Chapter 61
Chapter 61
The two of them walked out of the hotel. Shen Ze was just about to go look for his car when he saw a low-profile Cayenne parked by the curb across the street.
Shen Ze recognized at a glance whose car it was.
Tsk. The birthday banquet had only just ended, and he was already here to pick her up.
If Shen Ze took the Little Celestial Master away, a certain petty old man would probably fall out with him on the spot.
At the thought of Uncle Nine’s freezing gaze when he was angry, Shen Ze reflexively shrank his neck.
He stopped and reminded Xia Sheng, “Little Celestial Master, look over there. Isn’t that my Uncle Nine’s car? Let’s go over and say hello.”
Xia Sheng looked in the direction he was pointing.
It was dark at night, but with the neon lights along the road, Xia Sheng could still make out the man sitting in the car.
She nodded and walked over with Shen Ze.
Shen Ze reached the car, propped one hand on the roofline, looked at Shen Yanchen inside, and asked with an exaggerated wink, “Uncle Nine, it’s so late. What are you doing here?”
His tone was full of teasing, completely lacking his usual reverence toward Uncle Nine.
Shen Yanchen gave him a faint glance. Shen Ze shuddered from head to toe and instantly sobered up.
He wiped the expression off his face and reflexively took two steps back.
He had actually thought that after watching over the Little Celestial Master for Uncle Nine all night, he and Uncle Nine were comrades-in-arms now.
He had gotten carried away.
At this very moment, he really wanted to slip away.
He should have let the Little Celestial Master come over to say hello by herself!
Xia Sheng followed behind Shen Ze and walked over. She also asked Shen Yanchen, “Uncle Nine, are you here to pick up Shen Ze?”
The aloofness in Shen Yanchen’s eyes softened a little, and a faint smile touched his lips. “Mm.”
He had not even needed to explain; the young lady had already found a reason for him herself.
Xia Sheng continued, “Shen Ze drove here. He can go back on his own. If it’s convenient for you, can you take me home?”
Shen Ze: “!!!???”
Why was the Little Celestial Master so proactive?
His Uncle Nine’s one-man show had suddenly turned into mutual pursuit?
Shen Yanchen also looked slightly surprised.
Seeing that his expression seemed off, Xia Sheng thought he was unwilling and said, “I just want to absorb some of your Baleful Qi on the way. If it’s inconvenient, then forget it.”
Shen Yanchen said, “It’s convenient. Get in.”
Xia Sheng nodded, opened the back door, and got in. Then she said, “Uncle Nine, can you come sit next to me?”
Even though Shen Ze knew Xia Sheng was only doing this to improve the efficiency of absorbing Baleful Qi, he still gave her a big thumbs-up in his heart for this series of moves.
The Little Celestial Master really knew what she was doing!
His Uncle Nine had not even dug the pit yet, and she had already dug one herself and jumped right in!
If this was not mutual pursuit, who would believe it?
After saying goodbye to Shen Yanchen, Shen Ze prepared to leave. He had no intention of disturbing his Uncle Nine and his future Ninth Aunt’s private time together.
After Shen Yanchen moved to the back seat, the driver also very tactfully raised the partition between the front and back seats, so as not to see anything he should not.
Shen Yanchen had just changed seats and closed the car door when the young lady unceremoniously caught his hand and held it.
Ever since she learned that physical contact made absorbing Baleful Qi more efficient, the young lady would often make intimate gestures toward him.
If their genders were reversed, she would definitely be scolded for being greasy and acting like a creep.
But Shen Yanchen was more than happy to let the young lady hold his hand.
If possible, it would be best if she could be like she was on that drunken night again…
A certain old man’s heart burned hot, and he hurriedly cut off the dangerous thoughts in his mind.
He lowered his eyes and looked at the soft little hand holding his large one. Without a change in expression, he turned his hand over and wrapped hers in his palm, then asked Xia Sheng, “Did things go smoothly tonight?”
Xia Sheng briefly summarized what had happened that night, then said, “The Xia Family and the Zhou Family have completely fallen out now. A marriage alliance between them is impossible.
“They probably won’t have time to deal with anything else over the next few days. I have no idea when the money I won from the betting will hit my account.”
If Xia Zhiruo dug in her heels and refused to pay, Xia Sheng would have to go collect the debt herself.
The young woman’s hand was fair and slender, her fingertips smooth with a faint pink sheen. Shen Yanchen couldn’t resist brushing his thumb lightly across her palm. In a casual tone, he said, “I’ll have someone push them. It should arrive tomorrow.”
The girl herself was frighteningly capable, and there was rarely anything he could help her with. All he could do was seize these tiny opportunities to show his usefulness.
His touch tickled Xia Sheng’s palm, and she instinctively tried to pull her hand back, only for him to hold it tightly.
Only then did she realize that at some point, the man had turned his hand over and clasped hers, holding it as he idly played with her fingers.
It was as if a feather had drifted down into her heart, sending a faint ripple across the surface of a lake.
Xia Sheng didn’t try to withdraw her hand again and simply let him hold it.
“Thank you, Uncle Nine.”
Seeing that the girl didn’t resist his touch, the smile at the corner of Shen Yanchen’s lips deepened. “It’s nothing.”
When they arrived downstairs at her home, Xia Sheng got out of the car and happened to run into Fang Rong.
After living here for nearly a month, Fang Rong had already become quite familiar with the neighbors. Whenever she had nothing to do, she would go to the nearby park to chat and drink tea with the elderly men and women there.
After dinner tonight, Fang Rong had been free, so she had gone out for a few laps around the neighborhood. She hadn’t expected to come back and see her daughter.
“Sheng’er, didn’t you say you might be back rather late tonight? Why are you home so early?”
Xia Sheng said, “Things ended faster than expected.”
Fang Rong nodded in understanding, then looked at the car stopped beside her. A hint of wariness appeared in her eyes. “Sheng’er, who drove you home?”
That definitely hadn’t been the car her daughter left in.
As a mother, she still wanted to know a bit about her daughter’s social circle, lest the child be deceived by someone.
The rear door opened, and a tall, handsome, aloof-looking man stepped out of the car and greeted Fang Rong. “Hello. My name is Shen Yanchen. I’m Xia Sheng’s… friend.”
Xia Sheng gave Shen Yanchen a strange look.
This man had a cold personality. He didn’t seem like the type who would specifically get out of the car to greet someone.
Back at the hotel entrance, Shen Ze had stood by the car and talked to him for ages, yet this man had shown no intention of getting out.
Xia Sheng had no idea what he was trying to do, but Uncle He in the driver’s seat understood perfectly.
Ninth Master was trying to make his presence known in front of his future mother-in-law.
First impressions were the most important. Compared to being a strange man who had brought her daughter home late at night, taking the initiative to reveal his identity would naturally make the other party feel more at ease.
Fang Rong looked Shen Yanchen over. Seeing that he had proper features and an air as clear and refined as a bright day after rain, the wariness in her heart eased a little.
“Thank you for bringing Sheng’er home so late. Would you like to come upstairs for a cup of tea?”
Shen Yanchen smiled gently. “No need, Auntie. I still have matters to attend to at home, so I’ll be going now. I’ll come bother you another time when I’m free.”
Fang Rong nodded and was just about to say something else when she suddenly heard her daughter speak up.
“Uncle Nine, my mom is of the same generation as you. You can just call her Sister. There’s no need to call her Auntie.”
Calling her that made his seniority lower. He was losing out.
Xia Sheng had kindly reminded him, but the gentle smile on Shen Yanchen’s face froze for a split second.