"I've reserved a restaurant. May I invite the little princess to dinner?"
Regardless of the busy decoration team in the studio, Jiang Zeshen flirted with her brazenly, his eyes brimming with affection.
Shen Youjin eyed him suspiciously. "You're not going to poison the food, are you?"
"Of course not," Jiang Zeshen chuckled. "I'm a law - abiding citizen."
Shen Youjin wasn't convinced. After all, no law - abiding citizen would hire thugs to teach someone a "lesson."
"Where are we going to eat?" she asked.
This time, it was Jiang Zeshen's turn to be stunned. She agreed so easily?
"What's wrong?" Shen Youjin raised her eyes and feigned surprise. "Don't tell me you didn't reserve a restaurant at all."
"Of course I did," Jiang Zeshen replied promptly. "I've just been waiting for the little princess to grace us with her presence."
He'd realized that the tactics he used on other women were useless on Shen Youjin.
Whenever she looked at him with those big, watery eyes, his anger would dissipate.
Shen Youjin gave a few more instructions to the supervisor and then left with Jiang Zeshen.
"I'll drive my own car. Otherwise, I'll have to come back for it later."
As Shen Youjin opened the door of her car and was about to get in, Jiang Zeshen stopped her.
"No need. I've brought my driver. Give your car keys to him. I'll take you home after dinner."
Shen Youjin thought, "What a scheming man."
Reluctantly, she gave the keys to Jiang Zeshen's driver and got into the passenger seat of his car.
He even thoughtfully fastened her seat - belt, as if afraid she would run away.
She knew that if she didn't say something, this man would probably hover around her for the next few days, leaving her no time to focus on the studio.
"I only talked to Fu Qingye for a few minutes and then we separated. You don't have to take it to heart."
Caught red - handed, Jiang Zeshen's hand on the steering wheel paused for a moment, but he quickly pretended to be magnanimous. "It's okay. You have the right to socialize. It's your freedom."
Shen Youjin rolled her eyes mentally. He was clearly jealous but pretended to be okay.
Since he said so, she'd take it as the truth to save herself the trouble of further explanation.
Jiang Zeshen didn't expect her to be so obedient and actually stop talking.
"Then..." After a long while, he couldn't hold back. He coughed lightly and asked, "What did Fu Qingye say to you?"
Shen Youjin was looking out of the window at the scenery. Her voice was indifferent. "Business. He wants to invest in the studio."
Jiang Zeshen was stunned and then cursed silently. This Fu Qingye was as persistent as Bai Beichen!
"Did you agree?" he asked.
"Do I have the right to refuse?" Shen Youjin smiled. "He's the eldest young master of the Fu family. He could destroy my studio with a snap of his fingers."
Jiang Zeshen didn't say a word. He could accept the investment in principle.
But he remembered how panicked Shen Youjin looked when Fu Qingye took her away.
"Is that all?" he didn't believe it.
Shen Youjin smiled. "If you don't believe me, you can ask Fu Qingye yourself."
Jiang Zeshen twitched the corner of his mouth. There was no way Fu Qingye would tell him. This was his trump card to control Shen Youjin!
There must be a hidden story, but since she didn't want to say, he couldn't force her. Otherwise, he'd be no different from Fu Qingye.
"Fine then. If you don't want to talk about it, don't," he composed himself and resumed his playboy demeanor. "The most important thing when going out for dinner is to have fun!"
He was actually angry inside, but he knew that if he got angry at her, he'd be pushing her away and giving others a chance. So he couldn't do that.
Sometimes, patience was a virtue!
When they arrived at the restaurant, Shen Youjin enjoyed Jiang Zeshen's even more gentle and considerate treatment than usual. The dinner was quite harmonious.
When Jiang Zeshen went out to answer a call, she settled the bill.
Anyway, he'd transferred four million to her account so readily. She should show her gratitude.
When Jiang Zeshen came back, Shen Youjin had almost finished the plate of sour jujube and peony cake in front of her.
He asked curiously, "I remember you didn't like sour food before. You said it would stimulate your appetite and was bad for maintaining your figure. Have you changed your taste?"
Shen Youjin hadn't noticed before. After his reminder, she realized she'd eaten a lot. A look of panic flashed across her eyes.
"I've seen it clearly. We only live once, so we should be happy." Then she looked up at him and asked, "If I gain weight, will you still want to be with me?"
Looking at Shen Youjin's beautiful face, Jiang Zeshen couldn't imagine what she'd look like if she were fat.
"You have beautiful features. You'll still be beautiful even if you're fat. Eat whatever you like. Don't worry about it."
Hearing this, Shen Youjin was stunned. She put down the silver spoon and her tone turned cold.
"I'm full."
Only then did Jiang Zeshen realize he might have said the wrong thing.
"I didn't mean that. You'll still be my little princess even if you're fat!"
He immediately ordered a portion of sour jujube and Chinese yam cake to go and coaxed her for a long time before the matter was finally resolved.
"Let's go. I'll take you home."
Jiang Zeshen picked up his coat and was about to settle the bill when the waiter informed him that the bill had already been paid. The extra portion of sour jujube and Chinese yam cake was a complimentary gift.
He looked at Shen Youjin standing there. A trace of annoyance flashed across his eyes, but he held back and said nothing.
When had he ever let a girl pay the bill when he took her out for dinner? Was Shen Youjin trying to draw a line between them?
At this moment, the night lights were just coming on. The nightlife in Kyoto was just beginning, but the atmosphere in the car was a bit silent.
Just as she was about to get out of the car, he called her and handed her the bouquet of roses from the back seat.
"Congratulations on being the champion today."
Only then did Shen Youjin remember this. She took the flowers and smiled slightly. "Thank you. You were great too."
Jiang Zeshen looked at her with helplessness in his eyes. He asked half - seriously, half - jokingly, "If I'm really that great, why haven't you been with me yet? Am I still not good enough to deserve you again?"
Holding the roses in the night, Shen Youjin was a bit confused about what he meant.
These young masters from wealthy families had a common trait: they never showed their vulnerable side in front of women, let alone complain like this.
"Why do you say that?" she really didn't understand.
"Your attitude towards me has changed," Jiang Zeshen held the steering wheel and looked at her with his deep eyes. "When a woman pays the bill on her own initiative, it means she's starting to draw a line with this man."
Shen Youjin suddenly understood. So that was the reason.
"This is just a way to thank my investor," half of her fair face was blocked by the bright red roses, looking like a perfect oil painting in the moonlight. "With this connection, who can shake your position?"
Her voice was sweet and melodious. In an instant, it unlocked his heart knot. Jiang Zeshen smiled. Right! He was Shen Youjin's investor. As long as the studio didn't go bankrupt, their connection would always be there!
But it was so strange. How could he, who was usually so clear - headed, forget such an important thing just now?