why are they still in love

On the first day of work on vacation, Xiao Zhaoshan asked his assistant to book a location and menu at a Japanese grocery store in Chaoyang.

The store is quiet in the midst of the hustle and bustle, and has converted a two-story underground garage into a private box in the urban area. After opening at [-]:[-] noon every day, it is limited to receive [-] customers. Only reservations are accepted, and while stocks last.

Except for the two Chinese sentences "please use" and "thank you", the Japanese chef who can't speak or understand anything else will stand in the Japanese room and put the freshly sliced ​​fish and freshly held sushi in 30 seconds. Put it on the table of the guests to ensure that the ingredients are in the best tasting period.

This kind of high-end restaurant is very popular in Beijing. Xiao Zhaoshan spent a lot of money to buy a four-seat number from others, and arrived at the restaurant an hour early to wait for Yue Zezhang.

Above the garage is a Chinese-style residential building built at the beginning of the 21st century. The apartment type is basically a large flat floor with one storey and two households. Those who can live here will not be poor, and naturally there are few people coming and going.At five o'clock when the streets outside were busy and congested, there were only a few elderly people walking around in the community.

The entire wall at the entrance of the garage was covered with pink and purple petunias. Xiao Zhaoshan didn't stop admiring it, and walked down the winding slope alone with a kilogram of well-packed premium Jinjunmei.

The waitress in Furisode kimono with flowers in her hair was standing at the gate of the parking lot, nodding respectfully and asking for his name.

Xiao Zhaoshan reported the name of the person who sold the seat, and after checking it, she pressed the remote control in her hand, raised the red and white gate, and led him to the restaurant.

There is only a short distance between the main entrance of the restaurant and the gate, and the decoration of the garage is still along the way. The white walls and colorful columns are cold, but the scenery is very different after opening the door.

Hanging on the left and right sides of the door are two sets of five-foot fully-opened meticulous paintings. When Xiao Zhaoshan took off his shoes, he glanced at them and saw the empress of the Asuka era.

Apart from the faint sound of Guqin, there was almost no other noise in the restaurant, and a few steps forward were two closed wooden doors.The female waitress opened the second door sideways, and the painting here is the scene of sending Tang envoys to Chang'an and promoting Zuyong modulation in the Nara period.

Followed by the third door, the fourth door, and the fifth door, every second door, a waiter bowed and closed the door gently behind him.Xiao Zhaoshan went through a total of twelve doors, from the feudal dynasty to the post-war period, until he reached the four-person box at the end of the garage.

He looked at the decoration of the wall, and the street view photos of the representative cities of Japan's four major islands replaced the low-saturated meticulous paintings, as if it was the Showa era.

Another waitress who had been waiting at the door of the box opened the door and took off the gray suit jacket for him: "Mr. Qin, are there any valuables inside? Your mobile phone..."

Xiao Zhaoshan interrupted her: "Just give me the pen."

The waitress was taken aback for a moment, then she came to her senses and took off a black pen pinned to the left breast pocket of her suit and handed it to him respectfully.

"Thank you." Xiao Zhaoshan turned around and picked up the pen, handed the car keys on the gift box to the waiter, and smiled softly at her, "Except for this little thing my wife gave me, I belong to it all over." Most precious."

"Okay." The waitress was amused by him, "I will always serve you and your guests outside the door, please rest assured."

She wrapped the coat in her hand with a dust cover, hung it on a hanger by the door, and saluted him: "You can ring the bell on the table at any time to notify us to open the table. I wish you a pleasant meal, Mr. Qin."

The lattice door slowly closed.

Xiao Zhaoshan stood on the spot and looked at the layout of the box. The space as large as seven parking spaces was covered with beige mats. There was a Japanese-style wooden table in the center and two tables on each side Upholstered.

Three steps away from the table is the sink used by the sushi chef and the aquarium swimming with tonight's ingredients.Opposite the door is an artificial pool with an oxygen pump, and orange spotlights are installed at the bottom of the pool, drawing golden lines on the two small carps inside.

