pertwk Chapter 46 Returning to Jian Jingli's House
Chapter 46 Returning to Jian Jingli's House
Ye Fan swirled his wine glass: "Football is like hunting; scoring a goal is just the final shot. Look, Brazil is here again! This time it's Oscar's long-range shot—"
Zhao Mingzhe responded, "Old Ye is right. Football is a hunting game. You can't just look at how many goals have been scored; you have to look at the overall situation."
Tang Yanning: "I didn't know football had such a deep content. I'll have to study it more in the future."
Before he could finish speaking, the Croatian goalkeeper once again leaped and tipped the ball over the crossbar.
A sigh of regret filled the entire barbecue restaurant, mixed with the sizzling sound of oil popping on the grill.
Tang Yanning and Pei Yi'an exchanged a glance and suddenly realized that there was something even more captivating than the score on this green field.
In the 11th minute, Neymar received a pass from his teammate just outside the penalty area. After a slight adjustment, he unleashed a powerful right-footed shot – the ball flew into the net like a cannonball!
Goal!
The entire barbecue restaurant instantly erupted in excitement.
Brazilian fans in yellow jerseys jumped up and hugged each other, spilling beer foam everywhere.
Zhao Mingzhe was so excited that he hugged Ye Fan tightly: "See that! As expected of Sa's future star, he's really too strong!"
The way he gesticulated and danced around was just like a frolicking husky.
Ye Fan smiled and let him shake him, but his gaze was fixed on the young figure celebrating on the screen.
Neymar ran towards the corner flag with his arms outstretched, the sunlight gilding his back—who could have imagined that this spirited young man would one day become one of the most dazzling superstars in football?
In fact, Ye Fan not only likes Messi but also Neymar, but he didn't show the same excitement as Neymar because he knew the outcome.
...........
When the final whistle blew and the score was 3-1, the entire barbecue restaurant erupted in cheers.
The cheers of the Brazilian fans almost lifted the roof off, and the yellow jerseys formed a vibrant sea under the lights.
"Come on! Cheers!" Ye Fan suddenly raised his glass, his face showing rare excitement.
Zhao Mingzhe's hand, which was holding a glass, paused in mid-air. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously: "Old Ye, when have you ever been this happy about Brazil winning?"
He knew his childhood friend too well—as a die-hard Argentina fan, Ye Fan always hoped Brazil would lose, and he felt the same way.
Ye Fan smiled without saying a word, and the glass clinked together with a crisp sound.
What Zhao Mingzhe didn't know was that what he was truly celebrating was that the world's trajectory hadn't been affected by his rebirth—meaning that after the Spanish vs. Honduras match that morning, the 1152 million yuan bonus, after taxes, would be safely in his pocket.
Tang Yanning yawned and leaned on Pei Yi'an's shoulder; the two girls' eyelids were drooping.
Zhao Mingzhe wanted to ask more questions, but Ye Fan pulled him up: "Let's go, it's time to go home and sleep. We still have driving practice this afternoon."
The four walked out of the barbecue restaurant.
At the end of the street, the rising sun was peeking through the gaps between the tall buildings, casting their shadows long and thin.
This night, filled with football, beer, and secrets, has finally come to an end.
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In the days that followed, the four of them lived a happy life with their days and nights reversed—catching up on sleep during the day, practicing driving in the afternoon, and watching football late at night.
Parents mostly turned a blind eye, after all, this was a rare period of freedom for their children after the college entrance examination.
On the afternoon of June 22, Ye Fan had just finished his driving school training when he received a call from Jian Jingli.
"Xiao Fan, come to my house for dinner tonight!" The voice on the other end of the phone was full of laughter.
Ye Fan glanced at the schedule—Argentina vs. Iran was a group stage match at 3 a.m., but there was plenty of time: "Okay, Sister Jing, I just finished driving practice, I'll be there in a bit."
As evening fell, Ye Fan, having finished showering, changed into a refreshing T-shirt and jeans.
As he hailed a taxi, the evening breeze, carrying the heat of summer, brushed against his face. He recalled the Minnan cuisine he had eaten at Jian Jingli's house last time and quickened his pace.
