CH 68

Name:Grocery Store No.514 Author:
On Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2021, Ling Hua’an and Jiang Chengyan went on a date. While shopping in Huacheng Mall, they met Jiang Chengyan’s stepmother and younger sister.

Ling Hua’an squeezed Jiang Chengyan’s palm and said, “I’m tired. Let’s find a place to rest for a while. It’s time for lunch.”

Jiang Chengyan suppressed the churning emotions in his heart and said calmly, “Hua’an, what do you want to eat?” 

“I want to eat the most…. you, and it seems inconvenient now.  But I can only wait until evening.”

Jiang Chenyan’s face flushed, his irritation replaced with sweetness, he retorted, “Rascal! How come I didn’t see it before, you’re actually so ……”

“So what?” Ling Hua’an looked at Jiang Chengyan with a smile under his eyes.

“So lustful!” Knowing that he couldn’t see it, Jiang Chengyan stared at him and blushed for a while.“The ancients said ‘by nature, we desire food and sex.’ I have a lust for the person I love, isn’t it right?”

Translated by Cafe No. 20 – cafeno20.wordpress.com

When Jiang Chengyan heard this, he felt his heart was as sweet as honey, and the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but rise, but he changed the subject embarrassedly, “Aren’t you tired? The fourth floor is the food area. Let’s go over and take a look. The location is not easy to find this time.”

Ling Hua’an knew that Jiang Chengyan was thin-skinned, and he didn’t embarrass him any longer. Anyway, he wants to appease his mood. The goal has been achieved, and the effect is good. Ling Hua’an is very satisfied and allows Jiang Chengyan to pull him forward.

The two walked into a barbecue restaurant and found an empty seat. It was time for lunch, and all the seats in the shop were full. Looking at the people coming in behind,  Jiang Chengyan said happily, “fortunately, we are one step early. Otherwise, it will be us who are waiting.”

“Captain Jiang is wise and brilliant.”

“Of course, I have meat to eat.” Knowing that Ling Hua’an is teasing him, Jiang Chengyan is willing to cooperate.

After the busy waiter finished the meal order at the next table, he came over with the menu and said with a smile, “What do you two want to eat?”

Jiang Chengyan took the menu, looked at it, and said, “just set menu A. Do you have congee here?”

“Sorry, sir, we don’t have congee here. However, you can order juice. Our juices are freshly squeezed.”

Translated by Cafe No. 20 – cafeno20.wordpress.com

“The juice is cold. Bring us two cups of hot milk and two bowls of rice.”

“Okay, both of you, please wait a moment.”

Jiang Chengyan looked at Ling Hua’an and hesitated a moment before asking, “Hua’an, why don’t you ask who they are?”

Ling Hua’an smiled and said, “Who else could it be? Aren’t they your stepmother and younger sister?”

Jiang Chengyan was stunned for a moment, then he was relieved when he thought of the woman’s name and said, “Hua’an, how much do you know about my family?”

“The only son of the president of the Jiang Group, the future successor. Is that what you’re asking?

Jiang Chengyan looked at Ling Hua’an in surprise and said, “You know everything?”

Ling Hua’an said calmly, “en, I asked Yan Yu to check it out for me. I think you should have a basic understanding of the person you like. Do you mind it?”

“What’s the point of it? There’s nothing to hide between us, but I don’t seem to know much about your family.”

“I think I told you, my father died when I was five, my mother remarried when I was eight, and then she gave birth to Lu Hao. I moved out when I was eighteen and have lived alone until now. Ling Hua paused and said, “What else does Captain Jiang want to know? I will tell you.”

Jiang Chengyan was amused by Ling Hua’an’s tone and said, “You are honest. Then tell me how you lived alone after you moved out. Apart from Yan Yu and Lu Hao, have there been other men in your life?” 

Ling Hua’an has never concealed his sexual orientation, so Jiang Chengyan asked.

Translated by Cafe No. 20 – cafeno20.wordpress.com

“There are, and a lot of them. I really need to count them.” Ling Hua’an pretended to click his knuckles and started counting.

Seeing this, Jiang Chengyan was slightly annoyed and said, “Ling Hua’an! Didn’t you say I was your first love?”

A smile appeared in Ling Hua’an’s eyes, and said, “Yes. But didn’t Captain Jiang just ask the man who appeared in my life? Although I can’t see it, a few familiar people always come to the grocery store every day. Just like Zhang Hai, Li Tong…”

“Ling Hua’an!” Jiang Chengyan became angry and said, “I will go home to sleep tonight.”

