Chapter 31: Cooking Cat Food For Her
Because it was raining and they were in a bustling downtown area, the car naturally couldn't go too fast.
There was another traffic light ahead, with a long line of cars waiting, so the driver, Old Zhang, could only inch along slowly.
"Mister, how many years have you been driving?"
Qin Mo, sitting in the back, suddenly asked.
Old Zhang was momentarily stunned before reacting and replying, "Uh... haha, almost, almost ten years, I'd say."
Qin Mo's question seemed casual, but before Old Zhang could relax, she suddenly spoke again:
"Your driving is so smooth. This is the first time I've seen a ride-hailing car driven this steadily."
Her words, though spoken in a nonchalant tone, made Old Zhang break out in a cold sweat.
Yes, ride-hailing drivers, even those for premium services, were at most experienced drivers. They weren't like Old Zhang, who had spent ten years driving exclusively for a company.
Luanhuang wasn't an ordinary small company. It had a certain reputation. Especially when receiving important clients, they always used dedicated, specially trained drivers.
Naturally, control over speed and timing had to be stricter than that of an average driver. Even while driving, they would only look straight ahead, never letting their gaze wander.
For Old Zhang, who had been a dedicated driver for many years, these habits had become second nature.
Qin Mo frequently dealt with clients from large companies and had some understanding of these standards. Moreover, as someone in public relations, she placed the highest emphasis on professionalism.
Old Zhang’s attire, his demeanor while driving, and his almost obsessive steadiness with the car's speed… all these made Qin Mo feel he was too professional to be a ride-hailing driver.
What puzzled her even more was that, for a ride-hailing driver, the car was too clean and tidy, and he only had one phone?
Qin Mo had seen plenty of ride-hailing drivers, and they typically used at least two phones—one for grabbing orders, another for personal use, or perhaps even registered with another ride-hailing app.
In short, the fact that Shen Jin had quickly secured such a high-end ride-hailing car, combined with all these unusual details, made Qin Mo truly suspect—Shen Jin had directly arranged for this driver.
“Hmm…”
Just as Qin Mo was pondering how to test her suspicions, Shen Jin suddenly leaned close to her ear.
“Um, Ms. Qin,” her voice was very low, “actually, this is Mr. Wei Nan’s private car.”
Qin Mo: “…”
Clever as Shen Jin was, how could she not notice that Qin Mo had been probing? So, she chose to “admit” it first.
“I used to be… Mr. Wei’s…” Shen Jin deliberately put on a hesitant expression, “mistress.”
Qin Mo: “…”
The mistress of the movie star Wei Nan was her own kept woman?!
Her lips couldn’t help but twitch, but then she heard Shen Jin explain: “Don’t overthink it, Ms. Qin. I never slept with him, nor did we kiss.”
Qin Mo: “…”
Shen Jin’s lips were almost brushing her earlobe as she slowly whispered a few more words: “He’s impotent.”
Qin Mo: “…”
The bombshell revelation was a bit overwhelming.
In a distant private apartment, Wei Nan, who was eating spicy and sour noodles, suddenly let out a huge sneeze.
“Damn it!”
The movie star choked dramatically, pounding his chest with tears streaming down his face. “Who the hell is badmouthing me?!”
Half an hour later.
The car, which had fallen into a deathly silence since Shen Jin’s revelation, finally stopped in front of the apartment building.
This time, Qin Mo didn’t dwell on why the ride-hailing car was so luxurious. After hurriedly paying the fare, she quickly opened the door to get out.
Shen Jin was faster. She had already pushed open the car door, stepped out with her long legs, and rushed to Qin Mo’s side of the car, swiftly opening an umbrella with a flourish.
The rain began to patter down again, and Shen Jin diligently held the umbrella over Qin Mo, completely ignoring the wet patch spreading across her own back and shoulders.
“Come on, Ms. Qin,” Shen Jin said, wrapping an arm around Qin Mo’s shoulders and tilting most of the umbrella toward her. “Let’s hurry inside.”
Escorting Qin Mo into the apartment building, Shen Jin closed the umbrella at the entrance and shook off the water droplets.
Qin Mo turned and saw Shen Jin, back to her, shaking the umbrella, with new wet spots on her fresh clothes. She couldn’t help but pause.
This woman…
Her heart warmed for a moment, but it was suddenly tinged with a hint of bitterness.
Qin Mo realized: it had been a long time since someone had held an umbrella for her so thoughtfully.
Not since she got married…
“Ms. Qin?”
Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted. Qin Mo, lost in a daze, looked up blankly and saw Shen Jin standing in front of her, smiling.
“Don’t catch a cold. Let’s head upstairs.”
