最佳契合 (Perfect Match) – 十九瑶
Chapter 65
The sight of that face sent shivers down Zheng Feiluan’s spine, and his alertness level skyrocketed.
Xie Yan.
When was the last time he saw this person?
He remembered hearing Xie Yan’s name on a variety show a while back. He An was there, but the host only brought him up four or five times—enough to nearly trigger a heart attack. This time, the actual person showed up at his door. Everything he had worked for this summer would be for nothing if He An found out.
It looked like Zheng Feiluan was facing a strong enemy, so he spoke more softly and asked, “What are you doing here?”
Xie Yan didn’t think of himself as an outsider. He put his sunglasses and mask on the bar and sat down on a high chair before waiting for someone to invite him, “I’m filming at the Film and Television City in the north of the town. I heard you were on vacation here. It had been five years since I last saw you, so I made the effort to spare you a visit.”
After he said that, he looked around very carefully and seemed very interested.
Zheng Feiluan frowned uncomfortably.
He said what?
Where did he hear this?
Although most people were aware that he was on vacation in Luotan Town, it was not widely reported. This was actually kept under wraps even within Jiusheng.
Xie Yan was trying to learn more about him in an indirect manner, so it was unlikely that he was here just to talk about the past.
“Your drink names are so cute, and so are your logo and drawings. The red strawberry is my favorite.” Xie Yan looked at the price list on the wall with his chin propped up in his hand and asked, “Feiluan, won’t you buy me a drink?”
Hell no.
After taking a quick look at his watch, Zheng Feiluan raised his head and looked through the French window at the Olive Inn on the other side. It was 2:26PM, and Linglan should’ve gotten up. His pampered little princess insisted on eating milk cakes for breakfast, and He An might bring her over at any time.
Schrödinger’s Cat.
There’s a lot at risk.
Xie Yan’s expression turned glum as he realized he had been ignoring him; in an effort to brighten things up, he forced a smile, “You can’t possibly have forgotten that my favorite drink isn’t here, can you?”
“Right, we don’t have it.”
So, why not just leave already?
Zheng Feiluan maintained a cold demeanor and continued to clean his coffee grinder, showing some irritation.
When Xie Yan saw this, his face went blank. He tried to smile, but it wasn’t as good as before, “Feiluan, do you remember that you used to give me white wine a lot because I liked it? Burgundy Sauvignon Blanc was the first bottle you gave me, and I will never forget it.”
“I wasn’t old enough to know how good it was at the time. Over the years, I’ve tried many other flavors, but the one you gave me is still the one I like most. And the name was lovely too, Chang Xiang Si;1Chang Xiang Si, which is written as 长相思, means “Sauvignon Blanc” in English. During the Tang Dynasty, a Chinese poet named Bai Juyi wrote a poem with the same name. The poem is called “Everlasting Longing.” doesn’t it imply that the love is still deep and lasting…”
“Sorry, I don’t remember that at all.”
Zheng Feiluan pretended not to grasp his hidden meaning and said, “I’ve always been cold-hearted, and I don’t cherish the past. It’s been five or six years, and my tastes have changed a few times.”
Xie Yan was suddenly choked, his cheeks flushed, and he had to move his eyes around in embarrassment.
After a while, he asked reluctantly, “Feiluan, are you seeing someone new?”
Zheng Feiluan asked with a smile, “What do you think?”
This man is not pure of heart. If he wants to get a celibacy certificate after an omega dumps him, he has to wait five or six years.
That’s funny because the other person’s shocked and disappointed face shows that Xie Yan probably really thought that—his fans have built him up over the years, and everywhere he goes, people are flattering him and confessing to him. Saying “I love you” can get him screams hundreds or thousands of times more.
He almost believed it. He thought his love was all-powerful, like gold, diamonds, and gemstones, and that everyone was rushing to get it. Everyone would be interested in him as long as he took it out.
He even used this false self-confidence on Zheng Feiluan.
Xie Yan finally sobered up a bit, but he was still unwilling to say, “If that’s the case… then, that’s great. I’ve been worried for years that you wouldn’t be able to get past it. If you find your second true love and decide that the person deserves your affection, I’ll definitely congratulate you. Is it possible for me to meet your omega, Feiluan?”
He was curious to see the type of stunning beauty that had become Zheng Feiluan’s favorite.
