Chapter 470: A Pure Man
A blizzard of snow raged outside, but inside the little restaurant by the street, it was quiet and warm.
When the owner brought over two bowls of tangyuan, Lin Huanzhu gazed at the steaming, plump white tangyuan, then looked across at Tang Yuanxiao, her eyes flickering.
She seemed to be in a daze for a long moment before she finally snapped back to reality.
Perhaps it was the steam rising from the bowl, but Lin Huanzhu’s eyes grew misty. She blinked, and just like that, she seemed to return to her normal self.
Or rather, she returned to being the person he had met before.
"Go on, eat," Tang Yuanxiao said. He was hungry too and was about to dig in, but he noticed she hadn’t started.
"Right, I’m eating," Lin Huanzhu replied, taking a deep breath before starting.
The tangyuan had just been served and was piping hot. Lin Huanzhu couldn’t wait to pop one into her mouth. When she bit through the skin, the even more scalding sesame filling burst out. Her eyes filled with satisfaction, even as she hissed, blowing out a breath to cool her mouth.
’So hot, but so good.’
Tang Yuanxiao had a similar reaction, though he didn’t hiss. He just paused for a moment.
After eating two of them, his entire body began to warm up.
Lin Huanzhu rubbed her hands, which were starting to tingle as they warmed, and let out a long sigh.
"Sorry about that," she said to Tang Yuanxiao, scooping up a tangyuan and blowing on it. "I was a little off today."
Tang Yuanxiao could tell. He could also see that she seemed to return to normal the moment she saw the tangyuan.
It was as if the tangyuan had healed her.
Lin Huanzhu had told him before that she liked tangyuan, and Tang Yuanxiao had assumed she just enjoyed them like he did. But watching her now, he realized she must truly, deeply love them.
"Don’t worry about it. Let’s eat," Tang Yuanxiao said, glad to see she was back to her usual self.
"Okay. Next time you’re not feeling quite right, I can return the favor."
Hearing his words, Lin Huanzhu nodded and replied readily, without any fuss.
Hearing her refreshingly frank tone, Tang Yuanxiao couldn’t help but chuckle. In that way, Lin Huanzhu was more straightforward than most men.
’But that’s a good thing. It puts a person at ease.’
Tang Yuanxiao was a late bloomer when it came to romance. As a teenager, when all the other boys started noticing girls, he remained oblivious. By the time he showed the first signs of interest, he had already started working.
His work unit was overwhelmingly male. With so few women around, it was a place where any sow would be mistaken for a great beauty. There was no chance of meeting a pretty young woman there.
Their days were spent working, and their nights in the dormitory, so they never even had a chance to visit the family residential compound.
Before he could fully come into his own, the incident with Mo Jianjun and Cui Yun happened, and he ended up marrying Cui Yun.
Tang Yuanxiao naturally only ever felt a deep respect for Cui Yun, the kind one has for a sister-in-law. Before any other emotion could possibly develop, she passed away.
And so, Tang Yuanxiao, a man who had been married and even had a son, was, in truth, so inexperienced that he had never even held a woman’s hand in courtship.
After Little Tang Mo was born, Tang Yuanxiao’s only thought was to raise his son. He had no intention of remarrying.
As he grew older and more reserved, the chances of that romantic awakening grew even slimmer.
Due to his personality, he always wore a stern expression. He would never dream of approaching a woman just because he found her pretty. He was always proper to a fault, never even sparing a second glance.
Stepmothers rarely treated children from a previous marriage well, so Tang Yuanxiao had no plans to remarry. In the end, however, Father Tang arranged for him to marry Su Li.
Since Father Tang had arranged everything and it was all settled, Su Li became Tang Yuanxiao’s wife.
Aside from his unusual encounter with Qin Shanshan, Su Li was the woman he interacted with most. In fact, besides Su Li, he had almost no contact with any other women.
Thanks to their last unexpected meeting, Lin Huanzhu was another exception.
It was rare for Tang Yuanxiao to spend so much time with a woman, but thanks to Lin Huanzhu’s personality, he didn’t feel the least bit awkward.
Lin Huanzhu had a frank personality and was a fast eater. By the time Tang Yuanxiao finished his bowl of tangyuan, she was nearly done with hers as well.
