Chapter 9

  Today, both of them gained a lot. Si Luo Chen was in a good mood and asked Qian Tong to go with him to have French cuisine together.

  "Aren't you supposed to be independent here? Things aren't even settled yet, and you're already being so extravagant, huh?" Xiang Qian Tong said with a big sister-like attitude, as if she had returned to their university days, while twisting open the mineral water bottle.

  "I didn't say I'd pay for this meal."

  Si Lu Chen said this sentence with a straight face, almost causing Xiang Qian Tong to spit water onto the back of the taxi driver's head.

  He swallowed hard, coughed several times, and stared at Si Luo Chen with a red face.

  "You're so grown up now, and yet you still drink water like that." He said with a gentle pat on her back, a smile seeping from the corner of his mouth.

  She's really a bad woman at home, but for Qian Tong, she prefers this way of getting along.

  "Do you plan on living at school forever?" asked Qian Tong, changing the subject.

  I actually wanted to ask yesterday, but I didn't find a suitable opportunity. Since the topic has been mentioned, I still want to ask.

  "What? Are you going to take in this poor person?" He asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.

  "My guest room can be cleaned up for you to stay in, but it's a bit small and can only fit a single bed. I'm afraid you might not be used to it." said Xiang Qian Tong frankly.

  Si Lu Chen didn't answer immediately, quietly gazing at Xiang Qiong, the corners of his mouth curled up in a subtle smile: "Then can I pay less rent, landlord?"

  To Qian Tong: "......"

  Suddenly, I feel that this woman is not a bit bad. It's clear that she won't overcharge her rent, and the so-called rent is just for show. But what puzzles me is why I let her move into my house in the first place, shouldn't I be keeping distance? Isn't there a better way to do things?

  Seeing that the other party did not respond, he just lowered his head and didn't know what to think. Si Luo Chen glanced sideways at the New York streets outside the window, with a faint smile on the corner of his mouth.

  It's enough that Qian Tong can tell she's different from him.

  Dinner didn't go to have a French meal, because Qian Tong thought it was expensive and luxurious. Planned to go see the bed tomorrow on the weekend and buy steaks at the supermarket for her to make a big meal. Si Luo Chen didn't express it, but felt like he was happier than going to eat a French meal.

  After dinner, the two of them took a taxi to Si Lu Chen's school dormitory to pick up their luggage. Xiang Qiong didn't expect Si Lu Chen to bring two pieces of luggage this time and was taken aback.

  How can you have so little luggage? Didn't you think about staying longer?

  "My parents were originally opposed to me coming out this time, so I was afraid they would change their minds, so I left in a hurry." Seeing Xiang Qian Tong's confusion, he took the initiative to carry his luggage onto the car.

  Xiang Qiong didn't say a word, nodded and got back in the car. She told the driver the address before asking, "Why did you have to come to America?"

  "Just wanted to see what's different here compared to back home."

  I really want to say it, because you're here, so I have to come over. But in the end, it can only be kept in my heart and not told to you.

  "Have you found anything different?"

  Cui Luochen gazed out at the scenery outside the window and said meaningfully, "It's all the same now."

  “……”

  It was late at night, and he returned to Xiang Qian Tong's house again. The bed was still the same as yesterday's. After simply tidying up, Xiang Qian Tong said: "Let's sleep in the same room today too. Tomorrow I'll take measurements of the bed, and you can choose one you like, okay?"

  Such behavior of Qian Tong always made Si Luo Chen both like and dislike him.

  She always says those unpleasant words in a gentle tone.

  "You're the landlord, you're the biggest, whatever you say goes. You tell me where to sleep and I'll sleep there." Smiling in response.

  Xiang Qiong felt a bit awkward, tucked her hair behind her ear and went back to the room to fetch a key and a access card, saying: "This is the main door key, this access card, you take it first." Then she went back to the room again, rummaging through something, and came out with a keychain handed to Si Lu Chen.

  "Put these two together with your office keychain. I see you don't have anything on your keys, it's easy to lose them this way."

  It's still the same as back then, Si Luo Chen pays attention to everything, she just isn't good at expressing herself.

  Si Luo Chen had a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, took over the keychain and took out the office key from the bag, put it together inside, and then picked it up.

  "Are we going to check out that rehab center next week?"

  Si Lu Chen couldn't help but quickly change the subject, or else he wouldn't be able to control his urge to kiss this woman.

  "Hmm, I'll go take a look, but I always feel that this woman is not simple." It's rare for someone to be evaluated by Qian Tong like this, making Si Luo Chen curious.

  "She's a woman, and yet she's in charge of an American national enterprise, which makes her not simple at all. Moreover, the way she looks at us, it's clear that she's known us for a long time." This was Qian Tong's sharp intuition, and Si Luo Chen believed her words.

  "So you're saying we shouldn't go?"

  "Let's go take a look first, I hope it's just me being paranoid. We've been busy all day, do you want to drink something?" As he spoke, he had already arrived at the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

  Milk.

