Chapter 457 - Carrot after Stick
Chapter 457: Carrot after Stick
Xue Jingjiang laughed heartily, throwing his head back. His tanned skin glowed under the lights. He was full of charm and charisma. Gu Yanran looked at him admiringly and scooped a bowl of soup for him. “This carp with tofu soup tastes so good. We seldom get such fresh fish and tender tofu like this in Barbados.”
Xue Jingjiang was so flattered. He quickly took a piece of lotus root for Gu Yanran. “You mentioned that you like this, previously.”
“Not me. My sister. She likes all dishes containing lotus root.” Gu Yanran delved into the past. A slight smile formed on her lips. “But how could we have lotus roots in Barbados? My dad doted on her so much. He hired some men to dig a pond and engaged a specialist from the Hua Xia Empire to go there, just to grow lotus roots for her.”
“What?! That’s so generous of him!” Xue Jingjiang laughed again. “Digging an entire pond just because you girls couldn’t have lotus roots, and even engaging a specialist! That’s something only the richest of the rich would do!”
Gu Yanran smiled demurely. “We’re only running a small business, definitely not one of the richest.”
“Yanran, you’re wrong about that.” Hearing her say that, Xue Jingjiang stopped smiling. “Do you and I have to feign politeness like this? You think I wouldn’t know your family’s financial capabilities?” They were in a business venture together. Therefore, Xue Jingjiang would know everything about Gu Yanran’s financial capabilities.
As a matter of fact, his net worth wasn’t low, either. Therefore, Gu Yanran felt that he would never have his eyes on her family’s riches. Therefore, she nodded. “I didn’t mean that, but Jingjiang you’re right – we don’t have to feign politeness with each other.”
After talking for a while, they began eating. Gu Yanran’s etiquette was perfect. She did not open her mouth when she was eating. She’d only talk after swallowing her food and rinsing her mouth with water.
Sitting by the window, her back was straight. Her fair hands held the chopsticks as she only took a small amount of food onto her plate each time. She also took note of Xue Jingjiang’s glass. The moment his wine was almost finished, Gu Yanran would top it up for him. However, she only allowed herself fruit juice.
Half an hour passed after a simple dinner. Xue Jingjiang went to get the bill and left Gu Yanran alone. She took a small, round mirror from her handbag and touched up her lipstick. Just at that moment, she saw someone signaling to her at the back in the mirror’s reflection. She shifted the mirror slightly and saw that it was a lady wearing large shades. She was signaling, “Help! Can’t get out!”
Gu Yanran looked at the lady carefully. She reminded her of someone. Shocked, she acknowledged that she saw her, took a napkin, and scribbled some words on it with her lipstick. Standing up, she walked in the direction of the restaurant’s main entrance and bumped into Xue Jingjiang. He had just gotten the bill. She linked arms with him and said, “Let’s go back.”
After going after Gu Yanran for so long, this was the very first time she had linked arms with him of her own accord. She leaned in closely but thought about the girl behind them, so she did not realize how close she was to him. But Xue Jingjiang felt it. He felt it very strongly. His posture changed instantaneously. They left the restaurant, each lost in their thoughts.
Xue Jingjiang and Gu Yanran called their chauffeurs when they came out. Upon his call, his chauffeur arrived swiftly. He saw them entering the car and left. “Yanran, should we be going to your place or mine?” Seeing her being proactive, he thought that she had accepted him, so he wanted to clear bases today. At the very least, he hoped to progress from first base to second. Perhaps, if he was lucky, they might even proceed to third base…
Xue Jingjiang was happily thinking about what might happen, but Gu Yanran was not in the mood to fool around with him. Hearing what Xue Jingjiang asked, Gu Yanran shook her head apologetically. “Jingjiang, I have something going on today. I’ll most likely be working ’til late. I’ll invite you over next time.”
“No problem.” Xue Jingjiang was disappointed, but since Gu Yanran had already said that she would be inviting him, could he be too far from third base?
