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Psst! We're moving!
The subtle flirtation drifted silently into the car, unannounced.
Bo Ying heard He Jingxiu’s words and was momentarily at a loss for how to respond. The sentence circled in her mind several times before she finally muttered, “Since when has President He become so poor that he can only afford one sandwich?”
He Jingxiu knew she was teasing him and explained, “It’s not something I bought.”
Bo Ying was taken aback, glancing down at the sandwich in her hands, astonished. “You… made it yourself?”
“No.” He Jingxiu chuckled. “Aunt Chen made it.”
Bo Ying knew Aunt Chen was the housekeeper who cooked for He Jingxiu. Her culinary skills were said to be exceptional, but Bo Ying had never had the chance to taste her cooking.
Bo Ying pouted slightly, saying an elongated “Oh,” then added, “No wonder it tastes better than store-bought.”
He Jingxiu raised an eyebrow. “Do you like it?”
“Yes.” Bo Ying nodded, thinking about the texture of the sandwich. “No one dislikes eating something delicious.”
He Jingxiu smiled faintly, extending an invitation. “You can come over more often to have meals with us. Aunt Chen would be very welcoming.”
“…”
The topic veered slightly off course. Bo Ying thought she understood what he meant, but at the same time, she wasn’t entirely sure.
She fell silent for a moment, muttering, “We’ll see.”
She neither accepted nor rejected outright.
Hearing her response, He Jingxiu’s eyebrows rose slightly, and he smiled without speaking.
After taking a few more bites, Bo Ying was about to stop and leave the rest for He Jingxiu when he spoke first.
“I was just teasing you.”
He Jingxiu said, “I’ve already eaten. This was specifically brought for you.”
Bo Ying: “….”
She thought so. How could Aunt Chen possibly make just one sandwich? Even if it was just for He Jingxiu, one wouldn’t be enough!
Thinking this, Bo Ying glared at him resentfully. “Are you doing this on purpose?”
He Jingxiu remained completely composed, his gaze soft as he looked at her. “Only realizing now?”
“…” Bo Ying choked slightly, opening her mouth to take a huge bite of the sandwich. With her words muffled, she said, “Is it fun to tease me? I’m not your pet dog.”
Speaking of which, Bo Ying volunteered, “By the way, does your dog live with your parents?”
She had seen videos of the big dog many times and had been craving it for a long time.
Upon hearing this, He Jingxiu’s expression paused briefly. “No.”
“Ah?” Bo Ying was surprised. “Does it live with you?”
He Jingxiu calmly replied, “Most of the time it lives with me. During my recent frequent business trips, I sent it back.”
Without much thought, he continued, “I plan to pick it up this week. Would you like to meet it beforehand?”
Bo Ying blinked slowly, feeling that his answer was somewhat different from what she had gathered.
She turned her head, her gaze fixed on He Jingxiu’s profile.
The man’s side profile was sharply defined. The morning sunlight, bright and warm, filtered through the car window, illuminating his high nose bridge and eyelashes. His lashes resembled crow feathers, distinct and casting a small shadow under his eyelids.
At this moment, he seemed bathed in light, like a beam of sunshine—someone you’d want to keep looking at, someone whose light you’d want to bask in.
Suddenly, He Jingxiu turned his head to look at her, waiting for her response.
Bo Ying snapped out of her thoughts, opening her mouth hesitantly. “Today?”
He Jingxiu: “Whenever you’re available. Tomorrow works too.”
“Oh…” Bo Ying was silent for a few seconds. “Then we’ll decide later after seeing what time we finish shopping.”
Deep down, she still wanted to meet and get close to He Jingxiu’s dog.
He Jingxiu: “Alright.”
An hour’s drive—neither too far nor too near.
Breathing the same air and sharing the same space, Bo Ying felt time flew by incredibly quickly.
At least, faster than she had imagined.
He Jingxiu rarely made her uncomfortable. If anything, any discomfort arose from the growing intimacy between them, not from anything else.
He knew what Bo Ying liked and skillfully steered conversations toward her interests, occasionally pausing to give her some breathing room.
He handled the balance perfectly.
The home furnishings supermarket he took Bo Ying to was enormous.
He Jingxiu introduced that this area housed various imported furniture and home decor. No matter how niche a brand might be, it was likely to be found here.
Bo Ying glanced around, feeling utterly lost.
She had a poor sense of direction. She remembered everything except routes. After taking a few turns, she would already be confused.
When others gave directions using terms like “east” or “west,” Bo Ying couldn’t follow. She could only understand instructions like “turn left at which intersection” or “turn right.”
“There are so many aisles here!” Bo Ying exclaimed, dumbfounded. “How will we distinguish which ones we’ve visited and which ones we haven’t later?”
He Jingxiu was momentarily speechless, covering his lips with a chuckle. “I’ll remember.”
Bo Ying: “….”
Seeing her flustered expression, He Jingxiu lowered his eyelashes and asked, “Are you afraid of getting lost?”
