Meng Shuyan’s voice gradually faded into the distance. Only then did Shi Ying cautiously lift her head from Shang Chenyan’s arms and glance toward the doorway.
“She’s gone, right?”
“Mhm. She’s gone. She won’t come again.”
Shang Chenyan lowered his eyes to look at her. She seemed a little dazed from the fright and apparently hadn’t realized she was still pressed against his chest. A few soft strands of hair at the top of her head brushed against his chin, leaving behind an unbearably ticklish sensation.
Only then did Shi Ying let out a breath of relief. She turned back around—and instantly met the man’s gentle, smiling gaze.
From her angle, she could clearly see each of his long lashes, as well as her own reflection mirrored in his eyes.
The distance between them was far too close, far too intimate.
Shi Ying suddenly snapped back to her senses and shot to her feet with a swish, only for her lower back to slam into the edge of the desk. The pain made her bare her teeth.
“Careful.” Shang Chenyan leaned lazily back against his chair. “No one else will come in and see us. I just didn’t want her recognizing you earlier and dragging you into trouble.”
“I wasn’t trying to take advantage of you.”
Shi Ying felt like the air inside the office had become thin. She hurriedly retreated a few steps before finally taking a deep breath.
The warmth of his fingertips still lingered at the back of her neck—burning hot and impossible to ignore.
“I-It’s okay.” Shi Ying touched her slightly burning earlobe and glanced at him hesitantly.
Shang Chenyan’s voice remained calm and unhurried. “Do you have something you want to ask?”
Staring at the tips of her shoes, Shi Ying quietly asked, “Miss Meng said earlier that you terminated all cooperation with her family because of what happened on Saturday… because she hit me with her car?”
Shang Chenyan slowly rubbed the rim of his teacup, his gaze gentle as he explained softly, “Yes and no.”
Shi Ying blinked. “What does that mean?”
“You were a guest invited by Shang Nian and me. I should have treated you properly, but instead you were wronged and even injured your hand. I feel guilty about that.”
“More importantly, that villa is my private residence. Meng Shuyan barged in using my mother’s name despite being an outsider, and then insulted my guest. That made me angry.”
“No matter who I had invited there that day, what she did would have been enough to provoke me.”
Shi Ying understood now.
Her getting hit had only been the fuse. What truly angered Shang Chenyan was Meng Shuyan’s arrogance and her uninvited intrusion.
Thinking about it that way, the burden in Shi Ying’s heart immediately disappeared.
She wasn’t completely ungrateful, but she was still just an ordinary person. Things like bankruptcy and ruined businesses felt impossibly distant to her. In the past, she had only ever seen those words in textbooks and on the news. If someone suffered serious consequences because of her in real life, she would inevitably feel uncomfortable about it.
Watching the constantly shifting expressions on her face, Shang Chenyan lifted his teacup and took a slow sip. The rising steam concealed the emotions hidden in his eyes.
***
Shi Ying spent the entire morning inside Shang Chenyan’s office.
She had only recently joined the company, so she didn’t have anything particularly important to do. At most, she occasionally ran errands or delivered documents for him.
Meanwhile, Shi Ying sat there playing Minesweeper on the computer with a completely serious expression, bored out of her mind.
At least outside she could chat with Jiang Mingxue and Su Wan. In here, all she could do was stare at the profile of the big boss while he worked.
After losing another round, Shi Ying was just about to start a new game when she saw Shang Chenyan lean back in his chair and rub between his brows.
“Shi Ying.”
His deep voice sounded out, and Shi Ying instantly released the mouse and sat upright, nearly thinking she’d been caught slacking off.
But Shang Chenyan merely stood up, picked up the coat draped nearby, and tapped his knuckles lightly against the desk.
“Let’s go.”
“Go where?” Shi Ying hurriedly closed the game and stood up blankly.
Shang Chenyan glanced at his watch. “It’s noon. I’m taking you to lunch.”
Lunch with the boss?
Shi Ying inwardly wailed.
