Accidentally Pursued The Female Lead (GL) - Chapter 19

After Xie Qiaoyu said she was leaving, Lu Jingchen, wearing a sapphire blue suit, walked over from the direction he came from, offering to drive her home.

Noticing the situation was off, Shen Mian quickly had Xie Qiaoyu sit in the inner chair, and then she took the aisle seat. Immediately, she turned to Lu Jingchen and said, “Excuse me, Sister Qiaoyu was just being polite with us. She didn’t actually say she was leaving, so I hope Young Master Lu won’t misunderstand.”

Seeing a waiter approaching, Shen Mian feigned a troubled expression, but her voice was cheerful. “Young Master Lu, our meal is about to be served. Would you mind moving aside?”

As Shen Mian said these words, her hand was still holding Xie Qiaoyu’s. Only by holding Xie Qiaoyu’s hand did she have the courage to retort to Lu Jingchen.

Lu Jingchen remained unmoved. He was looking at the man at the table who was pouring wine for himself, giving Shen Zhixing a look that warned him to control Shen Mian.

But Shen Zhixing ignored him.

Seeing that Lu Jingchen still wasn’t leaving and the waiter behind him was hesitant to come forward, Shen Mian had no choice but to say, “You’re slightly blocking the way.”

Lu Jingchen’s expression immediately darkened.

“Pfft.”

A snicker rang out, making Lu Jingchen’s ashen face even uglier.

Shen Xiu covered his mouth. “Sorry, I just thought of a joke.” After saying that, he let out a low chuckle through his fingers.

“…”

There were four people at the dining table, and only Shen Zhixing still knew how to write the words ‘mature and steady’.

Shen Zhixing lifted his chin, looked at Lu Jingchen, and said calmly, “President Lu, I’ll treat you to a meal another day.”

Shen Zhixing gave Lu Jingchen an out, and Lu Jingchen wisely left the restaurant. However, as he walked away, Lu Jingchen’s gaze towards Shen Mian held a hint of something unclear.

In the end, Xie Qiaoyu still stayed and ate dinner with the Shen siblings.

After dinner, Shen Mian used the excuse of ‘being worried about Xie Qiaoyu going home alone at night’ to get Shen Zhixing to drive Xie Qiaoyu home.

But Shen Xiu had been taken away by his agent. If Shen Zhixing also left, then Shen Mian would be left alone. So, in the end, it was both Shen Mian and Shen Zhixing who drove Xie Qiaoyu home.

Shen Mian and Xie Qiaoyu sat in the back seat, with Shen Zhixing driving in front.

Fastening her seatbelt, Shen Mian turned to the person beside her. “Sister Qiaoyu, let me tell you, my brother’s driving skills are incredibly smooth. Don’t worry about getting carsick.”

Xie Qiaoyu nodded slightly. She did indeed have a slight problem with carsickness, but she didn’t feel it when she was driving herself.

However, Xie Qiaoyu remembered that she had never told Shen Mian about this. How did Shen Mian know?

Just as Xie Qiaoyu was wondering, she heard Shen Mian ask again, “Oh, right, Sister Qiaoyu, do you get carsick?”

*So, she had overthought it.* Shen Mian was just being thoughtful, and she herself had suspected her. Xie Qiaoyu felt a pang of guilt and whispered in return, “A little.”

“Then do you want to go to the passenger seat?” *That way she’d be closer to my brother.*

Shen Mian asked this question with that very intention. She thought Xie Qiaoyu would agree, but to her surprise, Xie Qiaoyu slowly shook her head, refusing.

Shen Mian: *Why didn’t she go to the front? Was she shy?*

Shen Zhixing glanced at Shen Mian through the rearview mirror. Besides family, this was the first time Shen Zhixing had seen Shen Mian care so much about someone, even speaking to Xie Qiaoyu in such a soft, powerless manner, looking obedient and harmless.

Actually, Shen Zhixing had noticed it a while ago.

