OSTF - 26

In that brief moment of distraction, Chi Suisui reached out her hand.

The touch was somewhat firm.

Her refined upbringing as a socialite allowed Chi Suisui to regain composure within seconds and display impeccable emotional control.

She quickly retracted her hand and smiled slightly: “Um, I just wanted to feel the real person. Don’t mind it. Aren’t you at the base?”

Explanation plus topic diversion—perfect.

Chi Suisui gave herself a nine out of ten; she left one point off in case she became too proud.

“…”

He Xingwang first lowered his head, then glanced up at her retracted hand. Her fingers were slender and had been a bit cold, creating a curious sensory contrast.

After pondering for a moment, he replied: “I just got back.”

As for Chi Suisui’s impulsive action of touching him, it was tacitly glossed over.

He stepped aside, allowing Chi Suisui to come in.

As Chi Suisui brushed past him, she could still catch a whiff of his light, fresh scent from the shower, along with the lingering heat that hadn’t yet evaporated.

She cooled her face with her right hand.

Drinking too much alcohol went to her head, especially with such good looks in front of her—it was already quite an effort for her to restrain herself.

Chi Suisui pursed her lips slightly and caught a glimpse of He Xingwang beside her.

His body, close at hand, contrasted sharply with the white bath towel. His healthy wheat-colored skin and smoothly flowing muscles were striking.

Chi Suisui blinked and said: “I literally meant for you to say something, not actually make a sound.”

Especially when said without expression, it had a peculiar charm.

She leaned on the entrance to change her shoes.

He Xingwang looked down and saw her pretty, translucent toes peeking out of her slippers, adorned with cherry-red nail polish, making them particularly noticeable.

“A normal human reaction,” he said.

“Have you eaten dinner?” Chi Suisui looked up and casually added: “I ate out tonight. If you haven’t…”

“No.”

Surprisingly, he really hadn’t.

Chi Suisui frowned slightly and instinctively thought about the ingredients at home—there was basically nothing.

She never cooked under normal circumstances; all three meals were eaten out during workdays, and weekends were handled by the housekeeper. When He Xingwang was home, he would prepare breakfast, and she would have a share.

“That—”

Chi Suisui hesitated a bit, looking up to meet He Xingwang’s calm eyes, even producing a feeling that he was deliberately waiting for her.

“Should I call the housekeeper to come now?” she asked.

“It’s too late.” He Xingwang went to the kitchen, poured her a glass of water, and opened his lips: “I’ll cook myself.”

Cook himself?

Chi Suisui raised an eyebrow: “There aren’t many ingredients at home.”

Her lips curled slightly, teasing him intentionally: “Of course, if you want to eat salad, it’s still possible.”

Upon hearing this, He Xingwang glanced at her, thoughtful, and calmly replied: “It’s fine to eat less at night.”

Seeing him seriously considering it, Chi Suisui couldn’t help but intervene.

He was an athlete!

Eating was paramount.

Chi Suisui threw her bag onto the sofa and casually took the glass of water from his hand, drinking to soften her stance: “No, it’s not good like this.”

She tipped her head back and gulped down two sips of water.

Her lips glistened with moisture, reflecting red under the light.

He Xingwang looked twice more, unknowingly reminded of the time she squinted and pressed him against the wall last night.

Alluring and soul-stealing.

Chi Suisui met his gaze, her brows arching into a smile: “Why don’t we go to a revolving restaurant I just invested in? The ingredients can be delivered directly there; it’s perfect timing.”

To be precise, Qi Corporation had acquired a hotel, which came with a rooftop restaurant overlooking the entire city, well-known for its prestige.

“…”

“What do you want to eat? Would you eat the fish from last time?”

Chi Suisui’s eyeshadow today extended her eye tails slightly, and with this arch of her eyes, a hint of understated brilliance mingled with flirtation emerged.

He Xingwang raised an eyebrow: “Okay.”

His lips curved, the smile fleeting: “I’ll go change clothes.”

Chi Suisui immediately nodded: “Alright, hurry up.”

If he didn’t change soon, she might reach out again.

Although they would eventually get married, both were still technically unmarried fiancés; they hadn’t even formally engaged.

Though doing anything now wouldn’t be considered improper.

Chi Suisui’s thoughts wandered, expanding further.

He Xingwang went upstairs, and Chi Suisui also planned to change clothes. She lingered behind, catching sight of his back.

Tall and straight, his back exuded sensuality.

