Chapter 39
Beauty Under an Oil-paper Umbrella
Jiang Che took the black umbrella from Jiang Lin. It was already raining.
He opened the umbrella and stepped into the drizzling rain.
As soon as he walked out of the courtyard, he saw a person walking in the rain on the stone-paved road in the bamboo forest.
The breeze blew, and the drizzling rain made a soft sound as it hit the bamboo leaves. The person under the rain was holding an oil-paper umbrella. The oil-paper umbrella was printed with ink and lotus flowers. The person under the oil-paper umbrella was wearing a light green jade qipao, her waist-length black hair tied up a little with a simple hairpin, and she wore a pair of light-colored stilettos.
In the drizzle, she walked slowly.
Her appearance was outstanding, her temperament was elegant, and her steps were graceful.
Perhaps the sound of the rain was so loud that it hit the heart, so that when the person looked up, the heart of the person under the black umbrella skipped a beat.
The moment their eyes met, Shi Yan stopped in her tracks.
In the hazy drizzle, she looked at the person standing on the stone steps in front of the courtyard.
The decoration style of the bamboo garden was very modern. The courtyard door was a double-open wooden door, and the top of the door was a slanted design of black tiles. The courtyard was located in the bamboo forest.
There was a drizzle, and bamboo leaves flew with the wind.
The person stood in front of the courtyard with a black umbrella. He was wearing a white shirt with half-rolled sleeves. He held the umbrella handle in one hand and stuffed the other hand into the pocket of his black trousers.
He was tall and slender, and his face was clear and handsome. His eyebrows were gentle and his temperament was like an orchid.
They were like bandits who liked sparring and polishing.
The two of them looked at each other in front of the courtyard in the rain.
Maybe they looked at each other for a long time, or maybe it was only for a few seconds.
The beauty under the oil-paper umbrella let out a faint smile. Her lips, which were covered with lip makeup, opened slightly.
“Mr. Jiang.”
Her voice, mixed with the sound of the rain, was ethereal and pleasant to the ear.
Her temperament was not in her skin, but in her bones. It was outstanding, but also reserved and elegant.
Perhaps it was because of the fresh rain at the end of summer, or the shadow of the black umbrella, but his clear and warm face looked less sickly and pale than before.
“Miss Shi.”
His voice was like he was as a person, giving people a feeling of being bathed in the spring breeze and moistening things silently.
He walked towards her, and Shi Yan also began to slowly walk towards him.
The two of them were originally not far from each other, but after a moment, they were only one step away from each other.
Jiang Che closed the black umbrella that he held above his head. He held it with one hand and took the umbrella from Shi Yan’s hand with the other.
“The road is slippery on a rainy day. It’s not convenient for Miss Shi to wear high heels. Let me hold the umbrella.”
His tone was calm, as if it was the truth.
Shi Yan blinked her eyes and took a look at the road that was wet from the rain.
The stone pavement was laid flat, but it did not look like one would slip easily.
However, Shi Yan did not say much. She only replied, “Thank you.”
She let go of the umbrella and the handle fell into the other party’s hands.
Under the oil-paper umbrella, there were two people instead of one.
Shi Yan was 1.68 meters tall. She was wearing high heels that were about six centimeters tall, leaving her just above Jiang Che’s ears. If she took off her high heels, she would only be above his shoulders.
The two of them walked towards the courtyard. From their backs, you could see that one of them was tall and slender under the oil-paper umbrella, which was slightly tilted in Shi Yan’s direction. The other one was slender and dainty.
Under the rain in the bamboo forest, a beautiful picture formed.
Jiang Lin stood under the leaves and saw the two people walking towards him under the oil-paper umbrella.
At that moment, what was Jiang Lin’s mood like?
He couldn’t say it clearly, but only a few words echoed in his mind: What a good couple!
The two of them walked in the rain. Even if they didn’t say a word or make eye contact, the atmosphere between the two of them was harmonious and compatible.
Other than “compatible,” Jiang Lin couldn’t think of a single word to describe them.
