I Met My Crush At My Sister's Wedding - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

“I’m a little hungry. Do you want to eat lunch together?” After going down one floor, a contented smile still lingered on Jiang Shucheng’s lips. Shen Qinghe watched her profile calmly.

“Oh, sure. What do you want to eat?” Jiang Shucheng asked.

It was eleven o’clock now, and the mall was gradually getting crowded.

Shen Qinghe looked at her: “I’ll let you choose.” (Literally: “I look at you.”)

“Me? I can eat anything,” Jiang Shucheng looked around, her eyes settling on a red sign. “Then how about we go eat hotpot?”

They walked into the hotpot restaurant together and were led to a booth by a waiter.

After sitting down, Jiang Shucheng handed the tablet to Shen Qinghe to order first, and then she added a few dishes herself.

Before the soup base arrived, Jiang Shucheng walked over to the sauce bar to mix her dipping sauce. Shen Qinghe followed her but didn’t make a move.

Jiang Shucheng, holding a small bowl of sesame paste, glanced at her and asked: “Aren’t you getting any dipping sauce?”

Shen Qinghe usually didn’t mix dipping sauce when she went out for hotpot. If someone mixed it and brought it to her, she might use some. Coming over to the sauce bar was purely to follow Jiang Shucheng.

“I…” Her glassy black eyes swept past the various sauces. Shen Qinghe seemed momentarily blank, “I don’t know what tastes good.”

When she said this, her expression was innocently blank, like a three-year-old child unacquainted with the world, which was somewhat at odds with her sharp, suit-wearing demeanor.

Jiang Shucheng’s eyes couldn’t help but linger on her face: “How about I mix it for you?”

She often came to this chain hotpot restaurant with her roommates during university. It was also a good place to celebrate birthdays; the waiters would even sing a birthday song. Crucially, university students got a discount. To make the most of their student IDs, they ate hotpot more times than they could count during their university years. Because she had eaten hotpot so frequently, Jiang Shucheng had tried all sorts of dipping sauces and knew exactly what tasted good and what didn’t.

Seeing the slight confidence in Jiang Shucheng’s eyes, Shen Qinghe nodded.

With Shen Qinghe’s approval, Jiang Shucheng bent down, took a clean plate from the cabinet, and asked: “Can you eat spicy food?”

Shen Qinghe: “Yes.”

Jiang Shucheng didn’t need to look at the sauce-mixing tutorial on the wall. Relying entirely on memory, she quickly poured chili oil, minced garlic, a small amount of vinegar, and so on into the plate…

Shen Qinghe stood beside her like a wooden post. A strand of Jiang Shucheng’s hair fell by her cheek. Dressed simply and casually, she had the approachable feel of a girl next door. The girl she liked was mixing dipping sauce for her… Shen Qinghe’s eyes sparkled, and her heart thumped audibly.

Jiang Shucheng prepared one plate of oil-based sauce and handed it to her, then started on another plate of dry sauce.

A waiter in the store recognized Shen Qinghe. In her mind, Shen Qinghe was a cold-faced, merciless “Queen” who commanded the business world. But seeing her so willingly stand next to an ordinarily dressed girl holding dipping sauce, the waiter couldn’t help but rub her eyes. Why does Boss Shen seem like a completely different person?

Shen Qinghe returned to the booth with the three plates of sauce Jiang Shucheng had prepared for her. The tomato soup base they ordered had already arrived, emitting a fragrant, warm mist.

Jiang Shucheng scooped some tomato soup and mixed it into the sesame paste, then placed the mixture in front of Shen Qinghe: “Try this, it tastes really good like this.”

Through the thin mist, Jiang Shucheng saw Shen Qinghe’s cool face faintly blush.

Shen Qinghe said: “Thank you.”

“Why don’t you sit on my side? The steam is making your face red,” Jiang Shucheng said with concern.

The steam wasn’t blowing toward her.

The bench wasn’t wide, and sitting two people would be a bit crowded. If anyone else had invited her, Shen Qinghe would have declined; being in such close proximity to anyone else was more uncomfortable than having steam in her face. But the person in front of her was Jiang Shucheng, and her wet, large eyes looked so well-behaved. Shen Qinghe obediently took her bowl and moved to sit beside her.

