Intimate Trial Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The car finally stopped in front of a quiet Cantonese restaurant.The facade is not ostentatious, and the warm yellow light shines from the carved wooden door, creating a small area of ​​warm light in the cool night mist.

Ye Chang was obviously very familiar with this place and led Shen Shenlin straight in.The waiter seemed to recognize her and respectfully led them through the slightly noisy lobby to a relatively quiet corner by the window.

The location is great.On one side is a half-height wooden screen, blocking most of the sight; on the other side is the entire floor-to-ceiling window. Outside the window is a carefully tended small patio, with swaying bamboo shadows and silent stone lanterns, isolating the hustle and bustle of the outside world.Overhead is a paper lantern with soft light, casting a warm glow on the dark tablecloth.

The environment was private, quiet, and even…with a sense of homeliness that shouldn’t belong in their relationship.

Shen Silin took off her windbreaker and put it on the back of the chair. When she sat down, her fingertips accidentally touched the cool solid wood tabletop, and the feeling of unreality in her heart became stronger.She watched Ye Chang sit down opposite her, skillfully taking the gilded menu from the waiter, his side face appearing soft under the lantern light.

“Let’s see what you want to eat.” Ye Chang pushed the menu in front of her and picked up another one. “Their raw porridge and snacks are good, perfect for a late night snack.”

Her tone was normal, just like any two acquaintances meeting casually for a meal after get off work.There is no scrutiny, no pressure, and even the invisible sense of distance when you are in a company.

Shen Silin lowered her eyes and opened the menu.Exquisite pictures and tempting descriptions came into view, but she was a little confused.This is so weird.Ye Chang…why did he bring her here?Is it to compensate for the “accident” that night?Or another, more roundabout… observation?

“Mr. Ye,” she raised her head and tried to make her voice sound natural, “do you come here often?”

“Occasionally.” Ye Chang’s eyes were still on the menu and he replied casually, “I used to… come here when I was busy late and didn’t want to eat too much.”

The waiter came in due time.Ye Chang skillfully ordered several dishes: a bowl of raw fish porridge, a cage of shrimp dumplings, a plate of boiled cabbage sum, and a small serving of almond tea.They are all light and stomach-warming, obviously taking into account Shen Shenlin’s condition.

“That’s all, thank you.” Ye Chang closed the menu and nodded slightly to the waiter.After the waiter left, she looked at Shen Shenlin again, her eyes calm, “Are you still adaptable to work? There have been a lot of things recently, and there is a lot of pressure.”

Very common boss inquiry.But in the current environment, Shen Silin was on pins and needles.

“Fortunately, I can keep up.” She replied cautiously, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the side of the warm teacup.

“Yeah.” Ye Chang didn’t seem to be looking forward to her long report, and just responded lightly.Her gaze passed over Shen Shenlin and towards the swaying bamboo shadow outside the window, and she was silent for a moment.

“Sometimes, when you push yourself too hard, it’s hard to see the direction clearly.” Ye Chang suddenly spoke, his voice was low, as if he was talking to himself or telling her, “A proper pause and…a little warmth are necessary.”

Silin suddenly raised her eyes.

The halo of the lantern danced in Ye Chang’s eyes, making it difficult to see what was hidden under the deep pool.Is this sentence talking about work?Or are you insinuating something?

Temperature…

Silin thought of the off-white slippers, the perfect cup of honey water, and the hot porridge on the table that was about to ignite her stomach.

Ye Chang was giving her “warmth”.Bit by bit, seemingly inadvertently, it accurately meets her needs as a “person” rather than a “tool”.

This is scarier than any cold instructions or clear exchange of benefits.

Because it directly affects the weakest parts of the human heart – loneliness, fatigue, and the instinctive desire for care.

Silin felt a chill rising from her spine, instantly dissipating the warm aroma of the food around her.Her hands under the table tightened slightly.

“That’s what Mr. Ye said.” She forced herself to smile appropriately, “I will pay attention to adjustments.”

Ye Chang looked at her quietly. After a few seconds, the corners of his mouth seemed to move upward slightly. The arc disappeared so quickly that it made people wonder if it was just a trick of light and shadow.

“Here comes the food.” She looked away and looked at the waiter coming with the tray.

The hot fish fillet porridge was carefully placed in the center of the table, and the aroma was filled with it.The shrimp dumplings are crystal clear and the cabbage heart is green and attractive.The almond tea was served in a small white porcelain cup, steaming slightly.

“Eat it while it’s hot.” Ye Chang picked up the porcelain spoon, scooped out a small bowl of porridge first, and placed it in front of Shen Shenlin.The movements are natural, as if they have been done thousands of times.