This was something Bo Ying didn’t want to admit.
After pondering for a moment, she came up with a less embarrassing excuse. “I’m mainly worried about retracing our steps.”
He Jingxiu looked at her. “You don’t like retracing your steps?”
His unhurried voice entered her ears. It was a normal conversation, but Bo Ying couldn’t help but analyze and speculate whether his words carried another layer of meaning.
In front of someone you like, people often do this.
You know he might just be asking a simple question, and you should just answer directly. But you can’t help yourself because you don’t want to miss any signal he sends, whether good or bad.
“Bo Ying.”
He Jingxiu called her name.
Bo Ying blinked, raising her eyes to look at him. “What kind of retracing steps?”
She pursed her lips, giving an answer she was satisfied with. “If it’s a path filled with blooming flowers, walking it again wouldn’t be a problem.”
He Jingxiu was slightly startled, not expecting her to answer like that.
He looked down at Bo Ying, dressed like a little girl, suddenly unsure whether the path he might lead her to retrace was one covered in flowers or one strewn with thorns.
Noticing He Jingxiu’s silence, Bo Ying lifted her head to look at him. “Shall we go?”
“Yes.” He Jingxiu adjusted his emotions and extended his hand toward Bo Ying.
Bo Ying looked at him, puzzled. “What’s this—”
“Aren’t you afraid of getting lost?” There was a hint of laughter in He Jingxiu’s voice, and his eyes became brighter. “Would you like to hold onto me?”
As long as you hold on tight, I promise I won’t lead you down the same path again.
Even if it is a retraced path, it will surely be one you love—a wide avenue adorned with blooming flowers.
After ten seconds of contemplation, Bo Ying declined He Jingxiu’s invitation.
“I’ll follow you for now.” Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at He Jingxiu’s well-defined hands, feeling a slight flutter but outwardly remaining calm and collected. “I’ll grab it if there are more people.”
Hearing this, He Jingxiu knowingly nodded, not pressing her.
The two strolled leisurely.
Bo Ying’s indecisiveness kicked in, always torn between two items. When she started wavering, she couldn’t hear anyone’s advice. He Jingxiu, however, was patient, waiting until she reached a point where a choice had to be made. Then, he would make the decision that Bo Ying would prefer.
Sometimes, Bo Ying wondered if he could read her mind. How else could he know everything?
The home furnishings market was indeed vast. Bo Ying managed to buy the full-length mirror she had seen online, along with two small table lamps and a lazy chair she loved.
She planned to place it on the balcony, where she could curl up after work or on weekends to read books or watch sunsets.
Besides that, she picked many small decorative items to place around the house. Each item was carefully selected to complement her decor.
Feeling tired from shopping, they decided to eat nearby.
Some of the items Bo Ying purchased could be delivered to her doorstep, while others she had to take back herself.
He Jingxiu willingly acted as the driver, and she didn’t object.
On the way back, Bo Ying enthusiastically shared with He Jingxiu how she planned to organize her day once she moved in.
She wanted to have her own leisure time amidst her busy work schedule. After dinner, or after finishing all her tasks, she planned to unwind with a bath, light some incense, open a bottle of fruit wine, and watch movies or the city night view from the balcony.
Bo Ying was someone who knew how to enjoy life.
Perhaps it was due to her upbringing—she wasn’t someone who would overly burden herself. She believed in enjoying life while it lasted.
Though she studied law, deep down, privately, she was simply a sweet and endearing young woman.
Transparent and vibrant like sunlight, charming without drawing attention, and subtly captivating.
He Jingxiu listened, his lips curving slightly. “You like watching movies on the balcony?”
Bo Ying, caught off guard by this sudden question, was stunned for a few seconds. “Ah… It seems a bit inconvenient.”
He Jingxiu hummed in agreement, contemplating for a moment. “Not necessarily inconvenient.”
He turned to look at her, his gaze profound. “Future renovations can be done with this idea in mind.”
“…”
Bo Ying caught his gaze, finding it hard not to think deeply about it.
Her cheeks flushed, and her eyelashes fluttered nervously. Instinctively, she grabbed the water beside her and took a sip. “Oh.”
She paused briefly. “Then let’s talk about it when I earn more money and buy a new house.”
He Jingxiu raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and said, “Alright.”
“…?”
Bo Ying felt there was a trap in his words but couldn’t resist probing further. “Why does your ‘alright’ sound so reluctant?”
She stared intently at He Jingxiu, seeking a more satisfying answer. “Do you look down on me, or do you look down on the salary you pay me?”
He Jingxiu burst into laughter, not considering it from that perspective at all.
He was silent, his long fingers tapping lightly on the steering wheel as he gazed deeply at her. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what do you mean?” Bo Ying huffed softly. “I feel like you think I can’t afford a house.”
Although based on her current salary and housing prices, she indeed couldn’t afford one.
He Jingxiu chuckled softly, glancing at her during a red light. Suddenly, he said, “Bo Ying, do you know what my ‘alright’ means?”
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