Chapter 129: Chapter 129

People were starting to gather around, waiting for the bus. Shen Jianian didn’t occupy the seat; she stood up and took two steps forward, just in time to hear the sound of a car horn.

With a sense of anticipation, she looked to her right and saw a black Bentley parked not far away.

Holding her bag at her side, Shen Jianian jogged over.

The driver was Fu Jichen. She opened the car door of the passenger seat, got in, and pulled the seatbelt over herself: "Do you not need to return to the company this afternoon?"

Fu Jichen started the engine: "I’m taking half a day off."

Shen Jianian responded with a soft "oh," watching his long fingers grip the steering wheel, turning it effortlessly in a small circle before releasing it, letting the wheel return to its original position.

Driving for a short distance, he found a place to make a U-turn, glanced at the rearview mirror, and turned the wheel, switching the car’s direction.

"Why did you come this way?" Fu Jichen asked casually.

On his way from the company, he had passed a hospital, probably the one Shen Jianian visited, about ten kilometers from here.

Shen Jianian couldn’t answer, her fingers on the edge of the leather of her bag: "Just wandering."

Fu Jichen gave her a surprised look: "Just wandering, and you walked ten kilometers?"

Shen Jianian had been lost in thought, walking aimlessly, not noticing the time or the distance, unknowingly finding herself this far away.

"Something on your mind?" As they waited at a red light, Fu Jichen withdrew a hand from the steering wheel, gently holding her small hand.

His palm was always dry and warm, pampered since childhood, not a callus in sight, like a small heater warming her hand, spreading heat through the meridians of her fingers to her entire body.

Her whole body warmed up along with it.

Shen Jianian turned her head to look at him, her eyes filled with an unknown struggle.

She had decided to discuss ending the arrangement with him today, but deciding was one thing, and actually saying it was another.

She hadn’t found the right words yet and wasn’t sure how he would react when he heard.

To be honest, she was quite uneasy inside.

"The light’s green." Shen Jianian caught sight of a white car in front of them slowly moving, and the words on the tip of her tongue turned into a reminder.

Fu Jichen squeezed her fingers lightly, then returned his hand to the steering wheel, following the car ahead.

He couldn’t help but guess: "Did you visit someone at the hospital, see their condition, and it put you in a bad mood?"

Shen Jianian pursed her lips; that might have been part of it, seeing Mrs. Bai’s ill health and hearing that Pei Fengnan was on borrowed time, she felt that human life could sometimes be too fragile.

"Yeah, her mom’s not doing well," Shen Jianian followed his lead.

Fu Jichen didn’t have time to comfort her as someone called about work. He listened quietly for a while and then gave his opinion: "Stabilize Lawrence first; I’ll head over once I’m done with the project here."

Shen Jianian sensed the urgency in the caller’s voice, a stream of mixed Chinese and English. Once Fu Jichen hung up, she asked, "Need to travel on business?"

Fu Jichen replied, "I might need to go abroad soon."

Shen Jianian knew he was very busy, but she had never had a clear concept of it; what she occasionally glimpsed was just the tip of the iceberg. In reality, domestic and international matters of all sizes required his decision, and no mistakes were allowed, otherwise, the loss would be more than just monetary. His brain was constantly in high gear, and even during breaks, he had to think about the next phase of work.

When they reached the restaurant, Fu Jichen parked the car, unbuckled his seatbelt, and turned slightly to look at her intently: "What are you thinking?"

Shen Jianian felt a little shy under his intense gaze and shared her true thoughts: "I was thinking, you’re really working hard."

Fu Jichen gave a half-smile, reaching across the armrest to stroke her cheek: "Feeling sorry for me?"

Shen Jianian remained silent as he leaned closer, gently rubbing her lips, with a deep, slow voice: "Not speaking means you admit it."

Her heart was racing, and Shen Jianian felt increasingly unable to control herself, willing to dive into the gentle trap he offered, heedless of the consequences.

She didn’t like being this way, but she couldn’t escape.

Opening her eyes, she saw the man’s prominent Adam’s apple bobbing as if he was restraining something. She dared not look further and forced herself to divert her gaze, her ears hidden in her hair feeling a bit hot.

"Let’s get out," Fu Jichen’s voice, compared to before, was now somewhat hoarse.

