Chapter 129: The Feeling of Love
Translator: Fan Translation Studio
Ye Xiaoxian did not answer but just looked at the pomelo flesh in her hands and felt very complicated.
That night, after was.h.i.+ng up, Xiao Baoshan went back to his own room rather early. His thoughts remained as before: As Little Ye finds me annoying, Iâd better not disturb her for now.
As for Ye Xiaoxian, seeing the tightly shut door to Xiao Baoshanâs room, she remained silent for a while and then also went back to her own room.
Lying on the bed she slightly sighed. There was a lack of pa.s.sion between them. She could not sense the feelings of love. Just let it be!
Xiao Baoshan came back this time and would stay for a couple of days. He felt bored being at home and so went to the restaurant to help.
He did not cling to Ye Xiaoxian this time when he went to help. He sometimes served the food as a waiter. However, he was too tall and strong and when he served food there was no smile on his stern face, so none of the customers dared say anything once he came over.
Li Hongmei was afraid that he would scare customers away, so she asked him to come back and go to the backyard to help the others chop vegetables.
Xiao Baoshan had little choice and could only go to the backyard.
What they were doing in the backyard was was.h.i.+ng and chopping vegetables. Xiao Baoshan then started working with the newly employed a.s.sistants. There was a door in the yard which was for the employees to come in and go out.
Xiao Baoshan was was.h.i.+ng the stuff and suddenly spotted Xian who came in from outside.
An a.s.sistant asked Xian, âSister Xian, where did you go?â
Xian looked a bit tense. âNoâ¦nowhere particular. I just went out to buy some stuff. We were lacking some ingredients just now.â Xian then hurried back to the kitchen.
Xiao Baoshan stopped the work he was doing and frowned slightly.
Now Ye Xiaoxian was mainly in charge of inspection and management at the restaurant. She sometimes went to the front hall to take bills. Occasionally some customers would call her over and chat with her, asking how she cooked the dishes and how she won the prize in the provincial capital.
Ye Xiaoxian was not very good at socializing, so once she could not manage a social conversation Li Hongmei would fill her shoes while she would find an excuse for saying she was busy in the kitchen.
On that day, Ye Xiaoxian went to the kitchen and found there were only Little Five, Little Six and a fire-attending a.s.sistant inside. Xian was missing.
Xiao Baoshan was not there either.
Ye Xiaoxian did not mind where Xian went as she might go to the toilet at any time. It was just that she felt a bit upset at Xiao Baoshan not being here. Would he go back to the new house because she ignored him? Or go back to the dock?
Ye Xiaoxian thought about it and felt that her mind was also very contradictory. When Xiao Baoshan was here she found him annoying but when he was not here she was worried that he may have second thoughts about their relations.h.i.+p. If he did have second thoughts, would her situation return to what it was like in the past? She was previously like a widow with a husband.
Ye Xiaoxian went the backyard and wanted to have a look if he was was.h.i.+ng vegetables there.
However, Xiao Baoshan was not in the backyard either. What was more strange was that Xian was also not in the backyard.
Seeing that Ye Xiaoxian seemed to be looking for someone, a new a.s.sistant pointed at a room in the backyard.
In order to avoid gossip the door was not shut. Ye Xiaoxian cautiously looked inside and noticed that Xiao Baoshan and Xian were talking by the door.
Ye Xiaoxian walked towards the door with lighter steps and heard Xiao Baoshan talking.
ââ¦This is your freedom and we respect your freedom. We wonât force you to stay, but I hope if you do want to leave you should leave decisively and do not take anything here with you. Well, Iâll give you two hours to think about it. If you make up your mind, come and talk to me later.â
Xian did not say anything but was only sobbing in a low voice.
Xiao Baoshan soon came out of the room. Seeing Ye Xiaoxian standing outside he nodded to her slightly and added, âI was discussing something with Xian.â
âWhat were you discussing?â asked Ye Xiaoxian. She had actually guessed that Xian seemed to want to leave the restaurant.
Xiao Baoshan was yet to answer but Xian inside could not help but come out and directly knelt down in front of Ye Xiaoxian. âSister Ye, itâs all my fault. I shouldnât have met that Sister Xiang. Sister Xiang said that she wanted to hire me to be the chef of her restaurant and cook the dishes on their menu.â
âHave you agreed?â asked Ye Xiaoxian plainly.
âNo, no, I havenât agreed formally. Brother Xiao just told me that Sister Xiang is actually up to no good and aims to defeat our restaurant. When she achieves her goal sheâll cast me aside because if I can betray Sister Ye, I can also betray her. Betrayers will not end up well. Iâm having a great time in Sister Yeâs restaurant and I shouldnât be greedy, so I wonât go.â
While Xian was speaking she started crying.
Ye Xiaoxian quickly helped Ye Xiaoxian to get up, wiped her tears for her and then smiled. âLook at you. Donât cry. It was her who came to you. It wasnât you who volunteered to find her and besides, you havenât said yes to her.â
âBut Iâ¦â Xian did not have the nerve to tell them that she almost said yes.
Ye Xiaoxian said again, âDo you feel that the wage we pay you is not enough?â
âNo, itâs not like that,â said Xian.
Ye Xiaoxian smiled. âLetâs call it a day for now. Weâll have a meeting tonight after the restaurant is closed.â
Xian went back to work while Ye Xiaoxian looked at Xiao Baoshan. Xiao Baoshan also looked back at her. The two pairs of eyes met each other while the two people seemed to be calm, but inside their hearts something was churning up and down like the tide.
