Chapter 131 - 124: The Blind Date with Jiang Jingshi

Chapter 131: Chapter 124: The Blind Date with Jiang Jingshi

"At the time, I was just thinking... I wonder if I’ll run into you on my next project. If I do, will I lose to you again?"

"Hmm?" Lin Zhengran heard something unexpected and asked, "If I may be so bold, Jiang, what is your next project?"

"An online gaming competition. I’m putting together a leaderboard."

Lin Zhengran: "..."

Jiang Jingshi saw the look in his eyes, her brow furrowing slightly. Her red lips curved into an amused smile. "No way. Is it really such a coincidence? Am I really this fated to be with you, Zhengran?"

Suddenly, a few cats noticed the two of them. Specifically, they noticed a scent emanating from the person their owner, Jiang Jingshi, was talking to, and their noses twitched.

They glanced at each other as if confirming something, then suddenly all ran into Jiang Jingshi’s arms, wanting to give their owner a hand.

Jiang Jingshi was mid-sentence when her arms were suddenly full of cats. She was already in high heels, and now a whole clowder of cats had jumped on her.

She lost her balance and stumbled toward Lin Zhengran.

Lin Zhengran quickly caught her—again.

He wasn’t sure why it was "again," but the scene felt oddly familiar. "Jiang, be careful!"

With a startled cry, Jiang Jingshi found herself leaning against his chest. She instinctively glanced back at the cats, only to see them scattering away.

Jiang Jingshi found it strange. "What’s with them today..." She added, "I’m fine."

Then she turned her head and suddenly found herself inches away from Lin Zhengran, who had been about to ask if she was okay.

Their noses were almost touching. From a distance, it looked like there was only a hair’s breadth of space between them.

Jiang Jingshi’s gentle eyes suddenly began to study Lin Zhengran’s, her cheeks tinged with red.

Just then, the door in the distance was suddenly pushed open. A staff member’s anxious voice called out, "President Jiang! Are you okay?! I just heard..." Her words trailed off as she froze, seeing President Jiang lying in the arms of the man who had just arrived, gazing into his eyes.

The staff member instantly understood their relationship. Awkwardly, she spun around and covered her eyes. "President Jiang, I’m so sorry! I’m sorry!"

Jiang Jingshi hurriedly pulled away from Lin Zhengran. She stood up straight, covering her lips with the back of her hand as she tried to suppress her racing heart. Only after the blush on her cheeks began to fade did she turn to question the staff member, her tone becoming inexplicably stern:

"What is it? Did you even knock before barging in?"

The staff member was flustered; President Jiang could be quite fierce about certain things.

"I’m so sorry, President Jiang! I was about to knock, but then I heard you cry out in alarm. I thought maybe you’d been scratched by a cat or something, so I didn’t knock... Anyway, I’m sorry, so sorry! I didn’t see anything! Really!"

Her fingers clenched slightly, her heart still racing, but she decided not to press the issue. "Forget it. Just be more careful next time. What did you need from me?"

"Ah! Your phone keeps ringing. I wanted to bring it to you." She clutched the phone, not daring to turn around.

Jiang Jingshi didn’t walk over. "Who’s calling?"

"The caller ID says it’s your sister..."

Lin Zhengran stood up as well.

Jiang Jingshi: "Don’t answer it. If she calls me today, I’m not picking up, period."

"Okay, I understand. I’ll head out then. I’ll definitely knock next time I come in! Please don’t be angry! I’ll be careful next time." With that, she quickly left.

Lin Zhengran asked, "Jiang Qian was calling you?"

Hearing Lin Zhengran’s voice, Jiang Jingshi recalled the recent scene, a faint blush still on her cheeks. She smiled. "It’s nothing. By the way, Zhengran, have you had dinner yet?"

Lin Zhengran: "Not yet. I was planning to grab something to eat on my way out tonight."

"Perfect. I’ll cook for you."

"Huh?"

"Why so surprised? Isn’t it normal for a woman to know how to cook? Besides, I haven’t eaten either. We can eat together. It’s a good chance to talk about today’s main topic. Besides the family arrangement, there was something else I wanted to discuss with you, Zhengran."

Jiang Jingshi walked over to a wall in the distance and pushed open a hidden door, revealing a luxurious kitchen.

It was fully stocked with every kind of cookware and cutlery imaginable.

Jiang Jingshi walked inside. "Do you like steak? Someone happened to send me a fine cut this afternoon. I prepared it in advance since I knew you were coming. All I need to do now is give it a quick sear. It should be delicious."

Lin Zhengran followed her in. "Sounds great. Thank you, Jiang."

"No need to be so formal."

Jiang Jingshi tied on an apron and took out the steak.

She expertly cut it into small pieces, turned on the range hood, and coated a pan with butter.

Lin Zhengran was a bit surprised by her skillful movements.

"You’re really skilled in the kitchen, Jiang."

"Mm." Jiang Jingshi glanced at him. "But is it really that surprising that I can cook? I actually have a lot of hobbies, and cooking is one of them. It’s just that almost no one ever gets to eat my food. Only my family, really. Besides them, you’re the first."

Lin Zhengran smiled. "Then I’m truly honored."

The butter-fried steak SIZZLED in the pan, and a fragrant aroma quickly filled the air.

A hint of shyness crossed Jiang Jingshi’s face. "The steak will be ready soon. By the way, about the cats earlier... they’re not usually like that. I don’t know what got into them... I’m sorry."

"It’s nothing. Just a small accident."

"For some reason, I always seem to lose my composure in front of you, Zhengran. Maybe..."

Jiang Jingshi glanced at Lin Zhengran and happened to notice a small red mark on his shoulder.

It looked like her lipstick had smudged onto it.

A few short minutes later, after the steak was done, Jiang Jingshi speared a small piece with a fork and held it to Lin Zhengran’s lips. "Have a taste. My skills should be pretty good."

Lin Zhengran reached for the fork, but Jiang Jingshi seemed reluctant to give it up, her eyes fixed on him. "Just open your mouth. See how it tastes."

After thanking her, Lin Zhengran ate it and was pleasantly surprised. "It’s really good. Delicious. It seems you’re quite talented in this area, Jiang."

Jiang Jingshi felt a sense of joy well up inside her, though she wasn’t sure where it was coming from. "Really? Then have another piece. We’ll take the rest to the table to eat."

She forked another piece and brought it to Lin Zhengran’s mouth, cupping her hand underneath to prevent any juices from dripping on his clothes. She was incredibly gentle. "Ah~ open up. Be careful, it’s hot."

She brought the steak to a nearby dining table. Instead of sitting across from Lin Zhengran, Jiang Jingshi sat down beside him.

She found a wet wipe, applied some makeup remover to it, and began to dab at the lipstick on his shoulder. "I accidentally got some lipstick on you just now. You go ahead and eat; I’ll get this." She cut off what Lin Zhengran was about to say:

"Don’t say you can do it yourself. A woman’s touch is more delicate. You won’t be able to get it all off on your own."

So Lin Zhengran went straight to the point, "What was it you wanted to talk to me about earlier, Jiang?"

Jiang Jingshi’s eyes were fixed on the lipstick stain on his shoulder:

"It’s about the competition, actually. Did you watch all of today’s matches? Did you notice anything strange? I didn’t see anything, and everyone I asked said it was normal, but I just had this nagging, weird feeling today. I was wondering if you felt it too, Zhengran."