Chapter 205 - 178: A New Difficulty and No Peace of Mind

Love is a two-way street. When only one person is trying, it’s just unrequited love.

Unrequited love usually ends in self-deprecation—"That wasn’t a crush; I was just being pathetic."

Ni Bingyan wasn’t the type to disregard others’ feelings, nor did she take this relationship lightly.

Sang Yuan had already done so much for her. Even if she had little faith in love, Ni Bingyan decided to muster her courage and reciprocate in some way.

She wasn’t sure how she had offended Sang Yuan yesterday. He’d been silent the whole way home, and Ni Bingyan, feeling low herself, hadn’t had the energy to cheer him up.

Now, with her emotions in check, she took the initiative and went to the Sang residence early in the morning to find him.

"Soul Ferryman premieres today. Do you want to watch it with me?"

It was the weekend, so Sang Yuan hadn’t gone to work. When he saw her standing at the courtyard gate in a pale green dress and a white cardigan, she looked like a lily of the valley in full bloom. All of yesterday’s gloominess instantly vanished.

’What happened in my past life belongs in the past. Everything is different in this life. I shouldn’t keep living in the past.’

"Of course! Let’s watch it at my place! Perfect timing. I just made you some spicy beef jerky and was about to bring it over. You saved me a trip."

Seeing Ni Bingyan force a smile, her vulnerability and fear of rejection showing through, Sang Yuan’s heart ached for her, and his voice became especially gentle.

Knowing she had the day off, Sang Yuan had marinated the beef as soon as he got home last night and had been busy in the kitchen since early this morning.

’Ni Bingyan was a woman who couldn’t be swayed by material things; she only cared about the thought behind a gesture. To win her heart, he had to be sincere.’

"What time did you get up? You had time to make beef jerky?"

’Spicy beef jerky... the more you eat, the more you love it. Few Sichuan girls who love spicy food could ever refuse this.’

Sang Yuan stood on the steps wearing a thin cashmere sweater and a small floral apron, holding a spatula. With his bulging chest muscles and narrow waist, the sight was as incongruous as a muscleman wearing pigtails. But instead of laughing, Ni Bingyan felt a sense of delight wash over her.

This delight washed away her underlying apprehension, and the nervousness she’d felt before vanished.

’In Sichuan Province, a man who liked to wear an apron and knew his way around a spatula was a true dreamboat. No matter how handsome or rich he was, not knowing how to cook was a major turn-off.’

Seeing her smile, Sang Yuan smiled back.

"I marinated it last night and just had to fry it this morning. It wasn’t much trouble. Come on, have a taste. See how it stacks up against your dad’s cooking."

"Okay!"

A sense of anticipation bloomed within her. Like a donkey chasing a carrot, Ni Bingyan followed him inside without a moment’s hesitation.

Once inside the Sang home, she saw that no one else was around.

She had originally planned to invite Sang Yuan to her place, so she hadn’t brought a gift. She’d been feeling a little bad about showing up empty-handed, but seeing that no one else was home, she instantly relaxed.

"Are your parents not home?"

Ni Bingyan asked casually as Sang Yuan took off his apron and went to the kitchen to plate the spicy beef jerky. He lied without batting an eye.

"Oh, it was Children’s Day a few days ago, right? They went to celebrate with my nephew."

She had met Sang Yuan’s nephew before. Hearing this, she couldn’t help but frown. "Your nephew—isn’t he in high school? He still celebrates Children’s Day?"

’Sorry, nephew,’ Sang Yuan thought, then shamelessly nodded. "He just really loves celebrating holidays!"

’Well, there’s nothing wrong with liking Children’s Day,’ she thought. ’There are people in their thirties and forties who call themselves "baby" and love stuffed animals!’

’It’s a common thing these days, really no need to be surprised.’

Ni Bingyan didn’t ask any more questions and followed Sang Yuan upstairs to the Sang family’s screening room.

Soul Ferryman was premiering on Blueberry Channel. It was scheduled to air at eight a.m. on Saturday, with two back-to-back episodes, each forty-five minutes long. The online streaming schedule was the same.

Seeing it was almost time, they retracted the projector screen and turned on the TV to watch.

The Sangs’ television was bigger than the one at Ni Bingyan’s house, and the screening room itself was professionally set up. Because Mrs. Sang loved to watch dramas, the seats were also incredibly comfortable, making for a very pleasant viewing experience.

After a couple of commercials, the show began.

A small baby lay silently on an operating table...

Ni Bingyan watched the show intently, but she spent more time analyzing professional details like the actors’ expressions, movements, blocking, and the lighting. Just as she was getting absorbed in it, she heard Sang Yuan sniffling beside her.

Thinking he had been moved to tears, Ni Bingyan kept her eyes glued to the screen and quietly comforted him.

"There’s nothing to cry about. It’s all fake. That baby is just a prop. I mean, think about it, what kind of parent would let their own child act in a scene like this?"

Sang Yuan sniffled again, then pulled out a tissue to wipe the chili oil from the corner of his mouth. He spoke between sharp inhales of air.