Once Shen Lingqing felt full after eating all the snacks Liu Jinfei bought for her, her attention was turned to the other goers of the night market. Some were couples; some were small families who were catching up on such a rare day they could spend together.
Shen Lingqing remembered her first time being in a night market with her family. She was only seven years old at that time. She had gotten home so late, and her mother had already left with her siblings to see the night market. If it wasn’t for her father who had arrived almost the same time as her, she would have already lost her chance to see it herself.
People usually said that she was closer to her father, but Shen Lingqing knew better. Her parents were trying their best to spend enough time with her and her siblings. They would never miss any school recognition, birthdays, and holidays. Now that she was an adult woman, she finally understood the struggles of making enough time for her family.
“Is there something wrong?” She heard Liu Jinfei ask when the silence persisted between them. She didn’t mean to space out while being out with Liu Jinfei at a time like this.
“I’m sorry?” Shen Lingqing blinked and turned her head to look at him. She wasn’t really a people person and didn’t know how to start a conversation with other people.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I just noticed you’ve been spacing out. Just wondering if something happened,” Liu Jinfei replied, finishing his own snack.
“Nothing serious that I can’t deal with.” The Shen princess shrugged.
Liu Jinfei chuckled at that.
“En, that’s our Director Shen.” He agreed with her. “It’s a shame that I didn’t have many experiences seeing night markets like this before.”
“Is that so?” Shen Lingqing cupped her chin and let her long hair hang over her shoulder and down her chest. She looked calm today, unlike the usually strict and proper businesswoman that she was when they were at work.
“En. I tried to balance my time with school and work, you know. I don’t have the liberty to walk around the city and enjoy what other children could do.” He smiled, watching as a group of playing young children went past them.
Shen Lingqing didn’t know what to say. Was she supposed to sympathize with him or pity him?
“But I know you had it worse,” he said.
“No, don’t say that. Each of us has struggles we dealt with on our own,” Shen Lingqing argued. “I hate it when people demean themselves, just to bootlick and earn a favor.”
“I don’t need to, right?” The handsome man next to her laughed.
“No, you don’t. You earned your right to work along with us, didn’t you? I was just saying that you don’t have to compare your childhood to mine. I know it wasn’t easy growing up without your parents. Hell, I couldn’t even imagine not seeing or talking to my parents for a very long time.”
“I suppose you won’t understand, Director Shen.” Liu Jinfei smiled at her. It was enough that Shen Lingqing wasn’t giving him a pitiful look like what others give him whenever they found out about his parents’ untimely death.
“It’s good that you know, Liu Jinfei.” Shen Lingqing didn’t peg Liu Jinfei to lie to her, but it was reassuring to know that he was willing to listen to what she thought.
Silence engulfed the two of them, but both understood that there were no words needed to be spoken between them. Liu Jinfei didn’t bother to ask more and accompanied Shen Lingqing as they checked the other stalls at the night market.
What they didn’t expect to see were Yang Fangjin, Lin Xiaoyu, and Qiao Lian at the night market. Yang Fangjin grinned with a knowing look at Liu Jinfei, while Lin Xiaoyu looked at the two of them in surprise. Meanwhile, Qiao Lian smirked at her boss.
“Director Shen, Chef Liu… what are you doing here?” Yang Fangjin asked. “Are you supposed to be on a date?”
“A date?” Shen Lingqing furrowed her brows and looked at the younger man in confusion. What was that supposed to mean?
“Then, what are you doing here?” Lin Xiaoyu asked innocently.
Liu Jinfei and Shen Lingqing glanced at each other. One knew what the three were implying, while the other was oblivious of the meaning of their teasing looks.
“It’s not like that.” Liu Jinfei took the initiative to clear the small misunderstanding around them. He didn’t want his co-workers to surmise that he was buttering Shen Lingqing up to earn her favor.
“My grandmother dropped us here near the night market, and we decided to check it out,” Shen Lingqing explained with her ever calm and stern tone that made other people not question her words.
“Oh? Is that so?” Qiao Lian hummed, but her eyes got that glint that was enough for Shen Lingqing to know that her mind got some ideas in her head again.
Shen Lingqing made a mental note to remind her assistant not to overthink things. There’s nothing between her and Liu Jinfei anyway, and she didn’t like people to misunderstand why they were in each other’s company.
“Then, should we look around together?” Lin Xiaoyu suggested.
Yang Fangjin nudged at Liu Jinfei’s arm, their eyes on the three women walking ahead of them.
“Sorry, we have to cut your date with Director Shen short,” he apologized to Liu Jinfei.
“We aren’t on a date.” Liu Jinfei avoided meeting Yang Fangjin’s gaze.
“But you like her, don’t you?” Yang Fangjin retorted back.
“She’s our boss. You are imagining things, Chef Yang.”
Liu Jinfei’s eyes then turned to Shen Lingqing’s form.
“Okay, Chef Liu. If that’s what you do to get a good night’s sleep, sure.”
Liu Jinfei decided to not respond anymore, knowing that no words would be able to convince the younger man to believe in his words.