The Hotel was close to the pedestrian street, less than 300 meters away from Chinese restaurants and various other dining spots.
"Zhou-ge, is this your first time in Iceland?"
While Zhou Chaosheng was lost in thought, Fang Yi’s voice suddenly rang in his ears. He snapped back to reality, turned his head slightly to glance at the person walking beside him, and shook his head. "This is my third time."
"...." Fang Yi followed Zhou Chaosheng’s gaze toward the two people not far ahead, his expression thoughtful.
With six people and a guide, they arrived ten minutes late at their first stop of the day.
Jiang Yuanye and Zhuo Chenyang kept stopping along the way to film footage, while Jiang Man and Jiang Yunzhi were busy taking scenic photos. The two groups unexpectedly got along well, stretching what should have been a five-minute walk into fifteen.
In fact, their hotel booking already included breakfast, but since the young lady wanted to try local specialties and insisted on treating everyone, the group went along with Jiang Man’s idea and headed to the popular café, Sandholt.
At seven or eight in the morning, the streets of Iceland weren’t too crowded. However, since it was the weekend and Sandholt was one of the earliest places to open, the café was packed. There was a long line, and they had to wait nearly twenty minutes before getting a table.
The square tables could only seat four people, so the seven of them had to split into two groups. Lucas sat with the two ladies, while the four men shared another table.
Zhuo Chenyang held up his camera to film the café’s interior, imitating the speech techniques Jiang Yuanye had taught him earlier while casually chatting: "Alright, let’s take a look at the ambiance here. The whole place has an ins-style aesthetic, everything is a soft milky white, and no matter how you shoot, it turns out picture-perfect..."
After pausing the recording, Jiang Yuanye gave him a thumbs-up and praised, "Not bad, you’ve got the essence of it."
Zhuo Chenyang scratched the back of his head and grinned.
"Lovien, are you in this field too?" Fang Yi suddenly asked.
Jiang Yuanye didn’t react at first, taking a few seconds to realize he was being addressed. Faced with the awkward situation, he remained calm and replied, "No, I’m just personally interested in it."
Zhou Chaosheng caught Jiang Yuanye’s reaction and immediately knew that the English name had been made up on the spot.
Fang Yi said, "Oh, I thought you were in media since you seem so knowledgeable."
Jiang Yuanye smiled. "I once considered it, but I didn’t have the money or time, so I gave up. As for why I know so much, it’s because I’ve never been to Iceland before. I could only experience it through other people’s lenses, and after watching so much, I naturally picked up on what works best."
Fang Yi nodded in understanding. "I see..."
"Xiao Man!" Zhuo Chenyang turned to Jiang Man. "Are you really treating us? Won’t that be expensive?"
Jiang Man rolled her eyes at him. "Cut it out, just order whatever you want." She then turned to Jiang Yuanye. "Lovien, you don’t need to hold back either, get whatever you like."
Jiang Yuanye smiled. "How can we let a lady pay? This meal’s on me."
Jiang Man was about to refuse, but Jiang Yuanye beat her to it. "I’d be honored to treat two beautiful ladies. Let me have this moment, alright?"
Jiang Man hesitated, glanced at Jiang Yunzhi, who was laughing quietly, and saw that she had no objections. She finally nodded. "Alright, thank you. I’ll treat you next time."
Jiang Yuanye chuckled helplessly. "Next time, let’s just split the bill. I’m not the type to take advantage of ladies."
Hearing that, Zhuo Chenyang felt a little embarrassed and quickly chimed in, "Yeah, Xiao Man, you don’t have to treat us next time. We can all pay for ourselves."
Jiang Man was momentarily stunned before she replied, "Oh... okay."
After this brief exchange, Jiang Yuanye turned to Zhou Chaosheng, who was seated next to him on the couch. "See anything you’d like to eat?"
Zhou Chaosheng scanned the all-English menu. A variety of pastry names filled his vision, and after a brief pause, he asked, "Did you research this place in advance?"
"I did."
"Then I’ll go with your recommendation."
"Alright." Jiang Yuanye smiled, then turned the menu toward himself. "This place mainly serves Western pastries. For sweet options, there are chocolate croissants, passion fruit cheesecake, fruit tarts, and apple Danish. For savory options, there are cinnamon rolls, creamy pasta, ham croissants, and fried eggs. Icelanders tend to prefer savory flavors, and I’ve seen online that these are all quite salty. It depends on your taste—just let me know what you want, and I’ll order."
Before Zhou Chaosheng could answer, Zhuo Chenyang, looking like an excited fanboy, immediately praised him, "Wow, Jiang... Lovien-ge, your research is so thorough!"
A trace of scrutiny flashed through Fang Yi’s eyes.
"It’s nothing. Have you all decided what to eat?"
Fang Yi said, "None of us have been here before, so we’ll just go with Lovien’s recommendations."
"Alright, I’ll order based on what I think is best. If it’s not enough, just let me know."
Once everyone agreed, Jiang Yuanye took the menu and went to the counter to order. At the same time, Jiang Man had also made her choices and got up to join him.