Shen Silin looked at the bowl of thick and fragrant porridge in front of her, her vision blurred by the heat.

She picked up the spoon, scooped up a little, and put it into her mouth.The temperature of the porridge is just right, the fish fillets are smooth and tender, and the rice grains are soft. The warmth spreads from the throat to the stomach instantly, dispelling the coolness of the night breeze.

It tastes great.

“What are your plans for annual leave?”

Shen Shenlin’s fingers holding the porcelain spoon paused almost imperceptibly.

annual leave?

The topic was so unexpected that she was caught off guard.They were just enjoying the late-night snack, and the atmosphere even had a strange sense of peace. In the blink of an eye, they jumped to holiday arrangements related to their personal lives.It was more personal than a direct job inquiry, and more…overwhelming.

She raised her head and met Ye Chang’s eyes.The other party was blowing a spoonful of porridge slowly and gracefully, but his eyes fell calmly on her face, as if it was really just a routine humane care from a boss to his subordinates.

“For the time being… there are no specific arrangements.” Shen Shenlin answered cautiously, her mind running rapidly, “Maybe… I’ll just take a rest at home and deal with some trivial matters.”

This is a safe but boring answer, which fits her current persona of being “unsupported and focused on work.”

Ye Chang nodded, put the porridge into his mouth, and after swallowing it, he said slowly: “It’s not bad to go for a walk. For a change of environment, sometimes you can think about many things clearly.”

Her tone was still calm, as if she was giving advice, but she also seemed to mean something.

An alarm bell rang in Shen Silin’s heart.What is Ye Chang hinting at?What do you want her to “think clearly”?Is it her attitude towards Ye Shi or towards Ye Chang?Or… her complicated emotions that have been deliberately suppressed and that even she has not yet fully clarified?

“Mr. Ye…do you have any recommendations?” She asked tentatively, throwing the question back.

Ye Chang put down the spoon, picked up the napkin on the side, and gently wiped the corners of his mouth.This subtle movement carried a sense of dignity that was engraved in her bones that was not in line with her homely attire at the moment.

“It depends on what you want.” She raised her eyes, and her eyes seemed to penetrate the calm surface that Shen Shen Lin was trying to maintain. “If you want to completely relax, there are some small islands in the south, with few people and quiet. If you want to find a different feeling…” She paused slightly and lightly traced her fingertips on the wall of the warm tea cup. “In the mountains to the north, the autumn scenery is very good and the air is clean. However, you must pay attention to safety when entering the mountains alone.”

She gave two very different options and even mentioned “safety.”There was no coercion in the words, only statements, but they were like two keys, hanging in front of Shen Silin, waiting for her to choose, and it was also like testing her inner tendency.

Do you long for the complete escape of a warm beach, or do you prefer the solitude of the cold mountains?

Silin felt the discomfort of being silently dissected.Ye Chang is too good at catching clues in this seemingly casual conversation.

“I…may consider somewhere closer.” She avoided specific choices and gave a vague response, “It’s easier to get back and forth.”

“Yeah.” Ye Chang didn’t seem surprised by her avoidance and didn’t ask further questions.”It’s arranged. Just tell the secretary in advance and the work will be handed over.” She picked up the spoon again and her tone returned to a purely businesslike tone. “Ye does not encourage ineffective overtime. When it is time to rest, take a good rest.”

This statement is beyond reproach and can even be called the statement of a model employer.

But Shen Silin tasted a different meaning – Ye Chang was conveying a kind of “permission” to her, or even an “expectation”?Expect her to take a vacation, to relax, to… leave the center of this whirlpool temporarily?

This only made her more vigilant.

“Thank you, Mr. Ye, for your concern.” She thanked him in a low voice, scooped up a spoonful of the slightly cold porridge and put it into her mouth.Tasting the delicious taste at this moment, it actually tastes like chewing wax.

The bamboo shadows outside the window swayed gently in the night wind, and the glow of the stone lanterns was quiet and peaceful.The snacks on the table are steaming hot.

Under all these seemingly warm and calm scenes, Shen Shenlin felt as if she was sitting on a carefully arranged stage. The person opposite was both the audience and the director, calmly observing her every line and reaction.

This brief conversation about “annual vacation” is like a seemingly idle scene in the script, but it may contain key foreshadowing that affects the direction of the subsequent plot.

Ye Chang stopped talking and enjoyed his midnight snack quietly. Occasionally he raised his eyes and looked out the window, his face silent.

Shen Shenlin also fell silent, sipping her food, but the string in her heart became even tighter.