Tch.
He hadn't seen her at the reception before realizing she was Miss Chen, and his attitude hadn't been so good.
Now that he knew her true identity, he was rushing to apologize.
What kind of man was this? A chameleon? A clown?
He looked like he wasn't young anymore, yet he couldn't even maintain the most basic pretense. It was off-putting.
Chen Jiaojiao would never accept his friend request; she simply ignored it.
Unexpectedly, Hu Jiasheng called again soon.
Seeing it was a local number from Nancheng, and noticing the auspicious, unusual digits, Chen Jiaojiao guessed it was him.
Fine, since he was so eager to be scolded, she might as well see what someone like him would say at a time like this.
So, Chen Jiaojiao answered.
"What is it?"
Hu Jiasheng's deep voice came through, "I'm here to apologize."
"No need. We're not close. Deleting it was fine, it saved me the trouble. Why apologize?"
"It's better to add me back. I'm afraid there might be a use for me later."
So now he knew Chen Jiaojiao could be useful?
Too late.
Did he think she'd add him just because he asked?
Chen Jiaojiao let out a cold laugh.
"Are you done talking? If so, I'm hanging up."
Hu Jiasheng: "Miss Chen, are you in a bad mood? Did something happen?"
How ridiculous. She was talking about one thing, and he was bringing up something else.
He actually suggested she was in trouble?
She, the dignified Chen Jiaojiao, was a renowned young lady in Jincheng. What trouble could she possibly encounter?
"Mr. Hu, have you never dated before? You don't even know the most basic pickup lines."
"This isn't how you make small talk. If I said I was in trouble, what would you do? Come and solve it for me?"
"It's not impossible, as long as Miss Chen thinks highly of me."
Chen Jiaojiao rolled her eyes in the car.
"Alright then, I'll be generous and give you a chance."
"My biggest trouble right now is wanting the latest Hermes handbag. Can you deliver it to me immediately?"
To her surprise, Hu Jiasheng readily agreed.
"Of course, no problem. However, there are so many Hermes bags, I don't know which one Miss Chen likes."
"You guess. You're so smart, I'm sure you can figure it out."
Hu Jiasheng chuckled, "Miss Chen really thinks highly of me. I, on the other hand, have very little experience in apologizing to girls."
"But I was planning to visit Hermes to broaden my horizons. If Miss Chen is willing, we can leave right away."
It was already this late; Hermes would be closed.
Leaving immediately? Wasn't that a bit too insincere?
"Okay, let's go immediately. Come pick me up."
Chen Jiaojiao didn't expose him and hung up the phone, telling the driver to take her home.
At this hour, all Hermes boutiques nationwide were closed.
She wouldn't be able to buy anything tonight.
She had deliberately set out to make things difficult for Hu Jiasheng.
She forgot about it as soon as she entered the house.
After showering and changing, she had just sat down in front of her vanity to start her nighttime skincare routine when her phone rang.
It was Hu Jiasheng again.
"I'm at the door. Should I come in to get you, or wait here? I'll follow Miss Chen's instructions."
Chen Jiaojiao picked up her phone and checked the time; it was almost 11 PM.
Was he crazy?
She felt he was just trying to coax her out!
Old men were truly disgusting, willing to do anything to get close to young, beautiful girls.
"Are you sure you can take me shopping for Hermes right now? I have a very bad temper, Mr. Hu should know."
"If you joke with me, and the joke doesn't land well, the consequences could be very serious."
Hu Jiasheng maintained the same tone.
"Miss Chen, please come out. I can bear the consequences."
Chen Jiaojiao, wearing loungewear and sneakers, with no makeup on, went to the door.
Hu Jiasheng was waiting for her in a low-key black Mercedes, leaning against the car.
He was wearing the same clothes as at the reception, with a faint smile on his face.
Tall and long-legged, impeccably dressed, in the dim night, he surprisingly resembled Lee Min-ho from the Korean drama "The Heirs." He looked rather handsome…
Chen Jiaojiao walked towards his smile, raising an eyebrow.
"Do you even know what Hermes is? Do you know their business hours? Or do you have the ability to make the store staff open the doors in the middle of the night?"
"I don't know any sales assistants. But I've booked two plane tickets."
Hu Jiasheng handed her his phone to look.
They were for a neighboring small country, six hours ahead of us.
He actually wanted to take Chen Jiaojiao abroad to shop?
This old man knew quite a lot.
Chen Jiaojiao was amused by him.
"Your methods are nothing special. You want to take me abroad to shop. What if I can't sleep all night and it ruins my mood?"
"Miss Chen can sleep on the plane. Everything will be arranged by me, you won't have to worry about a thing."
"Enough, I'm not in the mood to listen to your nonsense."
Chen Jiaojiao waved her hand, interrupting him.
"How much did you drink tonight? You're still driving? Aren't you afraid I'll report you?"
It seemed she wouldn't go abroad.
Hu Jiasheng put his phone away and shrugged.
"The night is beautiful, and the temperature is just right. Jincheng is a good place."
"As the host, wouldn't Miss Chen like to show me the sights?"
Chen Jiaojiao naturally refused.
"We're not close, and I have no obligation to sacrifice my sleep time to run around with you. You're thinking too much."
"Then how can we become closer, Miss Chen?"
Chen Jiaojiao blurted out,
"Obey my every word, follow my commands, attend to my every need, come when called, and leave when dismissed."
"I like obedient men. Can you do that?"
Whether it was due to drinking or his inherent playful nature, Hu Jiasheng shrugged again.
"I've never tried, but I'm someone who likes challenges. I can give it a go."
Chen Jiaojiao: "..."
An old man of his age, and he wanted to try playing the role of a "puppy boy"?
"So, from now on, I have to listen to you? Whatever Miss Chen wants to do, I will obey?"
Ever since her argument with her father, Chen Jiaojiao had been in a bad mood.
After going to Nancheng, she finally met her fiancé of many years.
She had initially fantasized about possibly hitting it off and having a passionate romance.
However, Lu Mingzhe's demeanor was not what she had imagined.
So, she had been living in a state of limbo lately.
When someone challenged her, she became impulsive and energetic.
Coupled with the fact that Chen Jiaojiao had drunk quite a bit tonight, her rebellious streak kicked in.
"How fast can your car go?"
"Miss Chen wants to race?"
"Is that not allowed? With such a beautiful night breeze, it would be a waste not to feel it intensely."
"Of course. I'll need Miss Chen to guide me."
Chen Jiaojiao's grandfather had a house in their old village. She often went there to play during holidays when she was a child.
The country roads were less crowded and more secluded. Why not go there?
The two of them got into the car.
Hu Jiasheng's expression was calm as he gripped the steering wheel with one hand.
The car shot forward like an arrow, "whoosh."