CEG Chapter 2

The tattoo Cheng Yan was working on right now is a very complicated tattoo. His cell phone vibrated for a while, but Cheng Yan didn’t have time to answer it. The apprentice who was learning from Cheng Yan took the phone and showed it to him, “Teacher?”

 

“Help me pick it up.” Cheng Yan’s voice was muffled by the mask, and his eyes were fixed on the needles of the tattoo machine.

 

Zhu Yu answered the call and heard a few words from the other end. He held the phone and relayed the message to Cheng Yan, “Teacher, it’s Boss Jin. He said he just got a new batch of wine and asked you to go to his place later.”

 

“Tell him I have something to do in the evening and won’t be available.” Cheng Yan said briefly.

 

“Oh, okay.”

 

The girl with tattoos on her arms was a young girl, who looked frail. She didn’t make a sound from beginning to end, nor did she chat with Cheng Yan. Cheng Yan was always most annoyed by those who kept talking for no reason. He liked people who were quiet and didn’t disturb him while he was working.

 

The little girl who hadn’t said a word for the past three hours. Now she couldn’t help herself and asked softly, “Shuaige[mfn]Shuaige(帅哥): literal meaning handsome guy. It’s used to refer to someone handsome or while calling a friend in a teasing way.[/mfn], are you done?”

 

Cheng Yan hummed, “Almost done.”

 

The little girl grinned and said, “Finally, most of my arm was feeling numb already.”

 

After finishing the work in his hands, Cheng Yan went into the lounge. Not long after, his cell phone rang again. He opened the wardrobe, answered the call and put it on speaker.

 

The caller was the same person Zhu Yu mentioned just now, “Boss Jin”.

 

“What’s keeping you busy tonight? I just got off the plane. It’s been a while since we last met.”

 

Cheng Yan changed his clothes, fixed his hair in front of the dressing mirror, and said, “I really have something to do. I’ve already made an appointment with someone in advance.”

 

“You’ve got a date? Who? Are you dating someone?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then you are——”

 

“Going on a blind date.”

 

Jin Haixin was stunned, “…are you telling the truth?” His tone was full of doubt. After a few seconds of silence, he couldn’t help laughing, “Why don’t I believe it, Cheng laoban[mfn]Laoban(老板): literally translation means boss. But it’s more of a way to refer to someone who’s the owner of a shop or runs a business.[/mfn]?”

 

Cheng Yan walked into the bathroom with his cell phone, placed it on the sink, and washed his hands carefully.

 

Cheng Yan answered as he washed his hands,”I’m already 35 years old. Is it weird for me to go on a blind date?”

 

“No, that’s not it. Cheng Yan, when I first met you, so many people were eyeing you, but you never talked to anyone before. And suddenly you tell me today that you want to go on a blind date?”

 

Jin Haixin started laughing as he spoke, and said sarcastically, “Blind dates are good, but if you don’t find anyone suitable, your performance in bed will surely fail in a few years.”

 

Cheng Yan didn’t want to argue with him, “My former teacher was the one to introduce them. And I didn’t want to reject her.”

 

“You have to refute this kind of thing while it’s not too late, what if you don’t like the person but he or she wants to stick to you?”

 

“Hmm…” Cheng Yan thought for a moment and said truthfully, “She said that guy was quite handsome, so… I didn’t refute it.”

 

Jin Haixin laughed and said, “How come I didn’t know you were also a member of the appearance association.”

 

Cheng Yan took out a note from his trouser pocket, on which was written the name and number of his blind date.

 

Jiang Muping

 

Cheng Yan stared at the three words for a while and murmured, “What a coincidence…”

 

“What?”

 

“The guy’s name is the same as the class president during my highschool.”

 

“You actually still remember the name of your high school class president? I can’t even remember if my first love was a boy or a girl.”

 

Cheng Yan stuffed the note back into his pocket, “How can I forget it.”

