The first thing Shen Bingci felt was pure terror.
She let out a small cry and immediately tossed her phone onto the sofa.
Zhuang Zhenying was startled.
“What happened, Princess? Why are you shouting? Isn’t it just Xie Yuli messaging you?”
“I… I think I just caused trouble…”
Shen Bingci’s eyes widened.
After taking a few quick breaths, she hurriedly picked up her phone again.
Only to discover that she had somehow sent another sticker.
It must have been accidentally tapped when the phone fell onto the sofa.
This time, it was a shy cat saying:
“Baby, kiss kiss kiss~~~”
Shen Bingci nearly fainted on the spot.
She squeezed her eyes shut, then quickly recalled the second sticker.
But when she tried to recall the first one, she realized more than two minutes had passed.
It could no longer be withdrawn.
Shen Bingci grabbed her hair.
She wanted to scream, but there were too many people around.
She was too embarrassed.
It was over.
Completely over.
Xie Yuli must think she was a frivolous woman!
But she wasn’t!
She only liked collecting funny stickers and only sent them to her female friends!
What should she do?
What should she do?
Xie Yuli still hadn’t replied.
Could he be planning to delete her right after adding her?
Inside the car, Xie Yuli looked at the sticker she had sent.
His expression remained calm, no different from when he read company group messages.
But upon closer inspection, the tips of his ears were faintly red.
His sharp Adam’s apple moved slightly.
His skin was pale, and a flame seemed to ignite quietly in his heart.
A pink flame.
It swayed toward him relentlessly, leaving him nowhere to hide.
Almost inaudibly, he sighed.
As though he had surrendered.
Shen Bingci’s phone rang.
A message appeared.
[L]: You may.
[L]: But I still want to say this, Miss Shen. I believe our relationship is not yet that close, so you may only see them once.
Her face turned visibly red at once.
Her heart leapt all the way to her throat.
Heat spread beneath her skin until even her cheeks burned.
Staring at those words, Shen Bingci seemed able to imagine his slender fingers typing them, his warm yet moonlike features, and perhaps even a trace of secret indulgence hidden beneath his seriousness.
Her bright eyes lit up.
Her lips parted slightly.
Her face was impossibly red.
A tingling current ran through her body, and her chest felt wrapped in fresh green leaves.
How could he say something like that?
How could he simply agree?
Were abs something a man could casually show to a woman?
Was he perhaps a little too casual?
How could he be so nice?
She had originally planned to message him and explain that she had tapped the sticker by mistake.
But sending that now would be like slapping him in the face.
Zhuang Zhenying rarely saw her like this.
She touched Shen Bingci’s cheek.
“Zhaozhao, why is your face so red?”
“Do you have a fever?”
“What did Xie Yuli say?”
“N-Nothing.”
Shen Bingci pressed her phone to her chest and found an excuse to step outside for air.
Looking at the message again, her beautiful face filled with worry.
She didn’t know what to do.
…
She had to protect Xie Yuli’s dignity.
After all, even when faced with such an unreasonable request from her, he had answered so seriously.
She really couldn’t embarrass him now.
[Pink Ice Cube]: …Thank you, Mr. Xie.
[Pink Ice Cube]: But I don’t love looking at abs that much… so once is enough.
She added a simple smiling emoji.
Then she let out a long breath.
She had never chatted with anyone this formally before.
Even choosing an emoji had to be done carefully, as though she were messaging an elder.
It felt uncomfortable.
But judging from this, aside from being serious and old-fashioned, Xie Yuli was actually quite easy to talk to.
If they became husband and wife in the future, he probably wouldn’t restrict her too much.
That evening, the two girls went to a famous Western restaurant in Hong Kong and booked a private room on the top floor.
Wanting to follow local customs, Shen Bingci ordered several Hong Kong specialties.
The table was quickly filled with food.
But after tasting them, she realized none suited her appetite.
She liked spicy food and stronger flavors.
These dishes were too mild.
Many were soups and light dishes.
They tasted rather bland to her.
Would she have to eat like this after marrying here?
She had heard the Xie family was very traditional.
As the Xie family’s daughter-in-law, she would naturally have to follow their dining habits.
Thinking of that, she began to worry again.
Hopefully, after marriage, she wouldn’t have to spend too much time at the family residence.
She only wanted to live separately with her husband.
That would feel more relaxed and less stressful.
Speaking of which, they hadn’t chosen a marital home yet…
Wait.
Why was she suddenly thinking about this?
Shen Bingci quickly shook her head.
In her heart, she scolded herself.
The marriage had only just been arranged, yet she was already thinking about the marital home?
Absurd!
How could she think of that first?
She should be someone who remained detached and indifferent.
No, no.
The decoration of the marital home should still follow her preferences.
Otherwise, if she had to live every day in a house she disliked, she wouldn’t be happy.
“Zhaozhao.”
Zhuang Zhenying stared at her.
“I’ve noticed you’ve been distracted lately. What exactly are you thinking about?”
She really couldn’t understand her anymore.
One moment she was smiling.
The next she looked troubled.
It was almost like watching someone with split personalities.
Naturally, Shen Bingci was too embarrassed to answer.
“…Nothing. Maybe I didn’t sleep well.”
Zhuang Zhenying clicked her tongue and took a sip of chicken soup.
“Are you thinking about Xie Yuli?”
Shen Bingci immediately looked at her.
“Of course not.”
“Of course not~~~”
Zhuang Zhenying laughed, imitating her tone.
“Ever since you got engaged to him, you haven’t been acting like yourself.”
“Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for him?”
That was ridiculous.
Shen Bingci denied it without thinking.
“We’ve only met once. How could I possibly like him already?”
“I’m not that casual.”
The moment she said it, something tugged faintly at her heart.
Somehow, it felt a little unfair to Xie Yuli.
What was going on?
In the past, she thought whatever she wanted.
But now, no matter what she thought about, everything somehow led back to Xie Yuli.
It felt as though a red thread had appeared between her and this unfamiliar man.
One end wrapped around her.
The other wrapped around him.
No matter where she went, she remained tied to him.
The thread could not be untangled.
Instead, it only drew them closer.
After dinner, the two decided to walk around and clear their minds.
The spacious corridor was covered with a huge, soft, spotless carpet.
It had been flown in from India and embroidered with delicate animal patterns.
There were very few guests here.
After all, not many people qualified to enter a place like this.
They had only walked a short distance when they saw a group of people chatting warmly at the far end.
Shen Bingci never liked joining crowds.
Yet fate made her notice a familiar figure.
The man stood there steadily, calm and composed as he spoke with others.
Under the lights, he looked as clear and elegant as the moon after rain.
Everyone else seemed to exist only as his background.
Today, Xie Yuli was dressed more casually.
A simple black jacket, sneakers, and sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
In his hand, he held a red gift box.
He handed it to a beautiful woman standing across from him.
The woman accepted it with a smile.
The muscles of his arms were beautifully defined.
The bones on the back of his hand stood out slightly.
He looked effortlessly attractive.
For a moment, Shen Bingci stopped walking.
Zhuang Zhenying immediately called out rather loudly:
“Bingci, isn’t that your fiancé?”