Chapter 19.3 - Buckwheat 荞麦
The next morning, Shen Xifan took her mother’s car to the neighboring city for the wedding, which was being held at the largest hotel in the city. In the lounge, she met an old friend she hadn’t seen in years. After such a long time, they were both somewhat awkward and didn’t know where to start, so they just smiled.
The wedding had a grand scale, with government and military vehicles occupying half the space. The groom was stiff in his movements, and the bride’s smile remained faint and indifferent, not the kind of genuine happiness that Su Shan radiated.
Perhaps it was the beginning of yet another unfortunate marriage. Suddenly, she thought of Gu Ningyuan, once such a bold and confident woman, who had been trapped in the fortress of marriage. Marriage and love—what exactly is the delicate relationship between the two?
Suddenly, someone tapped her shoulder, startling her out of her daze. She let out a long sigh of relief, “You scared me to death, Big Young Master. Please, could you at least consider the occasion!”
Ling Yufan snorted coldly, “Isn’t it just a marriage alliance? What’s the big deal? If it weren’t for the connections between my family and theirs, I wouldn’t even bother showing up.” His words were filled with disdain.
She smiled and pointed at the bride, asking, “Is this what a wealthy person’s marriage looks like? Diamonds and flowers everywhere.”
Ling Yufan lowered his gaze, silent for a while, his mouth repeatedly tasting the word “marriage.” “Either it’s one person for life, or a game of indulgence. Marriage? For people like us, it’s nothing more than an alliance wrapped in diamonds and flowers, driven by interests and power.”
Shen Xifan understood and couldn’t help but smile. “I hope that the person I marry, I love him, and he loves me. Not for money, not for power, but simply because I am me, and he is he.”
She remembered the first time she saw Su Shan, smiling so blissfully, her eyes brimming with joy, so much like her former self, when her gaze was fixed solely on that one person, the terminus of her vision, whom she would follow to the ends of the earth.
The happiest thing in the world is when the person you love is fervently in love with you.
But how many marriages in the world are based solely on love?
Forget it, marriage is too distant a matter. Right now, there's only an ambiguous old flame and a new crush that seems to be just her own unrequited affection. And then, there's the study abroad offer, which should arrive today.
Meanwhile, at He Suye's home, a group was causing a ruckus. Qiu Tian had somehow gotten hold of a lab rat, and in a moment of carelessness, He Shouzheng let it loose. The child was thrilled, chasing after it with gleeful shouts, while Fang Kexin was so frightened she hid in the bathroom. Qiu Tian teased her, "Little sister, even though you're in clinical imaging, you're so timid?"
Fang Kexin, exasperated, retorted, "Qiu Tian, stay away from me, I dislike you, really dislike you!"
Qiu Tian shrugged, whispering helplessly to He Suye, "Did you hear that, Jianjianjiao? Actually, I dislike you too!"
He Suye ignored him, his eyes constantly drifting to the clock on the wall, distracted. He wondered why the little girl hadn't arrived yet. Could she be working overtime or had something come up suddenly, without even a call or text? He got up, took his phone, and called her. As soon as the call connected, he heard Shen Xifan's panting voice, "I just got back, there was some accident at the street entrance of the neighborhood, got stuck there, I'll be right over, save me some food!"
He couldn't help but laugh, comforting her, "Don't rush, I'll save a separate portion for you in the kitchen, okay?"
When Shen Xifan arrived, He Shouzheng sat mysteriously on the sofa calling, "Sister, come see something fun." Then a little white mouse popped out, squeaking at Shen Xifan.
Startled, she accidentally bumped into He Suye standing behind her. He steadied her and glared at He Shouzheng, "Little devil, don't think your uncle can't handle you, I'll deal with you and Qiu Tian together!"
Qiu Tian looked up from his medical records, "Me? I didn't do anything wrong. Oh, I know, I should have brought a rabbit, harmless!"
He Shouzheng excitedly added, "Uncle can cook rabbit meat!"
At that moment, He Suye noticed the package in Shen Xifan's hands, with a row of English letters, unclear, but a red shield-like logo that seemed familiar.
No one noticed, only he was eager to know the origin of that letter.
Finally, he saw it, "School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, U.S.A."
Everyone was scrambling for the bowl of buckwheat noodles, he saw Shen Xifan secretly smiling at him, gesturing something with her hands, because she knew he had conspired to save her a bowl in the kitchen for a midnight snack.
For the first time, he found himself unable to smile naturally at her. The默契 that had long existed between them seemed disrupted, and a sense of unease and irritation welled up in his heart. The girl before him still smiled as brilliantly and dazzlingly as ever, yet he could no longer discern her thoughts or intentions. He suddenly realized his own不安; he knew too little about her, understood too little, and now, the only bond and balance between them was about to be disturbed.
He pulled out a map of the United States, searching for the locations of Philadelphia and New York, and dug out the application form for the University of Pennsylvania, secretly making a decision.
Everything was just waiting for her to speak up and explain.
