Chapter 152

Should be appreciated from a distance but not touched (1)

"Wait. Let me guess. So, you were saying bad things about me in your chat room? And plotting against me?" Gu Shishi speculated. She zipped up her bag again.

Chen Kexin didn't know what to say. "No, I didn't.... really didn't..."

But under Gu Shishi's look of disbelief, she finally pulled off her mask awkwardly.

"Alright, I'll admit that I was a part of it at the beginning. But I had stopped ever since the banquet."

She raised her right hand. "I swear. Please... the fan."

Gu Shishi chuckled and handed the gift box over to her.

Chen Kexin quickly took it over cautiously and opened it up solemnly. She only planned on taking a quick look at it, but after just one look, she gasped.

The streaming channel and the photos on the cellphone didn't remotely measure up to the effect of seeing the items with one's eyes.

Beautiful. A massive scene of lotuses. A quiet and elegant sort of beauty. Just one look and all of her heat and frustration dissipated.

As she took a closer look, the lines of the leaves were clear and their edges curled up naturally. The lights and shadows met each other perfectly, and she couldn't find any faults with them!

The little dragonfly that stopped on top of a lotus was even more delicate and ingenious than it looked from the stream.

It looked like it was about to flutter its wing and fly away. Its motion was suggested within its stillness and the composition was superb!

The poem "On the Love of Lotus" was written on the flip side of the fan in delicate, lady-like, and smooth script. It was beautiful and out of this world. It perfectly conveyed the message of "should be appreciated from a distance but not touched"!

Chen Kexin swallowed hard. She started to get an idea of why her grandmother appreciated Gu Shishi's work so much. She herself would also very much like to have work like these adorning her room.

She felt that the air had begun to cool around her just from looking at them.

All the boisterousness and background music in the shopping mall started to slow around her....

She couldn't take her eyes off of the fan. She reached out her right hand and touched one of them, as though she could feel the leaves with her hand.

She paused the moment she touched the fan. The fan ribs were smooth but the handle and the tip of the handle had clouds carved on them. It was obvious that the clouds were carved by machines. The lines were smooth and acceptable, but it has no soul.

Chen Kexin sighed regretfully.

The fan would be perfect if the handle was carved by hand.

Now it was just short of being perfect...

She was about to put the box away as she was lamenting.

But then she stopped for a second.

As she looked again from a farther distance, she noticed that the boring cloud carvings seemed to blend in with the lotus leaves as part of the painting!

The lotuses were sitting on top of the cloud...

This is the lotus pond that belonged to Queen Mother of the Heavens?!

Chen Kexin looked up all of a sudden.

Gu Shishi smiled at her, "Ah, you noticed it now?"

Chen Kexin nodded with difficulty.

She suddenly realized that her grandmother was right... Gu Shishi's painting was worth way more than 30,000 yuan.

Gu Shishi was selling it to her for dirt cheap.

She had taken a big advantage of Gu Shishi!

[Received fondness from Chen Kexin!]

[The progress of the "Chen Kexin" mission increased by 60%.]

Gu Shishi was a little stunned but she figured it out right away.

She smiled.

"Wait a minute..."

She was just about to take off when she was stopped by Chen Kexin.

She turned around and saw the awkward and troubled look on the girl.

"I read in the group chat that they are going to invite you to one of their gatherings, and they planned to insult you there. Just... don't go. And don't say that you heard it from me either!"

Chen Kexin stammered for a while before she was able to get that out.

"Oh? Is that so? I haven't received the invitation yet."

***

Chapter 153

Should be appreciated from a distance but not touched (2)

Gu Shishi smiled.

"Haven't they figured it out from their last banquet yet? We are not on the same level when it comes to dealing damages. Was it really that much fun trying to smash eggs against rocks?"

The corners of Chen Kexin's eyes twitched. Um... that's certainly some very shameless truth! Why did it sound like all of her girlfriends were brainless and pitiful all of a sudden? That Gu Shishi wasn't the one who needed a heads up?

"Thanks for letting me know, MeowMeow." Gu Shishi patted her on her shoulder. "But I am still going to go. If I don't get an invitation beforehand, please do forward one to me~~"

Sisters' gathering? Sounds like a perfect opportunity to earn more fondness!

Gu Shishi couldn't contain herself. "Do you have gatherings like this all the time? No matter the scale, can you please let me know?"

Her eyes were beaming with a I-am-looking-forward-to-it-I-really-want-to-go look.

Chen Kexin almost bit her own tongue accidentally. Did she stutter earlier when she told her? Did she not hear that part that they were trying to set her up? Why was it that she still wanted to go so badly? As high as her fighting power was, was it really that enjoyable to be picked on all the time?

Chen Kexin was stunned silent.

"This time there will be no elders there. They might take things too far." Chen Kexin suspected that she wasn't clear enough earlier, so she added through gritted teeth. "If, if that happens... I might not be able to help you."

Gu Shishi acknowledged her and said, "That's alright. I understand. You want to be the spy and help me behind their back. Don't worry. I won't reveal you."

Chen Kexin, "......!??"

Gu Shishi rummaged through her purse and pulled out the bottle of toner that she had exchanged for 24 hours of her life.

"This will help with your oily skin. Give it a try"

Chen Kexin covered up her face with her hands.

"Don't be shy. Just don't forget to thank me if this works."

Chen Kexin: "!"

