Chapter 349 - 216: Jiang Silu: Mom, I Want to Forgive Dad

Chapter 349: Chapter 216: Jiang Silu: Mom, I Want to Forgive Dad

Soon, they arrived at Teacher He Fengchun’s company.

About to meet her idol once again, Jiang Silu was still a little nervous.

She took a deep breath and followed Lu Fan inside.

Teacher He Fengchun was sitting at her desk, looking over some blueprints. She looked up at the sound of footsteps, and a smile spread across her face when she saw Lu Fan and Jiang Silu.

"Silu, you’re here? Come in, come in," Teacher He Fengchun said, standing up and greeting them warmly.

Jiang Silu quickly bowed, saying a little stiffly, "Hello, Teacher He. I’m sorry to bother you."

Teacher He Fengchun waved her hand dismissively and said with a smile, "It’s no bother at all. I saw your gold-medal-winning work from the Jiangnan Garden Cup. It has a lot of soul. The use of the orchid element, in particular, was a very unique idea."

Jiang Silu blushed slightly and quickly said, "That was a team effort. My senior classmates did a lot of the work, too. I was only responsible for one part."

"The fact that you say that shows you’re level-headed. But I looked at your part very closely. Your linework is very mature, and your thinking is clear. Come, have a seat and we can talk," Teacher He said, her eyes full of admiration.

She led Jiang Silu to the sofa, took out a few reference books, and flipped through them for her page by page, explaining as she went.

Jiang Silu listened intently, asking a few questions occasionally, which Teacher He answered patiently.

Lu Fan sat to the side, and as he watched the scene, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

He didn’t interrupt, just waited quietly.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on Jiang Silu’s focused profile. A sense of peace suddenly settled in his heart.

’This kid, she really loves design.’

By the time they left Teacher He Fengchun’s studio, it was already three in the afternoon.

Jiang Silu walked beside Lu Fan, clutching the few reference books Teacher He had given her. She had a smile on her face, and her steps were much lighter than when they had arrived.

Seeing her like this, Lu Fan smiled and asked, "How did it go? Have you got any ideas now?"

Jiang Silu nodded, her voice tinged with excitement. "Teacher He told me so much, and I also got to see some of the design manuscripts from her collection. I suddenly feel like I was boxing myself in before. I was always thinking I had to create some grand masterpiece, but it’s actually easier to start with a smaller entry point."

Lu Fan chuckled. "That’s good. Come on, I’m taking you somewhere."

Jiang Silu asked curiously, "Where are we going?"

"You’ll see when we get there," Lu Fan said mysteriously.

When the two of them walked out of the company building, Chen He was already waiting outside for them.

After they got in the car and drove for over twenty minutes, the car stopped at the entrance of an alley.

Jiang Silu got out of the car, and when she saw the scene before her, her eyes lit up instantly.

It was an old street with a bluestone path, lined with all sorts of shops on both sides.

There were stalls selling pastries, tanghulu, wontons, and all kinds of little trinkets.

The air was filled with the aroma of food, a mix of the cloying sweetness of osmanthus sugar and the roasted scent of sweet potatoes, making one’s mouth water.

"This is an old street in Suzhou. Not many tourists come here; it’s mostly locals," Lu Fan explained. "I brought you here today to try some authentic Suzhou snacks."

Jiang Silu looked at the bustling street market and asked excitedly, "Can I eat whatever I want?"

"Of course. Just tell Dad what you want to eat," Lu Fan said with a laugh.

Jiang Silu smiled sheepishly, but her eyes were already scanning the stalls on either side.

After just a few steps, she was drawn to a stall selling plum blossom cakes.

The pastries were shaped like plum blossoms and sprinkled with red and green threads of candied fruit, looking utterly tempting.

"I want to eat that," Jiang Silu said, pointing at the stall.

Lu Fan walked over and said to the vendor, "Two of those, please."

The vendor was a woman in her fifties. With nimble hands, she had the two plum blossom cakes ready in a moment.

Lu Fan paid and handed one to Jiang Silu.

Jiang Silu took it and bit into it, her eyes narrowing into slits. "Delicious! It’s soft and chewy, and not too sweet. It’s just right."

Seeing her look of pure satisfaction, Lu Fan felt happy as well.

The two of them continued walking.

Jiang Silu then spotted stalls selling sweet porridge, gorgon fruit, and soup dumplings with crab roe. She wanted to try every single one.

Lu Fan didn’t find it troublesome at all. He bought whatever she pointed at, and before long, they were both carrying several bags.

Jiang Silu stopped again in front of a stall selling Haitang cakes.

The vendor was a stout middle-aged man. Seeing them approach, he called out enthusiastically, "Try our Haitang cakes! It’s a family recipe, the best on this street!"

Jiang Silu looked at the golden-brown pastries, which were sprinkled with sesame seeds and melon seeds. The fragrance was overwhelming, and she couldn’t help but look at Lu Fan again.

Lu Fan chuckled and said to the vendor, "We’ll take two."

The vendor sized them up as he prepared the cakes, asking with a smile, "You two are brother and sister, right? You’re both very good-looking. Your big brother is really good to you."

Jiang Silu froze for a moment, and her face instantly turned red.

Lu Fan burst out laughing, his voice hearty. "Not brother and sister. We’re father and daughter. This is my girl."

The vendor froze too, his hands stilling. He looked Lu Fan up and down, his face full of surprise. "Father and daughter? Whoa, you look way too young! I’d have said you were in your early thirties, and you have a daughter this old?"

Lu Fan smiled and waved his hand. "You’re too kind. I’m forty."

The vendor clicked his tongue in amazement. He handed over the finished Haitang cakes, muttering, "You’ve really taken good care of yourself. I thought you were just a young guy out with his little sister. Your daughter is good-looking too. She takes after you."

Jiang Silu took the Haitang cake, her face red as she lowered her head and said softly, "Thank you."