They chatted for a bit. Despite his half-German heritage, he had nearly half the habits of a local, and An Ruo got along quite well with him.
After resting for a while, she took the initiative to say she wanted to go home. The man insisted on seeing her off. An Ruo, won over by his enthusiasm, had no choice but to tell him the hotel's location.
"First time in New Zealand?" the man asked as he drove her himself, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth from the front seat. "If you get bored, you can let me be your guide. I won't claim to know everything, but at least I can handle the fun spots and good food."
An Ruo found him to be a straightforward person, not aggressive—at least, nothing about him made her uncomfortable at first glance.
She judged people mainly by first impressions.
"That way, when I go to Shenzhen later, you can be my guide and take me all around the city."
An Ruo curved her lips. "Sure."
The man looked up at the hotel logo and chuckled lightly. "You're home."
He opened the car door and looked at her with lingering concern. "Can your leg walk?"
"It's fine. It doesn't hurt anymore after the bandaging." An Ruo bent down to get out of the car and gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you."
"I should be thanking you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have become this heroic figure who did a good deed."
An Ruo laughed at his joke. "Anyway, thanks for taking me to the hospital and bringing me home."
"Since that's the case, does that mean we're friends now?"
"Of course." More friends, more paths—wasn't that good? It was rare for her to feel like making a friend.
"If you weren't so set on going home, I'd have invited you to dinner." The man squinted with a smile. "But whenever you have time, you can contact me, and I'll take you to taste all the best food in New Zealand."
They had already exchanged contact information back at the hospital.
An Ruo nodded and pursed her lips. "I'll head in now."
The man kept one hand in his pocket and waved the other with a smile.
"Goodbye." An Ruo curved her lips in a smile, turned around, and entered the hotel.
The man stood there, watching her back for a while until she disappeared from sight. Only then did he slowly withdraw his gaze and turn to get into his sports car.
Han Chong stood beside the man, watching the black car drive past.
"Young master, was that the young mistress just now...?"
The man's handsome face darkened, his voice icy. "I'm not blind!"
Why was An Ruo in someone else's car?
...
When An Ruo returned to her room, a waiter immediately wheeled in a dinner cart, saying Shen Xiaoxing had pre-ordered it. She set the dinner on the table.
Just as she finished, Han Chong pushed the man into the room in his wheelchair.
"You're back?" An Ruo arranged the bowls and chopsticks. This man was thoughtful—afraid she wouldn't like Western food, so he'd ordered Chinese dishes.
She looked up with a smile. "Perfect timing. Dinner just arrived."
The man didn't respond. Han Chong caught his glance, nodded slightly, and quietly left the room.
An Ruo turned around and saw the man sitting there with his lips pressed together, showing no sign of coming over to eat.
She walked over, puzzled. "What's wrong?"
Shen Xiaoxing's dark eyes were deep, fixed on her approaching figure. His long lashes trembled slightly, and his brow slowly relaxed. "Nothing."
"You... don't look well. Is something bothering you at work?"
He had come to New Zealand for a development project, and the other party kept delaying the proposal, so he had to come in person. Had they made unreasonable demands?
"No." He lifted the corner of his lips in a faint, calm smile. "I was thinking about something else."
"If it's not important, eat first before thinking. Even if it's a big deal, you need to fill your stomach first." An Ruo pushed him to the table, picked up chopsticks, and handed them to him.
Shen Xiaoxing didn't take them. His deep eyes were clouded, and his voice dropped low. "I want you to feed me."
"..."
Why did he suddenly want her to feed him?
Seeing his bad mood and not knowing what was upsetting him, An Ruo pursed her lips and complied, sitting down beside him.
Just as she approached, the man suddenly reached out and pulled her onto his lap. An Ruo, holding a bowl, nearly dropped it from the sudden movement. She steadied her racing heart, startled by him.
They'd been this intimate many times before, so she wasn't shy, but this time, the man wasn't as gentle as usual—the suddenness scared her.
Composing herself, An Ruo picked up some food with her chopsticks and brought it to his mouth. "Open up."
The man stared straight at her, as if he hadn't heard her.
Just as An Ruo was about to speak, he suddenly grabbed the back of her head and pressed his cool lips to hers, biting her somewhat roughly.
Her mind went blank.
She had no idea where this strange anger of his came from.
"Wait... mm, hold on..." An Ruo pressed one hand against his firm chest, pushing him away with some effort, her arm braced between them. Her face flushed as she said softly, "We're eating."
The man's cold gaze locked onto her reddened face.
He remembered her getting out of a stranger's car, smiling and talking to him—who knew what they'd been so happy about.
It choked him up inside, but his reserved nature wouldn't let him ask outright.
Seeing her smile at that man made him damn jealous!
She'd only just arrived in New Zealand—where had she met him?
Seeing him silent, An Ruo picked up more food and brought it to his mouth. This time, he didn't refuse and obediently ate it.
But his deep eyes stayed fixed on her, making her uneasy. That look was like he wanted to devour her whole!
After feeding him, An Ruo tried to get up from his lap, but the man's arm around her held her tight like an iron rod.
"I'm hungry. I need to eat."
"Eat right here."
An Ruo had no choice but to sit stiffly and eat her rice. The man tapped a rhythm on the table with one hand.
The atmosphere felt strange...
They were both people of few words, dealing with things on their own without sharing. He bottled things up, and she was quiet and reserved, not one to ask.
An Ruo wanted to get out of his lap quickly, so she only ate until half-full, then set down her bowl and chopsticks.
"Full?"
He knew her appetite and figured she wouldn't eat so little.
An Ruo nodded cautiously. "Mm."
"Eat a bit more." The man put more food in her bowl, his deep voice low. "You need to be full tonight to have strength."
"?"
Why did she need to be so full at night?
People usually ate less at night to help with weight loss.
"Want me to feed you?"
"No, no need." Afraid he'd trigger another incident, An Ruo quickly picked up the bowl and ate big mouthfuls.
Only after she let out a burp did she awkwardly put the bowl down.
Seeing she was full, the man finally let go. An Ruo jumped off his lap and reached to clear the leftovers, but he grabbed her hand.
"Take a shower first."
"It's fine, I'll clean up first."
Shen Xiaoxing held her hand, his eyes deep as a whirlpool, pulling her in. An Ruo froze and let go.
He raised his hand and rubbed her head, a faint smile curling his lips. "Good girl."
An Ruo didn't understand his strange behavior today and didn't want him to know she was injured, so she reluctantly went into the bathroom.
She quickly washed, avoiding the wound on her knee, and lingered inside for a while before slowly coming out.
"I, I'm done."
The man was reading a book—one of those psychological books for decoration in the hotel. Hearing her, he looked up.