The two of them finished the sweet broth in their bowls in silence.
Setting down her bowl, Lin Huanzhu let out a contented sigh. "Let’s go."
Tang Yuanxiao stood up to pay, but Lin Huanzhu quickly stopped him. "Let me, I’ll pay."
In the end, though, Tang Yuanxiao paid the bill. "You treated me last time. This time, it’s my treat."
Hearing that, Lin Huanzhu had no choice but to accept. "Thanks, then."
The two of them left the restaurant and headed back toward the sanatorium.
"How many times a week do you come here?" Lin Huanzhu asked.
"Two or three times, depending on the situation," Tang Yuanxiao answered.
After a bit more small talk, they picked up their pace and soon arrived back at the spot where they had first met.
Lin Huanzhu stopped walking and once again looked off in the direction she had been staring earlier.
"Today is the anniversary of my parents’ death."
Lin Huanzhu let out a breath, finally revealing the reason for her unusual behavior.
Tang Yuanxiao’s gaze swept over the clothes she was wearing. He nodded silently. "Are you going to pay respects?"
Lin Huanzhu looked away and shook her head, slowly starting to walk again.
"No, I can’t. It’s not time yet." ’I don’t have the right to pay my respects yet.’
Tang Yuanxiao fell a step behind her, following slowly without asking any more questions.
Lin Huanzhu didn’t seem to want to elaborate. She rubbed her stomach and changed the subject.
"All I could think about was the tangyuan. My aunt has definitely made dinner back at her place. I don’t know what she cooked, but I feel like I’m going to be stuffed until midnight tonight."
"You could just tell her you’ve already eaten," Tang Yuanxiao replied.
Lin Huanzhu shook her head. "I can’t."
’I have to eat. I have to eat with gusto, without showing any hesitation. My aunt’s appetite has been poor these past few days. If she sees me enjoying the food, she might eat something too. And if she eats, maybe she’ll be able to sleep for a little while tonight, instead of tossing and turning until dawn, or even making herself sick.’
Braving the wind and snow, the two of them entered the sanatorium.
After taking a few steps, Lin Huanzhu suddenly spoke. "Oh, by the way, Tang Yuanxiao, did your mother used to enjoy playing matchmaker?"
Tang Yuanxiao paused. "I don’t think so."
He remembered the aunties and grandmas back in Xinghua Village loved to set people up, and Mrs. Tang would join in the gossip, but he’d never heard of his mother actually matchmaking for anyone.
Lin Huanzhu shrugged. "Really? Lately, my aunt and a few other acquaintances have been trying to set me up with people. They said your mother was the one who mentioned it to them, so I just assumed she’d always enjoyed doing it."
As soon as he heard this, a flicker of embarrassment crossed Tang Yuanxiao’s face.
He recalled what Mrs. Tang had said before and instantly understood why she would do such a thing.
’She’s afraid something might happen between me and Lin Huanzhu, so she’s...’
"She’s probably just a little bored... and after she met you, she thought you were a great person..."
Tang Yuanxiao couldn’t continue his lie. The truth was, Mrs. Tang had disliked Lin Huanzhu from the start, especially her hair. She didn’t think Lin Huanzhu was "a great person" at all. If anything, she was afraid of her.
He wanted to make an excuse for his mother, but he couldn’t bring himself to lie while looking into Lin Huanzhu’s perceptive eyes.
’Besides, Lin Huanzhu’s behavior last time proved she understood his mother’s attitude perfectly. She had even deliberately frightened Mrs. Tang at the end...’
In the end, Tang Yuanxiao gave up and simply apologized.
"If this has caused you any trouble, I apologize on my mother’s behalf."
Lin Huanzhu waved her hand. "Don’t worry about it. I was just asking. I didn’t mean to call her out or anything. I’ve been getting this since I was twenty. I’m used to it by now."
She paused, then looked at Tang Yuanxiao with curiosity. "Speaking of which, are you married?"
’Tang Yuanxiao doesn’t look that young, and he’s handsome in a clean-cut way. He seems like a decent guy. He shouldn’t be single.’
Hearing her question, Tang Yuanxiao froze.