"Cheng Fengyang!" Lin Lan's face paled, and she hurriedly rushed over to him.
The people at the next table did the same, and the shop owner also gathered around, causing immediate chaos on the scene.
Half an hour later, Cheng Fengyang was escorted out of a nearby small clinic by Lin Lan, Aunt Zhou, and the customer who had caused the accident.
"Fortunately, it's only a mild thermal burn. After prompt rinsing and using the prescribed eye drops, it will heal," Lin Lan said with a huge sigh of relief as they walked down the street.
What was supposed to be a nice dinner treat had turned into this mess; she couldn't help but feel responsible.
Aunt Zhou felt the same way. While strictly speaking, it wasn't the shop's fault, she still felt terrible that a customer got injured at her establishment. That's why she had also come along to check on him. It was a great relief that nothing serious had happened.
The most relieved was the clumsy customer himself. He was also in a cold sweat, thinking to himself how lucky it was that the hot pot had just been served and hadn't reached a full boil yet. Otherwise, the consequences of his slip-up would have been far worse than just covering some medical bills.
"I'm so sorry, truly, I'm so sorry!" the clumsy customer apologized profusely the whole way, his voice full of remorse. "I'm really terribly sorry!"
"Ah, it's fine, really, it's fine," Cheng Fengyang replied, even though both eyes could only be kept half-shut and tears kept streaming. He dabbed at his eyes with a tissue while waving his other hand dismissively. "You didn't do it on purpose. Just be more careful next time."
The guy had immediately insisted on taking him to the hospital, then accompanied him, paid the fees, and kept apologizing non-stop. His sincerity was more than enough. Cheng Fengyang's irritation from the eye pain along the way had also dissipated with the doctor's reassurance that it was nothing serious and would heal in a few days. Now feeling calm, he readily forgave the other man.
"Lin Lan, I remember the dried fish and chicken legs we wanted to take away earlier haven't been picked up yet. Let's go back and get them first." He even had the presence of mind to think about the forgotten takeout.
"Yes, yes!" Aunt Zhou chimed in immediately. "My old man already packed them up earlier. I'll get them for you as soon as we're back at the shop!"
Upon returning to the barbecue stall, Cheng Fengyang and Lin Lan not only received their original order, but Uncle Lao Zhou, feeling apologetic about the injury, had also grilled an extra bag of snacks for them as a gesture of goodwill.
Cheng Fengyang's last trace of annoyance vanished. Apart from his eyes being half-shut, he declared his mood was perfectly stable.
"Are you sure you're okay like this?" Lin Lan, however, was extremely worried. "Let me walk you home. You should rest your eyes properly for the next few days and not go out."
Cheng Fengyang, who had originally planned to make his way back with his blurry vision alone, was secretly thrilled, though he put on a show on his face: "How can I trouble you like that? I'm a grown man, letting a girl escort me..."
Before he could finish, his hand was taken and he was pulled forward.
"If you're a grown man, stop being so awkward. You're injured now. I invited you to dinner and ended up causing this. Seeing you home is the least I can do." Lin Lan really had no patience for his posturing. Compared to Cheng Fengyang's calm acceptance, she had been scared out of her wits. "I don't know which building in the opposite residential complex is yours. You'll have to give me directions once we're inside."
"Oh, my place? The route is easy. The building number is 29 in the villa section. After entering the main gate, go straight and then turn right..." Cheng Fengyang started chattering away, not only giving his full address but also providing very detailed instructions on how to get there afterwards.
Lin Lan: "..." Suddenly she felt grateful this guy was a man. What if he were a girl?
Sighing inwardly, she showed none of it on her face and continued to lead him, choosing safe paths and walking slowly.
The light snow outside had stopped by now. The hurried pedestrians from earlier had long since gone home, and on this cold night, hardly anyone was out braving the wind for a stroll. Only the dim yellow streetlights made the damp pavement seem even quieter.
