Chapter 121
Chapter 121
“Ahem.”
But before he could touch the young girl’s lips, a voice rang out.
He looked up and saw his future mother-in-law standing there with a plate of food, glaring at him so fiercely her eyes were practically popping out, like he was a pig that had come to ruin the cabbage she had raised herself.
Shen Yanchen’s heart jumped, and he quickly let go of Xia Sheng.
In all his years, Fang Rong was the first person who had ever managed to intimidate Shen Yanchen.
It had to be said, the status of mother-in-law gave her a truly formidable presence.
Xia Sheng had thought Shen Yanchen was about to kiss her, and had even closed her eyes. But after waiting for quite a while and getting nothing, she opened them again and looked at him unhappily. “Weren’t you going to kiss me? Hurry up.”
Xia Sheng said it with complete confidence, without the slightest trace of a young girl’s shyness.
Shen Yanchen cleared his throat and said gently, “You’re still young. We should still show some restraint when it comes to things like this.”
Xia Sheng huffed. “Every time we met before, you wanted to kiss me. Don’t you think it’s a little late to say that now?”
The moment Xia Sheng finished speaking, Shen Yanchen noticed the murderous look in Fang Rong’s eyes and quietly reminded her, “Mom’s watching.”
Only then did Xia Sheng realize what was going on. She turned around belatedly and, sure enough, saw her mother standing behind her, staring at her.
Fang Rong shot Shen Yanchen a glare. “Who are you calling Mom? Did I ever say I was marrying my daughter off to you?”
Shen Yanchen smiled helplessly, while Xia Sheng spoke up first. “Mom, don’t be so mean to him.”
Seeing how protectively her daughter was acting toward Shen Yanchen, Fang Rong felt utterly helpless.
But she’d already promised Xia Sheng last time that she wouldn’t make things difficult for Shen Yanchen, so she couldn’t very well say much more. She merely snorted and said, “Come help carry out the dishes.”
Shen Yanchen very consciously went into the kitchen to help bring the food out.
After dinner, Sun Yang shook Shen Yanchen’s hand one last time before finally leaving with obvious reluctance.
Once Sun Yang was gone, Fang Rong looked at Shen Yanchen with open disdain. “Why aren’t you gone yet?”
Before Shen Yanchen could answer, Xia Sheng said, “I’m making Talismans tonight. It’ll use up a lot of Spiritual Power, so I need Uncle Nine to stay here and help me.”
Fang Rong looked at her daughter as though she wanted to scold some sense into her, but didn’t even know where to begin.
Her daughter clearly knew Shen Yanchen had feelings for her, yet she was still asking him to remain in the house. Wasn’t that basically sending a lamb into a wolf’s mouth and inviting a wolf into the house?
Seeing Fang Rong’s concern, Shen Yanchen gave a calm and humble assurance. “Aunt Fang, don’t worry. I won’t touch Sheng’er.”
Fang Rong let out a dry laugh. “Oh really? Then who was that old pervert my daughter was talking about before dinner, the one who’s always hugging her and kissing her?”
Shen Yanchen: “…”
Old?
And a pervert?
Shen Yanchen wasn’t narcissistic, but people around him had always described him as young, handsome, and rich.
This was the first time he had ever heard someone say, in all seriousness, that he was an old pervert.
If Fang Rong thought he was old, did that mean Sheng’er thought the same?
His heart sank a little, and he turned to look at Xia Sheng.
Xia Sheng hadn’t noticed the change in his mood at all. She reached out, took his hand, and said to Fang Rong, “Mom, we’re going to make Talismans now. You should get some rest early.”
With that, she pulled Shen Yanchen into her room.
Before the two of them entered, Fang Rong called out a reminder, “I’ll be sitting in the living room the whole time.”
The warning was clearly meant for Shen Yanchen, telling him not to try anything inappropriate with her daughter.
