sbdcsierra Chapter 48 I think you've finally gotten into heat, haha...
Chapter 48 I think you've finally gotten into heat, haha...
……
The two ate their meal quietly.
The only sounds in the restaurant were the soft clinking of spoons and bowls.
The sky outside the window had completely darkened.
Shen Qingyue ate much slower than usual, but the bowl of porridge was gradually emptied.
Seeing this, Chen Mo asked, "Do you want more? I'll get you some."
"Half a bowl is enough."
Shen Qingyue hesitated for a moment, but still handed the bowl over.
Chen Mo served her another half bowl, and pushed the stir-fried mushrooms and bok choy towards her, saying, "Eating some vegetables can boost your body's immunity; I've looked it up."
"Um."
Shen Qingyue picked up a piece of green vegetable with her chopsticks, then suddenly looked up at him and asked, "And you? Is that all you're eating?"
"I ate a lot at noon, so I'm not hungry," Chen Mo said with a smile.
Actually, he usually eats very little at night; it's just a habit.
Shen Qingyue didn't say anything more and continued eating with her head down.
It was quiet for a while.
The atmosphere was inexplicably subtle.
The two people are usually in a superior-subordinate relationship at the company.
But now they're sitting at the same table eating, a scene so ordinary that it makes one unsure what to say.
Sensing the awkward silence, Chen Mo broke it by asking, "Qingyue, is your cough any better?"
"Much better."
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingyue put down her spoon, took a tissue to wipe her mouth, and said, "My throat is still a little itchy, and I cough a few times now and then."
Did you take your medicine on time?
"I ate. I ate both in the morning and at noon."
"That's good."
Chen Mo nodded and said, "You need to rest more when you have a cold. You shouldn't go to the company today."
"I have an important meeting this afternoon, I can't skip it."
Shen Qingyue smiled helplessly and said, "Sitting in that position, you have no choice in many things. If you don't go, people will find something to use against you."
"..."
Chen Mo nodded in understanding.
The company is divided into factions; it's not like it's your own company where you can make all the decisions. There are other shareholders involved.
Then, the two started talking about the parent-teacher conference.
Chen Mo recounted Wang's "classic translations" to Shen Qingyue.
Shen Qingyue was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Chen Mo noticed that when she smiled, her eyes curved, losing their usual aloofness and gaining a touch of gentleness.
This is what a woman should be like!
"What was this child thinking?" She shook her head, feeling both amused and helpless.
"Probably just boredom, pure mischief, and a publicity stunt."
Chen Mo took out his phone, found the photo of the study plan he had taken earlier, and said, "I said I'd send you the study plan, but I haven't. I'll send it to you now. You can forward it to your best friend."
"it is good."
Shen Qingyue took out her phone and received the picture.
Looking at the densely packed schedule, she sighed, "My best friend... she's unreliable herself, always flying around the world, having fun everywhere, how can she have time to take care of the kids?"
"Where are your parents?" Chen Mo asked.
"They all do business in other places and can only come back a few times a year."
Shen Qingyue shook her head and said, "So Xue Hao is basically being looked after by my best friend, but she also likes to have fun, so... that's how it is."
Recalling Xue Hao's clever yet anxious expression, Chen Mo said, "Actually, that kid isn't stupid; he's just neglected and his mind isn't on his studies."
"How did you know?" Shen Qingyue raised an eyebrow.
"After my meeting today, I had a brief, tentative chat with him, and I guess he has a girl he likes."
Chen Mo smiled and said, "So when I told him that good grades are the easiest way to attract girls' attention and make them like you, his eyes lit up."
Once you develop intrinsic motivation for reading, you become much more proactive in your learning and more absorbed in it.
Shen Qingyue chuckled and said, "You're quite knowledgeable. Were you like this when you were in school?"
"Yeah, I've been there."
Chen Mo shrugged and said awkwardly, "Everyone has experienced those innocent thoughts of high school boys."
"oh."
Shen Qingyue looked at him and suddenly asked, "So, did you succeed?"
"..."
Chen Mo was taken aback by the question, then shook his head and said, "No, I was so focused on studying and improving my grades that I forgot to confess to her, and someone else beat me to it."
"Hahaha……"
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingyue smiled and said, "Chen Mo, you're too funny."
"..." Chen Mo.
The two chatted for a few more minutes before finishing their porridge.
Chen Mo got up to clear the dishes, and Shen Qingyue wanted to help, but he stopped her.
"You're a patient, sit down and rest, I'll take care of it."
Shen Qingyue didn't insist and leaned back in her chair watching him work.
Chen Mo deftly collected the bowls and chopsticks into the kitchen and turned on the tap to rinse them.
The sound of rushing water mingled with the crisp clinking of bowls and plates.
Shen Qingyue sat there watching, and suddenly felt a sense of peace.
Without the pressure of work or the constraints of identity, it's like two ordinary friends having a meal and chatting together.
