Chapter 8

The parking lot wasn’t far from the office building. The two of them got into the car one after the other, luckily avoiding the rain.

“Fasten your seatbelt.” Shi Qianyu folded her umbrella and instructed Wen Xin beside her. Wen Xin nodded and obediently pulled over the seatbelt to buckle it.

At first, she had planned to sit in the back seat, but Shi Qianyu had beaten her to it, opening the passenger door first. Standing in the rain, she held the umbrella in one hand and made an inviting gesture with the other, looking exceedingly elegant.

Wen Xin didn’t have time to refuse and could only obediently slip into the car and take a seat.

She didn’t know much about cars on a normal day, so she couldn’t immediately tell what make Shi Qianyu was driving, but just from the interior fittings, she knew it had to be expensive. A bit awkward, Wen Xin worried about dirtying someone else’s car and instinctively lifted her rain-dampened foot, hovering it discreetly off the floor.

Shi Qianyu seemed to notice something. She smiled and said candidly, “Go ahead and step on it—no problem.”

“I’m planning to get it washed tomorrow anyway.” As she spoke, she naturally started the engine. “The company gives a monthly car wash subsidy. Might as well use it.”

“Oh, okay.” Wen Xin nodded, finally relaxing enough to lower her foot.

“Tell me your home address.” Shi Qianyu stepped on the accelerator, pulling the car out of the parking lot. The rain outside had picked up again, pattering loudly against the windows. The wipers kicked in tirelessly, sweeping back and forth in a rhythm that was almost hypnotic.

Wen Xin gave the name of her neighborhood, then thanked Shi Qianyu once more. Shi Qianyu just smiled without replying, instead changing the subject abruptly. “There’s a pretty big fresh grocery supermarket near your place, right?”

Wen Xin wasn’t sure what she was driving at but answered promptly anyway. “Yeah.”

“Perfect.” Shi Qianyu put her to work without a second thought. “I need to pick up a few things, so I’ll stop there for a bit. Come in with me and help carry stuff.”

“It’s just a little favor. Sister will help out, right~” Before Wen Xin could respond, she preemptively laid on the guilt. “Think of it as paying back the favor. After all, I’m driving you home.”

“…”

“Okay.” She had a point—Wen Xin had no real grounds to refuse. She nodded in agreement but fell silent for a few seconds before glancing at Shi Qianyu’s profile and murmuring a soft protest. “Director Shi, please stop teasing me.”

“Where do you get that from?” Shi Qianyu feigned ignorance.

“You’re older than me, aren’t you? Don’t… don’t call me Sister anymore.” Wen Xin recalled chatting idly with Gao Qiu that day. Somehow the conversation had turned to Shi Qianyu. Gao Qiu was a total fangirl of the beautiful director and gushed endlessly, praising her stunning looks, poised demeanor, and youthful accomplishments.

Curious about Shi Qianyu’s age, Wen Xin had quickly asked, “How old is Director Shi?”

“Thirty-two!” Gao Qiu had replied. “She takes great care of herself, right? You’d never guess—not at first glance. She looks like a fresh college grad.”

It really didn’t show.

Wen Xin’s scalp prickled with embarrassment as the memory flooded back of her drunken coaxing, getting Shi Qianyu to call her “Sister.” If regret pills existed, she’d sell everything she owned to buy one and rewind past the “Sister incident.” No—even better, she’d wish she’d never set foot in that bar that night.

Beside her, Shi Qianyu seemed to process it belatedly. After a moment’s thought, she nodded lightly. “You’re right. I should be four years older than you.”

“But what’s the issue?” Up ahead was the supermarket. Shi Qianyu turned into the underground parking lot, found a spot, and parked before continuing. “It’s only four years. Round it off, and we’re basically the same age.”

With that, she slowly turned to the woman beside her, amusement swirling in her eyes.

