The Heartbeat at the Tip of the Tongue

The first breakfast with Jiang Qian Fan

Mayer smiled: “I sent someone to fetch you yesterday, at that time, you were already drunk. The last time I saw you last night, you were in the room I had prepared for you.”

Lin Ke Song hit her head, she vaguely remembered her uncle and his friends sending her off. That small glass of liquor she was given has lasting effects, at first she felt that it was choking and spicy, and after she downed a few beers, her brain totally crashed.

“This is Mr Jiang’s room. I’m very curious, how did you get in here?”

“Mr Jiang……Jiang’s room!” Lin Ke Song almost fell off the sofa.

She was wondering why this room had no warmth at all! Apart from the almost morbid whiteness, and other dark tones that make people feel absolutely no happiness, Lin Ke Song felt that she was in another world.

“I forgot to tell you, apart from Nina and me, no one else is allowed to enter Mr Jiang’s room.”

At this time, Lin Ke Song noticed a plump dark skinned middle aged lady wearing a white apron standing at the sofa.

Her expression was like Jiang Qian Fan’s, expressionless.

“Sorry…… I didn’t mean it!”

“It’s fine. Mr Jiang allows anyone to make mistakes. But the same mistake can only be made once.”

Mayer smiled, making it seem like his Mr Jiang was magnanimous.

The problem was, Lin Ke Song could not even remember how she got here! She only remembered she seemed to be constantly wandering around in pitch blackness, like a dream that she could not find an exit to.

Did it mean that she had wandered all the way to Jiang Qian Fan’s room? Oh my god…… that would be too embarrassing.

She lifted the blanket from her body, and after giving her thanks to Mayer, realised that her neck was extremely sore.

“No need to thank me. The blanket was placed by neither Nina nor I.”

Lin Ke Song’s shoulders paused…… if it were not Mayer or Nina, then did she rob Jiang Qian Fan’s blanket in her haze? Oh…… my god ah! This is the first time Lin Ke Song realised that she had such thick skin!

Mayer took a look at his watch and kindly reminded: “Ms Lin, it is 5am now, you have half an hour to change, wash up, eat and prepare.”

“5.30?” Lin Ke Song looked out of the terrace and realised that the day had just broken.

“You are going to follow Mr Jiang on his visit to a restaurant, Polar Lights to prepare lunch for Mr Thomas. This is probably your first time to be able to enter the kitchen of a top restaurant ba. You are very fortunate to have the opportunity to be able to witness Mr Jiang prepare one of the first dishes that was mentioned in the Michelin red guide, the 3 star restaurant’s signature dish, quail foie gras.”

Lin Ke Song blinked, she is going to be allowed into a high class restaurant’s kitchen so quickly?

Shouldn’t she start from some basic skills of chopping, and choosing ingredients first?

The speed of this progress is totally like the speed of a rocket ah!

“There is 27 minutes left. Are you sure you want to continue wasting time by day dreaming?”

Without a second word, Lin Ke Song flew to the exit, opened the door and looked at the corridor which looked the same in both directions and could only turn back to Mayer for help.

“The sixth room on your left, then turn right and it’s the second room.”

What turn left, turn right! What’s the point of having such a big house? There was no efficient utilisation!

Lin Ke Song found her room after much difficulty, hurriedly flipped out her shower products from her luggage, and in 3 minutes finished showering, in 2 minutes put on all her clothes, totally faster than even those in military school.

Nina brought her down to the dining area, and at this time, Jiang Qian Fan was already sitting at the dining table, nodding slightly, scooping up a mouthful of vegetable porridge from the white porcelain bowl and sending it to his mouth.

Lin Ke Song sat down slightly nervous, the food set out on the table was relatively sumptuous, but the portions were small, all the foods were placed on white porcelain tableware. And when the spoon hit the edges of the bowl, there would be a crisp sound produced, as if someone were knocking on her heart.

There were two shrimp dumplings clear as crystals, a small plate of glistening spinach, two aromatic spring rolls that were deep fried to a golden brown and a dish of stir-fried lotus roots and crushed red peppers.

Lin Ke Song looked up, Jiang Qian Fan’s expression was quiet and indifferent. The morning light lightly caressed his side profile, and actually produces a sense of sacred control.

Mayer smiled towards Lin Ke Song, lifting 2 fingers, indicating that she had only 20 minutes for breakfast.

To only have 20 minutes to savour this sumptuous breakfast, it’s too much of a pity! She did not want to eat like Zhubajie (the pig character in well-known show, Journey to the West) eating ginseng fruits, finishing the food and not knowing the flavours.

But why…… is there only a single bowl of porridge in front of Jiang Qian Fan? Or is it because he came down earlier and had already eaten?

Lin Ke Song knows that she is Jiang Qian Fan’s student now, at least a temporary student. If the teacher does not say anything, this disciple better not open her mouth to ask any questions.

Mayer took out a tablet, and used a flat yet professional voice to read to Jiang Qian Fan the noteworthy news of the day, naturally it included some news about the food industry.