Jiang Shucheng could now eat without restraint. But it was strange: why was Shen Qinghe’s face redder than before, even though she had escaped the swirling steam?

She shoved fatty beef into her mouth, not daring to ask or look too much, afraid that Shen Qinghe might have a secret ailment.

If she were uncomfortable, she would say something, right?

Jiang Shucheng ate nervously, her mouth never stopping, yet her bowl was never empty. As soon as a dish was cooked, Shen Qinghe would scoop a full serving and dump it into her bowl. Meanwhile, Shen Qinghe herself ate very little.

Jiang Shucheng felt a little embarrassed. She had only met Shen Qinghe twice, yet Shen Qinghe was taking such good care of her, while she was only focused on eating and not even chatting with her…

Before her business failure, Jiang Shucheng’s personality was quite talkative, but afterward, she didn’t much like speaking to people. She tried to open a topic, her tone slightly stiff: “Do you eat hotpot often?”

“Very rarely.” Shen Qinghe put down her chopsticks when talking to her, looking focused.

“Then you should eat more. Don’t keep serving me all the time,” Jiang Shucheng used the serving chopsticks to place a piece of shrimp paste in Shen Qinghe’s bowl.

Shen Qinghe obediently ate the shrimp paste. Being so close, Jiang Shucheng heard her soft, clear voice: “Are you very happy about winning the prize?”

Jiang Shucheng smiled: “Yes, I’ve never been this lucky in my life, all thanks to you.”

Shen Qinghe felt a little guilt: “What does it have to do with me?”

“Of course, it does! You took me to that store, otherwise, I would have missed the chance to draw.” Jiang Shucheng suspected she was benefiting from Shen Qinghe’s good luck. Rich people really do have better luck.

Shen Qinghe chuckled a few times: “I see.”

The meal ended with Jiang Shucheng feeling very full. She offered to pay the bill.

Shen Qinghe didn’t argue with her and said calmly: “Next time, my treat.”

Jiang Shucheng took it as a casual remark and nodded, saying: “Okay.” She looked at her phone, ready to call a taxi home.

Although she was quite poor now, she had the habit of spending lavishly from her allowance during school. After becoming poor, she only saved money on shopping; she didn’t save on food, drink, or travel at all. She bought what she wanted to eat, and for comfort, she always took a taxi, unwilling to wait for public transport.

Shen Qinghe glanced at her screen and said: “Shall I drive you back?”

Jiang Shucheng lifted her eyelashes and politely asked: “Is that convenient for you?”

Shen Qinghe didn’t speak, just nodded.

Jiang Shucheng followed Shen Qinghe to the underground parking lot. Shen Qinghe drove a Rolls-Royce.

Jiang Shucheng didn’t recognize many car brands, only the famous ones like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, and Rolls-Royce.

Looking at the luxury car in front of her, Jiang Shucheng blinked several times, reminding herself not to get too excited.

Shen Qinghe smiled: “Do you know how to drive?”

Jiang Shucheng drew her gaze away from the car: “Yes.”

“Then you drive,” Shen Qinghe smiled and handed her the car keys.

Jiang Shucheng was astonished. This person… has too much faith! This car is very expensive. How dare she let me drive it without knowing my skills?

“Since I got my license, I’ve only driven three times, and each time my dad was guiding me,” Jiang Shucheng said weakly.

Her driving skills were truly average. She often suspected she was a road hazard. Her dad frequently complained that she didn’t watch the road, which made her slightly regret getting a license.

Shen Qinghe, however, looked unconcerned: “Don’t be afraid, I’ll be watching next to you.” She saw the desire for the car in Jiang Shucheng’s eyes, and letting her drive for a bit wouldn’t hurt.

Jiang Shucheng hesitated: “I’m afraid you’ll be scared…”

Shen Qinghe told her firmly: “I’m not afraid.”

It wasn’t until the car sped onto the main road that Shen Qinghe quietly tightened her grip on the seatbelt, her lips pressed into a tight, anxious line.

