After the restaurant opened, they sat by the window. Li Meili indeed planned to take Shen Qian for a feast, with prices that could strip one’s bones. The world tour was supposed to be all-inclusive, but if you wanted something different, you had to pay extra. As Li Meili’s sister put it: this was a form of disguised consumer entrapment. Seeing Shen Qian’s worried look, You Ran couldn’t help but laugh, covering her hand with his, “What’s wrong? Not hungry?” “No, Meili can eat all she wants without gaining weight, but I can’t.” So, she was worried about gaining weight? You Ran burst into laughter, patting her hand, “It’s okay, it’s nice to have something to touch.” Shen Qian shot him a glare, only drinking mineral water, her eyes seemingly conveying a message: I won’t cater to your desires. You Ran also gave her ample chest a light, playful glance, his expression mischievous, as if saying: No worries, having something to hold is enough.
They ate for a while, and the table of four seemed lively, chatting and laughing from time to time. The atmosphere was joyful until Li Meili’s comment broke it, “Oh, Qianqian, your little mouse is here.” It was her habit to refer to Qin Hao as ‘your little mouse’ in front of Shen Qian. Li Meili momentarily forgot about You Ran beside Shen Qian, and when she realized, she froze, awkwardly glancing at You Ran, who was calmly eating his food with an expressionless face. Suddenly, You Ran lifted his gaze, his deep eyes gleaming, and he said to Shen Qian, “Speaking of which, I should introduce you to my family.” Li Meili felt a chill from You Ran, as if a cold wind was blowing through her. Shen Qian was slightly taken aback, “Who?” You Ran smiled, turned, and waved to Qin Hao and Yu Cheng, who had just entered, “Cousin.”
Shen Qian’s spine tingled, feeling a gaze piercing her back. “Eh. Cousin?” The voice grew louder, and Qin Hao was less than five steps away when he saw Shen Qian sitting next to You Ran, he was taken aback, “You…” You Ran, without changing his expression, put his arm around Shen Qian and introduced, “Your future sister-in-law, Shen Qian.” Qin Hao furrowed his brows, staring at Shen Qian with a complex look, seemingly wanting to say something. Yu Cheng, who was holding onto Qin Hao’s arm, suddenly tightened her grip, sweetly saying, “Honey, what are you staring at?” Qin Hao snapped out of it, giving a slight laugh, “Qianqian is really lucky, my cousin is quite the romantic, still thinking about his ex-girlfriend. Speaking of which, cousin, your refusal to treat your eyes is also because of your ex, right? You really are devoted.” He almost gritted his teeth as he spoke. You Ran chuckled, “Not just that, I even tried to kill myself for her, did you know?” Qin Hao was shocked; he didn’t expect You Ran to admit so openly to his lingering affection for his ex. Wasn’t he afraid Shen Qian would get jealous? He glanced at Shen Qian, whose face had turned pale. “Honey, I’m hungry,” Yu Cheng’s face wasn’t any better, she cooed, urging Qin Hao, who gave a stiff look and said in a hard tone, “You two continue, Cheng Cheng and I will eat over there.” “Okay,” You Ran smiled amiably.
After the meal, the two couples went their separate ways back to their rooms. You Ran walked Shen Qian to her room, and as she was about to enter, he reluctantly held onto her hand, not letting her go in. “Not inviting me in?” You Ran suddenly had another ‘nervous’ leap, melodramatically and sentimentally looking at Shen Qian as if he couldn’t get enough of her. Shen Qian’s lips twitched, “I don’t believe you.” “Hmm?”
“Disbelieve in what?” You Ran suddenly widened his eyes, feigning ignorance. Shen Qian immediately blushed with anger. “You know exactly what you’re asking.”
“What? I really don’t know.” You Ran looked innocent. Seeing his thick-skinned demeanor, Shen Qian’s head buzzed; she knew she couldn’t outwit him. She decided to speak frankly, “I’m afraid you’ll crawl into my bed.”
