Shen Wanli was startled for a moment, completely not expecting the world to be this small.
“I did not expect it to be such a coincidence.”
Shen Wanli smiled and said.
Of course, Qin Miao did not arrive by mere coincidence; she had specifically come looking for Shen Wanli.
After all, ever since that time, she had been inquiring about Shen Wanli’s whereabouts, intending to get close.
“Of course it is not such a coincidence. I came here specifically for Senior Sister Wanli, you see.”
Qin Miao blinked mischievously, teasing Shen Wanli into a chuckle.
The secretary looked at the two of them and understood that this was one of President Shen’s suitors. However, judging by President Shen’s attitude, it might not necessarily be unrequited love.
Shen Wanli looked at the secretary, who immediately understood her meaning and led Qin Miao over to the workspace area.
Qin Miao thought about the method she had asked Han Qing for yesterday regarding how to pursue Shen Wanli, and the advice Han Qing gave was to let Shen Wanli become familiar with her.
Therefore, Qin Miao had no choice but to start from the very beginning with sharing a meal together.
Who would have known that right after stepping into Shen Wanli’s office, she saw Shen Wanli’s phone ring, forcing Shen Wanli to ask Qin Miao to wait for her first.
“Mom, what is the matter?”
Shen Wanli asked.
“Daughter, come straight to your Uncle Jiang’s place tonight. We are all waiting for you here, you know.”
Mother Shen’s cheerful voice came through the other end.
Shen Wanli wanted to refuse right away, but Mother Shen directly hung up the phone. She knew that today she had no choice but to go.
“What is the matter?”
Looking at Qin Miao who had entered her office, Shen Wanli asked.
At this moment, Qin Miao felt too embarrassed to say she wanted to find Shen Wanli for a meal, so she simply made up an excuse. “There are some things I still do not quite understand, so I wanted to ask President Shen for guidance.”
Shen Wanli felt somewhat apologetic. After all, Qin Miao was at her company for her very first day, but with no other options available at the moment, she had no choice but to schedule it for another time.
As soon as Shen Wanli arrived at the Jiang family residence, she saw Jiang Rou smiling warmly as she handed her a pair of slippers. There was no trace of yesterday’s unfathomable demeanor. At that moment, it felt as though Jiang Rou had returned to her school days.
Although her heart felt a bit uneasy, Shen Wanli still went inside and saw four people conversing happily around the dining table.
Noticing Shen Wanli’s arrival, Mother Shen complained slightly, “Why are you only getting here now? We have been waiting just for you, Wanli.”
Shen Wanli smiled. “Mom, I just finished dealing with company matters.”
Mother Jiang quickly pulled Shen Wanli’s hand and sat her down in a seat.
Everything was set, and the group was in high spirits, even drinking some alcohol. Shen Wanli, however, was mindful that she had to go to the company the next day, but since the two elders were too enthusiastic, she couldn’t decline.
After a few glasses of alcohol, Shen Wanli’s face grew somewhat flushed, and her mind felt a bit dizzy.
Seeing this situation, Mother Jiang hurriedly said to Jiang Rou, “Take Wanli to rest for a while.”
Mother Shen also nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Jiang Rou promptly supported Shen Wanli and brought her to her own bedroom.
The two of them stumbled all the way to Jiang Rou’s room. Shen Wanli kept struggling, her intuition telling her that the current situation was somewhat dangerous.
Jiang Rou placed Shen Wanli on the bed and looked at her flushed face. For a moment, her throat felt dry, but remembering that she was currently at home with her parents still downstairs, Jiang Rou quickly suppressed those romantic impulses in her heart.
“I will go get a towel to wipe your face.”
Jiang Rou softly coaxed Shen Wanli, who was still letting out soft murmurs.
Seeing Shen Wanli frowning because of the alcohol and looking very uncomfortable made Jiang Rou feel deeply distressed. She hurriedly tried to get up and head to the restroom to wet a towel, but her arm was directly grabbed by Shen Wanli.
“Do not leave.”
Shen Wanli whispered softly, instantly making Jiang Rou feel a fire burning within her body.
Quickly suppressing the strange sensations in her heart, Jiang Rou escaped like a fugitive into the restroom. She panted as she looked in the mirror and turned on the tap to splash her face with water before she finally calmed down.
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Jiang Rou cursed under her breath to steady the unrest in her heart.
She hurriedly grabbed a towel, wet it, and brought it out.
As soon as she stepped out of the restroom door, Jiang Rou saw Shen Wanli frowning on the bed with her collar already unbuttoned, revealing a pair of beautiful collarbones glowing softly under the light.
Jiang Rou felt the spot where the cool water had just washed over her grow hot all over again.
Taking a few deep breaths, Jiang Rou used the towel to help wipe Shen Wanli’s face. Who would have known that Shen Wanli would begin to struggle, muttering no under her breath.
“Be good, listen to me.”
Jiang Rou coaxed gently, rarely seeing this childish side of Shen Wanli, and finding it utterly adorable.
The intoxicated Shen Wanli seemed to hear this comfort, and her brow gradually relaxed under Jiang Rou’s gentle touch.
Noticing that the towel was getting a bit cold and fearing it might make Shen Wanli uncomfortable, Jiang Rou was about to get up when she was grabbed by Shen Wanli once more, as if demanding why such a comfortable massage had stopped.
“I am going to change the towel.”
Jiang Rou explained. Yet this time, Shen Wanli was not so easy to reason with; no matter what, she refused to let go, and eventually, a hint of crying crept into her voice.
This completely startled Jiang Rou, who hurriedly put down the towel and asked softly, “What is the matter, Sister?”
Perhaps feeling a pang of sorrow from this gentleness, Shen Wanli actually began to sob softly, murmuring under her breath, “Do not leave me.”
These words pierced straight into Jiang Rou’s heart, a complex mixture of all kinds of emotions.
She understood what Shen Wanli meant.
Back then, she had intentionally avoided contacting Shen Wanli for a month precisely to let her see her own heart and face this relationship head-on.
Without Shen Wanli’s proactive move that one time later, Jiang Rou would never have thought that Shen Wanli actually still had feelings for her. But it wasn’t until that moment that she realized perhaps deep down, Shen Wanli herself hadn’t fully recognized these feelings.
That was why she used this method to force Shen Wanli to see her own heart clearly, only for a Qin Miao to suddenly cut in halfway.
Watching Shen Wanli’s tears fall and disappear into her hair, Jiang Rou felt as though her heart was being twisted. She gently embraced Shen Wanli and planted a deep kiss on her lips.
She admitted that she was a coward; only under these circumstances did she dare to strip away her pretense and kiss Shen Wanli.
The pressing of their lips brought their hearts even closer together. Shen Wanli did not struggle as she usually did, perhaps because this kiss gave her a genuine sense of security.
Jiang Rou confessed to herself that she had missed Shen Wanli to the point of madness over the past month, but what other choice did she have? Could she really have done what she previously thought of, finding an isolated house and locking Shen Wanli away so she could possess her entirely?
Through countless waking dreams of piercing pain, Jiang Rou had once thought she was used to it. But holding Shen Wanli like this, she finally knew that only at this moment did she feel her heart was truly alive.
“I really want to hide you away, Sister.”
Jiang Rou murmured as she looked at Shen Wanli’s face, lost in sleep due to intoxication, and whispered softly.