Exiting Peach Garden as dusk fell, the setting sun filtered through the car window, casting a particularly gentle glow on everything.
The old lady removed her glasses, pinching the bridge of her nose with an exhausted expression, "Wanwan, when are you going back to Pingjiang?"
She also needed to return ahead of ti to prepare for the engagent.
"In a few days."
Originally, she should have been at ho dealing with the engagent matters. After all, they had to host the banquet in Pingjiang, and the family was full of elderly people who should not be constantly burdened. As soon as her work was done, she planned to head back as soon as possible.
Although it ant that she and Jiang Jinsang would be living apart, once the engagent was over and the marriage was scheduled, she wouldn’t care about this small span of ti.
"The day after tomorrow," the old lady, clenching her glasses fra against the light, inspected the lenses, "is that child’s death anniversary. If you’re free, I’ll take you to see him. He used to dote on Xiaowu a lot. He would be happy to know about his engagent."
"He really was..."
"Xiaowu is frail and always faking sickness for sympathy. Even though we knew he was pretending, Jinsang was the only one in the family who went along with it. The child is just too kind-hearted. He was taken advantage of a few tis. We’ve told him not to bother with Xiaowu, but whenever he got sothing delicious or fun, he would always think of him first."
Her voice choked up, and whenever she ntioned her grandson who had passed away too soon, her eyes would redden with tears. Tang Wan nodded in agreent, not inquiring any further.
It was only in these past few days that Tang Wan found out about Jiang Yanting’s estrangent from his brother Jiang Jinsang, and rumors had spread that he was behind his brother’s misfortunes, related to this late older cousin.
Allegedly, he was an extrely gentle person, the polar opposite of Jiang Yanting. One too soft, the other too harsh—by comparison, Jiang Yanting’s attitude towards Jiang Jinsang could aptly be described as "abominable."
Everyone who ntioned him praised him, lanting how such a person departed this life so early. No wonder the old lady’s eyes would tear up whenever she spoke of him.
...
Tang Wan hadn’t even reached ho when she received a call from Jiang Jinsang, suggesting they dine out together.
The old lady was still by her side; it wouldn’t be right to let her go back alone. After hanging up, Tang Wan still wore a troubled expression.
"Xiaowu wants to take you out for a al? Where’s he making the reservation? I’ll have the driver take you there."
"I should take you ho first, then head out."
"There’s no need for that trouble; the driver can take ho. Don’t worry about . The two of you rarely go out on a date, you should get out and about; being in the house all the ti doesn’t give you any private space."
The old lady was adamant, and Tang Wan couldn’t persuade her otherwise, so she let her drop her off at the entrance of a shopping mall. Right then, she received a location pin from Jiang Jinsang on WeChat.
[I’m here waiting for you.]
Tang Wan furrowed her brow, left with no choice but to open the location and search it out using the navigation. Old Beijing’s high-rises crowded together, but still retained many of the old streets and alleys. The navigation led her directly into an alley.
By this ti, the sun had set, and a curtain of darkness fell over the city; the alley was even darker. Outside, the sounds of vehicles clamored, yet this place seed isolated from the world.
A cold wind funneled into the narrow alley, and a breath of chilly air circled in her lungs, chilling her entire body.
Tang Wan frowned, looking down at the navigation. What sort of place had Jiang Jinsang picked?
The ancient alleys of Beijing were complex, and Tang Wan, not a local, would be lost without the navigation, unable even to tell north from south.
Just at that mont, a figure suddenly darted out from behind her. A hand reached over her shoulder and pulled her into an embrace, while another hand covered her eyes.
Her heart raced; she grasped the person’s hand, instinctively wanting to twist and break their fingers.
"Wanwan—"
The voice was close to her ear, the person’s body pressed against her from behind, carrying a faint dicinal scent mixed with the freshness of mint.
"Brother Wu?" Tang Wan’s heart nearly burst with fright!
"Did I scare you?" He chuckled lowly, as though pleased with his mischievous deed, his laughter sowhat malevolent.
"Are you being childish..." Tang Wan said, trying to pull away the hand covering her eyes.
"Don’t move; close your eyes, I’m taking you sowhere."
"Where to?"
"Be good, listen—" His voice deliberately lowered, deep and indulgent, the warm breath tinting her ears red.
"Mhm." Unable to see, even knowing the person behind her was Jiang Jinsang, Tang Wan was still anxious. She closed her eyes, her eyelashes fluttered with nervousness.
Her long lashes brushed against Jiang Jinsang’s palm, causing a tickling sensation at the tips of his heart.
Seeing that she had closed her eyes, Jiang Jinsang took out a silk-like ribbon from his pocket and blindfolded her.
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