Chapter 26
Looking at Yan Jingshu, who was practically pressed against him, so close that he could almost feel the warmth of his breath, gazing at him with unblinking, pleading eyes, Jiang Chenghan remained silent for a long while before finally speaking: “...I won’t touch him again. You can let go now.” Though his tone was still low, there was no trace of anger left in it.
Yan Jingshu froze for a moment before realizing what he meant and hurriedly released Jiang Chenghan’s arm, taking a step back to put some distance between them. Then he opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words, lowering his eyes and standing there awkwardly, fidgeting.
Yan Jingshu never expected his first encounter with Jiang Chenghan after rebirth would occur in such humiliating circumstances - with Jiang Chenghan witnessing him being assaulted. The mere thought that this incident might taint Jiang Chenghan's opinion of him filled Yan Jingshu with such fury that he wished he could kill Mu Tingyuan with his bare hands.
Seeing Yan Jingshu only lower his head after letting go, neither looking at him nor speaking, Jiang Chenghan had no choice but to ask again: “...Are you alright?”
Yan Jingshu pressed his lips together and silently shook his head. Jiang Chenghan had arrived quickly, and Mu Tingyuan hadn’t had time to do anything to him, so he wasn’t injured, and his clothes were still intact. There was no real harm done.
Jiang Chenghan’s concerned words eased Yan Jingshu’s heart slightly. He bit his lip, suppressing the shame and unease of being seen in such a sorry state by Jiang Chenghan, and finally looked up at him, saying, “Today… thank you. Thank you for helping me. I…”
The sight of Yan Jingshu forcing himself to appear calm despite the redness at the corners of his eyes stirred a pang of pity in Jiang Chenghan’s heart. His expression softened as he said gently, “No need to be so polite with me. I’m just glad you’re alright… Should I take you home now?”
Though they were already betrothed and would soon become the closest two people in the world, they had only met three times so far and exchanged fewer than ten sentences. So Yan Jingshu’s behavior didn’t strike Jiang Chenghan as odd.
Though he didn’t want Jiang Chenghan to see him like this, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse his kindness either. In the end, Yan Jingshu nodded and said, “…Then, I’ll trouble you.”
Sensing Yan Jingshu’s unease, Jiang Chenghan didn’t say anything more and simply stepped aside to let him walk ahead. Yan Jingshu gave a slight nod and moved past Jiang Chenghan toward the private room’s door.
“Wait—” Jiang Chenghan suddenly frowned and called out to stop him.
Yan Jingshu turned back in confusion. “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Chenghan pointed at Yan Jingshu’s back. “Your clothes seem unwearable. Wait here for a bit—I’ll go buy you a new set to change into.”
Earlier, Yan Jingshu had been pinned against a table laden with dishes by Mu Tingyuan, so the back of his clothes was stained with soup and sauces, making it very noticeable.
Yan Jingshu hadn’t noticed at all until Jiang Chenghan pointed it out, only now feeling some discomfort on his back.
Not wanting to draw attention on the street, Yan Jingshu had no choice but to say to Jiang Chenghan, “Then I’ll trouble you again.”
“Stop being so polite with me.” Jiang Chenghan chuckled lightly before adding, “Sit for a while. Don’t worry—he won’t wake up anytime soon. I’ll be back quickly.” He remembered there was a silk shop next to the woodenware store that also sold ready-made clothing.
“Mm.” Yan Jingshu nodded and sat on the nearest stool, placing both hands on his knees, looking obedient and well-behaved.
Jiang Chenghan found it amusing but didn’t say anything more. After leaving the private room, he headed straight for the silk shop.
True to his word, Jiang Chenghan returned quickly. In less than half the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he was back in the private room with a bundle in hand. Seeing Yan Jingshu stand up immediately upon his return, he said, “There are inner and outer garments inside. Change into them—I’ll wait outside.” With that, he placed the bundle on the table and left the room again.
Yan Jingshu didn’t even have time to say a word before Jiang Chenghan swept in and out like the wind.
Not wanting to delay any longer, Yan Jingshu opened the bundle and immediately saw an outer robe identical in style and color to the one he was wearing, with only slight differences in the embroidered patterns. Once he put it on, it fit him perfectly.
Yan Jingshu pressed his lips together in a small smile, packed his dirty outer robe into the bundle, and prepared to leave the private room. Just as he was about to go, his peripheral vision caught Mu Tingyuan, still unconscious on the floor by the wall, and he paused briefly.
Jiang Chenghan waited outside for Yan Jingshu. Once he came out, the two left Louwailou together.
“We’re here. You can go home now—I’ll head back too.” Jiang Chenghan stopped about ten meters away from the Duke of Anguo’s residence and spoke to Yan Jingshu. He figured Yan Jingshu wouldn’t want his family to know about today’s incident, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to visit unannounced.
“Mm. Be careful on your way back.” Yan Jingshu nodded and didn’t invite Jiang Chenghan into the Duke of Anguo’s residence with him.
Jiang Chenghan gave a slight nod and didn’t say anything more. Yan Jingshu turned and walked toward the residence. When he reached the main gate, he suddenly glanced back. For some reason, Jiang Chenghan thought he saw a hint of reluctance in Yan Jingshu’s expression. He decided it must have been the harsh sunlight playing tricks on his eyes.
