Chapter 381: First Step: Getting Engaged (1)

By the time Shen Jingchen was done having a meal with his dormmates, it was twenty minutes past the time he was supposed to meet up with Shen Jingbin. This was his last semester of university, and they were now about to part ways after spending so long together. The thought of this left Shen Jingchen feeling wistful, so he dawdled for a little longer.

As he sped towards the school gates in his car, he thought about what excuse he'd give to placate the demon queen.

His sister was both warm and courteous towards outsiders, but there wasn't any trace of said courtesy when it came to dealing with him. She always hated it when people were late, and now that he'd made her wait for twenty minutes, there was a good chance she was going to tear him a new one.

Little did he expect to come across his sister's enchanting figure before he even reached the school gates. Unexpectedly, there was a man standing beside her, and even more shockingly, they were acting all lovey dovey! If he hadn't spotted the luggage bag beside the man, he might have suspected that his sister was having an affair!

Shen Jingchen drove up to the couple, wound down the window, and greeted Zhao Chengning with a smile. "Hey, Ah Ning, why're you here so soon? I thought you wouldn't be here for a few more days yet."

"I've sorted out all the important things already. All the minor details have been left to the grunts to take care of."

"Open up the boot," Shen Jingbin said as she bent down to pick up Zhao Chengning's luggage before heading to the back of the car to stow it away.

Thinking to himself that Shen Jingbin probably wouldn't be able to hear them from this far away, Shen Jingchen hurriedly motioned at Zhao Chengning with his eyes for him to come nearer. Zhao Chengning walked over with a look of confusion.

"Did you come over because you're planning to do 'it'?" Shen Jingchen asked with a wink.

Zhao Chengning froze for a moment before a smile blossomed on his face. "That's a secret for now."

Shen Jingchen tsked in irritation. "Fine, fine, fine. Single dogs like me can't figure out what you young couples are interested in. Hop in, it's freezing outside."

By this time, Shen Jingbin had returned from putting away the luggage. With a nod, Zhao Chengning pulled opened the car door and sat inside with Shen Jingbin.

"Where are you staying? At a hotel? Which one?" Shen Jingchen couldn't help but shiver when he looked into the rear view mirror and saw how intimate the two of them were being.

Zhao Chengning was currently caught in Shen Jingbin's clutches. He looked towards the driver's seat and said, "I came over as soon as I got off the plane, so I haven't had the time to make any reservations yet."

"Don't bother booking then. Our villa has some empty rooms, so you're free to come stay with us if you're okay with it. And, if the guest room isn't up to your standards, why don't you stay in her room instead?" as he said that, he turned and looked at the couple with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Shen Jingbin shot him a withering glare that was borne either out of embarrassment or frustration. "Enough with the nonsense, just focus on driving."

Shen Jingchen's lips curled upwards and he looked back to the front, but not before remembering to toss another sarcastic remark her way. "Tch. Don't tell me you're feeling embarrassed?"

Zhao Chengning laughed. "I need to get her approval before I decide where to stay."

He might have been said it to Shen Jingchen, but his eyes were locked on Shen Jingbin.

Shen Jingbin just silently glared at him.

Didn't he already know the answer? Men who do these kinds of things are the worst!

In the end, Zhao Chengning really did opt to stay at their villa. Aunt Zhang still hadn't returned, so they hired a temporary housekeeper for the interim. The replacement housekeeper was both hardworking and fleet-footed. By the time they'd reached home, she'd managed to get the guest room all tidied up.

Upon hearing that Zhao Chengning had come, Old Master Shen picked up the phone and called both generations of the Shen family back to the Shen estate for a meal. After dinner that night, Old Master Shen looked like he wanted to say something to Zhao Chengning. A glance from him was all it took for his wife to figure out what he wanted. Grandmother Shen proceeded to usher the siblings upstairs, leaving Zhao Chengning alone with the three seniors from the Shen household.

While ascending the stairs, Shen Jingbin worriedly looked back at Zhao Chenging, but he gave her a reassuring smile to allay her fears. He could more or less guess what was going to happen next, so he psyched himself up and made ready to face it.