My Aloof Husband Can't Stop His Devoted Affection

Chapter 251 - 247: Am I fragrant?

"Didn’t Director Nan say he also had things to buy? If you don’t go shopping and help me push the cart, I’m afraid I can’t handle the honor. Director Nan, you should go buy your things first!" Lu Shishu exerted a bit of force, trying to take the cart from his hands. She didn’t really want to get too involved or entangled with him now.She couldn’t avoid work interactions with him, but in her personal life, she only wished to keep her distance. She didn’t want that wound in her heart to be opened again.

She had worked hard for seven years to forget him, to close off her heart. She didn’t want to spend another seven years on anyone else. Those memories, she didn’t even wish to recall them.

"I’m not in a hurry, you go first!" Nan Jiayan wasn’t in a rush at all. In fact, saying he came to shop was just an excuse; he had been to the supermarket just last night after work. His fridge at home was already packed full.

He had just returned to settle here and had recently taken over the exhibition hall, so he was quite busy and didn’t have much time to cook. But since he got off work early yesterday and had nothing else to do, he decided to go to the supermarket because he ran out of drinking water. Upon arriving, he suddenly remembered the foods Lu Shishu used to like and couldn’t help but buy them all. That was why his double-door fridge was crammed full, and he didn’t really need to buy anything more.

"Could you do me a favor and keep your distance?" Lu Shishu realized that if she didn’t spell it out for him, he would continue to feign ignorance. The usually calm and indifferent her was genuinely becoming a bit irritated.

"Up front, there are those little chocolate cakes you used to like. Want to take a look?" Nan Jiayan remained calm, pushing the cart forward.

"Nan Jiayan." Lu Shishu’s pretty face was tinged with anger as she shouted his full name.

Nan Jiayan was startled, stopping in his tracks. This was the first time since their reunion that she had called him by his full name, and it gave him a bittersweet feeling, bringing back many fragments of memories to his mind.

The old her was cheerful and lively, and she liked to get angry. He used to enjoy teasing her, finding it amusing.

He never expected that hearing his name from her mouth after all these years would have such a poignant effect on him.

After a moment, Nan Jiayan turned to look at her, smiling: "That ’Nan Jiayan’ sounds much better than your cold ’Director Nan’. Shishu, I know you’re mad at me. You can even hit or scold me, but I beg you, don’t treat me like this, okay?" His voice grew deeper and more plaintive toward the end, almost pleading.

Lu Shishu pursed her lips, letting out a cold laugh: "Director Nan really knows how to joke. How could I dare do anything to you!" She finished, then diverted her gaze and walked forward, no longer entangled with him over the shopping cart.

Yet, somewhere in her heart began to stir, though she repressed it with effort.

She had to admit that knowing he was back did fluster her calm heart of seven years, but only briefly. It didn’t happen again afterward, even the day she saw him at Xuan Mo Su Hua; her heart remained remarkably calm, perhaps because it had long since died.

Nan Jiayan pursed his lips, looking at her retreating figure, chuckling softly, almost as if mocking himself. Only after she disappeared around the corner did he stride after her.

On the other side, Cen Jin and Jiang Baizhou had picked out quite a few fruits in the fresh produce section. Cen Jin looked at the shopping cart quite satisfied and nodded approvingly.

"Can you eat all that?" Jiang Baizhou asked, unable to hold back as he watched her enthusiasm.

"Of course, fruits are healthy! Besides, I can take some to the studio. There’s a small fridge there, too, where I can snack on fruits during breaks." Cen Jin replied with confidence.

Jiang Baizhou felt helpless, pushing the cart as he followed her. After she had finished selecting her items, they went to the checkout area, but they didn’t see Lu Shishu and Nan Jiayan. Cen Jin took out her phone and called Lu Shishu.

The phone rang twice with no answer, and just as Cen Jin was about to hang up, she heard a familiar voice from not far away: "Cen Jin, over here."

Cen Jin looked over, seeing Lu Shishu and Nan Jiayan walking toward them, one in front and the other behind, and she smiled as she asked, "Finished shopping?"

"Yeah, and you?"

"Almost. So, should we queue here to check out, or use the self-checkout up front?"

"Let’s use the self-checkout. It looks like there are fewer people there."

"Okay."

The four of them went to two self-checkout machines. After scanning all the barcodes, Jiang Baizhou and Nan Jiayan surprisingly shared a moment of tacit understanding, quietly bagging the items. Whatever they scanned, the two of them would bag it together. Even when it was time to pay, they simultaneously pulled out their phones from their pockets, opened their payment QR codes, and presented them to the scanner.

It made sense for Jiang Baizhou to pay for Cen Jin, considering they were married and didn’t distinguish between each other. But for Nan Jiayan to pay for Lu Shishu, that was a bit off.

Their current relationship was somewhat awkward—former lovers and college classmates. Neither seemed a good enough reason for him to pay for her.

"What are you doing?" So, when the receipt printed out, Lu Shishu questioned him.

"Let’s go first, others are waiting," Nan Jiayan said, not entirely without reason, as there really were a couple of people in line behind Lu Shishu with their carts full.

After hearing him, Lu Shishu instinctively turned around to check, but before she could see clearly, Nan Jiayan took the opportunity to grab her hand and pull her outside: "Let’s go, don’t hold people up."

"Hey... Nan Jiayan..." Feeling the familiar warmth of his palm, Lu Shishu paused for a moment, pulled back to those school days again, as if nothing had changed, leaving her in a daze. Her red lips moved slightly, murmuring those few notes, yet she couldn’t continue further.

After all these years, her feelings indeed seemed unchanged and yet different.

Cen Jin and Jiang Baizhou stood in place, watching them leave. They both raised an eyebrow, exchanged a glance, and Cen Jin blinked, asking curiously, "So... what’s the deal here?"

"What do you think?"

"As they say, a good horse doesn’t return to old pastures. I honestly don’t suggest Shishu take Nan Jiayan back; it’s really not appealing." Cen Jin had seen how she climbed out of the emotional low point back then and naturally hoped she wouldn’t get hurt again.

Jiang Baizhou let out a soft laugh, refraining from commenting on Lu Shishu and Nan Jiayan’s past. Instead, he leaned forward, a charming smile on his face, "Hmm? Do you find me appealing?"