Cheng Fengyang, enduring the discomfort, tried hard to open his eyes, but could only vaguely see the red-clad figure leading him ahead. With his vision blurred and his ears registering only the sound of their footsteps, the hand holding his in her palm felt exceptionally warm and soft.
Are all girls' hands this soft? Suppressing the flush on his face, he tried hard to recall. How many years had it been since he last held hands with his older sister walking home? He truly couldn't remember. The only thing he remembered from his elementary and middle school years was his sister loving to beat him up, and those fists really hurt.
Recalling his sister's punches, the heat in Cheng Fengyang's face miraculously subsided, though a slight warmth remained. The cold wind blowing felt just right.
Cheng Fengyang, usually so talkative, had been quiet, making Lin Lan glance back at him. She found him using his other hand to periodically press against his eyes, coupled with an indescribably vulnerable expression on his face, looking just like a shy little wife. She couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Don't laugh," Cheng Fengyang protested immediately. "I didn't want to get hurt like this either."
They had reached the traffic lights at the intersection, waiting for the green light to cross the street to the upscale residential complex opposite.
"No, no," Lin Lan said, stopping as well and waving her free hand. "It's just... you look oddly cute like this right now, haha."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Lin Lan felt a pang of regret. Cheng Fengyang would surely be angry. She was just thinking she needed to apologize and soothe him immediately when the person behind her suddenly fell silent, and his face turned a shade redder.
While puzzling over his reaction, Lin Lan heard him speak, somewhat stammering, using the action of pressing his eyes to hide his face: "L-Lin Lan, we've been friends for a while now, right?"
It had been a while, Lin Lan thought to herself. They had met almost as soon as she returned to her hometown, and became acquainted quickly afterwards. So she nodded: "Yes."
"Then... shouldn't we stop always calling each other by our full names?" As if feeling cold, Cheng Fengyang shrank his neck further into his collar, actually trying to hide his nervousness. "C-Could you call me Fengyang? And could I call you... Lanlan?"
Lin Lan was taken aback.
Only then did she suddenly notice that the hand she was holding had unconsciously tightened its grip.
"Ah..." she uttered belatedly, finally realizing that his enthusiastic help and protectiveness around the time her teahouse opened hadn't all been just about repaying her initial favor.
The green light chose that moment to illuminate. Vehicles coming and going stopped at the crosswalk. Lin Lan tightened her hold on his hand and immediately led him across the street.
They reached the other side and walked to the entrance of the residential complex. After Cheng Fengyang swiped his access card and they entered the main gate, a quietness settled between them.
It truly lived up to being a high-end complex. The landscaping was excellent. The tree-lined paths paved with red bricks were illuminated by wrought-iron street lamps placed throughout, putting the nighttime streets of the urban village they'd left behind to shame.
Moreover, there were even fewer people inside the complex, making their walk even quieter.
No one knew about Cheng Fengyang's shifting mood, from initial nervousness to a growing sense of dejection as time passed. With Lin Lan remaining silent, he didn't dare speak again, afraid of saying something wrong. If only he had dated back in his student days! Now he was so nervous his palms were sweating, yet he didn't dare do anything, didn't even dare speak!
"Cheng Fengyang."
As he was inwardly fretting like scratching a wall, Lin Lan ahead finally spoke. Just hearing her call his name made Cheng Fengyang feel his heart suddenly calm down. He had always known Lin Lan was clever; she must have guessed his intentions from his clumsy attempt to start the conversation earlier.
So, what would she say to him? Would it be rejection, rejection, or rejection?
Just as he was starting to scare himself, Lin Lan's voice continued.
"You were actually curious before about what happened to me while I was living in Shanghai, and why I returned to my hometown, right?"
Unlike Cheng Fengyang, who had never been in a relationship, Lin Lan had at least had one after graduating and starting work. Although the guy who actively pursued her back then had become a thoroughly dumped ex, she could still understand a man's mind a little.
"My job in Shanghai was actually pretty good, and I had a boyfriend at the time. His family background wasn't great, but he was hardworking, handsome, and ambitious. He was attentive and considerate to me, and he confessed to me without knowing my family's financial situation. I thought he was a good guy, someone who might really make something of himself in Shanghai, so I agreed."
