Second Love chapter 7
Faced with Cheng Huai’s invitation, Jiang Yun readily accepted.
He didn’t give Cheng Huai any advance warning, choosing to speak with the most direct fact instead of typing three emotionless words on his phone: “I am blind.”
The atmosphere became extremely delicate. After sitting down, Cheng Huai greeted him politely but didn’t say anything else. Jiang Yun felt that he must be disappointed because of the prolonged awkward silence.
However, he wasn’t sure if his intuition was correct because, at this moment, Cheng Huai’s breathing was unstable. Jiang Yun didn’t know that it was the factor called infatuation playing a drumbeat on Cheng Huai’s heart, mistakenly thinking Cheng Huai was feeling guilty.
He also speculated that Cheng Huai probably arrived early, maybe several tens of minutes ago. When the waiter came to collect the cups, preparing to serve the dishes, Jiang Yun heard three crisp sounds of glass touching the tray.
Finally, Jiang Yun gently broke the silence. “Mr. Cheng, thank you for coming early.” He smiled, lips curving slightly. He originally thought of leaving it at that, but Cheng Huai surprised him by responding.
“How did you know I came early?”
“When I sat down earlier, the waiter came to collect the cups, and I heard three sounds of glass touching the tray.” Jiang Yun continued calmly, “So, I guessed that before I arrived, you ordered three drinks.”
“Also, when I came, I smelled the aroma of coffee around you, so I guessed it was cappuccino.”
In their previous conversations, Cheng Huai mentioned that he liked cappuccino.
Cheng Huai didn’t speak, effectively confirming it. As Jiang Yun faced Cheng Huai, he obviously couldn’t see Cheng Huai’s appreciative smile.
As the dinner approached its end, Cheng Huai finally said to Jiang Yun, “I’m sorry.”
Jiang Yun’s heart couldn’t help but tighten.
But Cheng Huai didn’t let this tension last for long.
“This time, I didn’t plan well. Can you give me a chance to make up for it?”
So, their second date came naturally. This time, Cheng Huai still chose the restaurant, a dark one.
A dark restaurant, as the name suggests, is a dining experience simulating blindness. Before entering, a waiter blindfolds the guests, and the lighting inside is dim. This is to create a more authentic experience of darkness.
The moment Cheng Huai was blindfolded, he felt as if he had lost control of the world. Suddenly, he felt insecure. Then, in the darkness, he felt someone gently lifting his wrist.
Jiang Yun gently lifted Cheng Huai’s hand and placed it on his own forearm. “Hold onto me.”
There were no menus in the restaurant; waiters politely asked guests about their preferences and aversions, and then served dishes based on different tastes. So, while dining, guests could guess the dishes and ingredients.
Jiang Yun slowly felt the placement of the bowls and plates, then groped for the knife and fork. He found both at the same time and quickly distinguished between the two based on the feeling of the handles. Jiang Yun chose the fork and began picking up the dishes from the bowl.
This was Jiang Yun’s usual way of eating. In contrast, Cheng Huai seemed more unfamiliar and clumsy. He made a crisp sound of “ping pong” when he applied too much force and accidentally knocked the dishes.
Hearing this comical sound, Jiang Yun chuckled softly.
“I got a small piece of steak.” After putting in some effort, Cheng Huai managed to eat the food. There was a sense of accomplishment in his voice.
“I got duck meat.”
“Do you regret choosing this restaurant?” Jiang Yun asked.
“Of course not,” Cheng Huai said. Immediately after, he made a sound of pain, “Ouch!”
“What happened?”
“The fork pricked my hand…”
“Chuckling,” Jiang Yun gently asked, “Give me your hand.”
Cheng Huai obediently extended his hand. Jiang Yun used the back of his hand to tentatively touch Cheng Huai’s arm in the air, then quickly found Cheng Huai’s left hand. His index finger pad gently rubbed Cheng Huai’s skin. “Where did it poke you?”
“The back of my hand.”
Following Cheng Huai’s words, Jiang Yun used his fingertip to gently massage the back of Cheng Huai’s hand. Jiang Yun didn’t know if this would be effective, but relying on his feelings, he assumed Cheng Huai must be in pain, thinking he hurt him.
“Cheng Huai, still hurting?”
Cheng Huai didn’t immediately respond. After two or three seconds, just as Jiang Yun felt a bit disappointed and was about to withdraw his hand, he suddenly felt his right hand being held by a warm and strong palm.
“Jiang Yun, you are a really kind and beautiful human. I realized today that you really mean a lot to me.”