After Flirting with the God-Tier Beautiful Tycoon - Chapter 31

On the other side, back at the dormitory, the trio led by Sun Jiabao were connected on voice chat playing games.

Lin Qianqian, bored and alone, sat at Shen Xiaojiang’s desk, rummaging through things and looking around.

Suddenly, her eyes caught a pair of clean, magenta canvas shoes tucked under the desk.

Though they hadn’t seen each other in two years, based on her knowledge of Shen Xiaojiang, these shoes were completely out of character. Throughout their three years of high school, Shen Xiaojiang had never worn red clothes to school, let alone red shoes.

Moreover, Lin Qianqian looked up the brand of the shoes.

Given Shen Xiaojiang’s family’s economic situation and her views on money, she would never buy a pair of canvas shoes worth five figures.

Therefore, these shoes were definitely not bought by Shen Xiaojiang herself.

Connecting this to Chen Yi who had treated them to dinner today, draped in luxury brands and driving a high-end car a blurry answer began to form in Lin Qianqian’s mind.

She stroked Shen Xiaojiang’s desk and her daily necessities, biting her lower lip so hard it nearly bled.

Chen Yi always left early in the morning. By the time Shen Xiaojiang woke up, the bed was already cold.

After a hurried wash, she went to the walk-in closet.

The clothes Shen Xiaojiang had left there for dry cleaning last time were hanging in the wardrobe, cleaned and pressed perfectly. Hanging next to Chen Yi’s clothes, they carried a fragrance similar to Chen Yi’s.

Shen Xiaojiang picked up the sleeve of her own garment and took a deep breath, it smelled wonderful.

She, who never used perfume, found herself hopelessly lost in this cold fragrance.

Shen Xiaojiang felt it wasn’t enough. She moved toward Chen Yi’s green cheongsam, stroking the exquisite, silky fabric with slow movements, as if touching a priceless treasure.

Suddenly, she carefully pinched the shoulder seams with both hands and brought the collar to her nose to take a light sniff.

She closed her eyes. She emptied her mind.

The scent drifted lightly around the tip of her nose.

It was just like the strands of smoke Chen Yi had blown into her face that day.

If fragrance could take a physical form, it would look like the image appearing in her mind: warm sunlight spilling through the window, Chen Yi wearing a snow-white shirt left half-open, her cleavage faintly visible, her whole being hazy, soft, and gentle.

It was a long time before Shen Xiaojiang’s hands went numb, forcing her to open her eyes and release the cheongsam.

Her face was flushed; her heart was racing.

The next second, she hugged the cheongsam tightly, as if she were embracing Chen Yi.

Shen Xiaojiang buried her face in the collar of the dress, as if burying it in the crook of Chen Yi’s neck.

Once again, she greedily inhaled the scent from the collar into her lungs, her entire body filled with a thick, moist longing.

On the way back to school, Shen Xiaojiang was riddled with self-reproach.

What kind of pervert was she, to be having such wild fantasies over Chen Yi’s clothes?

No, she couldn’t! Absolutely forbidden!

Even though it was a natural occurrence, Shen Xiaojiang felt as though she had just committed a sacrilege against a deity.

As soon as she got out of the car, she bumped into Lin Qianqian at the canteen entrance. Sun Jiabao and Chen Xingnan were following behind her.

Although Sun Jiabao claimed to dislike Lin Qianqian, as a former classmate, she still looked out for her to some extent. It was this very trait that allowed her to become best friends with Shen Xiaojiang.

“My club has an important activity, I can’t look after you anymore. Arrange your own plans for the rest of the day,” Sun Jiabao said, preparing to leave.

Lin Qianqian responded mechanically with an expressionless face, but the moment she saw Shen Xiaojiang, the embers in her eyes flared back to life.

“Morning, A-Jiang!” she called out, waving as she ran toward Shen Xiaojiang.

Shen Xiaojiang tried to maintain a proper distance, remaining as cool and distant as a stranger. “Morning.”

