Chapter Six: The Scent of Smoke

In the afternoon, a rain shower passed, but by evening it had stopped, thankfully not interfering with the night’s activities.

As night fell, Xiao Shi’s bonfire party was simple—he found a patch of open ground, built a pile of firewood in the center, and everyone gathered round to eat, drink, and enjoy themselves. That was their bonfire party.

The first person Xin Gan met after arriving at Northern Islet was Xiao Shi, then the innkeeper, and only the third was Cheng Jiu.

She counted on her fingers; she had been here almost a week and had only met Cheng Jiu twice. Both families hoped they would develop feelings before marriage, but at this rate, how could there possibly be any foundation of affection before the wedding?

Besides, she had little desire to like someone like him.

She came to find him mainly to discuss dissolving their engagement.

But the timing was wrong; she hadn’t had a chance to bring it up.

The innkeeper provided a whole roasted lamb and drinks made from dairy. Xin Gan couldn’t touch any dairy products—her throat hadn’t fully recovered, and she didn’t dare eat anything too hot or harsh, so she stuck to fruit. The temperature difference between day and night here was great, and the fruit grown in Northern Islet was almost unbelievably sweet. She enjoyed it immensely, and spent the evening focused on eating fruit.

It was chilly at night, so Xin Gan dressed warmly, her fair face peeking out as she sat by the fire chatting with Xiao Shi and the others.

The person who said he’d come that evening was very late.

The sound of a car engine rose, headlights shining from afar as it approached slowly. Only when it was close did she recognize Cheng Jiu’s car.

He wore the same clothes as in the daytime, striding over and spotting Xin Gan in the crowd at once. He walked up and said, “Am I late?”

Jiang Tang had arrived as well, with two men—Jiang Yang and Zhao Que. They had all come together.

Xiao Shi grinned, “No, not at all. Ninth Brother, you arrived just in time—Miss Xin is about to sing!”

Xin Gan had lost a game, and was supposed to sing a song as her penalty. Her throat still wasn’t fully healed, and she had wanted to avoid it, but everyone was so enthusiastic that she couldn’t refuse. Just as she was about to begin, the sound of a car interrupted.

Cheng Jiu sat down right where he was, rough and unconcerned with ceremony, settling beside her. Jiang Tang sat on his other side, immediately chatting with the innkeeper, though her gaze kept drifting toward Xin Gan.

Cheng Jiu took the barley milk tea Xiao Shi handed him, took a sip, and said, “So I show up and you won’t sing?”

Xin Gan didn’t stand on ceremony; since she’d lost, she accepted it. She cleared her throat and said modestly, “I’ll sing one, just casually. Don’t laugh at me.”

“Don’t be shy, Miss Xin. Even if you don’t sing well, I’ll praise you all the same!”

Xin Gan was amused, her eyes curving gently, full of warmth.

The firelight washed over her face, flickering like passionate flames. She took her phone and found an accompaniment. “Without accompaniment, I’d lose the tune. I’ll just pick a random song.”

The men gathered to smoke. Jiang Yang handed Cheng Jiu a cigarette, which he accepted, lighting it with a lighter, smoking as his phone buzzed with messages. He replied to his phone while smoking.

Xin Gan saw he wasn’t paying attention to her and relaxed, feeling less nervous, as she followed the accompaniment and began to sing softly.

As soon as she started, Cheng Jiu thought he’d misheard and instinctively looked over.

Her voice was a little husky, but it didn’t hinder her performance, instead adding a mesmerizing atmosphere.

Still speaking of forever, not realizing it’s just an excuse.
Never imagined a breakup, but my heart, every moment...

Xin Gan sang for a while before stopping; Cheng Jiu’s smoking had made her cough, the smoke irritating her throat.

Cheng Jiu snapped out of it, quickly extinguished his cigarette, and said in a deep voice, “Sorry, I forgot you’re still recovering.”

Xin Gan said, “It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll be alright in a moment.”

“So polite?” He smiled faintly, a hint of roguishness in his expression, his brows lifting slightly.