The Taste of Chocolate
It was during the final moments of the War of Resistance against Japan. Across the sea from the Japanese mainland, Matsushita Konosuke received an order that, due to the scarcity of aluminum alloy, high-strength wood was needed to manufacture aircraft.
Inspired by national public opinion, even in early 1945, Matsushita Konosuke, like men, women, and children across the country, believed in victory and continued to provide support to the Japanese army to the best of his ability. Hearing news of a possible defeat only fueled his fervor. Parents excitedly bid farewell to their sons who were about to make their mark, and young children, their eyes gleaming with fervent enthusiasm, brandished wooden bayonets and mimicked slashing motions, imagining their enemies as their peers on the other side of the strait. Boys a few years older than them were already soldiers of the Emperor.
On February 13, 1945, the Lunar New Year of the Rooster, heavy snow fell across Central China and Southwest China. The Central Daily News reported that snowfall in western South Hunan was a rare occurrence in ten years, while the heavy snowfall in the neighboring western province was a once-in-twenty-year event.
When the snow melted and spring arrived, Matsushita Konosuke's wooden airplane successfully completed its test flight, but it was too late to be used in the war.
Qin Peng arrived at the Zhijiang Xuefeng Mountain Region in Zhijiang, where the Japanese army was about to launch a desperate attack.
Later, Ye Chenyu went east to Japan.
Later, Ye Sijin met Shangguan Dandan.
"She was a disheveled village girl, wearing a cotton-padded jacket stuffed with tattered cotton, rags, and straw. She was ice-cold, with bruises all over her forehead and cheeks, red and swollen eyes, and cracked lips. She looked nothing like her former self," Shangguan Dandan continued.
Her tone was calm, and Liu Chang'an's expression was also calm. He simply lowered his head and silently watched the Bear Bear charcoal fire in the basin.
"I confirmed that she has a similar aura to mine, but with slight differences, so I'm a little confused." Shangguan Dandan tugged at Liu Chang'an's collar again, then reached out and buttoned up all the buttons on his shirt, all the way to the top button, before finally letting out a satisfied sigh of relief.
The man's chest muscles, which were originally illuminated by the charcoal fire, were now a fiery red—how rude!
"What's bothering you?" Liu Chang'an asked.
"The main manifestation is that her vitality and blood energy have been affected, and they are more vigorous than mine, so I guess that you have favored her many times." Shangguan Dandan tugged at her long hair by her ear to cover her blushing cheeks. As a young lady of noble status, she could not talk about these things without showing her modesty and embarrassment.
"It's saliva," Liu Chang'an said expressionlessly.
"Then you must have spat all over her." Shangguan Dandan said with a hint of sarcasm, for some reason he refused to admit it.
You're about the same, aren't you?
Shangguan Dandan puffed out her cheeks, her eyes glowing red in the firelight as she looked at him.
Liu Chang'an raised his hands and slapped her cheeks, instantly shattering her momentum. Her lips parted, making a "pop" sound, like a fish blowing bubbles.
"Seriously," Liu Chang'an reminded her that continuing to express her resentment was pointless.
"I'm very curious about what she originally looked like, otherwise why would you favor her so frequently? Even more often than your favorite wet nurse in the Everlasting Palace." Shangguan Dandan now understood, of course.
"I'll say it again, some of the palace maids in the Everlasting Palace are just more developed. A wet nurse is a woman who has already given birth and has milk to breastfeed other people's children, undertaking the responsibility of breastfeeding and care. That's what a wet nurse is." Liu Chang'an explained calmly. Could it be that Shangguan Dandan has been influenced by online novels and started paying attention to breasts?
"In short, I restored her appearance and figure."
"Then?"
I've already said a lot to you today.
"Your phone is almost out of credit, isn't it? And your Qidian account is almost out of Qidian coins, isn't it?" Liu Chang'an negotiated calmly.
"Then top up my account first." Shangguan Dandan stood up, walked to the coffin, reached inside, and took out her phone.
Liu Chang'an paid her phone bill and recharged some Qidian coins on WeChat, taking advantage of a recharge promotion.
"Is it fully charged?" Shangguan Dandan's slender fingers fiddled with the phone screen.
Liu Chang'an nodded.
Shangguan Dandan didn't ask for a small stool to stand on, nor did she ask Liu Chang'an for help. She lay down on the edge of the coffin, lifted her legs, and crawled inside.
"You..."
"I'm tired."
Liu Chang'an walked over, intending to grab Shangguan Dandan, but the coffin lid was slammed shut with lightning speed.
Liu Chang'an pounded on the coffin lid a few times and then gave up, just like a turtle hiding in its shell. Shangguan Dandan hid in her coffin, and he really couldn't do anything about her.
"Fine, we'll talk about it next time you need to top up your account." Liu Chang'an pointed at the coffin and waved his finger. He decided not to argue with Shangguan Dandan anymore; he'd deal with her next time.
Liu Chang'an walked out of the room, jumped onto the roof, and gazed at the top of Mount Lu Mountain across the city.
He seemed to see a line connecting events from over two thousand years ago, traversing the long river of time, where two splendid waves met and appeared before him, never fading.