For the most part, Lin Ke Song did not understand. She only needed to concentrate on consuming breakfast.

First, a scoop of porridge, the rice had already been boiled till it had the unique fragrance of rice, paired with the vegetables, a slight saltiness, in an instant made the whole body feel extremely comfortable. Then a bite of the crystal shrimp dumplings, the skin was thin yet chewy, the feeling of the shrimp meat hitting the teeth was just too splendid, the deliciousness of the shrimp and the green beans were paired just right, a saltiness and the slight sweetness of the green bean intertwined together, refreshing and not greasy.

The crust of the spring rolls were thin and crispy, when bitten down, the crust split in the mouth, the smooth and delicate mushrooms flowing into her mouth, and the slightly spicy flavour was startling, spreading all over her tongue.

Lin Ke Song thought in her heart, these breakfast dishes couldn’t be made by Jiang Qian Fan ba…… a look at Nina, and Lin Ke Song understood.

Even Nina had such exquisite cooking skills, she would definitely be able to experience many different things if she were to follow Jiang Qian Fan around!

From the beginning to the end, Jiang Qian Fan did not say a single word to Lin Ke Song, and he didn’t even lift his head to look in her direction.

Even though his sight would not allow him to identify another, but he at least knows that Lin Ke Song was sitting in front of him.

Probably…… because he isn’t too happy that she went into his room without authorisation ba.

And, he is originally a cold person.

Jiang Qian Fan who was opposite, put down his spoon, Mayer handed him his napkin, and he folded his napkin, and gently pressed it on his lips.

All these seemed intellectually polite, Lin Ke Song felt like she was watching a scene in the movies.

“Let’s go.” Jiang Qian Fan stood up, and left the table.

Lin Ke Song looked at Mayer, didn’t he say there was 20 minutes left?

Mayer shook his head regretfully, indicating that Lin Ke Song should quickly catch up.

But she still had so many things that she hadn’t eaten ah! If she wasted food the food might take revenge on her!

Lin Ke Song poured the porridge into her mouth in a couple of mouths, and crunched the rest of the spring roll, stuffed a shrimp dumpling in one shot. These all happened in three seconds, Mayer who was looking at the side was stunned silly.

Lin Ke Song caught up to Jiang Qian Fan.

Looking at the other party’s back, Lin Ke Song had a curious feeling, of Jiang Qian Fan alienating her.

Even though he is cold to everyone, but if he really didn’t want to see her, and also not want her to be like a little tail following him around then why did he say that he was willing to be her mentor?

Don’t try to understand a man’s thoughts.

The thoughts of guy who looks so handsome and has such a successful career and is blind, all the more you shouldn’t even try to understand.

The driver was already waiting next to the door for Jiang Qian Fan.

After he entered, Lin Ke Song was hesitant. Where should she sit? Is it beside Jiang Qian Fan, or it the co-pilot position? It was a good thing Mayer came along and cleared her doubts.

Because he sat in the co-pilot position, which was to say, Lin Ke Song could only sit with Jiang Qian Fan.

In this small area, Lin Ke Song could once again on and off smell the slightly familiar but more unfamiliar masculine scent.

She knew, that that was Jiang Qian Fan’s smell.

When she brought him around to eat tripe, and had bent down to wipe the tables, she smelled him then.

It was very very slight, only when she had peeled away all the other smells, then she sensed the very subtleness of it. But it was just that little bit, that was like some force, incurring her sense of smell, to constantly chase to the bottom of it, to find the pureness and root of the smell.

The car pulled out of the community and gradually went towards the city.

Their destination was Manhattan, from here to there, the drive would take at least an hour and a half.

The car was in total silence, not having any other sounds.

Mayer did not speak, the driver too was silent, and even the radio was in a state of shut down. This was very normal to them, but to Lin Ke Song it felt like extreme awkwardness. She could only look out of the window, and look at the scenery that never changed.

All the way until they entered the city, then did the sounds from outside the car start to get richer, Lin Ke Song mysteriously felt that the awkwardness went far away, and she no longer felt forced to feel the coldness and silence of the man beside her.

When the car moved towards the junction, two uniformed policemen were chasing a young man wearing a hat, the young man rushed across the streets without a care, and the turning car had no choice but to make wider angle of turn and brake.

Lin Ke Song’s neck had a feeling of being twisted off, her whole person swerved to the side and fell, her face directly crashing into Jiang Qian Fan’s shoulder.

Jiang Qian Fan lifted a hand, and just happened to block the profile of Lin Ke Song’s face.

The car stopped, Mayer exhaled: “The young people nowadays are crazy! Are they in a rush to see God?”

The profile of Lin Ke Song’s face could still feel the warmth of the palm of Jiang Qian Fan.

There was no change in his expression, and was not moved by everything that had just happened.

Lin Ke Song thought he would retrieve his hands quickly, but just like time had seemed to stop, his hand was still on her face.