Chapter 7

As they were getting off the vehicle, Sui Anran was reversing the car

There were not many guests on the second floor, with only a few tables occupied here and there

The number of diners coming to the restaurant is increasing, and as one ascends the wooden staircase while holding onto the handrail, one can always spot the strikingly attractive men and women at the table by the window.

Um. Anran nodded slightly, picked up the teapot, and poured water into his glass.

As the water rippled, a deep red hue shimmered under the light. He paused for a moment and continued the unfinished thought from earlier: "I am not someone with a good memory; many people, even after working together for a while, can turn and forget. Yet, strangely, I still remember how we looked when we met five years ago"

He paused for a moment, the moisture on his lips reflecting a faint glow under the light.

"The car has become unfamiliar to me." Su Anran replied without changing her expression

Her gaze, much like it is now, seems to hold a layer of moisture, hazy yet so clear that one could almost see into the depths of her heart through her eyes

No," he shook his head, "In the following years, I went to Fanyin Temple again and did not see it, until a year ago...

It is a male American Shorthair cat, likely abandoned by its owner. Somehow, it wandered to the Fanyin Temple. Its fur is impeccably clean, and its eyes are blue, as blue as gemstones, shimmering with brilliance

Do you have a cat

Sui Anran lowered her head to drink tea, only occasionally raising her eyes to glance at him secretly

That one... ...

I have always wanted to thank you in person, but I feel that it may not be necessary

Sui Anran looked at him

Did you take it back

Wen Jingfan smiled and glanced at the entire street filled with colorful neon lights and bustling crowds, "Let's go, if we delay, there won't be any seats left"

Noticing her gaze, he turned his head, his pair of bright, expressive eyes looked at her for a moment before he said: "I don't know if it's because we met five years ago at the Fanyin Temple, but I feel for you..."

His shoes were dampened, and the hem of his clothes was also stained with moisture, yet he seemed completely unaware. His fingers rested gently on its head, soothing it softly, and his gaze towards the cat was particularly tender

As Anran felt the warmth of his fingers, she sensed that heat spreading along her hand, causing her ears to flush slightly red.

Wen Jingfan picked up a piece of meat and put it in her mouth, her expression calm and devoid of emotion. Only after she finished eating did he raise his eyes and ask, "Are you full?"

When there was still some distance from the street corner, Wen Jingfan paused for a moment and then drove directly to park on the side of the road in a nearby residential area

Wen Jingfan also turned to look at her, smiling with a slight curve of his lips, "Later, I brought the kitten back; it should be its child, as the fur color and eyes are all the same"

"Hmm, good." She nodded in agreement, slowly making her way up along the railing, her footsteps echoing dully on the stone slabs.

Seeing her look over, he then walked around the front of the car to knock on her window. Once she lowered the window, he spoke with a hint of a smile, saying: "Get out of the car, I'll take over."

Remember. Anran nodded slightly and immediately recalled the stray cat that was fed by the master of the Fanyin Temple

Sui Anran was momentarily taken aback, but soon smiled and responded cheerfully, "Alright."

After the two individuals sat down and placed their orders, a waiter brought over the cutlery and glassware, pouring a little over half a glass of red tea. The color was clear, and while the taste was not particularly good, it was sufficient to quench their thirst

Sui Anran glanced over and pointed to the spot by the window, "Is it alright to sit there?"

So for all those years, even though she knew who he was and where he was, she never considered intervening in his life or disturbing him again

Raindrops fall from the eaves, the droplets crystal clear, splashing on the ground and creating delicate rain flowers, tinting the moss in the stone crevices a vibrant green

"Going to the second floor?" he asked

Upon closer inspection, her face was tinged with a faint layer of crimson. Although her eyes were slightly lowered, the depths of her gaze were as dark as obsidian, adorned with a layer of glistening moisture, shimmering like rippling waves.

They are merely fleeting passersby, so why take it to heart? Others may not be thinking of you as much as you are of them

With a sudden movement of Anran's hand, the tea nearly spilled out.

At a glance, the lights in the distance become blurred, twinkling like a star, creating a dazzling display of illumination

Wen Jingfan silently swallowed the words that were originally on the tip of his tongue and changed them to: "Then please treat me to a meal next time"

Even knowing that what he said had no other meaning... holding her hand... was merely out of fear that she would drop the teapot

Hmm?

As mealtime approached, the number of pedestrians on the road gradually increased. Two individuals strolled leisurely through the bustling crowd, ascending the steps.

But tonight, what he said seemed somewhat different... She still wanted to thank him in person. Sometimes, what is merely a momentary act of compassion or a small effort for others can be life-changing for the person involved.

The year they met, he too had a moment of distraction in her gaze

The dishes are served

Wen Jingfan stood in front of the car, watching her struggle to enter the parking space, and only then confirmed that her reversing skills belonged to a rather unimpressive category

He had just opened his mouth, and before he could utter a single word, he was interrupted by a shout. He looked at her across the wooden table and, noticing the feigned calmness and slight panic in her eyes, pressed his lips together and smiled, "Let's eat first"

The phrase "the物是人非" was understood by her five years ago, as there are too many things that gradually change due to the passage of time. She has always known that the chance encounter that year and his enlightenment were merely a timely opportunity.

