The Beauty Is Seducing Me Again Chapter 3
byThe warm breath was close at hand.
Meeting Chen Xiaonuan’s moist eyes, Shen Qing’an, on a strange impulse, did not say anything unpleasant, but simply gave a faint ‘hmm’.
Chen Xiaonuan looked as if she had received immense encouragement, her eyes sparkling as she quickly ladled out two bowls of soup.
The first bowl was handed to Yuan Yanyu.
As for the second bowl, Chen Xiaonuan hesitated and looked at Shen Qing’an: “Miss Shen… would you like to try some?”
Shen Qing’an looked at the steaming yam and pork rib soup in front of her, with a few goji berries floating on top. She remained silent for a few seconds.
Yuan Yanyu had already taken a sip and let out a satisfied sigh: “Mmm… it’s delicious. Xiaonuan, your cooking is great, you could open a restaurant. Qing’an, hurry up and try it, don’t waste Xiaonuan’s kind effort.”
Chen Xiaonuan stood holding the bowl, unsure whether to offer it or take it back. Her cheeks became even redder, making her look like a pitiful little creature awaiting judgment.
It felt like she was bullying her, Shen Qing’an thought inwardly.
Finally, Shen Qing’an reached out and took the white porcelain bowl. Her fingertips inevitably brushed Chen Xiaonuan’s hand, and the other girl flinched back as if shocked by electricity, her ears turning crimson.
The warmth of the soup transferred through the bowl to her palm; it was slightly hot.
Shen Qing’an lowered her head and took a sip.
The taste… was a little unique. It was like a gentle warm current, slowly warming her cold stomach.
Shen Qing’an looked up. Chen Xiaonuan was watching her unblinkingly, her hands nervously clasped in front of her, waiting for a good review.
“It’s alright.” Shen Qing’an put the bowl down, giving a very stingy three-word evaluation.
These simple three words gave Chen Xiaonuan great encouragement, instantly making her beam with joy, appearing incredibly vibrant and bright.
“Really? That’s wonderful!” Chen Xiaonuan was so happy she almost jumped, but immediately restrained herself, though the corners of her mouth couldn’t stop turning up. “Then Miss Shen, please try this steamed egg custard, oh! And this shrimp…”
She suddenly became busy, bustling around Shen Qing’an, awkwardly yet enthusiastically recommending dishes, completely forgetting her initial nervousness and fear.
Yuan Yanyu, lying in the hospital bed, watched this scene, the smile in her eyes deepening. She knew Xiaonuan was a likable child; look, even her cold daughter was starting to thaw.
Shen Qing’an didn’t speak, but she didn’t refuse either.
She silently ate the food Chen Xiaonuan placed in her bowl. To be fair, the standard far exceeded her expectations.
This dinner proceeded in a very subtle atmosphere.
Yuan Yanyu ate with relish, chatting with Chen Xiaonuan from time to time, while Shen Qing’an remained silent on the side, mostly listening quietly.
After the meal, Chen Xiaonuan eagerly collected the dishes and chopsticks, wiped the table clean, and put the thermos containers and utensils back into the basket she had brought.
“Auntie, Miss Shen, I’ll head back now.” Chen Xiaonuan whispered her farewell, holding the basket.
Yuan Yanyu acknowledged her.
“Be careful on the way. Text Auntie when you get home to let me know you’re safe,” Yuan Yanyu instructed, then suddenly thought of something and turned to look at Shen Qing’an, who was standing nearby. “Qing’an, since you’re heading back anyway, give Xiaonuan a ride.”
“It’s late, it’s not safe for a girl to go back alone.”
“Ah? No, no need!” Chen Xiaonuan was startled and quickly waved her hands, shaking her head like a rattle. “It’s very convenient for me to take a taxi back, no need to trouble Miss Shen.”
Ask Miss Shen to be her driver? Just thinking about the scene made Chen Xiaonuan feel suffocated. After all, she was interacting with the Iceberg Sister.
She was a little afraid.
Shen Qing’an lowered her eyes, her gaze emotionlessly sweeping over Chen Xiaonuan’s small face, which was filled with panic, and the large vegetable basket she was holding.
The air was silent for a few seconds. Just when Chen Xiaonuan thought Shen Qing’an would definitely refuse, she heard a faint syllable.
“Alright.”
Chen Xiaonuan froze in place.
Yuan Yanyu was very pleased: “Make sure you get Xiaonuan home safely. Xiaonuan, go with your sister quickly.”
“Oh, oh, okay.” Chen Xiaonuan’s head was spinning. Like a puppet, she followed Shen Qing’an out of the ward.
High heels clicked against the marble floor, making a crisp, rhythmic sound that filled the quiet corridor.
Chen Xiaonuan kept her head down, trying hard to keep up with the person in front.
Why were Miss Shen’s legs so long, and why did she walk so fast? Could she walk this quickly even in high heels? Chen Xiaonuan’s mind was full of confusion, completely baffled by this matter.
The elevator descended all the way to the underground parking garage.
Shen Qing’an walked toward a black sedan. The headlights flashed once, unlocking the car.
“Get in.” Shen Qing’an opened the driver’s side door and said to Chen Xiaonuan, who was standing stunned beside her.
Chen Xiaonuan hesitated, carefully opened the passenger door, placed her vegetable basket inside the car first, and then sat down stiffly.
