The flirtatious sight stirred a storm in Wang Jian's heart. He almost reached out to touch her, but thankfully, his rational mind held him back. He retracted his gaze and focused on tending the firewood.
However, when the soup was ready, Wang Jian couldn't resist asking, "Sister-in-law, do you wear this dress often?"
"Ah…" Xu Qian's cheeks blushed slightly, unsure what her brother-in-law meant by the question. Then, she suddenly remembered bending over earlier and instantly understood. This dress was indeed revealing, but it also did an incredible job of accentuating her figure. Xu Qian hurriedly explained in a low voice, "This is actually the first time I've worn it since I bought it."
"The first time?"
Wang Jian paused, his heart skipping a beat as he saw his sister-in-law's flushed face.
Seeing his silence, Xu Qian's mind raced, and she quickly added, "I bought it during the New Year, intending to wear it for your older brother, but it was too cold back then. It's warmer now, and if I don't wear it, it'll just go to waste."
"Do you like it?"
"Of course, I do," Wang Jian said instinctively, his eyes fixed on Xu Qian. "My brother is so lucky."
The envy in his voice was palpable. Xu Qian kept stealing glances at him as he continued to stare, the implication of his words aimed directly at her. Feeling her cheeks burn, Xu Qian quickly grabbed the dishes and tried to hurry away.
But Wang Jian stopped her again, adding, "Sister-in-law, you probably shouldn't wear this dress anymore. Be careful, or you might attract the attention of the ruffians in the village."
Xu Qian scoffed inwardly. There's already a ruffian right here at home. Still, she simply nodded and walked out.
When Wang Jian brought the dishes to the living room, Xu Qian was nowhere to be found. Even after he finished setting the table, she still hadn't appeared.
With no other choice, Wang Jian could only call Cai Xing to the table. "Let's eat first. I've already processed the herbs and started brewing them, but the medicine won't be ready until tonight. You're weak right now, so stick to something light. Nothing too greasy or rich."
"Alright then." Cai Xing had mostly recovered by now and was in good spirits. The aroma of the food made his stomach rumble. Glancing at the dishes on the table, he took a deep sniff and said, "This smells amazing! Your wife is a fantastic cook."
"Wife?" Wang Jian was about to correct him when his sister-in-law emerged from her room.
He saw that Xu Qian had changed into a simple white t-shirt and denim shorts. Her fair legs were on display, but it was a much more modest look than before.
Smiling at Xu Qian, Cai Xing said, "Young lady, with cooking skills like these, you could open your own restaurant."
Cai Xing had already popped a piece of egg into his mouth and was casually trying the other dishes. As he ate, he gave her a thumbs-up.
Xu Qian smiled. "You flatter me, Mr. Cai. I just make some simple home-cooked meals; it's nothing good enough for a restaurant. If you like it, please eat more."
Wang Jian, however, blocked Cai Xing's chopsticks with his own. "Why are you starting before the host has eaten? You're the CEO of a company; can't you show some manners?"
"You're right, you're right." Cai Xing grinned, not the least bit offended. He nodded in agreement but didn't stop eating. "Ah, the taste reminds me of my wife's cooking. There's only one word for it: fragrant. Professional chefs can't replicate this kind of flavor. It's a pity I can't eat her cooking anymore."
Wang Jian started eating as well. It was clear his sister-in-law had made these dishes specifically for him; the flavors were perfectly suited to his palate and truly delicious. Hearing Cai Xing's words, he paused his chopsticks and asked, "Why is that?"
"Sigh… She passed away young, leaving me with our two children!" Having had a brush with death today, Cai Xing was feeling particularly emotional. "All these years, I raised those two kids all by myself, and even managed to start a company along the way. I've been through so much, but I've rarely tasted cooking this good."
Wang Jian stared at Chairman Cai, speechless. The man didn't act like a powerful CEO at all, talking about such crude things at the dinner table. It was enough to kill a man's appetite.
But Cai Xing paid it no mind. He suddenly looked at Xu Qian and asked, "Young lady, you must be from Sichuan, right?"
"Oh? How did you know, Mr. Cai?" By addressing him that way, Xu Qian revealed that she recognized him. Cai Xing clearly wasn't bothered; with his status, being recognized was normal. In fact, someone like Wang Jian, who *didn't* recognize him, was the real anomaly. Now that Xu Qian had recognized him, Wang Jian surely knew who he was as well.
