As they spoke, the two of them had already boarded the rolls-royce.
Zhao Linger didn't take Jiang Cheng's words seriously.
Although she had a very good impression of Jiang Cheng, she also knew that there were women around him.
Not to mention that he had brought Zhou Ying to the company before, breaking the hearts of a large group of girls in the office.
Being part of Xingchen, she had more or less heard some rumors; it was said that the relationship between Su Wan of Xingchen Entertainment and Jiang Cheng was anything but ordinary.
After the car started, Zhao Linger spoke up and replied, "Chairman Jiang, there must be quite a few girls around you, right? Being so considerate, can you manage them all?"
Facing Zhao Linger's teasing, Jiang Cheng was in no hurry to deny it. Instead, with a smile on his face and a relaxed tone, he responded, "It's true there are girls around me, but do I look busy now? I'm all alone right now, it's quite pitiful."
Zhao Linger smiled helplessly and said, "Alright, I'm just joking with you. I was planning to go grab a bite and then visit my grandmother at the nursing home. Do you want to come along?"
"I definitely have to go."
Since he had nothing else to do anyway—Zhao Linger was like Chen Xueer, usually quite busy.
Opportunities to meet Zhao Linger alone like this were rare.
Hearing this, a bright, flower-like smile instantly bloomed on Zhao Linger's face, and she asked sweetly, "Then what do you want to eat?"
"Anything is fine. As long as it's not something weird, I can eat it."
Seeing Jiang Cheng say this, Zhao Linger seemed to remember something. She licked her lips with her tongue, then swallowed and said, "I know a small snack shop for solo diners that's delicious. Although the place isn't big, the food is great, especially their rice wine. It's home-brewed. Every time I'm not driving, I go there for a glass. Want to try it?"
Jiang Cheng nodded. "Sure."
After giving Wang Sheng the detailed address, the car slowly started and headed toward a narrow alley in Jing'an District.
Just as Zhao Linger had described, this small shop was truly exquisite and compact.
The space inside the shop was limited, with only two tables. At this moment, those only two tables were already packed with other diners.
Left with no choice, Jiang Cheng and Zhao Linger had to sit at the dining counter area specifically set up for solo diners.
Sitting side by side, the two of them looked at the menu on the wall together.
After careful consideration and discussion, they eventually ordered the Bullfrog and Duck Tongue Pot (88 yuan), Sautéed Double Crisps (68 yuan), Mom's Handmade Fish Cakes (38 yuan), Runny Roe Crab (78 yuan), Braised Eel Sections (68 yuan), Okra with Scallion Oil (29 yuan), and Honey Rice Wine (also 68 yuan per jar)... Not long after, the Waitress began to serve the dishes one by one.
Seeing the delicious food with excellent color, aroma, and taste laid out before her, Zhao Linger seemed exceptionally excited. She couldn't wait to pick up her chopsticks and put several pieces of food onto Jiang Cheng's plate.
However, to be honest, Jiang Cheng personally didn't feel these dishes were particularly outstanding.
It might be a matter of taste; he even felt some of the flavors were a bit too sweet.
This dining experience could only be described as mediocre.
The owner had actually gone out of his way to post an eye-catching sign on the wall that read: "Look at the menu seriously, don't look at reviews. If others say it's not tasty, it has nothing to do with you."
When Jiang Cheng's gaze fell on this sign, Zhao Linger, who was beside him, couldn't help but cover her mouth and burst out laughing.
She said softly, "Actually, this shop's rating on Dazhong Dianping isn't high, but for this kind of flavor, people who love it are obsessed, and those who don't might feel nothing. What do you think?"
Seeing Zhao Linger eating with great relish, Jiang Cheng didn't tell the truth and dampen her spirits.
As a good man, whether the food is delicious or not isn't the most important thing; what matters is being able to provide emotional value to the other person.
As long as it makes the other person happy and willing to share food with him in the future, that's enough.
Besides, it's not like he has to eat this kind of food every day. Even if he didn't like it much, he could just eat a little less and get through it.
Moreover, before coming here, Zhao Linger had praised the food here to the high heavens, saying it so vividly that she was almost drooling.
If he were to heartlessly say it was bad right now, wouldn't that make her so embarrassed she wouldn't know how to respond?
You'd be telling the truth, but it would also directly destroy the other person's desire to share with you.
If Jiang Cheng said it was bad, then the next time she wanted to eat something delicious, wouldn't she hesitate and wonder if it would suit Jiang Cheng's taste?
And the time after that when she wanted to come here, she would definitely never invite him again.
Jiang Cheng nodded against his true feelings. "It's not bad. This wine is also quite good, it has a bit of a sweet wine feel."
Just as he finished saying this, an ecstatic expression immediately appeared on Zhao Linger's face, as if she had found a kindred spirit.
She said excitedly, "My grandmother also likes to eat from this shop. Let's pack some for her later."
"Your grandmother lives in a nursing home?"
Zhao Linger nodded. "My grandmother has a bit of Alzheimer's. When she's not having an episode, she's fine, but when she does, she gets lost. My parents both have to work. We hired a nanny before, but she was very resistant to it, so we just let her stay in a nursing home. There are people her age there she can talk to. Usually, on our days off, we pick her up and bring her home."
Seeing Zhao Linger say this with a smile, it seemed there wasn't any particularly tragic story behind it.
Over an hour later, Jiang Cheng met Zhao Linger's grandmother at a nearby nursing home.
She was standing next to some fitness equipment, chatting with another elderly lady.
"Grandmother."
Zhao Linger's grandmother slowly turned her head. After her gaze swept over them, the expression on her face instantly became solemn, and she immediately frowned, her tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction and confusion. "Why are you here? Don't you have to work?"
Zhao Linger hurried forward and said softly, "Grandmother, I'm on holiday today, so I specifically came to take you home."
But Grandma Wang looked at her with a reproachful expression, constantly muttering, "Look at you, you don't even know to go out and have fun on your days off, just moping around at home every day. What kind of behavior is that! How are you going to find a husband like this? I'm not going home, you get out of here right now!"
"Grandmother, I'm Linger. You've mistaken me for someone else again."