“Okay. It just so happens that I haven’t been to Captain Jiang’s house yet. I just don’t know if the bed at Captain Jiang’s house is big enough.” Ling Hua’an made the decision.

Jiang Chengyan was amused by Ling Hua’an and said, “Who said you were allowed to come? You are so thick-skinned!”

They talked and laughed. They ate a meal for two hours without feeling the passage of time. After settling the bill, the two went to the cinema and chose a suspense thriller, which is Jiang Chengyan’s favorite. Popcorn and drinks are the must-haves for watching movies, and the two were no exception. They bought all of them and went to check the tickets.

The seat next to them was a young couple. The girl was next to Ling Hua’an. Although he couldn’t see it, he could smell the pungent perfume from 200 meters away. Not only did she whine to her boyfriend from time to time, but she also leaned on Ling Hua’an intentionally.

Ling Hua’an brow wrinkled, but because Jiang Chengyan was watching the movie with interest, he didn’t want to spoil his fun. He moved his body and directly grabbed Jiang Chengyan’s shoulder.

Jiang Chengyan, fascinated by the scenes, was stunned and looked around with a guilty conscience. Without struggling, he let Ling Hua’an hold him and occasionally fed Ling Hua’an some popcorn.

Translated by Cafe No. 20 – cafeno20.wordpress.com

The girl stopped for a while, became bolder, and directly rubbed Ling Hua’an’s calf with her feet. The hint of provocation could not be more obvious. Ling Hua’an took out a paper talisman from his pocket, chanted the incantation silently, and stuck it directly on the girl.

The girl suddenly stood up, poured the popcorn in her hand directly on her boyfriend’s head, and said in disgust, “What do you touch? Don’t you look at your poor and sour look? Are you worthy of me? People give me gifts on Valentine’s day. They are all jewelry and you just give me a broken rose, you can’t even buy a bunch. If it weren’t for your face and Tao Ran’s crush on you, how could I look at you?”

The boy suddenly came to his senses. He slapped the girl angrily and left the cinema without saying anything.

Ling Hua’an quietly took off the talisman, and the girl instantly recovered. She made such a fool of herself in full view of the public. No matter how thick-skinned she was, she couldn’t stay. She ran out of the cinema in confusion.

Jiang Chengyan recovered from the melon1-eating crowd. He looked at Ling Hua’an and asked, “Hua’an, what’s wrong with her?”

“She teased me just now and I punished her a little because I got angry.” Ling Hua’an told the truth.

“Tease?” Jiang Chengyan frowned and said, “how did she tease you?”

Ling Hua’an raised his eyebrows and asked, “Is Captain Jiang sure wants to know?”

“Sure!” Jiang Chengyan answered. His possessiveness towards Ling Hua’an was no less than Ling Hua’an’s possessiveness towards him. How could he bear it if someone was taking advantage of Ling Hua’an under his nose?

“She just rubbed her foot in my leg.” Ling Hua’an looked innocent and pointed to his left leg.

Without saying a word, Jiang Chengyan moved Ling Hua’an’s legs to his lap and lay them on. He smelled it and said,  “It stinks. Let’s go home, change your clothes and throw them away.”

Ling Hua’an laughed lightly and kissed Jiang Chengyan in a happy mood.

Translated by Cafe No. 20 – cafeno20.wordpress.com

Jiang Chengyan’s body froze, but he soon softened and said in a low voice, ” we’re in public, please be careful.”

Ling Hua’an raised an eyebrow and said with a helpless smile, “Captain Jiang, your behavior seems even more serious. Besides, I’m afraid it’s only you who are watching movies in this cinema.”

“How is it possible…” Jiang Chengyan looked around, seeing that the couples around were almost leaning against each other, and even when someone was kissing passionately, he finally agreed with Ling Hua’an words. He swallowed his saliva and whispered, “Well, I think it’s better to concentrate on watching a movie, and it’s the same thing as what we do at home.”

Ling Hua’an laughed lightly and did not embarrass Jiang Chengyan, saying, “You… go watch it, tell me about the plot later.”