Shen Mian was different in front of Xie Qiaoyu, but exactly how she was different, Shen Zhixing didn’t yet know. However, he had a vague understanding:

Shen Mian was like a stray cat wanting to be rescued, and Xie Qiaoyu was the rescuer. When they interacted, Shen Mian was always cautiously trying to please Xie Qiaoyu, looking for ways to make Xie Qiaoyu happy, so that Xie Qiaoyu would be happy and thus rescue her.

And when Shen Mian brought up him and Shen Xiu in front of Xie Qiaoyu, it was like she was introducing other stray cats that needed rescuing to Xie Qiaoyu…

Shen Zhixing curved his lips, chuckling at himself for comparing himself to a stray cat.

Shen Zhixing’s gaze shifted to Xie Qiaoyu. He saw that Xie Qiaoyu’s eyes were constantly on Shen Mian, quietly listening to Shen Mian talk to her.

Shen Zhixing leaned closer to listen and heard Shen Mian discussing which male celebrities were handsome with Xie Qiaoyu.

Shen Zhixing: “…” *Xie Qiaoyu actually chats with Shen Mian about these things?*

Xie Qiaoyu didn’t actually chat with Shen Mian about these topics; she simply looked at Shen Mian with a sweet smile, quietly listening as Shen Mian praised one person after another. Sometimes, she would slightly nod in agreement.

The car drove out of the hotel parking lot. Shen Zhixing turned the steering wheel, interrupting a certain ceaselessly chattering person. “Miss Xie, where do you live?”

Xie Qiaoyu, who was asked, finally shifted her gaze from Shen Mian’s face and told Shen Zhixing a name: “Huaguang Hotel.”

Shen Mian was surprised. “Ho- hotel?”

“Sister Qiaoyu, have you been living in a hotel all this time?”

“Mm.”

“Why don’t you rent an apartment?” Or even… buy one. Shen Mian knew that if Xie Qiaoyu wanted to, buying a house would take mere seconds.

“Finding a house and moving are too much trouble.”

Actually, that wasn’t entirely true. Xie Qiaoyu had moved out of the Xie family suddenly and hadn’t had time to find an apartment, so she had been staying in a hotel. And as soon as she moved in, Xie Zhi had tracked her down.

The plan was to move into Lu Jingchen’s house, so she hadn’t looked for another place to live.

But now that she didn’t want to go to Lu Jingchen’s house, Xie Qiaoyu raised an eyebrow, starting to consider which area she’d like to buy a house in.

Shen Mian had already guessed the reason when she asked the question. To resolve future worries, Shen Mian blurted out, “Then, Sister Qiaoyu, how about I help you find one?”

As if afraid Xie Qiaoyu would refuse her, Shen Mian patted her chest, assuring her, “Don’t worry, Sister Qiaoyu. entrusting this to me is a very wise choice. I guarantee I’ll find you a satisfactory house quickly and excellently.”

Xie Qiaoyu turned to look at Shen Mian. Seeing the earnestness in the girl’s eyes, she nodded. “Okay.”

The smile that showed between Xie Qiaoyu’s brows as she replied made Shen Mian’s nerves tense. All these things she was doing for Xie Qiaoyu seemed to be to prevent her from having contact with Lu Jingchen…

At this moment, besides guilt, Shen Mian’s strongest desire was to help Xie Qiaoyu pursue her brother. Only then would Shen Mian feel comfortable.

Completely unaware of being plotted upon by Shen Mian, both individuals involved were affected by Shen Mian’s initiative to find a house.

Shen Zhixing: *The stray cat is starting to look for a home.*

Xie Qiaoyu: *My little pet feels sorry for me. Should I reward her with something?*

••••

The house was found quickly.

Located in the city center.

Both the house’s decor and its location were to Xie Qiaoyu’s satisfaction, so after Shen Mian showed her the house, Xie Qiaoyu moved in immediately.

Just as Xie Qiaoyu thought that Shen Mian understanding her was an easy feat, Shen Mian was secretly grateful that she had gone to Xie Qiaoyu’s house to cause trouble in her previous life.