Cai Xing smiled. "Anyone from Sichuan would recognize cooking like this. I'm not from Sichuan myself, but my wife was. I used to eat her food every day, so of course I'd know."
"Ah, so that's how." Both Xu Qian and Wang Jian had a moment of realization.
Cai Xing took a satisfying sip of the pork rib soup and turned to Wang Jian. "Kid, you're lucky to have a wife like her."
"Ah!" Xu Qian blushed at his words and quickly clarified, "Mr. Cai, I'm not his wife. I'm his sister-in-law."
"Uh…" Cai Xing's hand, holding the soup bowl, froze in mid-air. He glanced awkwardly between Wang Jian and Xu Qian, looking momentarily confused before it dawned on him. He'd sensed a strange mix of intimacy and distance between them. Now it all made sense.
Cai Xing recovered quickly, laughing it off. "Then you're just as fortunate to have a sister-in-law like her, hahahaha!"
Wang Jian heartily agreed with that sentiment. Neither of them drank alcohol, so the meal ended quickly.
After they finished eating, night began to fall. Xu Qian started clearing the dishes while Cai Xing sat chatting with Wang Jian in the courtyard.
The two hit it off immediately, talking and laughing easily. They formed an unlikely friendship that transcended their age difference.
After a bout of laughter, Cai Xing brought up a previous topic. "About that clinic you mentioned earlier, why don't you tell me more? I might be able to help."
Considering Cai Xing's status, Wang Jian knew he wasn't just making small talk. He gathered his thoughts and shared his idea. "My goal is simple: to practice medicine and help people. There were too many restrictions at the big hospital. Even prescribing medicine and conducting consultations were bound by all sorts of rules and unspoken protocols. That's why I came back to my hometown. Running my own clinic should be much better."
Cai Xing nodded in agreement. "That's a good ambition. The larger an institution, the more baggage it carries. As for opening a clinic here, Red Star Street is an excellent location."
Though his business was nationwide, Cai Xing was a local. He had often come to these mountains to gather herbs in his youth, so in some ways, he knew the area even better than Wang Jian, who had been away for eight years.
They talked for a long time, keeping the conversation light. It was a comfortable way for both of them to begin what felt like a deep friendship.
Cai Xing found himself increasingly impressed with the young man. The desire to recruit him for his company grew stronger. However, given Wang Jian's current mindset, persuading him would be difficult. He decided it would be better to let Wang Jian gain more experience. Later, he could entice him with a more senior position—a far more elegant approach.
After drinking the herbal medicine Wang Jian had prepared, Cai Xing grew drowsy. Wang Jian immediately offered him his own room.
As he watched Cai Xing head off to bed, a wave of worry washed over Wang Jian. Their house was in a peculiar state. The remaining rooms were a mess, full of clutter and lacking any bedding, making them completely uninhabitable. The only usable bedrooms were his own and his sister-in-law's bridal suite. His was only available because he'd just finished clearing it out.
Darkness fell quickly in the mountains. The days were hot, but the nights were chilly, leaving Wang Jian standing alone in the living room, feeling cold and helpless.
He glanced toward his sister-in-law's room, an idea flickering in his mind.
The sound of running water trickled from her room—his sister-in-law was taking a shower.
The sound put Wang Jian in a trance. He found himself drifting unconsciously toward the door, the sound growing clearer with each step.
He snapped back to his senses when the water stopped. At that moment, he heard movement inside the room. Just as he was hesitating whether to knock, the door opened.
Xu Qian, her hair wet and wearing pajamas, nearly cried out in shock at the sight of Wang Jian standing there. Once she recognized him, she composed herself. "Xiao Jian, what are you doing here?"
Her voice was very soft. With a guest in the house, she instinctively glanced behind Wang Jian, a clear sign of her guilty conscience.
Wang Jian scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Mr. Cai is sleeping in my room."
"Ah," Xu Qian said, instantly understanding the problem. "What are we going to do? There's nowhere left to sleep. The mountain air is cold and damp, so the bedding in the other rooms will smell musty since it hasn't been aired out. It's too late to sort it all out now."
As she spoke, she realized why Wang Jian was standing at her door. The only place left to sleep was her room, but…
In the dim light, they simply stared into each other's eyes, a heavy silence falling between them.
Xu Qian didn't know what was wrong with her. It was one thing to be bewitched into wearing that dress for her brother-in-law to see during the day, but now that he was standing at her door, she was actually considering letting him sleep in her room. A wave of shame washed over her. Between the dim light and the flush from her recent bath, her reddening cheeks were completely concealed.