Xiao Zhaoshan put down the gift box, chose the side facing the door and knelt down, felt the slight vibration of the pocket watch in the vest pocket of his suit, and waited patiently for the time to pass.

The pocket watch is dialed too fast, and it will be 20 years in a blink of an eye.

He remembered that his first meeting with Yue Zezhang happened in such a secluded and deep Japanese grocery store.

At that time, Yue Zezhang was about the same age as he is now, but he was more knowledgeable and energetic. Even if he humbled himself as a layman, he could speak eloquently when talking about art and collection without falling behind.

Xiao Zhaoshan, who is in his early twenties, has a lot of experience in dealing with peers, but apart from his first oil painting teacher, he has never had a close relationship with a man who is nearly two rounds older than himself.

Yue Zezhang was the first.He treats him almost like a father figure.

Yue Zezhang taught him what capital is, what capital operation is, taught him how to display his talent and how to hide his talent, and taught him how to turn his ethereal talents into tangible benefits.

He taught him horsemanship, he also taught him horsemanship, he taught him to lose money, he also taught him to gather money, he taught him to save people, and he also taught him to kill without bloodshed.

Almost in a longing that he had borne for more than ten years, he willingly became Yue Zezhang's lackey, creating for him, laundering money for him, helping him achieve success, and then he was sent to prison by himself.

Even Chi Yan, who didn't know it at all, was also involved in this storm.

Even after she gave birth to Xiao Chining, she was still depressed. She was once so desperate that she spent a lot of money to hire a Taoist priest to do divination and fortune-telling.

Xiao Zhaoshan began to hate Yue Zezhang from then on.

In front of Yue Zezhang, he personally destroyed all the evidence of the relationship between the two, signed a contract for the copyright transfer of "Moon Night in the Forest", and handed over all the income from this work that may become the most important work in his life. Since then, Yue Zezhang has stopped painting, and no longer participated in any celebrity gatherings, and spent 15 years guarding the empty shell of a talented painter.

Now that Yue Zezhang came to him again, he knew what kind of trick the so-called cooperation was without even thinking about it.

Fifteen minutes before the agreed six o'clock, Xiao Zhaoshan rang the bell to let the chef come in early to prepare the appetizers.

At 58:[-], the door of the Japanese room was pushed open by the waiter.

Xiao Zhaoshan straightened up from the cushion to greet him, but was immediately pushed down by Yue Zezhang who was taking off his windbreaker outside the door.

"Sit in Zhaoshan, how can you use such a relationship with me?"

He smiled casually and motioned for his assistant to go in first.

From the corner of his eye, Xiao Zhaoshan caught a glimpse of the young man in a black suit looking around relentlessly, and felt ridiculous in his heart.

"Mr. Yue, long time no see." But his face was still full of spring breeze, respectful and decent.

At the age of 60, Yue Zezhang was still in good health, so he went to the table and sat down cross-legged without crutches or help.

"Yeah, long time no see. It's been so long that even the name has changed." He said with regret, "In the past, the child who was long by Mr. Yue and short by Mr. Yue changed his name to Mr. Yue."

The waitress came in with a wooden tray and handed hot towels to the three guests in order of seniority to wipe their hands.The assistant brought by Yue Zezhang knelt down at the corner of the table and refused the towel she handed, indicating that he would not participate in the meal.

"I used to be young and ignorant, and I dared to call you that when I was praised as a role. Don't take it to heart."

After Xiao Zhaoshan cleaned his hands, he personally leaned over to pick up the tea and pour it over for Yue Zezhang.

"There are not so many rules. What's more, Zhaoshan, you are not praised by others, you are already a character."

Yue Zezhang picked up the porcelain cup to receive his respect, blowing away the mist and took a sip.

The waitress put away the towels and bowed lightly, and then closed the door again for them after going out.

Only then did Xiao Zhaoshan pick up the gift box and hand it to him, and he changed his words with a smile: "Since you have said so, Mr. Yue, the student finally has the nerve to take out the gift that the student can't afford at all."