“Of course, I’d get on your bed; it looks like there’s only one bed in your room, right? Am I supposed to sleep on the couch?”
“That’s why I won’t let you stay.” Shen Qian gave him a sidelong glance.
You Ran frowned, looking thoughtful. “Are you afraid I’ll pounce on you?”
At these words, Shen Qian’s mind instantly conjured up inappropriate images from last night. She hesitated, not responding, which You Ran took as her tacit admission. Seeing her awkwardness, he found it amusing and pushed the door open without waiting for her permission.
“Hey, I haven’t invited you in yet,” Shen Qian called out after him.
“If that’s your concern, you can rest easy. Isn’t our agreement precisely that we won’t do anything?” You Ran sat on the couch and turned on the TV. Shen Qian watched him, her expression odd. Could he really control himself with just the two of them alone? She tested him, “Are you sure?”
You Ran couldn’t help but laugh at Shen Qian. “You keep asking like this, it seems like you’re hoping I’d pounce on you.”
“…” Shen Qian immediately fell silent, obediently going to pour him some water.
As the ship began its long voyage, the phone signal had already disappeared since dinner. You Ran fiddled with his phone, finding no signal, and, feeling bored, stuffed it back into his pocket. The TV, controlled centrally, played a few uninteresting old movies. He stood up, “Do you have a bathrobe here?”
Shen Qian, who was pouring water, paused, “What do you want to do?”
“Wanting a bathrobe doesn’t mean I’m planning anything.” You Ran teased her with a half-smile.
Shen Qian gritted her teeth, “Find it yourself.”
“Oh, the little rabbit knows how to get fierce now?” You Ran, instead of getting angry, was rather pleased by Shen Qian’s roughness towards him. He chuckled and went to find his bathrobe in the bedroom.
Shen Qian, seeing You Ran’s cheerful demeanor, was baffled.
“Ding-dong, ding-dong…” The doorbell rang urgently. Shen Qian hurried to open it, only to find Qin Hao panting at the door. Before she could ask what was wrong, Qin Hao grabbed her shoulders, excitedly saying, “Qianqian, I want to elope with you; I’ve always liked you.”
“Eh?” Shen Qian was dumbfounded.
Suddenly, the door to Shen Qian’s bedroom opened, and You Ran, now in a bathrobe, stepped out, looking at Qin Hao with his sharp, mocking eyes.
Chapter 29
It’s often said that three women make a drama, but here, two men and one woman could create a spectacle too. When Qin Hao saw You Ran standing behind Shen Qian in a bathrobe, he was momentarily stunned. After a brief mental blank, he gritted his teeth, ignoring everything else, and grabbed Shen Qian’s hand, “I didn’t know you’ve been secretly in love with me for five years. If I had known, I wouldn’t have gone abroad. I would’ve stayed with you.”
Shen Qian felt awkward. How did Qin Hao find out about these old stories? She tried to pull her hand away, but Qin Hao held it tight, his eyes fixed on her, “Why didn’t you tell me you liked me? Why?”
Shen Qian didn’t know how to answer. How could she explain that she thought she couldn’t reach up to him, or that she was just naive and lacked confidence back then?
You Ran watched their intertwined hands silently, his brows furrowed in slight emotion. He didn’t move, perhaps waiting for Shen Qian’s response.
“You’re getting married tomorrow, Little Mouse, could you not cause trouble?” Shen Qian didn’t answer his question directly but instead made him face his own responsibilities.
Qin Hao’s handsome face stiffened. He looked up at You Ran, biting his lip as if holding something back or fearing what You Ran might say. After a moment of struggle, he said, “I don’t like Yu Cheng.” He tightly gripped Shen Qian’s hand, “If I had known you liked me, I would’ve never agreed to this marriage.”
“Cousin, I don’t want the inheritance.” Qin Hao took a deep breath, “I’ll go tell Grandpa now; if you want it, take it.”