Jiang Chengyan once again focused on the film but couldn’t concentrate as much as before. He always paid some attention to Ling Hua’an, especially to their intertwined hands together. Ling Hua’an stroked it from time to time, which made Jiang Chengyan feel itchy. Until the film’s end, Jiang Chengyan was not optimistic about the film. The itch in his heart didn’t go away, so he couldn’t help being a little annoyed.

Ling Hua’an blinked innocently, completely unaware of where he had provoked Jiang Chengyan, and said in amusement, ” Is Captain Jiang a dog? You’re so fond of biting people.”

“woof woof, it’s a dog then. Do you have a problem with that?” Jiang Chengyan’s tone was a bit roguish, not as cautious as before.

Listen to it, Ling Hua’an smiled, he wanted this kind of Jiang Chengyan. In his opinion, the relationship’s feelings are equal, and no one should always give in, otherwise, the feelings will not last long.

“No problem. I like dogs, especially Captain Jiang.”

Translated by Cafe No. 20 – cafeno20.wordpress.com

“Count on you to have a good eye.” The corners of Jiang Chengyan’s mouth rose, “Let’s go, let’s go out.”

The two of them left the cinema and looked at the time. It was already four o’clock in the afternoon. Ling Hua’an smiled and said, “Let’s go to Yimei Jewelry on the first floor.”

Jiang Chengyan asked curiously, “What are you going to do in a jewelry store?”

“To get a Valentine’s Day gift for you.”

“Valentine’s Day gift?” Jiang Chengyan’s mouth rose, then dropped instantly, and said, “Hua’an, I didn’t prepare a present for you, was it too careless?”

“Captain Jiang, you didn’t prepare a present for me?” Ling Hua’an’s tone was full of disappointment.

Jiang Chengyan said apologetically, “Hua’an, I’m sorry. Is it too late for me to prepare now?”

Seeing that Jiang Chengyan was serious, Ling Hua’an stopped teasing him and said, “Silly, I already received your Valentine’s Day gift this morning.”

“Morning? You mean…” Jiang Chengyan blushed unsurprisingly.

“I am very touched by Captain Jiang’s careful preparation. It is the best Valentine’s Day gift. Ling Hua’an’s voice changed, saying, “Let’s go and see if you like the gift I gave you.”

When they walked into Yimei jewelry, the clerk greeted them, “Welcome, Mr. Ling, you’re here.”

“Has my order arrived?”

“It’s here. Wait a moment, I’ll take it out for you immediately.”

Jiang Chengyan pulled Ling Hua’an to the rest area and sat down, curiously asking, “Hua’an, what did you order?”

“Captain Jiang, so impatient? You’ll know when she takes it out.”

“I’m just curious.”

Translated by Cafe No. 20 – cafeno20.wordpress.com

The clerk walked out with a black wooden box, carefully placed it on the table, and put on black velvet gloves before opening the wooden box. A piece of white jade appeared in front of Jiang Chengyan. The jade is not large, about two centimeters in diameter, and engraved with dense patterns. Jiang Chengyan couldn’t help holding it in his hand and looked carefully and found that those were not patterns but small characters. He looked at Ling Hua’an and asked, “Hua’an, what is engraved on it?”

“Runes, ward off evil spirits to keep you safe.”

The clerk interrupted at the right time, “Mr. Ling himself wrote down these runes. He found a special master carver, and it took nearly a month to carve them. Moreover, this piece of jade is first-rate jade, which is warm in winter and cool in summer. When you wear it, it not only wards off evil spirits but also nourishes the body.”

Ling Hua’an spread out his palm. Jiangchengyan put the jade in his palm. He touched it and said, “Master Li’s craftsmanship is beyond words. The engraved words all have an aura, I am very satisfied.”

The clerk couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, with a stronger smile on her face, she said, “It’s good that Mr. Ling is satisfied. He**2 also specifically instructed that you must notify him if you have any dissatisfaction.”

Ling Hua’an took out the bank card from his pocket and said, “Swipe the card.”

The clerk took the bank card with both hands and said, “Mr. Ling, wait a moment. I’ll take care of it right away.”

Ling Hua’an handed the jade to Jiang Chengyan and said, “The runes on it are all outlined with vermilion, so ordinary grievous ghosts don’t dare to get close to it. You won’t easily attract dirty things when you work if you carry it with you.”

Jiang Chengyan took it, put it on his neck, and said, “en. I will wear it.”

Translated by Cafe No. 20 – cafeno20.wordpress.com

After making the final payment, the clerk took the card and receipt together and handed it to Ling Hua’an, “Mr. Ling, here is your card.”