Ever since someone had moved into her heart, even when that person wasn’t around, Shen Xiaojiang would always consider Chen Yi first in everything she did. Even if the two of them had no official status yet, she would “remain chaste” for Chen Yi’s sake.

Sun Jiabao scoffed at Lin Qianqian’s back and patted Chen Xingnan on the shoulder. “Let’s go! I need to grab Ginger’s arm before Lin Qianqian does!”

Chen Xingnan handed Sun Jiabao her water bottle, the water level kept at a distance from the rim to prevent her from burning her mouth. “Hey, why don’t you ever grab my arm?”

Sun Jiabao took the bottle. The water sloshed and leaked from the lid; she jumped back, frowning in displeasure. “Listen to yourself! You scared me. Are you getting back at me for eating your steamed bun earlier?”

Chen Xingnan’s gaze was unreadable as he quietly handed Sun Jiabao a tissue. His voice was gentle. “Wipe it yourself, or should I do it for you?”

“Oh my god, Chen Xingnan, why are you talking to me like that? It’s giving me goosebumps.” As she spoke, Sun Jiabao rubbed her arms. “Oh my, I can’t take it. How childish!”

With that, Sun Jiabao walked toward Shen Xiaojiang. Chen Xingnan followed closely behind, shaking his head helplessly.

“Ginger, last night you…” Sun Jiabao narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, looking like she was about to start an interrogation.

Shen Xiaojiang had thought about coming clean to Sun Jiabao, but definitely not now.

Although her contact with Chen Yi had increased nearly reaching that so-called “ultimate harmony of life” it really wasn’t the time. Between her and Chen Yi, no one had defined the relationship.

They were more than friends, but less than lovers.

“I had something to do last night,” Shen Xiaojiang brushed it off casually.

Sun Jiabao smirked and naturally reached out to grab Shen Xiaojiang’s arm. “Quick, confess the truth!”

Lin Qianqian looked from Sun Jiabao to Shen Xiaojiang, her eyes darting back and forth. She felt this was an opportunity, an opportunity to score points with Shen Xiaojiang.

“Sun Jiabao, why are you being so aggressive?” Lin Qianqian was shorter than Shen Xiaojiang and looked quite small in her white miniskirt.

She held out her hands, shielding Shen Xiaojiang behind her. “Don’t think just because our A-Jiang has a good temper, you can just bully her!”

Sun Jiabao tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “She… has a good temper?”

“Yes!” Lin Qianqian nodded vigorously.

“Which eye did you see that with?” Sun Jiabao thought Lin Qianqian’s brain was malfunctioning, and now even her eyes were blind.

Lin Qianqian suddenly stepped back and hooked her arm through Shen Xiaojiang’s, saying solemnly, “A-Jiang is very good to me. To me, she has a great temper. As long as I’m here, don’t you dream of bullying her.”

Like hell!

Shen Xiaojiang frowned slightly and quickly pulled her arm out of Lin Qianqian’s grasp.

“Alright, you guys, stop standing at the canteen entrance making a scene for people to laugh at.” With that, Shen Xiaojiang headed toward the dormitory.

“Ginger, there are no classes today. Where are you planning to go later?” Sun Jiabao asked, sticking her tongue out at Lin Qianqian.

Shen Xiaojiang smiled. “I’m going to pack up and head to the shop.”

Lin Qianqian’s eyes lit up as she followed closely behind Shen Xiaojiang. “The shop?”

“Yeah, a pet shop,” Shen Xiaojiang replied. “I work part-time there.”

Lin Qianqian clapped her hands like a seal. “A-Jiang, you even have a part time job? That’s so impressive!”

Shen Xiaojiang’s brow twitched imperceptibly. It was just a part time job, she didn’t see what was so “impressive” about it.

“Um, A-Jiang…” Lin Qianqian stopped, her round eyes wide with a pleading expression. “Can I go with you?”

“Huh?” Shen Xiaojiang was buried in packing the things she needed for the pet shop.

