Chapter 594: In an intimate moment after drinking, who am I to you?
"Just...a male colleague?"
Tang Wan slightly frowned upon hearing this explanation, Jiang Jinsang made sense, after Shen Shuci moved to the capital for work, it was natural that he had his own circle of friends, being single and unmarried, going out with someone of the opposite sex was perfectly normal.
But she had to explain, always feeling like there was an air of protesting too much.
"When should Fifth Brother and I go over tomorrow?"
"Whenever it’s convenient for you, just give me a call in advance."
"Have you been drinking?" Tang Wan had sensed it earlier; her voice sounded a bit floaty today.
"I had a little."
"Then take care of yourself."
After hanging up the phone, Shen Shuci sighed a long breath of relief. This whole thing was like a Rashomon; if she told Tang Wan who she was with, Tang Wan would definitely ask why, and she couldn’t just say she was off to poach skills, then last time’s incident would be exposed, and things would just get more and more complicated...
The fruit wine was sweet but not rich, carrying a strong, fresh lychee flavor. Shen Shuci drank quite a bit without noticing, already feeling tipsy, the world spinning around her, incapable of sensing the subtle shift of atmosphere inside the car.
Only when the car stopped in front of the apartment building did she grab her bag and stagger out.
"Mr. Huo, sorry to trouble you today and for taking the time to bring me back."
"You’re welcome."
"Then I’ll head back now; you should also go back and rest early." Shen Shuci’s steps were unsteady, even seeing the person in front of her was blurry, stumbling toward the building entrance. The motion-sensor light came on, she clutched the railing, slowly stepping up, looking like she could fall backward at any moment.
"Sir? Miss Shen over here..." The Huo family staff member was about to suggest, "Shouldn’t you follow up and check on her?" But the man in the back had already pushed the door open and gotten out.
He followed Shen Shuci at a leisurely pace, watching her sway to the door, then reaching into her bag to search for her keys...
"Huh?" Shen Shuci frowned, "Where are my keys?"
Her body swayed, and she stumbled backward, her movements slow, her whole body going limp like a boneless figure.
The man moved quickly, taking two steps forward, reaching out to catch her. His long arm passed around her waist and easily pulled her into his embrace. The dim yellow light from the corridor sensor cast shadows as he looked down at her.
The girl in his arms had cheeks flushed red, and even though they maintained such closeness, she still looked bewildered, unaware of what had happened.
Her bag slipped from her hands as she instinctively grabbed onto his clothes, leaning softly against him.
Her breath fanned across his chest, like a spark igniting in a wasteland, starting from the chaotic beating of his heart, a heat seemed to warm his whole chest.
"Uh..." Shen Shuci grabbed onto his clothes, "You... uh—stop swaying. My keys, I..."
As she spoke, she tried to step back to pick up her bag, but suddenly someone grabbed her wrist, rough fingertips, dry palms...
Yet unexpectedly hot.
"Mr. Huo?" Shen Shuci was slow to react, but not so much that she couldn’t recognize a person.
"You’ve had too much to drink."
His voice was low and husky, steady breathing, yet slightly hot.
Shen Shuci felt a warm breeze pass by; she already felt hot after the wine, now her face felt even hotter, a blush spreading across her fair skin.
Vivid and charming.
"The keys... I, hic—need to find my keys," Shen Shuci said, instinctively trying to pull her wrist from his firm grasp.
His fingers slightly loosened, his dry, hot fingers tightly gripping her wrist as though he held her life in his hand, making it hard to breathe. When the pressure from his grip eased, she just managed to breathe a sigh of relief...
In the next second!
His fingers moved down, holding her hand.
Shen Shuci’s nerves were taut, the warmth and dryness of his fingers were too intimate to ignore.
"Mr. Huo?"
She was getting anxious. What was he doing?
Their gazes met, his voice deep and commanding, "Don’t move."
The man held her hand in his, looking down at it. Her fingers were slender and delicate in his palm as if they had no bones, he didn’t dare to use too much force.
Shen Shuci felt his warm fingertips slowly slide across her palm, sparking flames that made her hand grow hotter.
Suddenly, the corridor lights went out, and the only things they could feel were each other’s heartbeats and the undeniable heat of their clasped hands.
All was too quiet around them, unable to see anything, stripped of vision, their senses became even more acute.
"Mr. Huo..." Shen Shuci’s breathing and heartbeat unconsciously quickened, maybe influenced by the environment, her voice becoming very light.