A small candy

Chapter 30 Who said I want to kiss you
Shen Qinghe held a folded transparent umbrella in her hand. She stood outside the door without rushing in. She shook off the water droplets on the umbrella in the corridor and said with a smile, "It's raining so hard. It wasn't this heavy before I left."

Seeing this, Cheng Zhixu took a clean white towel from the entrance closet and handed it to her, asking her to wipe the raindrops that had accidentally dripped down her sleeves. There was a hint of apology in his voice: "Thank you for coming here in the rain."

Shen Qinghe placed her umbrella by the door, took the towel, and wiped her shoulders and sleeves. Meeting his gaze, Shen Qinghe's beautiful face instantly blossomed like a peach blossom, her brows and eyes extremely gentle. "I was going to visit your company anyway, but coming to your house is closer than going directly to the company."

Cheng Zhixu's words were just polite words, so he didn't think too much about it and turned aside to let her into the house.

Shen Qinghe entered and stood on the mat inside the door. She glanced down at the shoe cabinet and was just hesitating whether to change her shoes when she heard a burst of movie sound effects and a pure British accent. She thought it was the TV in the living room that was on. She glanced past Cheng Zhixu and looked inside, her eyes meeting Jian Ling's on the sofa.

Their eyes met, and both of them were stunned.

Shen Qinghe was far more shocked than Jian Ling. The expression on her lightly made-up face was a little broken, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and the smile at the corner of her mouth converged at a speed visible to the naked eye, and finally disappeared completely, replaced by an expression of cold scrutiny.

When she received the news from Cheng Zhixu, she was delighted that he had chosen his home for the contract discussion. Although he hadn't explained the specific reason, she fully believed that she was close to him, even to the point of being able to enter his private territory. She was overjoyed, but she tried hard to suppress her excitement, not wanting to reveal her true feelings.

But it turns out...is this all her one-man show?
Cheng Zhixu closed the door and his low voice brought Shen Qinghe back to his senses: "There are no extra slippers at home, so you don't need to change your shoes."

This house had never hosted guests, so naturally there were no extra preparations. There was a pair of women's slippers in the shoe cabinet, which looked worn. They must have belonged to the cleaning lady.

Shen Qinghe pursed her lips, her eyes rolled around, her eyes slightly moist. She turned her face away for a moment before regaining her composure and putting on a proper smile again: "Okay."

Jian Ling covered her forehead, withdrew her gaze from her, and turned to look at Cheng Zhixu beside her, glaring at him with anger.

What's going on? Didn't she tell me earlier that her love rival was here? Her sickly appearance makes her look so much less impressive!
Shen Qinghe wore a soft, taro-purple embroidered shirt, paired with a light-colored high-waisted skirt and a long, beige trench coat. Her slender, well-proportioned calves were exposed, her ankles were thin and fair, and a pair of champagne-colored stilettos accentuated her slender figure. Her makeup was light, giving her an overall impression of simplicity and elegance. Crucially, she was flawless from head to toe, maintaining the sharpness and competence of a professional woman while also retaining the intellectual charm of a more feminine woman.

As a woman herself, how could Jian Ling not see her technique - although her outfit seemed casual, she actually put a lot of thought into every detail.

Jian Ling's hair, meanwhile, was a mess from Cheng Zhixu's blanket. She felt sick and lazy, so she didn't bother combing it, just using her fingers as a comb to tidy it up. She was wearing a loose-fitting housecoat, so loose you couldn't see the front or back, and wrapped in a vintage-patterned blanket. The brand was expensive, but it didn't suit her.

The most hateful thing is that she is now completely without makeup!

The difference between the two is immediately apparent.

Jian Ling wanted to throw herself into the pillow. Every time she looked at Shen Qinghe, she felt more resentment towards Cheng Zhixu. Cheng Zhixu met her gaze and blinked inexplicably.

He had told her in advance that he would meet with the person in charge in the afternoon, so there was no reason for her to be so surprised, confused, and resentful.

Cheng Zhixu turned around and pointed to the study room, asking Shen Qinghe to go over there and wait for a moment. Shen Qinghe nodded, carrying her bag and stepping into the study room in her high heels.

