Water and Fire~Chapter 142: Who Are You?

 

Chapter 142: Who Are You?

Ren Yan told Chu Qianmiao that the sound of the door opening and closing across the street must have been the housekeeper returning from grocery shopping.

This revelation immediately alerted Chu Qianmiao to the rumbling of hunger in her stomach.

"I'm hungry," she declared, her chin raised.

Ren Yan unbuttoned his shirt and asked, "What do you want? I'll make it for you."

Chu Qianmiao was amazed by his gesture and words. "You can cook," she asked excitedly, her eyes widening in surprise.

He had never shown this skill before.

Ren Yan casually removed his shirt in front of Chu Qianmiao, revealing his radiant, white upper body. He deliberately inhaled, his eye-catching abdominal muscles becoming more distinct and alluring.

"If I can't cook, will I have to eat out until I'm in my thirties?" The rhetorical question resurfaced, but it lacked the questioning tone of the past and was now filled with amusement.

As Ren Yan spoke, he slowly and methodically removed his trousers and put on his formal home clothes.

Chu Qianmiao: "..." She wondered if he had no other thoughts or was simply shameless.

After changing into his own home clothes, Ren Yan casually and naturally handed Chu Qianmiao a set of formal home clothes. He didn't even bother asking if she wanted to stay the night. His intention, "Even if you want to leave, I won't let you," was crystal clear.

Chu Qianmiao tutted, not knowing whether it was because he'd clearly prepared the home clothes in advance or because he could actually cook.

"I always thought people like you, the petty bourgeoisie, had a housekeeper to help you with your cooking." She took the clothes and hugged them, but she was too embarrassed to start taking them off in front of him like he did.

"Besides you, I can't stand anyone else intruding too much on my territory," Ren Yan said, looking at Chu Qianmiao.

Chu Qianmiao made a face, almost grimacing. "Thank you for the honor!"

Ren Yan looked at her, raised his lip, and asked, "What would you like to eat?"

Chu Qianmiao's eyes lit up. "Boiled pork."

Ren Yan decisively replied, "I don't know how to make that."

After a pause, he said, "Tell me another."

Chu Qianmiao said, "Then boiled fish."

Ren Yan looked at her with a mixture of annoyance and amusement. "You're just trying to piss me off."

After a pause, he said, "Boiled meat of any kind, you don't need to order it."

"Oh," Chu Qianmiao said, a look of artificial disappointment on her face. "Then tell me what you can make, or I'd like to order Bobo Chicken next."

Ren Yan looked at Chu Qianmiao, shook his head, and raised his lip. Then, straightening his expression, he replied, "Wood ear mushrooms, cucumbers, green peppers, zucchini, scrambled eggs, or stir-fried meat. You're free to choose."

Chu Qianmiao couldn't help but make another face.

What the hell? It sounded like she had a wide range of options.

Chu Qianmiao ultimately chose stir-fried black fungus with pork and roux, scrambled eggs with cucumber, and zucchini soup.

She followed Ren Yan to the kitchen. His was luxurious and upscale, its impeccably clean kitchen emitting a cool aura that perfectly matched his temperament.

Chu Qianmiao leaned aside, watching Ren Yan, aproned at the sink, wash his hands and prepare her soup. She wondered how to describe the feeling she felt at that moment.

It felt heavenly.

It was as if one day she had suddenly realized a god had descended to earth, put an apron on her, set up a wok for her, and began to cook stir-fried black fungus with pork and roux and scrambled eggs with cucumber.

At that moment, Chu Qianmiao felt as if her heart were soaking in warm, thick sugary water, a warm, sweet sensation welling up inside her.

Ren Yan's dishes, though simple, tasted truly delicious. Chu Qianmiao happily devoured two bowls of rice in one sitting.

After dinner, Ren Yan took her to the gym for a workout.

She worked out casually in her loungewear for a while, but soon she couldn't move anymore. Looking at Ren Yan's abs made her feel like her nose was about to bleed, so she simply went to shower.

Before she left the gym, her loungewear was damp from sweat. Ren Yan told her she could change into his shirt after showering.

Chu Qianmiao rummaged through Ren Yan's closet and found a white shirt. She pinched the collar to see the brand and gasped.

