Chapter 9: Mutual Recognition and Affection (3)

"Yeran, what is it that you made me drink?" Jiang Hao questioned through gritted teeth

Ling Shan keenly spotted Ye Ran, lowered his head to exchange a few words with his wife, greeted the photographer, and then hurriedly ran towards Ye Ran, the large red flower on his chest swaying with his movement

Jiang Hao looked at the corners of Ye Ran's eyes, which began to glisten with tears, and finally could not help but reach out to wipe away the moisture from her eyes

"Alright, I will wait downstairs," Jiang Hao said with a smile as he hung up the phone

Jiang Hao's expression was one of agony, as if he had swallowed arsenic, his face contorted in resentment and helplessness as he gnawed on the crab leg that was spicy enough to distort his handsome features. After just a couple of bites, he could no longer endure it and reached out to grab the teacup.

I am taking wedding photos with my wife. Ling Shan chuckled and looked at Ye Ran with concern, asking, "Are you married yet?"

"Can you explain to me what sweet and sour water is?" Jiang Hao ground his teeth, clearly on the verge of losing his temper

Jiang Hao, with a smile at the corners of his mouth, drove seriously and casually remarked, "You will soon see an even more beautiful scene, so get ready to scream."

Ye Ran swiftly and skillfully handed a teacup to Jiang Hao in a flattering manner

Jiang Hao wore a playful smile at the corner of his mouth, looking at Ye Ran for a while before exclaiming, "Ye Ran, you truly leave me in awe. Just now, that Mr. Ling was so enraged by you that his face turned green."

After Jiang Hao finished speaking, Ye Ran followed the direction of his finger and saw several newlyweds in wedding dresses posing in various ways under the guidance of a photographer. Looking at the radiant smiles of happiness on their faces, Ye Ran felt a moment of daze, wondering if she and Chen Mingxuan had not separated, would they also be taking wedding photos in such a beautiful place

Seeing his arrogant expression just now made me quite displeased. Ye Ran took a moment to calm down and continued, "He actually complained about my age, saying that I am not gentle enough, not virtuous enough, and not good enough."

Ye Ran quickly tidied herself up and cheerfully went downstairs. As she walked over, she saw Jiang Hao's car already turned around, waiting for her. A natural smile appeared on Ye Ran's lips as she watched Jiang Hao lean out and greet her with a smile, saying, "Hurry up and get in the car." Ever since that night when they discussed whether they liked each other, a tacit understanding had developed between them; they no longer asked about feelings, but simply enjoyed being together, finding happiness in the moment.

Jiang Hao's handsome face was contorted as he lowered his voice and asked Ye Ran fiercely: "Ye Ran, you must have done this on purpose, right?"

Ye Ran turned her face, smiling charmingly, and innocently retorted, "Do I?" In the past, when she was in a bad mood, she would invite Mei Yang or Mi Na to join her for spicy crabs, as sweating profusely would make her feel much better

"Ranran, what’s wrong? Did you run into an acquaintance?" Jiang Hao initially thought that Yaran had encountered a friend and wisely maintained a safe distance. However, noticing that the atmosphere was off, he quickly jumped in to mediate the situation

"Yes, he was a previous match of mine." Yaran sweetly smiled at Jiang Hao, affectionately hooking her arm through his as they approached Ling Shan. With a beaming smile, she said, "Mr. Ling Shan, this is my friend. I also think he is more handsome than you, wealthier than you, and more considerate than you. In short, he is better than you in every way."

"Isn't that too much? Are you also going to strike me down?" Ye Ran glared at Jiang Hao in dissatisfaction, "You have hurt my tender heart, and I demand compensation from you"

Yesterday, I heard from a friend at a photography studio. Jiang Hao reached out to pick a few pink cherry blossoms and said with an ordinary expression, "During this season, many people come here to take wedding photos. Look, over there."

Jiang Hao watched with a smile as Ye Ran, like a mischievous child, ran joyfully among the cherry blossom trees, hugging one tree and touching another. Her cheerful expression filled him with a warm current of happiness. What he desired was such unpretentious laughter... he wanted a woman like her to walk hand in hand with him for a lifetime. However, reality... Jiang Hao furrowed his handsome brows and let out a gentle sigh, as there always seemed to be something unsatisfactory.

"Please take me out for a feast." Ye Ran reached out to catch a few pink cherry blossom petals, blew them away, and continued, "I want to eat heartily to cool off."

Who doesn't know how to form a compound sentence? Comparing the actual objects, it’s infuriating! Nightran secretly delighted in watching Ling Shan's face darken in an instant, and with a triumphant flick of her hand, she said, "May we both find happiness, goodbye." She then left Ling Shan, who was seething with anger, behind and walked away, not wanting to wait for Ling Shan's lawyer's notice.

Spicy crab! "Ye Ran said without a second thought.

