Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
There were many restaurants near the entrance of the university. Wen Shan purposely picked the one that looked more upscale.
Wen Shan wanted to let Ding Junhui order, but he passed the decision back to Wen Shan in a gentlemanly manner.
Wen Shan accepted the task modestly and started ordering. “Be moderate with the seasoning, less pepper, less chilli—”
Wen Shan froze for a moment, her hands gripping the menu tightly.
[“This, this, this, and also this. Less spicy please, he can’t take spicy food.” Wen Shan ordered the dishes swiftly and returned the menu to the waiter.
Nalan Chunbo was staring at her.
After the waiter left, Wen Shan looked back at Nalan Chunbo and smiled. “I’m pretty good at memorizing things, aren’t I? The dishes I ordered are your favorites, right?”]
“I’m sorry, cancel all that. I’ll make a new order,” Wen Shan said quickly. She ordered a few dishes and looked up at Ding Junhui. “Dr. Ding, can you take spicy food?”
Ding Junhui nodded. “I’m from Sichuan.”
Wen Shan smiled at his answer. “Put in more spices, make it spicier. That’s all, thanks.”
After the waiter left, Ding Junhui placed a glass of water in front of Wen Shan.
“Thank you.” Wen Shan grabbed the glass of warm water and looked up at Ding Junhui. “Dr. Ding, I—”
“Does he not like spicy food? His taste seems to be quite mild and bland. He likes vegetarian food, especially sweet and sour flavors,” Ding Junhui guessed.
“What?” Wen Shan was taken by surprise.
“Him, the man you courted for half a year,” Ding Junhui remarked in a straightforward manner.
Since they had decided to bring the issue out into the open, he had no intention of beating around the bush.
His remark caught Wen Shan by surprise. She gripped the glass in her hands a little tightly, but appreciated his directness. She liked to interact with such people.
“Yes! So, Dr. Ding, I know how hard it is to like someone who doesn’t like you back, and I also know how exhausted it gets to insist on fruitless attempts. At the end of the day, there is no strength left in you to accept a new relationship,” Wen Shan explained in a sincere and earnest tone.
Ding Junhui turned the glass in his hand while listening to Wen Shan.
The meals were served, and the dishes were all a reddish color with their extensive garnishes of chili peppers and garlic. One glance at the dishes could stimulate the appetite.
The waiter left their table after a few dishes were served.
“So you’re telling me that it is pointless to like you, and I don’t even have to pursue it because you can’t accept a new relationship now, right?” Ding Junhui didn’t touch his chopsticks but looked at Wen Shan instead.
Wen Shan pursed her lips awkwardly. She didn’t say it clearly but that was what she meant.
How pathetic. Just because one man didn’t love her back, she could no longer fall in love with others, even giving up on the privilege of being loved.
Ding Junhui nodded. He picked up the chopsticks and began eating.
“Actually, I was in charge of the registration and orientation when you were a freshman. I liked you since then, but because I was a lecturer and you were a student, I planned to confess my feelings to you after you graduated. I thought it was a good plan,” Ding Junhui said, his voice rather bitter and sorrowful. “Perhaps I was wrong from the beginning. My rationality pushed me away from you, right?”
Wen Shan ate her dinner quietly. She didn’t know Nalan Chunbo when she first came to college.
Perhaps.
She took a bite of the Mapo Tofu, its spiciness numbing her mouth and tongue but making her feel energized and spirited. Wen Shan looked up at Ding Junhui.