Yue Zezhang put down the teacup and motioned for his assistant to take it with his eyes.

"This day is suitable for drinking black tea. I had the cheek to order some good-quality orthodox Jinjunmei from a trustworthy friend, and Teacher Yue accepted it with a smile." Xiao Zhaoshan handed the box to the assistant.

Yue Zezhang patted his forehead: "Obviously I made an appointment with you first, but I came empty-handed, and you were invited back with a good gift."

"Mr. Yue, if you can come to eat this meal, that is the greatest gift you can give me." Xiao Zhaoshan sat back on his lap and rang the bell for the chef to serve the appetizers.

"Then why couldn't I get through to your phone two days ago?" Yue Zezhang said jokingly, "I thought these days, busy people like you are always on 24 hours a day."

"Compared to you, I'm not busy. It's just a small business." Xiao Zhaoshan explained, "I just accidentally dropped my phone in the water when I was going rafting in the south, and I had to live a life of isolation for a few days .”

The chef put a few plates of hors d'oeuvres on the table, said "please use" and took the slip-net to the side of the aquarium to pick up some trout that the guests brought in.

Yue Zezhang tasted a few nattos, then put down his chopsticks, looked at the back of the chef catching fish, and sighed sincerely: "To tell you the truth, it may be that I am old. When I was young, I thought it was good to be alone, and it was convenient to go anywhere. This year is different, I want to find someone to accompany me when I stay at home, it’s too lonely to be alone.”

Xiao Zhaoshan secretly tightened his hand holding vegetables, and said with a smile: "Chi Yan is busier than me, if I wait for her to come with me, this vacation will be blown away. And I am not young anymore, everyone around me has become a family, You can talk to anyone you want to be with your wife and children, but in the end you can only be alone.”

"That's right." Yue Zezhang withdrew his gaze, looked at him and asked casually, "What about your son, is he still raised at his grandmother's house in Hangzhou?"

Xiao Zhaoshan knew that he couldn't hide it, so he half-truthfully said: "I'm back. The master invited by the family back then said that he would not be able to return until he was 17 years old. It happened that next summer he was going to take the college entrance examination, so he was sent to Beijing to study. A senior high school student, I dare not take him out to play, for fear that I will lose my mind after playing for two days."

Yue Zezhang nodded clearly, picked up his chopsticks and went to try other side dishes: "I'm getting old and my memory is bad, what's his name?"

"Xiao Chi Ning." Xiao Zhaoshan replied, "The pool of the pond, Ning who uses it wholeheartedly."

"The name sounds nice, and it can be seen that thought has been put into it." Yue Zezhang teased, "You and Chi Yan are very precious."

Xiao Zhaoshan denied: "On the contrary, neither of us are expected to be parents. We regret it. We plan to let him leave the country after the college entrance examination, so as not to stay in our eyes."

Yue Zezhang persuaded: "Hey, my daughter also made troubles when she was a child, but now she is more stable when she becomes a mother, and finally knows how to take care of herself and the family. You and Chi Yan are the same in appearance and ability. I guess Chi Ning is the same." It won't be too bad, give him more time."

After a while, the chef brought two plates of sushi and introduced the name in Japanese. Xiao Zhaoshan translated: "This is smoked rainbow trout and grilled rainbow trout. You can try it."

"It's more fragrant than I imagined." Yue Zezhang tasted each, and rinsed his mouth with tea, "You can choose a place in Zhaoshan. The decoration here is unique, and the master's craftsmanship is good. I like it."

"It's just that it's not easy to find. I'm sorry for walking so far."

"The location is good, and it's worth going no matter how far you go."

As soon as the words fell, there was another sashimi trout on the wooden table.

Yue Zezhang picked up a piece of fish with clear patterns and shiny flesh and held it up to watch under the light: "I used to wear a black gauze hat because I was afraid of losing my mouth, and I didn't dare to touch something good when it was in front of me."