A gentleman was like jade, gentle and lustrous.
This was the description of the fifth master in their circle.
However, those who were familiar with the fifth master knew that this was only the appearance of the fifth master.
Unless the fifth master was willing, no one could challenge his majesty.
This was also something that many people in their circle were familiar with.
Jiang Lin had always wondered what kind of person was worthy of the fifth master, but now he finally knew.
It was a gentle drizzle, like a beautiful woman, simply graceful.
This Miss Shi Yan seemed to be born to stand by the fifth master’s side. No more, no less. She stood by the fifth master’s side perfectly.
Jiang Lin silently retreated before the two found him.
Stepping into the leaves, Jiang Che put away his umbrella and leaned the two umbrellas against a wall. He took half a step back and said politely, “Miss Shi, please come in.”
Shi Yan glanced at the two umbrellas he placed by the wall and turned her gaze to him. She smiled faintly and walked into the house.
Speaking of oil paper umbrellas, she had bought a lot of clothes. The store that sold her this cheongsam gave them to her and sent them to the Jiang family’s old mansion, together with the rest of the clothes.
Shi Yan thought that she wouldn’t be able to use them. She hadn’t expected the weather to change today.
When she was about to go out, she saw that the sky was a little worried that it would rain, so she casually brought this oil paper umbrella along with her.
She really did end up using it.
Sitting on the sofa in the living room, Shi Yan didn’t look around. She sat upright.
However, she couldn’t help but glance at the newspaper on the sofa.
The newspaper seemed to be randomly placed. In this neatly arranged living room, it seemed a little out of place.
A randomly placed newspaper…
It didn’t fit the feeling that Jiang Che gave people.
Just as she was thinking, Jiang Che, who was pouring tea for her, said, “Excuse me.”
He placed the teacup on the coffee table in front of her and said, “Miss Shi, please have some tea.”
Then he walked over to pick up the newspaper and folded it before placing it on the small bookshelf in the living room. Only then did he walk over and sit down.
There was a bookshelf in the living room. He would usually read books and newspapers in the living room for convenience.
There was also a cup of tea placed in front of him.
The tea was a little hot. Shi Yan only held it, not drinking it yet. She looked at Jiang Che, who was sitting on the single-seater sofa.
Yes, Jiang Che was sitting on the single sofa, while Shi Yan was sitting on the longest sofa. The two of them weren’t sitting on the same sofa, so they were quite far away from each other.
Shi Yan looked at the distance between the two of them, and her eyes flashed.
However, she recovered very quickly. She smiled faintly and said, “Mr. Jiang, you said that the pastries would be delivered at five o’clock. Am I too early?”
It was only ten past five at this moment.
“No, Aunt Shen prepared the pastries in advance. They were delivered half an hour ago. Miss Shi, the time is just right.”
He put down the teacup in his hand.
“Miss Shi, please wait a moment. I’ll go get the pastries now.”
Shi Yan wanted to say that she was not in a hurry, but he had already stood up and left in the direction of the kitchen.
Seeing his back view as he left, Shi Yan had no choice but to take back what she was about to say. She then looked at the distance between the two of them. Shi Yan picked up the teacup and moved to the side.
It was not very obvious to move a distance of only one seat, so it should not be easy to tell. However, when the person who had gone to fetch the pastry looked in her direction, his footsteps paused for a moment.
He handed the pastry box to her, and Shi Yan thanked him as she took it.
Jiang Che sat back on his single sofa.
“It’s raining outside. Miss Shi, why don’t you sit down for a while and wait for the rain to stop before going back?”
Although there was no expression on his face, his tone was gentle, giving off a very gentle feeling.
Shi Yan smiled gently, “Sorry to bother you.”
He softly said, “It’s fine.”
Then, he looked at the pastry box in her hand. The hand holding the teacup tightened slightly as he said, “I don’t know how long the rain will last. It’s better to eat the pastries while they’re still hot. Miss Shi, why don’t you open it here and have a taste?”
