The Heartbeat at the Tip of the Tongue Chapter 8

Lin Ke Song’s heart sank. She didn’t even leave for that long ah! Where did he disappear to?

“Boss! That pretty good looking guy, blind guy, he was just standing here, do you know where he went to?”

“Oh, I saw him cross the road, to the other side!”

“He…… crossed the road himself?”

“Yeah.”

“Seriously doesn’t want his life anymore!” Lin Ke Song hurriedly rode to the other side.

There was a row of stationery shop and whatever other shops opposite. Lin Ke Song searched each shop but still could not find him.

Her back was sweaty with anxiety.

What on earth ah! Didn’t she tell him to stay where he was to wait for her! Cross what road by himself! Move around for what!

He’s even lost his phone, how to reach him ah!

“Wait right here” doesn’t he understand these three words ah!

Lin Ke Song asked all the shops once through, anxiously wondering if she should report to the police, finally, a small shop owner said to her: “The person you’re looking for seems to have gone to that whatever Mufeng café!”

Li Ke Song almost knelt in grat.i.tude to the shop owner.

She hurriedly rushed to the café, leaned the bike at the entrance and rushed upstairs in a few steps.

After looking round, she saw a frosty, indifferent and composed as a fridge Mr Jiang sitting near the window.

His always clear and handsome face, intricate to the extent of being unable to find any flaw in his features, the sunlight slanted, falling on the tip of his nose, surfacing a sense of warmth.

Even with his alienating indifference, it couldn’t make people displeased, but gave a sense of mystery.

In front of him was a cup of lemon water.

Jiang Qian Fan picked the cup up, and took a sip, so proper till it was like, in his universe, Lin Ke Song was like air.

That anger of Lin Ke Song ah, was like a rocket about to launch in to the sky.

She sat down in front of Jiang Qian Fan with all her might, supressing her anger and said: “Didn’t I ask you to stay where you were? Why did you end up here?”

Jiang Qian Fan’s expression was like he did not think he did anything wrong at all.

“I don’t like the smell of smelly tofu.”

Lin Ke Song rolled her eyes to heaven, and thought, and I don’t like you ah!

“Then what if I can’t find you?”

“You will definitely find me.”

“Why?”

“For the 1000USD tour guide fees for the day”

Lin Ke Song once again felt like she was stabbed by a knife.

She had worked so hard today, and was still willing to look for him, she really didn’t remember the 1000USD tour guide fees for the day.

“Your phone.” Lin Ke Song slid his phone across the table.

This chap slowly took a piece of tissue, and wiped the phone. His fingers were very pretty, when he bent his head, it strangely stirred the hearts of others move.

This is the first time Lin Ke Song looked at him from such a close distance.

“Do you want to eat anything from here? Or do you want to eat the deep fried ginger slices?”

Lin Ke Song was quite tired, her voice was a little sickly.

“The coffee here is inferior. Just by smelling the heat, I know that it is bitter and not mellow. The pastry that was served left a faint flour smell, which meant that the pastry was not baked enough. With this kind of standard, I will not eat anything from here.”

Jiang Qian Fan put the phone back into his pocket.

Lin Ke Song pressed her temples, she knew it, this place would not be up to Jiang Qian Fan’s taste. She wanted to throw a tantrum as great as an erupting volcano, but when she caught sight of Jiang Qian Fan’s facial features, she realised that she couldn’t get angry.

He was like the lake between the valleys among the clouds, you can move it as much as you want, but he will always be calm.

“You are angry.” Jiang Qian Fan was still expressionless.

Thank you for knowing that I’m angry.

“I got your phone back with great difficulty. But you weren’t waiting for me at the original spot. If you were me, how’d you feel?”

“I paid you fees for tour guiding, I don’t need you to go after my phone.”

Another stab, right through the heart.

But Lin Ke Song could no longer feel pain.

“Oh, I understand. I won’t chase the next time, let’s go.”

Hope that the moment you get through the door, your phone will be stolen! When you kneel on the floor to get me to get your phone back, I will order lemon water and slowly have a drink!

Lin Ke Song got up, held one end of the cane and brought him down the stairs.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Jiang Qian Fan suddenly stopped.

“What’s wrong?”

“You are injured.” Jiang Qian Fan suddenly asked.

Lin Ke Song was thinking can’t you not see? How can you know I’ve sc.r.a.ped my palms?

“Oh, I fell while I was riding the bike. How did you know?”

Lin Ke Song felt a little wronged. But if it were Song Yi Ran he’ll most probably reward her for having her two legs be fine. But this conceited Mr Jiang……as long as he doesn’t give another stab it’ll be good.