"I have spent most of my life working as a cow and a horse, and I dare not try to enjoy it until I am truly disarmed and returned to the farm." He put the fish on the tip of his chopsticks into his mouth, chewed it carefully, and commented, "Not bad."

Then he looked at Xiao Zhaoshan, and smiled kindly: "Thanks to you, Zhaoshan."

If it were Xiao Zhaoshan 20 years ago, he might have been terrified when he heard these words, but now he has been under the bars once, and he has been able to face Yue Zezhang's irony and warning without moving.

Before he quit back then, he sincerely destroyed all the evidence, but Yue Zezhang suspected that he was going to die together, so he resigned voluntarily not long after, intending to turn to the underground to save his cards.

Both of them were pushed to a crossroads in their lives that year, and chose to live the current life amidst subtle confrontations and games.

Fortunately, the result was good, Xiao Zhaoshan knew it well, otherwise he would not have been able to live in peace these years.

"It's also possible that it's good because you've traveled a long way." He tasted the trout slices and said meaningfully, "Students have understood in recent years that as long as they walk in the right way, the longer they stay , the more you enjoy it.”

Yue Zezhang turned his head and stared at the puffer fish that had been disemboweled in the chef's hands: "However, many roads have to go to the end before they are found to be a dead end."

He looked back at Xiao Zhaoshan: "Zhaoshan, tell me, if it were you, what would you do?"

Xiao Zhaoshan is as good as others: "Go back and start over."

Yue Zezhang frowned: "Others climbed to the top to enjoy the scenery, but you come back for nothing, don't you complain?"

"No complaint." Xiao Zhaoshan replied without hesitation, "I chose it myself."

Yue Zezhang stared at him for a while, then suddenly sighed: "You, you are still so stubborn. You never thought about how those people who reached the summit earlier than you did? You don't ask?"

Xiao Zhaoshan nodded and showed a modest smile: "It has nothing to do with me, and I don't have to follow their choice when I get the answer."

The chef handled the puffer fish skillfully, and there was a sound of water rushing in the box.The two finished the dishes on the table, and at the same time fell silent and looked at the kitchen counter, waiting for the highlight of tonight.

The fugu meat is divided into two parts, one for sashimi and one for soup base.

The sashimi came first.

According to the usual etiquette, Xiao Zhaoshan waited for Yue Zezhang, who was older than him, to move his chopsticks first, but the latter looked at it for a long time, but did not move for a long time.

"Zhaoshan." After 1 minute, Yue Zezhang finally picked up his chopsticks.

He picked up a piece of tender and firm puffer meat as if he wanted to pinch it to Xiao Zhaoshan, before he asked again: "Do you trust me?"

Xiao Zhaoshan thought to himself, finally came.

"Of course I do." He replied.

"Wrong." Yue Zezhang said, "You shouldn't believe anyone."

He put the piece of meat back on the plate, retracted his hands and said, "Do you know how poisonous fugu is? I can kill you with just 0.48 mg."

Xiao Zhaoshan said flatly: "The teacher doesn't know. Although it is said that its toxicity is more than 1000 times that of sodium cyanide, I am sure that its meat is completely non-toxic."

Yue Zezhang opened his eyes: "I know, why don't I know."

"But I don't trust anyone. If this chef misses, I won't be able to get out of this Japanese room today."

"Mr. Yue, it's easy to miss the surprise if you are too defensive." Xiao Zhaoshan picked up the piece of puffer fish that he had discarded, and put it straight into his mouth, "If you miss it once, you will miss it again and again. I choose the trout he made just now." No mistakes."

Yue Zezhang clapped his palms and laughed loudly: "Zhaoshan, why didn't you let me find mistakes before?"

Xiao Zhaoshan put down his chopsticks and asked calmly, "Does the teacher want to climb to the top again?"

"Climbing to the top is not enough, but it is indeed possible to go further up." Yue Zezhang smiled lightly, and looked him in the eyes, "As long as Zhaoshan, you will be the chef."

When the fugu soup was served, the chef once again invited the two guests to enjoy it, but this time no one gave him a nod.

