Chapter 494: Chapter 494

He obviously doesn’t know how to comfort people.

Clearly just mindless flattery.

Qiao Xi could hardly contain her laughter.

Luckily, she hadn’t lost herself in his sweet nothings.

Her voice was light as air, "I don’t care anymore."

So there was no need to tread carefully over this matter.

Shen Dang kissed her hair, his voice growing ever gentler, "Shall I carry you to freshen up?"

Qiao Xi hummed a refusal.

After breakfast, Shen Dang accompanied Qiao Xi to her interview.

Two days later, Director Qian and Xu Anfeng both returned to their country.

Since Wang Li was needed by Nan Zhi’s side, he went back with them, leaving Bei Bei to look after Qiao Xi.

Qiao Xi stayed on in Country F due to ongoing business activities with LArtisan.

These past few days she was out busy from dawn to dusk, with Shen Dang by her side.

In the last two days, Qiao Xi shot a new cover and video for LArtisan, concluding her work in Country F.

Before returning home, Shen Dang said, "My business partner is still in Country F, he’s invited us to dinner, would you like to go?"

Qiao Xi questioned instead of answering, "Are you particularly close with him?"

As soon as she asked, Qiao Xi felt her question was redundant.

Without a doubt, business partners must be particularly close.

So Qiao Xi said, "Sure, we can go for dinner. After all, he’s your friend. I met Zhang Qing last year, but I haven’t seen this partner yet."

Introducing one’s wife to friends was normal social etiquette.

All their mutual friends were in Hai City, which went without saying, but those whom Shen Dang befriended abroad during his years there were undoubtedly close friends.

Going for a meal was hardly unreasonable.

Hearing Qiao Xi agree, Shen Dang suddenly didn’t want to take her anymore.

However, the couple ended up going.

The day after their meal with Shen Dang’s business partner, they returned to Hai City.

It had been so long since they left Hai City, and just as long since they had seen Whatever and Huahua. From the airport back to the company, Shen Dang took the car from Assistant Gao and, with Qiao Xi, headed to the Shen Family Mansion to bring their two pets back home.

Assistant Gao drove another car out of the parking lot and noticed Bei Bei hailing a cab on the roadside. He stopped his car and rolled down the window.

Turning his head, he offered, "Bei Bei, shall I give you a ride home?"

Assistant Gao’s voice was the gentle and cultured type.

With the Sun beating down fiercely in Hai City and the temperature nearing forty degrees, threatening to scorch anyone alive, his voice was like a cooling spring, as if it could erase some of the heat.

It was peak hour: ride-hailing cars were fully booked, and taxis were impossible to hail. Bei Bei once again complained about Hai City’s traffic.

At this moment, Assistant Gao’s voice seemed like a lifesaving medicine.

Bei Bei turned to look at him.

She wanted to refuse, but considering she’d been trying to flag down a ride for over ten minutes without success, she eventually climbed into Assistant Gao’s car, dragging her feet.

"Thank you," Bei Bei murmured as she fastened her seatbelt, "You’re troubling yourself."

She sat rigidly, legs flat and together, showing some restraint.

"You’re really kind," Bei Bei said.

Assistant Gao laughed lightly, "Are you nervous?"

Bei Bei’s expression stiffened, and she turned quickly to face him, speaking rapidly, "Ah, no! Ha ha, why would I be nervous? You must be mistaken."

There’s an idiom about trying too hard to hide something only to reveal it.

Assistant Gao still smiling: "That’s good to hear."

Assistant Gao started the car and drove Bei Bei home.

Because of her association with Qiao Xi and Shen Dang, they crossed paths quite often, so Assistant Gao knew where Bei Bei lived and safely dropped her off.

Stepping out of the car, Bei Bei thanked him again, bowing, "Thank you, Assistant Gao."

A bit helpless, Assistant Gao responded, "You’ve already said thanks."

Bei Bei waved, "Goodbye!"

Assistant Gao was silent for a few seconds, "Goodbye."

On their end, Qiao Xi and Shen Dang arrived at the Shen Family Mansion.

Having been looked after there for a few days, Whatever and Huahua were less enthusiastic than before when they saw Shen Dang and Qiao Xi’s return.

Whatever merely wagged his tail and didn’t rush over, while Huahua just meowed a few times symbolically.

Both of them lay in their own beds.

Did these two not recognize their mom and dad anymore?

Just then, Ran Jing came over, "Ah, you’re back, are you here to take Whatever and Huahua home?"

The two pets were indeed well behaved, and Ran Jing suddenly felt reluctant to give them back.

Shen Dang responded with a hum, "Yeah."

Ran Jing: "I still have lots of cat and dog food here, I bought them separately, take them with you when you go."

What Qiao Xi and Shen Dang hadn’t expected was for Whatever to follow Ran Jing closely upon seeing her.

Huahua followed Whatever, which amounted to following Ran Jing as well.

It turned out they’d follow whoever fed them.

They hadn’t stayed long before the hearts of Whatever and Huahua shifted away.

Shen Dang felt a bit speechless.

"Mom, have they gotten heavier?"

Ran Jing hadn’t noticed.

She asked Shen Hongxuan, "Have they?"

Shen Hongxuan chuckled, "Your mother has been feeding them luxury foods and milk every day; it’s no surprise they’ve gained weight."

Given such rich diets, it would be odd if they didn’t get chubby.

On a closer look, they did seem a bit heavier.

Covering her mouth, Ran Jing laughed, "They’re still very adorable even if they’re chubby, if you don’t want them, let me keep them for you."

She didn’t mind Whatever and Huahua’s weight.

Shen Dang pinched the bridge of his nose, "They’re Xixi and my babies."

Ran Jing examined them and suddenly chuckled with deeper implication, "... When you really have babies, you can let me raise them too."

The conversation was veering off course.

Since they were here anyway, the two stayed at the Shen Family for dinner.

Before nightfall, Shen Dang and Qiao Xi returned home with the two pets.

They also brought back a large amount of cat and dog food.

More than they had initially taken to the Shen Family.

Whatever had gained weight too quickly, so Shen Dang planned to cut down on his food intake.

Whatever was unaware of the impending downgrade in his lifestyle quality.

Qiao Xi rested at home for just one night before hustling off to Jiang City the next day for the film shoot.

She couldn’t delay the crew’s schedule any longer.

The crew was shooting on location in Jiang City.

Back on familiar turf.

Qiao Xi realized that besides their crew, there were also several other crews shooting in Jiang City.

And they were staying at the same hotel.

When Qiao Xi went out with Su Tutu and Xie Baola for a late-night snack, they stumbled upon Qin Mo at the same spot.

As they were all old friends, they joined together at one table.

Qin Mo was currently filming a suspense drama, collaborating with a well-known director from the Hong Kong circle, featuring many veteran actors.

And he was playing the lead male.

Qin Mo’s career path was on the rise.

The four had a great time chattering away.

However, the next day, the internet suddenly erupted with rumors of Qiao Xi and Qin Mo dating while shooting in Jiang City. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ NovᴇlFirᴇ(.)nᴇt

Even though there were four of them, by the time the story reached gossip marketers, it morphed into a tale of only the two of them dating and even captured images of them entering the hotel together.

Fans of the ’Whatever’ CP thought it was ridiculous.

Gossip marketers were adept at fabricating stories from a single photo to stir up controversy for profit.

Such behavior was nauseating.