Zheng Feiluan unexpectedly refused bluntly, saying, “I don’t think it’s necessary. A little problem is better than more. I don’t like the ex bothering the current one.”
Bother?
Hearing this made Xie Yan extremely angry.
How many people endured four or five hours of waiting at the airport for the chance to see him for a moment in person? How many people traveled a long way to get to Luotan Town and were happy to just take a picture of his face? But why is it that meeting Zheng Feiluan is considered a “bother”?
Xie Yan, on the other hand, kept up his calm and collected façade and said, “Feiluan, I understand what you’re worried about. When we finally meet, you’re worried he’ll misinterpret you. Actually, you shouldn’t be concerned. Think about it: if he is truly in love with you, he will never doubt you. If he doubts you, it means he一”
“It isn’t a question of whether he doubts me or not. I just don’t want to make things hard for him. In no way at all.”
Xie Yan was talking when Zheng Feiluan cut him off and emphasized the last five words.
Xie Yan became speechless and gritted his teeth. After a while, he just couldn’t come up with anything to say next.
Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that Zheng Feiluan, who had treated him like a wife and was willing to spend millions to make him happy, would be so uncaring now that he had a new lover, and he gave him not even the slightest smile.
But…
Be patient.
He has to put up with it for the time being because he needs other people’s help. As soon as he reclaims Zheng Feiluan’s favor, he will demand his fair share of rewards. And the omega will have to deal with twice as many of the cold glances he got today.
The most pressing task is not to play the victim or make people laugh, but to stop at the right moment to keep his image in Zheng Feiluan’s heart.
We’re off to a bad start today, so better to stop for now.
Xie Yan leaped from the high chair and spoke softly, “Feiluan, let me assure you that I mean no harm. I was free today, so I stopped by to see how you were doing and catch up. As long as you’re doing well, then I don’t have to worry. You continue working. I’ll head back to the set first. Everyone is waiting for me.”
After that, he gave Zheng Feiluan a friendly smile, collected his belongings, turned around, and left the pastry house.
This act and scheming clearly didn’t work with Zheng Feiluan. Standing behind the bar, he kept a tight eye on Xie Yan’s figure, making sure that he walked away from Olive Inn after he left.
No, he can’t be sure just yet.
What if Xie Yan already knew about He An’s existence and caused trouble for the other person while he wasn’t looking?
Doesn’t that mean he’ll have to get on his knees tonight?
It made Zheng Feiluan feel less sure of himself the more he thought about it. He quickly dropped the brush and coffee grinder and dashed to the Olive Inn to scout the enemy.
⋮
As soon as Zheng Feiluan walked into the inn and took a few steps, he saw what was going on in the yard. It made his heart beat faster. He took a deep breath, turned his head, and got ready to tiptoe back.
As if he’d never been here.
Unfortunately…
“Feiluan?”
He An caught him.
Zheng Feiluan tensed as he had to swallow his pride and make his way over.
He An was sitting in the shade of a bougainvillea, holding a Linglan. On the round wooden table, there was a cup of herbal tea, a slice of Matcha Mille Crepe cake, and a tablet.
Yan Ning’s face could be seen on the screen.
“…Dad.”
Zheng Feiluan warmly greeted him.
Yan Ning laughed and asked, “Why are you sneaking away? Do you think I can’t see you?”
“I wasn’t sneaking away…” Zheng Feiluan scratched his neck and nearly ripped the isolation patch on his skin, “I’m just worried about interrupting your family bonding, okay?”
Every two or three days, usually during the afternoon when the sun was out, Yan Ning would chat with He An and his daughter, whom he missed. Unfortunately, Zheng Feiluan didn’t see them because he was at the Cranberry Pastry House. He came here today to “scout the enemy” and ended up running into them by accident.
To be honest, Zheng Feiluan wasn’t afraid of Yan Ning.
Zheng Feiluan felt comfortable alone with either Yan Ning or He An. But he felt a little overwhelmed when Yan Ning and He An showed up at the same time. Plus Linglan, it would be like a pack of three generations of omegas—powerful and unstoppable—that could devour him in an instant, let alone gather together.
Zheng Feiluan stood by He An’s side, hands tucked into his pockets. Despite his physical strength and stature as an alpha, he felt just as weak and abandoned as a young wolf cub tossed into a violent rabbit hole.
