Chapter 54
Jiang Siyi, who had rarely coaxed anyone in her life, looked at her silent phone, her eyelashes drooping.
Was the meeting still not over?
She pouted and finally stood up. Opening the door of the recording studio, only Ah Yun and Gu Ning were left.
“Ah, Ms. Jiang, you’re still here?” Ah Yun asked, surprised.
Busy coaxing someone, she almost sat there for half a day.
Jiang Siyi chuckled awkwardly and made up an excuse. “I was… reading the script. Then I’ll be going now, goodbye.”
Ah Yun responded with an “Okay.” Gu Ning, still mopping the floor, noted every detail, preparing for her report.
Summer nights were always muggy, and Jiang Siyi, her heart heavy with worry, felt slightly breathless.
She was still hungry.
After wandering around for a while, she stopped in front of the ramen shop.
The owner’s wife wasn’t short of money; she ran the shop to kill time and was about to close. Her eyes were sharp, and seeing Jiang Siyi standing at the entrance, she called out, “Young lady!”
They were the only two people in the shop.
The kitchen and the dining area were separated by a wall, and the lady poked her head out. “Your noodles will be ready soon.”
Jiang Siyi, feeling bad for delaying her closing time, ordered a simple shrimp noodle soup. “No rush, Auntie, take your time.”
“Here you go.” A bowl of steaming hot noodles was placed in front of her.
The lady sat down across from her. “Eat.”
Fortunately, the AC was still on, otherwise, she would be drenched in sweat after eating this. Jiang Siyi thanked her again, and the lady, cracking sunflower seeds, said, “It’s okay, closing a little later doesn’t make a difference to me.”
Then she leaned closer. “So, are you two back together?”
Jiang Siyi knew she was going to ask.
She continued eating her noodles, her head down, then said slowly, “I guess… we are.”
She even checked her phone.
But there was still no reply.
***
If it weren’t for the tiger in the room, the meeting room would have exploded.
Amidst the unspoken excitement, someone mustered the courage to gossip… no, to ask with concern, “Boss, when did you start dating?”
Everyone else listened intently.
Shen Shiwu placed the bouquet and the cake carefully on a chair before replying calmly, “A while ago.”
Several employees exchanged glances, most of them thinking—Tsk, although the boss is rich and beautiful, her temper is terrible. It must be tough being her partner, does she get scolded every day?
The employee who had asked the question was surprised, and after thinking for a moment, she asked again, “Could it be Lawyer Yang?”
Shen Shiwu’s gaze swept over her, her expression turning cold.
The employee immediately lowered her head, the movement smooth and practiced.
“No,” the woman denied immediately, “my girlfriend is a very successful author.”
Mentioning Jiang Siyi, her mood improved considerably, and she added, “An award-winning one.”
A hint of pride colored her tone.
The others thought they were seeing things.
They had never seen such an expression on their boss’s face.
“Alright, let’s continue the meeting, I still have to video call my girlfriend later.”
The others: “…”
They didn’t dare to say anything.
***
The lady’s cooking was good, the noodles chewy, the broth flavorful.
Jiang Siyi finished the entire bowl, her stomach full, and sat there in a daze.
The owner’s wife, meanwhile, had upgraded from relationship expert to life coach. She spoke with such passion, tearing up several tissues, as if trying to control her emotions.
Jiang Siyi: “…”
She didn’t want to interrupt, so she simply sat there, lost in her own thoughts. Until, after about ten minutes, she couldn’t take it anymore—”Auntie, where’s the QR code? I should be going after I pay.”
The owner’s wife hadn’t finished her speech yet. She clicked her tongue. “What’s the rush? Stay a little longer.”
Jiang Siyi sniffed and sat back down, resigned.
It was almost eight o’clock, the crescent moon shining brightly in the sky. Jiang Siyi was drowsy.
The owner’s wife finally let her go, saying cheerfully as she left, “Come again, young lady, I’ll give you a discount.”
Jiang Siyi rubbed her eyes, feeling tired, but she still managed a smile. “Okay.”
It was dark outside, but since it was the city center, there were still many people around, and the streetlights were bright, so it wasn’t too scary.
Jiang Siyi walked slowly, not noticing the inconspicuous figure following her.
When she returned to the hotel, Gu Ning, who had been following her, finally stopped. She leaned against a tree and sent a detailed report. After that, she went home.
Having sat in the recording studio all day, her back and legs ached. Collapsing onto her bed, feeling sleepy, she grabbed her pajamas and rushed to the bathroom.
Afraid of falling asleep in the shower, Jiang Siyi turned on some music.
The gentle melody, mixed with the sound of running water, was quite soothing. Just as she reached for the shower gel, the music suddenly stopped.
She frowned and picked up her phone, puzzled.
Shen Shiwu had finally contacted her.
A video call request.
Jiang Siyi was mid-shower, naked, her hair still wet. She marveled at Shen Shiwu’s impeccable timing and clicked “Decline” without a change in expression.
Shen Shiwu had already returned home.
She carefully placed the lilies in a vase, then opened the cake box, untying the ribbon, and took a bite.
