This was the first time Lan Lan had ever cooked for Liang Yufeng. The last time he was ill, she had intended to make congee, but Shang Ting arrived unexpectedly, and the congee was never made. Liang Yufeng had already given up any hope of this happening, but on his birthday, she gave him such a big "surprise."
In his memory, Lan Lan only knew how to make instant noodles; she disliked fussing in the kitchen. When they were dating, he was always the one who cooked.
And now... Liang Yufeng watched as Lan Lan brought a bowl of longevity noodles to the table. The clear broth noodles were topped with sausage and a fried egg, sprinkled with chopped scallions. It looked nothing like something she had just learned to make. If he hadn't seen her fish the noodles out of the pot with his own eyes, he might have thought she had ordered takeout.
"What are you staring at?" Lan Lan placed the noodles on the dining table. "You don't trust me that much? Don't worry, I tasted it. It's quite delicious."
It wasn't a feast of delicacies, but as a bowl of noodles, it was quite satisfactory.
At Lan Lan's prompting, Liang Yufeng sat down. Lan Lan had even prepared chopsticks for him. As soon as Liang Yufeng took a bite, Lan Lan asked him, "How does it taste?"
Liang Yufeng nodded. The taste was very light, reminding him of when Jiang Wan hadn't gone to the sanatorium. In the past, on his birthday every year, he would wake up to a bowl of longevity noodles made by Jiang Wan. They were light, yet the fragrance was undiminished. The sesame oil seasoning elevated the entire bowl of noodles, and the eggs were soft-boiled... these were all characteristics of Jiang Wan's noodle-making.
While making noodles for Liang Yufeng, Lan Lan also cooked a bowl for herself and sat down to eat with him. After eating noodles in silence for a while, Liang Yufeng asked her, "I didn't know you could cook noodles before?"
"I learned it recently," Lan Lan said. "I only knew how to make instant noodles. I learned it just for your birthday. I didn't expect I'd have such a talent for cooking noodles."
Speaking of this, Lan Lan couldn't help but feel proud. "It tastes pretty good, right? Doesn't look like I just learned it, does it?"
"It's very similar to what my mom makes," Liang Yufeng commented.
Lan Lan smiled and said, "Really? Auntie did mention a few things to me."
When they were in Runcheng, Jiang Wan mentioned that Liang Yufeng would have longevity noodles for his birthday. Lan Lan asked her how to make them. Jiang Wan described it in words, and Lan Lan remembered it, but when it came to actually doing it, she hadn't thought she could replicate Jiang Wan's taste. She hadn't expected it to turn out well by chance.
"So, I guess I'm a chef who was delayed by finance," Lan Lan said smugly.
She smiled brightly and heartily. Liang Yufeng, infected by her laughter, also started to laugh. "A chef who burns eggs black?"
"Why do you remember every single trivial thing?" Lan Lan glared at him.
Liang Yufeng was referring to something from their university days. One time, he was frying an egg and went out to take a phone call, asking her to turn off the heat. Lan Lan, however, just watched the egg turn black before remembering to turn off the stove. Later, when Liang Yufeng returned, he had to fry another egg. He had even taken a photo of the egg Lan Lan had burned black.
"Well, I have a good memory," Liang Yufeng told her. "So, you'd better not offend me. I remember very clearly."
"You stingy man," Lan Lan cursed unceremoniously. Considering it was his birthday, she didn't argue with him much.
After finishing the noodles, Liang Yufeng automatically took on the task of cleaning up, putting the dishes into the dishwasher. When Liang Yufeng walked out of the living room, Lan Lan had already lain down on the sofa.
Lan Lan was extremely sleepy and just wanted to catch up on sleep. On a weekend, getting up at six in the morning had taken half her life. The moment her head touched the sofa, sleepiness washed over her, and she practically passed out.
As Liang Yufeng approached, he saw Lan Lan sleeping soundly. He stood by the sofa and looked down at her, his eyes softening.
He knew her habits too well. On weekends, unless there was a major work emergency, she would never get up early, always sleeping until noon. Yet, today, she had gotten up at six, an unprecedented event, to make longevity noodles for him. He already had no resistance to her; how could he withstand such thoughtfulness?
After staring at the sleeping woman for a long time, Liang Yufeng picked her up and walked towards the stairs. She must have been truly exhausted, as she didn't wake up even when he picked her up, only shifting slightly before leaning back onto his shoulder and falling asleep again. Liang Yufeng carried her to the bedroom upstairs and covered her with a blanket.
Liang Yufeng had never placed much importance on birthdays since childhood, but Jiang Wan did. She always remembered his birthday, preparing longevity noodles and cake for him. Over the years, they had celebrated countless birthdays together.
He had once fantasized about celebrating birthdays with Lan Lan. If they hadn't broken up then, he would have taken her to meet Jiang Wan on his birthday. However, their relationship had never lasted that long.
Not being able to celebrate his birthday with her had been a regret for many years. Today, she had made up for that regret, and even though it was just a bowl of noodles, he was content.
Lan Lan slept through until the afternoon, undisturbed. She didn't naturally wake up until two or three o'clock. Checking the time, she realized it was almost time to go out for her birthday celebration.
She had booked a table at a very atmospheric French restaurant earlier. She hadn't considered eating dinner at home, as it would be too inconsiderate to have the birthday boy cook, and she herself didn't know how to cook.
After getting up, Lan Lan washed up, put on makeup, and changed her clothes. When she went downstairs, she saw Liang Yufeng tidying the sofa in the living room. His demeanor while doing chores was exactly the same as in college.
Seeing Lan Lan dressed up and coming downstairs, Liang Yufeng asked, "Are you going out?"
"Yes," Lan Lan replied. "You go change your clothes quickly, we're going out for your birthday."
Liang Yufeng: "..." Was she going out with him? He thought the longevity noodles in the morning had marked the end of the birthday celebration.
At Lan Lan's words, Liang Yufeng realized she had also booked a restaurant. His mood suddenly became even more complex, a mixture of joy and surprise. Things he had never dared to imagine had actually come true today.
Lan Lan was wearing a black dress today. To match her, Liang Yufeng also wore a black shirt. Both of them were dressed with a sense of occasion.
When they left, Lan Lan insisted that Liang Yufeng ride in her car. "The birthday boy shouldn't drive himself. I'll grudgingly be your driver today."
Liang Yufeng said "Mm," not suspecting anything, and got into the car with her, sitting in the passenger seat.
This was his first time in Lan Lan's car. Her car had a strong scent of perfume, the same as her own scent – rich, but not overpowering. The seat covers inside her car were all white, and Liang Yufeng's presence felt out of place.
Lan Lan drove, glancing at the rearview mirror. She couldn't see the bass guitar in the trunk, indicating her placement was quite skillful.
The French restaurant wasn't far, and they soon arrived. After getting out of the car together, they encountered acquaintances. Standing in front of them were Shang Ting and Bai Ang.
They had been talking when they saw Liang Yufeng and Lan Lan appear, and both turned their heads to look at them.