If it weren't for the bloodshed at the Everlasting Palace more than two thousand years ago, Shangguan Dandan wouldn't have his aura within her, she wouldn't have been able to sense Ye Sijin, who shared the same aura, and there wouldn't be Qin Yanan today.
If none of this had happened, he might still be here looking at Mount Lu, only perhaps feeling even more lonely.
Liu Chang'an didn't come down from the rooftop until Zhou Shuling called him to have breakfast.
"I made braised pork noodles today, you should try some." Zhou Shuling brought over three bowls of noodles, looking at Liu Chang'an with some anticipation.
"How is this sauce made?" Liu Chang'an asked casually.
Zhou Dongdong doesn't care how it's prepared; she usually just starts eating right away.
"I used the chili sauce you gave me, added pork cracklings, pig's trotter skin, and beef, steamed them together, and made a dipping sauce. I didn't add olive strips or carrot strips for you, and I also stir-fried some green beans." Zhou Shuling didn't sit down, but stood next to Liu Chang'an, waiting to see his reaction to eating it.
It rained last night and the temperature dropped a bit. Zhou Shuling wore black tights and a long shirt. As a housewife, she dressed casually and didn't feel obligated to wear a skirt over it; that was for when she was getting ready for work.
But when she stood in front of him, a mature, warm fragrance wafted towards him. Liu Chang'an waved his hand and pointed to the opposite side, "Go and eat."
Zhou Shuling sat down, and Liu Chang'an nodded, praising the taste. Only then did Zhou Shuling smile and begin to eat her noodles in small bites.
Liu Chang'an smiled and used his chopsticks to pick up shredded meat for Zhou Shuling.
"Eat more meat. You're still growing, and you still have to study." Zhou Shuling tried to pick up some more meat for Liu Chang'an.
"Eat it if they give it to you."
Zhou Shuling pouted. This person always snaps at others when they are being polite or showing them genuine concern.
"I don't just serve food to anyone; you're lucky to have done this." Liu Chang'an took a bite of noodles and then gave the rest of the shredded meat to Zhou Shuling.
Zhou Shuling thought about it carefully. She often served food to Liu Chang'an, but Liu Chang'an rarely served her any. So she smiled a little embarrassedly.
"Her smile is just like Zhou Dongdong's."
"Please stop yelling at me, the noodles are getting cold."
"Eat."
(Zhou Dongdong)
Today, Liu Chang'an didn't give Zhou Dongdong the chance to sit under the sycamore tree and wait to ride the dog to school when he was almost late. Instead, he took Lu Si'en with him to send Zhou Dongdong to school so that Lu Si'en could familiarize himself with the route.
Fortunately, Lu Si'en's intelligence was not affected. Thanks to its original owner's picky breeding and selection process, Lu Si'en is considered to have outstanding intelligence and physique among Rottweilers, and its training is currently progressing very smoothly.
Liu Chang'an took the dog home and then strolled leisurely to school. Naturally, he was late, but unlike in high school, there was no homeroom teacher standing by him asking him all sorts of questions.
Having already been late for a whole class, Liu Chang'an didn't go to the classroom. Instead, he decided to go to the library to read and kill time. He didn't sit near the door anymore; instead, he went into the study room and saw Bai Hui sitting next to a pot of kumquats. He went over and sat down next to Bai Hui.
Bai Hui was carefully peeling the chocolate. Just as she finished, she put the foil in the small box on the table with her fair fingers. She turned her head and saw Liu Chang'an. She hesitated for a moment, then reached out the chocolate in her hand, then pulled it back and slowly put it in her mouth.
The chocolate was sweet, with a subtle bitterness hidden beneath. As the chocolate melted on the tongue, the hazelnuts pressed against the taste buds, stimulating more saliva. Bai Hui puffed out her cheeks slightly, carefully letting her nimble tongue lick and swirl the chocolate in her mouth, trying not to open her lips, because it would be unsightly if melted chocolate got on her teeth at this point.
Bai Hui took a chocolate from the box and handed it to Liu Chang'an, hoping he wouldn't talk to her while eating. She then noticed that he took it but didn't eat it, instead focusing on his book and making no attempt to speak. She remembered the day she went to the cafeteria to return his diary, only to have her intentions exposed by him... Bai Hui quickly propped up the large textbooks on the table, hiding her face behind them. It's understandable that a girl's little secret would be mortified when exposed. She knew Liu Chang'an was pretending to be nonchalant, but he was probably secretly laughing at her for being so self-important.
Bai Hui turned her head to the side, carefully took out her phone, and looked at the text message with a flushed face. "Back then, everyone said you liked me, but what did you do? You didn't pursue me at all. Instead, you went after An Nuan. And now? You and An Nuan are over, but I'm still so beautiful and so cute. Can you see that? But, I'm being reserved and proud. You don't have a chance anymore. Goodbye!"
Liu Chang'an understands girls' feelings so well, so he must be able to tell that she hates him, that she doesn't like him, and that she doesn't have the kind of feelings a girl has for a boy... Bai Hui breathed a sigh of relief, her heart pounding, just hoping he wouldn't misunderstand.
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I apologize, the book I recommended last time was "Legends of Wall Street," a very professional book that was very informative.