Chapter 249 Forced to Do It

From that day on, Shen Jianxi stayed there.

Qin Lang arranged for many people to attend to her, but it felt more like surveillance than care. Wherever she went, she was followed by many people. Qin Lang himself rarely appeared before her. After sending her a human-skin mask that night, he disappeared. Shen Jianxi inquired and learned there was likely another war to fight.

Although she was served delicious food and drinks daily, she was still troubled. Two days had passed, and she hadn't found an opportunity to return. She didn't know if the time flow between this world and her original world was still 2:1. Even with that ratio, it was already Sunday in the real world. If she couldn't return before Monday, she'd lose pay!

Shen Jianxi stopped walking. The guards following behind her also stopped not far away. She looked up at the sky helplessly, turned around, and stared at them with a stern face, "Your Majesty... I don't need you to follow me. Disperse." The guards behind her said nothing, their faces expressionless like mannequins. Shen Jianxi: "..." Fine, she gave up.

She walked a few steps quickly, and the guards behind her also quickened their pace. She stopped, and they stopped too. Shen Jianxi couldn't hold back any longer. No matter what, she had to go back today. She glanced at the woods not far away, her mind raced, and she stepped towards them. She repeatedly alternated between accelerating and decelerating. Just as the guards behind her grew tired, she suddenly accelerated. Those behind her thought she was doing it on purpose, as before. They didn't expect her pace to quicken, and finally, she started running. By the time they caught up, they could only see a small dot, which eventually disappeared.

"Damn it!" Number Three kicked the fallen leaves on the ground and looked around. The scenery was the same everywhere. He divided the people into four groups to search separately, while he himself would report back to Qin Lang.

"General." Number Three knelt on the ground, his face pale. "I'm sorry, General, she's gone." Qin Lang rested his forehead on one hand, idly playing with a water cup, and chuckled knowingly, "Gone?" He stood up, walked in front of Number Three, and waved dismissively, "You may leave." The tent flap was wide open, facing the training ground filled with soldiers training shirtless. The scorching sun made it difficult to open one's eyes.

...

Shen Jianxi returned to her room with a pounding heart. She covered her eyes, revealing a slit, and cautiously picked up her phone, turning on the screen. Time: 13:49. Date: Sunday. "Whoosh—" She let out a long sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, thank goodness." Fortunately, this world was like Charles's world. Heaven knew how worried she was during those days and nights there, fearing she would be late.

There was no signal there, so Shen Jianxi hadn't brought her phone. Now she saw a few messages from Feng Chuyao. She glanced at them; they were basically apologies for her abrupt departure that day. The image of the steady man appeared before her, and she looked down to reply that it was okay. Messages from the other side came quickly.

Feng Chuyao: [Miss Shen, are you free? To express my apologies, I'd like to treat you to another meal.]

Shen Jianxi, naturally, wouldn't refuse someone she was interested in.

Shen Jianxi: [Okay, Mr. Feng, what time?]

Feng Chuyao: [Can tonight be okay?]

Shen Jianxi: [Alright.]

They arranged to meet at six in the evening at a restaurant called "Chu." Shen Jianxi had heard of this place; it was the city's largest and most atmospheric romantic restaurant. When she first saw the name, she thought she'd misread it and confirmed it twice. It wasn't until she saw Feng Chuyao send the location that she believed it. Some things between adults didn't need to be said explicitly, but to prevent herself from misinterpreting, Shen Jianxi silently repeated "just friends" three times in her heart.

It was still early, so she decided to go out shopping first. There was a large supermarket not far from home. Here, you could find any food or supplies you needed. The fruit here was plentiful and affordable, the vegetables were fresh, and the service was excellent. Therefore, it was also a favorite supermarket among the city's residents. Many people drove half the city to shop here.

There wasn't much food left at home. Shen Jianxi came this time to buy some fruits and vegetables, as well as some milk and snacks. Her goal was clear, and she pushed her cart directly to the shelves, putting her usual snacks into the cart. It wasn't until a "bang" sound of two carts colliding that she looked away from the shelves.

"I'm so sorry!"

"My apologies!"

The identical apologies made them both pause, and then, upon seeing each other's faces, they smiled in unison.

"What a coincidence, Mr. Feng."

Feng Chuyao was also very surprised to see her, having never expected to run into the person he had just made plans with. He instinctively reached to adjust his glasses but suddenly remembered he had undergone corrective surgery for his vision. His hand hovered awkwardly in mid-air for a moment before he casually retracted it.

"Long time no see, Miss Shen." He glanced at the shopping cart opposite her. His doctor's instinct made him blurt out upon seeing a cart full of snacks, "These are bad for your health." The next second, he realized what he had just said and awkwardly tried to backtrack, "But they're good for your psychology. Studies show that snacks can bring joy and prevent many psychological illnesses."

Shen Jianxi looked at the man's regretful expression, her lips curled, and she nodded solemnly, saying, "Mr. Feng is very right. For my physical and mental health, I'll eat less!" As she spoke, she placed the few bags of potato chips she had just picked up back onto the shelf.

Seeing that she took his words to heart, Feng Chuyao uncomfortably shifted his gaze elsewhere, his face unconsciously flushing slightly. When Shen Jianxi finished putting her things away, he consciously turned his cart and walked alongside hers. Fortunately, the aisle was wide enough, and there weren't too many people in the supermarket today, so they weren't blocking the way. She glanced at the man from the corner of her eye. His casual suit today was free of wrinkles, exuding a relaxed yet somewhat meticulous demeanor. He stood tall with steady steps, but the corners of his lips were pursed into a straight line due to nervousness.

"Mr. Feng," she suddenly spoke, causing the man beside her to instinctively straighten his back. "I don't mind what happened last time. You don't need to go to such expense again." What was meant as a casual remark to break the tense atmosphere turned out to make the man stop in his tracks. Shen Jianxi also halted.

Feng Chuyao pondered for a moment, his expression calm and composed, but his grip on the cart handle was so tight it was about to break. After a pause, he looked at her with a hint of nervousness and said earnestly, "Miss Shen, the apology was just an excuse I came up with." He paused, then spoke again: "I just wanted to see you."