It was too expensive.

She looked at other shirts. They were all similar, all incredibly expensive. So, she just picked one at random.

She wore Ren Yan's white shirt. The hem of the shirt dipped past her thighs. She swung her legs around and wandered around until she reached the study next to the gym. She turned on the lights, and under the bright white light, she admired the room anew.

The floor-to-ceiling windows seemed to take in half the city's nightscape. The old-fashioned rocking chair by the window seemed out of place in the modern decor, yet somehow they seemed to blend in.

Further in the room was an imposing desk, and next to it was a mahogany cabinet with a glass door.

Chu Qianmiao walked over to the cabinet, occasionally peering through the glass.

Books, wine, and collectibles.

Suddenly, her gaze froze.

She stared at the floor at eye level, frozen in place.

Her heartbeat quickened, a pounding throb in her throat, prompting her to call out, "Ren Yan, Ren Yan, come here!"

She called urgently. Ren Yan was showering after a workout, a towel casually wrapped around his waist, and he hurried out of the bathroom. His hair and body were still dripping with water, his damp body brimming with hormones.

This time, Chu Qianmiao wasn't drawn to his masculine charm. She pointed at the cabinet and turned to Ren Yan, asking, "What's going on in there?"

For the first time, Chu Qianmiao saw a hint of embarrassment on Ren Yan's face.

She opened the cabinet door in front of him and took out the items one by one.

First, a book with a title she was very familiar with: "Speak Well, Live Well." It was the title of a book she had used when she was working on the Hanhai Home Textiles project, when technician Di Chong had rudely scolded her. She had used this title to retaliate against Di Chong. (chapter 14)

"How did you get this book?" Chu Qianmiao asked Ren Yan in disbelief. "When Di Chong and I were talking, it was just the two of us."

Ren Yan coughed lightly, cleared his throat, and acted nonchalantly. "I can't remember. Maybe I just happened to pass by and overheard you two talking."

Chu Qianmiao chuckled and waved the book in her hand happily. "And then you went to the bookstore and bought it because of something I said."

Ren Yan coughed again. "I didn't go to the bookstore." He paused. "Qin Qianyu bought it for me online."

Chu Qianmiao's smile grew wider. She flipped through the book with a smile. When she came to a certain page, her expression changed. "Why is there a woman's long hair here?"

She clung to the two long hairs tucked into the book and glared at Ren Yan. "Aren't you a chaste person? Don't you allow anyone but me into your territory? But how come you've been hiding another woman's hair from me?"

Ren Yan looked at her with a look of mixed amusement. "So, think about whose hair they are."

Chu Qianmiao was startled, then suddenly delighted. "Mine." After receiving a reassuring response from Ren Yan's eyes, she became puzzled again. "But where did you pick up my hair?"

Ren Yan coughed, a slight uneasiness creeping over his expression.

"During the Jialeyuan project, you once slept in the office. It was cold, and you shivered in your sleep."

At that moment, he couldn't help himself and offered her his coat. He stood aside, secretly staring at her. Suddenly, the footsteps of Qin Qianyu and his companions echoed down the hallway. Afraid they'd notice his little move, he quickly reached for her coat. In his haste, he accidentally plucked two strands of her hair.

The two strands of hair were stuck to his coat, and upon discovering them, he obsessively placed them inside the book, Speak Well, Live Well.

"I remember that time," Chu Qianmiao slapped the book in her hand. "I dreamed someone snatched my clothes and pulled my hair. Turns out it wasn't a dream; it was you."

She smiled at Ren Yan, revealing all the hidden thoughts he'd once harbored. Ren Yan turned away, chuckling softly.

Chu Qianmiao let him go for the moment.

She pulled another notepad from the compartment. On it was her handwriting: "Mr. Ren, your stomachache can be serious or minor. Take some medicine."

She remembered that day, when she was working on the Liya project, when Tan Shen came to see her. That night, Ren Yan and Qin Qianyu drank six bottles of Moutai, and the next day, he had a stomachache. She quietly ran out to buy him some stomach medicine, quietly placed it on his desk, and wrote this note. (chapter 77)

So, how much did he really love her back then? He even cherished such a small, disposable item so carefully.

