Chapter 6: Familiarity Breeds Comfort

Since the mix-up at the coffee shop last time, the two of them had had no further interactions.

Shen Hechuan had just returned from a business trip last night and was adjusting to the time difference at home today, so he didn’t go to the office.

Coincidentally, the part-time housekeeper had taken the day off, so he decided to order takeout for a quick meal.

Little did he expect that the delivery person would be Qiao Le.

Even less did he expect Qiao Le to open with the word “husband.”

It was truly… unexpected.

Fortunately, Shen Hechuan reacted quickly.

After steadying himself, he replied, “It’s just the neighbor across the hall. That’s all for now, Mom. I’ve got something to take care of.”

With that, he hung up the phone and looked at the person in front of him.

“Were you calling me?”

As soon as the word slipped out, Qiao Le felt the urge to bite his tongue off.

He was so hungry that his mouth had moved faster than his brain, and he’d blurted out a sweet “husband” to Shen Hechuan.

Indeed, life’s embarrassing moments just kept escalating.

He hadn’t received Shen Hechuan’s order on the “Let Me Help” platform, but he had picked up his delivery order on the “Delivered Yet?” platform.

It had to be said, the connections between people were truly fascinating.

Perhaps because he was at home, Shen Hechuan wasn’t dressed in a suit like last time.

Instead, he wore a simple black T-shirt and gray pants.

His hair, untamed, hung softly, giving him a more relaxed vibe.

He seemed even more approachable than the last time they’d met.

The question “Were you calling me?” didn’t sound like an accusation but more like a tease.

While Qiao Le felt embarrassed, he also found it somewhat amusing.

It seemed like he was always making a fool of himself in front of Shen Hechuan.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Shen,” Qiao Le apologized sincerely.

“I was so surprised to see you that my brain short-circuited. Please don’t mind it.”

Shen Hechuan didn’t seem bothered.

In fact, he was also surprised to see Qiao Le.

“I thought today’s order was from a certain ‘Mr. Huo.’ ”

“That’s not the case,” Qiao Le replied, feeling a bit pleased that Shen Hechuan seemed to remember him.

His eyes unconsciously curved into a smile.

“It’s great that you still remember me.”

His happiness was so evident that it subtly affected Shen Hechuan, who looked at him and asked, “Hmm? Why do you say that?”

Qiao Le smiled.

“I caused you trouble last time and never had the chance to make it up to you. I also didn’t see you placing an order for me on the platform.”

Shen Hechuan reminded him, “Didn’t you pay for my coffee?”

Qiao Le waved it off.

“That’s nothing compared to ruining your date and damaging your reputation. After all, you were even called a scumbag back then.”

Shen Hechuan: “…”

Last time, Shen Hechuan had corrected Qiao Le by saying it wasn’t a blind date.

This time, Qiao Le had switched up the wording, showing some flexibility.

But since Qiao Le had helped him out last time, Shen Hechuan didn’t mind the matter and casually said, “It’s not a big deal. You don’t need to keep thinking about it.”

To be honest, I hadn’t been thinking about it much.

If it weren’t for running into you today, I’d have forgotten about it entirely.

Qiao Le thought to himself but wisely kept it to himself.

Instead, he expressed his gratitude cheerfully.

“Thank you. You’re really a—”

“Good person.” Shen Hechuan finished his sentence.

“No need to hand out compliments.”

“…” Qiao Le paused, almost laughing.

Shen Hechuan gently reminded him, “Hand over the pizza, please. This good person is very hungry.”

“Got it, got it!” Qiao Le handed the pizza to Shen Hechuan, quickly regaining his professional demeanor as a delivery rider.

“Here’s your order, enjoy your meal.”

Shen Hechuan took the pizza and noticed the logo of the “Delivered Yet?” platform on Qiao Le’s black T-shirt, which was quite different from the shirt and trousers he had worn last time.

Remembering the note Qiao Le had handed him previously, Shen Hechuan couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you working for the ‘Let Me Do It’ platform?”

“You even remember that?” Qiao Le was even more surprised.

“I didn’t think you’d pay attention to such details.”

