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Don't let Wen Man's usual laid-back demeanor fool you; when she gets serious like this, those crescent moon eyes behind her big glasses could intimidate anyone to their core.
At this moment, Jiang Yan didn't dare utter a word. The burnt smell wafting from the pot made him realize he had indeed made a mistake. However, before leaving, he still remembered to look for a pair of gloves and carefully handed them to her, saying, "Put these on, be careful not to burn your hands."
So, Wen Man raised her delicate eyebrows and finally recognized him. She didn't take the gloves, but asked, "What brings you here, Mr. Jiang?"
"I am Du Yu's friend." Jiang Yan smiled handsomely upon hearing her address him as Mr. Jiang, knowing she remembered him. "I didn't expect to meet you here."
"How do you know Du Yu?" Wen Man asked sharply.
"I've actually known Du Yu for quite some time," Jiang Yan said, maintaining his composure under her intense gaze with a smile.
Wen Man didn't know how to describe him. Calling him impoverished didn't seem right, as the confidence he exuded in his every move didn't fit that of someone from an ordinary family. She slightly twisted her beautiful eyebrows and said softly, "If you really are friends with my senior brother, then I have misunderstood you. After all, when you visited the Wen Family last time, it seemed like all your friends were wealthy."
"How could all my friends be rich? Especially with an income like mine?" Jiang Yan, upon hearing her words, raised his eyebrows, displaying a touch of displeasure.
Wen Man thought for a long time, finding nothing suspicious in his words, and with a long sigh, she said, "So, you really are Du Yu's friend?"
Seeing that she believed him, Jiang Yan nodded his head, "Since we are both friends of Du Yu, that makes us friends too."
If Wen Man couldn't sense the implication in his words, that would be strange. Hence, her delicate little face blushed ever so slightly. Then, remembering the scolding her mother, Xu Yu'e, had given her that night, the color faded again.
Even at her age, she shouldn't just marry herself off casually. Of course, it wasn't about whether the other party was wealthy, but a man's character is ultimately the most important. However, this man, apart from being a fallen aristocrat, the worst part seemed to be that his only redeeming feature was his good looks.
Jiang Yan noticed her face turning red and then pale, and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
"Mr. Jiang, I have to make something clear. I don't think you and I are suitable for each other. Your world must be more exciting than mine. You must have had many girlfriends."
"Who said I've had many girlfriends?" Jiang Yan seemed slightly angered as he interrupted her. His brows furrowed, and he turned his face aside as he spoke with a deeper tone, "I thought you were different from your family, that you wouldn't look at me with prejudiced eyes."
Even though Wen Man was taken aback by his somewhat harsh words, seeing his current demeanor, which wasn't frivolous and dissipated like the last banquet where he was dressed fashionably, and how today he wore an ordinary shirt and blue-black trousers like Du Yu, giving him a scholarly student air, she reconsidered.
Jiang Yan slipped his hand into his pocket. After his brows twitched slightly, he pulled out a simple leather envelope, slapped it into her hand, and then turned to leave the kitchen.
In the living room, Du Yu saw him come out and asked, "What happened? Weren't you helping in the kitchen?"
"I... I accidentally burnt the food."
"Burnt the food?!"
Du Yu's suddenly loud voice startled Jiang Yan a little.
"Oh no. Manman's cooking is exquisite, incredibly delicious." Du Yu touched his chest, mournful that the delectable lunch was missing a dish.
It was the first time Jiang Yan saw someone feel heartbroken over a spoiled dish, and he was surprised once more, "Is it that delicious?"
"Extremely delicious." Du Yu mysteriously raised a finger, "Just try it once, and you're guaranteed to be hooked."
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Speaking of deliciousness, Jiang Yan's tongue licked his lips, recalling the instant noodles that Wen Man had prepared for him that night, the taste was incomparable.
"Did you make Manman angry?" Du Yu asked as he placed a hand on Jiang Yan's shoulder.
Jiang Yan gave a low hum in response, his thoughts on how Wen Man's eyes looked quite alarming when she was angry.
"How did you manage to upset her?" Du Yu comforted him while asking for details about the entire incident.
"I was worried about her hands," Jiang Yan explained slowly.
Understanding the situation, Du Yu chuckled and assured him that there was no need to worry, "When it comes to kitchen tasks, Manman knows much more than us. Over the years, she has never been burnt. She knows exactly under what degree of heat she won't get burnt."
Hearing his repeated assurances, Jiang Yan's handsome eyes still kept glancing towards the kitchen door again and again.
Seeing him this way, Du Yu couldn't help but remember how he used to be deeply smitten with his wife Chun Xia and thus found himself believing Jiang Yan's words a bit more.
Half an hour later, it was officially time to eat.
Four people sat around a small square table. After Chun Xia placed the last dish in the center, she clapped her hands and said, "Come on, everyone dig in."
Though she said that, Du Yu and Chun Xia were in sync and didn't start eating right away. Du Yu scooped some soup into a bowl and placed it in front of Jiang Yan, saying, "Try this."
Wen Man's brows knitted slightly, and with a touch downwards, she could feel the Kraft paper envelope in her pocket.
Jiang Yan, sitting opposite her, picked up a small bowl of soup and slowly took a sip. Then, through the steaming mist of the bowl, he looked over with clear, bright eyes.
The moment Wen Man caught his gaze, she suddenly dipped her head and reached into the pocket of her top to clutch the envelope tightly, her brows furrowed sharply.
Chun Xia and Du Yu saw the two of them looking quietly at each other and exchanged a smile, then they picked up their chopsticks.
"Where do you work?" Chun Xia asked on behalf of her best friend, probing into the man's situation.
"I've studied and worked in Beijing," Jiang Yan replied. "So if you're planning to go to Beijing, I can be your tour guide."
"What about your specific job?"
"Currently with a military unit, doing odd jobs," Jiang Yan said. "Since it's an unstable civil service position, I don't earn as much as some other friends."
"But it's not a worry. At least you have a job right now. My first requirement for my husband was just not to be lazy," Chun Xia said with a smile.
Hearing this, Wen Man raised her eyebrows. Who was it that just a few days ago was insisting to her that a man must not be a 'triple without,' and now what?
Moreover, despite the three of them chatting and laughing, their chopsticks never stopped for a moment. The full eight dishes plus one soup were swept through by the trio within ten minutes. Of course, Chun Xia and Du Yu always ate a lot whenever it was her turn to cook, and today was no exception. But this new pauper, just like on that night, seemed as if he hadn't eaten in eight lifetimes. After an initial taste, he immediately consumed three bowls of soup in one go.
Because of this, she allowed herself a small satisfaction, curving her crescent eyes and adjusting the large glasses on the bridge of her nose to cover herself.