dmims Chapter 397 - 396: "Don’t listen to his nonsense...
Chapter 397 - 396: "Don’t listen to his nonsense...
Zhou Mochen had been even busier lately. After some coaxing, Shen Chen finally managed to drag Xu Su out of the house. The first thing she did upon getting in the car was text her boyfriend, who wasn’t home yet, to check in.
"Xu Su, why don’t you tell me," Shen Chen said from the driver’s seat, his sarcastic tone returning. "What on earth did Brother Zhou do to train you to put him first in every single thing?"
"..." Xu Su fell silent. A rather suggestive retort almost slipped out, but she managed to bite it back. She cleared her throat and said awkwardly, "Isn’t this what any normal girlfriend would do?"
Shen Chen didn’t catch the undertone. He just raised an eyebrow and gave a noncommittal smile, then asked out of the blue, "Xu Su, what is it you like about Brother Zhou? I remember at first, you were so scared of him you secretly got a boyfriend and didn’t dare let him find out."
The question caught Xu Su off guard. She thought for a moment before replying, "When you like someone, you just do. There’s no particular reason."
"Then what about that old boyfriend of yours?" Shen Chen seemed determined to get to the bottom of it. He tilted his head to glance at Xu Su, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Don’t like him anymore?"
Xu Su retorted with an annoyed tone, "Why are you so nosy!"
"Hey, I’m bored. Just humor me and chat,"
Shen Chen snorted. "So you get to push my buttons all day long," he said accusatorially, "but I’m not allowed to ask you what’s on your mind?"
Xu Su: "..."
"So tell me, do you still like that kid?"
His tone was that of someone purely curious about a friend’s love life, leaving Xu Su at a loss for words...
While keeping a steady hand on the wheel, Shen Chen prompted, "Last year, you kissed him right in front of me. How can you just suddenly decide you don’t like him anymore?"
"What do you mean, Xi Zirong is a kid,"
Xu Su didn’t like the sound of that at all. She pulled her legs up onto the seat, sat up straight, and glared at the man in the driver’s seat. "Xi Zirong and I are the same age. If he’s a kid, then so am I. Going by that logic, should I start calling you Uncle?"
"Hey, if you want to, I’m not stopping you."
Shen Chen chuckled. A red light came on, and after braking, he leaned toward the passenger seat with a mischievous grin. "But Xu Su, are you really willing to place yourself a whole generation below me?"
’Of course not!’
Xu Su was silent for a long time. Shen Chen reached out and nudged her arm. "Don’t change the subject. C’mon, tell me, what did you see in that little brat back then?"
"I’m telling you again, he’s not a brat," Xu Su said, dodging his hand and reminding him in a serious tone.
"Still defending him, huh?" Shen Chen scoffed, his smile slowly fading. "Fine. He’s not a brat. So tell me, what did you see in your ex-boyfriend back then?"
"For a grown man, you’re so nosy!"
After complaining again, Xu Su was completely exasperated. After a moment’s thought, she decided to just answer him. "He was tall and handsome, got amazing grades, and had a gentle, polite personality. He had all the most attractive traits a boy could have."
When it came to her ex-boyfriend, Xi Zirong, she might be meek and cautious around her current boyfriend, Zhou Mochen, but there was no need for that with Shen Chen.
Xu Su added straightforwardly, "We were in the same class, so we saw each other all the time. He tutored me every single day, was incredibly patient, and never once called me dumb. Plus, he was so innocent. So innocent that he’d blush if I just looked at him for a second too long. Is it really so strange that I liked him?"
’Even now, the way Xi Zirong’s ears would turn red at the drop of a hat was still so endearing to think about...’
After she finished her speech, the car fell silent for a moment.
In the dim light of the car, Shen Chen’s profile was indistinct. He remained silent, which made Xu Su feel a bit uneasy.
It wasn’t until the car stopped in front of Emperor Bar that he spoke. He unbuckled his seatbelt, then grabbed Xu Su as she was about to get out. "You don’t still like him, do you?" he asked in a low voice.
His voice was uncharacteristically low.
"Of course not," Xu Su denied immediately.
"Then why did you look like you still had feelings for him when you were talking? You laid it all out so clearly."
"..." Xu Su was silent for a moment before retorting stubbornly, "Even if I don’t like him anymore, that doesn’t erase the fact that I did once, does it? I was just being honest with you because I consider you a close friend."
Shen Chen stared at her for a long moment, giving no indication of whether he believed her or not.
He let go, opened his door, and got out. Somewhat baffled, Xu Su followed him out of the car.
In a private room on the second floor of the bar, a large crowd was gathered. Jiang Peng and the others she’d met last time in Chang City were there as well.
These young, rich playboys each had a woman on their arm. Some were playing cards, others were singing, and a few were huddled together playing a drinking game.
The room was huge. At the front, two girls in tight miniskirts were dancing provocatively. Their features were identical; they appeared to be twins.
Xu Su’s eyes swept across the room, but before she could get a good look at the girls’ dancing, Shen Chen pulled her into a corner and sat her down.
Shen Chen’s entrance was low-key, and with the room being so loud, he didn’t cause much of a stir. Only a few people sitting nearby noticed him and raised their glasses in greeting.
The group started teasing him, saying that Young Master Shen was becoming harder and harder to get ahold of these days.
This was especially true for Jiang Peng, who was quite close to Shen Chen. Seeing that he’d actually shown up, Jiang Peng immediately ditched his female companion and slid over.
Xu Su was sitting in the inner part of the corner, completely hidden by Shen Chen, so Jiang Peng didn’t notice her at first and assumed Shen Chen had come alone.
He grinned at Shen Chen. "It’s not easy seeing you here. What, you finally came to your senses? Decided to stop torturing yourself? I told you, guys like us are used to having fun. We’re not cut out for those innocent love games."
"Old Qiu just said a new batch of girls came in. Brother Chen, if you’re interested, I can have them brought in for you to take a look?"
Before Shen Chen could say a word, Jiang Peng pointed to the twins dancing provocatively. "There’s also that pair of sisters. They’re new, too. If you like them, there’s a room right inside. You can go in anytime."
The room was noisy, and with someone between them, Xu Su couldn’t quite hear what Jiang Peng was saying. She only saw him pointing at the two dancing girls and talking, so she couldn’t resist leaning in to try and listen more closely.
Jiang Peng’s mouth was running like a machine gun. Before Shen Chen even had a chance to give his opinion, Jiang Peng was continuing his enthusiastic pitch:
"If you’re not into the used goods at these entertainment spots, hey, any celebrities catch your eye lately, Brother Chen? Doesn’t matter how famous. As long as they’re in Beijing right now, I can get them over here for you."
Xu Su, who had been straining to hear, caught only that last part. Her eyes lit up. Just as she was about to say something, she saw Shen Chen give Jiang Peng, who was leaning in closer and closer, a hard shove that sent him reeling.
The force he used was no different from a punch.
’Why’d he get physical all of a sudden...’
Xu Su was thoroughly confused. Then she saw Shen Chen turn to look at her, his voice a little panicked as he said, "Don’t listen to his nonsense..."