When there were only two people left in the living room, Cheng Zhixu asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"

As he was about to touch her forehead, worried that her high fever would recur, Jian Ling leaned against the back of the sofa, kicking the computer aside: "Yeah, I don't feel well. I feel uncomfortable."

Cheng Zhixu paused as he stretched out his hand: "What?" He suspected he had heard wrongly.

"You didn't tell me it was her." Jian Ling wasn't used to beating around the bush, so she expressed her dissatisfaction directly. Furthermore, she was already ill, and her emotions were particularly sensitive and fragile. "How could you let another woman stay in the same room with your girlfriend, especially in such a private place like home?"

Cheng Zhixu paused for two seconds, then suddenly thought of the "misunderstanding" that happened some time ago. He smiled and said, "Let's be reasonable. She and I are just partners."

Jian Ling stared at him for a moment and shook her head: "Don't reason with a woman in love. The tone she called your name last time was so intimate, it's definitely not an ordinary partnership."

Cheng Zhixu thought for a long time, and then thought of his other relationship with Shen Qinghe, and smiled helplessly: "Besides that, she is also my classmate."

Jian Ling crossed her arms and tilted her neck to ask, "College or high school?"

Cheng Zhixu said truthfully: "We were in the same class in high school, and in the same university, we studied the same major but in different classes."

Jian Ling looked as if she understood everything. She knew it wouldn't be that simple. She knew a woman's intuition was always right. Even if Cheng Zhixu didn't have any feelings for Shen Qinghe beyond their cooperation, there was no guarantee that Shen Qinghe didn't have any.

"Okay, it's okay. Go ahead and do your thing. I'm going to watch a movie." After Jian Ling understood everything, she felt more at ease. She would no longer have wild thoughts or make unnecessary suspicions.

Cheng Zhixu picked up the glass of water he had just poured and walked towards the study. He turned his back to her and said, "Call me if you need anything."

After hearing Jian Ling's response, he entered the study, leaving the door half-closed, leaving a foot-wide gap. Cheng Zhixu saw Shen Qinghe standing in front of the bookshelf with her back to the door, her eyes scanning the books on it. He said, "Sorry for the wait."

Shen Qinghe tilted her head slightly, her smile relaxed, and she started a conversation: "Do you still have our high school graduation photo? I lost mine when we moved. If you have any, I'd like to take one as a souvenir."

"It's not here." Cheng Zhixu flipped through the documents on the table and said casually, "Last time my mother wanted to see old photos, I took them back to the old house."

"Is that so?" Shen Qinghe gathered the hair by her ear, her eyes fixed on the door that had a crack left. After a moment of deep thought, she slowly clenched her hand that was hanging by her side, and pinched a few crescent-shaped marks on the edge of her thumb and index finger. Her expression remained expressionless. "I asked you last time, but you didn't answer me. What's your relationship with that girl outside..."

She paused, shrugged casually, and said jokingly, "We've been classmates for so many years. There's no need to hide the good news so tightly, right?"

Cheng Zhixu looked up at her. Shen Qinghe's eyes were clear and bright, her expression calm and open, seemingly impeccable. He held the organized documents upright and straightened them, then pointed to the sofa beside her, motioning for her to sit down. "Girlfriend. She's my girlfriend." Shen Qinghe turned sideways, her eyes closed where he couldn't see her, her eyelashes fluttering violently like a frightened butterfly flapping its wings.

it is as expected.

She had noticed the girl was unusual for him the last time they met in the office, but even though she was wary, she hadn't taken it too seriously, secretly unwilling to admit that he would like a girl like that. Who knew she was actually Cheng Zhixu's girlfriend, and even lived in his house?

A row of blind boxes placed on the wall cabinet in the entrance hall, hair bands, clips, and snacks on the coffee table, a brown bear pillow on the sofa, a long line of dream catchers tied to the stair railings... Every trace left by this girl in Cheng Zhixu's house is a clear reminder to her that she has lived here for quite some time.

How could it be? How could Cheng Zhixu like his employees?
A dazzling and gifted man like him deserves a woman who is on par with him and can be a help in his career, not a burden.

Shen Qinghe couldn't figure it out and sat down absentmindedly. Cheng Zhixu remembered what he had overlooked and got up to pour her a glass of water.