Shen Hechuan: “…Just happened to remember.”

Whether it was by chance or not, he certainly remembered.

Qiao Le didn’t mind his choice of words and cheerfully replied, “Let Me Do It’ is just a part-time gig.”

Part-time? So being a delivery rider was his main job?

Shen Hechuan pondered this for a moment, his gaze lingering on Qiao Le’s face.

Qiao Le looked no older than twenty.

At that age, he should be a college student.

School had already started, so why wasn’t he in class?

Why was he still delivering food?

Before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, Qiao Le spoke up, “Mr. Shen, if you ever need to place an order, I’ll definitely deliver it to you for free.”

“Deliver what?” Shen Hechuan snapped out of his thoughts, intrigued by Qiao Le’s earnestness.

“Sabotage a blind date?”

Qiao Le: “…”

Let bygones be bygones.

The memory of his previous social faux pas flooded Qiao Le’s mind, his brain instantly bombarded with the phrase “Honey, say something.”

For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

Shen Hechuan’s eyes flickered over Qiao Le’s slightly reddened ears, subtly averting his gaze when Qiao Le looked his way.

He thought to himself: Who would have thought that someone who kept calling me “honey” could be so shy?

Then he heard Qiao Le say, “Sabotaging a blind date works too. Practice makes perfect, guaranteed success!”

Shen Hechuan: “…”

Never mind, I misunderstood.

Marveling at Qiao Le’s professionalism, Shen Hechuan’s gaze returned to his face.

“You look a bit pale. Are you feeling unwell?”

Qiao Le’s complexion was too pale, a stark contrast to his slightly red ears.

Feeling unwell?

Qiao Le was momentarily confused before realizing what Shen Hechuan meant.

Oh, he should probably eat something.

But he had been so happy to run into Shen Hechuan that he had forgotten.

“No,” Qiao Le shook his head.

“Enjoy your meal. I’ll be on my way.”

With that, he turned to leave, but suddenly his vision blurred, and he felt himself losing balance, falling forward.

“Careful!”

Shen Hechuan reacted swiftly, reaching out to catch him.

As his arm wrapped around Qiao Le’s waist, he was momentarily stunned.

He was so thin.

Shen Hechuan’s single arm could easily encircle Qiao Le’s entire body.

This wasn’t the physique of a grown man.

He steadied Qiao Le with one arm, holding him firmly.

“Are you okay?”

Qiao Le was just momentarily lightheaded, not actually fainting.

The strong arm around his waist felt undeniably commanding, almost invasive.

The position was too intimate, making him uncomfortable.

He used Shen Hechuan’s support to steady himself and tried to step back.

“I’m fine, just…”

“Gurgle “

A loud growl of hunger interrupted him.

It came from his stomach.

Qiao Le froze: “…”

“Gurgle “

The successive growling sounds echoed loudly in the empty corridor, making the air seem even quieter.

Shen Hechuan: “…”

Oh, just hungry.

Shen Hechuan felt like laughing, but as the “growling” hunger sounds continued, he noticed that Qiao Le’s ears turned even redder, the flush spreading across his pale face.

Ah, how embarrassing…

Why did the sound of an empty stomach have to be as loud as a gong?

If Qiao Le hadn’t been wearing shoes, he would have been digging his toes into the ground, especially when he heard a soft chuckle from above.

He was so embarrassed he wanted to bury his face in the ground.

Honestly, stomach growling was such a trivial thing.

If it had been in front of a stranger or an acquaintance, it wouldn’t have mattered at all.

But this was Shen Hechuan.

The same Shen Hechuan whose arm he had clung to last time while calling him “husband.”

Under the premise of that previous misunderstanding, Qiao Le felt inexplicably ashamed.

With all these layers of embarrassment piling up, Qiao Le just wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

He broke free from Shen Hechuan’s arm and said, “Sorry, I—”

“Do you eat pizza?”

Shen Hechuan suddenly asked.

Qiao Le looked up at him and saw him holding up a pizza box.

“I haven’t eaten either. If you don’t mind, let’s have some together.”

Qiao Le was stunned. “Pizza?”