…
Huo Shaoheng drove Gu Nianzhi all the way to the apartment that he had bought for her before stopping. They remained in the car. Without turning on the lights in the car, they were soon engulfed by darkness after the motion sensor lights went off in the parking lot. After waiting for a while, Gu Nianzhi figured that Huo Shaoheng wasn’t going to talk. Therefore, she decided to break the ice. “Huo Shao, you were looking for me?”
Huo Shaoheng replied calmly, “I cannot look for you if I have nothing going on now? Nianzhi, when did you get so polite with me?” Actually, he wanted to say, “so distant”…
Gu Nianzhi’s lips curled into a smile in the darkness. She realized that she was the cause of Huo Shaoheng’s unhappiness. Had she managed to affect the ever-so-emotionless Huo Shaoheng? Aww~ she was going to give herself 32 “likes!”
Gu Nianzhi’s bad mood over the past two days disappeared into thin air. She moved towards Huo Shaoheng slowly. Huo Shaoheng was just wondering if he should remove the keys or just start the engine and take Gu Nianzhi back to school. He felt that his “results” from training were good. After seeing Gu Nianzhi laughing happily while talking to other men, he could still control himself and face the situation calmly.
Just then, a warm, tiny hand went around his shoulders. The other one cupped the side of his face. Huo Shaoheng was startled. The hand on his face turned his head to face her. Then, Gu Nianzhi leaned forward and kissed Huo Shaoheng on the lips.
Huo Shaoheng had not expected Gu Nianzhi to be this daring – she still dared to move close to kiss him when he was being so cold. His heart skipping a beat, Huo Shaoheng graded himself with a “zero” on his “training” and lifted Gu Nianzhi from her seat onto his lap. With a hand on her waist and the other on the back of her neck, he dominated their kiss.
Gu Nianzhi’s kiss was gentle and shy, but Huo Shaoheng’s was intimidating and daring. He wasn’t satisfied with just the touching of their lips; he wanted more. He yearned for more.
Gu Nianzhi held onto Huo Shaoheng’s arms in an attempt to stop him from continuing. She had merely wanted a peck on the lips to symbolize that they had made up, but judging by how Huo Shaoheng was kissing, would she be able to wake up for school tomorrow…?
Gu Nianzhi struggled in Huo Shaoheng’s arms and whined in between kisses for him to stop. What she didn’t know was that her actions and voice turned him on even more. Huo Shaoheng was already losing control. Since he had already ranked his own training as failed, Huo Shaoheng bit his lips and carried Gu Nianzhi out of the car, into the lift, and straight up to level 18.
…
The “thunderstorm” came fast and furious this time around. Before she knew it, Gu Nianzhi found herself in the bathtub again. Huo Shaoheng was sitting behind her. They were…”Watching out for the over consumption of water” again.
Gu Nianzhi whined, “Huo Shao! What is this supposed to mean? Giving a carrot after a stick?”
Huo Shaoheng paused and then broke into a smile. He hugged Gu Nianzhi’s waist from behind, rested his chin on her shoulders, and said calmly, “…So Nianzhi feels that this is the carrot. Sure, we’ll have more of them in the future.”
He had used a little strength just now and was worried that Gu Nianzhi wouldn’t be receptive. However, her response was way better than anticipated…
Gu Nianzhi was taken aback. After thinking about it, she realized how wrong her words sounded. She covered her face in embarrassment and moaned softly. With one arm around her waist, Huo Shaoheng turned her around to face him. Removing her hands covering her face, he kissed her.
This kiss was different compared to the passionate kiss just now. It felt like a warm and comforting breeze in spring that blew softly across the flowers. It was full of love and tenderness. Gu Nianzhi’s agitated emotions were instantly melted by the kiss.
The moment the kiss ended, Gu Nianzhi hugged Huo Shaoheng around his neck and said, “Huo Shao, if you had kissed me like that after we were done that day, I wouldn’t have felt so sad…”
Huo Shaoheng remembered that he had left immediately after being intimate with her the other time because he was worried that he might have fallen too deeply. So, he had hurt her by being like that? He struggled within himself for a while and kissed her again. “…Just get used to it.”
Gu Nianzhi was speechless. Who wanted to get used to those kinds of things?!