The experience of driving a luxury car on the road was better than driving her dad’s sold Honda. Other drivers on the road were so afraid of damaging such an expensive car that they would yield the right of way.

Jiang Shucheng drove with secret satisfaction, pressing the accelerator a bit hard, making the speed spike high quickly. She looked ahead happily and said: “It’s been so long since I’ve driven. I’m not used to driving such a nice car suddenly.”

I couldn’t tell… Shen Qinghe stifled the urge to vomit, forcing a pale smile.

After Jiang Shucheng drove the car to her doorstep, Shen Qinghe was quicker to get out of the car. She rushed to a trash can placed outside the house and vomited.

Jiang Shucheng quickly put the car in park, got out, and gently patted her back. Ji Yue, sitting at the register of the store, looked outside, finding the girl vomiting familiar but couldn’t quite remember who she was…

Jiang Shucheng rushed into the store, grabbed a bottle of mineral water from the fridge, and gave it to Shen Qinghe.

Shen Qinghe rinsed her mouth with it, then tilted her head back to drink a few gulps. Her lips were pale as she asked: “Your family runs a convenience store?”

“Mhm,” Jiang Shucheng was more concerned about Shen Qinghe’s health. She had noticed her unnatural blush during the hotpot, and now she was vomiting. She frowned and asked: “Should I take you to the hospital?”

“No need.” Shen Qinghe definitely didn’t want to ride in her car again.

“But you look very unwell,” Jiang Shucheng said.

Shen Qinghe: “I’m fine.”

Ji Yue walked out of the store: “Chengcheng, this is…” Ji Yue didn’t recognize designer brands and knew nothing about cars, so she was completely unaware of the astonishing cost of what Shen Qinghe was wearing.

However, Shen Qinghe was beautiful and had an expensive demeanor, and with casually dressed Jiang Shucheng standing next to her, she looked even more like a celestial being descending to the mortal world. Ji Yue felt this person was someone important.

“Mom, this is Shen Qinghe, my sister-in-law’s sister. This is my mom,” Jiang Shucheng introduced them to each other.

“Hello, Auntie.” Shen Qinghe bowed slightly to her.

“Hello, hello.” At the mention of her sister-in-law, Ji Yue remembered everything. She had seen this girl at the wedding. No wonder she has such an outstanding presence; she’s from the Shen family.

“Why are you vomiting? Are you feeling unwell?” Ji Yue asked her.

“I…” Shen Qinghe couldn’t possibly say that Jiang Shucheng’s driving made her vomit; that would be too harsh. “I probably ate something bad, but I’m fine now,” she quickly added.

“Oh! Come inside and sit for a while!” Ji Yue smiled and welcomed her. “You drove Chengcheng back, didn’t you? Thank you for the trouble.”

“No, Mom, I drove her car back,” Jiang Shucheng, who hadn’t worked a job and still carried a clear student-like innocence a year after graduation, spoke with a hint of pride in her eyes.

Ji Yue’s eyes immediately widened. She glanced at the car keys Jiang Shucheng was twirling in her hand. She finally understood why Shen Qinghe had vomited.

“How dare you ride in a car she’s driving? Don’t you know she doesn’t even use the brakes on a bicycle; she just jumps off to stop?” Ji Yue felt a rush of fear for Shen Qinghe.

If she couldn’t handle two wheels, let alone four.

Shen Qinghe’s spine went cold. She turned her head frame by frame, staring rigidly at Jiang Shucheng.

Ji Yue lightly slapped Jiang Shucheng’s arm twice: “You child! Did you drive too fast? She must have thrown up because of your driving.”

It’s true…

She was the culprit.

Jiang Shucheng didn’t dare look at Shen Qinghe, thinking she would accuse her of making her vomit. She stood with her hands clasped together.

The next second, she heard Shen Qinghe say gently: “You shouldn’t do that. What if you had an accident?”

Shen Qinghe hadn’t stopped her from speeding on the road because she, sitting in the passenger seat, could clearly see everything in front, behind, and to the sides, confirming that the speed wasn’t dangerous at that time. But what if she drove alone next time? It would be best for her to slow down.