A Favor Done, A Husband Won

Chapter 373 - 367: Trying Every Opportunity to Bring Her Back

After resting in the room until the afternoon, Shi Su didn’t fall asleep, but probably because she had been lying down for several hours, the pain in her stomach eased considerably.The rain outside had stopped, but the sky was still overcast. In the distance, the clouds were so dark it seemed as if they were pressing down on the city, indicating that another heavy rain might fall at any moment. The weather forecast also mentioned that there would be heavy rains from the afternoon till evening, and sure enough, the airport announced that tonight’s flights could not take off.

When she was preparing to have lunch, Shi Su didn’t expect to meet two unexpected guests.

The past two days, Mr. Shi and Shi Dongyang, who had just come to the Hong Kong Exchange, unexpectedly showed up and happened to bump into Shi Su as she was heading downstairs for lunch.

She really couldn’t fathom who was orchestrating these deliberate coincidences.

Hong Kong is such a big place, with plenty of nice hotels. Even if everyone thought staying near Victoria Harbour was comfortable and offered beautiful scenery and suited their status, there was more than one hotel around here, so how did Mr. Shi and Shi Dongyang end up here too?

When passing through the hotel lobby and having a chance encounter, Mr. Shi was being wheeled out of the car in a high-end wheelchair designated for the hotel’s use, being directed towards the private elevator by hotel staff.

Upon suddenly seeing Shi Su, Mr. Shi didn’t stop to look directly at her; he just passed by. Shi Su had no intention of greeting him, and Mr. Shi didn’t call her over either.

Shi Dongyang, however, as he passed by Shi Su, cast his eyes over her, but Shi Su had already walked away.

Nevertheless, Shi Su didn’t end up having that lunch.

Only a few minutes later, Shi Dongyang called, saying they were staying here today, and grandfather hadn’t had lunch yet, inviting her to join them; they had already reserved a place at a restaurant across the hotel.

Shi Su’s attitude towards the Shi Family has always been indifferent, never intentional, avoiding if she could, but not overly hostile.

Her view is straightforward: don’t contact, don’t get close, and don’t rely on the Shi Family for anything. Although she and Mr. Shi can’t really function as deeply bonded grandparent and grandchild, after all, they were among the few relatives she had, not considered as people from the same world. Usually, she’d ignore them, but since they bumped into each other, it was just an invitation for a meal; if she wasn’t busy, she saw no need for deliberate avoidance.

Just like during the New Year when Mr. Shi and his family booked a nearby hotel in the capital for a reunion dinner, since she was already nearby, she had to at least give some face.

So she went.

The restaurant was right across from the hotel, about two hundred meters on foot, and since the rain had stopped, she didn’t bother with an umbrella.

When she arrived at the restaurant, she saw Mr. Shi and Shi Dongyang, who had been waiting in the private booth for a while, and she also noticed a young foreign gentleman seated opposite them, whose attire suggested he was a person from the business circle.

"You’ve come, sit." Mr. Shi, knowing she would come, said this to her plainly and gestured for her to sit next to the foreign man.

Shi Su glanced at the distance between the seats and with a nonchalant demeanor, she went to sit down. The foreign gentleman gave her a friendly smile and nod, to which she only returned a cool and indifferent look, showing no intention of being affable.

"We’ve been in Hong Kong for a few days. Dongyang came here to meet clients today and happened to change hotels as well," Mr. Shi said.

Shi Su didn’t bother to analyze the reason behind their hotel change. With Shi Dongyang around, it wouldn’t be anything good anyway. Maybe he came here to provoke her since this so-called cousin was no good to begin with.

"Is it because of the rainstorm that you can’t fly back?" Mr. Shi asked again.

Shi Su replied, "Yes."

Mr. Shi nodded: "Then you probably can’t leave for the next couple of days. Since we’re all in Hong Kong and staying nearby, let’s come out for meals together more often. Now, in the country, you and Dongyang are the only children I can meet. Although you have your own work and career, you are, after all, the granddaughter of the Shi Family. Even if you don’t return to the capital, there’s no need to cut off contact. At least you can look out for each other with Dongyang."

The words seemed close and affectionate, but Mr. Shi’s demeanor remained cold and aloof, as if by lowering himself to speak to Shi Su and acknowledging her as his granddaughter, it was an act of benevolent grace from him in his old age.

"Our work fields are different. My work circle isn’t up to your standard, so to avoid being an eyesore to each other, let’s keep our distance," Shi Su unceremoniously said, calling over a waiter to order a glass of lemon water while speaking.

Mr. Shi withdrew his gaze due to her seemingly indifferent yet blunt words and shifted to converse with the foreign gentleman seated beside Shi Su.

Shi Dongyang’s gaze occasionally fell on her, and while Shi Su sipped her lemon water, she returned a cold glance, cold and distant.

The foreign gentleman, speaking fluent Chinese, chatted with Mr. Shi about a collaboration with the Shi Family in the capital, regarding the development of new energy. When discussing it, the foreign gentleman clearly stated, "Let’s rethink this matter. Our company doesn’t have business in this area, and entering an unfamiliar field so suddenly carries too much risk. Besides, the rumors around this kind of business have been too loud the past couple of years, and no one can say what kind of money is being thrown into it, making it easy to get into trouble."

Mr. Shi nodded, lighting a cigar, took a puff, and then said, "Mr. Lao Lai often asks if I have any close people around me; here they are, a granddaughter and a grandson. They’ve both studied in the United States, and especially this granddaughter, although she doesn’t mingle in the business circle, she graduated from Princeton University, and she is your alumna, considered your junior."

"Oh? Really? What did Miss Shi study?" Mr. Lao Lai turned his curious gaze towards the strikingly beautiful lady beside him.

At first, Shi Su seemed not to hear, continuing to sip her water until the person beside her had already turned to look at her. It was only then she slowly put down the glass, but because the pain in her abdomen started throbbing again, she slightly furrowed her brows, though not very noticeably, with a smile that did not reveal her emotions. Now, Mr. Shi probably thought he was getting too old and worried that the family fortune would be squandered by Shi Dongyang, trying every possible way to find various opportunities to drag her back.

Now, this was equivalent to arranging a blind date for her, wasn’t it?

If the granddaughter really wouldn’t return, finding a suitable grandson-in-law beneficial to the family would also be good.

The way he calculated it, if it weren’t for the Shi blood running through her, having the same inherent thought process, she might not have been able to quickly figure out Mr. Shi’s ever-changing schemes.