“I mean, the place where you work. Can I come along?” Lin Qianqian used her usual pitiful expression. “Please? You know I love animals too, and I’m very handy. I can help you! Of course, if you don’t need help, I can just stay quiet and definitely won’t disturb you.”

Initially, Shen Xiaojiang wanted to refuse without a second thought.

However, the next second, Lin Qianqian started to cry.

She said she only knew Shen Xiaojiang and Sun Jiabao in Nancheng. Sun Jiabao was going to her club and definitely wouldn’t take her along. If Shen Xiaojiang rejected her too, she wouldn’t know what to do.

Looking at the inventory list sent by the shop manager and the customer appointments on her phone, Shen Xiaojiang gave a distracted “Mm.”

Chen Yi had accompanied President Fu and some people from the engineering department for dinner last night. Originally, she didn’t have to drink much.

But President Fu used Old Man Bai’s latest deployment of company projects as leverage, leaving Chen Yi no choice but to comply.

No one wanted to perform better in front of Old Man Bai than she did. No one wanted to sit in the position of Chairperson of the Nancheng Chamber of Commerce more than she did.

This morning, after leaving the hotel, she had already rushed through several appointments inspecting goods at the factory, holding a meeting at the wine shop and was now on her way back to “Venus.”

She was tired. She was annoyed.

When would this kind of life ever end?

Chen Yi had thought about giving up, but she lived to become stronger—strong enough that everyone feared her, strong enough that no one could touch her.

More than once in the deep of night, she warned herself: Either don’t be a human, or be the strongest of humans.

If she gave up now, the efforts of the last dozen years would be wasted. Only by constantly climbing upward could she forget the bottomless abyss behind her.

“Seventh Mistress, what’s wrong?” He Zhong looked at Chen Yi through the rearview mirror, his face full of concern.

“I’m fine,” Chen Yi rubbed her temples. “How is your mother’s recovery? Is she due to be discharged?”

Suddenly, her hand stopped. She remembered Shen Xiaojiang helping her massage her head last night. Though the movements were a bit amateur, it had been quite comfortable.

Chen Yi used both hands to press her temples, trying to mimic Shen Xiaojiang’s technique.

Yet, no matter how hard she tried, it didn’t feel the same. Something… was missing.

She shook her head with a bitter smile. Certain things had to be done by a specific person to be effective.

He Zhong stared at Chen Yi’s actions for a long while. The Chen Yi of the past never sat alone in a daze, smiling foolishly.

What was happening today?

Chen Yi’s recent abnormalities were starting to scare He Zhong. After all, when the “Smiling Yama” suddenly develops a human touch… perhaps she just wants to show you a different “color.”

“Thanks to your care, my mother is recovering well. She’ll be discharged the day after tomorrow,” He Zhong answered, his tone sounding like he was reciting a textbook.

“Oh?” Chen Yi’s hands stopped, her eyes shifting. “The day after tomorrow?”

“Yes, that’s right,” He Zhong said.

“I’ll find time to visit her.” Chen Yi looked out the car window, lost in thought.

As the car passed “Feifei Pet Shop,” Chen Yi’s eyes were practically glued to the window glass. She tried to spot Shen Xiaojiang.

However, things didn’t go as planned. Lin Qianqian, who was wiping the glass door with a cloth, happened to block her view.

During the dinner the other day, Chen Yi had noticed that Lin Qianqian had feelings for Shen Xiaojiang. That kind of look doesn’t appear between ordinary friends.

“Stop the car,” Chen Yi said instinctively.

He Zhong checked the time. “Hmm? Seventh Mistress, what is it?”

“Never mind.” Chen Yi felt she was being ridiculous. Even she didn’t know when Shen Xiaojiang’s every move began to pull at her nerves so invisibly.

He Zhong glanced out the window and also saw Lin Qianqian. At that moment, Shen Xiaojiang walked out to hang up some towels. Lin Qianqian moved close to her, trying to help. Both of them stood in the sunlight.