Shen Hechuan nodded.

“There’s nothing else at home, just the pizza you just delivered.”

As he spoke, he stepped aside, gesturing for Qiao Le to come in.

“Come in first. You look really pale. It wouldn’t be good if you fainted on the way.”

To be honest, apart from knowing each other’s names, they weren’t really acquainted.

Qiao Le thought to himself, I should refuse him.

People need to have boundaries.

But the moment the words were about to come out, it felt as if an invisible hand in his heart was pushing him to accept the other’s kindness.

“Okay.”

As if in a trance, he stepped into Shen Hechuan’s home, his thoughts a blur.

“Click “

The sound of the door locking behind him snapped him back to reality.

He suddenly realized he was already standing in the entryway, the bright marble floor so clean it reflected light, clearing his mind.

What invisible hand?

It was purely hunger and greed!

He looked down at his sneakers, still dusty from running around delivering food, completely out of place on the expensive marble floor.

Ah, he’d dirtied the nice floor.

Damn it, I’ll have to clean my shoes tonight!

Qiao Le thought fiercely, watching as Shen Hechuan placed the pizza on the sideboard and bent down to take out a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet.

He said to Shen Hechuan, “Sorry, my shoes are a bit dirty.”

“It’s fine. The housekeeper will clean it when she comes back.”

Shen Hechuan didn’t mind, placing the slippers on the floor.

“They’re new.”

The slippers were bright yellow with a bear design, cheerful and cute-clearly not Shen Hechuan’s style.

They had been bought by Wu Huilan, who thought Shen Hechuan’s place was too cold and lifeless.

Shen Hechuan had never worn them; they had been sitting untouched in the shoe cabinet.

Looking at the slippers on the floor, Qiao Le thought sincerely, Mr. Shen is really a good person.

“Thank you,” he said, slipping on the slippers.

The bear on the back wobbled slightly as he moved.

So cute.

Xiao Man would definitely like these.

I wonder if they come in kids’ sizes…

Qiao Le decided to buy a pair for his younger brother and asked Shen Hechuan, “Can I take a picture of these slippers?”

Shen Hechuan: “Hmm?”

“I think it’s really cute,” Qiao Le said honestly.

“I want to buy a pair for my brother.”

Shen Hechuan picked up the pizza nearby and replied, “Sure.”

With permission granted, Qiao Le felt a surge of joy.

He took out his phone and carefully snapped a photo of the slippers before following Shen Hechuan inside.

As they passed through the foyer, Qiao Le noticed the expansive living room was designed with floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, offering a direct view of the bustling Livan New District.

…The living room was so large that Qiao Man could ride his little bike in circles here.

Qiao Le gained a deeper understanding of what it meant to be “wealthy.”

“Can I wash my hands first?” he asked Shen Hechuan.

Shen Hechuan placed the pizza on the dining table and pointed to the bar counter on the other side.

“There’s a sink over there.”

After washing his hands, Qiao Le returned to find Shen Hechuan pouring a glass of warm water from the water dispenser and placing it in front of him.

“Drink some warm water. It’ll soothe your stomach.”

“Thank you,” Qiao Le said, reaching for the glass.

The warmth of the cup instantly heated his palms, which had just been washed with cold water.

He couldn’t help but think that Mr. Shen was not only a good person but also an incredibly kind one.

After drinking half the glass, he realized he hadn’t introduced himself to Shen Hechuan yet.

“Mr. Shen, my name is Qiao Le. I forgot to tell you last time.”

Shen Hechuan, who was unwrapping the pizza, casually responded, “I know.”

“You know?” Qiao Le asked, surprised.

Shen Hechuan glanced at him.

“Didn’t you leave me a note?”

“Ah, you took it?” Qiao Le had assumed Shen Hechuan would have thrown it away.

He hadn’t expected him to keep it.

Shen Hechuan paused at his reaction.

“Do I seem like the type to discard someone’s goodwill so carelessly?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Qiao Le quickly explained, though he had indeed thought the note might be thrown away. Deciding not to dwell on it, he added, “I was being overly cautious. Please don’t mind it. Let me help you.”

