The next morning, after sending Li Liusi home, Shen Lang went back to his rented place and immediately opened WeChat, planning to explain things to Xia Shuyi and see how she felt about him and Li Liusi.
"Sleeping already? Wanna chat?"
Xia Shuyi replied with a blunt and angry message:
"Sleeping!! {angry face}"
The short and sharp reply, with two exclamation marks and an angry emoji, clearly showed she was annoyed. But in reality, she was probably waiting for Shen Lang to explain himself.
The deal was that Xia Shuyi wouldn't interfere in Shen Lang's personal life, and she had even encouraged him to pursue Li Liusi. However, Xia Shuyi didn't expect Shen Lang to get close to that naive girl so quickly.
Xia Shuyi's angry attitude was actually a sign of jealousy. She wasn't an unreasonable person—in fact, she was more mature and sensible than most women. Her attitude towards the situation depended entirely on how Shen Lang handled it next.
"If you regret it now, I'll clear things up with her right away."
Shen Lang's reply neither admitted to a relationship with Li Liusi nor did it acknowledge Xia Shuyi's previous encouragement. Xia Shuyi knew Li Liusi had feelings for Shen Lang, and if Shen Lang decided to reject her, it would hurt Li Liusi emotionally. Xia Shuyi, being a kind person, couldn't just stand by and let that happen.
Xia Shuyi was left speechless for a few minutes before she could only reply with:
"You little jerk, you're such a scumbag! I really misjudged you!" {angry face}
At this point, Shen Lang knew he needed to change the topic to lighten the mood. Otherwise, the conversation would only get more uncomfortable.
Xia Shuyi was most interested in talking about her daughter, Mengmeng. As they say, if you want to win over a single mother, getting along with her child is the way to go. Once you're good with the kid, winning over the mom is just a matter of time.
"Hey, is Mengmeng asleep yet? I haven't seen her in a while and miss her."
Xia Shuyi sent a cute picture of Mengmeng asleep, adding:
"She's asleep. She practiced piano all afternoon today."
"Mengmeng is so young; don't you think piano lessons are too much for her?"
"You don't understand. She needs to start young. I even thought about getting her to learn the guzheng (a traditional Chinese instrument)."
They chatted for over forty minutes about Mengmeng. Xia Shuyi opened up about her daughter enthusiastically, and they both tactfully avoided discussing Li Liusi.
Once the conversation about the child was done, it was time to talk about more adult matters.
"Xia Jie, I miss you. {rose}"
Xia Shuyi took a while to reply, sending an awkward emoji. It seemed she might be reluctant to make too much noise and wake Mengmeng, or perhaps she missed Shen Lang too and wasn't sure whether to have him come over or go to his place.
The emoji hinted at many possible feelings, but the underlying principle was clear: Xia Shuyi wanted Shen Lang to take the lead.
"Wait, I'm coming to find you!"
Shen Lang used a decisive exclamation mark instead of a question mark, knowing Xia Shuyi likely wanted him to come to her.
As expected, Xia Shuyi's response came quickly:
"When you come over, don't knock. My door isn't locked, just push it open. Remember to be quiet; Mengmeng just fell asleep!"
That night, Shen Lang quietly arrived at Building 3, Room 1702, in front of Xia Shuyi's door.
He opened the door quietly, noticing the living room was dimly lit, and Xia Shuyi was wearing a light, cool blue nightgown, sitting on the soft sofa. Her elegant legs looked especially alluring in the subtle light.
Hearing Shen Lang's entrance, Xia Shuyi didn't turn to look at him but kept her head down, her shoulder-length hair covering her face. In the soft light, Shen Lang could see a hint of her flushed cheeks, giving off a shy, feminine vibe.
"Xia Jie~!"
Shen Lang shut the door behind him and quickly moved in, eagerly embracing Xia Shuyi as if he were a hungry wolf, his passion unrestrained.
After a few intense moments, Xia Shuyi, breathless and clinging to Shen Lang, complained playfully:
"You little jerk, living in my place, enjoying my company, playing with my feelings, and using the car I bought for you to chase after that poor girl. I must have owed you in my past life!"
Hearing this, Shen Lang was out of breath, his heart racing, and he quickly urged:
"Sis, keep scolding me, I love hearing you get mad."
"You little scumbag!! What's with this bad behavior? Do you just enjoy being scolded by me?!"
Xia Shuyi's eyes were filled with desire. She pressed her hands on Shen Lang's shoulders and bit his neck, unable to contain her emotions.