Jiang Chengyan intercepted her halfway, took the card, and said, “Just give me the card.”

The clerk looked at Ling Hua’an and saw that he didn’t object, so he didn’t say anything more, “wait a minute. I’ll make a pot of tea for you two.”

Ling Hua’an nodded, looked at Jiang Chengyan, and asked, “Does Captain Jiang want to start a family?”

Jiang Chengyan was stunned, then blushed and said, “I’m busy with work, and have no time to manage the family. These cards and money are placed in your place. You can use them directly. I’ve changed the password to your birthday.”

Ling Hua’an raised his eyebrows and said, “How much wealth does Captain Jiang have? Let me guess.”

“There is one million on my salary card, which is my salary for many years. I don’t know how much is on the other card. It’s probably tens of millions, all from the old man.”

“Wow,  Captain Jiang is so rich. So, am I holding someone with big tight?

Seeing Ling Hua’an’s exaggerated expression, Jiang Chengyan growled, “Don’t you dare! You gave me this piece of jade. The jade alone costs more than one million, plus the manual cost of carving, which would cost at least several million. Your thighs are thicker than mine. Do you need to hold onto me?”

“I like to hug. “Ling Hua’an took it for granted.

“Keep your voice down, so many people are watching.” Although Jiang Chengyan said so, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but twitch.

“We’ve all done shopping, eating, and watching movies. Where does Captain Jiang want to go next?”

“Home. But, let’s go to the supermarket to buy some ingredients. You teach me to cook. I want to cook for you when I’m free.”

“Okay, Captain Jiang rarely wants to be a family cook, so I support it.”

Jiang Chengyan felt comfortable listening to the words ‘family cook’ and ‘housekeeping’. It showed that Ling Hua’an really saw him as a companion.

The two went to the first floor and pushed the shopping cart into the supermarket. It took them an hour to buy two shopping carts full of food and everything. After paying the bill, they pushed the shopping cart to the parking lot. They loaded the stuff into the car and went home directly.

Translated by Cafe No. 20 – cafeno20.wordpress.com

“Hua’an, what should I do with this crab?” Looking at the crab waving its claw in front of him, Jiang Chengyan felt a little helpless.

“Take out the steamer, fill the water in it, then the cooking grate before putting the crab in and cover it.”

“Steamer?” Jiang Chengyan looked at the large and small pots in the cupboard and asked in embarrassment, “Hua’an, which is the steamer?”

“It’s on the second shelf leftmost…”

Jiang Chengyan took out the steamer and asked, “Then how much water should I put in?”

Ling Hua’an said patiently, “Have you seen that indentation? Let the water reach it.”

Jiang Chengyan poured the water, put the steamer on the gas stove, put the cooking grate on it, took a long chopstick, put the crabs in one by one, and finally covered the pot. Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, the lid of the pot rantling, he pressed it with his hand and said, “Hua’an, they are still moving.”

“It’s all alive, it will be rantling. It’s okay, the water temperature will go up in a while.”

“Then don’t I need to put anything in it? ”

“No, you should eat the crabs while it’s fresh. After steaming, you can mix some dipping sauces.

“Then steaming like this is quite simple. “Jiang Chengyan silently wrote down the steps and asked, “How should I make the dipping sauce?”

“Vinegar, oil, and little soy sauce will do.”

After finishing the crabs, Ling Hua’an taught Jiang Chengyan to make braised pork, stir-fried lettuce, and salad with three kinds of cold mixed vegetables. He also steamed a pot of rice and a large bowl of mushroom soup. After an hour and a half, four dishes and one soup were ready.

Ling Hua’an smelled the scent of the food and smiled, “It smells very good. Captain Jiang is very talented.”

“Do you want to try it?” Jiang Chengyan took a piece of braised pork and put it in Ling Hua’an’s bowl. He took Ling Hua’an’s hands and made them touch the rim of the bowl.

Translated by Cafe No. 20 – cafeno20.wordpress.com

Ling Hua’an picked up the bowl, put the meat in his mouth, tasted it, and said, “it tastes a little sweeter. Next time you make it, add less sugar. But for the first time you make this, it’s already perfect and deserves praise.”

“Hey, hey, I will try it too.” Jiang Chengyan took a piece of meat and chewed it in his mouth, “en, it’s a little sweet, but it’s still delicious, as expected of me!”

