Xue Yuan invited her to dinner, so Sheng Qing used the money from selling flowers to buy him milk tea.
Time passed quickly. At nine in the evening, Sheng Qing glanced at her phone and said, “I need to be home by ten. Do you still want to keep playing?”
“No, let’s go. I’ll drive you back.”
The car pulled over at the roadside, with the Qin family mansion directly across the street.
Meanwhile, in the Qin family living room, several pairs of eyes were fixed on the front gate.
Butler Zhong said excitedly, “They’re here, they’re here—the car is parked right outside.”
Qin Zhen also looked out. “Can’t see a thing. What’s there to be excited about?”
Qin Shi had just returned not long ago. He tossed his suit jacket onto the sofa and casually rolled up his shirt cuffs bit by bit.
He glanced at the two people plastered against the window and scoffed, “The two of you combined are nearly a hundred years old. Can’t you act more mature?”
“What do you know? This is the first time she’s brought a man home. As her elders, shouldn’t we vet him for her?”
When Sheng Qing was dating Lu Yunan, they had never even met him face to face.
This Xue Yuan—on a first date, he could already drive her home. The guy had some skills.
Qin Shi sat casually on the sofa. “It’s pitch dark out there. How exactly are you going to vet him?”
It was indeed dark. Even with the streetlights, they couldn’t make out what was happening inside the car. It seemed they’d need to resort to high-tech equipment.
Qin Zhen said to Butler Zhong, “Go get a night-vision telescope.”
Butler Zhong quickly found the item.
Looking through the night-vision scope, they could clearly make out human figures. Xue Yuan sat in the driver’s seat, Sheng Qing in the passenger seat, the two of them talking.
“Looks like the date was a success—she’s already home, and she still can’t bear to get out.”
“But a man and a woman alone, squeezed into the same car, it’s easy for something to happen.”
“Ooh, they’re moving. The door opened, they’re both getting out. They’re standing pretty close. That kid isn’t thinking of a goodbye kiss, is he?”
On the sofa, Qin Shi listened to the commentary, his brows slowly knitting together.
After a long moment, he suddenly stood up. “It’s stuffy in here. I’m going outside for a smoke.”
Qin Zhen was puzzled. “Stuffy?”
Butler Zhong shook his head. “The windows are all open. I don’t think it’s stuffy.”
Qin Shi stood on the steps, his upper body leaning against the wall pillar.
A cigarette was pinched between his fingers. He took a drag, slowly exhaling the smoke from his mouth, his gaze never shifting even a fraction—fixed on the young man and woman across the road.
Xue Yuan closed the car door and rubbed his nose, saying a little nervously, “Did you have a good time today?”
Sheng Qing nodded. “I had a pretty good time.”
“Then… can I ask you out again tomorrow? We could go see a movie. A lot of new blockbusters just came out.”
After spending this half day together, Sheng Qing felt that Xue Yuan was a decent person—someone worth developing a long-term relationship with.
She had caused the Qin family so much worry in her previous life. She wouldn’t in this one.
The Qin family, including Qin Shi, probably all hoped she would settle down and marry, be a good wife and mother, and cause fewer problems.
Sheng Qing lowered her gaze and said, “Sure, let’s go see a movie tomorrow.”
The night in the villa district was tranquil. Under the dim streetlight, her forehead was full, her nose pert, and her lips, glossed with lip tint, shimmered brightly in the darkness.
Xue Yuan’s heart stirred slightly, and he couldn’t help but lean down.
Sheng Qing sensed something and looked up, her gaze meeting his directly.
Xue Yuan was embarrassed.
It was like he’d been caught red-handed trying to do something bad. He panicked and wanted to pull back, but against all reason, he blurted out, “Can I kiss you?”
Sheng Qing was taken aback.
This… how was she supposed to answer that?
Refusing would make it seem like there’s nothing wrong with a kiss between a couple.
But not refusing—isn’t it a bit fast to kiss on the first date?
Xue Yuan knew he was being impatient, but he couldn’t help it.
The night was so beautiful, and Sheng Qing was so lovely—he really wanted to kiss her, hold her.
But he also didn’t want to put Sheng Qing in an awkward spot, so he tried to backtrack: “Not a kiss—a hug. Is a hug okay?”
A hug?
A hug was fine.
Sheng Qing could accept that.
After all, this step was bound to come sooner or later.
She smiled and nodded.
Xue Yuan stepped closer to Sheng Qing, feeling like a greenhorn in his first relationship, his heart racing.
He raised both arms to pull Sheng Qing into an embrace.
Suddenly, a streak of crimson light flew in from the side, like a small insect, striking Xue Yuan’s arm with pinpoint accuracy, bringing a faint sting.
“What was that?” Xue Yuan muttered, pulling back the hands that were about to embrace Sheng Qing.
“Out of practice after years without holding a gun.”
A man’s lazy, casual tone carried a hint of magnetism. “I tossed a cigarette butt—did it land on you?”
“Second Brother?”
Hearing the familiar voice, Sheng Qing looked up.
A tall, straight figure slowly emerged from the darkness—a crisp white shirt, sharp black trousers.
Under the streetlamp, the light fell on him, making his features look deep and his eyes pitch-black.
“Second Master Qin, why is it you?”
Xue Yuan was actually a bit intimidated by Qin Shi.
