9.2 - The Ninth Flavor Part 2

Translator: tarararawr

Chen Zhuo and Jiang Zihao arranged to meet again within two days.

They arrived in front of the building. The boy in the passenger seat was itching to get out and impatiently shouted, “I’m going upstairs to meet her. You wait here!”

Chen Zhuo lowered the car window earlier and did not understand the reason for doing this.

Perhaps it was to let the wind and light flow in to calm his slightly anxious mood……

Chen Zhuo thought this uneasy feeling was only temporary. The feeling was similar to what a parent would feel before picking up their child from kindergarten at the end of the school day. Only after waiting for the child to come out of the school gate and return to his field of vision can he relax.

But in fact, this was not the case.

When he really saw Jiang Zihao leading the little girl out of the corridor, his nervous feelings did not settle…….instead, he became even more nervous?

He cleaned up his house early in the morning and thought it was well prepared. However, he forgot to plan what he would say when they met each other again.

Chen Zhuo got out of the car immediately and walked towards the girl. It’s still that droopy little head with that lingering and isolating mood.

When he stopped in front of the girl, she still didn’t raise her head to look at him.

But Chen Zhuo was still unable to suppress the corners of his mouth from rising. He called out her name as he carefully thought about her reaction.

The little girl was frightened for a moment. But, when they looked at each other, he could clearly see the astonishment. This was a nice surprise he couldn’t ignore and it let him understand——

she didn’t forget him and she was happy to see him.

But Chen Zhuo still wanted to tease her and he didn’t have a reason for this emotion and interest.

It was like on the way here, his thoughts were in a mist. He didn’t understand why he cared about this little girl and indulged at allowing her to come into his life.

There seemed to be no definite answer upon further investigation.

The attraction between a man and a woman might be a kind of metaphysics in itself.

People could meet many types of flowers during their life. Some flowers would be favored because of their bright colors and other flowers would make people stop because of their fragrant smell.

Xian Bei was different. She was fundamentally unwilling to bloom. She was living in the corner of a shady spot and hoping no one would find her existence.

But what could he do? He accidentally caught a glimpse of this strange and reclusive little flower.

A wonderful and selfish reason was born.

He wanted to transplant her into his territory to observe and take care of her, so that one day he can see her in full bloom.

Of course, it’s best for her to only bloom for him.

——

Xian Bei didn’t know this.

Small steps followed behind Chen Zhuo and in her peripheral vision she saw his skate shoes as he busied himself with carrying her bags to the trunk.

She felt like crying……she’s so nervous that she wanted to run to the center of the earth, especially when Yuan Yuan’s boyfriend deliberately joked on the side, “Hey, so the two of you already knew each other. Brother Chen, you hide very deep. Hahahaha……”

Bang.

The trunk was closed by Chen Zhuo and she only heard him say “Get in.” Xian Bei woke up from her daze. The little chick quickly nodded and ran to the side of the car.

In the sunlight, the man stood tall and glanced back at Xian Bei, only to see her suddenly stop and stood at the side of the car facing a dilemma.

Yes, Xian Bei was in a predicament.

Should she sit in the front or in the back?

The front passenger seat…….

Is it too close?

There was no space between the seats, so if she sat side by side with…….that person directly, she might be sitting on pins and needles.

After all, her heartbeat hadn’t slowed down at all.

The back seat……

It was like treating him as a chauffeur. It’s rude…….

Xian Bei, you are relying on others’ charity!

When other people are willing to take you in then you should be grateful. What are you still being picky for…….

Xian Bei angrily criticized herself in her heart.

The man was like a mind reader and he made a good decision to nimbly move around to open the front passenger door for her.

Xian Bei’s difficult problem was solved and She was slightly surprised. Then, she climbed into the front passenger seat.

While climbing in, she said a “thank you” that was soft like a breeze. From where he stood, he didn’t hear it at all. ><

After Xian Bei got into the car, the man held the door handle and stood there without closing the door.

If say, other people’s gaze were Xian Bei’s sensitive point, then Chen Zhuo’s gaze was her maximum sensitive point.

The girl was already at wit’s end and began touching her forehead.

Chen Zhuo smiled and naturally closed the door.

Outside the window, Yuan Yuan’s boyfriend repeatedly warned him with a few words. Chen Zhuo politely said goodbye to him and got into the car.

Xian Bei was still in her usual posture, head down like someone addicted to their smartphone for thousands of years.

She sneakily peeked from the corners of her eyes and she saw his powerful, slender hands hold the steering wheel.

For a while, the car didn’t move.

Suddenly, a hand stretched out towards her direction.

Xian Bei became startled and she instinctively tried to hide, making her chin shrink even more.

Paying attention to her movements, the hand paused in the air.

Then the owner of the hand snorted.

It was light, but Xian Bei heard it.

This sound was like an electric current’s buzz passing by, making her ears burn.

The hand did not approach her as she had expected, but only pulled down the sun visor in front of her.

Xian Bei thought: “?”

All of a sudden it became darker in front of her. Xian Bei took a few glances and didn’t understand.

The midday sun was making her uncomfortable. Apart from herself, no one else knew.

In fact, there were many things she didn’t understand.

From when he appeared, her mind was full of questions. She had enough to compile thousands of them.

Why did he become her landlord?

Why didn’t he tell her earlier?

Before that, did he know she was her new tenant?

How did he feel when he saw her again?

Why was everything so coincidental?

…….

But in the next second, the gentle voice of the man sitting at her side said,

“Don’t think about anything. We’ll be home after you sleep.”

Xian Bei’s heart said, “Oh” . But very quickly, her pupils widened and she felt a rising chill from her back.

Oh my god, this isn’t……

If she was less timid, she would tilt her head in surprise to ask a question.

Instead, Xian Bei was like a steamer basket. She couldn’t tell the difference between the heat from her face or from her heart.

Is it a coincidence, or…….is it deliberate……?

In her first publication, 《Sangshi Zhi Cheng 1 》, the protagonist was accidentally bitten by a zombie. And the initial symptom of the infection mutated to a fear of light.

But he was soon rescued by his professor to return to the base.

After getting in the car, he was worried that he would suddenly lose consciousness and hurt his friends along the way.

The professor pulled down the sun visor in front of him, looked at him gently and said,

“Don’t think about anything. We’ll be home after you sleep.”

The author has something to say:

Boss Chen: It looks like everyone knows that I am a gentleman.

Footnotes

丧失之城 (sàngshīzhīchéng) – The Lost City