"Yeran, there are still newlyweds taking photos over there," Jiang Hao said seriously, pointing at the groom dressed in a bright red wedding robe.

Jiang Hao looked at Ye Ran, who was biting her lip and appeared lost in thought, with concern. He opened his mouth to say something but hesitated. The ethereal and hazy world in Ye Ran's eyes was one he could not enter, nor did he have the courage to step into it.

Then you must put in more effort. Ling Shan said seriously to Ye Ran, You see, I am about to get married.

Jiang Hao looked conflicted as Ye Ran, with a smile that concealed a knife, served him several pieces of vegetables drenched in chili oil. Smartly, he refrained from picking up his chopsticks and instead selected a smaller piece of crab meat that was not so visibly spicy in color.

"Am I not just trying to lighten the mood?" Ye Ran said with a smile, making a face at Jiang Hao. Perhaps this is quite nice. If it really came to feelings or love with Jiang Hao, it might not be so casual and carefree.

Jiang Hao's expression clearly stiffened for a moment, and he asked in a negotiating tone: "Could we perhaps have something else to eat?"

Ye Ran came to her senses, smiled gratefully at Jiang Hao, lifted her face, and gazed at the sea of pink cherry blossoms. She subtly adjusted her emotions and said with a sense of wonder: "The romantic cherry blossoms... the cherry blossoms that blanket the mountains and fields... truly beautiful"

Ye Ran stopped in his tracks, turned around, smiled in response, and politely said: "Hello, Mr. Ling Shan"

Jiang Hao, without any suspicion, took the drink and began to gulp it down. However, as soon as it touched his lips, he sensed something was amiss and hurriedly vomited it out, disregarding his image.

Upon entering the restaurant, Ye Ran instructed the waiter, "That pot, it must be spicy, it has to be spicy to be flavorful"

"Then why are you asking such an unsafe question?" Jiang Hao said with a bit of complaint, shrugging his shoulders

This cannot be blamed on Ye Ran for speaking harshly; it is a fact, and she has merely described it more accurately

Ye Ran ground his teeth in anger, truly feeling deeply wounded by this series of parallel sentences from Ling Shan

"Yeran, what a coincidence." Ling Shan called out to Yeran, who was about to change locations to view the cherry blossoms.

Do I have it?" Jiang Hao replied innocently, "Is it only permissible for you to ask me, and I cannot ask you?

Of course not. Ye Ran chuckled, and then continued to banter with Jiang Hao, their laughter and cheerful conversation accompanying them as they arrived at "Shangshan Village." The car climbed up the hillside road, flanked by lush green trees, bringing a refreshing sense of coolness.

That night, when Yanran looked at Jiang Hao's handsome face gazing at the spicy crab with red oil, she felt an unparalleled sense of joy in her heart, and could not help but eagerly invite him, "Go ahead and eat... I've prepared plenty of water for you. It's very flavorful!"

The entire valley is filled with pink cherry blossom trees, and as far as the eye can see, it is a sea of soft pink hues. Occasionally, a breeze sweeps through the mountains, and the pink petals fall like a flurry of "falling cherry blossoms".

"Is that so? Are you cursing him like this?" Jiang Hao said with a smile, "The heart of a woman is the most venomous."

Cough, cough, cough... With a hand full of tears and snot, gasping and coughing, her deep black eyes swept over Ye Ran without any courtesy, her sorrowful expression as if Ye Ran had murdered her husband

It turns out to be Mr. Ling Shan, the nouveau riche who threatened to send a lawyer's letter to Ye Ran after their failed blind date. After two months without seeing him, his appearance has not changed at all; he is still short, bald, with a big belly, and a squashed mushroom haircut. However, given his looks, one cannot expect any change. But could his taste not be so uniquely peculiar? The bright red wedding robe and the traditional long gown he wears over his belly, which looks as if he is five months pregnant, is truly indescribably bizarre. The petite woman beside him, though made up and quite cute, appears to be quite young. Standing together, dressed in suits and taking wedding photos, if they were to change out of those suits into casual wear, they would likely be mistaken for a father-daughter photo.

The kind of beautiful scenes seen in movies truly exist in reality

"What do you want to compensate for?" Jiang Hao raised his chin and asked

"You have! You must be doing it on purpose!" Jiang Hao accused Ye Ran with a pitiful look in his eyes. Ye Ran, with a calm expression, gestured with his fingers near his lips and said, "I say, it's enough for you to know secretly, just don't say it out loud, or it will make me so embarrassed!"

How did you come up with the idea of going to see the cherry blossoms?" Ye Ran asked while getting into the car and fastening her seatbelt.

On such a warm and blossoming spring Saturday, with gentle winds and bright sunshine, are you really planning to stay at home and let yourself go stale?

There is a grave in my heart, burying the widow! Thus, Ye Ran buried Chen Mingxuan in her heart, honoring the lost past.

