yournovel Chapter 108 Chen Leyao Invites You to Dinner
Chapter 108 Chen Leyao Invites You to Dinner
Yao Ziwen was making instant noodles, his fork hovering in mid-air. Li Yifan leaned down from the upper bunk, the two exchanged a glance, and then simultaneously looked towards Lin Ran's bed.
Lin Ran was fast asleep, wrapped in a blanket, breathing evenly. He had just returned to his dorm from the apartment this morning, and was about to go to class when he opened the door.
Yao Ziwen asked in a daze, "Old Lin, what have you been doing?" Lin Ran replied, "I've been washing socks all night."
Washing socks?
What kind of socks need to be washed all night?
Even if you're just hand-rubbing it, you don't need to rub it all night, right? The smell would be so strong.
After finishing a class, Lin Ran went back to her dormitory to sleep.
Yao Ziwen glanced at Lin Ran again and lowered his voice, "I think we shouldn't disturb his sleep. What if Old Lin ends up finding a girlfriend... no, what if we disturb his rest?"
Li Yifan nodded in agreement: "Sleep is the most important thing in life. Good brothers are loyal and should never disturb each other."
"You guys are just afraid that Ran will find a girlfriend first," Wei Min said casually from her lower bunk.
Yao Ziwen retorted, "Tch. I've dated over twenty men, why would I be afraid of a novice?"
Li Yifan scoffed: "This Casanova just doesn't want Old Lin to suffer the pain of love."
Wei Min didn't reply. Yao Ziwen glanced at the instant noodles, then at the boy still waiting for a response at the door, and finally stood up and walked to Lin Ran's bedside, nudging his shoulder: "Old Lin, wake up. Someone's looking for you downstairs."
Li Yifan added: "The proud and beautiful campus belle of USTC."
Lin Ran opened her eyes, her voice still hoarse: "Who?"
"Chen Leyao".
Lin Ran yawned and slipped on his slippers as he went downstairs. Chen Leyao was standing at the entrance of the men's dormitory. When she saw Lin Ran come out, she slightly raised her chin and called out, "Uncle."
A few boys passing by paused. The boy who had run upstairs with a flushed face to report the news was still standing at the door. Hearing the word "uncle," he opened his mouth and then closed it again.
He looked at Chen Leyao, then at Lin Ran, clearly still not quite understanding what was going on—the arrogant campus belle of USTC calling a freshman from Luda University "uncle."
Ignoring the stares of those around them, Chen Leyao explained her purpose: "My dad asked me to treat you to dinner, along with Su Peixue. Let's go for Japanese food."
Lin Ran nodded and told her to go directly to the parking lot outside the school and wait for her.
Chen Leyao hopped on her bicycle, her hoodie puffing out in the wind, and pedaled a few times before turning out of the dormitory area. The shy boy watched her ride away, then took a deep breath and walked up to Lin Ran.
"Um... Uncle, could you give me Chen's contact information?"
Lin Ran glanced at him. Several other boys nearby were also glancing this way; some were pretending to look at their phones, others were pretending to tie their shoelaces, but their ears were all perked up.
A picture flashed through Lin Ran's mind—that in the future, when walking on campus, people would come up to him and call him "uncle," asking him to help them make connections.
He quickly turned and went upstairs. Damn it, he'd better teach Chen Leyao to be more careful in the future, and not to shout in crowded places. Otherwise, he'd have so many more unwanted nephews.
I went upstairs to change into a clean T-shirt and sent Su Peixue a message asking her to come downstairs. When I got to the entrance of Lanyuan, Su Peixue was already standing there.
The maple leaves have turned red, and the whole campus is filled with the colors of autumn. The girl is wearing a creamy white cable knit sweater, the hem of which is tucked into dark brown corduroy trousers, and a pair of canvas shoes. Her hair is loose over her shoulders.
She was holding a brown paper envelope. When she saw Lin Ran coming over, she jogged a few steps, her canvas shoes making a soft sound on the ground, and the hem of her long trench coat fluttered slightly in the wind.
"Drawn by Tan Shuang." She handed him the envelope. "Hanfu design sketches."
Lin Ran pulled out the drawings and flipped through a few pages. The pencil lines were clean and crisp; the curve of the collar, the hem of the cuffs, the proportions of the skirt—every detail was marked with small print indicating the dimensions and fabric recommendations.
Tan Shuang is usually quiet and has hundreds of e-books stored on her Kindle. Unexpectedly, she has excellent drawing skills and a deep understanding of the structure and style of Hanfu.
He put the design back in the envelope. "Did Tan Shuang say how long it took to draw?"
"For several nights. She said that if the drawing wasn't good, it could be corrected."
"No need to change it. We can start making the pattern right away." Lin Ran put the envelope in the car. "Perfect timing. I'm having dinner with Chen Leyao today. Her dad's clothing factory is switching to making Hanfu, and these designs will come in handy. Should we invite Tan Shuang along?"
Su Peixue shook her head, saying that Tan Shuang had class at noon. Lin Ran said she would invite her specially next time.
When they arrived at the parking lot outside the school, Chen Leyao was already waiting next to Lin Ran's car.
Su Peixue saw her too. Something in her almond-shaped eyes tightened slightly, like a cat's eyes half-closed in the sunlight.
That kind of vigilance, like "You're within three meters of the zookeeper, I need to confirm what species you are."
Chen Leyao was speechless under that gaze. She thought to herself, "You're so beautiful, with a face that's pure to the core, and a beauty mark at the corner of your eye adding a natural allure. Even I, a woman, feel my heart race when I see you. Why are you so wary and hostile towards me?" She took a deep breath and reluctantly said, "Aunt Su."
Su Peixue was taken aback. This form of address was clearly not within her expectations. The wariness in her eyes faded, and she nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Lin Ran opened the back door, and Chen Leyao got in. Just as she was about to say something, a manila envelope was handed to her. "Design sketches for the Hanfu 'A Dream in the Garden.' Take a look."
Chen Leyao pulled out the drawings and flipped through a few pages. Her brows went from being slightly furrowed to relaxed. When she turned to the last page, her fingers stopped.
"It's so beautiful!" she couldn't help but exclaim.
Lin Ran started the car, but didn't drive towards the upscale Japanese restaurant. After turning several corners, he finally stopped in front of a Thai restaurant.
The storefront isn't large, with bright yellow exterior walls, a row of elephant wood carvings on the windowsill, and wind chimes hanging by the door that tinkle when you push the door open. Warm lighting, rattan chairs, and handwoven Northern Thai rugs on the walls complete the ambiance. It's much cheaper than Japanese food, but the atmosphere is just as good.
"Didn't I say I'd treat you to a fancy Japanese meal?" Chen Leyao said, standing at the door.
"You're treating me, so I can eat whatever I want. Isn't it good to save you money?" Lin Ran walked straight inside.
Actually, it was on her way back to the apartment after taking Su Peixue for a walk last night that she glanced at the elephant wood carving on the windowsill a few more times as they passed this shop. She didn't say she wanted to eat it, but her steps slowed down, and she looked at it for a few more seconds. Lin Ran didn't say anything at the time, but he remembered it.
After sitting down, Chen Leyao flipped through the menu and ordered one of each of the following: Tom Yum soup, green curry chicken, Pad Thai, green papaya salad, mango sticky rice, Thai grilled pork neck, coconut chicken soup, and fried shrimp cakes. After ordering, she picked up her glass and drank lemon water.
My phone vibrated. It was a message from Hu Zhangpeng: "Le Yao, we were supposed to have lunch together. I've been waiting for you downstairs at your dorm for ages. Where are you?"