“En. Captain Jiang has always been great.”

Jiang Chengyan picked up the crab and removed all its claws before opening its shell. He dug out the crab roe inside, put it on a small plate, and handed it to Ling Hua’an, “Hua’an eat the crab roe. How does it taste?”

Ling Hua’an took the plate and said, “don’t worry about me, you can eat yours.”

“Mmmm, I’m eating.”

Jiang Chengyan responded while peeling the crab, putting the meat and the crab roe into a small clean plate, waiting for Ling Hua’an to finish eating before handing it over. Because of it, out of the eight crabs, Ling Hua’an ate five, and Jiang Chengyan ate three.

After the meal, Ling Hua’an said helplessly, “Captain Jiang, with your feeding method, I will become fat sooner or later.”

“It’s better to be fat. If you’re fat, there won’t be so many people seeking you, so I’m relieved.”

“Captain Jiang, it turns out that your purpose is like this. It’s an ulterior motive.”

“Did you throw that dress away?” Jiang Chengyan remembered what happened in the movie theater, but he still couldn’t accept it.

“It’s a pity to throw it away. I wore those pants for the first time today.”

“The card is in your place, you can buy as much as you want.”

“Captain Jiang is really rich!”

Translated by Cafe No. 20 – cafeno20.wordpress.com

The two of them, chanting while digesting their food, Jiang Chengyan also learned how to make tea. After fiddling around for a long time, he picked up the teacup and tasted it, “Is it the tea leaves? How do I feel that this tea tastes so good?”

“It’s because you made the tea. Captain Jiang didn’t drink tea before but water. No matter how good the tea is, it won’t taste good if you don’t know how to brew it.”

“I’m usually so busy. How can I have time to toss around like this? To be able to drink water was already good.” Jiang Chengyan answered emotionally.

“Captain Jiang, what time is it?”

“It’s less than ten minutes to nine o’clock. What’s wrong?”

“If you have good tea, of course, you need a good book. Captain Jiang, go to the study room to pick a book, read it to me.”

“Okay,”

Jiang Chengyan got up and went to the study to pick out a book, sitting next to Ling Hua’an and reading it in a slow voice. Ling Hua’an listened carefully, occasionally asking the meaning of the words until he understood.

Just like that, one person reads, and the other listens. Every time Jiang Chengyan felt a dry mouth, a cup of tea would always be handed to him. He even read the history books that used to be boring with relish. It feels like such a quiet little happiness.

Ling Hua’an reached out and grabbed Jiang Chengyan’s wrist. Jiang Chengyan was startled and asked “What’s wrong? Did I pronounce it wrong?”

Ling Hua’an put the book aside, approached Jiang Chengyan, and said with a smile, “Captain Jiang, today’s reading time is over. We should go to rest.”

Jiang Chengyan glanced at the clock on the wall subconsciously and said, “It’s only ten o’clock, isn’t it a bit early?”

Translated by Cafe No. 20 – cafeno20.wordpress.com

“It’s already ten o’clock. It’s getting late. I’m afraid that if it’s later, Captain Jiang won’t be able to get up tomorrow.”

Looking at Ling Hua’an who was close at hand, Jiang Chengyan couldn’t help swallowing his saliva and blushed and said, “Then…then I’ll take a bath.”

“It’s already ten o’clock. Time is a little tight. I think we wash together to save time.”

“No, I’ll go first, you wait a bit.” Jiang Chengyan refused.

“No?” Ling Hua’an squeezed Jiang Chengyan’s chin and kissed him directly. After a deep kiss, Ling Hua’an looked at Jiang Chengyan, who was gasping for breath, and said, “together.”

“No, I’ll go first…”

Another deep kiss…

Ling Hua’an easily provoked Jiang Chengyan’s desire and said, “together.”

“Don’t want……”

Jiang Chengyan’s body was as soft as a pool of water when he vented. Ling Hua’an raised the corner of his mouth and said, “together, if you refuse, I will ask you again. ”

“Ling Hua’an! “Jiang Chengyan’s face was fierce, but his words came soft.

“Captain Jiang?”

Seeing Ling Hua’an’s hand slowly moving down, Jiang Chengyan hurriedly begged for mercy and said, “together.”

Ling Hua’an retracted his hand in satisfaction, pulled Jiang Chengyan up and went to the bathroom together.

~~~