“I smelled blood.”

Lin Ke Song looked at her palms, he can even smell out this little blood?

She’s heard that even though the blind can’t see, and the other senses may be more sensitive, but it can’t be so sensitive to this standard ba.

“Go to the pharmacy, get it cleaned.”

This was considered the most humane sentence that this chap had said throughout the whole day Lin Ke Song had been with him.

There was a pharmacy nearby, Lin Ke Song bought a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, when she poured it over her palms, her tears swarmed around in her eyes, she caught a glimpse of Jiang Qian Fan at the window.

His expression was distinctive.

The cars lights outside the window flitted past his face row by row, but his eyes never once blinked.

He was obviously a mortal, but he had a condescending aura, like he was not impressed with the things of this earth.

She knows using “pretty” to describe a male is weird.

But the Jiang Qian Fan at that moment, let her have an illusion of indifference and beauty.

Lin Ke Song started imagining, if Jiang Qian Fan could see, what kind of expression would his face hold?

Will it be prouder? Or maybe have a devil-may-care smile like Song Yi Ran?

After pasting the bandage, Lin Ke Song led Jiang Qian Fan on their way.

This city is very crowded, even late at night, there will still be crowds and noises.

When they reached the deep fried ginger slices shop, the owner was clearing up and getting ready to close shop. Lin Ke Song bought the last portion of deep fried ginger slices.

Jiang Qian Fan bent his head, the night air lifted his hair, the dim light made his profile seem unreal.

As she expected, Jiang Qian Fan had only one bite.

“Appropriate sweetness and sourness, rich fresh ginger flavour. But the smell of the eggs used is too strong, should have used fodder fed chicken eggs rather than eggs from grain fed chicken.”

“But if they used soil eggs, the cost price would be too high for this little stall.”

Lin Ke Song explained.

“En.”

What a rarity, the cold Jiang Qian Fan would agree with her views.

At this time, an aunty carrying candied haws walked by them. The stand had only two sporadic sticks left.

Lin Ke Song felt a sweet and sour taste on her tongue, and almost overflowed with salivation. Her obviously dispirited mood suddenly jumped to joy again.

“You’ve come all the way here, how can you not eat candied haw!”

Lin Ke Song bought only one stick.

Because no matter how delicious she finds a snack, Jiang Qian Fan would only have one mouth.

Lin Ke Song placed the candied haw in front of Jiang Qian Fan, “Be careful, bite sideways, don’t get poked by the bamboo pick.”

Jiang Qian Fan opened his mouth, and Lin Ke Song once again saw the tip of his tongue.

Without knowing why, every time Jiang Qian Fan ate something, as long as she unintentionally sees his tongue, it was like something gently brus.h.i.+ng her heart, hooking onto to her thoughts, making the whole world seem like ripples in waves.

He latched onto the candied haw, did not eat the whole ball but bit down with a “kacha” sound.

The red icing split at his lips, crackling up.

He hadn’t held in in his mouth for a second when he raised his eyebrows.

Lin Ke Song saw his expression and laughed in her heart.

“How is it?”

“…… the hawthorn should be peeled, or there’ll be too much acerbity. The hawthorn fruit’s flesh is too sour, the sugar coating too thin, the sweetness and sourness can’t be balanced. The quality of the sugar is not good, has too many impurities.”

“So it’s not delicious?”

“It’s the worst snack among all the foods you have brought me to taste.”

Lin Ke Song smiled, she placed the bicycle at one side of the road, sat on the curb, slowly and leisurely bit into the candied haw. Purposely having a “kacha” sound.

“Have you ever had a crush on someone?” she asked randomly.

Anyway even if he was treated like a G.o.d, he wouldn’t show a different expression. Why not just do as she likes.

“No.”

The answer was sure and to the point.

His figure looked lonely under the street lights. Lin Ke Song laughed, this is the first time she felt like she was at an advantage in front of Jiang Qian Fan.

At least there are some experience that she has had but he has never felt.

“A crush is like a candied haw. Hugging the person you like is like a sweet coating, but the moment you bite down on it, you will taste the sour and astringent flavours. Especially when you see the person you like always having someone by their side and that “someone” is usually a green tea b.i.t.c.h (women who are ambitious but act innocent), that acerbity feels like it’s going to emerge from the eye of the throat. But when you wear jeans, and have a walk with your crush down streets and alleys leisurely, then buy a stick of candied haw. You actually know the sugar coating is too thin, not enough to balance out the acerbity. But you still feel that every bead makes you happy, because that person is by your side.”

Jiang Qian Fan stood where he was, not saying a word.

