Shen Yinyin's actions startled everyone present.
Xiaochun didn't even have time to react.
He Yining's phoenix eyes swept lightly over Shen Yinyin, and she immediately adopted a pitiful demeanor, saying, "Yining, I specially prepared a dinner for you. Even if you don't like it, can you at least take one bite, for the sake of my hard work all afternoon?"
Watching Shen Yinyin try to seduce He Yining right in front of Shen Qi, everyone present except Shen Qi felt like their eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.
It was truly astonishing to see someone stoop to such a low level.
Shen Yinyin scooped up a spoonful of ice cream and brought it to He Yining's lips, looking at him expectantly.
To appear even more pitiful, she deliberately tugged at the neckline of her clothes.
He Yining's phoenix eyes lowered slightly. "Did you prepare this dinner?"
Seeing that He Yining had finally acknowledged her, Shen Yinyin was ecstatic and nodded frantically. "Yes, yes! I prepared it all for you myself!"
"The ice cream is Häagen-Dazs, the red wine is from my wine cellar, and this table of food is a vegetarian meal ordered from Dufo's. What else did you prepare?" He Yining looked at her calmly.
Shen Yinyin's expression shifted slightly as she pushed the ice cream closer again. "But even if I didn't make these myself, I still went through the trouble of ordering them for you! Just take one bite..."
She deliberately dragged out the last word.
If this were a young girl playfully coaxing her boyfriend, it wouldn't be a problem.
But coming from Shen Yinyin's mouth, it felt so out of place.
He Yining pushed the plate in front of him away, looked up at Shen Qi, and said, "Xiao Qi, let's go out to eat."
"Alright," Shen Qi replied softly.
Xiaochun and Xiaxia immediately pulled out chairs for He Yining and Shen Qi, while Xiaoqiu went to prepare the car.
By the time Shen Qi and He Yining reached the door, the Koenigsegg was already parked in front.
He Yining glanced at Shen Qi, affectionately ruffled her hair, and said, "Do you like this car? I'll give it to you, okay?"
Shen Qi's eyes lit up. "Give it to me?"
"As long as you like it." He Yining took Shen Qi's hand and led her down, handing her the car keys.
"Is this the second gift after marriage?" Shen Qi asked with a smile.
"That's right. There will be more and more gifts in the future, so don't get annoyed." He Yining bent down and gently kissed Shen Qi's forehead. "Come on, let's go eat vegetarian. If you want vegetarian food, you have to go to a temple. Only in that atmosphere can you truly taste the essence of it."
"Okay." Shen Qi gave He Yining a sweet smile.
Watching He Yining ignore her completely and leave with Shen Qi, Shen Yinyin slammed her hand heavily on the table.
She chased after them from behind, intending to shamelessly tag along.
But when she heard their conversation, she nearly went crazy.
A Koenigsegg!
Vegetarian food!
Why?
He Yining, why are you so good to Shen Qi?
Why won't you even look at me?
I'm clearly a hundred times better than her!
Shen Yinyin wanted to rush up and confront He Yining.
But she didn't dare.
She could only watch helplessly as Shen Qi drove off in He Yining's supercar.
Shen Qi didn't rush to eat. Instead, she repeatedly tested the thrill of acceleration on the road in front of Jinghua Manor.
From 180 to 200, then to 260—she didn't dare go any higher.
Reluctantly gripping the steering wheel, Shen Qi said, "I still can't bring myself to go faster. How about you drive?"
"Switch seats." He Yining smiled and patted the back of Shen Qi's hand.
Shen Qi immediately stopped the car and swapped places with him.
"This car is custom-made for me. I made special demands on the acceleration. The correct posture is like this—watch closely." Once Shen Qi was ready, He Yining quickly shifted gears, and the car shot forward like a rocket.
The needle almost instantly hit 320 km/h.
Shen Qi felt like her vision was about to explode.
Oh my god, this was amazing!
He Yining turned the steering wheel as he spoke. "And the center of gravity of this car has been specially reinforced. Drifting is the coolest!"
With that, He Yining sharply turned the wheel, and the Koenigsegg executed a perfect drift.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Shen Qi's heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest.
Ahhh! This was so thrilling!
"How is it? Alright?" He Yining slammed on the brakes and turned to look at Shen Qi with a smile.
Shen Qi pulled off her helmet and shook her head weakly. "No, no, I don't have that skill! This car can't show its true potential in my hands!"
He Yining laughed and ruffled Shen Qi's hair. "Silly. A car is just a toy. Drive it however you want. I wouldn't mind if you drove at 20 km/h."