She hadn't experienced this feeling in a long time.
When Chen Mo finished cleaning up the kitchen and came out, Shen Qingyue had already brewed two cups of tea and pushed one of them in front of him.
"Have some tea to cleanse your palate."
"Thank you." Chen Mo sat down opposite her.
The two fell into a brief silence again.
But this time the silence wasn't awkward; instead, it had a comfortable, tacit understanding.
Shen Qingyue took a small sip of tea and suddenly said, "Thank you for today..."
"You're too kind, Sister Qingyue."
Chen Mo smiled and said, "It was nothing, and I even got a meal out of it."
"It's not just being polite."
Shen Qingyue looked at him earnestly and said, "I really thank you. It feels so good to have someone take care of me when I'm sick and someone cook porridge for me."
"..."
Chen Mo felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze, so he looked away and casually said, "Please don't say that, I didn't do anything."
"For me, this is already a lot," Shen Qingyue said softly.
"..."
Chen Mo didn't know what to say for a moment, so he just lowered his head and drank his tea.
The tea is green tea, with a fragrant aroma and a slightly bitter taste, followed by a sweet aftertaste.
After sitting for a few more minutes, Chen Mo glanced at the time; it was almost eight o'clock.
He put down his teacup, stood up, and said, "Sister Qingyue, it's getting late, so I won't disturb your rest any longer."
Shen Qingyue also stood up: "I'll see you out."
"No need, you should get some rest."
Chen Mo waved his hand, but Shen Qingyue followed and stood behind him. As if suddenly remembering something, she said, "Oh right, you haven't collected the money for the groceries yet."
"Forehead……"
Chen Mo said, "Really, it's not necessary. It's not much money."
"no."
Shen Qingyue said firmly, "I already feel bad asking you to help me cook, it's not fair to make you pay for it."
"Sister Qingyue..."
"Take it."
Shen Qingyue looked at him, her eyes leaving no room for refusal, and said, "Otherwise, if I really get angry, don't call me 'sister' anymore."
Seeing her insistence, Chen Mo had no choice but to compromise, saying, "Then... I'll just take the money for the vegetables."
He took out his phone, opened the transfer Shen Qingyue had just made, only received 150 yuan, and then returned the rest.
"That's enough. The fruit and preserved plums are on me."
Chen Mo smiled and said, "The patient comes first."
"Alright."
Shen Qingyue looked at the 350 yuan that had been returned, opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end she just sighed softly.
She shook her head, no longer insisting, and said, "Be careful on your way back."
"Okay, you should get some rest."
Chen Mo opened the door and went out.
The door closed gently behind me.
Shen Qingyue stood in the entryway, listening to the sound of the elevator gradually fade away, before turning back to the living room.
She walked to the window, pulled back the curtains a little, and looked downstairs.
A short while later, Chen Mo appeared on the road in the residential area. He walked to the entrance, hailed a taxi, got in, and drove away.
Shen Qingyue only lowered the curtains after the taxi merged into traffic and disappeared from sight.
She walked to the sofa and sat down, looking at the unfinished fruit and preserved plums on the coffee table, and then glanced at the kitchen.
The place had been cleaned up so thoroughly that it looked as if no one had ever been there.
But the aroma of porridge still lingered in the air, mixed with a faint tea fragrance.
Shen Qingyue leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes.
The image of Chen Mo busily working in the kitchen involuntarily surfaced in my mind; his focused profile as he ladled porridge; his barely suppressed laughter as he recounted Xue Hao's bizarre translations…
"Shen Qingyue, what are you thinking about?" she whispered to herself.
Just then, my phone rang.
It's a video call notification tone.
Shen Qingyue picked up her phone and saw that it was her best friend, Cai Yanyan.
She answered the video call, and a delicate, beautiful face appeared on the screen, but it looked tired.
"Qingyue, how did the parent-teacher conference go?"
Cai Yanyan cut to the chase, asking with a smile, "Teacher Wang didn't swear, did she?"
"I had something to do and couldn't go."
Shen Qingyue said, "I sent a colleague."
"colleague?"
Cai Yanyan was taken aback, then asked in confusion, "You have such a good relationship with a colleague at the company? A male or female colleague?"
"...a male colleague," Shen Qingyue said truthfully.
"Yo!"
Upon hearing this, Cai Yanyan immediately perked up and asked gossipily, "Which male colleague? Do I know him? Is he handsome? How old is he? Is he married?"
A barrage of questions came crashing down on her, and Shen Qingyue couldn't help but facepalm.
"Cai Yanyan, aren't you focusing on the wrong thing? What you should be concerned about right now is your nephew's studies, not my colleague."
"What's more important than your life's commitment, let alone your studies!"
Cai Yanyan, with a self-righteous air, urged, "Quickly, tell me, what's going on? Why did you let him go to the parent-teacher conference? Your relationship is more than just ordinary!"