“Even if Mr. Jiang hadn’t mentioned it, I would have eaten it right now.”
She had said that she liked this pastry very much, so naturally, she had to act like she liked it very much. What was so special about not wanting to eat the pastries the moment she held it in her hand?
She opened the pastry box.
The pastries were as exquisite as ever.
She elegantly took out a piece and was about to eat it when she realized that Jiang Che was staring at her intently. She stopped in her tracks as she was about to eat the pastry. Shi Yan smiled and asked, “Mr. Jiang, do you want to try it too?”
Jiang Che was slightly stunned.
Did she think that he was staring at her like that because he wanted to eat the pastry?
That’s right. When he first gave the pastry to her, he had said that Aunt Shen’s pastry was extremely delicious. It was understandable that she would misunderstand and think that he wanted to eat it.
“Aunt Shen sent two boxes over. I’ve already eaten them. Miss Shi, please eat. Don’t mind me.”
Shi Yan did not try to persuade him any further. She took a small bite of the pastry.
Before she could chew, she heard him ask, “How does it taste?”
His tone seemed a little anxious.
This was very inconsistent with his temperament.
Shi Yan was slightly stunned. She felt strange.
She gently chewed the pastry in her mouth.
Her heart felt even more strange.
Just because she did not pay attention to what she ate did not mean that she would not eat it. Once the pastry entered her mouth, she could quickly tell the difference. Although the pastries this time were very similar to those from last time, they were only 80% similar.
They definitely didn’t come from the same person.
Shi Yan’s gaze unconsciously swept toward Jiang Che’s hand, which was holding the teacup.
His fingers were long and slender, and there was a jade ring on his left thumb.
It was as if they had just met.
There were many tiny marks on his fingers. They weren’t obvious, and if one didn’t pay attention, they wouldn’t be able to see them at all.
It was as if he had been scalded by something.
For a moment, Shi Yan did not know how she felt. It felt a little sweet, but also a little sour.
“It’s very delicious,” she smiled.
Her usually elegant eyes seemed to be sparkling with stars.
Jiang Che was lost in his thoughts for a moment. He put down the teacup, crossed his legs, and placed his hands on his legs. His left hand covered his right hand, which also happened to cover the burn marks on his right hand.
What a sharp, smart girl.
“It’s good that Miss Shi likes it,”he said.
There seemed to be a faint smile in his eyes.
“But it’s almost time for dinner. Miss Shi, just try it. You shouldn’t eat too much.”
He looked out of the window and saw that the rain was still falling. In fact, it was heavier than before.
“I’m afraid the rain won’t stop for a while. If you don’t mind, Miss Shi, why don’t you stay at the bamboo garden and have dinner with me?”
Shi Yan paused while holding the pastry and looked out of the window.
The rain was a little heavy.
Indeed, she was afraid that it wouldn’t stop for a while.
“Won’t this disturb Mr. Jiang too much?”
“No.”
“Then, I’m sorry to disturb you.”
“Miss Shi, you don’t have to be so polite.”
After saying that, he looked at her and asked, “Miss Shi, are the pastries really delicious?”
“They’re really delicious.”
Shi Yan turned her face away and pursed her lips into a smile.
Jiang Che’s expression did not change, but for some reason, Shi Yan felt that he was in a very good mood at the moment.
The beauty smiled, and her eyes sparkled.
Jiang Che was stunned for half a second before he looked away.
“It’s good that Miss Shi likes them. Aunt Shen likes to make pastries whenever she has nothing to do. If Miss Shi wants to eat them, just let me know. I’ll ask Aunt Shen to make them and send them over.”
The corners of Jiang Che’s lips seemed to rise, but the curve was very small.
He took a sip of tea to cover it up.
Shi Yan happened to see the slight curve at the corner of his lips. She smiled faintly and said, “Then I won’t stand on ceremony with Mr. Jiang. I really like this pastry.”
“It’s not anything valuable. As long as Miss Shi likes it, you’re welcome.”