of sorrow in her heart, and said to Ye Ling, "Let's go. Once we pass this section, we'll be there."

Ye Ling's hand, which had been linked around Wen Zhengyu's arm, shifted down to clasp Wen Zhengyu's hand.

Wen Zhengyu looked down at Ye Ling's hand. Was Ye Ling offering comfort?

As if nothing were out of the ordinary, Ye Ling led Wen Zhengyu out of the alley by the hand and asked, "Which way? Left or right?"

Wen Zhengyu said, "Right." She wasn't used to having her hand held by Ye Ling, but judging by Ye Ling's demeanor, she seemed to have no intention of letting go. She said, "CEO Ye, you can let go now."

Ye Ling turned her head to look at her, then looked down at their hands. "It's quite comfortable holding on."

Wen Zhengyu was speechless. She very much wanted to say to Ye Ling, "I don't like women," but then she thought: Not liking women doesn't conflict with Ye Ling holding my hand, does it? If she said it out loud, it would only make her seem presumptuous.

They walked a few dozen meters more and arrived at the restaurant.

Although it wasn't yet noon, the restaurant was already half full. They asked for a slightly secluded table for two.

At long last, Ye Ling released her hand as they took their seats.

Wen Zhengyu breathed a sigh of relief. She took the menu from the server and handed it to Ye Ling.

Ye Ling told Wen Zhengyu, "You know this place well. You order."

Wen Zhengyu asked about Ye Ling's dietary preferences.

Ye Ling said, "No sweet dishes."

Wen Zhengyu felt a small hitch in her breath. The most famous dish at this restaurant was West Lake Vinegar Fish—she had been thinking of treating Ye Ling to it. She asked, "No West Lake Vinegar Fish, Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs, or Honey-Glazed Ham?"

Ye Ling paused briefly, then said, "If it's Zhengyu who orders it…"

Wen Zhengyu raised a hand, signaling Ye Ling to swallow back the unspoken "I'd even eat poison" portion of her sentence. No need to say it; she understood perfectly.

Ye Ling continued, "…I'll just have to mix in some chili sauce and eat it while pinching my nose."

Wen Zhengyu threw an eye roll at Ye Ling: You're deranged. Who eats West Lake Vinegar Fish and Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs with chili sauce?

She ordered Longjing Shrimp, Hangzhou Three Delicacies, Lion's Head Meatballs, and a green vegetable dish, then returned the menu to Ye Ling.

Ye Ling handed the menu to the server. "That's all."

Wen Zhengyu suddenly felt a flicker of worry that Ye Ling wouldn't be accustomed to the local cuisine. She asked, "Does CEO Ye eat spicy food?"

Ye Ling said, "As a child, living with my grandparents, I developed a habit for spicy food. Later, doing business, traveling all over, I can manage a bit of any regional flavor." She smiled and asked, "What? Worried I won't be used to it and you'll be a poor hostess?"

Wen Zhengyu poured Ye Ling some tea. "CEO Ye, have some tea." After a moment's thought, she asked, "Is CEO Ye's home in Beijing?"

Ye Ling let out a soft laugh. "I haven't established a family yet."

Wen Zhengyu felt she'd once again asked a superfluous question.

Ye Ling took a delicate sip of tea and said softly, "But my parents and the rest of them are all in Beijing. I moved south a few years ago." She added, "Built everything from scratch."

Wen Zhengyu would believe that when ghosts came knocking.

Ye Ling said, "If Zhengyu is interested, I could slowly tell you about my family situation…"

Wen Zhengyu was so startled she hurriedly gestured for mercy.

Ye Ling asked, "Then shall we discuss paintings?"

Wen Zhengyu nodded. Discussing paintings was good—it avoided awkwardness and provided a topic of conversation.

Ye Ling asked, "That painting you're currently working on, Phoenix Falls from the Ninth Heaven—I like it very much."

Wen Zhengyu's hand, holding her teacup, trembled. She looked up at Ye Ling.

Ye Ling said, "It's part of the same series as Phoenix Battles the Heavens. Whether antiques or paintings, a set or a series always needs to be complete to be whole, don't you agree?"

Wen Zhengyu said, "Why doesn't CEO Ye sell me Phoenix Battles the Heavens instead?"

Ye Ling said, "I endured countless hardships to acquire that painting. I'm afraid I can't oblige."

Wen Zhengyu said, "I endured countless hardships to paint this painting. I'm afraid I can't part with it."

For a moment, the two were locked in a stalemate, neither willing to yield.

Seeing Ye Ling's attitude, Wen Zhengyu actually felt a sense of relief. This meant Ye Ling wasn't trying to pursue her—she was just teasing her, right? She felt that Ye Ling liked the paintings more than she liked the person.

The server brought out the Lion's Head Meatballs.

Wen Zhengyu invited Ye Ling to taste them.

The two finished their meal and walked to the entrance.

Wen Zhengyu glanced at Ye Ling's shoes and asked, "Shall we take a taxi?"

Ye Ling said, "Let's walk back. I ate too much and need to digest."

Wen Zhengyu cast a sidelong glance at Ye Ling's stomach. One Lion's Head meatball, half a bowl of rice, and a bit of vegetables is enough to make you overstuffed? It was only now that she realized her own appetite was larger than Ye Ling's, and furthermore, during that week of hunger earlier, she had been the only one starving. Ye Ling's appetite was just that small.

Wen Zhengyu's mood was suddenly a little difficult to describe. To call it heart-wrenching wouldn't be accurate; to say it irritated her—yes, a little. Silently, she opened the umbrella, preparing to retrace their path through the alley back. As she opened it, she remembered Ye Ling hadn't brought one. With a resigned, silent sigh, she raised the umbrella to shield Ye Ling from the rain.

With one hand, Ye Ling took the umbrella from Wen Zhengyu, and with the other, she linked arms with Wen Zhengyu. "Let's go."

Wen Zhengyu looked at the umbrella, then at Ye Ling, then at her arm linked with Ye Ling's. She instantly felt utterly self-conscious. She said, "CEO Ye, do we really need to be this close?"

Ye Ling said, "If your umbrella were a bit larger, I'd have no objection." She added, "My shoulder is getting wet."

Wen Zhengyu felt a strong urge to go into one of the nearby shops and buy another umbrella. But she knew perfectly well that Ye Ling wasn't lacking an umbrella at all—she was doing this deliberately. Forget it. Let Ye Ling do as she pleased! She allowed Ye Ling to keep hold of her arm as they walked back.

Though Ye Ling's heels were rather high, and the round trip was over forty minutes of walking, Ye Ling showed not the slightest sign of discomfort. However, whether Ye Ling's umbrella-holding skills were good or bad was hard to tell—or perhaps the umbrella was indeed too small—but one of Ye Ling's shoulders was soaked by the rain.

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