In his early years, Qin Shi had a fierce reputation—before going into business, he’d been in the military, shouldered a gun.
At Xue Yuan’s age, Qin Shi had already dealt with heads of state, international pirates, and the most dangerous people in the world.
Later, he traded the sword for the ledger, and in the business world, he was just as ruthless. The elders in Xue Yuan’s family had warned him more than once: don’t provoke Qin Shi unless you have to.
Qin Shi kept his hands in his pockets, one dark brow raised slightly: “This is the Qin estate—why wouldn’t it be me?”
Xue Yuan knew he’d said something foolish and, afraid of angering him, didn’t dare speak for a moment.
Sheng Qing stepped forward: “Second Brother, why are you scaring him? We didn’t expect you to show up all of a sudden.”
Qin Shi’s back molars ached again. This damn girl—he hadn’t even done anything yet, and she was already defending him.
“Come here,” Qin Shi said.
Sheng Qing had no choice but to tell Xue Yuan to head back first. “Drive carefully on the way. See you tomorrow.”
Xue Yuan stood where he was, watching Sheng Qing and Qin Shi go inside.
At his feet was the cigarette butt, nearly burned out.
A man who’d come from elite special forces—would he have no aim?
Xue Yuan felt that the hit on his arm was rather inexplicable.
**
Sheng Qing followed Qin Shi up the steps. At the door, Qin Shi stepped aside and directed her: “Open it.”
“Oh.” Sheng Qing walked ahead of him. The door wasn’t locked, and it swung open with a push.
Just as she was about to step inside, her collar suddenly tightened from behind.
Sheng Qing turned her head in confusion. “Why are you pulling my clothes?”
“What were you doing with that kid just now?”
“Talking. He walked me home—I had to thank him, didn’t I?”
“Does thanking someone require standing that close?”
Sheng Qing’s face flushed with embarrassment. If Qin Shi hadn’t shown up, her relationship with Xue Yuan would have taken a step forward tonight.
Between a man and a woman, wasn’t it always about those things?
The closer the relationship, the more intimate the physical contact.
“Cat got your tongue?” Qin Shi tugged at her clothes, pulling her closer. “Speak.”
Sheng Qing mumbled softly: “He said he wanted to hug me…”
Qin Shi’s eyelid twitched hard: “On the first date, and he already dares to get handsy?”
“Not exactly hands-on, is it? He asked for my opinion. If I hadn’t agreed, he wouldn’t have dared to do anything.”
Sheng Qing thought he was worried. “Don’t worry, Second Brother. I’ve observed him, and I think he has good character. This could develop into something long-term.”
If she hadn’t explained, it might have been fine, but the more she explained, the more the nameless fire in Qin Shi’s heart blazed. “Are you out of your mind? You were cuddling with him on the first date?”
Sheng Qing looked at him. “So how many dates does it take before I’m not out of my mind?”
Qin Shi felt she would drive him to an early grave. “No number of dates. Before you graduate from university, you’re not allowed to hold hands or hug him.”
“Not even kissing?”
“You want to kiss too?” Qin Shi’s face turned ashen. “At such a young age, what’s going on in that head of yours all day?”
“When you date a girl, don’t you think about holding hands, hugging, and kissing?”
The moment she said that, bang—she got a smack on the forehead from him. “Now you’re telling me how to live my life?”
Sheng Qing rubbed her forehead. “If you’re going to talk, just talk. Why hit people? If you knock me silly, are you going to take responsibility…”
“What are you muttering about? Did you hear what I said?”
“I heard, I heard. No holding hands, no hugging, no kissing.”
Then what’s the point of dating at all?
Isn’t dating all about getting up to some naughty stuff?
Qin Shi’s expression softened a bit. He glanced at her, then noticed her outfit, and his brows furrowed again.
A tight cropped T-shirt, revealing a sliver of her slender waist, a high-waisted short skirt, and long, fair legs.
Men were visual creatures. If his girlfriend dressed like that, his heart would stir too.
“And no skirts from now on. Don’t wear anything too tight.” Qin Shi nitpicked, finding fault with everything. “The neckline is too low too. You need to pay attention to all of that.”
Sheng Qing looked down at herself. It was a pretty ordinary, casual outfit.
The skirt reached her knees.
The neckline only showed her collarbones—you couldn’t even see a hint of cleavage.
Why was he reacting so strongly?
Qin Shi regretted it the moment he said it. He seemed to be overstepping.
And the way he put it made him sound like some old fuddy-duddy.
“What I mean is,” Qin Shi rubbed his temple with his knuckle, “you’re still young. You don’t need to dress too… fresh. Focus on your studies.”
Sheng Qing suddenly smiled. Was he explaining himself because he was afraid she’d be upset?
Having lived a second life, how could she possibly be angry?
She’d be more than happy to listen to him.
Him forbidding her from getting too close to Xue Yuan was for her own good, after all.
She was a girl, and in matters between men and women, girls always came out worse off.
Sheng Qing said seriously, “Mm, I know. I’ll listen to you. Whatever you say goes from now on.”
Qin Shi paused.
It felt like a feather had brushed lightly across his heart.
She was too obedient.
Whatever he said, she agreed.
No matter how much anger burned in his heart, it could be extinguished by her soft words, “I’ll listen to you.”
He ruffled her hair. “Come on, let’s go inside.”