My Aloof Husband Can't Stop His Devoted Affection

Chapter 283 - 276:

The grand group had dwindled to just Lu Xize and Zhu Qinghan after Jiang Baizhou, Cen Jin, and Ye Lingran left.Lu Xize, with one hand in his pocket, tilted his head to look at Zhu Qinghan’s profile, his face still brimming with a carefree smile, "Senior, any plans for the afternoon?"

"I have plans with someone this afternoon, I’ll take a cab there, it’s about time, and I know you’re very busy, so I won’t bother you. Let’s have a meal together next time when we’re both free," Zhu Qinghan replied with a gentle smile and light tone. She indeed had plans for 3:30 PM, but now that Jiang Baizhou was gone, there was no need to linger.

Lu Xize, though free today, didn’t intend to waste time with Zhu Qinghan. Though acquainted, they weren’t particularly close. Just a courtesy would suffice, and besides, he had a dinner to attend tonight — a friend’s birthday — which he must go to.

"Alright then, I won’t keep you. Let’s invite Senior Zhu Chen for a meal next time."

"Okay." Zhu Qinghan responded with a slight smile, then hailed a cab by the roadside, waved at him, and sped off.

Lu Xize stretched his neck and loosened his limbs, stepping in his leather shoes on the snow, heading towards the consulting room.

After arriving at Cen Jin’s studio by car, Ye Lingran thanked Jiang Baizhou and got out first. Cen Jin unbuckled her seat belt, turned to him, and saw his deep eyes intently staring at her, so she humorously said, "Why are you suddenly looking at me like that?"

"Do you have plans with them tonight?"

"It’s Yun Xi’s birthday today; I only found out this morning." Cen Jin smiled sweetly, holding his big hand: "So, I won’t be having dinner with you tonight! I’ll call you after the meal; you have to come and pick me up!"

"Alright." Jiang Baizhou clasped her hand, slowly raised it to his lips, and gently kissed it, "Not too late."

"Got it!" Cen Jin replied with a cheerful smile, leaning over to steal a kiss on his handsome face, "Okay, I’m heading out now."

This kiss caught Jiang Baizhou by surprise, but watching her get out and run towards the house, a slight smile appeared on his usually stern face, and his eyebrows relaxed, brimming with pleasure. He restarted the car and drove back to the consulting room.

***

By evening, the sky was darkening, a cold wind was blowing, and the street corners’ neon lights reflected off the white snow, as if draping it in a colorful veil.

Cen Jin spent the entire afternoon immersed in designing wedding dresses and gowns. It wasn’t until Ling Quan came over to submit her project report that she collected her thoughts, checked the time, and realized it was almost six o’clock. Stretching, she smiled at Ling Quan, "Thanks for your hard work, pack up and you can leave. It’s cold, head home early and be careful on your way."

"Alright, you shouldn’t stay too late either, see you tomorrow." Ling Quan, with her beautiful oval face, smiled ever so slightly, exuding an aura that could overthrow cities, yet her nature was not flamboyant, rather, she was discreet and reserved.

"Okay."

Watching Ling Quan, Fan Yunru, and Liu Zhiyan leave one after the other, Cen Jin flipped through the project report Ling Quan submitted, raising an eyebrow in satisfaction before she finished reading it when her phone on the desk suddenly rang — it was Yun Xi calling her, so she answered, "Hey, Yun Xi."

"Are you guys done over there? I just left the office and I’m heading over."

"I’m done. I’ll check how Lingran is doing, you come over first!"

"Alright!" With that, Yun Xi hung up.

Cen Jin put the phone aside, got up, and walked to the door of Ye Lingran’s design room. Just as she was about to knock with her fingers, the door unexpectedly opened, and Ye Lingran came out. The two looked at each other and couldn’t help but laugh, "I was just about to check when you would be done. Yun Xi just called to hurry us."

"I just checked the time too and came out thinking about our meeting with Yun Xi."

"Then clean up, and I’ll get the cake next door."

"Alright."

Cen Jin returned, put on her coat, went out of the studio, and went to a cake shop next door where they had ordered a cake for Yun Xi in the afternoon. Initially, she intended to make a cake herself at her family’s place, Ms. Qin’s, but Ms. Qin was too busy with several orders in the afternoon, so she had no choice but to order one from the shop next door.

When she came back with the cake, Ye Lingran had almost finished up.

After about six or seven minutes of waiting, Yun Xi pulled up in a red Porsche outside the studio, and the two of them carried their bags and the cake out.

Yun Xi was sitting in the car, lowering the window and waving when she saw them coming out. Suddenly noticing the cake in Cen Jin’s hand, she was quite surprised, "Didn’t I tell you not to buy anything, why’d you get such a big cake?"

"It’s your birthday, and you didn’t tell us sooner, so we didn’t have time to prepare a gift, just got you a little cake, it’s not much but it’s our thought."

"Yeah! You only told us this morning."

"Oh, it’s just a regular birthday, I don’t like to make a big deal out of it. I just wanted to have a meal with you two. I didn’t invite anyone else. If my brother weren’t on a business trip today, he’d be here, but he flew to Luocheng at 1 PM, and he’ll be back by the latest the morning after tomorrow. Alright, you two get in the car quickly, it’s freezing outside, and the wind is so strong, save yourselves from catching a cold, otherwise Jiang Baizhou and a certain someone will get mad at me."

Cen Jin smiled knowingly at her mention of a certain someone, casting a meaningful glance at Ye Lingran.

Ye Lingran paused, and faced with their gazes, her face turned red, and she felt a bit flustered, "What are you looking at me like that for?"

"Haha, nothing, nothing," Yun Xi raised her pretty eyebrows, smiling knowingly.

Faced with Yun Xi’s ’guilty’ smile, Ye Lingran felt helpless but could not explain, so she entered the car with a blushed face under their intense gaze.

Cen Jin and Yun Xi exchanged glances and laughed silently.

There was definitely some kind of chemistry between her and Yun Qi, because just two days ago, during a media interview, Yun Qi made it very clear that he already had a fiancée. That night, Yun Xi had gone back to the Yun Family, and under Yun Mu’s questioning, Yun Qi had said nothing except that the fiancée’s surname is Ye. Yun Xi thought, among the people they know, the only one with the surname Ye is Ye Lingran.

But it didn’t seem like they were dating, more like leading their own lives and being busy with their work. Yun Xi had even been warned by Yun Qi not to interfere or ask too many questions, including the same to Yun Mu.