Once he withdrew his gaze, Anran finally retracted her hand, intertwining her fingers and placing them on the table, her fingers moving slightly in a circular motion

She arrived a few days earlier than Wen Jingfan, yet she had not seen the stray cat. On the evening of his arrival, it started to drizzle. As she walked from the front hall to the back hall, she saw a handsome young man squatting down and petting a cat at the corner of the back hall while holding an umbrella as she passed by the Ping'an Bridge

I call it Vancy. His voice lowered slightly, yet its clarity instantly overshadowed everything around, reaching deep into her heart. I hope to meet again the people I wish to encounter

I do not know whether it is due to his voice, or perhaps because Anran has seen that cat and has also witnessed the scene of Wen Jingfan together with it, but from that voice, a faint sense of heartache unexpectedly arose

Anran's heart trembled slightly as she turned her gaze towards him

Wen Jingfan paused in front of a small stall and picked up a delicately crafted ceramic cat, saying, "The cat I raise looks very much like this one"

The air outside has become somewhat humid, and the noise in his ears seems to slowly fade away at this moment. He placed a slice of bamboo shoot into his mouth and felt the fresh flavor spreading from his tongue, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

Wen Jingfan gazed at her for a moment before seriously saying: "If you feel grateful ... ... "

In that dim corner, all the colors were heavy as if splashed with ink, yet amidst the rain curtain, the boy with his head bowed and the gentle cat were as clear as a painting, vivid as if branded into the depths of the eye, impossible to erase

He was glancing sideways at the street below, where a small stall was selling baked pancakes, surrounded by several layers of people, making the already narrow street even more crowded

The noise gradually increased, yet this table remained quiet, in stark contrast to the surrounding environment

He appears even more handsome when he is quiet, yet simply sitting there, he seems to blend into this ancient and elegant atmosphere

The seat by the window is conveniently located facing the street, and across the narrow road, one can clearly see the comings and goings of the restaurant opposite.

Her new world began the moment she met him

After finishing his meal, he picked up the teacup and took a sip, when he heard Anran say: "The year you left in such a hurry, I didn't even have the chance to say thank you."

After Wen Jingfan got out of the car, he returned the keys to her. Seeing her expression, the corners of his lips curled up, revealing a faint smile, "Is your reversing skill not up to par?"

Before she could react, she felt his burning gaze fall upon her face, and she sensed the heat that had been concentrated at her ears suddenly spread across her entire face, making her too afraid to lift her head and meet his eyes.

Anran was curious about what he wanted to say, but also afraid of what he might say, so she could only respond in a low voice and eat with her head down

Sui Anran immediately unfastened the seatbelt and relinquished the driver's seat to him

He walked over a few steps, blocking her line of sight, and lightly tapped on the hood of her car

Wen Jingfan gazed for a moment before calmly taking the teapot from her hand and placing it at the corner of the table

The note you wrote... I still keep it. As Su Anran's voice grew softer, seeing that he remained silent, she hurriedly added, "Don't misunderstand, I don't mean anything else. I simply really like it, and that sentence accompanied me through my darkest times, holding a very different significance for me."

Sui Anran stood there, almost holding her forehead ... ! ... This car is his, right? Is it his? Is it his?

The shops on both sides are wide open, bustling with activity that can ignite the passion within. The decoration store is packed with people, and the street vendors are filled with the enticing aroma of food, making it hard to resist.

Wen Jingfan had never seen such a pair of eyes; just one glance was enough to bring a sense of peace, making it impossible to look away

Behind her, the sound of the sutras lingers, and the air carries a subtle vibration, tranquil as her name—Su Yi An Ran

He paused for a moment, his tone softening slightly: "I heard from the master that it started waiting for me with a little kitten in its mouth every year when I went to the Fanyin Temple, waiting for almost a week. When I arrived, it handed me the little kitten, and that night it disappeared."

Hmm," he replied, putting it back and continuing to walk forward with her. "Do you still remember the stray cat we saw that year at the Fanyin Temple?"

...

If he had not encountered her, Su Anran, at that time, he would probably have done the same. It is not solely because of her that there is any difference

I do not know, it is just like before, never to be seen again. His tone was calm and indifferent, yet that sense of regret could be felt if one listened closely

After finishing their meal, the two individuals walked out of Heqingfang, instinctively making their way along the bluestone-paved street towards the other end

In the restaurant of Heqingfang, there is a chef whose culinary skills are exceptional and whose flavors are authentic. More importantly, the dishes he specializes in lean towards the tastes of the Jiangnan region, which are particularly favored by Sui Anran

Wen Jingfan glanced at the front and rear positions through the rearview mirror, calmly adjusted the steering wheel to reposition, and effortlessly parked the car in the space after two back-and-forth movements.

Wen Jingfan instinctively raised his hand to steady the teapot by holding her hand, and when his palm touched the slightly cool back of her hand, he realized that something was amiss

After picking up the car from the 4S shop, the sky had already darkened. For convenience, Wen Jingfan's car was in front, with An Ran following behind, maintaining this formation all the way to the restaurant at Heqingfang for dinner

At that time, Su Anran was not as tall; wearing flat shoes, she only reached his shoulder, standing beside him, small and slender, looking up at him.

After Anran finished the last bite, she put down her chopsticks and looked at him

Stepping over the threshold, Anran casually supported herself against the door frame. When she turned to look at Wen Jingfan, she happened to meet his gaze, which reflected the lights from a corner by the street, bright enough that it seemed as if a cluster of flames was burning in his eyes, flickering in the wind.

The entire street paved with blue stone slabs is illuminated as the lights come on, and the old-fashioned wooden houses stretch to the end of the road, with every household lighting their dim yellow lamps