Jiang Siyi knew she wasn’t particularly fond of sweets, so she had ordered a small one—a box of six cupcakes.
The woman, seeing that her call had been rejected, raised an eyebrow slightly.
Just as she was about to ask, Jiang Siyi sent her a message: “I’m in the shower!”
Shen Shiwu took a bite of the frosting, the sweetness spreading in her mouth, her mood lifting. She replied with a voice message: “So?”
“Can’t I watch?”
The woman’s voice echoed through the bathroom, reaching Jiang Siyi’s ears.
Her ears burned, and she opened the bathroom door slightly for some ventilation.
“Can’t you… wait until I’m done showering?” The voice message sounded flustered, and she had wanted to retract it, but she accidentally sent it.
Jiang Siyi’s face darkened, and she tossed her phone onto the sink and went back to showering.
Hearing the girl’s obviously shy tone, Shen Shiwu’s lips curved into a mischievous smile, the darker side of her resurfacing.
She sent another video call request.
Jiang Siyi, lathering herself with body wash, ignored the ringing.
Shen Shiwu wasn’t in a hurry, patiently calling again and again. Finally, on the ninth call, Jiang Siyi quickly put on her pajamas and angrily answered the call.
“What? Is it urgent?”
On the screen, Shen Shiwu was leisurely eating the cake she had sent. She was wearing a dark red shirt, her sleeves rolled up, revealing her pale wrists.
“Wanting to see you, isn’t that urgent?”
Heh, wanting to see me, but not replying to my messages?
Jiang Siyi scoffed, walked out of the bathroom with her phone, and lay down on the bed.
“The cake is delicious, and I love the lilies.” Shen Shiwu’s smile was uncontainable as she looked at the girl on the screen, her longing palpable.
“Oh,” Jiang Siyi drawled, covering her face with the blanket, feeling self-conscious.
“Then why did you reply so late?” she asked.
“I was showing off to my employees,” Shen Shiwu said truthfully. “Then I had another meeting and had to deal with a contract.”
“I called you as soon as I got home.”
She sighed dramatically. “Too bad you didn’t answer.”
Jiang Siyi: “…”
I hadn’t even finished showering, and you wanted me to answer your video call? In your dreams.
She hummed softly, not wanting to talk to her.
But remembering that she had made Shen Shiwu angry today, Jiang Siyi finally said, “So, you’re not angry anymore, right?”
Actually, Shen Shiwu hadn’t really been angry.
Just a little annoyed.
She had thought she could just let it go, but she hadn’t expected Jiang Siyi to actually try to coax her.
Shen Shiwu finished her cake, wiped her hands with a tissue, then rested her chin on her hand. “Actually, I’m still a little angry.”
Jiang Siyi’s eyes widened slightly. “Still angry?”
She had already apologized and sent gifts, wasn’t that enough? Could it be that she didn’t like the gifts…?
Thinking about it, it was indeed possible.
Shen Shiwu, a billionaire CEO, wouldn’t be appeased by a bouquet of flowers and a box of cupcakes.
Just as Jiang Siyi was about to discreetly switch to a luxury brand’s website, Shen Shiwu said, “If Xiao Si is willing to play a game with me, I won’t be angry anymore.”
She paused. “What game?”
Shen Shiwu crumpled the tissue and tossed it into the trash can with precision. Jiang Siyi watched her movements, then looked away, her face slightly flushed.
“Check the inside pocket of your suitcase.”
Jiang Siyi, puzzled, lay in bed for a few minutes, then reluctantly got up. She rummaged through her suitcase.
When she touched something wrapped in a black bag, alarm bells went off in her head.
It felt… strange. She quickly retracted her hand.
Shen Shiwu, seeing her hesitation, said soothingly, “It’s okay, take it out.”
Jiang Siyi hesitated, then opened the bag. Seeing the contents, she felt both curious and incredibly embarrassed.
“Shen Shiwu!” she yelled, “You, you…”
“You’re unbelievable.”
She had actually put that in her suitcase!
Shen Shiwu chuckled, not ashamed at all. Her voice was low and husky. “Xiao Si promised to play a game with me.”
How was she supposed to play this game?
By herself?
Jiang Siyi’s face burned, holding the cute little object, feeling at a loss. She stood up, a strange, complex feeling washing over her.
She wasn’t opposed to it.
On the contrary, never having tried it before, she was curious.
But… it was incredibly embarrassing.
Shen Shiwu’s voice was soft and gentle. “It’s okay if you don’t want to.”
They had plenty of time, she could always show Jiang Siyi how to use it in person later.
Jiang Siyi put her phone on the bed and stood there for a while, trying to calm down.
Her instincts and reason were at war.
She bit her lip, conflicted.
Only when Shen Shiwu called her name again did she pick up her phone. Her eyelashes fluttered, her voice unsteady. “H-how do you play?”
The woman was a little surprised.
She had thought she had scared Jiang Siyi and was about to comfort her when she heard the question.
Shen Shiwu paused, then opened the app for the device.
After making sure everything was working, she switched back to WeChat and said to Jiang Siyi,
“Relax, just listen to me.”
Her voice was husky and suggestive. “Don’t worry, I’ll make you feel good.”
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