Chu Qianmiao felt a warm warmth in her heart.

She turned around again, this time pulling out three pairs of the most beautiful high heels from the cabinet compartment. The shoes were identical in style and color, the only difference being the size.

Chu Qianmiao flipped over the soles and saw that the three pairs were sizes 36, 37, and 38.

She looked up, a little confused, and asked Ren Yan, "Did you buy these shoes for me, too?"

Ren Yan chuckled and nodded coldly.

"Why did you buy me shoes?" Chu Qianmiao tilted her head and frowned, pondering the reason.

Ren Yan looked at her and said, "Once, a clumsy person opened the door with her back and walked into the house backwards. She bumped into me and knocked over my water bottle, spilling water on her shoes. She asked me to pay for her shoes."

Chu Qianmiao cried out. She remembered. She was still singing the water-splashing song at the time.

"But I didn't know your foot size, so I bought a pair of each size," Ren Yan said.

"Why didn't you give them to me later?" Chu Qianmiao asked.

"I don't know how I was able to tell you about these shoes," Ren Yan replied.

Chu Qianmiao put the shoes on the ground and stepped into the size 36 shoes.

"Do they look good?" she asked coquettishly, looking up.

The stiletto heels made her slender figure look even taller and more attractive. Wearing his white shirt and the high heels he bought for her, she exuded both charm and innocence.

Ren Yan's eyes grew increasingly fiery.

He huskily said, "Beautiful," and pulled her in for a kiss.

They kissed from the cabinet to the rocking chair. He sat, holding her.

Ren Yan used the remote to turn off the lights. The night outside was hazy, and the room was dark.

The rocking chair began to creak.

Chu Qianmiao's voice was barely coherent, and she whispered, "Your expensive shirt is wrinkled."

He repeated, "We can make it wrinkle even more."

The city outside the window gradually quieted down, and the rocking chair inside creaked. Her fingertips and toes tingled, all her nerve endings numb from the excitement.

Only then did she realize that this rocking chair was the most essential part of the beautiful view in this room.

Chu Qianmiao slept soundly that night. The next morning, she was woken by Ren Yan's rocking. He told her to get up and have breakfast.

Chu Qianmiao rubbed her eyes and questioned Ren Yan, "Why was I so sound asleep last night? Did you poison my dinner?"

Ren Yan patted her head, looking almost amused.

He was always happier with her.

As they sat down to eat breakfast, Ren Yan hesitated.

Chu Qianmiao put down her sandwich, picked up her cup and took a sip of milk to moisten her throat. She asked Ren Yan, "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Ren Yan nodded, "After breakfast, do you want to go see my grandmother?"

Chu Qianmiao thought about Ren Yan's request and replied, "Okay."

She saw that Ren Yan seemed relieved.

"How about you first tell me about your grandmother's basic condition so I can get a better understanding of her," she said to Ren Yan.

Ren Yan clasped his hands on the table, paused, and began again.

"My grandmother used to live with my uncle and Tan Shen, in the same house Tan Shen lives in now. Later, I got a job and bought my own house and moved out. There were no purchase restrictions back then, so I bought the house across the street as well. But at that time, my grandmother lived with Tan Shen. Later, when Tan Shen went abroad and I returned, I took my grandmother across the street to take care of her."

"She used to have good legs and feet, and she'd often come to my place and help me pack. So..." Ren Yan paused.

Chu Qianmiao automatically continued, "So you didn't dare bring me here before, fearing Grandma would see me." After a pause, she generously reassured Ren Yan, "That's all in the past. I've moved on. Don't feel any burden. Go on."

Ren Yan reached over, took her hand, which was resting on the table, and squeezed it. There was a kind of unspoken gratitude in the strength.

"Later, Tan Shen also returned to China, and Grandma moved in with him for a while."

Grandma always wanted the two brothers to keep in touch, and she always urged him to go to Tan Shen's house for dinner.

He always used the excuse of being too busy at work to avoid dinner, avoiding Tan Shen. He would then find time to visit his grandmother when Tan Shen wasn't home.

"Remember that time I demanded the weekly report?" Ren Yan asked.

Chu Qianmiao nodded, "Yes."