Xiao Baoshan still thought that Ye Xiaoxian would find him annoying so he said, âIâll go and help the others wash vegetables.â
âBaoshan, wait a minute!â Ye Xiaoxian called him to stop.
âYes?â said Xiao Baoshan.
Ye Xiaoxian walked under the eave and continued to ask him, âHow did you find out about Xian?â
âShe left in the middle of work and when she came back she looked very tense. I guessed that there must be something on her mind. After I asked her she became more nervous and could not hold it back, so she spilled everything.â
âNow I see. Thank you so much for that. Without you I wouldnât have known about this,â said Ye Xiaoxian.
âYouâre welcome,â Xiao Baoshan said plainly as usual. This time he did not leave first as he wanted to see Ye Xiaoxian go first.
But Ye Xiaoxian also did not go and the two of them stood there awkwardly for a while. Ye Xiaoxian then said, âI donât have much to do for now. Why donât you take me out for a wander?â
âWhere do you want to go? Itâs cold outside,â said Xiao Baoshan subconsciously. It was indeed cold outside and he was worried that she would catch a cold.
Ye Xiaoxian was speechless, thinking that this guy was so dumb that he understood nothing. I am asking you to date me, got it?
She said vexed, âNever mind!â
She was just about to turn around when Xiao Baoshan suddenly pulled her to stop. He suddenly understood something and was afraid that she would leave, so he pulled her a little bit too hard. He said, âLittle Ye, wait one hour for me, okay?â
Ye Xiaoxian did not know what Xiao Baoshan was up to, so she waited for one hour in the restaurant. During this time she also went to the front hall and taught Xian and others to cook a couple of dishes.
While she was doing these things she was absent-minded as she kept guessing what Xiao Baoshan was going to do. That dumb guy, what else could he do? Perhaps he went back home to fetch some clothes for her.
It was so lame. Couldnât he take off his own clothes and put them on her?
After around one hour Ye Xiaoxian heard Li Hongmei shout, âLittle Ye, hurry up and come outside. Baoshanâs back and has brought a horse with him!â
A horse?
In this era, only rich people had horses.
Ye Xiaoxian hurriedly went outside and saw Xiao Baoshan standing on the street among the bustling crowds. Xiao Baoshan, being tall and strong, led a tall white horse and looked rather mighty with a heroic bearing.
At that moment Ye Xiaoxianâs heart fluttered. Just like in the old days when she began to get along with him. She had lived two lives and whenever she flipped, it was for him.
Xiao Baoshan waved to her and asked her to come over.
She just went up to him and got picked up in his arms. He directly put her on the back of the horse and also mounted the horse himself.
âLittle Ye, sit still!â said Xiao Baoshan.
Ye Xiaoxian immediately gripped the rein. Xiao Baoshan was sitting behind, his tough and well-built chest against her back. He then waved the whip and the horse began to slowly run towards the outskirts of town.
âBaoshan, slow down!â Ye Xiaoxian shouted hurriedly.
She had never ridden a horse before and did not expect that riding one could be so b.u.mpy. She felt like she was going to be shaken off at any moment.
Xiao Baoshan rode the horse slowly at first, when they were still in town, but as soon as they were out of town it was as if he could not wait to make the horse fly. Ye Xiaoxian was shocked at first but gradually got used to the rhythm. She then tried to open her eyes and became more and more excited.
Pa.s.sion! This was the pa.s.sion! Now she just wanted to shout.
When the horse left the town, it ran along the river bank. It was spring, when all things on earth were recovering. There was green gra.s.s and colorful flowers near the river.
Ye Xiaoxian had not been this happy for a long time. After they rode for a long while, Ye Xiaoxian pointed at a beautiful gra.s.s and said, âBaoshan, stop over there!â
Xiao Baoshan tightened the reins to make the horse stop stably on the gra.s.s. He dismounted first and then carried her down from the horse.
Ye Xiaoxian felt that her hands were a bit frozen and blew on them, but Xiao Baoshan gripped her hands to his chest and said, âLittle Ye, itâs warmer here.â
Ye Xiaoxian blushed and her heart leapt.
She did not put her hands on his chest but directly put her arms around him and said happily, âBaoshan, where did you get the horse?â
âI borrowed it from a customer whoâs a businessman.â
âBaoshan, Iâm really happy today. Thank you!â
âItâs good as long as youâre happy,â he said with satisfaction.
Ye Xiaoxian smiled at him, clenched her fists and gently punched him on his chest. âI didnât expect that you could be so romantic.â
âWhat is âromanticâ?â asked Xiao Baoshan.
Ye Xiaoxian once again punched him gently and whispered, âLike this.â
âRight, you punching me is romantic. So, can I also punch you a little bit?â
Ye Xiaoxian did not say anything.
Is Xiao Baoshan flirting with me?
She turned around. âNo!â
Xiao Baoshan hugged her from behind and asked her again, âLittle Ye, are you still cold?â
âNo, Iâm not. Youâre hugging me so how can I still feel cold?â She said shyly.
Xiao Baoshan then wrapped her more tightly in his arms. Seeing that there was no one around he came closer to her and kissed her gently on the cheek.
Ye Xiaoxian then turned to him and kissed him deeply and sweetly. After a long while she thought that this was what love should look like! Green gra.s.s, a white horse and a couple of lovers kissing, like some beautiful painting.