***

8 PM that night.

Huo Sishen got home after a long day of work.

Before Siyi, who was going to open the door for him, hadn't even had a chance to get out of the passenger seat, Huo Sishen had already opened up the door himself and jumped out of the car.

He unbuttoned his suit jacket, loosened up his tie, and walked briskly inside of the mansion. He walked so fast that his long and slender legs stirred up a breeze where he travelled.

Even the servants bowing and waiting on him were surprised by that.

He even stepped inside of the living room before they could bring the hand sanitizer to him.

His piercing, eagle-sharp black eyes immediately scanned in the direction of the dining room and the kitchen.

Yet when he reached the bottom of the stairs, he could see clearly that there was nobody in there.

Even the dinner table was spotless with nothing on it.

Nevermind about Gu Shishi, not even Gu Shishi's shadow could be seen!

Had she forgotten that she was supposed to be cooking for him today?

Huo Sishen's handsome brows furrowed all of a sudden.

His good mood, which had lasted all day long, was now like a big balloon that now has a big hole in it and air was gushing out of it.

Siyi rushed behind him and was finally able to carry out the disinfecting procedures before catching up with Huo Sishen.

Yet, as soon as he stood still, he shuddered.

A sense of chilliness filled the living room.

Standing still, Huo Sishen turned and gave him a cold look.

"Bring me the Japan proposal tonight. We are not lowering our prices to the Europeans. They can scram if they don't like it! As for Saipan, have Sier go take care of it. Anyone else who wants to stir up trouble will be sent over to Africa!!"

Siyi felt a shiver down his spine and said quickly, "Okay."

Didn't the boss just say he would give the other side some extra time and see what they were trying to pull during the meeting that afternoon?

"Boss, let me go see if dinner is ready downstairs. Do you want to have dinner in the dining room or..."

"There's no need." Huo Sishen almost had to force those words out coldly through gritted teeth. He came home at 8 PM, and the dining room was still empty. She hadn't prepared anything. His lips pressed together into a straight line.

***

Chapter 154

Should be appreciated from a distance but not touched (3)

The housekeeper aunty in the past would ask him what he would like in the morning and wait for him in the dining room at night while complaining about "Why are you home so late? Everything is already cold" as she went and reheat them.... Those days were long gone.

Some things in life, once you've lost them, you could never gain them back. Nobody would wait for him or think of ways to cheer him up anymore. What was he fantasizing about? What was he expecting?

A self-mocking look appeared on Huo Sishen's stone-cold face.

He walked upstairs without looking back.

Siyi was completely baffled. "You said you wanted dinner at home when you left the office..."

Before he was able to finish his sentence, he was killed by Huo Sishen's cold and profound look. He had no choice but to keep his mouth shut. And followed behind him silently.

Huo Sishen was exuding icy air as he opened up the door to his study.

He took off his suit and handed it over to Siyi.

"Have all the managers jump online. We are going to have a video conference."

Siyi immediately felt very distressed.

It's already 8 PM. All of the managers... that meant this meeting would last at least until midnight. He hasn't even had dinner yet, but he had just taken a step forward before he almost ran into the body in front of him.

"Boss...?" The person in front of him was standing still. Siyi took half a step back, stuck his head out, and noticed that something wasn't right.

Huo Sishen's desk had always been clean and spotless like a mirror. There was never anything else on top of it with the exception of a desk lamp and his laptop. But today... there was a bag tied with a black and white bow sitting on top of it?

What was it?! Who had the guts to put something on top of the boss's desk without permission? The idea had just crossed Siyi's mind when a name popped into his head.

Miss Gu!

While Siyi was mulling over all that, Huo Sishen had already started walking up toward it.

He walked over to his desk and looked down on what looked like a bad joke from a young girl.

He lifted up one end of the bow with his slender and long fingers. He was frowning, as though he was about to do something of high importance.

He pulled the bow loose.

A pastel colored little card that was sitting on top of it fell.

[Mr. Huo, this bag has very good insulation. Do eat these before they get cold.]

What he saw was some very neat handwriting belonging to a girl. The signature was a cartoon drawing of a little girl holding tightly onto someone's long leg.

Next to the leg, there was an arrow with the caption of "Golden thigh, very thick. Please let me hug!"

Huo Sishen's eyelids twitched a few times all of a sudden.

Of course he knew what thigh-hugging meant. But it was most certainly the first thing he saw a drawing that was so blunt and shameless!

With the little card in his card, he frowned as he looked at it again.

This was not stylish at all coming from an oil painting artist. What a waste for that neat and elegant writing next to it.

Huo Sishen's frown deepened, but he continued to hold the card in his hand.

Siyi, standing next to him, wasn't able to see what was written on the card. But he was able to see the double-tiered glass lunch box.

Inside seemed to be the boss's dinner.

It looked like they were prepared by Miss Gu.How unfortunate that the boss was not in a good mood today and wasn't going to eat it.

"Boss, I will take it out if you are not going to eat it."

Siyi walked up and reached out to it.

"I will let Miss Gu know tomorrow to not..." come inside of your study willy nilly.

But he wasn't able to finish his sentence.

The lunch box that he was about to take away had moved 10 cm backward.

He looked up and was met with the death gaze from his boss.

"You are dismissed."Huo Sishen has a cold look on his face. "Go take care of what you need to take care of."

He was sending him away.