A Twisted Love Affair-Chapter 224: Are you with him now (2)_1

She sent a text message: "Received it. I have to get back to work."

Sun Qiyan didn’t particularly like flowers; he just liked the person who sent them.

He replied, not entirely truthfully, "I love them. The flowers are beautiful. Your thousand yuan won’t go to waste." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

She didn’t reply again, perhaps staying up late at the office once more.

Knowing she was busy, Xie Qinyang hadn’t asked her out in a long time. Thinking she was heading to New York soon, he decided to drop by and see her.

He saw the order for flowers sent to someone.

Xie Qinyang’s brows furrowed. "That stir-fry cook? You’re sending him flowers and gifts?"

"He sends me things too; it’s called reciprocity," Shen Jing said, lowering her head to flip through a book for some information. "Oh, and let me ask you, Young Master, can *you* cook? Show me your hands."

Xie Qinyang, hands in his pockets, replied with utmost confidence, "There’s no comparison. I’m capable of much more..."

"Like what?" Shen Jing slowly looked up, a smile in her voice, her Beijing accent evident. "Young Master, are you an expert on GT West Road, or perhaps your latest business venture failed?"

Initially, the Xie Family had connections to pave his way into politics, but the young master wasn’t interested. He insisted on dabbling in investments. Since the Xie Family was unwilling to support his business ventures, he faced setbacks at every turn.

Xie Qinyang was amused by her teasing.

He did want to ask if she had moved on from Zhou Luchen.

He didn’t ask.

So much time had passed. If they had truly intended to reconcile, they would have done so long ago. Why else would neither of them be dating anyone even now? Both were engrossed in work, each perhaps waiting for the other to break the silence and reach out. But neither made a move. It was time to give up.

In reality, if just one of them had spoken up, the old flame might have rekindled.

Xie Qinyang didn’t want to meddle. Whatever happened, happened; it had nothing to do with him. Besides, it wouldn’t stop him from going to Yanbo Mountain Villa tonight to enjoy the scenery and the moonlight.

"Want to go watch the moon? I can introduce you to a few handsome guys from Yi Province."

She shook her head. "I’m rushing to finish a project proposal for the summit."

「In the meantime.」

The late-night snack Sun Qiyan had arranged to be sent over had already arrived at her desk. The delivery person brazenly asked Xie Qinyang to make way, worried about spilling the congee.

Xie Qinyang glanced over and stepped aside.

"Auntie, Auntie, take your time and enjoy your late-night snack," Xie Qinyang drawled.

「Similarly.」

Old Master Shen had finally realized that those two seemed to be in that ambiguous phase, trying to advance to the next step—the kind where they could embrace freely.

He often discussed matters of the heart with Old Liang. "Xiaosi is likely trying to start something new with Sun Qiyan, attempting to move on from her infatuation with Zhou Luchen."

It wasn’t that he looked down on his own granddaughter, but a match with the Zhou Family was genuinely unsuitable. For ordinary people, the Zhou Family’s social status was utterly out of reach. In his entire life, he had only seen the Zhou family’s patriarch on television back when he was young. It was incredibly rare to even glimpse a member of the Zhou Family in person. The only one he had seen was Zhou Luchen, who struck him as an indifferent and heartless individual.

This time, Old Master Shen didn’t object to Shen Jing’s choice.

As long as someone loved her, it was fine. If not, then so be it.

Sun Qiyan’s affection was evident. Lately, it felt as if he wanted to announce to the world that he wanted Shen Jing, subtly but persistently making his intentions known.

She had just lost her beloved grandmother. With Sun Qiyan’s constant, attentive care, that inherently simple and kind-hearted girl... wouldn’t she eventually be swayed if this continued? Even Old Master Shen himself felt a bit muddled by it all.

With the invitation letter, more large enterprises sought cooperation. Previously, she might have needed her elder sister’s help with consulting inquiries, but Shen Jing could now handle them adeptly on her own.

She had pulled an all-nighter to finish the project proposal for the World Trade Summit. Unsatisfied with the first draft, she handed it to Sun Qiyan, who was beside her.

"Could you look this over for me? See if there are any flaws. Being a financial intermediary is tough; I’m losing hair from all these late nights." She stretched languidly, then casually picked up a pen, twisting her long hair into a loose bun at the nape of her neck.

Gazing at the round bun, reminiscent of a flower bud, Sun Qiyan suddenly recalled the roses he had accidentally let die. Their blooming period had been far too short. In their recent conversations, he’d heard her occasionally mention her past. Before returning to the Shen Family, she had diligently studied finance and taught herself social media operations. She appeared so gentle and delicate, yet she was such a foolish girl, always meticulously planning her escape routes. Always wanting to learn this and that.

On the 33rd floor of the skyscraper, through the clear glass windows, the man leaned close to her, patiently checking her document for typos and overlooked details.

It was almost a pity he couldn’t find any faults. She was truly outstanding. Sun Qiyan genuinely admired her project proposal.

Trained by a renowned mentor, she was quite confident. "If EMEAP doesn’t look favorably upon it," she said, her face lighting up with a soft, sweet, and slightly mischievous smile, "then I’ll just say it was Mr. Blaire who taught me, tarnishing his reputation. He can’t even climb the Great Wall, and yet he had the nerve to boast to me yesterday about winning at horse riding!"

Leaning beside her, Sun Qiyan watched her for a long moment before packing up his computer. "You little rascal," he said fondly.

He knew of Mr. Blaire, but he didn’t understand Shen Jing’s connection to him. However, maintaining a sense of propriety, he didn’t pry. Each of them had their own private matters.