Chương 5: Gift Exchange
Li Caiyi brought Shen Qiang to her favorite noodle shops. The shop wasn't that big, but it was pretty popular, so it was crowded most of the time.
She used to come here a lot, but ever since she was married, she never came here anymore. The familiar scent of noodles hitting her nose brought a nostalgic feeling.
"Let's sit there," Li Caiyi tugged on Shen Qiang's sleeve as she pointed to one table in the corner. Then, they sat together and made their order.
"This shop was pretty popular. I used to come here a lot when I was in high school. Although, this shop wasn't doing as well as it is then."
Shen Qiang scanned the surroundings before he nodded. "This is indeed a good place. So much has changed since then."
Li Caiyi's eyes widened in astonishment when she heard that. "What? Have you come here before?"
"Sort of. I heard the rumor about this place then came here a long time ago."
"That's terrific! Then, I don't need to tell you how delicious the noodles here are, right?"
"Yeah. It's been a while since I came here, but I still remember the taste of it."
Li Caiyi clapped her hand together with a big grin. "Who would have guessed I would encounter a fellow fan here. I feel like we have clicked so well since we first met. How curious."
Their order came not long after that. Li Caiyi looked down at the bowl of noodles in front of her. She was almost drooling just by looking at the delectable visual. "Waah, it's been so long. How I missed this aroma."
She didn't waste any time and dug in. A blissful expression soon appeared on her face. The noodles texture got the right amount of chewiness, and the broth was rich and savory. Li Caiyi felt she had wasted so much time in her life for not appreciating this treasure enough.
Li Caiyi and Meng Renshu never came to this place together since he didn't like to eat in a crowded place, so she never came to the noodle shop after she was married.
'To miss such delicacy over that man. What a waste. A total waste.'
Li Caiyi relished the moment very much; she didn't bother to talk until she finished the last sip of the broth. She dabbed her mouth with tissues and sighed in satisfaction.
"Aah, that was so good. This place is definitely a must-go place before you die." Li Caiyi only spoke that casually without implying anything, but later realized Shen Qiang had a gloomy expression on his face. Oops, did she touch a nerve?
"Ehm, I mean it as a means of expression. That's right; it's just a means of expression! You don't exactly have to visit here before you die or something… ah."
Shen Qiang's face turned gloomier. Li Caiyi hurriedly covered her mouth before she repeated anything stupid. She didn't know how to recover from her mistake, so she remorsefully uttered, "Sorry, my mouth slipped a bit. Don't overthink it. I wasn't trying to imply anything by it."
"I know," Shen Qiang replied with a grim face.
Li Caiyi felt awkward and slightly uncomfortable, so she clasped Shen Qiang's hand gently. "Let's go. The meal is on me, as promised."
Li Caiyi pulled him to the nearest shopping mall to dispel the awkwardness. From Shen Qiang, she knew that this guy hadn't done much in his life except studying and working, so he rarely brought clothes or did fun activities.
Li Caiyi doubted it at first, but when she saw how out of place Shen Qiang was and how he kept asking about many things, she began to believe that Shen Qiang didn't have much experience playing around.
'He has such a look, yet he led such an abstinent life. What a waste. A total waste.'
Li Caiyi happily showed him around. If there was anything good in her marriage life, it was that she had a generous husband. Meng Renshu never asked how she spent his money and never restrained her from buying anything. Perhaps, he just didn't care about whatever she did. He didn't mind losing some money as long as she didn't make trouble.
So she knew which store sells the best product for everything. They browsed around, and Li Caiyi picked some clothes for Shen Qiang. His previous gloomy face had long gone and been replaced by a soft expression. He gratefully accepted the clothes before he also picked some clothes for her.
Li Caiyi had so much fun shopping. She wasn't a spendthrift, but she wanted to splurge for once. For Shen Qiang, she bought him a loose white sweater that looked cool on his slightly tan skin. As for her, Shen Qiang chose a knitted cardigan and a pair of socks. He picked it because he thought it would make her feel warm.
Li Caiyi did feel warmer inside after she saw how thoughtful he was being. Since she and Li Chunhua were twins, people took it for granted and thought Li Caiyi would also like whatever Li Chunhua liked. Meng Renshu was like that. Her parents and older brother also like that.
Shen Qiang picked this with Li Caiyi in his mind, not because she was a mere addition to Li Chunhua, like one plus one bargain. That fact alone was enough for her to treasure this gift forever.
However, Li Caiyi also knew that such emotion was useless. Both of them didn't have much hope in life anymore, so this warm and kind gesture felt like they were licking at each other's wounds. Li Caiyi thought it was unfortunate that she didn't experience this when she was still hopeful of life, but it was too late to regret anything.
"Do you like the gift?"
Shen Qiang asked her with an expectant look; Li Caiyi couldn't help but smile. She suppressed her complicated mood from being shown on her face and replied cheerfully. "Of course I like it. Thank you so much for this."
Shen Qiang smiled back at her. Then, he hesitated a bit before he shyly told her. "This is my first time receiving a gift from a woman, so I'm… very happy. Thank you, Caiyi."
It was his first time calling her by her name. His slightly embarrassed and genuinely happy expression made Li Caiyi's heart flutter.
She felt strange. Why did it sound so pleasant in her ears when Shen Qiang said she was the first woman that gives him a gift? It wasn't even that much of a gift, yet she strangely found it very gratifying and fulfilling.
Li Caiyi put her hand on her chest subconsciously. She could feel her erratic heartbeat and suddenly felt even more complicated than before.
She shook her head to clear up her mind.
'This is just a temporary feeling driven by my instinct of survival. He is kind to me, but I shouldn't read too much into it.' Li Caiyi told herself that.
As long as she didn't acknowledge this feeling, her resolve wouldn't falter.
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