That time, he sent her a message with the weekly report first.

The two question marks and exclamation points, so uncharacteristic of him, completely flattered her. She had never imagined that she would receive such emotionally intense and special treatment from the aloof and uncaring President Ren in her lifetime.

But what surprised her even more was that Ren Yan immediately retracted the message and sent a more bland weekly report.

His behavior was truly inconsistent, and she remembered it vividly for this rare instance of his inconsistency.

"That day was my birthday," Ren Yan said to Chu Qianmiao. "I couldn't help but go to Shanghai, wanting to see you, but I met Tan Shen and made that promise that made you angry. I returned to Beijing overnight, and then I got a call from Grandma."

"She was living with Tan Shen at the time. Grandma greeted me, and I thought she was thinking about me and remembered my birthday. I told her I'd visit her when I had time."

"It turns out she didn't remember my birthday. What she really wanted to talk to me about was Tan Shen."

Grandma said, Xiaoyan, Xiao Shen said he wanted to get back together with his college girlfriend.

He said the girl now works for you and you're very close. "Xiao Yan, help your brother. That girl was originally his girlfriend. There's no way a girl could be suitable for two brothers, so you can't compete with him for her."

Ren Yan repeated his grandmother's words, a faint curl of his lips.

This gesture touched Chu Qianmiao's heart. She felt immense pity for him, for not receiving the compassion he deserved from his family.

She wished she had known him twenty years earlier, so she could teach him that crying children get candy.

His downfall was that he was too resilient and sensible, causing his grandmother to pour more of her affection on the tearful Tan Shen.

"After Tan Shen went abroad for a project, Grandma moved back in with me," Ren Yan continued.

"Then one day you told me, 'Li Tang reminded you, I've never brought you to meet my family.' I asked you to give me some time." Ren Yan looked at Chu Qianmiao and continued, "That day, when I got home, I asked the nanny if Grandma was asleep. If not, don't go to bed yet. I'll go check on her. Then I went to the house across the street." (chapter 122)

"That night, I laid it all out with Grandma. I told her I was with you. Grandma was thrilled. She told me this wasn't okay. If Tan Shen knew I was with you, what would he do?"

Grandma said no. She was your brother's girlfriend. What would he do if you let your brother know you were together? Your brother brought her home for the night. Two men being with the same woman at the same time—how could that be? Are you brothers or brothers-in-law? You can't be together.

"That night, we parted on bad terms. The next day, while I was with you, I got a call from the nanny. She said Grandma was sick."

Chu Qianmiao suddenly understood why Ren Yan had left her on the side of the road, preferring to let her feel hurt rather than agree to take her along to visit Grandma. Because it was their affair that caused Grandma to become ill.

Thinking about it now, she understood why Tan Shen, who had been abroad, suddenly appeared before her the next day. He had returned to care for his grandmother.

Chu Qianmiao asked Ren Yan, "So, how is Grandma's health now?"

Ren Yan told her, "She's fine, but her memory is getting worse. She keeps forgetting things."

Chu Qianmiao's eyes lit up. "Is that so? If she could just forget about me, that would save us a lot of trouble."

Ren Yan looked at her and said, "Not necessarily. Because of Tan Shen and me, she should have a deep impression of you."

"Oh." Chu Qianmiao wilted for a moment, but she quickly perked up and asked Ren Yan, "What's your Grandma's personality like?" She vaguely remembered that when her godparents came to Beijing, he seemed to have said that Grandma's personality was a bit like his own, rather cold.

"She used to have a rather cold personality, but recently, since her memory has been failing, she seems to have changed and become much more easygoing."

Hearing this, Chu Qianmiao felt reassured.

After gathering all the information about the enemy's military, Chu Qianmiao washed and changed her clothes. With a radiant and energetic look, she waved to Ren Yan and said, "Let's go, Teacher Ren, let's go!"

Ren Yan led Chu Qianmiao to unlock the fingerprint lock on the opposite door.

He led her, navigating the way through the barriers, towards the master bedroom. Chu Qianmiao felt as if she had entered a mirror world of Ren Yan's home: the layouts of the two houses were reversed, yet the decor was identical.