  "You can drink this high-fat stuff at night and not get fat, it's really enviable." He took out milk and a can of beer, heated the milk in the microwave and handed it to Si Luochen, but she opened the beer and drank more than half of it.

  "Milk is rich in calcium, otherwise how would you grow so tall? You're getting more and more fond of drinking wine." He said, taking a big gulp of milk, and smacking his lips contentedly.

  "I rarely drink milk and I'm not much shorter than you. As for drinking, it's a way to kill time when I'm bored." Xiang Qian Tong said as she walked over to the sofa and turned on the TV.

  "It's two centimeters shorter than mine." She muttered discontentedly, then said: "You're the only one who likes this bitter stuff. Drinking milk is better for beauty and sleep."

  His gaze swept over the TV casually as he continued asking: "You didn't used to think you'd be bored and need wine to pass the time, what happened?"

  Xiang Qiong didn't respond, intently staring at the TV. It was unclear whether she was fully absorbed in the show or lost in thought, her delicate profile and high nose, eyes sparkling with the light from the TV.

  Thought this matter would be settled like a stone sinking into the ocean, but then heard.

  "Wine is actually a good thing, it depends on how you appreciate it. Drinking too much hurts the body, drinking too little is just a waste, but getting it just right makes all the difference." Just as he was about to pick up the beer from the coffee table, Si Luo Chen beat him to it: "You say that so well, I think I'll have a drink now." With a smile playing on his lips, he downed the entire can of beer in one gulp. However, he drank too quickly and let out a rather unbecoming belch, followed by two light coughs.

  It happened too quickly to stop, and as he looked at her disheveled appearance, a smile curled up at the corner of Qian Tong's mouth.

  "Just drink it, I'm not refusing you, what's the rush." As he spoke, his hand slid down Si Luochen's back to comfort him.

  "This wine is really undrinkable, you'd better not drink it in the future. I think it's not only unable to pass the time, but also a torture, how can it be compared with milk?" Si Luo Chen's alcohol tolerance was originally poor, and his pale and delicate face immediately flushed with two red clouds, his eyes sparkling as if he had a few hints of intoxication, and even his expression was soft.

  Qian Tong's gaze was fixed on the woman in front of him, his eyes filled with a warm smile, and his heart seemed to soften along with hers.

  "Alright, just like you, why don't you drink more milk?" was the smiling but not quite smiling response.

  "This is just about right." Just as he thought of standing up straight, his head felt heavy and he fell into Qian Tong's arms.

  "...". Thousand Tong's body paused for a moment.

  "Dizzy, you drink this stuff like it's water." Muttering to herself, she struggled to get up several times before finally managing: "I'm going to take a bath first, Qian Tong."

  Looking at her swaying figure, I really didn't think that there would be someone in this world who is so sensitive to alcohol, drinking half a can of beer and ending up like this. Worried about her, I went over to support her: "Let me help you over, be careful not to fall."

  Si Luo Chen raised his eyes, his red face puzzled, and asked: "Do you want to take a bath with me?"

  To Qian Tong: "......"

  Her head gently shook, and the breath she exhaled was filled with the scent of wine, accompanied by the fragrance of milk, making people dizzy.

  "I don't mind." A faint smile played on his lips.

  To Qian Tong: "......"

  What was originally a kind act, but it made my ears turn bright red, and suddenly I felt that this kindness was a bit obscene. The more I admire this woman, the drunker she gets, the less she spares people, she's simply a seductress.

  She helped Si Lu Chen into the bathroom, and put out a change of clothes on the washstand, saying: "You go ahead and wash up first. If you need anything, just call me. Be careful not to slip and fall, got it?"

  Si Lu Chen did not respond with words, but simply nodded in agreement.

  Standing at the door until hearing the shower sound inside, Xiang Qian took care of the luggage brought by Si Luochen. While tidying up clothes, a card fell out from inside, and Xiang Qian was stunned on the spot after picking it up.

  It wasn't until much later that she put the card back in the box and tidied up. She, who liked cleanliness, would not hesitate to work hard to tidy up the room inside and out, no matter how late it was.

  An hour has passed and Si Luo Chen still hasn't come out, getting a bit worried, he lightly knocks on the door and asks: "Luo Chen?"

  There was no response inside, nor was there the sound of water.

  "... Xiāo Chén?" Another question, still no response. Tensely pushing open the door, he found Xiāo Chén sitting on the toilet with his head down, wearing a bathrobe after taking a shower.

  "Lu Chen, what's wrong? Are you uncomfortable?" Xiang Qian Tong came forward and squatted down to gently ask while supporting Lu Chen's shoulder.

  It took a long time for Si Luo Chen to lift his head, the corners of his eyes were slightly red from intoxication, and his gaze was hazy as he said: "Qian Tong, my head hurts so much. Is your beer bad? The more I drink, the more my head hurts."

  Qian Tong was completely stunned by the scene in front of him.

  Si Luo Chen smiled vaguely, his slender body leaning towards Qian Tong, the bathrobe slipping down to reveal his smooth and lustrous shoulders, which could no longer be covered, thus infinitely charmingly exposed under Qian Tong's gaze.

  “……”