News from Taiwan

Chapter 65 Traveling Together

After entering the hotel room, Jiang Guier collapsed onto the bed. The soft mattress made her sink into it completely. Her hair was disheveled, with a few stray strands hanging in front of her eyes, obscuring her vision. Lying there, she didn't even have the strength to reach out and brush them away; she just wanted to lie there and do nothing.

About five minutes later, she slowly reached for the bag she had carelessly tossed on the bed when she entered the room. After rummaging around inside for a while, she took out a small mirror that came with her blush. She pressed her fingertips against the cool mirror surface, looking at the lingering weariness in her eyes. Suddenly, she remembered the temperature of Shen Huaizhou's fingers when they touched her cheek—cool yet with a hint of warmth.

She unconsciously raised her hand, her fingers gently sliding along her cheek, a tingling, itchy sensation spreading through her. Looking at herself in the mirror, Jiang Guier covered her eyes, thinking about how she had just spoken with Shen Huaizhou for so long at the hotel entrance with such a tired, sunburned face and makeup smudged, and at such close social distance, he must have seen everything clearly.

Always concerned about her appearance, she only hoped that it was all just her illusion.

She took a deep breath, unwilling to think about it.

Forget it, it's all in the past. She'll have to get her revenge properly at dinner later. She stood up abruptly, walked to her open suitcase, put her hands on her hips, and pondered what to wear...

She hadn't brought many clothes with her this time, mostly Chinese-style clothing and simple jeans and T-shirts. Soon her eyes fell on a moon-white silk cheongsam top, with a few pale pink peach blossoms embroidered on the diagonal placket, and the buttons were warm and elegant pearls. The cuffs were slightly flared pipa sleeves, which would definitely make a person's neck look slender when worn.

She changed her clothes, the sound of her fingertips gliding over pearls echoing continuously. Her long nails made it difficult to button the clothes, so she lowered her head and slowly buttoned them up. The silk material clung to her back, with a slightly cool and slippery feel, making her unconsciously tense her shoulders and back.

I pulled out another pair of light blue, bodycon straight-leg jeans. The cut of the jeans was neat and clean. This outfit balanced the femininity of the cheongsam, creating a Chinese-style everyday look that is currently in vogue.

Traditional clothing elevates one's temperament with a classic elegance, while jeans offer a youthful, fashionable, and down-to-earth look that is eye-catching yet not garish.

Jiang Guier nodded in satisfaction, turned around in front of the mirror, the hem of her cheongsam just covering the waistband of her jeans, revealing a small section of her fair waistline as she moved.

Looking in the mirror, she touched up her makeup and quickly looked refreshed. Jiang Guier raised her hand to tuck the stray hairs behind her ear and was surprised to find her heart pounding.

She raised her hand and pressed it to her chest, trying to calm the inexplicable tension, but when she saw herself in the mirror, her eyes were timid and her lips were slightly pursed, just like a young girl going on a date for the first time.

"What are you thinking about?!"

She bit her lower lip and stomped her foot to clear her mind of those inappropriate thoughts. "No, no, I can't let my mind wander." The girl's shyness in the mirror vanished instantly, replaced by a lively and endearing coquettishness.

Seeing her cheeks growing increasingly red, Jiang Guier grabbed her bag and went downstairs as if trying to escape.

Shen Huaizhou had been waiting in the lobby for a long time, his head down as he replied to messages.

Jiang Guier entered the hotel without looking back, and didn't even wait for him in the elevator.

So he went back to the room with Lu Qing, took a quick shower, changed into a smoky gray cotton shirt, unbuttoned two buttons at the collar to reveal his well-defined collarbone, and wore dark blue casual trousers. He leaned against the sofa, the warm yellow wall lamp casting soft light and shadow on him, softening his originally sharp features and giving him a halo.

After Jiang Guier got off the elevator, she didn't need to look around much; she could spot Shen Huaizhou standing out from the crowd at a glance.

She paused for a moment, then thought to herself: That's a bit pretentious!

As she approached, Shen Huaizhou looked up, his gaze lingering on her for a moment before darkening.

He straightened up and handed over the water glass that had been placed on the coffee table: "Would you like some water to calm down?"