Shen Qinghe held the cup, staring directly at the sharp-edged face opposite her, and said casually: "I've never heard of your first love."

Cheng Zhixu opened his laptop, placed it on the coffee table, connected to the legal department, and said casually, "Not long."

"No wonder I haven't heard of it." Shen Qinghe laughed softly, "You asked me to meet you here today, probably because of her, right?"

Just then, a girl coughed outside the study. Cheng Zhixu raised his eyes from the computer, nodded, and then lowered his head to look at the computer again: "She is sick and has no one to take care of her."

Shen Qinghe's fingers trembled, and he gripped the water cup tightly. He brought it to his lips and took a sip of water. His voice was emotionless: "You wouldn't be so unprincipled before."

Cheng Zhixu didn't say anything. Shen Qinghe thought she'd guessed correctly that it was the girl who asked him to stay home with her. She lowered her eyes, placed the cup on the coffee table, and said casually, "You can't just abandon your work every time your girlfriend flirts with you. We're all adults now, and it's not like we can't take care of ourselves."

Cheng Zhixu raised his eyelids and glanced at her calmly. His usual cold expression showed no emotion at all, and he spoke calmly, "Are you here for an interview today?"

Shen Qinghe paused for a moment, then took out some documents from her bag and discussed them with Cheng Zhixu. A laptop was open nearby, and the Cheng Group's legal department quickly drafted a contract based on the details of their discussion.

In the living room, Jian Ling was chewing dried sweet potatoes, curled up in a blanket, looking at the computer screen for a while, then at the study door. She could hear faint voices coming from inside, but she couldn't make them out clearly.

She watched the movie in pieces and couldn't even understand the plot.

When the cast list was playing, there was a noise from the study door. Jian Ling immediately dropped the bag of snacks, sat up straight, and pretended to watch the movie seriously.

Shen Qinghe passed by the living room, her eyes lingering on Jian Ling, but she didn't linger for long. She walked to the entrance, stood still, and extended a hand toward Cheng Zhixu. She said in a businesslike manner, "I'll take it back to Mr. Xu for review. If there's no problem, the contract can be signed in two days. I'll treat you to dinner after the deal is done."

Cheng Zhixu shook her hand lightly: "No problem."

Shen Qinghe picked up the umbrella standing by the door and walked into the elevator without looking back. She did not greet the other person in the family the whole time and completely ignored Jian Ling.

Jian Ling did want to say something, but the other person looked like he didn't want to pay attention to her, so she had to swallow her desire to speak.

After they left and the door closed, Cheng Zhixu turned back, his eyes full of scrutiny, finally landing on the computer in front of her: "What movie are you watching?"

Jian Ling closed the notebook lid: "Nothing." It's from abroad, I didn't remember the name.

Cheng Zhixu laughed, walked over and stood beside the sofa, looking down at the whorl of hair on her head. Finally, he noticed something strange and pinched her cheek: "Are you...jealous?"

"No, no." Jian Ling patted the back of his hand.

Cheng Zhixu could tell that she was speaking sarcastically, and he no longer concealed his smile. After a moment, the smile on his lips spread wildly, and it was dazzling.

Jian Ling felt embarrassed and wanted to reach out and cover his mouth like she used to. She just jumped up from the sofa when Cheng Zhixu quickly clamped her hand as if he could predict what was going to happen.

"What are you doing?" Cheng Zhixu looked at her with lowered eyelashes. Perhaps due to her fluctuating emotions, two thin blushes appeared on her cheeks, and the fine hairs were clearly visible under the light.

The rain outside kept falling, as if trapping them in this house. The enclosed and quiet space always gave rise to certain emotions. His mind was wavering, as if bewitched, and he slowly lowered his head.

The warm breath was getting closer and closer to her, and Jian Ling's heartbeat accelerated. She quickly broke free from his hand while he wasn't paying attention. This time, she didn't cover his mouth, but her own. A few unclear words flowed out from between her fingers: "No kiss, I have a cold..."

Cheng Zhixu's eyes dimmed and his eyebrows raised: "Who said I want to kiss you?"

Jian Ling: “…”

Great, I got fooled again.

　Cheng Zhixu: My girlfriend is more fun than work.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)