A Chan – CH 073

Chapter 73: Her Cover (1)

Li Weiyi didn’t sleep well that night.

She sometimes heard noises, people moving nearby; sometimes she dreamt of Xu Yi sitting on the edge of her bed, stroking her face, and the two even exchanged a few words, just like usual; sometimes she dreamt of Zhang Jingchan, standing alone in a dilapidated villa, his back to her, and just as she was about to reach out to embrace him, she realized she had grown large, manly hands and feet again, even a beard, and Cheng Ruiyan appeared out of nowhere, forcibly pressing her down and kissing her deeply in a French kiss, just like Zhang Jingchan had done to her…

Li Weiyi cursed in her dream.

The next morning, Li Weiyi woke up with dark circles under her eyes, looking out the window at the daylight, still filled with a sense of utter frustration and a desire to give up.

A knock came at the door.

Li Weiyi opened the door, and Zhang Jingchan, wearing a black coat over a black sweater, all in black, appeared even more refined and aloof. He glanced at her: “Are you done?”

Li Weiyi nodded, picked up the small backpack she had hastily brought yesterday, and followed him out.

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The two arrived at the hotel restaurant, which was actually just a small room of about 30 square meters. Perhaps because business was slow, there wasn’t a single person inside, not even a waiter. A few empty tables held a few plates with boiled eggs, corn, and a plate of vegetables that didn’t look very hot. There was also a rice noodle stall nearby; the pot was hot, and they had dried rice noodles and minced meat, but no one was cooking.

Li Weiyi searched the room inside and out but couldn’t find a waiter. She asked Zhang Jingchan, “What should we do?”

Zhang Jingchan took off his coat and draped it over the back of a chair, rolled up his sleeves to his elbows, and said, “Cook it yourself, then we’ll leave.” He went to the tap to wash his hands. Li Weiyi followed, finding it quite novel, but she still genuinely asked, “Are you sure you can handle this, Mr. Zhang?”

Zhang Jingchan paused.

Li Weiyi immediately realized she had said the wrong thing.

Men, indeed.

He continued washing his hands carefully, answering without looking up, “You’ll know if it works or not once you try.”

Li Weiyi blushed, remaining silent, watching his next move.

The room was quiet, the air was cool, sunlight dappled in, and only steam rose faintly from the pot. Li Weiyi had eaten rice noodles many times but had never seriously watched the person cooking them.

Zhang Jingchan gripped the wooden strainer, scooped up a large mouthful of rice noodles, and gently shook them in the hot water with one hand. His eyes were lowered, his other hand resting on the counter, and his back slightly hunched, as if he were supporting himself on his former boss’s desk.

Fine dust motes danced in the sliver of light between them.

Neither spoke, neither looked at the other, and both focused on the rice noodles in the strainer.

After a minute or two, Zhang Jingchan poured the rice noodles into a bowl, added the gravy, and handed it to her with one hand.

Li Weiyi, still staring at the rice noodles, reached out with both hands to take them, saying, “Thank you.” Unexpectedly, Zhang Jingchan’s hand veered, and she missed. Looking up in surprise, she met his eyes—dark and unfathomable in the dim light and misty air. Li Weiyi felt a tremor in her heart. She snatched the rice noodles from his hands and turned to leave.

She found an empty table, sat down, took two pairs of disposable chopsticks, and began to eat. After a while, Zhang Jingchan brought over another bowl of noodles. Li Weiyi, without looking up, handed him the chopsticks. Whether it was her imagination or not, as Zhang Jingchan took the chopsticks, his fingertips lightly brushed against hers, and she recoiled in a flash.

She felt she was about to reach her limit. When will this man ever stop? When will he ever stop? Yet, despite her internal rant, she didn’t dare lift her head even slightly.

“Is it good?” Zhang Jingchan asked.

“Actually, it’s just okay,” Li Weiyi replied. “Not bad.”

“First time cooking,” he said. “If you like it, I’ll make it again.”

Li Weiyi didn’t say anything. After a few bites, she finally couldn’t help herself. She kicked him a few times under the table and said, “Zhang Jingchan, that’s enough! Stop teasing me! I promise I’ll stay right under your nose for the time being and behave myself, okay?”

The person opposite her finally chuckled softly, said nothing more, and lowered his head to eat his noodles.

As Li Weiyi ate, a smile crept onto her lips.

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The stifling, oppressive atmosphere that had hung between them for the past two days seemed to dissipate considerably.

After finishing their noodles and leaving the restaurant, the two saw a man standing under a tree smoking, next to a BMW that Li Weiyi recognized all too well.

The BMW faced the restaurant’s wide-open window, offering a clear view of what was happening inside.

Li Weiyi froze, feeling a chill run down her spine. She didn’t know how long Xu Yi had been there, nor whether he had witnessed her interactions with Zhang Jingchan.

Zhang Jingchan also saw Xu Yi.

He glanced at Li Weiyi and noticed her face flush instantly, her expression panicked. Zhang Jingchan immediately stepped forward, almost touching her, so she was within his arm’s reach, and then looked up at Xu Yi.

Xu Yi stubbed out his cigarette and strode over, focusing only on Li Weiyi, as if Zhang Jingchan wasn’t even there. His face remained calm and gentle as usual. He smiled and said, “Xiao Yi, why is your face so red? I knew you came to Chen City, and I was worried, so I came to pick you up. Have you eaten? Get in the car with me.”

Li Weiyi immediately understood—he had witnessed her interaction with Zhang Jingchan.

Over the years, she had come to know him very well. This man was deep and reserved, always wearing a gentle smile, and rarely lost his temper. But when he did, all the senior executives in the entire group trembled with fear. His current demeanor meant he was suppressing his emotions to the extreme, and Li Weiyi had a premonition of trouble.

She remained silent.

Seeing her lack of reaction, Xu Yi reached out to take her hand. Zhang Jingchan shifted slightly, but Li Weiyi had already dodged his hand. Xu Yi grasped at empty air, his expression instantly hardening.

“Xiao Yi, be good,” he said slowly, “come home with me.”

An uncontrollable pain spread from the depths of Li Weiyi’s heart. Her eyes and nose stung instantly. Looking at Xu Yi, she felt an overwhelming urge to return to his arms, to spare him even the slightest sadness or hurt.

Li Weiyi’s hands, hanging limply at her sides, slowly clenched into fists. She knew it was all an emotional reaction from this body; the memories were vivid, struggling to extinguish her reason.

Li Weiyi opened her mouth, her voice dry, but the words were directed at Zhang Jingchan: “Could you excuse yourself for a moment? I need to say a few words to him.”

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Zhang Jingchan stood upright, hands in his coat pockets, as straight as a lone pine. Their eyes met, and he saw the pleading in her eyes. Zhang Jingchan’s profile was tense as he softly said, “Don’t forget what you just said.”

Li Weiyi remained silent.

He slowly uttered two more words, his voice even lower, almost inaudible. Li Weiyi heard them clearly, and her heart skipped a beat.

He said to her, “Don’t go.”

Zhang Jingchan turned and took a dozen steps, but still looked this way.

Li Weiyi turned around absentmindedly, looked at Xu Yi, and asked, “How did you find this place?”