Xiao Zhaoshan looked at Yue Zezhang silently, and asked after a while, "How is the teacher's appetite recently?"

"I'm getting older, and my appetite isn't what it used to be." Yue Zezhang laughed again, "Fangshan has a new site, you must have heard of Zhaoshan."

Xiao Zhaoshan nodded: "A friend built a shopping mall there."

Yue Zezhang raised his eyebrows: "Oh? Let's hear it."

Xiao Zhaoshan said with some reservations: "It's not good, it seems that there is something wrong with her qualification certification."

Yue Zezhang understood as soon as he heard it: "The big fish eat the small fish, and the small fish eat dried shrimps."

"teacher is?"

"Naturally a big fish."

Xiao Zhaoshan finally figured out who Dong Xin was running on.

"I can't even count shrimp," he said.

"This is too modest." Yue Zezhang took a sip of tea, "A talented painter who has been silent for more than ten years has returned to the rivers and lakes. At least a painting will cost several million?"

"Teacher Yue praised me too much." Xiao Zhaoshan laughed at himself, "I'm not worth the price at all now."

Yue Zezhang didn't care: "You are my private investment, if I say you are worth it, you are worth it."

"Thank you teacher for your appreciation."

Xiao Zhaoshan pondered for a while, and his face gradually cleared up: "Dare to ask who will do the accounting?"

Seeing that he was loose, Yue Zezhang turned to the assistant he brought behind him without concealment: "Family."

Seeing this, Xiao Zhaoshan seemed to have heard some joke: "Then I refuse to open the stage."

Yue Zezhang raised his eyebrows and reprimanded in the tone of 20 years ago: "Zhaoshan, don't be self-willed, the chef only needs to do the work that the chef should do."

Xiao Zhaoshan met his displeasure, and said bluntly: "I don't want to get involved again. Since it is my painting and my exhibition, the bill must be paid by me, otherwise I will treat it as if I didn't have dinner with you, Teacher Yue tonight. This meal."

"You will threaten me when you grow up." Yue Zezhang warned him in a relieved tone.

Xiao Zhaoshan was unmoved: "I didn't mean to threaten you. I didn't use my name to reserve a table for today's meal, and I won't use my own card to pay the bill later. I'm leaving this restaurant unless there is a special person on it Check, otherwise no one will know that Xiao Zhaoshan and Mr. Yue from Zhongjing met here tonight, this is my sincerity."

Yue Zezhang looked into his eyes cautiously, as if trying to judge whether he had lied.

"Okay." But after a while, he seemed to have thought of something, and quickly agreed, and picked up a piece of fugu sashimi with chopsticks and put it into his mouth, "I'll leave it to you to do it."

Xiao Zhaoshan asked: "What is the approximate number?"

Yue Zezhang put down his chopsticks to savor the freshness of puffer fish meat, and looked down at his fingertips: "You can only eat 600 million yuan at most, so let's do it first."

Xiao Zhaoshan couldn't help being a little surprised. According to his past experience, if he has this number here, then if Yue Zezhang's other secret calls are added up, there will probably be an extra zero at the end of this number.

But he didn't raise any objections, the two reached a consensus temporarily, and in the last half hour they both had a truly enjoyable meal.

Yue Zezhang took his leave after eating, Xiao Zhaoshan didn't go out with him, but sat in the box for a while.

Five minutes later, the waitress saw that the service bell on the wall was on, so she opened the door and asked softly, "Mr. Xiao, is there anything I can do for you?"

Xiao Zhaoshan sat on his knees for more than an hour, feeling exhausted. As soon as he walked away, he immediately released his instincts, straightened his legs under the table, and rested with his hands propped back on the mat.

"Eat it, please take it away."

So the waitress closed the door, came in and took all the dishes and cups to the sink.

Xiao Zhaoshan took out a lighter from his trouser pocket, and asked her lazily, "Can I smoke here?"

The waitress smiled and answered him: "I'm sorry, smoking is not allowed in our restaurant. If you want to smoke, please go out and smoke."

