Fu Jingshu opened the car door and got out leisurely, surveying the luxurious villa. He showed no sign of embarrassment at being caught following, instead appearing calm and composed, as if he weren't the one who had been discovered.
"Taking you home."
Shen Qingqing looked at his expressionless face. He himself wouldn't believe the words he'd just spoken, yet he'd said them, leaving her unable to refute him, only feeling speechless. "Fine, as you wish."
She turned and walked towards the villa, not looking back.
But when she reached her doorstep, the man was still following. She turned around, a forced smile on her face. "I'm home."
Fu Jingshu said faintly, "I'm taking you home, shouldn't you treat me to a meal?"
The sheer audacity of it!
Shen Qingqing was stunned. But then she thought that the special medicine hadn't been obtained yet, so it wasn't wise to fall out with him. As for Chenchen, he was timid and hadn't left his room since arriving at the villa, so he shouldn't have been discovered.
"Alright, then please come in."
She said it through gritted teeth.
Fu Jingshu's lips curved upwards in a barely perceptible arc. The oppressive aura that had always lingered around him suddenly dissipated.
Shen Qingqing asked him to sit in the living room and, out of politeness, poured him a cup of hot water before heading to the kitchen to get busy.
Fu Jingshu surveyed the living room. It was luxuriously decorated, but the small ornaments everywhere revealed a woman's meticulous attention to detail and taste.
Finally, his gaze fell upon the semi-transparent kitchen door.
He could clearly see the woman's busy figure inside. This feeling...
Was rather peculiar.
An hour later, Lu Junze arrived.
Shen Qingqing's dishes were ready and being laid out on the table. Lu Junze was rubbing his hands together, ready to enjoy the meal, when he turned and saw Fu Jingshu. He quickly looked at Shen Qingqing, asking with his eyes.
Why was he here?
Shen Qingqing shook her head, a complex expression on her face. "Let's eat first."
Fu Jingshu washed his hands and sat down unhurriedly, looking so at ease as if he were in his own home. He tasted the stir-fried kidney nearest to him.
The texture was firm, slightly spicy, and the aroma spread across his tongue.
He looked up at Shen Qingqing. "Your cooking is excellent."
Shen Qingqing, who had worked hard to prepare such a feast, was naturally pleased to receive praise and replied modestly, "It's alright."
Fu Jingshu was a picky eater, and at home, deciding what he would eat each day was a constant worry for the household staff. He then ate a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs, which were sour and sweet, delicious and not greasy.
"Chenchen is a bit of a picky eater. If you made it, he would definitely like it."
"You're not thinking of hiring me to cook at your house, are you?"
"Name your salary." Fu Jingshu was serious.
Shen Qingqing's lips twitched slightly as she politely refused, "I'm actually very busy with work. Today was to thank a friend for their help. I don't usually cook. After all, with household staff, who would want to cook themselves?"
She couldn't believe he expected her to give up her white-collar job to become his nanny. What a pipe dream!
Fu Jingshu fell silent.
Lu Junze was already eating, and his mouth wasn't idle either. He kept talking to Shen Qingqing. As friends, they naturally had common topics and became engrossed in their conversation, forgetting everything else.
They overlooked the presence of the powerful Mr. Fu.
Suddenly, Fu Jingshu put down his chopsticks. Lu Junze and Shen Qingqing both looked over. They saw him with a grim expression, one hand clutching his abdomen. "My stomach hurts."
Shen Qingqing put down her chopsticks. "Why does your stomach hurt? Did you eat something bad? Or should I take you to the hospital?"
Fu Jingshu stiffened and shook his head, feigning weakness. "Take me home."
But he was not adept at speaking like this; his tone sounded rather stiff and very strange. Shen Qingqing felt something was off. She looked him up and down carefully. Who would be so calm when their stomach hurt? He looked like he was faking.
She narrowed her eyes at him, wanting to see what he was up to. "Alright."
Lu Junze swallowed the food in his mouth. "What about me?"
"Eat your meal, and leave directly when you're done. I have the key, remember to lock the door." Shen Qingqing changed her shoes and opened the main door. Fu Jingshu followed behind her.
Once in the car, she glanced at Fu Jingshu. "Doesn't your stomach hurt anymore?"
Fu Jingshu paused his seatbelt fastening motion. "It's better."
Shen Qingqing suddenly found it amusing. She had never met anyone like him, lying with a poker face, and with such poor acting skills.
But she couldn't understand his motive. It couldn't be that he was just unwilling to be ignored, could it?
"Let's be frank, what exactly do you want?"
Fu Jingshu's brow unfurrowed. His mood had indeed improved considerably without seeing that other man. He even had the energy to instruct her. "Watch the road, drive carefully."
Shen Qingqing instantly lost the desire to talk to him. "Don't worry, my driving skills are excellent."
When they arrived home, as soon as they entered, Shen Jinxi, who was sitting on the sofa eating potato chips, opened his mouth wide in surprise. "Wow, Daddy, how did you come back with… Auntie? Did you go on a date?"
"Don't talk nonsense."
Shen Qingqing poked him with her finger.
Shen Jinxi, emboldened by Fu Jingshu's presence, knew his mother wouldn't treat him too harshly. "Auntie, don't be shy. You went on a date together, oh, I understand now."
Shen Qingqing gritted her teeth. This brat!
Fu Jingshu watched their interaction thoughtfully.
Shen Qingqing looked at him. "Didn't your stomach hurt? Go rest for a while."
Fu Jingshu froze. A hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes. He had clearly forgotten about it. But as the person he was, he remained composed, even nodding his head.
"Alright."
Shen Qingqing almost burst out laughing.
As soon as he left, she immediately grabbed the little guy and placed him on her lap, patting his backside. Of course, she didn't use any force, so it didn't hurt at all.
Shen Jinxi giggled, "Mommy, I missed you!"
With the little one's sweet words, Shen Qingqing couldn't bring herself to scold him. "Be good here. If anyone bullies you, tell Mommy, okay?"
"Mmm-hmm."
Shen Jinxi thought his mother was overthinking. He was usually the one bullying others; no one could bully him.
It was getting late, and Shen Qingqing had to leave. "Call me if you miss me."
Shen Jinxi reluctantly saw her off. Only after she was out of sight did he turn and go upstairs. As soon as he entered his room, he saw Fu Jingshu also walk in.
"Daddy?"
"I'll tell you a story."
Fu Jingshu lifted him onto the bed and sat leaning against the headboard, beginning to speak in a low, deep voice.
Shen Jinxi was overwhelmed with surprise. Fu Jingshu was clearly not good at telling stories, stumbling over his words. But his voice was pleasant, deep and melodious, like a lullaby.
He soon started to feel sleepy, until Fu Jingshu said something that instantly dispelled his drowsiness.
"Do you want a new mommy?"
Shen Jinxi rolled his eyes and asked with feigned innocence, "Daddy, are you going to find me a new mommy?"
Fu Jingshu didn't answer directly. "Shen Qingqing cooks very well. You would probably like her."
Could he really have feelings for Mommy?
It wasn't surprising, though. Mommy was beautiful and capable. But if she were to be with Fu Jingshu…