This unexpected encounter left Jiang Chenghan with a lasting impression of Mu Tingyuan. As for Yan Jingshu, he was merely a victim in Jiang Chenghan’s eyes, deserving of sympathy rather than any resentment or dissatisfaction.
Assuming Yan Jingshu wouldn’t want to bring up the matter again, Jiang Chenghan didn’t press for details and soon put the incident out of his mind, focusing instead on preparations for the upcoming wedding.
Amid the busyness, half a month passed quickly. Though the wedding date hadn’t arrived yet, the Mid-Autumn Festival on the fifteenth of August demanded that Jiang Chenghan, as the prospective son-in-law, visit his in-laws with gifts.
Unsurprisingly, just like during the betrothal ceremony, Jiang Chenghan didn’t get to see Yan Jingshu this time either. However, he heard that his mother-in-law had fallen ill. Though he wanted to visit her, the Duke of Anguo explained that Xie Shi had contracted a sudden illness and wasn’t fit to receive guests. Sensing something off in the Duke’s demeanor, Jiang Chenghan didn’t insist, merely asking him to convey his regards to Xie Shi.
After sitting and chatting for a while, noon arrived, and Jiang Chenghan naturally stayed for lunch. But when the dishes were served, the sight of the dishes placed before him made his eyes widen in surprise.
The Duke of Anguo noticed his reaction but didn’t seem surprised. Smiling, he said, “These dishes were specially prepared for you, my future son-in-law. Go ahead and try them—see if they suit your taste.”
Jiang Chenghan’s astonishment only grew at these words, as if he couldn’t believe such consideration had been shown to him. Following the Duke’s suggestion, he picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the dish closest to him.
That single bite made Jiang Chenghan freeze instantly, a storm of emotions surging in his heart. The familiar yet long-lost taste was not only unbelievable but also dredged up deeply buried memories from the recesses of his mind.
Seeing Jiang Chenghan pause after just one bite, the Duke of Anguo stroked his beard and repeated, “Well, my future son-in-law? How is the dish? Does it suit your taste?”
Jiang Chenghan snapped out of his daze, his shock still evident, mixed with something indescribable. He looked at the Duke and, after a pause, said, “…The dish is delicious. But if I may ask, where is the chef who made this from?”
The Duke laughed heartily, answering obliquely, “So you could tell, could you?”
Jiang Chenghan grew even more puzzled. Then the Duke continued, “But you’re asking the wrong person. Though the dishes were prepared by our household’s chef, the recipes were painstakingly sought out by Jingshu. He sought out several people from your hometown and specifically asked for these dishes. He thought that, since you couldn’t return home for the Mid-Autumn Festival, you might be feeling homesick, so he had these hometown dishes made to ease your longing. I suppose you recognized the taste? How does it compare to what you remember from home?”
Jiang Chenghan never expected these dishes to be Yan Jingshu’s doing. But he knew the Duke’s explanation couldn’t be entirely accurate. Though the flavors were indeed identical to those from his hometown, that “hometown” wasn’t from this life—it was from his previous life, in another world.
No one but Jiang Chenghan himself knew the secret he had buried deep in his heart: ever since birth, he had carried memories of his past life.
In that life, he had also been named Jiang Chenghan, born into a family of military and police officers. Both his parents were police officers, and he eventually became one too. But unlike them, after his father—a narcotics officer—was killed by drug dealers, he chose to go undercover to uncover the truth. He spent twenty years as an undercover agent. In the end, during a raid, he was injured while covering for his comrades and lost consciousness from blood loss.
When he woke again, he found himself in another world, reborn as a newborn baby. Though he had regrets about his past life, he knew there was nothing he could do, so he buried those memories deep in his heart and grew up like an ordinary farm boy.
Yet now, over twenty years later, dishes with the exact same flavors as those his mother had made in his past life had appeared before him without warning.
After a long silence, Jiang Chenghan stared at the now-lukewarm dishes before him. Thinking of Yan Jingshu, whom he had only met a handful of times but would soon marry, he lowered his eyes, concealing the complicated thoughts within, and said to the Duke of Anguo, “…The taste is exactly the same as what I had in my hometown as a child. Second Young Master Yan went to great trouble for me.”
“Not at all, no need for such courtesy,” the Duke said with a smile, shaking his head. “If the taste is the same, then eat more.” With that, he picked up his own chopsticks and had a servant pour wine for them.
As the prospective son-in-law, Jiang Chenghan naturally had to keep his father-in-law company in drinking. Fortunately, his alcohol tolerance was good. After several rounds, the Duke was red-faced and barely coherent, while Jiang Chenghan remained clear-headed and steady, though the scent of wine lingered around him.
Seeing the Duke so drunk he could barely sit straight, Jiang Chenghan sensed that something major must have happened in the household to make the normally composed Duke lose control like this in front of him. But now wasn’t the time to ask. He simply had the servants help the Duke back to his bedroom to rest before preparing to leave.
In Mingxuan Courtyard, the maid Yan Jingshu had sent out returned and reported that Jiang Chenghan had eaten a great deal of the specially prepared dishes and seemed to like them very much.
Hearing this, Yan Jingshu immediately smiled, his heart filled with joy. Even the burn on the back of his hand didn’t seem to hurt as much anymore.
Though he had told the Duke that he had sought out the recipes from others, the truth was that these were dishes Jiang Chenghan had personally made for him in their past life—dishes Jiang Chenghan had loved since childhood.
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