My Aloof Husband Can't Stop His Devoted Affection

Chapter 256 - 252: Not very willing

"With you two talking like this, I’m tempted to bask in your glory. Cheers." Zhu Chen watched the two of them clink glasses, interjecting with a smile and raising his teacup to clink with them, then tilted his head back and drank it all: "After finishing this cup, I have a strong premonition that I won’t be single by this time next year, what do you think?" He said, turning his head to look at Zhu Qinghan beside him.Zhu Qinghan caught his gaze and couldn’t help but chuckle softly, slowly putting down the cup in her hand and looking at the bottom of it: "Why don’t I have that feeling? Is it that my tea is wrong or is it the way I’m drinking that’s wrong?"

"Then drink another cup." Zhu Chen said, lips lightly pursed, and after a few seconds of silence, he cleverly picked up the kettle to pour her another cup.

Seeing this, Zhu Qinghan rolled her eyes at him without good humor: "Even if I drank this whole kettle, it wouldn’t happen! Come on! If you have that feeling, drink a couple more cups, maybe the feeling will get stronger."

Cen Jin and Ye Lingran smiled lightly watching the two joking, occasionally exchanging a few words, making the dinner relatively harmonious.

Originally, Ye Lingran was supposed to treat everyone to dinner today, but with Zhu Qinghan and Zhu Chen’s arrival, Cen Jin thought of picking up the tab. After all, they had no relation to Ye Lingran, were acquaintances of Jiang Baizhou, and she was the one who invited them to join, so it seemed only right for her to pay.

As everyone was preparing to leave, Cen Jin intended to pay, but Zhu Qinghan stopped her: "Cen Jin, where are you going?"

"Uh... I..." Cen Jin hesitated, not wanting to explain, just smiled: "You guys go ahead, I’ll be right back."

"Are you going to pay the bill?" Zhu Qinghan saw through her intentions at once, smiled: "I already paid, it was you all who invited us to seats when we didn’t have any, allowing me to finally eat the barbecue I’ve been craving. It’s only right I pay."

"Oh, how embarrassing, Senior Sister Zhu..." Cen Jin was a bit taken aback. She thought Zhu Qinghan might have paid when she said she was going to the bathroom. Nevertheless, she felt somewhat uneasy about Zhu Qinghan treating everyone; she didn’t want to owe her anything.

"It’s okay, it’s just a dinner. If anything, Jiang Bai can treat next time." Zhu Qinghan shook her head with a smile, not taking it seriously at all.

Upon hearing that, Cen Jin frowned slightly, disliking the idea. It was their dinner, yet Jiang Baizhou was being brought into it. She talked mostly about Jiang Baizhou today, clearly expecting his presence, which was somewhat disappointing to her.

The sensitivity of a woman can be said to be unfathomable, especially a woman who already has a husband, and her husband’s senior sister is involved; she’s neither stupid nor naive. Even though Zhu Qinghan didn’t make it obvious, Cen Jin still felt uncomfortable with the underlying meaning in her words.

"By the way, last time in Milan, I added Bai Zhou’s WeChat, but he didn’t accept. What’s going on?" As they walked out of the restaurant together, the rain outside continued, Zhu Qinghan asked Cen Jin with a flash of darkness in her eyes, suddenly turning around with a smile.

Cen Jin met her gaze without the slightest hesitation and smiled: "I’m not sure, he hasn’t mentioned it to me, and I haven’t asked."

"Well then, I’ll have to ask him personally next time I see him." Zhu Qinghan lowered her gaze, watching the rainwater outside the eaves: "This rain won’t stop anytime soon. Did you drive here yourselves?"

"We’ll hail a cab back."

"A cab? It’s not easy to get one in this much rain! Zhu Chen and I drove here, why don’t we give you a lift?" Zhu Qinghan exclaimed in surprise, giving Zhu Chen a look.

"Yes! The rain is heavy and cold; if you wait here for a cab and we leave, we’ll feel guilty. Get in our car!" Zhu Chen followed up on Zhu Qinghan’s offer.

Cen Jin felt rather unwilling but didn’t want to hurt their feelings.

"Thank you both for your generosity. You’ve already spent on dinner, how could we let you drive us back as well? I actually ordered a cab while in the restaurant, it should be here in two or three minutes, and we don’t live far from here, only about ten minutes away." Just as Cen Jin didn’t know how to decline their offer politely, Ye Lingran spoke up, her voice gentle and easy-going.

Upon hearing this, Cen Jin gave her a grateful look but did not blatantly express it.

With Ye Lingran’s response, Zhu Qinghan and Zhu Chen couldn’t insist anymore. They greeted them and left together in their car.

Only after watching them leave did Cen Jin feel relieved, turning to Ye Lingran: "Ling Ran, did you call a cab?"

"No."

"What?"

"I just said that." Ye Lingran chuckled: "I find Jiang Baizhou’s senior sister not quite easy to deal with. She spoke nicely and naturally, but it felt like she had it out for you. Did you sense it?"

Cen Jin chuckled grimly, "I’m not stupid; of course I sensed it. She was passive-aggressive. I’m not very fond of interacting with her."

"So, I just found a random excuse for you."

"Thanks."

"It’s a bit cold, let’s hail a cab!"

"Okay."

They each called for a cab. Cen Jin’s arrived first, so she left first. On her way back, Cen Jin texted Jiang Baizhou asking when he’d be home. Just then, Jiang Baizhou’s class had ended, and he said he’d return around eight-thirty, adding, ’Still haven’t eaten, the canteen food’s bad.’

Reading that, Cen Jin pictured Jiang Baizhou pitifully saying it, making her smile at how he sometimes acted cute.

After thinking for a moment, Cen Jin replied, ’What do you want to eat?’

Jiang Baizhou: ’Anything.’

Cen Jin: ’Shall I pack you something near home?’

Jiang Baizhou: ’Sure.’ After a pause, he sent another message: ’Where are you now? Have you eaten?’

Cen Jin: ’On the way home, I have eaten, with Ling Ran. Then... I ran into someone you’d never guess. I’ll tell you when you’re back.’

Jiang Baizhou: ’Okay.’

Their conversation ended, and Cen Jin put away her phone. When she reached near Sijin District, she opened her umbrella and got out of the car. She went to a nearby Hunan restaurant to pack two of Jiang Baizhou’s favorite dishes and headed home.