 

Cheng Yan packed up his things and set off.

 

Three-tenths of what he said to Jin Haixin were jokes, but the others were all sincere. It was true that he didn’t want to refute his teacher’s request, and it was also true that he cared about appearance.

 

It’s not that he’s someone whose extremely against dating, and a person who conducts celibacy. He just has been alone for a long time and had gotten used to it. Gradually, he became too lazy to break this status quo.

 

The plan was to meet at a western restaurant, but they had not yet contacted each other. Everything had been arranged by Li Sizhi.

 

Cheng Yan arrived early and after sitting for a while, he suddenly received a call.

 

“Hello?”

 

The person on the other end of the phone spoke in a very low voice, “Mr. Cheng Yan?”

 

Cheng Yan was stunned for a moment, then nodded subconsciously, “Yes.”

 

“I am Jiang Muping.”

 

“Hello.” Cheng Yan said reflexively.

 

A short, low laugh came from the phone, and the other party responded to him respectfully, “Hello. I’m currently in a meeting now, and it seems that it will take quite some time. I’m sorry to bother you and make you wait .”

 

“It’s okay. I’ll wait for you.”

 

“Can I request for ten extra minutes?. If I’m not here in ten minutes, you go back first and we’ll make an appointment next time, okay?”

 

Cheng Yan could already feel the other party’s gentleness through the phone, and he was willing to wait a little longer, “It’s okay, I can wait for you.”

 

“Okay. See you later.”

 

“See you later.”

 

The days are long in summer. Although it was already evening, the sky outside the window was still bright, and the restaurant was filled with the sound of slow cello music. Cheng Yan sat there for a while, feeling bored, so he called the waiter.

 

“Sir, would you like to order?”

 

Cheng Yan pointed to the entrance and asked, “I just saw some wine in the glass display over there. Is it for sale?”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“I want to pick a wine.”

 

“Okay, then please follow me.”

 

The wines on display inside the cabinets are all valuable and expensive. Their main purpose is to serve as a showpiece. Diners gnerally do let customers choose the wines on the display cabinets.

 

The waiter, wearing white gloves, took out several bottles of wine from the display case and introduced them one by one to Cheng Yan.

 

Jiang Muping arrived at the western restaurant exactly ten minutes after the time which was agreed upon. He found his table number but did not see his blind date.

 

Jiang Muping took out his cell phone and called the other party.

 

Cheng Yan took a long time to choose. Since he was waiting for someone, he had deliberately slowed down and hence took a lot of time. In the end, he chose a bottle that was not too expensive, which finally made the waiter smile from the bottom of his heart.

 

After choosing the wine, Cheng Yan finally had a chance to try it. The waiter handed the wine to him and said, “Sir, do you want to take a look?”

 

Cheng Yan held the neck of the bottle with one hand and supported the bottom of the bottle with the other. He shook his head nonchalantly, his mind completely on the bottle of red wine.

 

The cell phone suddenly rang.

 

The voice came from behind and Jiang Muping turned his head.

 

Cheng Yan raised his head and saw the man in the white shirt walking towards him slowly with a cell phone in his hand.

 

The man was wearing a pair of frameless oval glasses and a shirt and tie. He was dressed very formally and seemed to have just come from a meeting.

 

His hair is very dark, and the hair on his forehead covers his eyebrows, making him look very soft.

 

His black hair makes his face look very fair. Not only was he talk but also looking pure.

 

Almost twenty years have passed. And that figure, facial features, temperament, everything has been polished by time and has undergone tremendous change, but the face in front of him still overlaps with the face in Cheng Yan’s memory.

 

——Cheng Yan recognized Jiang Muping at first sight.

 

But he wasn’t sure whether the other party recognized him.

 

Jiang Muping walked and stood in front of him, the phone in his pocket still ringing.

 

“Cheng Yan?” Jiang Muping confirmed with him.