The vague figure of Chen Mingxuan surfaced in her mind, and for a moment, Ye Ran's expression darkened. She did not know when it had begun, but she had gradually started to forget his appearance. That face, once so dearly loved without reservation, was slowly becoming blurred with the passage of time. Would there come a day when she could no longer remember such a person? The thought of forgetting Chen Mingxuan, of forgetting that vibrant youth, made Ye Ran's heart feel tight and anxious. She needed to remember, to remember fiercely, that she had loved Chen Mingxuan so deeply, yet it was fading away with time. Would there come a day when she could no longer remember such a person? The thought of forgetting Chen Mingxuan, of forgetting that vibrant youth, made Ye Ran's heart feel tight and anxious. She needed to remember, to remember fiercely, that she had loved Chen Mingxuan so deeply, only to end up being abandoned without warning. Love was an unreliable thing; she would no longer believe in men, nor would she easily allow herself to feel.

Upon hearing these words, Jiang Hao was clearly taken aback. The most venomous of hearts belong to women like Ye Ran

Ye Ran turned her face and looked in the direction of the person Jiang Hao mentioned

"Jiang Hao, how did you discover this place?" Walking among the falling cherry blossoms, feeling the gentle touch of the warm breeze on her face, occasionally mixed with pink petals, Ye Ran felt truly joyful, comfortable, and content in her heart

I did not expect the scenery here to be so beautiful. Ye Ran rolled down the car window, took a deep breath, and exclaimed, "The air is so fresh"

Sweet and sour water, as the name suggests, is a combination of sugar and vinegar, you are so silly! Ye Ran blinked her innocent big eyes and continued to act cute

"Yeran, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but at your age, you are still being so picky. Who will dare to want you in the future?" Ling Shan said earnestly to Yeran, "Back then, you even looked down on me. Look, my wife is much younger than you, much more beautiful, and far more gentle and virtuous than you."

It was another weekend, and early in the morning, Jiang Hao called Ye Ran to say he knew of a particularly beautiful place, with cherry blossoms blooming all over the mountains, and asked her if she was interested in seeing it

Alright, I won't say more to you. Ye Ran pouted and said, Drive safely, I don't want to be startled

It suddenly occurred to Ye Ran that Jiang Hao probably couldn't eat spicy food. Initially, the desire to eat spicy crab wasn't that strong, but at this moment, he mischievously laughed, "I must eat it!"

On Ye Ran's face hung the word "innocent" as she blinked her bright starry eyes at Jiang Hao and replied softly, "It's sweet and sour water"

"You are truly cunning, evading the issue." Ye Ran accused Jiang Hao of passing the buck to her. In truth, she felt a bit vain; she wanted to know whether Jiang Hao truly had feelings for her, or perhaps more so, she sought to affirm whether her intuition was indeed accurate.

Ye Ran forced a smile on her face, while inwardly she muttered: "Big brother, from the time we met for our blind date until now, it has only been a mere two months. How could I possibly get married? Do you think everyone is like you, casually pulling in a woman to have children and then rushing into marriage?

Ye Ran dragged Jiang Hao directly towards the place where they had just gotten off the car. Once they were out of Ling Shan's line of sight, Ye Ran released Jiang Hao, took a deep breath, patted his chest, and self-soothed, saying: "Stay calm"

Ye Ran waited with full of hope, joyfully all the way. Until getting off the bus, seeing vast expanses of cherry blossoms, it was already so delightful that words could hardly describe it, and she directly ran to the nearest cherry tree, hugging the tree and foolishly exclaiming: "Haha... how beautiful, so beautiful!"

I am more than happy to accept this compensation. Jiang Hao smiled and nodded, opened the car door, and invited Ye Ran inside, casually asking, "What are you in the mood to eat?"

Upon hearing about the cherry blossoms blooming all over the mountains, Ye Ran became interested and, disregarding the fact that Jiang Hao had disturbed her peaceful dreams, cheerfully replied: "Alright, I will get up right now. Let's go see the cherry blossoms"

Ye Ran shook his head and answered honestly: "No."

"Having a pale face is a minor issue; it is a serious matter when his wife puts a green hat on him," said Ye Ran angrily

Those so-called steeds like the thousand-mile horse and the white horse can all go to hell; being single can also allow one to enjoy such a relaxed and carefree date; being single can also bring about a joy that is beyond words.

Is that so?" Jiang Hao asked incredulously.

"Given your current demeanor, it is quite difficult to associate you with gentleness and virtue," Jiang Hao said candidly, looking at Ye Ran, who was gesticulating in indignation.

"You have no idea how *** he is!" She shot a glare at Jiang Hao and continued, "When we were on a blind date, we ended up arguing, and he actually said he would send me a lawyer's letter, accusing me of wasting his time and demanding compensation for emotional distress."