Arriving at the master bedroom door, she saw an elderly woman sitting in a rocking chair by the window, basking in the sun. Next to her sat the nanny on a wooden chair.

The nanny turned around and saw them. Just as she was about to speak, Ren Yan gestured to her.

The nanny fell silent, quietly stood up, and walked out.

Ren Yan led Chu Qianmiao into the house, picking up a wooden chair as they passed the coffee table.

They walked over to the rocking chair. Ren Yan put it down and sat down in front of his grandmother.

He gently called out, "Grandma!" The dozing grandmother looked at him with sleepy eyes. Then, with a look of surprise, she said, "Xiao Yan, it's you! It's been a while since you last saw me."

Ren Yan seriously corrected her, "Grandma, no, I was just here yesterday morning."

Chu Qianmiao: "..."

She wanted to hold her head in her hand.

The straight man really didn't know how to keep up with the elderly woman's ramblings, or how to please her.

Grandma fell into a state of distress, thinking, "It was wrong for you to come yesterday. You didn't come. Didn't you go abroad and just get back today?"

Ren Yan was about to correct his grandmother about her scientific perspective on time and the world, but Chu Qianmiao, standing beside him, squeezed his shoulder, rebuffing his criticism.

Ren Yan glanced up at her, patted the wooden chair beside him, and asked her to sit.

After Chu Qianmiao sat down, Ren Yan pointed at her and asked his grandmother, "Grandma, do you still recognize her?"

Grandma turned her head to look at Chu Qianmiao, her eyes rolling several times under her cloudy eyelids before she suddenly said, "It's you."

Grandma said to Chu Qianmiao, "I remember you. You were Xiao Shen's girlfriend."

Ren Yan looked at Chu Qianmiao with concern.

Chu Qianmiao gave him a look that didn't matter, then smiled openly at her grandmother and said, "Grandma, I used to be Tan Shen's girlfriend, but not anymore."

Shock etched itself in every wrinkle on her grandmother's face. "Oh, you broke up. When did that happen?"

Chu Qianmiao answered frankly, "It was a long time ago. Now, I'm Ren Yan's girlfriend."

Shock etched itself even between her wrinkles. "What do you mean, you're Xiao Yan's girlfriend?" Her tone changed. "That's not right. You used to be good with Xiao Shen. I remember you staying over at my house with Xiao Shen. You and Xiao Shen, you two, you two have reached that point. How can you go back and get together with Xiao Yan? You don't want Xiao Shen to be with his brother. Xiao Shen is really pitiful."

Chu Qianmiao could feel Ren Yan's muscles stiffening beside him. He was worried about embarrassing her.

She raised her hand and patted his knee, looking at Grandma, and said, "Grandma, you can't just love Tan Shen. Ren Yan is your grandchild too, you have to love him too. He's pitiful too." She spoke with the tone of a younger person who can act all they want in front of an elder, and the more they act, the more they endear them to the elder.

Ren Yan turned to look at Chu Qianmiao, a strange glint in his eyes.

Grandma fell for her trick and followed her lead, "What's wrong with Xiaoyan? Why is he pitiful? Someone is bullying him."

Chu Qianmiao nodded, feeling aggrieved on Ren Yan's behalf.

Grandma immediately turned to look at Ren Yan. "Have you been bullied? Xiaoyan, why have you never told me?"

Chu Qianmiao realized that her grandmother's words of concern for Ren Yan came from the heart.

So, it's not as if their family lacks true love; it's simply ruined by poor communication.

"Grandma," Chu Qianmiao gently rocked the rocking chair, drawing her gaze towards her. "Ren Yan, even when he's being bullied, refuses to say a word. Let me tell you, the person who bullied him the most is Tan Shen."

Grandma looked at Chu Qianmiao, utterly shocked. "Don't talk nonsense! They can't be brothers."

Just as Chu Qianmiao was about to speak, Grandma pressed the heel of her hand against her temple and rubbed it. Then, she lowered her hand and asked, "Who are you? Why are you here?"

Without waiting for Chu Qianmiao to reply, she slapped the rocking chair's armrest. "I remember now. You're Xiao Shen's girlfriend. You've been over here before. I remember."

Chu Qianmiao: "..."

She thought this relentless fight was going to be tough.