 

Cheng Yan was stunned, as he was holding the bottle, then nodded. He did not reveal his identity right away.

 

“Sorry to have kept you waiting.” Jiang Muping didn’t seem to recognize his former classmate. He glanced at the red wine in Cheng Yan’s hand and asked, “Are you picking wine?”

 

“Yeah.” Cheng Yan felt a little awkward for some reason. He looked away and didn’t look directly into Jiang Muping’s eyes.

 

The waiter at the side spread his hands to make a gesture of receiving the wine and asked, “Sir, Should I help you pour the wine?”

 

Cheng Yan handed the wine to the waiter. When he heard Jiang Muping say, “Come over and sit down,” he(CY) followed him.

 

The two of them sat down, and the waiter presented the menu. They suggestively ordered a few dishes, the surroundings became quiet after that. Cheng Yan felt that Jiang Muping’s eyes were following him, and he drank a few sips of water uncomfortably.

 

“Cheng Yan.”

 

When Cheng Yan heard Jiang Muping calling him, he looked up at him.

 

“The ‘Cheng’ as in ‘succeed’, and ‘Yan’ as in rock?” Jiang Muping asked.

 

“…Yeah.” Cheng Yan nodded slowly.

 

“I think you look very familiar.” The phone on the table vibrated. Jiang Muping lowered his eyes and glanced at it, then looked back into Cheng Yan’s eyes. “Do you think I look familiar?”

 

Cheng Yan was silent for a moment and nodded.

 

Jiang Muping sat there for a long time, without showing any surprise or the emotion of meeting an old classmate after many years. He just gently raised the corners of his mouth and said the simplest greeting, “Long time no see.”

 

Cheng Yan pursed his lips and whispered, “Long time no see.”

 

“Did you recognize me at first sight?” Jiang Muping asked him.

 

“Um.”

 

“Are you still pretending not to know me?”

 

Cheng Yan lowered his head and cut the steak. He didn’t know how to explain, so he just kept silent.

 

The atmosphere at the moment was extremely awkward. It was outrageous that the person he was on a blind date with to actually be his old classmate.

 

Although what Li Sizhi said was true – her cousin is indeed very handsome.

 

After a long silence, Cheng Yan said, “I thought you wouldn’t recognize me.”

 

His voice is very low and hoarse, the kind of magnetic, smoky voice that is somewhat discordant with his handsome appearance.

 

Jiang Muping looked at him quietly.

 

In fact, he had almost forgotten what Cheng Yan looked like back then, after all, there was not even a photo of him(CY) left with him(JM).

 

Jiang Muping had changed a lot, but Cheng Yan seemed to be the same as back then. After looking at him for a long time, memories finally came flooding back.

 

He wore a short light-colored jacket, and his hair was permed, slightly curly, light brown, a little long, and parted to the side, exposing his forehead. He looked like he was dressed up carefully, giving people the illusion that he took this blind date very seriously.

 

“I really didn’t recognize you at first glance.” Jiang Muping admitted.

 

Cheng Yan looks young. He is the same age as Jiang Muping, but he looks much younger than Jiang Muping.

 

The waiter brought the opened wine bottle over and was preparing to pour it into Jiang Muping’s glass. Jiang Muping raised his hand to block it, “Thank you, but no need.”

 

“You don’t drink?” Cheng Yan hesitated for a moment while holding the wine glass.

 

“Well, I’m not much of a drinker.”

 

After the waiter left, the two fell into silence again. Both of them did not mention the actual reason of today’s dinner, until Cheng Yan grabbed the wine glass and took a sip from it, while shuddering in his mind asked a question, “Do you like men too?

”

 

Jiang Muping nodded.

 

Cheng Yan’s brain continued to twinge, “What a coincidence.”

 

Cheng Yan then saw astrange, faint smile in Jiang Muping’s eyes, and as he(CY) lowered his eyes, he(JM) laughed softly.