Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
It was still early, and only the two of them were sitting silently across from each other in the shop. Fortunately, the boss occasionally chatted with them, so the atmosphere was not so awkward.
The dumplings in the pot were swaying wildly along with the boiling water. The boss took the skimming spoon and stirred the water twice to prevent the dumplings from sticking to the pot. However, he seemed to be more concerned about James, whom he had not seen for a long time. “How long have you been back?”
“I just came back yesterday. I happened to pass by.” James seemed to be more relaxed here. With a faint smile on his face, he casually replied, “I brought a friend to play.”
“Oh, a friend.”The boss’s gaze turned back to the two of them, with an ambiguous and yet understanding look. He laughed and said, “I understand, it’s just a first-time friend.”
Kimberly did not know how to react when she heard this. She hurriedly shook her hand and denied, “No, Uncle, don’t misunderstand. We’re really just friends!”
“Oh James, you’re not good enough. The lady doesn’t even like you.”
The boss praised James while scooping up the dumplings. “James is a nice guy. He’s filial and sensible. He lives in a big city now. Try dating with him. Come to me if he bullies you, I’ll help you.”
Kimberly was stunned by these words. She looked at James for help. James smiled and did not say anything. After a long while, he explained, “Uncle Tom, girls are thin-skinned.”
“I know, I know. I won’t say anymore. Come and eat the dumplings.” Uncle Tom placed two plates of dumplings on the table and pointed at the condiments on the side. “The vinegar is here. Help yourself.”
Kimberly quickly picked up a pair of chopsticks and buried her head in her food, avoiding this matchmaking situation. With the first bite, the fish meat was tender and juicy. It melted like cotton in her mouth.
“It’s so delicious!”
“This is the signature dish here. I didn’t expect to be so lucky. I just happened to catch the last serving today. If I’m late, there won’t be any left.” James propped up his chin and watched her eat the dumplings seriously, he explained slowly, “But it’s true that there is more after the fishing ban.”
“Hey, you cheated me. I was planning to save it for lunch. If I didn’t see that it was you, I wouldn’t have given it to you.”
Kimberly suddenly felt that although James didn’t know how to cook, there were many benefits to following him. For example, every time he found a restaurant, the food was so delicious that it was beyond her imagination.
After breakfast, the two of them leisurely strolled along the street. The morning air was still slightly humid, and with every step they took, they could feel droplets of water brushing past them.
It had been a long time since Kimberly had experienced such a slow-paced life. Here, even if she spent the whole afternoon staring at ants moving, it was still very fun. There wouldn’t be a busy crowd, and there wouldn’t be anyone at the side urging her to keep moving forward.
“Do you want to go to the beach in the afternoon?” James turned around and told her with a smile. “A lot of tourists will come just after the fishing ban, but there are some very hidden corners that only local people know about. Do you want to go watch the sunset?”
“Then what are we going to do next?”
“Don’t you want to go back and lie on the sofa and play with your phone?” James pretended to be surprised. “We can take down the suitcase and lie on the couch in the living room, then we can watch the sunset as soon as we wake up.”
Kimberly couldn’t help but exclaim at James’s understanding. It seemed that she never had to worry about what to do next when she was with James. He always arranged everything in an orderly manner so that no one could pick out any mistakes.
“James knows me well.”
The wheels of the suitcase slid over the worn-out bluestone slabs. For the first time, Kimberly realized that the sound of the tapping was actually quite pleasing to the ears. They returned to the small courtyard hidden in the deepest part of the courtyard and returned to the time when the two of them were alone.
Kimberly carefully touched the couch, which was almost the same as those used by imperial concubines in the TV series. She looked at the yellowed wood and asked, “What is this made of? It looks so expensive.”
“Hmm…Phoebe wood?” James was a little uncertain. He hesitated and said, “It looks more like it. I’m more certain that set of furniture is made of yellow rosewood.”
Kimberly staggered back three steps. Standing in a relatively spacious area, she was at a loss and with a sad face, she asked, “Do you have a cheaper one? I’m afraid I’ll break it, I can’t even afford a chair of carved flowers.”
“Why don’t I go up and continue lying on the bed?” After saying that, Kimberly turned around and planned to go up the stairs.
“That’s agarwood. That’s why you slept so soundly last night.” James’s eyes slightly raised as he covered his lips and snickered. He leaned against the wall in a casual manner, and helplessly said to his escapee, “It’s been over a hundred years. Don’t worry, it’s not that easy to break.”