Xiao Zhaoshan clicked his tongue again and again: "A person like you is destined not to be able to work in the service industry."

The "waitress" gave him a blank look: "I didn't even want to get involved in the service industry."

Xiao Zhaoshan twirled the lighter between his fingers, and lowered his other hand to tear off the transparent glue on the bottom of the table. He joked to her, "From now on, you can continue to dress like this to look tender."

The "waitress" sat across from him, looked down at the kimono on her body, and was suddenly a little worried: "Do you think Yue Zezhang will recognize it?"

"He doesn't know you, and I haven't mentioned your name. Even if I tell you, such a big China named 'Dong Xin' has gone to sea, and it's not easy for him to check it. Don't be too nervous."

Xiao Zhaoshan tore it for a long time, finally removed the pen stuck to the bottom of the table, and threw it to Dong Xin: "It's not safe to put it here, you keep it, I trust you."

Dong Xin took the recording pen, and his expression still did not relax: "This circle is very small, he will know if he pays a little attention."

Xiao Zhaoshan stood up and walked to the artificial pond to enjoy the fish: "I told him that you are building a shopping mall, but he couldn't ask."

Dong Xin had been standing outside the door, unable to hear their conversation clearly, and still couldn't believe what he said: "I heard that he is a thief, how could he be tricked by you just like that?"

With his back turned to her, Xiao Zhaoshan leaned over to look at the carp in the pond, and said only one sentence: "I know him well, he has been successful for too long."

Dong Xin finally breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good..."

However, Xiao Zhaoshan changed his voice: "But he is not a vegetarian, after all, he has been successful for so long."

He strolled up to the chef, leaned on the counter and asked, "Did you bring cigarettes?"

The chef who can only speak Japanese was washing the dishes, and he shook his head when he heard this: "I didn't dare to bring it."

Xiao Zhaoshan could only put the lighter back in his trouser pocket, crossed his hands and looked back at Dong Xin, and analyzed for her: "Just now he agreed so readily, there are only two possibilities, one, he thinks I can't shake his foundation, two, he There is a way to shut me up forever."

Dong Xin choked for breath: "Old Xiao, you..."

She started and didn't dare to continue, but Xiao Zhaoshan heard her unfinished words, lowered his head and smiled: "I hope it's the former. I've already paid the price."

The room suddenly became dull, and no one spoke anymore.

After a long while, Xiao Zhaoshan straightened up from the kitchen counter, turned his head to the cook who was tidying up the dishes in a spirited manner, and said, "It's not easy to be a police officer now, it's hard work for you to be able to get to know the work of a chef to this extent within a day. The puffer fish was cleaned up and I'm still alive."

It's okay not to mention it, but it's still frightening to mention it.

The 26-year-old police officer stared at him, and said in fear, "I learned from my dad before, how could you know that you dare to order! My hands are shaking when I serve the food!"

Xiao Zhaoshan patted him on the shoulder: "It tastes good, you can consider opening a shop."

He stayed up all night last night, and after running around for a whole day today, he found a trustworthy police officer who was proficient in Japanese food cooking from the acquaintance Wang Dui, and arranged him to this Japanese food restaurant opened by Dong Xin's friend.

The purpose is nothing else, he knows that not just any policeman can knock down Yue Zezhang, even the one with the national emblem embroidered on his shoulder——

"You are the most innocent witness among us. You have to remember what happened today, and then keep silent. If the second situation I just mentioned really happens, you just need to help me and Team Wang and let him Just be careful and help my family, and don't do anything else, understand?"

That was the only reason he had gone to such lengths to risk calling the police.

The chef nodded solemnly: "Yes, I know the seriousness of this matter."

"En." After finishing speaking, Xiao Zhaoshan finally felt genuinely tired.

He plans to go home to catch up on sleep, and ask for leave tomorrow to celebrate Chi Yan's birthday.

"Let's go, Miss Dong." He walked up to Dong Xin with one hand in his pocket, bowed his head and said to her, "Go back and rest, and get ready for a new life."