mtlumby2d Chapter 264 Did the neighbors come over for dinner today? 2
Chapter 264 Did the neighbors come over for dinner today? 2
The early autumn evening breeze carries the sweet fragrance of osmanthus blossoms, drifting over the sycamore leaves below the apartment building.
The setting sun painted the sky a gentle orange-pink, making even the light in the stairwell seem languid.
Jiang Shuwan, carrying the bags she had just bought, stepped out of the elevator with somewhat heavy steps.
The bag contained a lemon-flavored cake and apples that she had specially chosen, intending them as a "celebration dessert" for moving into her new home. However, the heavy weight of the apples made her fingertips ache.
Fortunately, she was home. Just as she reached out to open the door, she heard a soft "hissing" sound.
A small hole had been torn in the bottom of the plastic bag, and the apple at the bottom rolled out through the gap, tumbling around on the smooth marble floor.
Jiang Shuwan had no choice but to carefully place the cake box on the shoe cabinet by the door, shake her sore and numb wrists, and start picking up the apples on the ground.
When I picked up the last one, the elevator doors suddenly opened with a "ding," and a cool breeze rushed in.
A pair of black sneakers stepped out of the elevator.
Jiang Shuwan subconsciously looked up and met a pair of calm, expressionless eyes.
"Lu Yan?!" she blurted out, her voice filled with an excitement she herself didn't realize.
The boy looked up, his gaze landing on her face: "You know me?"
His voice was cooler than the evening breeze, but not harsh; it was like water flowing beneath the ice.
"Of course I know you." Jiang Shuwan quickly stood up straight, somewhat embarrassed, and patted the dust off her skirt, trying to make her smile look natural.
"The computer science genius, who doesn't know him? Hello, I'm Jiang Shuwan."
Lu Yan's gaze lingered on her face for two seconds before he slowly spoke: "I know, she's from the oil painting department of the art academy. I've heard about her from a friend."
friend.
The slight joy that had arisen in Jiang Shuwan's heart because he knew about her was instantly obscured by a thin layer of cloud.
Almost immediately, she thought of that name—Lin Weixia.
She was a classmate of Lu Yan, who majored in art history, and was Lu Yan's childhood friend.
"It must be Lin Weixia."
The smile on her face hadn't faded, but the curve of her eyes had softened a bit.
The fleeting sadness in her eyes was like a candle flame flickering in the wind, swaying gently before settling back down. "I've heard her mention you too. I heard you're incredibly good at programming."
She bent down, picked up the remaining apples at her feet, her fingertips touching the reddest one, and handed it to him:
"I didn't expect you to live here too! I just moved in, 1802. We'll be neighbors from now on, so please take care of me. Here, consider this... a neighborly greeting gift."
Lu Yan lowered his eyes to look at the red stain, but did not take it, only saying lightly, "No need."
"Yes, yes." Jiang Shuwan pushed the apple into his arms again, and before he could react, she turned around, grabbed the cake box by the door, and hurriedly swiped open the door to 1802. "I'll head back now, see you next time, neighbor!"
The door clicked shut, shutting out the light and shadows of the corridor and his figure.
Jiang Shuwan leaned against the door, her chest still trembling from the earlier abrupt movements, but a light smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.
She raised her hand and pressed it against her cheek, a faint light shimmering in her eyes.
We've finally met in person, Lu Yan.
In the days that followed, Jiang Shuwan and Lu Yan's interactions became so faint that they were almost like blank spaces in a traditional Chinese ink painting.
Most of the time we bump into each other at the convenience store downstairs. When we meet, we just nod to each other and don't say anything more.
Besides that, their schedules seem to be completely out of sync.
The two doors are like a quiet river, each flowing its own way.
A week later, Jiang Shuwan finally frowned as she looked at her wallet, which was now mostly empty.
She opened the app, and her previous spending records were truly "horrifying".
The closet is full of designer dresses with tags still on, the dressing table is filled with limited edition perfumes, and even the art supplies are top-of-the-line imported goods.
Before, when she lived at home, there were people who took care of her meals and chores. The large sums of money her parents regularly sent were only needed to satisfy her wild and whimsical hobbies.
Naturally, there's no need to worry about daily necessities.
But what can you do when she's moved out now?
However, it's not necessarily a bad thing.
"Knock knock knock."
A few seconds later, the door opened.
Lu Yan was wearing gray loungewear, his hair was slightly damp, as if he had just taken a shower, and the ends of his hair were still damp.
Upon seeing Jiang Shuwan outside the door, a faint hint of surprise flashed across his eyes.
"What's up?" His voice was lower than usual, with a slight hoarseness.
Jiang Shuwan gave a perfectly timed embarrassed smile: "Um... excuse me, Lu Yan, we've run out of soy sauce. Could you lend me some?"
Lu Yan's gaze lingered on her face for half a second, but he didn't ask any more questions. He stepped aside and opened the door, saying, "Come in and get it."
"Thank you!" Jiang Shuwan immediately expressed her gratitude and walked briskly into the house.
Lu Yan's home was much simpler than she had imagined; in fact, it could be described as somewhat empty.
The living room wasn't decorated much, except for a black fabric sofa, a light wood coffee table, and a huge bookshelf against the wall filled with computer-related books and several rows of neatly arranged programming competition trophies.
"The kitchen is over there." Lu Yan pointed in that direction and walked over first.
He opened the bottom door of the cupboard, took out an unopened bottle of soy sauce, and handed it to him: "Take this and use it."
"Ah, thank you so much." Jiang Shuwan hugged the bottle but didn't leave immediately.
A rich aroma wafted to my nose—the smell of braised beef brisket with tomatoes.
The broth is simmered until thick and rich, with a sweet and sour aroma that complements the savory flavor of the beef.
The rice simmering in the small pot next to me was steaming, the plump white grains mingling with the aroma of meat, slowly fermenting in the warm kitchen air, making my stomach rumble.
Jiang Shuwan subconsciously swallowed, her gaze falling on the casserole on the stove.
The pot lid wasn't fully closed, so you could see the tender beef brisket soaking in the orange-red broth. The tomatoes were almost melted, with a few glistening oil droplets floating on the surface, making it look incredibly appetizing.
Lu Yan had already returned to the stove, picked up a wooden spoon and stirred gently. His movements were unhurried and slow, revealing a kind of down-to-earth charm that was quite different from his usual aloof image.
"that……"
Jiang Shuwan, holding the soy sauce bottle, softened her voice, carrying just the right amount of envy, and a hint of pitiful, kitten-like vulnerability that she herself didn't even realize, "It smells so good, are you making tomato beef brisket?"
"Hmm." Lu Yan didn't turn his head, but simply responded.
"It looks incredibly delicious." Jiang Shuwan pursed her lips, her hunger growing stronger.
Between being "shameless" and "going hungry," she almost instantly chose the former.
“Look at the amount in this casserole,” she tried to make her tone sound casual, but her eyes honestly glanced at the bubbling pot, “You definitely can’t finish it all by yourself, right?”