News from Taiwan

Chapter 40 A blind eye

“Look, we’re sitting on this bench now, looking at the trees behind us. We can clearly see the veins in the leaves,” Shen Huaizhou said, bending down to pick up a leaf that had fallen to the ground.

He held the slightly yellowed, curled leaf in his hand in front of Jiang Guier, raising his hand slightly to shield her eyes.

Jiang Guier's vision was instantly cut off by that deep green. The veins on the leaf surface resembled a blurry map, and when the wind blew, the edge of the leaf brushed against her skin, causing a slight itch. Just as she was about to raise her hand to brush it away, a clear voice hit her ear first, "But if we do that, won't we be unable to see anything at all?"

She didn't answer. Her vision was obscured by the leaves, but she could hear the sound of the wind. Then, a faint, lingering scent, a mixture of tea and books, enveloped her nose.

She was momentarily flustered.

"Am I wrong?" Shen Huaizhou's voice seemed to get even closer.

Lin Wan couldn't help but smile, deliberately reaching out to touch Ye Zi. "Yeah, we can't even see the road clearly, what if we bump into something..."

Before I could finish speaking, the wind blew me away, and suddenly the view opened up before me.

She then realized that the leaf had not been held in Shen Huaizhou's hand, but placed on her face.

That's why it was so easily blown away by the wind.

"After the leaves are removed, your world becomes clear again."

Shen Huaizhou's gentle voice, like a background music track, began to play softly in my ears.

For some reason, Jiang Guier felt that Shen Huaizhou's actions were somewhat "affected" and "showy".
This is a bit unusual.

Jiang Guier felt a little uncomfortable. She smiled and turned slightly to the side. "I've understood the principle of being blinded by a leaf since I was very young. Thank you for giving me a different perspective. I will organize the things I might have overlooked and think carefully about how to break the deadlock."

"You're doing great." Shen Huaizhou's voice was deep, his eyes seemed to hold countless stars, and his sudden praise surprised Jiang Guier.

Why did he suddenly start praising her? "You're great too," she retorted.

Shen Huaizhou's gaze remained fixed on her, deep and serious. Jiang Guier felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and was about to find a topic when she suddenly heard a soft "gurgling" sound.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was particularly noticeable under the quiet shade of the trees, and both of them could hear it clearly.

Her eyes widened slightly, filled with disbelief.

Did I hear that right? Was that just—a rumbling stomach?
Her gaze was sincere yet tinged with doubt, her eyes slightly raised as she looked at Shen Huaizhou.

Shen Huaizhou's ears turned red instantly under her gaze, and he subconsciously straightened his back. His lips twitched slightly, as if he were both silent and explaining, with an awkward air about him.

Jiang Guier was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but laugh.

"Pfft, sorry, I meant no harm." She laughed heartily, her beautiful eyes slowly narrowing.

This is so much fun!

She actually saw an embarrassed expression on Shen Huaizhou's face, which was in stark contrast to his current image.

Shen Huaizhou now seemed more like a living person, less like a mannequin.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

She waved the takeout bag in her hand, "I made the braised pork. If you don't mind, you can try my cooking."

Seeing the slightly spilled soup, she hurriedly explained, "It's clean. I was in a hurry and that's why it spilled..."

"It's alright." Shen Huaizhou indicated that he didn't mind at all. He replied very quickly, as if afraid of missing it in the next second.

Jiang Guier looked down for a spoon, fiddled around for a bit, and finally managed to pry the spoon off the edge of the aluminum lunchbox. "Here you go." Shen Huaizhou looked at the spoon she handed him, reached out and took it, then looked up at her again.

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, and there was a bit of sauce on the tip of her nose, probably from when she reached up to get the spoon, making her look like a little kitten stealing a bite.

Extremely cute!

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he nodded.

"Thank you!"

He scooped up a piece of meat with a spoon, opened his mouth and took a bite. The braised pork was still hot inside, and the warm sensation slid down his throat, carrying just the right amount of salty and sweet flavor.

"How do you like the taste? It's alright, isn't it?"

Jiang Guier blinked, asking the question as if it were casual and nonchalant, but the little expectation in her eyes was impossible to hide.

Her body unconsciously moved forward, and the two of them became even closer, their breaths mingling together.

Shen Huaizhou could smell the faint rose fragrance emanating from her, which was becoming increasingly rich and intoxicating.

"Delicious! Your braised pork is exceptionally good, beyond my expectations."

He looked at her, his voice lowered, his gaze sweeping over her face before finally settling on the tip of her nose, which was smeared with sauce. He paused, then raised his hand and gently wiped it with his uninjured finger. "It's smeared here."

The gentle physical contact made Jiang Guier's heart skip a beat, and she felt a strong impact on her whole body.

What is he doing?

Will you touch my face?
Her face flushed red instantly.

The person recoiled as if burned, and in their haste, they raised their hand, almost accidentally touching Shen Huaizhou's bandaged wound.

Just before they were about to touch, Shen Huaizhou instinctively reached out and held her wrist. The warmth of his palm seeped through the thin fabric of her clothes. Neither of them spoke, only the rustling of the wind through the leaves and their slightly erratic heartbeats could be heard.

After a few seconds, Shen Huaizhou let go of her hand and casually looked away. "Your braised pork is really delicious. Can I have another piece?"

“Of course…of course you can.” Jiang Guier lowered her head and silently lifted the aluminum lunchbox.

Shen Huaizhou ate another piece, chewing and savoring it quietly, and suddenly sighed, "It's a pity... I don't know if your braised pork tastes like the one described in that letter."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Guier, whose thoughts had been wandering, suddenly snapped to attention.

Oh right! How come she didn't think of that!
She learned her braised pork recipe from her mother, who in turn learned it from her maternal grandmother. And her maternal grandmother's recipe must have come from her great-grandmother.

Indeed, one cannot see the forest for the trees.

"Thank you, Shen Huaizhou. You've done me a huge favor again."

Jiang Guier stood up excitedly, holding an aluminum lunchbox in her hand. She wanted to shake hands with Shen Huaizhou, but her gesture was awkward—she didn't know whether to extend her hand or not.

"Why don't you put the lunchbox down first? I'll feel awkward eating it if you keep it."

Shen Huaizhou's gentlemanly and amiable nature was immediately on full display.

Jiang Guier placed the lunchbox on the bench next to her.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were exaggerating a bit, but it turns out I was just blinded by my own limited perspective."

(End of this chapter)