"Come on, after experiencing top speed, let me now experience snail speed." He Yining joked. "Leaving at this time means hitting the worst traffic. But I know a back road. Let's go up the mountain for vegetarian food."
Shen Qi nodded excitedly.
Even at a snail's pace, she was happy!
He Yining gave directions while Shen Qi drove, and the two happily headed to a famous temple on the mountain.
This temple regularly opens its vegetarian meals to the public.
Any pilgrim with a pure heart could come here for a meal.
He Yining took Shen Qi directly to see the abbot.
Looking at the slightly shabby quarters before her, Shen Qi asked in surprise, "Why is the temple so big, but the abbot's residence so simple?"
"Because the abbot is truly devoted to Buddhism." He Yining knocked on the door. "Master, sorry to disturb you."
An elderly man in coarse linen clothes came out, smiling warmly at He Yining. "Little benefactor, it's been a long time. Is this your wife?"
Shen Qi pressed her palms together. "Hello, Master. My name is Shen Qi."
"Madam He has a kind face, clearly a person with good intentions." The abbot gave Shen Qi a deep look. "Though your fate may be turbulent, as long as you don't give up your good karma, you will achieve the right result."
"Thank you for your guidance, Master." Shen Qi nodded with a smile.
"Xiao Qi heard that your lectures are excellent, so she pestered me to come and listen." He Yining said with a smile. "I hope you don't mind our sudden visit."
The abbot laughed heartily. "Come in, please. If you two don't mind the humble surroundings, why would I mind guiding two more lost souls?"
He Yining and Shen Qi smiled and followed him inside.
The three sat on the heated brick bed, and soon someone brought vegetarian food.
The dinner was very simple, not particularly refined—just an ordinary home-cooked meal.
But the abbot's conversation was truly profound.
Shen Qi listened while eating.
In just one meal, she was amazed by the breadth of the abbot's knowledge.
He truly knew everything—from astronomy to geography, ancient to modern.
After the meal, a monk brought tea.
Shen Qi took a sip. It was ordinary green tea, the kind you could buy on the street for a few dozen yuan a bag.
But here, eating and drinking were secondary; listening to the master's conversation was the real treat.
Shen Qi asked a few questions about topics that interested her, and the abbot's answers were enlightening.
Because her father had died young, Shen Qi had always missed him deeply.
But the pressures of life were too great; she only dared to cherish his memory in her heart, never daring to pour out her longing to anyone like this.
Facing the master, she felt an inexplicable sense of ease.
His kindness reminded her of her father, and before she knew it, Shen Qi was sharing her past.
Even He Yining was hearing these things for the first time.
Though he had guessed that Shen Qi's father was killed by an assassin, he hadn't realized that her father had truly been a good father.
Shen Qi rambled on for a long time, and the abbot listened patiently.
When she finished, the abbot offered a few concise words of comfort.
After their chat, the abbot set up a chessboard with He Yining for a couple of games.
Shen Qi sat nearby, reading a copy of the Lotus Sutra word by word.
As she read, drowsiness crept over her, and she curled up on a nearby couch, falling fast asleep.
In her dream, her father gently reached out to her. "Has Xiao Qi been good?"
"Dad?" Shen Qi looked up in surprise, instinctively reaching out to him, only to find herself with tiny arms and legs.
Looking down, she realized she had turned into her five-year-old self.
"Xiao Qi will always be Daddy's little angel. No matter where I am, I'll always watch over you." Her father gently picked her up. "You've worked so hard all these years, Xiao Qi. You did so well, protecting your brother for me. Daddy loves you the most!"
Tears streamed down Shen Qi's face.
"Dad..." A thousand words were on her lips, but she couldn't utter a single one.
"You did great, Xiao Qi. I'm so proud. From now on, you have to walk your own path. I hope you find happiness." Her father softly stroked her head. "If one day, there's a man who loves you even more than I do, you must hold on to that happiness. I'll bless you from heaven. My little Xiao Qi deserves the best man in the world."
A man who loves her more than her father?
Who could that be?
The dream shifted.
Still five years old, she sat alone in an empty space, looking up at the sky and crying.
A handsome little boy suddenly covered her eyes from behind. "Little one, what are you looking at? Hey, why are you crying?"
He let go and turned to look at her.
Shen Qi threw herself into his arms. "My dad... he's gone..."
"Huh?" The boy looked at her in confusion.
"He went to heaven! But I can't find his star! He doesn't want me anymore! I don't have a dad anymore!" Shen Qi sobbed, clinging to the boy's waist.
The boy patted her back. He was a few years older and understood what "going to heaven" meant.