Because the house Shen Mian had sought out in her previous life was the very one Shen Mian had found now.

It was hard not to satisfy Xie Qiaoyu herself, after all, it was Xie Qiaoyu’s own choice.

It was just that she moved in a bit earlier.

Shen Mian, who had secretly cheated, was now bouncing with joy, holding the prize Xie Qiaoyu had given her.

Shen Mian took out the object from the gift box, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Xie Qiaoyu. “Sister Qiaoyu, thank you for this necklace! I love it so much!”

The necklace was limited edition; only three precious pieces existed. In her previous life, she had wanted to buy this necklace, but when she went to buy it, she was told that the last one had been bought. She had been upset for a long time then.

Xie Qiaoyu: “No need to thank me. This is a reward for helping me find a house.”

“Uh… then I can’t accept this.” Shen Mian, feeling she hadn’t earned it, immediately closed the box and pushed it back to Xie Qiaoyu.

“Why?”

“Because… because I actually found this house after asking someone else… I… didn’t put in much effort myself…” Shen Mian said weakly, feeling ashamed.

Just as Shen Mian was secretly annoyed, she heard Xie Qiaoyu call out, “Xiao Mian.”

Shen Mian looked up. “Huh?”

Xie Qiaoyu looked at Shen Mian’s ponytail, which was tied up because she had been cleaning the room for her, the end of the braid swaying with Shen Mian’s movements. Xie Qiaoyu smiled and praised, “You’re so cute.”

Shen Mian’s face suddenly flushed, both cheeks turning crimson.

To be honest, some people called her spoiled, others praised her beauty, but this was the first time Shen Mian had been praised for being cute.

Shen Mian: “Cu- cute?”

“Mm.”

As Xie Qiaoyu spoke, her eyes met the clock on the wall. Seeing that it was already three in the afternoon, Xie Qiaoyu suggested, “Oh right, how about you come shopping with me for some supplies and groceries? We can eat at my place tonight to celebrate my housewarming.”

“Sister Qiaoyu, you’re cooking?” Shen Mian asked in shock. If she remembered correctly, Xie Qiaoyu’s cooking skills…

Shen Mian looked at the clean and tidy kitchen, silently mourning for it for a few seconds.

That’s right, Xie Qiaoyu could do everything, except for one thing she could never learn: cooking. Every time Xie Qiaoyu entered the kitchen, when she came out again, all the pots and pans needed to be replaced with new ones.

Xie Qiaoyu shook her head. “I don’t cook.”

“Then…” Shen Mian hesitated. *Was she implying that I should cook? I can’t either?!*

Xie Qiaoyu whispered, “We’ll have hotpot.”

Shen Mian’s eyes lit up. “Great!”

She had wanted to eat hotpot for a long time.

Xie Qiaoyu then added, “But if Xiao Mian wants to eat my cooking, I can try to learn.”

Shen Mian quickly spoke up to stop Xie Qiaoyu from this dangerous idea. “Maybe next time there’s an opportunity. Let’s just celebrate with hotpot today.”

Xie Qiaoyu: “Then let’s go. Quick in, quick out.”

After getting in the car, Shen Mian remembered that Xie Qiaoyu had been Lu Jingchen’s private doctor for a few days now. She wondered how things were progressing between them. Shen Mian turned her head and probed, “Oh right, Sister Qiaoyu, I haven’t asked how you feel about working for Lu Jingchen during this time.”

Xie Qiaoyu was expressionless. “Lu Jingchen has a lot of illnesses.”

Shen Mian: *I haven’t heard about that?! As the male lead, isn’t he supposed to be strong and able to fight eight people? Does he have hidden illnesses?*

To attract Xie Qiaoyu’s attention, Lu Jingchen would come up with ways to feign illness every day and call Xie Qiaoyu to treat him.

And every time, Xie Qiaoyu would see through him. But to get close to Lu Jingchen, Xie Qiaoyu would pretend not to understand anything and feign treating him.