Chapter 126: You Look Beautiful Today

It was unclear when the other party had departed. Shen Chutang made her way to the entrance, removed her mask, and pulled out her phone to call Lu Beiqin.

The call was answered almost immediately. "Tangtang."

The man’s voice was low and gravelly, carrying a slight trace of breathlessness. Shen Chutang felt her ears grow warm. "Shi Shao Xun mentioned you were also in the vicinity of the Linlang Villa. I’m planning to head back now—would you like to go home together?"

The words had barely left her lips when Shen Chutang realized how naturally she had uttered the phrase "go home," despite the fact that they were merely two people who had stumbled into a casual arrangement to share meals.

"Alright. Wait for me; I'll be there in a moment."

A few minutes later, Lu Beiqin pulled up to the entrance. He stepped out of the car with gentlemanly grace and opened the door for her. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Get in."

As she settled into the passenger seat, Shen Chutang asked with a hint of surprise, "Why did you change cars today?"

Lu Beiqin didn't skip a beat. "Important occasions require important cars."

Shen Chutang nodded, her suspicions not aroused. "What were you doing just now? You sounded a bit out of breath."

In reality, it had been nothing more than a frantic rush to change his clothes, mess up his hair, and sprint from the back exit to the parking area. Naturally, Lu Beiqin could not tell her that, so he offered an explanation: "It was a bit hot in the car earlier."

The weather was indeed a little warm. Shen Chutang frowned. "Couldn't you have just turned on the air conditioning?"

"It’s fine, I managed."

Shen Chutang couldn't help but mutter, "Even if you’re trying to save on gas, you shouldn't let yourself bake in there. Besides, Shi Shao Xun will be at the banquet for a while yet; you don't need to keep yourself cooped up in the car the whole time."

The man was such a closed book; she figured he probably wouldn't complain even if he were suffering.

Lu Beiqin kept his hands on the steering wheel, his mind drifting back to what Shi Shao Xun had said at the banquet: showing a little vulnerability could stir a woman's protective instincts.

He pondered for a moment. "I'm used to it."

Shen Chutang thought for a moment. "That won't do. I'll buy you a small handheld fan next time. It’ll be convenient to carry around."

A faint smile flickered in Lu Beiqin’s eyes. "Alright."

As they hit the road, the patrol officers spotted a luxury car approaching from afar. Noticing the license plate number, they immediately opened the emergency lane. The car sailed through on a continuous streak of green lights, and no one dared to stop them.

Everyone in the capital knew that this was the only car with such an exclusive plate. It rarely appeared on the streets, but when it did, no one would ever dream of obstructing it.

Looking out the window, Shen Chutang teased, "We’re quite lucky—hitting all green lights."

"Mm," Lu Beiqin replied.

When the car finally arrived at the West Mountain Villa, Shen Chutang stepped out and kicked off her high heels the moment she crossed the threshold. "Wearing heels is absolutely exhausting."

She walked barefoot to the sofa and collapsed onto it.

"Did you have enough to eat at the banquet?" Lu Beiqin asked.

Shen Chutang shook her head. "I just kept running into a bunch of weirdos making trouble. I didn't get a chance to eat properly at all."

Hearing this, Lu Beiqin opened the refrigerator, only to find that the fresh produce was gone. Finding a couple of bags of wontons in the freezer, he took them out and set a pot of water to boil.

Soon, the kitchen was filled with an appetizing aroma. Shen Chutang hadn't noticed her hunger before, but the scent made her stomach rumble. She rose and headed toward the kitchen, where she saw Lu Beiqin blanching minced meat in a large skimmer. Once cooked, he drizzled it over the wontons, making the dish look incredibly tempting.

The wontons had been bought for days when Shen Chutang felt too lazy to cook, but she hadn't expected Lu Beiqin to enhance them with so many extra ingredients.

Seaweed, dried shrimp, diced sausages, baby bok choy, shredded egg crepe, and a layer of minced meat—the appetizing colors and fragrance made Shen Chutang’s mouth water.

"Is it ready to eat?"

She looked at him with excitement. The man glanced at her, his gaze lingering on her bare feet. "Go put your shoes on first."

Shen Chutang quickly ran to put on her slippers, while Lu Beiqin carried the wontons to the dining table.

Finding her outfit restrictive, she ducked into her room to change into comfortable loungewear before returning to the table. She took a sip of the broth and her eyes brightened. "This is delicious!"

She lowered her head to eat a few more wontons, her face radiating pure happiness.

"Lu Beiqin, as expected of you. I never imagined you could make such simple ingredients taste this good."

A rare smile touched Lu Beiqin’s lips. "If you like it, eat more. I’ll make it for you again next time."

Shen Chutang nodded. "Deal! Since the fridge is empty, I'll go for a big shopping trip after work tomorrow and buy a mountain of wontons!"

Lu Beiqin paused. "I'm free tomorrow evening."

Shen Chutang looked up from her bowl. "?"

"I can drive you to the supermarket. It’s not convenient for a girl to carry so many bags by herself."

Shen Chutang nodded, readily agreeing.

After the meal, Shen Chutang insisted on doing the dishes. As she was about to return to her room, she noticed Lu Beiqin hesitated as if he had something to say.

"What is it?"

Lu Beiqin cleared his throat. "You looked very beautiful today."