But Shang Chenyan had already strode out on his long legs, leaving her no choice but to grab her coat and hurry after him.
Shi Ying had originally assumed someone of Shang Chenyan’s status would eat at some five-star restaurant. But after driving for more than ten minutes, she realized this area looked like a university district.
“President Shang, where are we?” Shi Ying pressed herself curiously against the car window to look outside.
Shang Chenyan turned the steering wheel and drove into a narrow alley. “Jiangcheng University.”
“Jiangcheng University? Did you graduate from here, President Shang?”
“Mhm.”
Shi Ying understood immediately. Sometimes people liked returning to their alma mater to eat nearby snacks and revisit old places. She often did the same thing in the real world.
The car stopped by the roadside.
Following behind Shang Chenyan, Shi Ying looked around curiously. Sure enough, every university seemed to have its own snack street outside the gates. It was lunchtime, and the streets were full of vibrant, energetic students.
Dressed in a sharp suit, Shang Chenyan looked somewhat out of place here.
Combined with his outstanding appearance and physique, plenty of people were secretly stealing glances at him.
The entire street was packed with dazzling food stalls, but in the end, Shang Chenyan walked into a small stir-fry restaurant.
The place wasn’t very large, and there weren’t many customers. The owner—a middle-aged woman—sat leisurely behind the register playing on her phone.
“Sit,” Shang Chenyan said as he chose a table by the window and pulled out a chair for Shi Ying.
Shi Ying sat down, flattered, then asked curiously, “Did you used to come here often, President Shang?”
“Mhm.”
“Then it must be delicious if even you keep thinking about it all these years.”
Shang Chenyan said nothing and simply handed her the menu.
Shi Ying ordered stir-fried beef strips and fish-flavored shredded pork. When the owner came over to take the menu, she squinted at Shi Ying for a long moment before smiling.
“After all these years, you still like ordering these dishes.”
“Huh?”
Shi Ying muttered softly, but the owner had already walked away with the menu. Confused, she turned to Shang Chenyan.
“What did she mean by ‘still like these dishes’? What was that about?”
This was her first time here.
Shang Chenyan poured her a cup of water. “Maybe because I also like those two dishes. I ate here for many years.”
After she disappeared, he often came here alone, so much so that even the owner still remembered her.
Shi Ying gave an “oh.”
While waiting for the food, she suddenly heard a surprised voice.
“Little Uncle?”
Both Shi Ying and Shang Chenyan looked up at the same time and saw Shang Yu walking inside.
“Little Uncle, what are you doing at the university?” Shang Yu casually dragged over a chair and sat down. “I knew I wasn’t mistaken earlier. I saw your car parked nearby.”
Shang Chenyan subconsciously glanced toward Shi Ying, and his expression darkened instantly.
The excitement on Shi Ying’s face was impossible to hide.
“Who told you to sit down?” Shang Chenyan’s voice turned cool.
Shang Yu poured himself a glass of water. “Little Uncle, don’t be so stingy. What’s wrong with letting me freeload a meal?”
Seeing there was another person now, the owner walked over and asked, “Want to add more dishes?”
Remembering the notes she had made earlier, Shi Ying immediately added, “Let’s get a fish too. Steamed.”
Shang Yu looked at her in surprise. “How did you know I like fish?”
Clack.
Shang Chenyan set his cup down heavily on the table.
Feeling slightly awkward with Shang Chenyan sitting there, Shi Ying quickly explained in a small voice, “I just wanted to eat it myself.”
Shang Yu was very talkative. Throughout the meal, he kept chatting with Shi Ying, while Shi Ying was completely immersed in the joy of finally getting close to her mission target. She entirely failed to notice the freezing pressure radiating from Shang Chenyan beside them.
After finishing a bowl of rice, Shi Ying had just put down her chopsticks when Shang Chenyan suddenly stood up.
“Let’s go.”
So soon?
Shi Ying glanced at the meal he had barely touched and guessed something urgent must have come up at the company, so she hurriedly followed after him.