As she spoke, Shen Jin naturally took Qin Mo’s hand, as if guiding a lost kitten, leading her toward the elevator.
Qin Mo’s heart skipped a beat.
Shen Jin’s hand was soft, distinctly feminine and delicate, yet in that moment, it gave Qin Mo an odd sensation.
Her palm was warm, the heat transferring through their touching hands, making Qin Mo feel a subtle burning on the back of her hand.
“…”
The elevator soon reached the fifteenth floor. Shen Jin, still holding Qin Mo’s hand, stepped out without any sign of letting go.
Qin Mo felt a slight embarrassment and tried to pull her hand away, wanting to head to her own apartment.
“Shen…”
“Ms. Qin, you haven’t had dinner yet, right?”
Before Qin Mo could finish speaking, Shen Jin interrupted her with a smile, swiftly pulling out keys to unlock the door.
She tugged Qin Mo inside her apartment.
“I haven’t eaten either,” Shen Jin said, as if worried the little kitten might escape, quickly shutting the door.
“Since our apartments are just across from each other, why don’t you eat here, Ms. Qin? It’s nice to have company.”
Without waiting for Qin Mo’s response, Shen Jin ushered the dazed little kitten into the living room, enthusiastically asking, “Ms. Qin, how about a hot shower first?”
Her tone was so doting, like a Japanese housewife, that Qin Mo was stunned, blinking several times in utter confusion.
Shen Jin moved quickly, grabbing a brand-new bath towel and face towel from the living room cabinet, stuffing them into Qin Mo’s arms.
“My place has an air-source water heater, so there’s plenty of hot water,” Shen Jin said, gently pushing Qin Mo toward the bathroom. “Ms. Qin, take a nice shower. I’ll make dinner.”
Still completely bewildered, Qin Mo found herself led into the bathroom, standing in front of the shower.
“Shampoo and shower gel are there, and the toothbrush and face wash are new too,” Shen Jin said, laying out a bath mat and non-slip pad, smiling like a charming mistress. “If you don’t want a shower and prefer a bath, Ms. Qin, just fill the tub.”
The shower was on the left, the bathtub on the right. After showing Qin Mo where the bath supplies were, Shen Jin stepped out.
Click. The bathroom door was gently closed.
The dazed little kitten stood there for a good ten seconds, then blankly looked at the mirror in front of her.
Like a kitten seeing a mirror for the first time, staring at its own reflection and freezing in place.
Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
After a philosophical triple-whammy, Qin Mo finally noticed she was clutching a bath towel and face towel, pristine and bright white.
“…”
In the kitchen.
Shen Jin sliced a piece of ginger and grabbed a chunk of brown sugar, tossing them into a pot to simmer a warming ginger soup.
Then, with enthusiasm, she opened the fridge, surveying the array of ingredients inside.
What kind of “cat food” should she make for her kitten?
Judging by Qin Mo’s mood tonight, she was likely still feeling down. Plus, after being coaxed into the public restroom for a bit of fun, she was probably quite hungry.
After half a second of thought, Shen Jin pulled out two tomatoes and two eggs, placing them on the counter.
For a disciplined woman like Qin Mo, heavy or greasy food at night wouldn’t do. A light, appetizing tomato and egg noodle dish should be perfect.
Shen Jin set a pot of water to boil, cracked the eggs into a bowl, and whisked them into a smooth liquid.
Once the water was hot, she used part of it to cook the noodles and part to blanch the tomatoes for easy peeling, then diced them.
She heated a pan, poured in a suitable amount of oil, scrambled the eggs, then added the tomatoes and seasonings, stir-frying until a rich sauce formed.
The noodles were done too. Shen Jin used chopsticks to portion out just the right amount, draining the water and placing them in a bowl before topping them with the freshly made tomato and egg sauce.
A serving of fresh “cat food” was ready. Shen Jin, quite pleased, set it on the table, glanced at the time, and headed to the bathroom to call Qin Mo.
She knocked on the door, but there was no response. Feeling puzzled, Shen Jin simply pushed the door open.
As a result, Shen Jin saw Qin Mo, wrapped in a bath towel, standing in front of the steamy washstand, head lowered, intently poking at a potted mimosa plant on a small table.
Her chest half-exposed, Qin Mo seemed completely lost in a trance. She leaned slightly against the sink, her left hand gripping the edge, her right hand hovering, index finger relentlessly poking the mimosa.
The poor mimosa had curled up its leaves in defeat.
Yet Qin Mo kept poking it with unabated enthusiasm, looking every bit like a kitten playfully batting at its owner’s plants, thoroughly enjoying herself.
Shen Jin: “…”
Was that pot she was raising a mimosa or catnip?