Chapter 28: Your Face Is Very Red

Jiang Yining hadn’t considered that possibility. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at He Chi. “You really have a way to help Aunt Fan?”

He Chi didn’t answer directly and instead asked, “Do you remember the guy who tried to strike up a conversation with you at the bar?”

“I do.”

Jiang Yining remembered him clearly—very outgoing, definitely a social butterfly.

He Chi said, “His name is Chen Ran. I grew up with his older brother, Chen Feng—we’re like brothers. The Chen family’s in real estate. Lake Half-City is their property.”

Jiang Yining frowned slightly in confusion. “Then why does Chen Ran work as a waiter at the bar?”

He Chi explained, “Chen Ran just likes to have fun. Chen Feng dumped him on me, hoping I’d help keep him in line. But that kid actually enjoys working at the bar.”

From just a few words, Jiang Yining could tell that the relationship between Chen Feng and Chen Ran must be pretty solid.

Plus, Chen Ran had a good personality—probably because he came from a comfortable family and was doted on at home.

After dinner, He Chi gave Chen Feng a call.

Arranging a job was just a matter of one sentence, but Chen Feng asked curiously, “Who are you asking for?”

He Chi snorted. “You’re such a gossip. You’re no better than Chen Ran.”

Then he paused, and said clearly, one word at a time, “I’m asking on behalf of my wife’s best friend’s mother.”

On the other end of the line, Chen Feng burst out laughing. “Old He, if you’re going to make up a story, at least make it believable.”

“Your wife’s best friend? Your wife?” Chen Feng was still laughing. “You really don’t hold back with your tall tales.”

He assumed He Chi was trying to get out of attending the farewell singles party he had organized.

“Old He, I’m serious. You have to come to this farewell singles party. I put it together especially for people like you—no wife, no friends.”

“It’s a labor of love, I tell you. I’ve racked my brains for you single folks…”

He Chi couldn’t be bothered to keep listening. He clicked his tongue and hung up before Chen Feng could finish.

Jiang Yining had picked out a cat tree and a few toys for He Xiaohui and wanted to get He Chi’s opinion.

She walked to the living room where He Chi was and saw him looking a bit glum. She assumed it was because the job inquiry hadn’t gone well, and tried to reassure him. “He Chi, don’t push yourself. It’s not easy to ask for help. If he doesn’t want to do it, that’s perfectly understandable.”

He Chi was confused for a second, just as a message from Chen Feng arrived:
[Go see the person in charge at housekeeping tomorrow morning. After a brief training, she can start. I’ve taken care of everything.]

After reading it, He Chi looked up at Jiang Yining. Seeing her earnest face, he felt like teasing her. “Mrs. He, I just got wronged—how are you planning to make it up to me?”

He really hit the mark.

Jiang Yining walked up to him, deciding to take care of her own matter first. She showed him her phone. “Do you think this cat tree is okay?”

He Chi had no idea what a cat tree even was. He glanced at the screen.

“He Xiaohui’s too lazy. Buying it would be a waste.”

The cat only ran when it followed him jogging. The rest of the time, it just lay around doing nothing.

Jiang Yining felt bad that He Xiaohui didn’t have a single toy, and insisted, “So you’re saying this one is pretty good, right?”

Clearly it was something the pet liked. He Chi had no objection. “If you like it, buy it.”

Jiang Yining happily completed the payment.

But right after the purchase, her expression changed as if flipping a switch. She frowned and asked, “Didn’t you say Chen Feng is a good friend of yours? If he couldn’t help, fine—but why would he make you feel wronged?”

“I think Chen Ran is the better brother between the two.”

He Chi realized he’d dug his own grave. “It wasn’t about the job. There’s a quick interview tomorrow morning, and after that, the training begins.”

Jiang Yining’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

He Chi nodded.

Jiang Yining lightly patted her own cheek. “Then I owe your friend an apology. I misjudged him.” She looked at He Chi, confused. “Then what were you wronged about?”

Later, she came out of the shower wearing a short-sleeved, green-striped nightdress. It was a fresh style, similar to a T-shirt, but long enough to reach her knees.

He Chi really wanted to know what brand of body wash she used—the faint fragrance was captivating.

He didn’t have the heart to keep teasing her.

He stepped closer, loosely wrapping one arm around her waist, and gently sniffed. “Just teasing you.”

Jiang Yining hadn’t expected He Chi to lean in. She immediately tensed up and let out a confused, “Huh?”

He Chi said, “I told you, I was just teasing. No one can make me feel wronged.”

He was so close that his warm breath brushed against her neck as he spoke, like feathers tickling her heart—subtly disrupting her breathing.

Seeing her lips part slightly, He Chi barely restrained the urge to kiss her.

It was strange—he’d never felt like this before. But with Jiang Yining, he couldn’t help himself.

His voice grew a little hoarse. “What body wash did you use? It smells really good.”

After saying that, he forced himself to pull his hand away from her waist.

Her waist was so slim, it wasn’t even as long as his palm. He was afraid a little pressure would snap her in half.

He Chi took half a step back, giving Jiang Yining the illusion that he’d only leaned in to catch the scent.

Even so, her ears still burned. She stammered, “It’s… it’s just a domestic niche brand.”

“There’s a men’s version. If you like it, I’ll get you a bottle.”

He Chi nodded. “It’s getting late. I’ll take a shower first. You should get some rest.”

Jiang Yining glanced at the Italian wall clock and responded, “Good night.”

But it was only nine o’clock. Was it really that late?

She suspected He Chi had misread the time.

She decided to call Zhang Qiao. After saying “Good night,” she returned to the master bedroom.

Zhang Qiao hadn’t held out much hope, but the moment she heard her mom had an interview the next morning, she jumped out of bed to find clothes in the closet. “I need to head home tonight. I’ll go with my mom to the interview tomorrow.”

“As long as she has something to do, I’ll finally get some peace. The moment she’s idle, she starts arranging blind dates for me. Ever since you got married, she’s even more anxious—wants to be a grandma by next year.”

Jiang Yining chuckled. “Qiao Qiao, I’ll make lunch tomorrow. After the interview, you two can come to my place and we’ll eat together.”

“Sounds good. Gotta go, I need to change and head home. See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Jiang Yining went to ask He Chi if he’d be home for lunch tomorrow. When she stepped outside, she saw the bathroom door closed with the light on—He Chi was already showering.

She returned to her room and watched a TV drama for half an hour. When she checked again, He Chi still wasn’t done.

Another half hour passed. When she stepped out again, He Chi had just emerged from the bathroom.

He was shirtless, wearing only black athletic shorts that reached just below his knees.

Jiang Yining had seen plenty of attractive men showing off at the gym, but now she finally got to admire He Chi’s physique—solid and well-built. Her gaze couldn’t find a place to land, so she just glanced around aimlessly.

The more she tried to avoid looking directly, the more obvious it became that she was deliberately looking away.

He Chi caught every detail of her reaction. He raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, half on purpose, “Your face is really red. Is it too hot, or are you not feeling well?”