Zhou Chaosheng lifted his gaze, watching the two figures for a long moment. After a while, he lowered his eyes, his fingers tapping the table lightly, lost in thought.
Five minutes later, Jiang Yuanye and Jiang Man returned after ordering. The former sat back in his seat and smiled at Zhou Chaosheng. "I saw strawberry bread at the counter, so I got you one."
Zhou Chaosheng looked up at him, slightly taken aback. "How did you know...?"
"How did I know you like strawberries? Isn’t that obvious?" Jiang Yuanye chuckled. "I also know you don’t like cilantro, won’t eat ginger, scallions, or garlic, and you avoid chives, celery, onions, pickled vegetables, and bell peppers. Spicy food? You won’t even touch it. You’re such a picky eater, you only like sweets..."
He paused, then smiled. "How many times have you been to the dentist over the years?"
Zhou Chaosheng’s eyelashes trembled. He fell silent for a long time.
He wanted to say that he had never been to the dentist, that he had always had a professional nutritionist ensuring a well-balanced diet. He wanted to say that he was extremely self-disciplined and wouldn’t indulge in sweets just because he liked them...
But when the words reached his lips, they felt like cotton blocking his throat—he couldn’t make a sound.
Jiang Yuanye was still watching him. The wind chime hanging from the door jingled softly, replacing the surrounding noise. The warm indoor light reflected in those amber eyes, like ice cubes dissolving in sparkling water, overflowing with shimmering light.
That moment, even though he hadn’t tasted the pastry yet, a cloying sweetness had already begun to spread in his throat.
Why?
Why did he hate him so much?
And why... did he know him so well?
After breakfast, the six of them and their guide walked along the rainbow-colored street toward their first destination—Hallgrímskirkja.
Reykjavik’s buildings were mostly two or three stories high. The only exception was the towering 75-meter Hallgrímskirkja, the tallest building in the city.
Passing by vibrant houses, they reached the church’s outer perimeter. From a distance, the structure resembled a grand pipe organ standing between heaven and earth, its gray-white spires layered in a gradually descending pattern—unique and filled with a rational beauty.
Jiang Yuanye tilted his head toward Zhou Chaosheng and said, "I think this church looks like a normal distribution in statistics."
To be fair, it really did.
The probability density function of a normal distribution appears as a typical bell curve. Higher in the middle and lower on both sides, with most of the data concentrated in the center and fewer values at the extremes.
Zhou Chaosheng’s lips curved slightly. He found Jiang Yuanye’s analogy quite fitting.
The tour guide began explaining enthusiastically, "Hallgrímskirkja was built in 1945 and took 41 years to complete, finally finishing in 1986. Unlike traditional European Baroque or Gothic churches, Hallgrímskirkja is a modern architectural masterpiece. The church’s architect, Guðjón Samúelsson, was inspired by Iceland’s natural elements—glaciers, mountains, and volcanic lava—creating a structure rich in artistic expression..."
In the center of the square stood a statue. Zhuo Chenyang initially thought it was of Hallgrímur Pétursson, the Icelandic poet from whom the church got its name. Curious, he asked, "Is this the great poet?"
Lucas shook his head. "No, this is a statue of Leif Erikson, the legendary Icelandic explorer."
"Oh..." Zhuo Chenyang murmured as he took out his camera to record.
After touring the church’s exterior, they stepped inside. The moment they entered, they were met with an overwhelming sense of elegance and solemnity, creating a visually striking experience.
The church adhered to a philosophy of simplicity, no excessive decorations or intricate designs. Rows of pews for prayer were neatly arranged on both sides, and the white walls were evenly sectioned into tall, vertical columns. The stained-glass windows were simple and clear, allowing sunlight to filter through, illuminating the entire church with a bright, transparent glow.
Looking up, the vaulted ceiling soared into the clouds.
Lucas led them to the elevator, taking them to the top floor. As the doors slid open, a panoramic viewing deck encircled by transparent glass revealed a breathtaking landscape like an ink-wash painting come to life. In the foreground, colorful houses dotted the cityscape; in the distance, majestic mountains encircled the vast blue ocean.
"So beautiful..."
Standing by the observation window, Zhou Chaosheng heard Jiang Yuanye’s soft exclamation. There were no elaborate adjectives, no spontaneous poetry, just a simple sigh of admiration.
He turned his head, his gaze slowly settling on Jiang Yuanye.
The other seemed utterly captivated by the scenery, his eyes filled with nothing else, unknowingly leaving an opening for those around him.
Zhou Chaosheng watched Jiang Yuanye, while Jiang Yuanye remained unaware.
He was watching Jiang Yuanye, and Jiang Yuanye had no idea.
In his world, there was only one person.
At the center of it all, the dazzling blue sky blurred his vision, creating an optical illusion in his retina—distorting and unfocusing his perception. It was like a scene in a film where the protagonist brushes past someone, the crowd and background shifting, morphing in light and shadow, yet the person before them remains the only clear presence.
At that moment, the rhythm of his heartbeat, the fluttering of unseen wings—all of it transformed into a steady, resounding drumbeat.
Thump. Thump.
His heart,
At this moment, it was beating for one person.
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