GTB Chapter 121

Chapter 123: Coincidence

Jiang Jiuchu noticed Song Fuge’s fleeting figure out of the corner of her eye and stopped chatting with Ji Shutíng.

She raised a hand to brush away the stray hairs at her temples that had been disarranged by the slight breeze as Song Fuge sped past. The shallow smile on her lips became somewhat forced.

When regret presented itself before her eyes, Jiang Jiuchu couldn’t ignore it even if she wanted to. All the memories and sensations surged up from the bottom of her heart like a tide.

She tightened her grip on the reins in her hand, wondering if she was still clinging to the past.

If that were the case… it would be normal, wouldn’t it? After all, it had only been two months. As time passed, she should…

“Do you like noodles?”

Shí Yan rode forward, suppressing the discomfort in his heart, and asked Jiang Jiuchu, who seemed lost in thought.

Jiang Jiuchu turned her head to look at Shí Yan beside her. Dressed in a moon-white robe, he was handsome and unparalleled – her husband.

She and Brother Fu had a connection but no fate, their feelings were deep but their connection was shallow. But with him, her feelings were shallow but their fate was deep. If nothing unexpected happened, he would be the person with whom she would spend her life.

She nodded to Shí Yan, “Yes, but it has to taste good. I don’t like bland noodles.”

“Of course, it will taste excellent.” Shí Yan seemed surprised by Jiang Jiuchu’s response. He thought she would only say yes or no.

The jealousy in his heart instantly faded by half. He looked at Ji Shutíng to the side, “If Miss Ji doesn’t mind, come and have a taste with us.”

“… Oh! Okay, thank you, Seventh Prince.” Ji Shutíng nodded in agreement, completely unexpected that the dignified Seventh Prince would be so polite and proactively invite her.

After Shí Yan spoke, he rode ahead to lead the way, heading towards a secluded old street.

Jiang Jiuchu followed on horseback, her earlier thoughts quietly receding due to Shí Yan’s approach.

Chu Yifeng and Shí Yuanchen naturally followed behind. Having grown accustomed to lavish meals of meat and delicacies, they also wanted to try the noodles that Shí Yan mentioned. Besides, it was already noon, and they were long hungry.

In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the group arrived at the entrance of an alley. Although this place was remote and old, there were quite a few pedestrians.

Jiang Jiuchu had never been here before. It was her first time realizing that the imperial capital of Kyoto had such an old street.

The group dismounted and walked into a shop with two storefronts. Although the tables and chairs were simple, they were clean and tidy. It was lunchtime, and the shop was almost full of customers.

Before they could search for empty seats, a familiar figure stood up and waved at them, “Seventh Brother, Eighth Brother, are you here to eat noodles too? There are seats here.”

The group looked at Shí Xiu, not expecting to encounter an acquaintance in such a remote noodle shop. Especially Ji Shutíng, she also didn’t expect to meet Gu Changxuan here.

Ji Shutíng also walked over and said to Shí Xiu, “Fifth Prince, what a coincidence!”

“It is indeed a coincidence. I was passing by on horseback and happened to be hungry, so I randomly picked a noodle shop. I didn’t expect to not only meet Master Gu but also you all.”

Shí Xiu hadn’t expected to run into them here. Although it was his first time here, it wasn’t by chance. He had arranged to “accidentally” meet Gu Changxuan here long ago.

However, his original plan included Jiang Jiuchu, but he hadn’t expected Shí Yan to go to the pleasure boat at Green Mountain Lake.

“Quick, Miss Ji, please sit.”

Ji Shutíng nodded, sat down, and looked at Gu Changxuan, “Master Gu, were you also passing by on horseback today and came here to eat noodles?”

Gu Changxuan smiled, “Not so. When I first came to the capital to take the imperial examination at the beginning of the year, I happened to live in an inn nearby. I often loved to eat the noodles here back then. Later, although I moved to the center of the imperial city, I still come to eat here a few times a month.”

Seeing that everyone had gone over, Jiang Jiuchu said to Shí Yan, “Let’s go!”

Although Shí Yan didn’t want to sit together with them, there were no other empty seats, so he had no choice but to walk over and sit beside Jiang Jiuchu, separated from Shí Xiu by an empty seat.

Jiang Jiuchu glanced at Ji Shutíng and Gu Changxuan. If she hadn’t heard wrong, Shutíng was planning to call him Changxuan, right?

She didn’t expect these two to have developed so quickly. It seemed like a happy occasion was approaching.

Shí Yan looked at Gu Changxuan and Shí Xiu, his eyes carrying a hint of meaning, as if he suspected the coincidence between Gu Changxuan and Shí Xiu.

Just as they sat down, a waiter came up and asked, “What kind of noodles would you like, esteemed guests?”

Jiang Jiuchu listened to the waiter introduce the different kinds of noodles in the shop. Just as she was hesitating which one to choose, she heard Shí Yan say to the waiter, “Two bowls of your signature noodles for us.”

Hearing this, Ji Shutíng looked at Gu Changxuan, “You eat here often, which one is delicious?”

While the coincidentally met group was ordering noodles with the waiter, a seemingly premeditated or coincidental encounter was still unfolding in the small noodle shop.

At the entrance of the alley, Fan Yuwan got out of her sedan chair and was heading towards the noodle shop.

She hadn’t expected it to be such a coincidence today. It seemed that her sincerity had moved the Bodhisattva. She had just finished offering incense and encountered Shí Yan on her way back to the city.

His figure on horseback was so dashing and unrestrained. She had only lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and couldn’t put it down.

So, he liked to eat noodles? Fan Yuwan walked to the side of the noodle shop, glanced at the sign hanging outside, looked inside slightly, and then stepped over the threshold.

She raised her eyes and scanned the room. The disdain she felt while surveying the room immediately disappeared when she saw Shí Yan.

Seeing that the shop was full of customers but there was an empty seat next to Shí Yan, she was secretly delighted. She felt more and more that the first incense she had burned in the dark early this morning had been effective.

She tightened her grip on the handkerchief and walked towards the leftmost round table with grace and elegance.

“Fan Yuwan greets Fifth Prince, Seventh Prince, Eighth Prince, Young Master Chu, and Master Gu.”

After Fan Yuwan finished greeting them in this manner, she looked at the seat beside Shí Yan, “There are no other seats available. May I sit here?”

She stood beside the empty seat, her gaze not on Shí Yan, but naturally falling on everyone.

“Miss Fan, please sit.” Shí Xiu and Chu Yifeng spoke at the same time.

“It truly is a coincidence today! I’m increasingly looking forward to the taste of the noodles here. How is it?”

Chu Yifeng’s words were in Jiang Jiuchu and Ji Shutíng’s hearts. Having never been here before, the two of them wondered because of this repeated series of coincidences, how delicious could these noodles be? Even the noble ladies of Kyoto came here to eat noodles.

Fan Yuwan was not surprised that someone would offer her a seat. She stepped forward, sat between Shí Yan and Shí Xiu, and said to the crowd:

“It is indeed quite a coincidence. I don’t know if you all came here specifically to eat noodles today or, like me, were passing by and happened to be hungry.”

Chu Yifeng replied upon hearing this: “There are those who were passing by and those who came specifically. No matter what, it is indeed very coincidental to meet here.”

“Miss Fan, did you come out riding horses for the horse race the day after tomorrow?”

Fan Yuwan shook her head slightly, every move showing grace and elegance, “I went to Qingyin Temple to offer incense this morning and happened to pass by, so I thought I would come in for a bowl of noodles.”