Chapter 152: I Think I Miss You, Too

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Jiang Lan finished the two cold dishes, drank half the chicken soup, and ate a large chicken leg.

To make things easier for her, Tang Zhichu had only packed the chicken soup and two large chicken legs.

“What do you want to eat tonight?”

Seeing that Jiang Lan was nearly finished, Tang Zhichu asked.

Jiang Lan looked at him, and Tang Zhichu handed her another tissue.

Chicken legs were rather troublesome to eat—you had to gnaw the meat from the bone, which was hardly elegant. Jiang Lan never ate things like that when she was out, yet in front of Tang Zhichu, she seemed not to care.

“No. Wait for me a little while. I’ll leave as soon as I finish what I’m working on.”

Jiang Lan did not consult Tang Zhichu at all. After wiping her mouth and hands, she pushed open the car door and hurried into the company with quick, clicking steps.

About half an hour later, Jiang Lan sent him a message.

It was a photograph of her tidying up. Only her fair hand was visible, making a victory sign.

Tang Zhichu smiled, then opened the chat with his aunt, Tang Huiwen.

First, he sent her a photograph of the gift box he had taken at Zhou Yun’s place.

“Are you in Yuzhou? I bought you some gifts.”

“Building ** Street, Modu East New District, Magic City! Phone: 187****4950! Thank you, eldest nephew!”

“If you’re not in Yuzhou, then I’m relieved.”

“????”

The other party had clearly become anxious. After sending a long string of question marks, she continued to show as typing.

“What does that mean? Were the gifts a trick?”

“Not exactly. I haven’t bought them yet. I’ll send them to you after I do.”

A voice message lasting a full sixty seconds came through.

Tang Zhichu felt that barely a minute had passed between the messages. He had no idea how she had managed to send it so quickly.

As they chatted, the car door was pulled open, and Jiang Lan climbed in with her bag.

She was somewhat breathless, and her forehead was damp with sweat.

“I was already as fast as I could be!” Jiang Lan said the moment she sat down.

Tang Zhichu pulled out another tissue and wiped the sweat from her face.

“There’s no rush. I have nothing much to do today.” His voice was gentle as he started the car.

“We’ll go to the restaurant first. I bought the ingredients there, and I’ll make you something delicious tonight.”

Jiang Lan answered with a soft hum, fastened her seat belt, and then turned to stare fixedly at Tang Zhichu.

Tang Zhichu turned his head. Their eyes met, and they both smiled.

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He had sent a message ahead of time, so Tao Bo merely came out to the restaurant entrance and placed a pile of bags in the trunk.

Tang Zhichu then drove to Yajiang New City, where his aunt lived.

He went into the kitchen first, sorted everything out, and put it in the refrigerator.

When he had finished, he heard a noise outside. He came out and saw Jiang Lan mopping the floor.

The apartment had been unoccupied for more than a month, and dust had settled everywhere.

“Let me do it.” Tang Zhichu stepped forward and reached for the mop.

Jiang Lan gripped it with both hands and shook her head. “I’ll do it. You go clean the bedroom.”

So Tang Zhichu took a damp towel and went to tidy the bedroom.

One of them worked in the living room and the other in the bedroom. They had to shout to speak to each other. And if they did not speak, they could not help feeling restless.

“I’m so tired!”

“Then leave it. I’ll come over once I’ve finished the bedroom.”

“I’m covered in sweat. What am I supposed to wear?”

“I have clothes. Change into mine later. I’ll wash yours for you.”

“How can you do everything?”

“Hmph. That’s just how capable I am!”

“Why don’t I pay you a salary? You can cook and do my laundry, while I go out and make the money?”

“In your dreams!”

From outside, Jiang Lan gave two little hums in response.

Tang Zhichu worked quickly. He finished the bedroom while Jiang Lan had only mopped a little over half the living room.

Seeing her lean on the mop and pant softly, Tang Zhichu handed her the towel, then took the mop from her.

Watching Tang Zhichu work was a pleasure in itself.

He was quick and meticulous—and, most importantly, he was handsome.

Jiang Lan drifted into a daze again. After graduating from university, she had started her own business. In truth, she had never really had a life.

Or perhaps her life simply was her work.

Meals? There was always takeout.

Cleaning? There were housekeeping services.

Every now and then, cooking a meal herself felt, to Jiang Lan, like an immense ritual—placing a shining star beside the days she had long since grown accustomed to.

Those stars occasionally glimmered, as though trying to remind her that even in days when no one shared her burdens or joys, the little embellishments she had created for herself could still bring her warmth.

A life lived alone seemed to amount to little more than that.

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After Tang Zhichu came into her life, those stars acquired a human element.

The stars that had belonged solely to her seemed capable of being created by someone else as well—like the Sichuan restaurant at the first intersection after leaving the garage on the way to work.

It often brought Jiang Lan back to another Sichuan restaurant.

And when she could not sleep late at night or felt troubled by work, she would sometimes order a serving of double-skinned milk pudding and savor its milky fragrance and faint sweetness.

When the cleaning was done, Tang Zhichu was sweating too.

He had never minded housework. He had been the same in his previous life.

Work had to be done. In fact, concentrating was easier while working than while idling, and his thoughts became more active as a result.

There was no sound behind him. Tang Zhichu turned around and saw Jiang Lan standing there in a daze.

He had just finished mopping the floor. Tang Zhichu walked over and took Jiang Lan’s hand. It was so soft.

Jiang Lan came back to herself. Her face flushed slightly, and then she suddenly said, “I think... I think I missed you too.”

Tang Zhichu answered with a quiet hum. With a gentle tug, he drew her into his arms.

What meaning was there in loving someone?

Almost no one sought answers to questions like that anymore. It was too sentimental.

Think too deeply, and you became a pathetic worshiper. Think too shallowly, and you became a heartless playboy. Perhaps not understanding was what made love last longer; muddling through could carry one through an entire lifetime.

If Tang Zhichu had to answer, he would say it was found in one embrace and kiss after another.

“Go ahead and do it boldly. Don’t be afraid. I’ll cover you. Jinyou is progressing steadily. Xiaoyun wants to work with me, but I don’t know what you think. Personally, I don’t find influencer companies very reliable. Even if their ambitions lie in the capital market, the capital market doesn’t particularly recognize the influencer model—unless you can keep them firmly under control and use your own influence to drive the company forward.”

Still holding each other and feeling the warmth of their bodies, Jiang Lan spoke softly.

“If I work with Xiaoyun, it may ultimately be what makes me successful. The capital market may not recognize the influencer model, but it does recognize strong business brands. Influencers come and go, but reliable supply channels endure. I know you’re clever. Xiaoyun must have mentioned it to you when she approached me—or perhaps this is something you’ve been deliberately helping me with. I don’t want to think too far ahead, but I want to tell you some of my concerns.”

Tang Zhichu gently stroked Jiang Lan’s back and replied in the same soft voice, “I will never harm any of you. If the influencer company does not develop in the direction I want, then it will be the dragon gate you must leap through.”

Tang Zhichu had never doubted Jiang Lan’s vision. She possessed the qualities of an entrepreneur. By saying this, he was telling her that everything remained within his control.

He was also telling Jiang Lan not to worry. Once the chives had grown back, they would simply be harvested.

Jiang Lan tightened the arm she had wrapped around Tang Zhichu’s waist.

To Jiang Lan, those words carried more weight than any declaration of love.

It was a choice between a career and the people involved, and she understood it.

Though she was slightly displeased—displeased that Tang Zhichu’s words about never harming any of them seemed to include Zhou Yun as well—Jiang Lan could still feel where his partiality lay.

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