Once they were inside the room, Xia Sheng said apologetically to Shen Yanchen, “My mom’s just too worried about me. You don’t need to take what she said to heart.”
“I understand,” Shen Yanchen said. Then, after hesitating a moment, he couldn’t help asking, “Do you think I’m old?”
Xia Sheng thought about it and said, “A little.”
Shen Yanchen: “……”
He usually liked that slightly absent-minded, slightly slow-to-react side of his girl.
But sometimes, the things she said really did sting.
At least right now, this old man’s heart was genuinely hurt.
Sensing Shen Yanchen’s disappointment, Xia Sheng finally realized that he didn’t seem to like being called old.
There had even been a time when he’d deliberately chosen a more youthful suit to see her.
But really, Shen Yanchen was only twenty-five. He definitely wasn’t old.
He was just a little older than her.
After hesitating for a moment, she said, “Even if you are old, I still like you.”
The girl was completely inexperienced when it came to feelings. Even when she said she liked him, her face stayed calm and her tone barely changed, yet somehow there was a quiet, steady certainty in it.
The unease in Shen Yanchen’s heart instantly settled.
The corners of his lips curved up slightly. He turned his hand and wrapped it around the one she was using to hold his, then pulled her to his side. “Say that again.”
Xia Sheng wasn’t shy at all. She said, “I like you.”
To Shen Yanchen, Xia Sheng’s voice sounded like the most beautiful sound in the world. He couldn’t help hugging her tighter as he coaxed softly, “Say it again.”
“…I like you.”
“Again.”
“…” Xia Sheng looked at Shen Yanchen speechlessly. “Uncle Nine, you’re so childish.”
Shen Yanchen was obviously such a childish, gentle person, so she really didn’t know why Shen Ze and Lu Ren were always so afraid of him.
Shen Yanchen laughed. “You’re the first person who’s ever thought I was childish.”
“But you are.”
“Mm, I am.”
Shen Yanchen answered gently. Lowering his eyes to the girl’s fair, beautiful face, he couldn’t stop himself from bending down, wanting to kiss her lips.
Bang!
Before Shen Yanchen could touch Xia Sheng, the sound of a glass being set heavily on the coffee table came from outside.
Shen Yanchen paused for a moment, only then noticing that the door to the room was still open.
His gaze passed over Xia Sheng and toward the doorway, where he saw his future mother-in-law glaring fiercely at him, her eyes full of warning.
He let out a faint sigh and finally loosened his hold on the girl in his arms. “Let’s draw the Talisman first.”
But the moment he let go of Xia Sheng, she grabbed his shoulder, rose onto her tiptoes, and kissed him on the lips.
This was the first time Xia Sheng had ever been so proactive.
Shen Yanchen’s heart skipped a beat.
Outside the door, Fang Rong practically wanted to smash the cup in her hand.
Her daughter was basically delivering herself straight into the wolf’s den!
She got up, ready to go over and say a few words, but before she could, Xia Sheng shut the door.
Fang Rong: “…”
Was her silly daughter rejecting her now?
Fang Rong sighed and sat back down on the sofa.
Forget it, forget it.
Xia Sheng was an adult now, after all. She had her own judgment, and she knew perfectly well what lines shouldn’t be crossed.
If she, as her mother, interfered too much, she’d only make the young people resent her.
Inside the room, after kissing Shen Yanchen, Xia Sheng pulled him over to sit by the desk and picked up her pen and began drawing the Talisman.
Shen Yanchen had just been given that light, fleeting kiss by Xia Sheng, and a restless heat stirred in his chest, making him want to continue it.
But seeing that the girl had only work on her mind, he didn’t do anything and simply stayed by her side quietly.
By the time Xia Sheng finished, it was already 10:30 at night.
Having used up too much Spiritual Power, Xia Sheng fell asleep right on the desk.
Shen Yanchen didn’t disturb her. He carried her to the bed and laid her down, then quietly slipped out of the room.