Shen Jianian opened the door, her legs a bit wobbly as she stepped out. Fu Jichen went around the front of the car, came to her side, noticed her embarrassment but didn’t call her out on it, instead quietly wrapping his arm around her waist.

They entered a Western restaurant.

Stepping through the revolving glass door, a tall waiter greeted them, dressed in a black suit, making a gesture of welcome: "Mr. Fu."

As they walked further inside, every waiter they encountered was over 1.8 meters tall, dressed in a three-piece suit with a black bow tie, reminiscent of a British gentleman.

Thinking about it, Shen Jianian couldn’t help but smile to herself.

She thought no one noticed, but Fu Jichen happened to glance over at her, catching the faint smile at the corner of her mouth, and leaned in to softly ask: "What’s so funny?"

Shen Jianian cleared her throat, putting on a serious expression, saying "Nothing," though the laughter in her eyes was barely contained, nearly overflowing.

Fu Jichen was intrigued, truly curious, and lightly pinched the hand resting on her lower back: "Tell me, won’t you?"

Shen Jianian was caught off guard, nearly crying out, turning her head to shoot him a glare.

The waiter led them to a quaint little private room, the wall opposite the door featured a meter-wide window stretching along its entire length, offering a view of lush greenery, fresh and pleasant.

Once they were seated, Fu Jichen still fixated on her earlier unspoken answer, persistently asking: "Tell me, what was so funny just now?"

Shen Jianian placed her elbows on the table, resting her face in her hands, her bright eyes shifting towards Fu Jichen: "I warn you, you better not get mad."

"I thought, if you weren’t the CEO, you could apply to be a waiter here," Shen Jianian said. "Your height and appearance definitely meet the standard."

The returning waiter held the menu, just overhearing Shen Jianian’s words, and couldn’t help but feel a touch of concern for her, worried Mr. Fu might get angry.

The waiter cautiously glanced at the man sitting there, even holding his breath, but in the end, he responded with a nonchalant huff.

"If I worked here as a waiter, I’d serve only you," added Fu Jichen.

With others around, Shen Jianian’s face turned bright red; when it came to words, she could never outdo Fu Jichen and simply pressed her lips together.

The waiter exhaled quietly and timely spoke up: "Would the two of you like to order now?"

Fu Jichen lifted his chin in Shen Jianian’s direction, and the waiter understood, walking half a circle around the table to spread the menu before Shen Jianian.

Having walked for so long, Shen Jianian was ravenous, wanting to eat everything: "Steak and foie gras, cheese-baked slipper lobster with pasta, creamy mushroom soup..." She glanced at Fu Jichen, hesitated, and said, "I also want to order this truffle flatbread. The portion looks big in the picture; I might not finish it alone, would you have some?"

Fu Jichen neither agreed nor disagreed: "Order it."

Shen Jianian assumed he liked it and added an order of the truffle flatbread, then told the waiter, "And a bottle of sparkling wine."

Fu Jichen looked at her a bit surprised: "I’m driving; I shouldn’t drink."

"I know," Shen Jianian said, "I ordered it for myself."

Upon hearing this, Fu Jichen was even more surprised: "You can drink?" Given her tendency to get drunk after even a sip, sparkling wine does have some alcohol content, and she might easily get dizzy.

Shen Jianian had her plan. It’s said that alcohol emboldens the timid; she wanted to drink a little before discussing the end of the arrangement with him, hoping it might go more smoothly.

But at the moment, she didn’t explain, merely saying, "I just feel like drinking."

Fu Jichen didn’t stop her, thinking that if she got drunk, it didn’t matter since he was there, wasn’t he?

He picked up the menu, flipped through a few pages, added two more items, a sirloin steak and a refreshing vegetable salad, then closed the menu and handed it to the waiter.

"Please wait a moment." The waiter held the menu and opened the door.

In the corridor, two or three girls passed by, one of whom glanced inside through the open door and stopped when seeing someone familiar, greeting with a smile: "Jichen ge, what a coincidence, are you eating here too?"

Fu Jichen raised his eyes, looking out, and nodded slightly.

The waiter, seeing this, didn’t hurry to close the door of the private room and nodded to the guests in the hallway before leaving.