Since he was in front of her, Chi Suisui boldly and shamelessly ogled.

When He Xingwang turned and entered the corridor, she finally lowered her head to open her phone. Unbeknownst to her, the academic exchange group chat on WeChat had already been renamed.

“This Group Is Off-Limits to Men”

Probably due to some lingering shadow from last time.

Song Miaoli: [Today at work, I wore a Patek Philippe watch. Coincidentally, Gu Nanxuan came to check on a patient. While examining, I accidentally let it show.]

Su Mian: [Did he notice?]

Song Miaoli: [How could he? I told him it was a fake watch I bought for five hundred yuan and even pretended to recommend a business card to him.]

Su Mian: [The latter part wasn’t necessary...]

Song Miaoli: [No, it’s paving the way for the future.]

Song Miaoli: [Little Cotton, think carefully. In the future, I can say all my luxury items are counterfeit and bought from this person.]

Su Mian: [Doctor Song, nb (screaming)]

Song Miaoli: [Thank you for the compliment, thank you everyone, thank you.]

An entire drama unfolded by one person.

Chi Suisui finished reading the chat records. She twitched twice at the nickname Little Cotton; it seemed Su Mian had long accepted it.

But when she thought about how casually Doctor Song called her “darling” when sending her dresses, this nickname didn’t seem so unusual.

This was the first time Chi Suisui had seen Song Miaoli pursue someone.

After pondering for a few seconds, she sent a message in the group: [Sisters.]

Two people immediately popped up.

Chi Suisui typed and sent: [What would be the consequences of wanting to touch a very beautiful body?]

Typing out the word “body” made her feel a bit embarrassed.

Song Miaoli: [Consequences—see you in bed.]

Su Mian: [Does Boss Chi have some romantic encounters?]

Chi Suisui: [No.]

To corroborate her words, she added another sentence swearing on her conscience, though she felt she didn’t have much of one.

The next second.

Song Miaoli: [Without a heart, you won’t get hurt.]

Chi Suisui: [……]

Just as she was thinking, sounds came from the stairs.

He Xingwang descended in casual attire, the black shirt outlining his lean waist under the light, sleeves rolled up.

In the blink of an eye, he reverted to his usual aloof demeanor.

For a moment, Chi Suisui wondered if He Xingwang had deliberately dressed like this tonight, but he didn’t know when she’d be back, so it probably wasn’t intentional.

Though they had lived together for years, she had rarely seen He Xingwang like this.

Previously, because of her classes, she split her time between the dormitory and Bai’an Mansion, staying here three or four days a week.

Most of He Xingwang’s daytime hours were spent at the shooting range center; he mostly returned at night. Fortunately, there was a shooting range center in Nancheng.

They had crossed paths multiple times, always maintaining a polite distance, their默契 cultivated over time.

Recently, things had changed.

At nine in the evening, the two arrived at the hotel.

Nancheng was bustling at this hour, neon lights shining like daylight. Occasionally, luxury cars passed by outside the hotel.

The Qi family loved fish, so they had a dedicated breeding base abroad for deep-sea fish. Every so often, or whenever the main household desired, they would be flown in.

So what netizens mistook for clownfish were actually priceless.

Chi Suisui made a call, and within half an hour, the fish was delivered. She specifically requested the head chef to prepare it according to requirements.

The restaurant allowed advanced reservations for specific dishes and seating. Naturally, Chi Suisui could sit directly.

She hadn’t eaten much with Su Mian earlier, so by the time the food arrived, it could serve as a late-night snack.

There were quite a few precautions.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Chi Suisui said: “Why don’t you go inside and sit first while I discuss with the head chef?”

He Xingwang replied: “No need, together.”

Just as the two approached the lounge door, a familiar female voice sounded from inside: “Is my Jiang family’s reputation not enough?”

“Miss Jiang…”

The waiter opened the door, still carrying tea and fruits.

Chi Suisui smirked: “Miss Jiang, what’s all this commotion?”

She picked up a nearby teacup, took a sip, and casually nibbled on a piece of fruit, appearing relaxed and nonchalant, beautiful and radiant.

The head chef was about to address her but was silenced by a glance from her.

Jiang Ruixue looked up and immediately noticed the custom-made clothing on Chi Suisui. The embroidery was hand-stitched, subtly shimmering under the light.

In Nancheng’s socialite circles, Chi Suisui was known for being low-key yet high-profile. Every appearance she made was central, sparking trends of imitation.