With that, he set down his glass and took the pizza from Shen Hechuan.

Shen Hechuan didn’t say anything more.

Qiao Le efficiently unwrapped the pizza.

The 12-inch pizza was generously topped with cheese, and the rich aroma of cheese and meat sauce filled the air.

Qiao Le’s stomach growled again, reminding him of his hunger.

The first growl had been mortifying, the second embarrassing, but by the third, Qiao Le was beyond caring.

Once he started eating the pizza, he’d silence his stomach for good!

The restaurant had provided disposable gloves and utensils.

Qiao Le set a set for Shen Hechuan and himself before sitting down across from him.

“I didn’t pay attention when ordering and got a portion for two,” Shen Hechuan said.

“So, don’t hold back.”

“I won’t!” Qiao Le nodded emphatically, grabbing a slice of pizza.

“I’m digging in.”

With that, he took a big bite.

The cheese and meat sauce pizza was the shop’s specialty.

The crispy crust, the flavorful meat sauce, and the stretchy, gooey cheese made for a mouthful that had Qiao Le closing his eyes in satisfaction.

It was so delicious, no wonder the shop was always so busy.

Unbeknownst to Qiao Le, his expression at that moment was one of pure bliss.

His bright, crescent-shaped eyes sparkled under the chandelier’s light, as if filled with starlight.

Sitting across from him, Shen Hechuan’s lips curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

He noticed that Qiao Le seemed to exude an indescribable vitality, and being around him made one unconsciously relax.

The frustration from the slow progress of the company project suddenly dissipated at this moment.

After finishing a slice, Qiao Le licked the sauce off the corner of his lips with lingering satisfaction.

Seeing that Shen Hechuan, sitting across from him, had only taken one bite, Qiao Le asked, “Mr. Shen, why aren’t you eating? Does it not suit your taste?”

“I’m not very hungry,” Shen Hechuan replied.

“Did you not eat today?”

“I had a little in the morning, but I didn’t have time for lunch,” Qiao Le said, picking up another slice of pizza.

“I was planning to go for beef noodles, but then I came across your order and decided to deliver it first.”

Shen Hechuan wasn’t familiar with the mechanism of food delivery assignments.

“Couldn’t you have refused?”

“Of course, I could have,” Qiao Le answered honestly.

“But you added an urgent tip, so I thought I’d deliver your order first and then go eat.”

Little did he expect that right after finishing the delivery, he’d end up so hungry that it caused a minor mishap.

At this point, Qiao Le couldn’t help but laugh and said to Shen Hechuan, “I’ve caused you trouble again.”

It wasn’t really trouble, and Shen Hechuan didn’t mind it.

However, hearing Qiao Le say this made him think of something else Qiao Le had skipped a meal just for that small tip.

Was he in need of money?

Though this thought crossed his mind, Shen Hechuan didn’t voice it out loud.

After all, the two of them weren’t in a relationship where they could inquire about each other’s private matters.

He simply pushed the pizza toward Qiao Le.

“Don’t be polite.”

“Alright.”

And Qiao Le indeed didn’t hold back.

Out of the large pizza, two-thirds ended up in his stomach.

During this time, the two didn’t continue their conversation, but the atmosphere remained surprisingly harmonious.

After finishing the pizza, Qiao Le took the initiative to clean up the packaging box and even went to the bar to wash the cup he had used before returning to Shen Hechuan.

Shen Hechuan was drinking water when he saw Qiao Le approaching with his phone.

He glanced down casually and noticed the WeChat interface on the screen.

Was he going to add me as a friend?

Shen Hechuan wondered.

He rarely added people he wasn’t close to on WeChat, but if Qiao Le wanted to, he could make an exception…

The next second, he heard Qiao Le say, “Mr. Shen, let me transfer the money for the pizza to you.”

“Huh?” Shen Hechuan thought he had misheard.

“What?”

“The money for the pizza,” Qiao Le said, holding up his phone.

“Could you show me your payment QR code? Or Alipay works too.”

Shen Hechuan: “…”

Alright, I was overthinking it.