CIATB Chapter 107 After this meal, let's go our separate ways.
Chapter 107 After this meal, let's go our separate ways.
The two continued walking forward together.
When Lu Chenyuan stopped in front of the hot pot restaurant, Su Wan, who was following behind, was completely stunned.
This is clearly a restaurant she's saved on a food app, a place she's always wanted to eat at but never had the time for, and one she rarely feels comfortable spending money on.
She turned to look at Lu Chenyuan, her eyes full of confusion.
"This...is this really what you like to eat?"
Hot dry noodles in the morning are her favorite, and hot pot restaurant at noon is the one she has been looking forward to for a long time. What a coincidence!
A thought flashed through her mind, and she instantly understood.
Lin Weiwei once said that if the police want to find out a person's preferences, they can use some methods to obtain information that is difficult for ordinary people to obtain.
Oh well, this is the last meal anyway, no need to dwell on it.
The restaurant was bustling with activity, and the aroma of hot pot with butter filled the air.
A waiter in an orange T-shirt greeted them with a smile and politely invited them inside, quickly leading them to a spot not far from the condiment station.
Lu Chenyuan frowned slightly and made a suggestion to the waiter.
"Could you please move to another booth? It's crowded and noisy here, and it's not convenient to talk."
The waiter then moved them to a quiet and secluded corner.
Su Wan took the disposable apron handed to her by the waiter, skillfully tied it around her waist, and then opened the drawer under the table to take out the hair tie that had been prepared inside.
She raised her hand to gather her loose long hair behind her head and gently tied it into a low ponytail, her movements both neat and gentle.
It's inconvenient to have loose hair while eating hot pot, so you can avoid getting your hair in the scalding broth.
Soon after, the waiter brought a table full of dishes to the table, and the rich aroma of butter, carried by the steam, instantly filled the air.
The crystal-clear fresh tripe is laid out on an ice platter, its edges tinged with a faint pink. The leaves are thick and resilient, with tiny ice crystals still clinging to them.
The tender beef rolls were neatly arranged, with clear marbling, and gleamed with a delicate sheen under the light.
The handmade shrimp paste rests in a celadon bowl, garnished with bright green scallions, its bouncy texture clearly visible.
There was also luncheon meat with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, flavorful duck blood, crisp lotus root slices and potato slices, along with Su Wan's favorite ice jelly and iced tofu pudding, all arranged in a neat and orderly fashion.
The ice jelly is served in a transparent glass bowl, sprinkled with plenty of hawthorn pieces, raisins and peanut crumbs, and drizzled with thick brown sugar syrup. Its cool and sweet aroma fills the nostrils.
Iced tofu pudding is a simple milky white color with a light bean aroma, which is just right to relieve the heat of hot pot.
Su Wan was the first to take the ice jelly, picked up a small spoon, scooped up a mouthful, and put it in her mouth.
The cool, sweet taste slid down my throat, instantly soothing the slight unease in my heart.
She had only been to this shop once before, and what she missed most were these two desserts, which always perfectly awakened her taste buds.
The waiter stood by, skillfully using long chopsticks to pick up the tripe, dipping it in and out of the boiling red broth until it curled slightly and the edges turned slightly browned, then carefully placing it into the two people's bowls.
"Lu Chenyuan, thank you for being willing to apologize to me and for inviting me to dinner here."
Su Wan, with a spoonful of ice jelly in her mouth, spoke with a sweet and cool tone.
"Speak, is there anything else you want to say to me?"
Lu Chenyuan's gaze fell on her reddened lips, the vibrant color appearing especially alluring against the backdrop of the white porcelain spoon.
His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily twice, and the suppressed irritation in his heart surged up again, but he forcefully suppressed it.
He clenched his fists slightly before slowly opening his mouth.
"I'd like to know, what are your thoughts?"
Su Wan was stunned for a moment, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is..."
Lu Chenyuan paused, then swallowed back the words he was about to say.
He wanted to know if it was because he lost control and hit her that day, leaving her with psychological trauma, that she was so resistant to him.
But he dared not ask, afraid that the question would trigger her fear, afraid that she would look at him with that wary gaze again.
In the end, he only gave a vague answer.
"Why did you like me so much before, but now that I like you, you're rejecting me?"
Su Wan put down the ice jelly in her hand and suddenly smiled.
The smile was faint, yet carried a hint of detached relief.
"Lu Chenyuan, let me ask you, do you know why you can't boil water a second time after it's cooled down?"
She paused, and before he could answer, she continued speaking to herself.
"Because the composition of water changes, it becomes unsuitable for drinking after boiling again, and the same applies to relationships."
"I know what you want to ask, and I understand what you're thinking."
She looked up at him, her eyes calm and undisturbed.
"I don't deny that you might really have fallen for me now, but it seems like it's really hard for me to go back to that state where my heart and eyes are completely filled with you, do you understand?"
This was the first time Su Wan had looked him directly in the eyes since she lost control last night.
There was no avoidance, no fear, only a frank and equal gaze.
Perhaps it was the refreshing sweetness of the ice jelly that soothed my mind, or perhaps it was the noisy yet warm atmosphere of the hot pot restaurant that made it perfect for a heart-to-heart talk.
She put away the thorns and resistance in her heart, shed her past grievances and resentment, and spoke to him earnestly.
Judging from your expression, you probably wouldn't understand if I explained it in such an abstract way.
Let me put it in simpler terms!
"When I first saw you, I wanted to get close to you, kiss you, hug you, and give you all my tenderness. But now, sitting across from you, I no longer have that urge."
These words were like a fine needle, precisely piercing Lu Chenyuan's heart.
His face instantly darkened, the atmosphere around him seemed to drop, and the light in his eyes gradually dimmed.
Su Wan sighed inwardly, but gritted her teeth and continued speaking.
"Lu Chenyuan, perhaps I will never meet someone who makes my heart flutter like this again in my life, but that's okay. It won't affect my life. Just like I've told you countless times before, I've let go. I've really let go."
At this moment, the meatballs in the pot floated to the surface, and the rich aroma of meat mixed with the freshness of the broth wafted over.
Su Wan picked up her chopsticks, took out a plump meatball, and put it into the bowl of sesame oil dipping sauce that the waiter had already prepared, coating it with a layer of savory sauce.
Whether you understand or not, everything between us is in the past.
She took a small bite of the meatball, the savory flavor melting in her mouth, but her tone grew increasingly firm.
"The scariest thing in this world isn't unrequited love, but rather that when I loved you, you didn't love me, and by the time you finally understood how to love me, I no longer loved you. Do you understand?"
Love is actually very short-lived; it comes quickly and goes quickly.
She looked up at him, her eyes clear and calm.
"You once said that love is elusive and intangible, and you were right. So, let's stop clinging to it, okay?"
Su Wan picked up another baby squid and put it in the bowl. She gently bit into it, and the chewy texture of the squid coated in sauce spread across her tongue.
"Do you understand what I'm saying now? I've explained everything I needed to. Can't you just let me eat in peace? I only have two hours for lunch break, and I have to go back to the company soon."
"After this meal, let's go our separate ways."