Jiang Guier clearly wanted to refuse, but her hand unconsciously rose to take the water glass. Her fingertips accidentally touched his fingers, and she flinched slightly as if burned. "Thank you."

The water was just the right temperature, sliding down my throat, but it couldn't quell the burning sensation in my heart.

She could feel Shen Huaizhou's gaze on her clothes, and she thought to herself with pride: Look, look, you're amazed by my carefully chosen outfit, aren't you?

She raised an eyebrow without flinching. "Mr. Shen has a plan?"

Shen Huaizhou looked at her slightly reddened earlobes, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips. He didn't speak, but simply raised his hand to brush away a stray hair from her shoulder. His fingertips brushed against her shoulder, the movement as light as a feather, yet it made Jiang Guier stiffen. Her grip on the water glass tightened, spilling a few drops of water that landed on the back of her hand, feeling cool and refreshing.

he!
he!
What is he doing?! "Let's go out and see what we can eat." Seeing her tense, Shen Huaizhou withdrew his hand, his voice low and gentle, with a hint of indulgence, and stood up to make an inviting gesture.

"So Mr. Shen had no plans at all." Jiang Guier seized the opportunity and retorted.

"I am willing to search together with Miss Jiang."

The two walked side by side toward the door, their footsteps echoing clearly in the hall. They were so close that they could smell each other's scents—the fragrance of tea on him mingled with the jasmine scent on her clothes, swirling together in the air.

Jiang Guier was deep in thought, trying to figure out how to reply, and walked silently to the hotel entrance.

Just as Shen Huaizhou was about to push open the hotel door, he suddenly saw the people opposite him. His pupils dilated instantly, and he stopped in his tracks. Before he could react, the door was suddenly pulled open amidst a noisy commotion.

Lu Qing stood at the door with seven or eight people, a hearty smile on his face: "Senior brother, Miss Jiang, what a coincidence." The people behind him also greeted him.

"coincidence!"

"Mr. Shen, Ms. Jiang, good evening."

"What a coincidence!"

"Miss Jiang looks beautiful today."

In an instant, the quiet hall was filled with voices, and the previously ambiguous atmosphere was instantly dispelled.

Jiang Guier subconsciously took a half step back, bumping into Shen Huaizhou's arm. She couldn't help but look at him, only to see a playful smile in his eyes.

Shen Huaizhou reached out and helped her up, whispering, "Be careful."

"Thank you." Jiang Guier's expression turned slightly cold as she stood aloof to the side.

Lu Qing pretended not to notice the subtle tension between the two and took a big step forward. He mustered his courage and pretended to be reckless as he patted Shen Huaizhou on the shoulder, explaining the reason for their appearance.

"Senior brother, it's not that we didn't invite you, but we thought you must be tired after just landing in Taiwan and needed to rest, so we probably didn't want to come out. What happened today has been quite a shock to everyone, and since there are going to be changes in our work, we couldn't stay idle during this rare break, so we all insisted on going out together, and that's how we ended up with such a large group!"

He smiled, and the group of people behind him smiled too. "I didn't expect to see you two as soon as I stepped out. What a coincidence!"

Everyone grinned broadly, and you can't hit someone who's smiling.

It's obvious they're all pretending to be stupid; everyone just wants to go along, to be a giant light bulb, ensuring that while illuminating Jiang Guier and Shen Huaizhou, they can also light up the Taipei night sky.

Jiang Guier laughed, "President Lu is so free." She didn't expose what these people really thought; she was never one to keep her mouth shut.

Shen Huaizhou withdrew his hand, put it in his pocket, and glanced at the huge crowd in front of him before returning to Jiang Guier's ambiguous smile, a faint curve appearing at the corner of her mouth.

What was supposed to be a trip for the two of them alone suddenly turned into a lively group outing. The budding ambiguity in the air was suppressed by the sudden influx of people, but there was an inexplicable subtle tension beneath the surface.

"Then let's go together."

Shen Huaizhou's words brought the atmosphere to a climax. Everyone started discussing and planning where to go for a stroll.

Seeing the noisy crowd, Jiang Guier, who was initially a little nervous, calmed down considerably.

It's good to be with lots of people, as long as you're not alone!
(End of this chapter)