The car interior was spacious. Chen Xiaonuan didn’t recognize the car brand, but just sitting inside, she could feel its high price. There was also a pleasant, cool scent, similar to cedarwood, the same as the scent on Shen Qing’an.
Her palms were sweating. Being alone with Miss Shen in the enclosed space made her a little nervous.
Shen Qing’an fastened her seatbelt and started the car. The engine emitted a deep rumble. She glanced at Chen Xiaonuan, who was rigid as a block of wood beside her, and her gaze fell on the seatbelt next to the girl.
“Seatbelt.”
She reminded her, her voice exceptionally clear in the confined space of the car.
“Oh! Oh, oh!” Chen Xiaonuan reacted, fumbling to pull the seatbelt.
The more nervous she got, the more mistakes she made. Chen Xiaonuan pulled hard, but the seatbelt seemed stuck. She tugged several times without success, her face turning bright red with anxiety.
How embarrassing.
Shen Qing’an let out a barely audible sigh and unbuckled her own seatbelt.
At this moment, Chen Xiaonuan was still struggling with the seatbelt when Shen Qing’an suddenly leaned closer, making her breath catch.
Shen Qing’an leaned over, her arm reaching across Chen Xiaonuan’s front. A faint, cool fragrance rushed into Chen Xiaonuan’s nostrils.
Chen Xiaonuan froze completely, even forgetting to breathe. She could only feel the other person’s slightly cool hair brushing against her cheek, bringing a slight tickle.
The warm breath was close at hand.
Her heart skipped a beat without warning, then began to pound wildly, hurting her chest, and her cheeks uncontrollably started to heat up.
W-what was wrong with her?
A soft ‘click’ sounded.
Shen Qing’an efficiently fastened the seatbelt, then sat back in the driver’s seat and re-fastened her own belt.
The entire sequence of actions was so fast it was as if nothing had happened. Only the lingering cool scent and Chen Xiaonuan’s wildly beating heart proved the close proximity they had just shared.
“Address.” Shen Qing’an looked straight ahead, her voice steady, as if she had just casually handled a trivial matter.
Shen Qing’an entered the address into the navigation. When she saw the destination displayed on the screen, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, but she said nothing, simply driving the car smoothly out of the garage.
Quanhai City was dazzling with lights and colors at night, and traffic flowed ceaselessly.
The car interior was silent, with only the faint sound of the air conditioning and the occasional passing vehicle outside.
Chen Xiaonuan leaned tightly against the window, trying to minimize her presence, but couldn’t help stealing glances at Shen Qing’an in the driver’s seat.
In the dim light, she could see Shen Qing’an’s cold and beautiful profile.
The car eventually turned into a narrow, dimly lit alleyway. The navigation showed the destination was ahead, but the car couldn’t drive in.
“Just stop here, it’s hard to turn around inside. Thank you, Miss Shen, for driving me back,” Chen Xiaonuan quickly said, fumbling to unbuckle her seatbelt, which worked smoothly this time.
Chen Xiaonuan got out of the car with her basket. She stood at the alley entrance and bowed to Shen Qing’an in the car: “Thank you, Miss Shen, for bringing me back! Please be careful on your way.”
She expected Shen Qing’an to drive away immediately, but the next second, the driver’s door opened too.
Shen Qing’an walked over, her gaze directed toward the depths of the alley. There were several residential buildings that looked quite old, with mottled exterior walls and pitch-black stairwells, without even a proper light.
Shen Qing’an found it hard to imagine that there were still such rental buildings in Quanhai City.
“Which floor?”
“Huh? Th-third floor.” Chen Xiaonuan was a little confused about why Miss Shen was asking.
“Mm.” Shen Qing’an responded and actually started walking toward the stairwell entrance. “Let’s go.”
“No need! Miss Shen! Really, no need!” Chen Xiaonuan panicked. It was already unbelievable that Miss Shen drove her home; how could she let Miss Shen escort her upstairs?
She quickly said, “The stairwell is dark and hard to navigate. I can go up by myself.”
Shen Qing’an seemed not to hear her refusal. She took out her phone, turned on the flashlight function, and illuminated the path ahead.
“I promised to get you home.”
Chen Xiaonuan was speechless and had no choice but to follow Shen Qing’an into the stairwell with reluctance.
The air was filled with the unique damp smell of old residential buildings.
The third floor was reached quickly. The stairwell was still dark, and the light from Shen Qing’an’s phone shone on the mottled green iron door in front of them.
Chen Xiaonuan quickly took out her key, inserted it into the lock, and opened the door. Inside was a small but tidy living room, with warm yellow light spilling out.
“Thank you, Miss Shen.” Chen Xiaonuan thanked her again. Standing at her own doorway, she felt an indescribable sense of awkwardness and distance.
“Mm.”
Shen Qing’an replied faintly, said nothing more, turned, and walked downstairs.
The sound of high heels on the concrete floor gradually faded away, finally disappearing at the end of the stairwell. The black sedan parked at the alley entrance also quickly drove away.
Chen Xiaonuan leaned against the back of the door. Only when the silence outside was completely restored did she slowly breathe a sigh of relief.
She touched her still-warm face and thought quietly to herself.
Miss Shen looks cold, but she is actually very thoughtful. She really is a kind older sister.