“Since we’re the same age, what’s wrong with calling you Sister?”

~~~

Wen Xin had never heard anyone use “rounding” quite like that.

Rendered speechless by Shi Qianyu’s antics—and unable to talk her out of it—she simply clamped her mouth shut. Gripping the shopping cart, she trailed slowly behind as Shi Qianyu went on a serious shopping spree, tossing one item after another into it without so much as glancing at the prices.

Wen Xin felt an odd twinge of heartache watching. It wasn’t her money, but money was money all the same. Everything in this supermarket was notoriously pricey. She’d only ever glanced inside while passing by, never stepping foot within. If not for tagging along with Shi Qianyu, she doubted she’d ever come here in the future.

Off-duty, Shi Qianyu was surprisingly chatty, having shed her professional seriousness. As she walked ahead of the cart, she occasionally picked up an item and asked Wen Xin with genuine curiosity, “Wen Xin, think this yogurt would taste good?”

“Wen Xin, these chicken wings look delicious. Should I grab a few?”

“Wen Xin, these shrimp are such a steal. Pretty good value, right?”

Wen Xin couldn’t judge the value, but she did think Shi Qianyu didn’t seem thirty-two at all. She was so youthful—not just in appearance, but in her energy too.

Wen Xin envied her, the way she lived like a princess brimming with a vitality and zest that she herself lacked. At times, Shi Qianyu seemed like a queen, her innate elegance and nobility unmatched by anyone. Wen Xin figured that if she’d pursued acting instead of design, her beauty alone would have made her a star overnight.

Even now, Wen Xin felt a bit dazed that someone like her could possibly be connected to Shi Qianyu.

Unable to focus, her responses slowed. Seemingly displeased, Shi Qianyu circled to her side at some point and pressed a chilled can of cola against her arm.

Wen Xin yelped on instinct and met her gaze. Shi Qianyu’s eyes sparkled with mischief, like a smug cat.

“What’re you thinking about?” She leaned in close, naturally taking hold of the cart handle to push alongside Wen Xin. They stood so near, breathing the same air.

“Nothing.” Wen Xin tensed up and instinctively tried to shift away, but the shelves hemmed her in on one side. She had no choice but to stay pressed against Shi Qianyu.

“Nothing’s something—what is it?” Shi Qianyu ignored her discomfort, determined to get an answer. With nowhere to hide, Wen Xin offered a plausible fib. “Games.”

“There’s an event in this online game I’ve been playing lately.” Once on the topic, she opened up more than usual. “There’s a gear set I’ve wanted forever, but it was too expensive. The event gives it away if our guild’s power ranking hits second on the server.”

“I see.” Shi Qianyu nodded thoughtfully.

Wen Xin realized too late that Shi Qianyu wasn’t into games—what good did rambling do? It just painted her as some antisocial gamer hermit. “Anyway, never mind that.”

“Director Shi, anything else you need?” She glanced sideways at her. “If not, let’s check out.”

“Sure.” Shi Qianyu had no objections, steering the cart with Wen Xin toward the registers. “Let’s go.”

She seemed genuinely pleased.

Wen Xin had no idea why.

“…”

By the time they loaded everything into the trunk and pulled out of the parking lot, the rain had stopped. Street-side plants gleamed vividly green from the downpour, carrying whiffs of fresh scent on the breeze.

Shi Qianyu turned at the next intersection and drove another half kilometer or so before finally reaching Wen Xin’s destination. Wen Xin had meant to invite her up for tea before leaving, but memories of that night made it too awkward, so she swallowed the words.

Instead, she unbuckled her seatbelt and thanked her sincerely. “Thanks so much for driving me home, Director Shi. I’ll head up now. Drive safe, and take care getting back.”

Out of courtesy—whether needed or not—she added, “Let me treat you to dinner another day.”

“Good.” Shi Qianyu smiled and wished her good night. But after a beat, as if suddenly remembering, she drawled casually, “Oh, right—Wen Xin, you still haven’t sent me the money for last time’s dinner.”

“Yes.” Wen Xin nodded at once. Sure, the delay was Shi Qianyu’s fault, but the debt was hers, and the reminder brought a fresh wave of embarrassment.

Too flustered to get out, she ducked her head to fish out her phone and pay up right then. But before she could, Shi Qianyu switched gears. “How about you treat me to dinner tonight instead? We’ll call it even.”

Wen Xin caught her drift and blinked. “But I don’t have extra ingredients at home right now.”

“I know.” Shi Qianyu met her eyes, her expression and tone taking on an oddly guileless sweetness—yes, adorable, with eyes that even sparkled.

Then she pointed toward the trunk, her voice lilting upward in a playful whine.

“But I do.”