In that instant, the string of logic in Chen Yi’s mind snapped. She unconsciously clenched her fist.

The car had already driven quite a distance, but Chen Yi’s heart remained suspended. Her brow was tightly furrowed, and her expression was cold enough to freeze water, as if she had encountered a major problem.

He Zhong just kept driving, not daring to speak. Although he didn’t know why Chen Yi was acting this way, he knew that anyone who spoke to her now would be walking straight into a line of fire.

Except for that one person…

“Turn around.” Chen Yi’s voice wasn’t loud.

Shen Xiaojiang was the only light in her dark life. That light shouldn’t and couldn’t warm anyone else.

It was her light. It belonged to her alone.

He Zhong didn’t have time to think, and his reaction was a beat slow.

Chen Yi toyed with a button on her cheongsam collar, her tone anxious. “I said, turn around.”

He Zhong’s fingers paused on the steering wheel, then he signaled a lane change and moved into the U-turn lane.

“Actually… never mind.” Chen Yi stopped playing with the button and began biting her fingernail.

He Zhong swallowed hard. He hadn’t seen Chen Yi bite her nails in years.

“Seventh Mistress, I’m already in the U-turn lane.”

“Oh.” Chen Yi bit her nail with a tiny clicking sound, her other hand tightly gripping her phone, staring blankly at Shen Xiaojiang’s WeChat profile picture.

When she was sixteen, Chen Yi left school and entered society, displaying a rare maturity and stability. When He Zhong decided to follow her, he told everyone that Chen Yi would definitely succeed because she was the most composed, determined woman he had ever seen someone who knew exactly what she wanted and was ruthless with herself.

When Chen Yi finished getting the tattoo on her back, He Zhong had gone to pick her up. In his memory, she was so exhausted her lips were pale and her eyes bloodshot, yet her gaze never wavered, and she never uttered a single cry of pain.

In thirteen years of working side by side, this was the first time He Zhong had seen Chen Yi so insecure and hesitant. Even when she had slept on the streets, even when she had nothing.

Chen Yi had never been like this. Never!!

“He Zhong.” Chen Yi’s voice regained its previous cold depth.

“Yes, Seventh Mistress.” He Zhong slowed down, waiting for the order.

Chen Yi closed her eyes and let out a sigh. “No need to turn around. Head back to ‘Venus’.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He Zhong wiped away a cold sweat.

Meanwhile, in the pet shop, Shen Xiaojiang prepared to register the new shipment.

Lin Qianqian sat on the sofa, legs together, hands resting on her knees. She looked quite well-behaved and sensible.

“A-Jiang, do you want to take a break?” she asked.

Shen Xiaojiang was focused on her task and gave a perfunctory reply: “No need.”

Lin Qianqian pouted and asked again, “A-Jiang, do you want some milk tea? I can order delivery for you?”

Shen Xiaojiang continued recording in her notebook and said neutrally, “I don’t drink it.”

That was just how Shen Xiaojiang was; when she was working, no one could disturb her. If she got annoyed, she could go a week without speaking to Lin Qianqian.

Lin Qianqian knew her temperament well and could only wait boredly for Shen Xiaojiang to finish.

Little did she know that this “unmeltable cold stone” would break every rule for only one person.

Sister Meng was still in the hospital, and the new employees hadn’t been trained yet. Consequently, the shop had been very busy lately. From receiving shipments and auditing accounts to handling various projects for the cats and dogs… the workload was mountainous.

Anyone else would have quit long ago. But not Shen Xiaojiang. She loved her work and respected every customer. She was hardworking and never let difficulties defeat her. She organized her time reasonably, prioritized tasks, and ensured everything was done beautifully and thoroughly.

Lin Qianqian had already skimmed through an entire novel. Shen Xiaojiang was still busy.

“A-Jiang, won’t you look at me…”

Before Lin Qianqian could finish, the welcome chime at the door rang out.