Chapter 27.1: She was caught completely off guard and was fed a piece of candy by Qian Heng.

Cheng Yao returned home like a walking corpse, completely out of it. Even when Megatron jumped onto her, eagerly seeking attention, it failed to lift her spirits.

Since Qian Heng had a dinner meeting with a client tonight, she didn’t have to cook. Deciding to skip dinner as well, she figured it didn’t matter since she had no appetite anyway.

She absentmindedly fiddled with her phone, staring at Cheng Xi’s familiar number but not daring to dial. She was afraid to hear her sister’s voice. She knew that no matter what, Cheng Xi wouldn’t say anything—she was always patient, never blamed others, and carried all the negativity on her own shoulders. But precisely because of that, Cheng Yao didn’t know how to face her.

Just then, the sound of a key turning in the door broke the silence.

Cheng Yao, with Mika in tow, cautiously tiptoed to the entrance—only to find Qian Heng standing there.

“Boss, didn’t you have dinner plans with an Austrian client tonight?”

Qian Heng was still dressed in his impeccably tailored, expensive suit. As he unfastened his watch strap, he responded matter-of-factly, “Oh, the Austrian client had something come up and couldn’t make it.”

“So…”

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“Fs, usw pbswze nssj.” Ckyd Tldt’p qynl alxykdle lmralppksdzlpp. “R oydv ryd-plyale nse, ycyzsdl kd supvla pywnl, pvka-qakle casnnszk, nsze-ealpple osse lya xwpbassxp, yde Psdtrs rsaj.”

Ubldt Zys pvyale yv bkx, ewxcqswdele. “El esd’v byhl ydu sq vbspl kdtalekldvp yv bsxl. Tso ycswv psxlvbkdt lzpl? Jyple sd obyv’p kd vbl qaketl, R nswze xyjl pnayxczle lttp okvb vsxyvslp, nlzlau okvb zkzu cwzcp, yde caykple cllq okvb rsvyvslp. Tso eslp vbyv pswde?”

“Rd xu eknvksdyau, vblal kp ds pwnb vbkdt yp plvvzkdt qsa zlpp.”

“…”

“Jwv vseyu, R’zz xyjl yd lmnlrvksd qsa usw. R’zz eakhl usw vs cwu vbl kdtalekldvp.”

Ms Ubldt Zys’p pwarakpl, Ckyd Tldt eked’v fwpv vbaso y qlo ckzzp yv bla yde vlzz bla vs vyjl y nyc—bl ynvwyzzu hszwdvllale vs cl vbl nbywqqlwa bkxplzq.

Ohld yqvla pkvvkdt kd vbl Jldvzlu, Ubldt Zys oyp pvkzz kd y eygl. Fbl tzydnle yv Ckyd Tldt’p rasqkzl yde nswzed’v blzr cwv osdela—fwpv bso cyezu eke bl oydv vs lyv nse yde ycyzsdl vbyv bl oyp okzzkdt vs eakhl bkxplzq?

Ohld vbswtb vblu oldv vs y bktb-lde pwrlaxyajlv, kv oyp pvkzz rynjle kd vbl lhldkdt. Ubldt Zys dyhktyvle vbl nasoe okvb lypl, cwv bla cspp, vbl Ckyd Tldt, oyp nzlyazu ydsvbla pvsau.

“Stop pushing me. You just touched my waist—that counts as sexual harassment.”

Standing in front of the milk aisle, Qian Heng coldly warned an older woman behind him.

Clearly, this high-and-mighty, aloof boss of hers rarely visited supermarkets himself, let alone encountered the formidable battle prowess of bargain-hunting aunties.

The woman glared at him with slanted eyes, hands on her hips, gearing up for a fight. Just as she was about to go off, Cheng Yao swiftly yanked Qian Heng behind her. “Auntie, he’s just sensitive about being touched—he’s been harassed a lot before. Please forgive him!”

The older woman grumbled a few words, shot Qian Heng another glare, and finally strutted away.

“I’ve been harassed a lot??? What exactly are you implying?”

Seeing Qian Heng’s indignation, Cheng Yao patiently explained, “You don’t understand the sheer combat ability of these aunties. You really don’t want to provoke them. Just let it go, let it go.”

“I’m a lawyer. No matter how strong they are, do you really think they can overpower me?”

The moment Qian Heng finished speaking, a commotion broke out not far from them—

“That’s the last box of half-price eggs, and it’s mine!”

“Hah, yours? What, do you have headlights on your face? It’s night, and you’re not even plugged in! Are you blind? Didn’t see that I grabbed it first? You think just standing in front of the eggs makes them yours? Why don’t you go stand in front of a bank and claim all the money is yours too?”

The woman currently dominating the argument? None other than the auntie Qian Heng had just accused of sexual harassment.

Her opponent wasn’t backing down either. “Your whole family eats crap, don’t they? Talking absolute nonsense. You must be blind too—with those tiny eyes of yours looking like a car crash scene. Did you get run over in the past?”

“Oh, Zhang Chunhua, don’t think I don’t know that you’ve been trying to steal my dance team members behind my back. And at your age, still dressing so scandalously to seduce the security guard? Hoping to get in his good graces so you can take over my dancing spot? You shameless old hag! Your sagging chest has practically reached your navel. You should’ve been an exhibit at the World Expo!”

…..

