"You like that girl a lot." Mr. He suddenly said.
The butler was stunned, then chuckled, "Sir, where did you get that idea? I've never met this girl before, so how could I possibly like her or not?"
Mr. He stared at him.
After a long silence, the butler sighed, knowing he couldn't hide it any longer. "Alright, last time you mentioned having a guest, I did some investigating on this girl. I was just too curious. If she could be brought into your tea room, it means she's very unusual, especially since even Ning Xin couldn't get in."
Mr. He lowered his gaze, watching the ripples on the surface of the tea in his cup.
The butler said gently, "Sir, I don't mean to interfere with your decisions. I just feel that this girl doesn't seem like the type of person who would do such a thing."
Theft was too despicable.
Mr. He gently set down his teacup, stood up, and tidied the slightly messy hem of his clothes from where he had been sitting. "Regardless, we should meet her first. I don't want to make a judgment before then."
"Alright, I'll make the arrangements," the butler said, not exposing his master's pretense. He clearly trusted her, yet he wouldn't admit it.
However, Mr. He said, "No need, I'll do it myself."
The butler suppressed a smile and nodded, "Alright."
Then, Mr. He personally called Shen Qingqing. During the call, his tone was gentle, and he briefly explained his desire to meet her.
Shen Qingqing was a little surprised. "We talked about buying the necklace before, and you weren't moved. Have you changed your mind now?"
Mr. He did not answer. "You'll know when we meet."
Shen Qingqing didn't ask any further questions. After hanging up, she looked at her two children who were watching her expectantly and said patiently, "Mommy has something to do and needs to go out for a bit. You two need to be good and stay at home."
Chenchen nodded obediently.
Xixi's eyes darted around, "Mommy, where are you going?" Before Shen Qingqing could answer, he immediately added, "Can't I come with you? Daddy isn't home and said I should protect you with my brother. If you go out alone, my brother and I won't be at ease."
Shen Qingqing smiled gently, "I'm not a child anymore, are you still worried about me?"
Xixi nodded vigorously, his expression serious, "You're my mommy, and you're my brother's treasure. Of course, you're also Daddy's treasure. We're naturally very worried and concerned about you."
The little guy was quite adept at sweet-talking. Shen Qingqing felt very pleased. If such words were spoken by a man, they would sound greasy, but coming from a perfectly sculpted little cutie... She couldn't help but pull the little darling into her arms and kiss his rosy, smooth cheek. "Your little mouth is getting more and more eloquent!"
Shen Jinxi chuckled, "Mommy, just take me and my brother with you!"
"No."
Shen Jinxi's face fell, and he pouted, "Why?" Had all those nice words failed to move Mommy?
Shen Qingqing put the little darling down and then, seeing the anticipation in Chenchen's eyes, leaned in and kissed his cheek as well. She had always been fair to her two children. She never played favorites. As expected, their identical faces broke into identical smiles.
"You two be good and stay at home. Mommy will be back after I'm done," Shen Qingqing felt that Mr. He's call meant he might have changed his mind. A joyful aura radiated from her.
Xixi couldn't insist further. He held his brother's hand and escorted their mother to the door, waving goodbye obediently. "Mommy, goodbye, come back soon."
"Okay." Shen Qingqing turned and got into the car.
Unexpectedly, as the car was driving, her phone rang. It was Ning Xin calling. Shen Qingqing didn't want to answer; taking her call now would only ruin her good mood. However, the person on the other end seemed determined and wouldn't hang up. The ringing persisted, as if it wouldn't stop until she answered. Shen Qingqing finally pulled the car over to the side of the road and answered the call.
"What is it?"
"Mr. He has asked to meet you, hasn't he?" A voice came through the phone.
Shen Qingqing's hand tightened, "So?"
Ning Xin smiled softly, "Are you curious how I know? Of course, I know. I'm the one who asked Mr. He to call you. You must have heard from Mr. Fu that my relationship with Mr. He is quite good."
"What do you want to say?"
"Shen Qingqing, are you really so naive as to think Mr. He is going to sell you the necklace?"
Shen Qingqing remained silent. Ning Xin seemed to have found her answer in the silence and said in disbelief, "You're not, are you? You're still this naive? This is truly surprising."
Shen Qingqing rested one hand on the steering wheel, her gaze fixed on her fair fingertips. "What exactly do you want to say?"
Ning Xin simply laughed. While such laughter wasn't enough to anger Shen Qingqing, it did displease her. "Ning Xin, I don't want to probe the purpose of your call, but I'm telling you, you won't achieve anything."
"Yes, I wasn't planning to do anything. I'm just reminding you." Ning Xin's laughter subsided slightly, but her tone remained light, as if Shen Qingqing meeting Mr. He was truly not a big deal to her. "Mr. He and I are preparing to cooperate on developing the land that the government approved. We're about to sign the contract. I'll invite you to the press conference."
With that, she hung up the phone. Shen Qingqing tossed her phone onto the passenger seat, her expression unusually cold. That woman was truly a formidable opponent, much more skilled than Ning Su. She didn't understand why Ning Xin had called or why she had told her about the collaboration with Mr. He. The priority now was to meet Mr. He. The car sped through the ten-minute journey and soon stopped in front of a tea house. Shen Qingqing opened the car door and stepped out with her long, elegant legs. Despite her cold expression, her delicate and enchanting features immediately attracted a host of gazes as she entered the tea hall, instantly becoming the center of attention. A waiter promptly approached her.
"My surname is Shen."
"A gentleman is waiting for you in a private room. Please follow me."
Shen Qingqing was led to a private room by the waiter, who then retreated at the doorway. Shen Qingqing gently pushed the door open, and a refreshing, pleasant tea aroma wafted towards her. This scent was no less pleasant than that in Mr. He's home. Shen Qingqing walked in and saw the man behind the swirling mist. Without looking up, he leisurely arranged the tea set, and his voice drifted out.
"You're here." His tone was still gentle and warm, but Shen Qingqing no longer felt the cheerfulness she had when leaving home.
"Mr. He, please speak directly."
Mr. He seemed slightly surprised by her directness but since she had said so, he stopped beating around the bush. He had just finished brewing a pot of tea and offered her a cup.
"Try this first."
Shen Qingqing really wasn't in the mood for tea, but she patiently took a sip. "It's very fragrant."
"Is it only very fragrant?" Shen Qingqing raised an eyebrow slightly. Seeing that he wasn't going to get straight to the point, she sat down and took another sip of tea. "This is a very good tea. Your tea-making skills haven't changed, Mr. He." She had to admit that the tea he brewed always tasted different from others, possessing a leisurely sweetness.