When he looked over the exquisite menu made of bamboo, Chen Yang’s palms began to sweat. He felt distressed reading the prices listed for each dish on the menu.
He originally thought the reason that Chen An made him wear a suit because he wanted to dine at a Western restaurant. He didn’t expect Chen An to bring him to a Chinese restaurant that he never been to before.
They both sat inside a gazebo in the garden, beside them were several young women wearing Han Fu, one was playing the Gu Zheng and the other one was burning incense while boiling tea.
Han Fu: the traditional dress of the Han Chinese.Gu Zheng: Chinese Zither
The exquisite chandelier cast a luminous glow in the garden outside the gazebo comparable to a pool of moonlight. The fragrance of flowers was light and distant in the night, yet mixed in with this scent was the enchanting smell of an unfamiliar incense.
The man who sat across from Chen Yang didn’t act like he was out of place, he seemed to be at ease and was enjoying himself. From time to time he would slowly tap his slender white finger on the table following along with the sound of the Zither, occasionally he would rub his rounded fingertip along edge of the blue and white porcelain tea cup.
Under the soft white lighting, the man’s fingers looked like a well-washed scallion, long as well as smooth like jade, it almost seemed translucent. His joint roots looked distinctly like the hands of an artist.
Chen Yang unconsciously shifted his sight from the frightening prices on the menu to the man’s fingers. Clearly, this wasn’t the first time he saw Chen An, but he only just now realized how nice looking his uncle’s fingers were, he didn’t know that a person could change so much after slimming down.
Aside from the changes in his body shape, there was an even greater change in his temperament.
“A plate of lettuce with sesame paste, a crystal tofu …” Chen An flipped through the menu, ordering several vegetable dishes that he liked. He lifted his head from the menu and looked across the table at the young man who frequently stole glances at him, “Chen Yang, order some dishes.”
“You can just order whatever you want to eat uncle, it’s up to you.” Chen Yang said with a smile, he was inwardly rejoicing the fact that he remembered to take his credit card with him when he left home, he could still afford this meal.
“Okay then.” After some thought, Chen An also ordered several meat dishes for Chen Yang.
Once he finished ordering the dishes, Chen An waved his hand to signal the waiter beside him to leave temporary. Although the sound of the Zither had stopped, the tea fragrance still lingered. [He took the teacup and blew slowly on the tea leaves floating at the surface of the cup. It was an ordinary action, yet when Chen An did it, it seemed incredibly beautiful.
In between his trance, Chen Yang almost thought that he was watching a movie and that Chen An was a grand master in those Republic of China movies.
“Is this the first time you came here?” Chen An randomly asked.
“En.” Chen Yang nodded.
“How do you feel about this place then?”
“It’s very beautiful. There is also a nice ambiance although the prices here are expensive.” Chen Yang replied honestly, he really wanted to advise Chen An to not to come here again, wasn’t it the same to eat elsewhere?
After all, Chen An was broke so he couldn’t extravagantly spend his money like before. He wasn’t afraid that Chen An would spend his money, he only wanted him to consider the long term.
Chen An broke into a smile when he heard Chen Yang’s honesty. He narrowed his phoenix eyes as he propped one arm on the wooden table and gazed intently at Chen Yang. When he focused his fiery eyes on Chen Yang, Chen Yang’s face started to turn a little red.
“Have you ever considered your future?” Chen An moved his eyes to the teacup in his hand, his fingers lightly tapped at the edge of the teacup.
Chen Yang felt weird as he stared at the teacup, it seemed like Chen An was tapping his heart instead of the teacup, his heart was pounding
“Next year, I will be a third-year student, so I am planning to start an internship at a company, after I graduate from university I want to apply for graduate school in America, but don’t worry uncle, if you don’t want to go back home or if you don’t want to stay by yourself in Shanghai, you can come to America with me.” Chen Yang practically said it without thinking.
“Go to America?” The corner of Chen An mouth raised, “You are still want to support me in the future?”
“By that time, I could apply for a scholarship and I can also work in my spare time…”
“But I don’t want that kind of life.” Chen An leaned back against the chair, his jaws raised slightly as he crossed his legs. He lightly gazed at the young man who sat in front of him. The smile on his face turned into a solemn expression, “Chen Yang, do you want to succeed?”
Chen An pointed beside him and said: “You don’t need to work part-time, when you look at menus you don’t even have to consider the price when you order, women will endlessly flock to you and you can move from your shabby apartment to the most luxurious apartment building in Shanghai. You could spend as much money on anything you wanted.”
“Uncle, what are you saying?” Chen Yang slightly frowned.
“You only need to tell me, what kind of life do you want? However, you should know that you will also have to pay an unimaginable price.” Chen An quietly waited for Chen Yang’s answer.
Chen An could tell that Chen Yang was an intelligent young man, but because he lacked experience he was obviously still a little immature. Although Chen An could use the funds he hid in the past to live out the rest of his life in leisure, but to choose that kind of life, would he still be the same person who chose earn his living as an international weapon supplier.
Before he was Chen Zhang An, and now he was Chen An, but he was still himself. Just because his name and body changed, didn’t mean he had to change who he really was.
He was born a dragon, even if he concealed it, he wouldn’t suddenly turn into a worm.
Either he completely cut off all contact with Chen Yang, or make him his child, it could only be these two choices.
Loyalty, this trait was sometimes even more precious and harder to find than any other talent. Chen An saw this trait in him, and it was because of his loyalty that made Chen An want to help him.
“Uncle, I …”
As Chen Yang was hesitating, a man’s surprised laughter suddenly sounded beside him: “Wow, when you’re dressed up like that, I almost couldn’t recognize you, An.”