Living Only For Myself: Make Those Who Hate Me Regret It

Chapter 388 - 387: Shen Chen, Don’t Use the Handsome Man Ploy on Me

Despite what she said, Xu Su still ate a hearty dinner.

Perhaps because Shen Chen had given special instructions, his family’s chef had prepared savory, fragrant, and spicy dishes, much to Xu Su’s satisfaction.

It was her first time dining alone with Shen Chen. They each ate in comfortable silence, and she didn’t feel awkward at all.

After dinner, Shen Chen had her play some video games with him. It wasn’t until past eight that she was finally getting ready to leave, but then he got a phone call.

It was noisy on the other end. It was hard to tell what was said, but Shen Chen simply replied, "In a bit," before turning to Xu Su. "Want to go hang out at a bar?"

"..." Xu Su hesitated for two seconds, then shook her head. "I can’t. I need to get home early."

’If I go drinking, knowing how clingy he can be, Zhou Mochen will definitely come to the bar to find me when he gets back.’

Xu Su enjoyed a good drink, but she didn’t want Zhou Mochen to come home after a long day of work and not be able to find her.

Shen Chen could pretty much guess what she was thinking. He hung up and said with a smile, "You’re a surprisingly good girlfriend. Alright then, I’ll take you home."

"No, it’s fine," Xu Su declined. "It’s such a short distance, you don’t need to go out of your way to walk me back."

"You sure?" Shen Chen pointed toward a pond not far from the main gate. "Don’t say I didn’t warn you. That turtle might crawl out to cool off, you knooow~"

That drawn-out "knooow" was so full of twists and turns it sent a shiver down Xu Su’s spine.

She caved instantly. "Okay, you’d better walk me back then."

’She was truly terrified of that thing...’

Shen Chen led her out the door by the hand, only letting go once they were outside. The moonlight was bright and the distance was short, so he didn’t drive.

It was a walk of a few hundred feet. They strolled side-by-side, but the person next to her didn’t make a sound. The strange silence made Xu Su a little uncomfortable.

She decided to make small talk. "So, are you going to go drinking later?"

"Nope," Shen Chen’s voice was a bit low. "I promised to show you a life of debauchery. If you’re not going, what’s the point of me going alone?"

"..." Xu Su cleared her throat. "I really can’t today. I’d have to give Zhou Mochen advance notice. I can’t just go out on a whim."

"Tsk..." Shen Chen couldn’t help but let out a sneer. "Brother Zhou is really something. How long has it been, and he’s already trained you to be the perfect, doting girlfriend?"

"You!" Xu Su glared at him. After a moment, she decided to ignore his passive-aggressive tone and said seriously, "Regardless, it’s never wrong for me to be more considerate of his feelings about things."

Shen Chen said no more. He stopped when they reached her door. "Go on in. I’ll be back tomorrow to continue your practice."

"Oh, you don’t have to. You must be busy too."

Xu Su had already started to turn away, but she quickly spun back around at his words. "I asked Zhou Mochen to find me another instructor. I can’t have you spend every day practicing with me."

...

Shen Chen fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. In that case, I’ll just drop by to check on your progress when I’m free."

For some reason, Xu Su breathed a sigh of relief. She waved to him and jogged home.

’She couldn’t shake the feeling that the atmosphere around Shen Chen had just turned heavy.’

’How strange. Why on earth would she think Shen Chen was upset?’

’It must have been my imagination...’

......

For the next few days, Xu Su diligently practiced driving with two instructors. Zhou Mochen left early and came home late every day, only having time to eat breakfast with her.

As for lunch, Xu Su would sometimes go to his company to eat with him, and other times she would eat alone at home. Whenever Shen Chen was back around noon, he would make a point of coming over to freeload.

People learn incredibly fast when they truly focus. In less than a week, Xu Su’s driving skills had become quite polished. She could now drive perfectly well on her own, even if the instructor in the passenger seat said nothing.

Shen Chen dropped by from time to time to check on her progress. Seeing her significant improvement and how she was no longer stiff and awkward behind the wheel, he smiled and praised her.

He sat in the passenger seat, watching the young woman drive beside him, sweet-talking her with practiced ease. "See? I told you. With a brain that got you into University B, of course learning to drive would be a piece of cake for you."

"Of course!" Xu Su accepted the praise readily, feeling she was fully deserving of it. She decided to return the favor. "You have a good eye, Shen Chen."

"I do. My judgment has always been excellent," Shen Chen said, clearly amused. He glanced at his wristwatch, then looked back at Xu Su with a grin. "But, Xu Su, shouldn’t you be fulfilling your promise to treat me to a meal?"

Xu Su had been so busy with driving lessons since coming to Beijing, either eating at home or with Zhou Mochen at his company. Shen Chen had asked her out to eat several times, but he could never pin her down.

Right now, they happened to be near a mall, and it was dinnertime. The streets were jammed with cars, and there were plenty of pedestrians too.

Xu Su, concentrating on steering, was a bit speechless at his comment. "Fine, it’s just one meal. Was it really worth holding onto for this long? What do you want to eat? My treat, happy now?"

"Who said it was only one meal?" Shen Chen reminded her. "Have you forgotten? You said you’d treat me to ten meals. Don’t you dare go back on your word."

"..." His words left Xu Su speechless. "You remembering it so clearly could make someone think you’re actually starving for a few meals!"

Shen Chen just smiled without saying a word.

"Hey! Have you decided what you want to eat?" Xu Su urged. "If you don’t have anything in mind, then I’ll decide for us."

Shen Chen hummed in agreement and smiled, completely agreeable. "You decide. How about this: wherever you take me, I’ll go."

’He had to take a perfectly normal sentence and make it sound so damn ambiguous...’

’Just as I thought. Even if he’s a reformed man, he can’t change that innate player tendency to flirt at a moment’s notice.’

Xu Su shot him a look. "Shen Chen, don’t try that pretty-boy act on me. You’re like a showy peacock. It’s really weird."

"..."

Shen Chen gritted his teeth, silent for a long moment. When he spoke again, he smiled slowly. "What’s so weird about it?"

"Everything’s weird," Xu Su said, having found a parking spot. She stepped on the brake and parked smoothly before adding, "We have a solid, platonic friendship. We’re good bros. It’s definitely weird for you to be so clingy."

With that, the oblivious straight-shooter Xu Su opened her car door and urged the motionless man inside, "Hurry up and get out. I’m treating you to something good."

Shen Chen took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in his chest, and got out of the car. He looked at the mall building in front of them and asked, following her lead, "So what delicious thing are you treating me to?"

"Why so many questions? Just follow me." Xu Su pressed the lock button on her key fob and pulled him forward.

Shen Chen walked at a leisurely pace, letting her pull him along. His gaze fell to their clasped hands, and the irritation in his heart gradually dissipated.

’Well, this is fine,’ he thought. ’At least she initiated holding my hand...’

Soon, Xu Su slowed down, and only then did Shen Chen realize that the "something good" she had mentioned was, of all things, McDonald’s.

"Hey, you said you’d let me decide," Xu Su said, pulling him inside. "I don’t care. I want to eat junk food. I want fried chicken, a burger, and fries."