Seeing the man behind Chi Suisui, her eyes flickered.

Anyone in Nancheng’s upper echelons knew that the He and Qi families were set to marry, just awaiting the announcement.

“Miss Chi is dining here as well,” Jiang Ruixue flipped her hair, her gaze intense, “with Lord He.”

Chi Suisui smiled: “Or is it for sightseeing?”

Jiang Ruixue was momentarily stumped by that single word.

She found the term sensitive upon hearing it.

Jiang Ruixue was rather unrestrained in her relationships, changing boyfriends every other day—a common occurrence among Nancheng’s socialites who kept small celebrities.

But she was notorious.

Last time, she visited a well-known club with a few girlfriends, ordering a lineup of male escorts. Unexpectedly, the club was reported.

During the inspection, everyone inside was questioned.

In Jiang Ruixue’s private room, filled with friends whose courage was as fragile as bubbles, easily burst, she claimed it was for “sightseeing” when asked if they were gathering for something illicit.

Someone leaked the incident.

Jiang Ruixue nearly exploded with anger, falling out with her girlfriends, and was confined at home until recently.

Even the news online today, she barely knew about since her girlfriends had all run off, leaving no one to share gossip with her.

Chi Suisui absolutely used the term on purpose!

Heaven and earth bore witness—if Chi Suisui knew, she would definitely feel wronged. She simply used it frequently after hearing Doctor Song use it and became accustomed to it.

The head chef discreetly observed.

In comparison, Chi Suisui was radiant and enchanting, while this Miss Jiang appeared rather unremarkable despite her elegant face.

Jiang Ruixue huffed, turning to the head chef: “Cancel the dishes I mentioned earlier. Didn’t someone just deliver fish? Serve that.”

She tilted her chin, exuding superiority.

She hadn’t eaten that kind of fish before but had heard the Qi family often imported fish from abroad because Chi Suisui loved fish.

Today, she was determined to eat that fish.

“I’m sorry,” the head chef said: “This is private ingredients.”

Jiang Ruixue oh-ed dismissively: “Then I’ll buy it. It’s just a fish. I spend money to sit in a private seat, not to look. Who is that person?”

Not far away.

Chi Suisui was picking up a piece of watermelon with a toothpick, bringing it to He Xingwang’s lips, softly asking: “Can you eat this?”

“I think you still shouldn’t eat out.”

Before He Xingwang could react, Chi Suisui retracted her hand and ate it herself. This playful gesture made her laugh with squinted eyes.

“…”

He Xingwang remained silent, just watching her.

This scene, witnessed by Jiang Ruixue, made her feel ignored by He Xingwang, prompting a cold chuckle in her heart.

The head chef glanced at Chi Suisui: “This belongs to the guest **.”

Jiang Ruixue’s expression suddenly shifted from sunny to stormy: “Why are you looking at her when talking to me? Are you saying only she can eat, and I can’t?”

The head chef thought it truly was the case.

Growing up, Chi Suisui had encountered countless people who thought their family background was impressive. Jiang Ruixue wasn’t the first, nor would she be the last.

The fish was hers, and only she could eat it.

Chi Suisui blinked. She would marry He Xingwang in the future, and he had even helped her on Weibo today.

So at most, she could share it with He Xingwang, not anyone else.

As Qi Xin Cheng said, she was stingy and petty.

Chi Suisui casually wiped her hands with a napkin, speaking lightly: “You’re right. I can eat, but you can’t.”

“Chi Suisui.”

Jiang Ruixue took a few steps closer, glancing at the silent He Xingwang, her voice slightly lower: “Are you being so arrogant in front of Lord He?”

Subtle implications intertwined within.

Aren’t you afraid He Xingwang will be repulsed?

They weren’t married yet—who could say for sure?

Chi Suisui turned her head, raising her chin slightly: “He Xingwang, am I being arrogant?”

Among the ladies around her, many flattered her, showering her with compliments. Maintaining composure in such an environment wasn’t easy.

Jiang Ruixue’s gaze followed suit.

“Hmm.”

He Xingwang pondered for a few seconds and gave an affirmative answer.

Was this the time to undermine her?

Chi Suisui shot a glare, her arched eyebrows resembling rose thorns, pricking painfully when pressed.

He Xingwang remained calm, continuing: “Looks pretty good.”

Vivid and dazzling, arrogantly beautiful.

Jiang Ruixue: ?

She initially didn’t understand the connection between these four words, but a glance at Chi Suisui made her realize.