Chapter 47: Speculations Triggered by a Pair of Shoes (Please vote for monthly tickets!!!)

In the evening, after finishing work, Guan Ju'er quietly slipped into Room 2102 to offer Qin Hao another solemn apology.

Looking at her ashamed little expression, Qin Hao lifted her chin and teased, "An apology alone won't do. You need to show some substantive action, don't you?"

Guan Ju'er's face flushed instantly. She spat out a soft "tsk," "You're just looking for an excuse to take advantage of me."

Nevertheless, she obediently stood on her tiptoes and offered him a fragrant kiss.

Qin Hao responded tenderly. Just as the two were about to lose themselves in passion, a sudden knock sounded at the door.

"Qiu Yan, are you in?"

Guan Ju'er startled awake, saying nervously, "It's Sister Fan. What should I do? It's so late; if she sees me in your house, she'll definitely be suspicious."

"Then go hide in my bedroom for a while," Qin Hao suggested after a moment's thought.

Guan Ju'er hurriedly broke free from Qin Hao's embrace and ran into the bedroom.

Only after hearing the sound of the bedroom door being locked did Qin Hao open the front door.

"Sister Fan, it's so late. Is there nothing that can wait until tomorrow?" Qin Hao said with a hint of helplessness. Even a Buddha would feel some irritation when having a good moment interrupted.

Fan Shengmei said apologetically, "I'm sorry to disturb you so late. I just have something I want to verify; otherwise, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep all night."

"Oh? What's so serious?"

Fan Shengmei recounted what Wang Baichuan had told her, placing particular emphasis on the 500,000 yuan annual salary he mentioned.

"It is true. As you know, the company is developing the 'Strict Selection' stores, and we need someone reliable and capable for procurement. Capable people are easy to find, but reliable ones are not. I've had several dealings with Wang Baichuan and even had his background checked. He's a good candidate, so I invited him to join the company," Qin Hao explained.

"Actually, I have to thank you, Sister Fan. If it weren't for you, Wang Baichuan might not have been willing to help me. You've brought me a great general," Qin Hao added.

Fan Shengmei's face instantly lit up with joy. That's women for you—though they might complain about their boyfriends verbally, they are secretly delighted when someone praises them. Moreover, since Qin Hao was her boss, she immediately gave Wang Baichuan ten extra points in her mind.

As Fan Shengmei was about to leave, her gaze swept across the shoe rack by the door and she suddenly noticed a pair of women's flats. The style looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't quite place where she had seen them.

"Uh, it's getting late, so I won't disturb you any longer. But thank you again for giving Wang Baichuan this opportunity," Fan Shengmei said, not being foolish and quickly making her exit.

Hearing the footsteps outside, Guan Ju'er opened the bedroom door, poked her head out, and asked nervously, "How is it? Has Sister Fan left?"

Qin Hao couldn't help but find it funny. "How long do you plan to hide this from them? Or do you find this sneaking around more thrilling?"

"Don't talk nonsense," Guan Ju'er said, blushing as she gave him a playful scold.

"Have you forgotten about Qu Xiaoxiao? She lives to stir up trouble. Last time it was Supervisor Bai, and this time it was almost Sister Fan who would have forced Wang to break up with you..."

Qin Hao reached out, pulled Guan Ju'er into his arms, and said softly, "You, you just like to overthink. I'm not a scumbag like Bai, nor am I Wang Baichuan, and you aren't Yingying or Sister Fan. As long as the two of us are sincere, even ten Qu Xiaoxiaos couldn't break us apart."

Guan Ju'er was deeply moved, but she still insisted on not going public. In her heart, she always felt that Qin Hao was too outstanding, while she was just an ordinary girl.

She feared that the shelf life of her first love would be too short—that before she could fully taste the sweetness of love, she would have to face the bitterness of a breakup.

Seeing her persistence, Qin Hao could only let her be. This girl appeared fragile on the surface, but she was actually quite stubborn; once she made up her mind, few could sway her.

Just as Guan Ju'er was preparing to change her shoes to leave, Qin Hao called her back.

"You should change into a different pair of shoes. Sister Fan was staring at those shoes on the rack for quite a while. If you go out now, you'll walk right into a trap."

Guan Ju'er was startled and patted her chest. "Luckily, these shoes are new; I only wore them for the first time today. But... I can't exactly go home in slippers, can I?"

Qin Hao thought for a moment. "The malls aren't closed yet. I'll go with you to buy a few pairs."

"Fine, then. But I have to pay for them myself," Guan Ju'er emphasized.

Qin Hao said helplessly, "Alright. We'll see if you're still this particular about splitting things once we're married and have children."

Guan Ju'er's face turned bright red. She spat, "Who said I'm marrying you?"

"Oh? Really? Are you sure you won't?" Qin Hao teased, giving her a quick kiss on the lips.

Guan Ju'er didn't speak; she simply stood on her tiptoes and kissed him back. That was her answer.

While Qin Hao was shopping with Guan Ju'er, Fan Shengmei returned to Room 2202 and immediately called Qiu Yingying into the living room, asking mysteriously, "Yingying, has your brother started dating someone?"

Qiu Yingying looked bewildered. "Has he? My brother never mentioned it."

Fan Shengmei said with exasperation, "Didn't you notice anything unusual when you were downstairs? For example, women's clothes, or women's cosmetics, toothbrushes, or long hair in the bathroom?"

"I... I don't recall. Every time I go to my brother's place, I'm just focused on playing games and eating," Qiu Yingying stammered.

Fan Shengmei poked Qiu Yingying's forehead, speechless. "You really are just a foodie."

"Sister Fan, did you discover something?" Qiu Yingying asked with a gossipy look.

Fan Shengmei whispered, "I found a pair of women's flats on your brother's shoe rack."

"Why would there be women's shoes at my brother's place? Maybe you saw wrong, Sister Fan? Boys' shoes are very flashy these days; maybe they're his," Qiu Yingying doubted.

"How is that possible? Those shoes were so small, size 36 at most. Your brother wears at least a size 42. There's no way they're his," Fan Shengmei said irritably.

"Does that mean my brother found me a sister-in-law? But why hasn't he ever told me?" Qiu Yingying mumbled, hugging a cushion.

Fan Shengmei's mouth twitched. She thought to herself: *It's also possible your brother just found a girl to balance out his hormones.*

"By the way, where is Guan Guan? Is she working overtime again? It's so late and she's still not back," Fan Shengmei asked curiously, noticing there were no lights in Guan Ju'er's room.

Qiu Yingying replied casually, "Probably. Guan Guan is such a hard worker; she even goes to the library on weekends. She's even more studious than when she was in school."

A while later, Guan Ju'er returned to Room 2202. As soon as she entered, Qiu Yingying popped out from somewhere, grabbed her, and said mysteriously, "Guan Guan, let me tell you a secret. I think my brother might be in a relationship."

Guan Ju'er turned pale, thinking her secret had been discovered by Qiu Yingying.

It turned out to be a false alarm. After listening to Qiu Yingying recount the story of the shoes Fan Shengmei had seen, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Huh, Guan Guan, why is your forehead so sweaty? Are you hot?"

"Ah, oh, it's fine. I was just walking fast on the way here."

"Sigh, Guan Guan, what do you think my brother's girlfriend looks like?"

Guan Ju'er smiled inwardly. *What else could she look like? Just like the kind you see every day.*

(End of Chapter)