Helpless, Shen Qingyue could only briefly explain Chen Mo's help and send him the tutoring schedule.
"Here, Teacher Wang gave this to you. Make sure you supervise Xue Hao's execution."
Cai Yanyan received the document but didn't even glance at it, continuing to press, "So this Chen Mo... is your subordinate? He cooked porridge for you when you were sick? And he even went to Xue Hao's parent-teacher conference?"
"Mm," Shen Qingyue responded, not wanting to say more.
Something's up!
Cai Yanyan said decisively, "Shen Qingyue, tell me honestly, do you have feelings for her?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Shen Qingyue frowned and denied it, saying, "He's just an ordinary colleague, I was just helping him out."
"Would you ask a male colleague to cook porridge for you? Would you ask him to do such a personal favor?"
Cai Yanyan didn't believe it and pouted, "Qingyue, we've known each other for so many years, when have you ever let a male colleague into your house? Or had someone cook for you?"
I think you've finally gotten into heat, haha...
"I can't be bothered to talk to you..."
Shen Qingyue was speechless after being asked the question, and then she didn't want to talk to her anymore.
"I guessed right, didn't I?"
Cai Yanyan smiled smugly and said, "Quickly, tell the truth: what do you look like? What's your character like? What are your abilities like?"
"Cai Yanyan!"
Shen Qingyue was a little annoyed and said, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'm hanging up."
"Okay, okay, I won't say anymore."
Cai Yanyan knew when to stop, but her eyes still gleamed with gossip.
"But Qingyue, you should start thinking about your personal life. You're already thirty-one. If you don't find someone soon, you'll really become a spinster."
"Then you should take care of your personal problems first."
Shen Qingyue retorted, "You're only a year younger than me."
"I'm a non-marriage advocate, and no one in my family is pressuring me to get married."
Cai Yanyan spoke with conviction and seduction, saying, "Listen to me, don't let the right person slip by. It's easy for a woman to pursue a man. With your looks, if you take the initiative, who could resist?"
"This is getting more and more outrageous."
Shen Qingyue rubbed her temples and said with a laugh, "You better take care of your nephew. Teacher Wang said his English is terrible. If you don't do something about it, he'll be doomed for the college entrance exam."
"Okay, okay, I'll hire a tutor for him tomorrow."
Cai Yanyan gave a perfunctory reply and then steered the conversation back to the main topic.
"But seriously, Qingyue, that Chen Mo..."
"Shut up, I know what I'm doing."
Shen Qingyue didn't want to discuss this topic further and instead asked, "When are you coming back?"
"There are still a few days left."
Cai Yanyan sighed and said, "I'm exhausted from traveling all this time. I really want to come back and have some hot pot."
"You're complaining about being tired while playing?"
Shen Qingyue said irritably, "I'll treat you to hot pot when we get back."
"OK!"
Cai Yanyan said with a grin, "But I also want to eat the porridge your colleague cooked!"
"Cai Yanyan!"
"Okay, okay, I'm not kidding anymore."
Seeing that Shen Qingyue was really getting angry, Cai Yanyan quickly composed herself and said, "Seriously, thank you for Xue Hao's matter, and thank you for your colleague too. I'll definitely treat him to dinner when I get back."
"Mm," Shen Qingyue replied.
The two chatted for a few more minutes before ending the video call.
Putting down her phone, Shen Qingyue leaned back on the sofa and let out a long sigh.
Cai Yanyan's words still echoed in my ears.
"Are you interested in her?"
"Don't let the right opportunity slip by."
"It's as easy as a thin veil for a woman to pursue a man..."
Shen Qingyue closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.
She had to admit that Chen Mo was indeed a very special person.
I feel very comfortable when I'm with him.
Without pressure, without pretense, you can be your most authentic self.
but……
Shen Qingyue opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling.
He was her subordinate.
If the two of them really have something going on, what will others say?
How will this be spread within the company?
What will my father think?
And what about Chen Mo himself...? How does he feel about her?
Is it out of respect for a superior? A junior's concern for a senior? Or... is it something else entirely?
The question I had thought about before has resurfaced!
Shen Qingyue still couldn't figure out the answer.
All she knew was that tonight's meal was the warmest she had eaten in years.
It wasn't a gourmet meal, nor was it from a high-end restaurant; it was just a simple bowl of shrimp porridge and two light side dishes.
But someone will cook for you, someone will care whether you're feeling better, and someone will quietly share a meal with you.
I haven't felt this way in a long time.
Shen Qingyue picked up her phone and opened her chat with Chen Mo.
The last new message was sent a few minutes ago.
[Qingyue, I'm home. You should get some rest.]
She stared at the message for a long time, her finger hovering over the screen, but ultimately she didn't reply.
I simply turned off the screen.
Then I stood up, turned off the light, went into the bedroom, and decided to get a good night's sleep and let things take their course.
Wait until you're absolutely sure you like the other person before you say anything!