Free Web NovelChapter 450: Chapter 161: Stealing Her Man (Part 2)
"Manager, I..." The saleswoman’s face was filled with regret. She felt she was completely innocent, but the manager didn’t believe her.
After Jie Jingchen left, the manager wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He straightened up, his usual imposing air returning. "Leave. Immediately. Right now."
The saleswoman was terrified and burst into tears with a loud "WAAH!"
The sound of crying irritated the manager. He pushed her away and resumed his patrol with his hands clasped behind his back, all the while wondering, ’Who on earth was that man? Could he be the person I’m thinking of?’
’Forget it, forget it. No point dwelling on it. Better to be mistaken than to cause offense.’
It wasn’t until they had left the department store and she was on the back of the bicycle that Qin Mei snapped out of her daze. She had wanted to secretly follow Shen Qing to see what was going on with him and that man, but her surveillance attempt had been a complete bust.
After a scene like that, trying to continue was out of the question.
Qin Mei thought about the manager’s attitude toward Jie Jingchen. It was the very picture of a subordinate cowering before his superior.
"Jie Jingsi, do you know the manager of the department store?" Qin Mei asked.
Jie Jingchen’s expression faltered for a moment, and he raised a slight eyebrow. "I don’t."
Qin Mei stared suspiciously at Jie Jingchen’s back and pressed on, "Does the manager know you?"
"Probably not." Jie Jingchen wasn’t sure. It was true that he didn’t know the manager, but as for whether the manager knew him, he couldn’t say for certain.
"But he seemed pretty scared of you," Qin Mei said.
Jie Jingchen hesitated for a moment. "I’ve been on the battlefield. I’ve killed enemies. I have a certain... baleful aura. It’s normal for him to be afraid of me."
Qin Mei’s lip twitched. ’That explanation... is actually plausible.’
Qin Mei’s silence made Jie Jingchen uneasy. He worried his words had scared her, but then again, he’d seen how bold she could be. There was no way she’d be frightened by a few simple words.
"What’s wrong? Are you scared?" Jie Jingchen couldn’t help but ask in a low voice.
"HAHAHA." Qin Mei laughed, pinching his waist. "How could I be? Besides, I don’t sense any ’baleful aura’ on you."
’Jie Jingchen was the man she shared a bed with. If she was even afraid of him, she would’ve run for the hills long ago.’
Jie Jingchen smiled along with her but said nothing more.
They had wasted some time at the department store, but they still arrived home before Qin Xiang. Second Aunt-in-law had already finished cooking. Seeing they weren’t back yet, she had kept the food warm in the pot and was now sitting in the courtyard, listening to the radio and humming a little tune, looking perfectly content.
"Second Aunt-in-law," Qin Mei called out.
Second Aunt-in-law’s eyes snapped open. She reached over to turn off the radio and beamed at Qin Mei. "You’re back? Oh, Jing Si is back too? Where’s Xiao Qin? Fourth Wife of Jing, where’s your brother? Didn’t you two go out together?"
Qin Mei had left with Qin Xiang but returned with Jie Jingchen, with Qin Xiang nowhere to be seen. Second Aunt-in-law was a little confused. ’Did I remember wrong?’
"A bicycle can’t fit three people, so my brother is taking the bus back." Qin Mei sat down on a stone stool and looked at the radio on the stone table. In this era, well-off families bought televisions—the black-and-white kind—while those who were a little better off would buy a radio to listen to.
’There was a TV at home, in Jing Qi’s room. It was probably bought for Jing Qi to pass the time. Since arriving, she hadn’t seen Jing Qi watch it even once. Not that she had any interest in black-and-white TV herself.’
"Heh heh, Jing Qi gave me the radio," Second Aunt-in-law said with a chuckle.
Qin Mei smiled but didn’t say anything. ’Jing Qi had always been generous, so it wasn’t surprising she’d give the radio to Second Aunt-in-law.’
"When will your brother be back?" Second Aunt-in-law asked.
"It should be soon," Qin Mei said, though she wasn’t sure.
"Then let’s wait a bit longer." Before she’d even finished speaking, Second Aunt-in-law thought of something else. "Fourth Wife of Jing, are you hungry?"
Before Qin Mei could open her mouth, Jie Jingchen cut in. "We don’t need to wait for him. Let’s eat."
"Huh?" Second Aunt-in-law paused, stunned, and looked at Jie Jingchen as he walked over. "That doesn’t seem right."
’Qin Xiang was his brother-in-law. Eating before his brother-in-law got home... the more she thought about it, the more improper it seemed.’
"He won’t be back that quickly," Jie Jingchen said as he headed for the kitchen.
Second Aunt-in-law looked to Qin Mei. "Isn’t your brother taking the bus straight home?"
"That’s hard to say." Qin Mei didn’t know if Qin Xiang would decide to wander around for a bit.
"I see." Second Aunt-in-law thought for a moment, then called toward Jing Qi’s room, "Jing Qi, dinner’s ready!"
The three of them went into the kitchen to find that Jie Jingchen had already taken the dishes warming in the pot and set them on the table. The chopsticks were laid out, and the rice was served.
The four of them each took a side of the square table. Seeing that the other three hadn’t touched their chopsticks, Jie Jingchen decided to start. He picked up his bowl and chopsticks, grabbed a piece of braised pork belly, ate the fatty part himself, and placed the lean meat in Qin Mei’s bowl. "Hurry and eat. The food will get cold."
Qin Mei picked up her bowl and chopsticks. As she ate, she stole glances at Jie Jingchen, vaguely sensing that something was off about his mood.
