Chapter 641: 404 Huo Ye: Your boyfriend, I can give it a try (2 updates)_3
"Oh, by the way, you got the wedding invitation my third cousin sent you, right?" Tang Wan suddenly remembered this and blurted it out.
"Wedding invitation?" Shen Shuci paused for a moment.
"It’s for my eldest brother and sister-in-law’s wedding." The invitation was initially given to Tang Wan by Shen Zhixian, and later taken by Jiang Shiyi. Since Tang Wan was very busy at that time, and Jiang Shiyi handled things quite reliably, she didn’t specifically ask if Shen Shuci had received it.
The wedding invitation from Jiang Yanting and Shen Zhixian, wasn’t that...
Shen Shuci looked up at the man who was now speaking to Jiang Jinsang with his head tilted.
"Third cousin didn’t neglect to give it to you, did he?"
"I’ve received it a long time ago," said Shen Shuci with a smile.
However, the invitation wasn’t given by Jiang Shiyi, but was personally delivered by Huo Qinqi.
Thinking about his behavior today, coupled with the matter of the wedding invitation, Shen Shuci felt a ripple in her heart. If she said she was completely unaware of his intentions, her emotional intelligence would really be too low...
With today’s events, even if it were just an act for the occasion, who would care for and take an interest in someone irrelevant, without any reason?
"Auntie, you really like this dish, so I made it especially for you. Please have more," Tang Wan said. Today, she had done something to apologize to Shen Shuci and was trying various ways to please her, using the serving chopsticks to put some food on her plate.
"I can do it myself."
...
But internally, Shen Shuci’s thoughts churned endlessly, indescribable emotions surfacing.
**
After dinner, Xi Fangli intended to have Yu Wei drive Shen Shuci home, but as she had driven her own car and there were others from the Huo Family driving with her, he didn’t insist.
He didn’t trouble Jiang Jinsang and Tang Wan, but simply asked Yu Wei to take him back to the hotel, merely wanting to have a private chat with him about his opinion of Shen Shuci.
However, Yu Wei said, after a brief talk, he felt their personalities did not match, and they might be more suited to being friends. Mr. Xi sighed, feeling it was a pity, but matters of fate could not be forced.
Meanwhile, Huo Qinqi followed Shen Shuci’s car closely into her residential area. When she parked and got out, Huo Qinqi was already waiting at the entrance of her building.
Throughout the drive, Shen Shuci’s mind had been in disarray, certain thoughts once rooted and sprouted, grew wildly beyond control.
"That... I didn’t expect you’d be at the Jiang Family’s today..."
"I went out to buy some stuff for the cat."
It was then that Shen Shuci remembered he had previously made plans with her, but since she had already agreed to Xi Fangli’s invitation, she had to decline.
"Mhm," Shen Shuci coughed softly, "I want to thank you for helping out today."
"Are you in a hurry to find a partner?"
"Maybe my parents are a bit anxious. I know you were just trying to help me out today, and it was all just play-acting," Shen Shuci inwardly understood, but under the current circumstances, how could she possibly make her feelings clear?
The man standing before her, tall and imposing, made her seem especially defiant. His presence was like a pine forest after the snow, slightly cold.
But she was very aware, he was looking at her intently, his gaze fiery—
The Huo family members sat in the car, unable to overhear the conversation, feeling anxious.
"You’ve already kissed in the grove, why hesitate now? Just go for it."
"It would be good to talk inside as well."
"I wouldn’t mind standing guard outside all night."
...
Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Shen Shuci pointed towards her apartment, "It’s quite late, so I won’t be inviting you up for a visit. I’ll be heading up then, good night..."
But just as she started to step away, her wrist was firmly grasped by him.
The wind at night was cool in fits and starts, yet the heat of his palm was scorching.
"If you have a need..."
"I can try being your boyfriend."
His voice was deep and husky, carrying an irrepressible penetrating force that made her heart pound wildly.
Huo Qinqi didn’t do anything else, simply seemed reluctant to let go of her hand. He rubbed her wrist with his fingertips, then finally released her, "Go on up then."
If he had pressed her for answers, Shen Shuci truly didn’t know what she would have done. She could only follow his words, turn around, and head upstairs with hurried steps, nearly missing a stair.
Once she opened the door and turned on the light, she leaned against it, her heart still pounding violently...
An emotion that was difficult to articulate was surging towards her heart, unable to dissipate.
And Huo Qinqi, after seeing the light turn on in her apartment and watching for a while from upstairs, finally got into the car and left.
The Huo family members were frantic, yet knew that some things, even if asked, would be useless.
After Huo Qinqi returned home, he neatly arranged the cat supplies purchased that day. A man of action, after setting up the cat in its bed, he took a picture of the cat and sent it to Shen Shuci without any text.
Shen Shuci, already made restless by him, saw the picture of the cat. The kitten, which she had chosen, looked so tame and adorable that the sight wrung her heart...
She wanted to see the cat, yet she couldn’t bypass him!
It was madness.
**
Tang Wan, on the other hand, felt very guilty, thinking she had let Shen Shuci down.
"Auntie must have been uncomfortable today; she didn’t eat much at dinner. It was indeed very awkward," Tang Wan assumed that Shen Shuci’s lack of appetite was because of her own doing.
Little did she know, Shen Shuci was harboring personal troubles.
"I’ll apologize to her later, she’ll understand," Jiang Jinsang said while pulling out some newly bought mealworms to feed Lord Wansui.
Perhaps due to the warmer weather, Lord Wansui was more lively than usual, waving its short limbs, stretching its neck to bite at the mealworms.
As Jiang Jinsang held the mealworm, he thought about the cat bed and other items Huo Qinqi had purchased today, his brows furrowing slightly. Lately, he had been acting very oddly—
His recent actions had already raised suspicion.
Getting a cat, buying things, a male cat with all sorts of flashy colors—those things seemed so mismatched with his household.
While Tang Wan showered, Jiang Jinsang went to exercise. Having been around him for so long, Jiang Jiu and Jiang immediately saw through his ruse.
"Second Master said not to meddle in Mr. Huo’s affairs," Jiang Yanting, knowing Jiang Jinsang’s nature, had warned Jiang and Jiang Jiu beforehand. He worried about Jiang Jinsang getting involved in trouble.
"I know! I’m just curious where he got that cat from; I’d like to keep one too." Jiang Jinsang said with a laugh, not allowed to investigate him, but surely a cat was fair game?
Jiang Jiu and Jiang exchanged a glance...
Wasn’t this just another way of targeting the cat’s owner?