He An moved aside to make room for him. There was so much pressure on Zheng Feiluan to sit down that he couldn’t refuse.
He has no idea how long it will take to get out.
On Yan Ning’s side, there is also a courtyard with a wide wooden bridge, a pebble-paved path that goes over clean white sand, and a colorful paper windmill stuck into the edge of the sand. Over the stone, you can make out a yellow ginkgo tree, as well as shallow water, lush grass, and corners filled with red maples as bright as fire.
Subtle elegance in a classical style.
He An liked it and asked, “Uncle Yan, where is this place? I remember talking to you a few times before; your house doesn’t look like this.”
“I live in my own home close to Yuanjiang University. Gardenia West Street, do you know it?”
“Yes, I do. It’s near a bookstore. A trendy coffee shop is right next to it. It’s small and only takes cash. I used to work there.” He An nodded repeatedly, but he was a little confused, “Are there any houses along that street? I thought all of them used to be the homes of celebrities.”
“I’ve already bought them.” A grin spread across Yan Ning’s face, “If I don’t feel like going home, I stay here. The kids in the poetry club often drop by, bring their own little tea bags, and have meetings in my tea room. As soon as the conversation starts to veer off course, it automatically turns into a baking seminar because Zhou Jie2The character 姐姐, read as Jiějie, is the Chinese term for sister/older sister. enjoys baking cookies for them.”
He An couldn’t help but laugh and say enviously, “If I had joined the poetry club, maybe I could’ve met you sooner… or if I could’ve gone around Gardenia West Street more often…”
“Our meeting could have been more pleasant if Feiluan hadn’t done that terrible thing and brought you home sooner.” Yan Ning replied.
Zheng Feiluan was fatally stabbed with no reason, and he clasped his head and said, “I was wrong, Dad, please stop talking.”
Yan Ning just smiled and didn’t say anything.
He An then asked again, “Do you live here by yourself most of the time?”
Yan Ning nodded, “Yes, I live alone. Hongming doesn’t have a key, so he can’t go in, and he doesn’t dare to. Of course, Feiluan also doesn’t have a key. If you fight again in the future, you can…”
“Dad!”
Zheng Feiluan rushed to stop him.
“…You can bring Linglan and live here if you want to. It’s quiet and safe. Your meals will be taken care of by Zhou Jie, and you’re even allowed to raise cats and dogs.”
“Really?” He An got excited, “That’s great!”
Zheng Feiluan rubbed his brows and sighed as he looked up at the sky.
Dad, it seems like I’m looking for a daughter-in-law for you instead of a wife for myself.
“What about Feiluan? How has he been doing lately?” Yan Ning asked with a hint of worry.
He An turned to face Zheng Feiluan.
How could Zheng Feiluan make a face right in front of Yan Ning? He quickly opened his hands wide, gesturing to He An to answer honestly. He An lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before giving Zheng Feiluan a stern look and saying, “Not bad, about 60 points… No, 61 points.”
Yan Ning felt happy and told Zheng Feiluan, “It appears that I won’t have to worry about you being chased back to Yuanjiang anymore.”
⋮
They had been talking on this video for almost an hour, and Zheng Feiluan was completely exhausted from being a bystander who had to be dragged out from time to time to be a topic of conversation.
It was difficult to end the call, but Zheng Feiluan did so. As He An put the tablet away, Zheng Feiluan stood up and stretched, as if his body had been given a fresh breath of energy.
“So, why are you looking for me?” He An asked out of the blue.
“Huh?”
After trying to remember for three or four seconds, he realized he had come over to “scout the enemy.”
“Uh, it’s nothing important. The pastry shop isn’t busy, so I went over to take a look. He An, today… did…” Zheng Feiluan pretended to ask casually, “…did anyone come to find you?”
“Find me?” He An was confused, “Find me for what?”
Based on his reaction, it seems no one did.
The stone that had been hanging from Zheng Feiluan’s chest dropped to the floor with a thud.
“Nothing.” He waved his hand and said vaguely, “There have been a lot of tourists in town recently, and I’m worried they’ll harass you.”
“…….”
You’re not fooling anyone.
He An’s eyebrows furrowed as he thought, Could something have happened to Zheng Feiluan?
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The next chapter will be updated on Wednesday, May 29th. 🫶🏻
Translated and edited by janemoyu (05/23/24)
