Chapter Thirty-Three: When Did You Start Liking Me?

“Wait, I have something to ask you!”

Shen Qingli watched as the man responded, suddenly recalling what had happened before falling asleep.

“Go ahead.”

Lu Jinchuan spoke as he gently placed her back onto the bed, then immediately turned to fetch the medical kit.

“That spirit pill belonged to a fox. Why is it that when you absorbed it, you could do so on your own?”

Her gaze locked onto Lu Jinchuan, not blinking once as she scrutinized him.

But with his back turned, she didn’t see the guilty flicker in his eyes.

“Let’s apply the medicine first, be good.”

He turned to face Shen Qingli, his words laced with a coaxing warmth.

Seeing him dodging the question, Shen Qingli raised her eyebrows in suspicion.

“Caicai, look, there’s definitely something shady going on!”

The little green coriander spirit was drenched in cold sweat, swallowing nervously. [Host, you’re on your own for this.]

She truly had no solution left and thought it best to feign ignorance. Otherwise, given her host’s temperament, she’d surely have her skin stripped!

Watching his hand reach out, Shen Qingli’s eyes flashed, and she feigned anger, pushing his hand away.

“Speak first! If you don’t give me a proper explanation, I won’t let you apply the medicine!”

Lu Jinchuan couldn’t help but smile at her adorable, fierce act.

“Let’s apply the medicine first. Once we’re done, I’ll answer any question you ask.”

Hearing this, Shen Qingli eyed him skeptically. “Really?”

“Mm.” Lu Jinchuan nodded, observing the wounds on her body. He thought of the medicinal herbs within him, as well as the fox’s core—undoubtedly An Yan’s. And the injuries she bore…

Thinking of this, Lu Jinchuan’s heart ached even more and he spoke up.

“Don’t risk yourself for me again. Take care of yourself first. I’ll be fine.”

Shen Qingli blinked. “You saved me too. The spiritual energy in my body—is it yours?”

Seeing her unwavering gaze, Lu Jinchuan knew he couldn’t hide it any longer and nodded.

“It’s mine.”

Her eyes widened. “So what’s going on, Lu Jinchuan? You have to tell me everything today. If you don’t, then you—then you can never touch me again!”

She puffed her cheeks in anger, but to Lu Jinchuan, it was nothing but endearing.

He smirked, flicked her forehead gently, then cleared his throat and earnestly wove a lie.

“It’s like this: I’ve been frail since childhood. Later, an old Taoist visited, and after that, I somehow acquired spiritual energy within me. Thanks to that, I’ve grown up as I am now.”

Shen Qingli narrowed her eyes, suspecting he was treating her like a fool.

“After meeting you, I discovered you also had spiritual energy. I thought perhaps we were similar, otherwise, why would you have it too?”

He spoke with convincing seriousness, ignoring her skeptical gaze.

Then, as he looked at her, his eyes softened into affection. “At first, I just found it intriguing. Later, seeing your clever spirit, I thought you were interesting. And then, when I saw you bullied by the Shen family, I felt compelled to protect you.”

His earnest expression and the emotion in his eyes left Shen Qingli momentarily stunned. An indescribable feeling rose within her, growing clearer with every word.

She blurted out, “When did you start liking me?”

“When I lost you. I rushed over and found you lying lifeless in a pool of blood. At that moment, I knew—even if it cost me my life, I had to bring you back.”

Her emotions surged uncontrollably at his words, and the confusion in her heart finally crystallized.

It felt as if her heart could no longer be restrained.

The word “love” bubbled up unconsciously in her mind, and Shen Qingli had only one thought: Oh no!

Her heart pounded like a drum. Though he hadn’t uttered any sweet nothings, his voice alone seemed so beautiful it could explode.

She didn’t realize that a flush had already spread across her cheeks. Xie Jinchuan saw it, and his own heart melted into a puddle.

“What are you thinking?”

His melodious voice sounded in her ear, snapping Shen Qingli back to reality. She felt the unnatural warmth on her cheeks.

She must be blushing!

In a flustered rush, she buried herself in Xie Jinchuan’s arms, knocking him onto the bed, and muttered with a pout, “Nothing! I’m just tired. Sleep!”

…

The Lu family enjoyed their quiet days, but at Lu Corporation, chaos reigned.

Phones rang nonstop, everyone hurried frantically, and problems only grew more tangled, like a knotted rope tightening with every twist.

Secretary Zhao, arms full of documents and breathing heavily, stacked the files on the desk, only to find that Lu Ziyi, who should have been at work, was nowhere to be found.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm.

She had played a role in the company’s current predicament. If she hadn’t called Lu Ziyi half a month ago, things wouldn’t be as dire, even with no one at the helm.

Originally, Lu Ziyi had refused to join the company. Yet somehow, two days later, he returned, relying on his status to act recklessly, overturning every deal Xie had previously established.

Lu Corporation was a massive enterprise with many longstanding partners. With Xie absent, delays were understandable.

But after those delays, Lu Ziyi brought in a slew of small companies, insisting on forming alliances, with the Shen Group leading the charge. The key issue was their lack of familiarity with the business, calling for guidance on every minor decision, leaving the secretariat exhausted and overwhelmed.

“Sister Zhao, it’s been half a month. Please ask how Xie is doing. If he doesn’t come back soon, Lu Corporation will be bankrupted by these parasites.”

“Exactly. Maybe give him a call. Shen Jingrong is practically treating Lu Corporation as her own. She barks orders around the office as if we’re her servants.”

“If Xie doesn’t return soon, I’m quitting. I can’t take it anymore!”

Secretary Zhao gripped her phone tightly. “I’ll ask again…”

So, a week after Xie Jinchuan’s health improved, he received a call from Secretary Zhao.

At that time, Xie Jinchuan was massaging Shen Qingli’s waist. He chatted intermittently with Secretary Zhao for quite a while, and Shen Qingli caught bits and pieces of the conversation.