Lin Ke Song guessed that he probably doesn’t know what a “green tea b.i.t.c.h” is, and is even more clueless about a “crush”.

But he waited patiently for Lin Ke Song to finish the remaining candied haw.

When it was down to the last bead, Lin Ke Song stood up and went to Jiang Qian Fan, c.o.c.ked her head and nudged him with her elbow: “Wey! Only one bead left! Do you want another mouth?”

“No need.” An expectedly cold answer.

“Actually, the last two hawthorns are not as sour as the previous ones. Try la, maybe you will find them delicious?”

Lin Ke Song raise the candied haw towards Jiang Qian Fan’s lips, Jiang Qian Fan did not straight away reject, only moved his face to the side.

When his features flashed in front of her, it was like her vision was stretched.

This kind of Jiang Qian Fan, has a tempting softness.

Lin Ke Song started feeling cheeky, wanting to see more of Jiang Qian Fan’s expression when he was avoiding.

The face that he moved to the side, even his long fair neck, was like a comet racing across the sky, she could only see it, and never capture it.

Lin Ke Song tiptoed and purposely pressed the candied haw to his lips, when he raised his hand to reject, she deliberately said, “Be careful of the bamboo pick!”

Jiang Qian Fan as expected did not push her away, but chose to step back.

“Come on! It’s the last bead already! Maybe the previous 1000 candied haws were tart, but this would be different! Not every hawthorn comes from the same tree!”

“I’m not someone you can play jokes on, Miss Lin.”

Jiang Qian Fan’s tone carried a hint of warning, increasing the pressure of the surrounding air.

“I’m not joking with you. Why can’t you try antic.i.p.ating the taste of the next hawthorn? You never know, the sweet and sourness may just balance out perfectly.”

Jiang Qian Fan stood where he was, unmoving.

Lin Ke Song watched for a brief moment, then abruptly took back the candied haw.

“If you don’t want to then forget it.”

She crunched on it making sure to make the “kacha” sound, and bit it off.

Oh my ley! The last one was the sourest!

Lin Ke Song threw the pick into the bin, and clapped her hands.

Jiang Qian Fan was still standing where he was, his face expressionless.

Lin Ke Song smirked, showing a face of pride in front of him: “You wanted to take a bite just now right?”

The other party did not reply, his indifferent eyebrows had a sense of pa.s.siveness.

“Do you want to know how the last one tasted?”

“No need.” Jiang Qian Fan’s eyes were cool, obviously could not see, but because of the reflections of the street lights, it looked like a burning match in the dark.

“I wasn’t planning to tell you either.” Lin Ke Song reached into her pockets, and walked to the bicycle.

The phone in his pocket started ringing, it was his a.s.sistant Li Yan.

Lin Ke Song patted the seat and said: “Let’s go, I’ll send you back to where you stay. Even though a day’s tour isn’t done, I can make up for the rest tomorrow.”

Anyway, her job is to be at home, nothing to do till she can grow mould.

“I have a morning flight.” Jiang Qian Fan said blandly.

“Oh…… but it’s already so late, people will worry about you.”

Lin Ke Song went up on the bike, Jiang Qian Fan followed the sounds and sat down. She’s already not that interested in the 1000USD tour guide fees, because she’s so tired to want to think about anything else.

The night air was a little chilly, blowing against Lin Ke Song’s face.

A touch of sweetness and hawthorn flavour was diffusing in the air.

After they’d ridden past the traffic junction, because the street lights were a little dim, Lin Ke Song couldn’t see very well, the front wheel twisted, the back wheel shook too.

Lin Ke Song tried very hard to maintain her balance, but at that moment, she felt something holding her waist.

The feeling of warm was so clear, like it was holding her heart.

But the other party quickly put down their hands.

Lin Ke Song bent her head, and pursed her lips.

They did not say a word on the way.

Lin Ke Song sent him to a luxury hotel in the heart of the city. At the hotel’s entrance, Li Yan and another foreigner that Lin Ke Song had never seen before seemed like they had waited for a very long time.

“Why are you only back now! Miss Lin, where have you brought Mr Jiang!”

All of a sudden, Lin Ke Song did not know what to say.

But it was the foreigner beside Li Yan who pressed Li Yan’s shoulder, and used English to ask: “Mr Jiang, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Jiang Qian Fan’s English was cool, sounding towards the British p.r.o.nunciation, making it seem strict and restrained.

Lin Ke Song let out a breath, pushed the bicycle towards Li Yan, “Mr Li, this is the bike you bought, I’m returning it to its owner now.”

Author’s note: Did everyone catch that?

Lin Ke Song using the candied haw to taunt Jiang Qian Fan?