Arrive on the 9th floor and press the doorbell.
"Ding-dong—"
Not long after the doorbell rang, Jian Jingli hurriedly opened the door, her hair still damp with water droplets, clearly having just come from the kitchen.
"Oh! You're here so soon? Perfect, just two more dishes to go!" Her eyes lit up, and she stepped aside to let Ye Fan in.
As soon as you step inside, the rich aroma of food hits you – the mellow flavor of ginger duck, the fresh aroma of oyster omelet, and the subtle scent of white pepper intertwine in the air.
Jian Jingli took a bottle of chilled lemonade from the refrigerator, condensation dripping onto her slender wrist. "Cool yourself down first. Sit for a while, or you can wander around. The food will be ready soon!"
Ye Fan took the drink, but followed her into the kitchen.
Pushing open the door, a wave of steaming heat mixed with the aroma of stir-fried oil hits you, and a clay pot on the stove is bubbling away.
"Sister Jing, your skills are amazing! Did you practice since you were a child?" Ye Fan leaned against the door frame.
Jian Jingli was stir-frying vegetables in the pan when she heard this. She turned around and glared at him, "Hey, it's so hot in the kitchen, get out!"
Fine beads of sweat glistened on the tip of her nose, and the apron straps were tied into a pretty bow at her waist.
Ye Fan noticed that Jian Jingli's bangs were soaked with sweat, and a few drops of sweat slid down her fair cheeks. Without saying a word, he turned around and went to the living room to grab a few tissues.
When I returned to the kitchen, Jian Jingli was intently stir-frying the vegetables in the pan, the firelight illuminating her focused profile.
Ye Fan naturally raised his hand and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead: "Sister Jing, you still haven't told me, when did you master this skill?"
Jian Jingli was slightly taken aback, then smiled and let him wipe her sweat. In her heart, she already regarded Ye Fan as a close younger brother.
"I started learning when I was in elementary school," she recalled as she stir-fried the food, the spatula making a crisp sound as it struck the wok.
"At first, I could even burn fried eggs, but I gradually got the hang of it. During summer vacation, I loved studying Fujian cuisine recipes. I pestered my grandma for a long time to teach me the secret recipe for ginger duck!" Her eyes sparkled as she spoke.
"Jing-jie, your cooking skills are comparable to those of professional Fujian cuisine chefs. No, you should say they're even better than what you get in restaurants," Ye Fan exclaimed sincerely, his gaze sweeping over the several dishes on the stove that looked and smelled delicious.
Jian Jingli blushed slightly at his praise, twirling the spatula in her hand: "You're just talking nonsense, it's just some home-style flavor..."
Despite saying that, the corners of my mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.
Ye Fan leaned against the kitchen counter and said earnestly, "I'm not exaggerating. Restaurants are too focused on plating, so they lack this kind of..." He pointed to the ginger duck bubbling in the casserole, "The taste of home."
Jian Jingli felt a warmth in her heart upon hearing this.
As she turned around, the ends of her hair brushed against Ye Fan's nose, carrying a faint scent of shampoo: "If you like, I can make it for you anytime."
She turned off the stove quickly and decisively: "Go wash your hands, dinner will be served soon."
Soon after, the last dish was also ready.
Ye Fan helped bring the steaming dishes to the table one by one—the ginger duck glistened with an amber color, the oyster omelet was golden and crispy, and the steamed clams with vermicelli emitted a sweet and fresh aroma.
There was also a pot of milky white abalone and pork rib soup bubbling away.
I made an extra dish today, braised fish in red yeast rice, compared to last time.
On the dining table, the colorful dishes looked especially tempting under the warm light.
The red-braised fish gleamed like agate, and was served alongside emerald green stir-fried vegetables.
Chien Ching-Li even thoughtfully prepared chilled plum juice, with water droplets condensing on the glass bottle slowly sliding off.
"Sister Jing, this is too lavish!" Ye Fan looked at the table full of delicacies and was eager to eat.
Who can resist a table full of delicious food?
She ladled a bowl of soup and pushed it in front of Ye Fan: "Try it quickly, I added a little more dendrobium to today's soup."