These two aunties clearly had a long history of grudges, and their insults flew non-stop, escalating from eggs to square dance rivalries. Their colorful language completely refreshed Qian Heng’s vocabulary.

Cheng Yao glanced at him. “See? If I hadn’t pulled you away, this would’ve been your fate.”

“…”

Qian Heng looked visibly reluctant to admit defeat. However, after watching the two women start pulling each other’s hair, tearing at their clothes, and exchanging vicious curses while grappling on the floor, he pressed his lips together and chose silence.

This time, he accepted his loss.

Cheng Yao had been weighed down with gloom because of Cheng Xi, but seeing the ever-dominant Qian Heng actually suffer a setback made her feel unexpectedly lighter.

Tonight, Qian Heng also seemed different from his usual efficient, no-nonsense self. After picking out his selected ingredients, he actually suggested browsing the aisles a bit longer.

“This shelf—everything from here to the end, take one of each.”

Cheng Yao looked at him uncertainly, dumbfounded. “Are you sure? One of everything?”

They were standing in front of the sweets aisle.

Did the ever-dignified, ice-cold Qian Heng… actually like sweets???

“Just buy them. Why so many questions?”

“Okay, okay.”

Since she wasn’t paying, Cheng Yao wasn’t about to argue with her boss. She obediently loaded one of each item into the cart.

She glanced at the now overflowing cart, then at Qian Heng.

Qian Heng elegantly extended his long, fair fingers. “These hands…”

“I know, I know—these hands weren’t made for pushing shopping carts.” Cheng Yao resigned herself to the task. “I’ll push, I’ll push.”

Yet even after filling an entire cart, Qian Heng still wasn’t satisfied. With his hands in his pockets, he asked, “What other snacks are particularly good?”

“There are plenty! Hokkaido Potato Sticks, Mochi ice cream, crab-flavored broad beans, Maltesers, roasted chestnuts, candied hawthorn skewers, Yoku Moku cookies, Long Nose King…”

Cheng Yao rattled off a long list, only realizing halfway through that she had gotten a bit carried away. “I think they’re all pretty tasty, hahaha…”

“Then buy them all.”

“…Huh?”

Cheng Yao had never expected this outcome. In the end, Qian Heng actually bought every single snack she mentioned. She ended up with a bag of piping-hot roasted chestnuts in one hand and a candied hawthorn skewer in the other, while the entire cart full of snacks? That was left for Qian Heng to push himself.

So there he was—dressed in an impeccably expensive suit, standing in the checkout line among aunties and young women, pushing a cart overflowing with snacks that clashed entirely with his cold, aloof demeanor.

A complete contradiction, yet somehow… it worked.

The bustling atmosphere around them seemed to soften the cold, unapproachable aura that typically surrounded Qian Heng, making him appear almost charming. It was as if a warm light had been cast over his handsome, aloof exterior, which usually kept people at a distance.

Though his striking appearance and distinguished aura made him stand out like a crane in a flock of chickens, drawing the gaze of many, Qian Heng’s temperament matched his looks—he would shoot back a freezing glare at anyone who dared to stare too long.

The people in line, deterred by his intense glare, quickly shifted their attention to Cheng Yao instead.

Most people in the supermarket were women, and it was rare to see a man as well-dressed and elegant as Qian Heng, let alone one with such an impeccable demeanor. Even the typical beer-bellied man was an exception in a place like this. Shopping for groceries and essentials seemed, almost naturally, to be a woman’s task.

Aside from his handsome looks and tall frame, the most striking feature about Qian Heng was his aura of wealth.

From his hair and clothes to every pore, he seemed to exude the unmistakable scent of money.

It was clear he was wealthy, well-cared-for, and highly important.

And yet, despite being so handsome, so rich, and so busy, this man was willing to accompany someone to the supermarket, patiently wait in line, and even buy a cart full of sweets for a woman.

People couldn’t help but look at Cheng Yao as if she were the heroine of a romance novel.

Admiration, jealousy, curiosity, and intrigue were all present in their gazes.

Cheng Yao felt uneasy under their scrutiny. She almost wanted to jump up and explain that this was her boss, and all these sweets were for her!

Finally, after a long wait, it was Qian Heng’s turn to pay.

While he was paying, Cheng Yao noticed her favorite rainbow candies on a nearby shelf and couldn’t help but glance at them for a moment. She really wanted them, but since Qian Heng was paying, she didn’t feel right asking him to cover her candy, even though they weren’t expensive.

However, perhaps by some strange coincidence, Qian Heng—who had been staring straight ahead—suddenly turned and looked at Cheng Yao. “Get me three packs of rainbow candies.”

His voice, as always, was cold and distant, carrying a sense of refinement. It felt as though he were making a major acquisition, rather than just buying some candy.

Cheng Yao was surprised. She hadn’t expected Qian Heng to like rainbow candy.

She quickly grabbed the candies, and Qian Heng paid for everything.

After the cashier packed the bags, Cheng Yao instinctively reached for them. But before she could, a pair of arms beat her to it and took the shopping bags.

“Boss?” Cheng Yao asked, confused. “Aren’t your hands…”

“My hands are certainly not for carrying shopping bags,” Qian Heng replied coolly, as always. “But with so many bags and them being so heavy, what if you drop my snacks?”

“Oh…”

Once he had finished speaking, he didn’t even glance at Cheng Yao again. He simply took the pile of supermarket bags—clearly mismatched with his expensive suit—and left without looking back.

***