Pampered by Short-Lived Bigshot

“Cats don’t need to be pampered; just take good care of yourself.”

Shen Shuci had said nothing all the while, but Huo Qinqi watched her intently for a dozen seconds, then kissed her forehead—a lot gentler than before.

“Wait for me to return.”

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears; his voice was close at hand but seemed so distant it almost felt unreal. She hung her head, even more unsure of what to say.

Her heart trembled, her face flushed with heat.

Shen Shuci wasn’t quite clear how he had left; by the time she came to her senses, she was alone in the room with the cat only.

At that moment, her phone suddenly vibrated, startling her, causing even the cat to arch its back in fright, “Hello, Dad—” a call from the Shen family patriarch.

Shen Shuci walked into the kitchen; the water was already boiling but he hadn’t managed to have a sip.

She poured herself a glass of water and squatted down, gazing at the small cat in front of her.

“Your owner said not to coddle you, not to spoil you…”

“I haven’t seen anyone colder or more ruthless than him.”

“Why would someone like him keep you, huh? If he had a kid, would he just let the child cry without comforting him? Merely letting him wail? A child with such a father would be so pitiable.”

A child? Shen Shuci coughed lightly, refraining from speaking further, just stroking the cat’s fur.

…

She hadn’t slept well that night; when she woke up in the morning, her phone had received several messages:

From Huo Qinqi: [I didn’t arrive until 2:15 a.m. last night, didn’t want to disturb you.]

Followed by: [Good morning.]

His messages were stiff and boring.

Shen Shuci pursed her lips, not bothering to reply to him at all.

But Huo Qinqi, after his meeting, still hadn’t received a reply from her and stared at his phone incessantly—

As if stare hard enough would bring a reply.

**

All the events from yesterday lay clear in her mind; her thoughts were in disarray. Coupled with the lack of sleep, she found herself yawning continuously while sitting beside Tang Wan.

“Auntie, what were you up to last night? You’ve got such serious dark circles?” Tang Wan looked her over with a smile.

“I had some work and got a bit busy,” Shen Shuci dared not tell her the truth.

The driver was Jiang Jinsang, who assessed her through the rearview mirror, “Your mental state really isn’t good.” It was visibly haggard.

“Stayed too busy late, didn’t you rest well?”

“Why do I feel like your lips look kind of…” Tang Wan scrutinized her lips. Shen Shuci rarely wore makeup, not fond of applying lipstick, usually just smearing some lip balm.

“My lips? What’s wrong with them?” Shen Shuci felt a vague panic being observed by her.

Jiang Jinsang, on the other hand, took a couple of extra glances; he had never scrutinized Shen Shuci before, as she wasn’t his wife. Even if there were subtle changes, he might not notice them.

Besides, which man stares continuously at a woman’s lips?

Tang Wan teased with a laugh, “Your lips look really full today, like you had a lip augmentation…”

“Is that so?” Shen Shuci laughed sheepishly.

Still feeling uneasy at heart; Tang Wan was too perceptive, wasn’t she? Shen Shuci had been too distracted and hadn’t paid much attention.

Upon reaching the airport and picking up the elder Mr. and Mrs. Shen, the old lady, missing her daughter, held her hand the entire journey, looking her over carefully. Under normal circumstances, Shen Shuci would have let her look, but today…

The longer the old lady stared, the more panicked she became, fearing she might notice something amiss.