Chapter 514: Jiang Silu is Always Trying to Set Up Lu Fan and Jiang Yixia

Jiang Silu followed the tour guide, listening to the commentary and taking pictures.

She took pictures of the horse-head walls, the carved windows, the reflection in South Lake, and even a few ducks swimming in the water.

She sent the photos to Jiang Yixia and Lu Fan with a message: “The houses here are so beautiful, even prettier than the pictures in books.”

Lu Fan replied instantly: “Stay safe. Stick close to the guide.”

Jiang Yixia replied as well: “Dress warmly. It’s cold in the mountains.”

Jiang Silu smiled as she looked at the two messages.

She replied, “Got it,” put her phone away, and continued to look around.

Over the next few days, Jiang Silu sent them photos every day.

The memorial archways of Xidi, the ancestral halls of Chengkan, the Xu Guo Stone Archway in She County—she sent photos of them all, one after another, each taken with care and attention to detail.

Lu Fan looked at every picture, occasionally replying with “Not bad,” “Looks good,” or “Stay safe.”

Jiang Yixia didn’t say much, but whenever Jiang Silu sent photos, she would open them and look through every single one.

On the last evening, the students held a wrap-up meeting in the hotel lobby.

Teacher Chen had everyone take turns sharing their takeaways from the trip.

When it was Jiang Silu’s turn, she stood up, held her phone, and scrolled through the photos she took, talking about them one by one.

“This one is of South Lake in Hongcun. The water is incredibly clear—you can see all the way to the bottom.”

“This is Zhui Mu Hall in Xidi. The wood carvings are incredibly detailed. The guide said they took three years to complete.”

“This one is the ‘autumn drying’ in Chengkan. They hang chili peppers and corn on the walls to dry in the sun. The reds and yellows are so beautiful.”

She spoke earnestly, and her classmates listened intently.

Teacher Chen nodded from the side, a smile on his lips.

After the meeting, Jiang Silu returned to her room, lay on the bed, and scrolled through the photos from the past few days again.

She chose a few of her best shots and sent them to Lu Fan and Jiang Yixia with a message: “I’m coming back tomorrow. Miss you.”

After sending it, she put her phone by her pillow and closed her eyes.

Her phone vibrated. She picked it up to see a reply from Lu Fan: “Travel safely. Let us know when you get there.”

It vibrated again. It was a reply from Jiang Yixia: “Okay. Stay safe on the way.”

Looking at the messages from her dad and mom, Jiang Silu couldn’t help but smile.

She turned over, pulled the blanket up, and closed her eyes.

「By the time she returned to Jinling, it was already Saturday afternoon.」

Jiang Silu dragged her suitcase back to her dorm. She put her things down, took a shower, and then sat on her bed. She organized the photos from the past few days into a digital album and sent it to Lu Fan and Jiang Yixia.

She attached a message: “Here’s the album I made. Save it! Next time, our whole family can go together. I’ll show you around—I’ll be the tour guide!”

Lu Fan replied quickly: “Okay.”

A moment later, Jiang Yixia replied too: “Okay.”

Jiang Silu was thrilled to see the two “Okay”s.

She put her phone on the nightstand, lay down, and stared at the ceiling.

Her mind filled with images of the stone-paved roads of Hongcun, the memorial archways of Xidi, and the ancestral halls of Chengkan.

She suddenly had a strong urge to take her mom and dad there. ‘We could walk through those old alleys as a family and take some pictures together.’

She smiled, turned over, and pulled the blanket up.

…

「Yangcheng. Inside the flower shop.」

Jiang Yixia placed her phone on the counter, looking at the digital album Jiang Silu had sent.

She scrolled through the photos one by one. Each had been taken with great care; the angles were well-chosen, and the lighting was captured perfectly.

She scrolled to the last one, which was a selfie of Jiang Silu.

Jiang Silu was standing under a large camphor tree, sunlight filtering through the leaves onto her face, smiling radiantly.

Jiang Yixia looked at that photo for a long time.

Then she put her phone away, picked up her scissors, and continued trimming flower stems.

The wind chime on the door rang. She looked up and saw it was Lu Fan.

“What are you doing here?” Jiang Yixia asked.

Lu Fan walked in and sat down across the counter from her. “Just came to see you,” he said with a grin. “Did you see Silu’s photo album?”

“I saw it.” Jiang Yixia lowered her head and continued trimming the flowers.

“She took some good pictures,” Lu Fan said, taking his phone out of his pocket and scrolling to the selfie. “This one’s the best.”

Jiang Yixia glanced at it but didn’t say anything.

Lu Fan put his phone away, looked at her, and said with a smile, “She said we should go as a family next time. What do you think?”

Jiang Yixia’s hands paused for a moment before she resumed trimming. “We’ll see,” she said coolly.

Lu Fan smiled and didn’t press the issue.

He leaned back in his chair, looking at the flowers in the shop.

After trimming the last stem, Jiang Yixia put down her scissors and looked up at him.

“Have you had lunch yet?” she asked.

“Not yet.”

Jiang Yixia stood up, took off her apron, and hung it on a hook.

She glanced at him and said in a level tone, “Let’s go. A new noodle shop just opened across the street. We can go try it.”

Lu Fan was stunned for a moment, then broke into a smile, stood up, and followed her.

The two of them left the flower shop and walked across the street, side by side.

Jiang Yixia walked on his left, her pace neither fast nor slow.

Lu Fan walked on her right, his arms hanging at his sides.

The noodle shop wasn’t large, but it was very clean.

The two found a table by the window and sat down. Jiang Yixia ordered a bowl of wonton noodles, and Lu Fan ordered a bowl of beef brisket noodles.

The noodles were served, steaming hot.

Jiang Yixia kept her head down as she ate slowly, almost one noodle at a time.

Lu Fan also ate with his head down. After a few bites, he looked up at her.

“What are you looking at?” Jiang Yixia asked without looking up.

Lu Fan chuckled. “Just watching you eat.”

Jiang Yixia glared at him but said nothing and continued to eat.

After finishing their noodles, the two of them left the shop and stood at the entrance.

Jiang Yixia said, “I’m heading back.”

Lu Fan immediately said, “I’ll walk you.”

“Don’t bother. It’s just a few steps.”

Lu Fan ignored her and walked beside her anyway.

The two walked back to the flower shop entrance. Jiang Yixia stopped and turned to look at him.

“You should head back,” Jiang Yixia said. “I’m going to rest for a bit.”

“Okay.” Lu Fan nodded.

Jiang Yixia turned, went into the flower shop, and closed the door.

She stood behind the door, listening to the footsteps outside fade away, then walked to the window, pulled the curtain aside a little, and peeked outside.

Lu Fan was walking across the street, his pace neither fast nor slow.

When he reached the pastry shop, he stopped and glanced back in the direction of the flower shop.

Jiang Yixia quickly pulled the curtain shut.

She stood by the window, her heart beating a little fast.

After a moment, she pulled the curtain aside again and glanced out.

Lu Fan was nowhere to be seen.

She let the curtain fall, walked back behind the counter, and sat down.

Her phone vibrated. It was a message from Lu Fan: “The noodles were good. We should go again sometime.”

Jiang Yixia looked at the message and smiled to herself.

She typed a few words, deleted them, and finally sent a single-word reply: “Okay.”

After sending it, she put her phone on the counter, picked up her scissors, and continued trimming the flower stems.