He Yining grabbed Shen Qi and strode away without even greeting Wen Yibo, Fan Sheng, or Fan Li. Shen Qi barely managed to wave at them, not even getting a word out before He Yining shoved her into the car.
He Yining was genuinely furious. The moment Shen Qi followed Feng Kexin into that room, his anger had flared up. Wen Yibo had been holding him back tightly, but in the end, he couldn't stop him.
He Yining had always maintained a distant, tolerant attitude toward Feng Kexin because the He and Feng families had many collaborative projects. But that didn't mean Feng Kexin had the right to act recklessly in front of him! How dare she lay a hand on someone under his protection?
He Yining's phoenix eyes grew darker, the storm within them intensifying. Suddenly, he slammed on the brakes and turned to glare at Shen Qi. "She told you to go, so you went? She hit you, and you didn't even think to dodge? You're sharp enough in front of me, but you turn into a block of wood in front of others?"
Shen Qi bit her lip, not daring to make a sound. Her slightly swollen cheek made her look even more pitiful. He Yining reached out and touched her face, and she let out a soft whimper, clearly in pain.
"You know it hurts, but you don't know to ask for help?" He Yining looked at Shen Qi, whose eyes were reddening, and grew even more irritated. "You came with me—if anything happens, I'll handle it! You..."
He wanted to keep scolding, but seeing her eyes welling up, he couldn't bring himself to say another word. Frustrated, he pulled his hand back and continued driving.
The Aston Martin tore down the road like a mad thing, and the four assistants following behind exchanged bewildered glances, clueless about what had happened. They decided to wait and see when they arrived.
He Yining quickly drove back to Jinghua Manor. As soon as he entered, he had someone fetch medicinal alcohol and angrily tossed it into Shen Qi's arms.
"Thank you..." Shen Qi murmured, biting her lip as she stood there obediently. Only after He Yining left did she dare to apply the medicine.
In the mirror, her cheek was swollen with a clear handprint, making her look utterly miserable. She sighed. Lately, it seemed she was always getting hit. But what could she do? She knew she'd get hit, but she still had to go. Otherwise, how would she get by in life?
Shen Qi quickly applied the medicine to her face and set the leftover bottle on the table. Her stomach suddenly growled. She remembered she had come with He Yining to eat at Fan Sheng and Fan Li's place, but before the food even hit the table, this incident happened. She was hungry, and He Yining was probably hungry too.
Thankfully, He Yining had rescued her today; otherwise, she would have suffered even more. To thank him, she decided to make him something to eat and apologize at the same time.
Shen Qi thought for a moment, then turned to ask the butler, "Excuse me, where's the kitchen?"
The butler replied with a practiced smile, "Turn right at the front, then right again."
"Mr. He didn't eat lunch today, so I'll make him something," Shen Qi explained.
The butler nodded knowingly. After Shen Qi left, he immediately relayed the information to He Yining. When He Yining heard that Shen Qi had gone to the kitchen to make him lunch, the storm in his eyes eased slightly. He said casually, "Let her do it."
With He Yining's approval, the butler had the kitchen staff assist Shen Qi in preparing the CEO's lunch.
As He Yining slowly calmed down, he realized he was hungry too. Remembering the clumsy woman downstairs who claimed she'd cook for him, he went down to see what she could whip up.
As he entered the dining room, a light, cheerful song floated out: "The black sky hangs low, bright stars follow close. Fireflies fly, fireflies fly, who are you missing? Stars in the sky shed tears, roses on the ground wither, cold wind blows, cold wind blows, as long as you're with me. Fireflies fly, flowers sleep, pairs make beauty, not afraid of darkness, only afraid of heartbreak, no matter tired or not, no matter east, west, south, or north."
He Yining's steps halted. The next second, he rushed into the dining room and blurted out, "Little one, you..."
He stopped mid-sentence.
The dining room held only Shen Qi. It wasn't her... really wasn't her. Even if she could sing that song too.
Shen Qi turned at the sound of footsteps and met He Yining's disappointed gaze. Was he so let down because the person preparing his lunch wasn't the one he was waiting for?
"Mr. He, lunch is ready. You can eat now." Shen Qi bit her lip, looking at him uneasily.
He Yining's expression instantly returned to normal, as if the person who had just lost composure wasn't him at all. He walked to the table and looked down at the home-style dishes, his phoenix eyes slightly raised. Honestly, even his worst chef could make food that looked a hundred times better than this.
The butler pulled out a chair for He Yining, and as he sat down, Shen Qi felt embarrassed. There was a saying: "beauty is edible." Compared to this table of simple dishes, He Yining's face was a total knockout.
Shen Qi stammered, "If you don't like it, just throw it all away..."
He Yining glanced at her lightly and said, "Sit down. Since you're sincerely apologizing, I'll give you this chance. Eat with me."
He took the chopsticks the butler respectfully handed him and picked up a piece, putting it in his mouth. After chewing briefly, he pressed his brows together. "Not quite flavorful enough, but not bad."
Shen Qi gritted her teeth. "I'm not used to the cookware here. If you don't believe me, come to my place another day, and I'll cook for you..."
"Sure," He Yining agreed without a second thought.
Shen Qi nearly bit her tongue! She was just being polite, and he actually agreed! Why did she have to open her big mouth?
He Yining watched her stunned expression, and his mood lifted considerably. Even the mediocre food suddenly tasted better.
He Yining ate quickly but with enough elegance that no one could find fault. Shen Qi held her bowl and ate quietly. Suddenly, a pair of chopsticks placed a spare rib in her bowl.
She looked up at He Yining in confusion.
"I'm partly responsible for what happened today. That's why I don't understand—why did you just stand there and take the hit?" He Yining's gaze softened as it fell on her face, though he was still annoyed. "You're a stylist. In this line of work, you can't avoid dealing with socialites and rich heirs. Offending the top socialite—how are you supposed to keep working in this circle?"
He Yining raised an eyebrow. "Is that the only reason?"