Chapter 31: Another Kiss

“Everyone worked hard today. You must be hungry by now, right? Pack up, and late-night snacks are on me.”

As soon as Qin Hao finished speaking, a cheer erupted in the room.

“Long live the boss!”

“Boss, I love you!”

Although Fan Shengmei was exhausted and had to work the next day, she still decided to go out for late-night snacks with everyone. After all, this was their first team activity and a perfect opportunity to build rapport with the group.

Qiu Yingying suddenly thought of something: “Oh right, I wonder if Guan Guan is asleep yet. Why don't we ask her to come along?”

True to form, Qiu Yingying was the first to think of sharing something fun with her best friend.

Qin Hao couldn't help but recall that soul-stirring kiss in the underground garage that day. “Mm, just send her a WeChat message. Don't call her; what if she’s already asleep?”

Thinking that made sense, Qiu Yingying sent a WeChat message to Guan Ju'er.

Instantly, Guan Ju'er replied, saying she wanted to ask Qiu Yingying for the address.

Just as Qiu Yingying was about to send the address, Qin Hao stopped her. “It’s not safe for a girl to be out at this hour. I’ll go pick her up. You guys head over first and order some food.”

“Okay, then Brother Qiu, drive safely.”

“Don't worry, your brother is an experienced driver.”

On the way, Qiu Yingying messaged Guan Ju'er that Qin Hao was heading back to Happy Melody. Upon hearing this, Guan Ju'er panicked.

“Yingying, actually, I’m suddenly so sleepy, and I have work tomorrow. Maybe let's just skip it? Tell Brother Qiu I’m asleep and he doesn't need to pick me up.”

However, a few seconds later, Qiu Yingying sent another message.

“But my brother has already left. He should be halfway there by now.”

Guan Ju'er was completely panicked. She didn't know how to face Qin Hao. Ever since that day, she had been intentionally avoiding him, but now it seemed she couldn't escape. What should she do?

Just as Guan Ju'er was agonizing over it, her phone suddenly rang. Seeing it was Qin Hao calling, her hand trembled uncontrollably.

“Hello, Brother Qiu... actually, you don't have to come pick me up specifically. I can go by myself.”

A single sentence from Qin Hao made Guan Ju'er's brain explode.

“Guan Guan, are you avoiding me?”

What now! Was she caught? It was over. Would Brother Qiu think she was a loose woman?

Guan Ju'er forced herself to stay calm. “Ahem, no, how could that be?”

“That’s good. I’ll be at Happy Melody in five minutes. Get ready and come to the entrance of the residential complex. Remember to stay safe—don't leave the complex gates yet. I'll call you when I arrive,” Qin Hao instructed.

“Oh.” Guan Ju'er sighed inwardly. What was she going to do? His voice was still so gentle and so attentive.

After some mental preparation, Guan Ju'er took a deep breath and pushed open the door to Room 2202 with the determination of someone heading to an execution.

At the entrance of the complex, Guan Ju'er obediently followed Qin Hao's instructions and stayed inside. It wasn't until she saw the familiar Audi Q7 parked at the entrance that she walked over.

Just as Guan Ju'er mustered her courage to walk toward the back seat, Qin Hao rolled down the window.

“Sit in the front. I'm not your driver.”

“Oh.” Guan Ju'er became even more nervous.

Qin Hao didn't drive off immediately. He waited until Guan Ju'er had fastened her seatbelt before looking her over playfully.

Guan Ju'er's face flushed instantly, and she hurriedly lowered her head. “Brother Qiu, let's get going. Sister Fan and the others must be getting anxious waiting.”

“No rush, we have time.” Instead of starting the car, Qin Hao even leaned closer to Guan Ju'er's ear.

“Guan Guan, you aren't planning on playing me and then dumping me, are you?”

Guan Ju'er felt as if her brain had completely short-circuited. What did he mean by "playing and dumping"? Was he saying she was easy? Or was he saying he wanted her to take responsibility for him?

Guan Ju'er had no romantic experience; this question was far beyond her syllabus.

Seeing Guan Ju'er looking like her brain had crashed, Qin Hao couldn't help but laugh. *Sigh, teasing a girl like this feels almost sinful.*

“Alright, I'll stop teasing you. Don't avoid me anymore, okay?”

“Okay.” While Guan Ju'er felt relieved, she also felt a strange sense of disappointment. So, he was just teasing her.

They arrived at a street-side food stall. After parking, Qin Hao didn't unlock the doors.

Instead, he said seriously to Guan Ju'er, “Guan Guan, about that day in the underground garage...”

“Brother Qiu, I'm sorry. That day in the garage, I was drunk. I am truly sorry...” Guan Ju'er jumped like a startled rabbit, nearly bolting upright, her head buried in her chest.

Qin Hao reached out, cupped her chin, and kissed her amidst her shocked gaze.

Guan Ju'er wasn't drunk this time, yet she felt even more intoxicated than she had that night. After the initial resistance, she even began to seek him out actively.

After a long while, Guan Ju'er finally ran out of breath and pushed Qin Hao away.

Just then, a knock sounded on the window. Guan Ju'er snapped back to reality and hurriedly rolled down the window.

Qiu Yingying didn't notice the ambiguous atmosphere inside the car, nor did she have the self-awareness to realize she was interrupting a private moment. Instead, she complained to Guan Ju'er.

“Guan Guan, what are you doing in the car? You've been in there so long. We've already ordered the food.”

Guan Ju'er's face turned bright red. She explained flusteredly, “No, we weren't doing anything. Just chatting for a bit.”

Qin Hao, his moment interrupted, felt a bit awkward and had to make an excuse. “Yeah, Guan Guan had some work questions and asked for my advice.”

“Oh, I see. Then why is Guan Guan's face so red? It looks so hot.” Qiu Yingying even reached out to touch her.

Guan Ju'er frantically swatted Qiu Yingying's hand away. “No, it's nothing. Maybe it's just stuffy in the car.”

“Alright, let's go. Didn't you say Sister Fan and the others were waiting?” Seeing Guan Ju'er's embarrassment, Qin Hao stepped in to help her out.

“That's right! Guan Guan, let's go. I'm starving!”

Without waiting for an answer, Qiu Yingying pulled Guan Ju'er away.

The food stall was by the roadside—unpretentious, but full of life and the warmth of the streets. None of the dozen or so people in Qin Hao's group were over forty, so everyone was quite relaxed.

Drinking games started quickly. Even Qin Hao, as the boss, was not spared, but fortunately, his tolerance was quite good; after several bottles of beer, his face hadn't changed much.

Learning from her previous experience at a class reunion, Guan Ju'er didn't touch a drop of alcohol and only drank juice.

Fan Shengmei, on the other hand, drank quite a lot with her colleagues. Her tolerance was impressive; several male colleagues couldn't outdrink her.

The gathering didn't break up until two in the morning. Qin Hao called a designated driver. He sat in the front passenger seat, while Guan Ju'er and the other two sat in the back.

Throughout the ride, Fan Shengmei seemed very excited and began to talk in her drunken state. However, this time she wasn't complaining; instead, she was sharing her visions for the future.

At the same time, there were outbursts of anger toward her brother, Fan Shengying, and tearful grievances about the unfairness of her parents.

Though it was just drunken rambling, Qin Hao knew that Fan Shengmei had already begun to change.

(End of Chapter)