As Lin Lan recounted this past event, she clearly felt the hand holding hers suddenly tighten, but then it quickly loosened its grip as if afraid of hurting her. Pretending not to notice, she continued.
"At first, things were really good between us. We dated for almost two years. I originally thought it could really work out... but then he cheated. The other woman was a young lady from a wealthy family, truly richer and more influential than me, but that didn't change the fact that I was furious. I was angry at his betrayal, angry at his lack of backbone, and even angrier at myself for misjudging him. So I quit my job, spent two months planning and executing some revenge, and after messing with them, I came back."
Cheng Fengyang, being led along by her hand, now didn't dare to breathe too loudly, feeling as if the atmosphere had subtly changed. But he knew this wasn't fear; it was a heartache that left him at a loss. He didn't know how to comfort the person in front of him, and he couldn't even open his eyes properly now, only able to see her figure looking somewhat sorrowful under the streetlight.
He opened his mouth several times, unsure what to say, but he also understood that Lin Lan telling him these things now was also a gentle way of telling him that she currently had no mind for this sort of thing at all.
"I'm doing fine now. I have my shop to run, cats to pet. It's the initial opening phase, so it's a bit busy, but once the business stabilizes, I can relax and take it easy."
Speaking of her cat café, Lin Lan's tone noticeably softened considerably. Compared to men who might not be trustworthy to rely on, the little cats who could communicate without barriers were clearly more worthy of her attention.
"Lin Lan..." Cheng Fengyang hesitated, struggling to organize his words, when he was interrupted by a burst of barking. He instinctively turned his head. "It's Xingxing!"
The barking grew closer. Cheng Fengyang knew it was his Border Collie running out of the house to greet him.
"You're home." Lin Lan stopped in front of the garden courtyard of a beautiful house. She looked up at the exquisite three-story villa that looked lovely even under the streetlights, then turned to look at Cheng Fengyang, who was happily reuniting with his Border Collie. "Xingxing's chicken drumstick and your medicine are here. Take them. Remember to rest well these next few days, don't go out fooling around, okay?"
Cheng Fengyang, who was hugging and petting the dog's head, paused, instinctively trying to get her to stay: "You're already at my doorstep, come in and sit for a while. There are people at home too."
"No." Lin Lan shook her head with a smile, pushing him through the gate. "It's too late. I need to hurry home too. You go on inside."
With that, she took a few steps back, ready to leave.
"Lin Lan!" Cheng Fengyang couldn't help but call out to her. "I, I..." But once he stopped her, he again didn't know what to say. In his anxiety, his eyes hurt, and tears truly began to fall immediately.
This image of him, weeping pitifully, made Lin Lan unable to maintain her composure. She chuckled.
"I understand what you want to say. No need to struggle so hard trying to figure out how to phrase it." Waving at him with a smile, Lin Lan was already walking back the way she came. "Goodnight, Fengyang. As for you wanting to call me Lanlan, just that point, I have no objection."
Cheng Fengyang's awkward condition of anxiously shedding tears immediately improved. He simply leaned against the courtyard gate like a fool, watching Lin Lan leave with his pair of swollen eyes, ignoring even Xingxing who was barking at his leg, just holding the chicken drumstick and grinning foolishly.
Although that awful cheater had made her lose her desire for romance, she clearly didn't dislike him.
That meant he still had a chance!
"No problem! If I can't be a boyfriend for now, being a good friend is still possible!" With his swollen eyes, Cheng Fengyang clenched his fist determinedly. Having finally met a girl in his life whose values and tastes aligned so well with his own, giving up now would make him a true fool.
Just then, the door of the main house behind him opened. Father Cheng had come out upon hearing the commotion: "What are you doing! You're back but not coming inside, hanging on the gate like an idiot, do you want to... What's wrong with your eyes? Did you go out for a meal with a girl and get beaten up?"
