19: Three's Company (A long chapter of 3,000 words)

Wang Chen was just about to start the car and head home when his phone rang with Du Ruoxi's exclusive video call ringtone.

Leaning back in the driver's seat, he comfortably pressed the answer button.

The screen lit up, and Du Ruoxi's face, clear and beautiful even without makeup, appeared on the screen, with her familiar pink-themed bedroom in the background.

"Yang Yang!" she said, her voice carrying a hint of coquettishness. "What are you doing? Are you finished with your work?"

"I just finished a small matter." Wang Chen adjusted his sitting position so the camera could capture the lights of the Antique Market outside the car window. "I'm just about to head home. What about you? Not livestreaming tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling a bit tired today and wanted to be lazy and take a night off." Du Ruoxi pouted. "And... I just wanted to chat with you."

"Oh? My Ruoxi has learned how to be lazy? Well, it's good to rest once in a while; you have to balance work and play," Wang Chen laughed. "What do you want to talk about? I'll chat with you for fifty cents' worth."

"Hate you! Who wants to chat for fifty cents? It has to be at least a dollar!" Du Ruoxi was amused by him, and the two of them chatted about everything under the sun through the screen.

From the chinese lute fingerings she had just learned today to the "business inspection" Wang Chen made up on the spot, the atmosphere was warm and harmonious. They chatted for over half an hour until Du Ruoxi's mother called, and only then did they reluctantly end the call.

Wang Chen put down his phone, a smile still lingering on his lips. This feeling of being missed and sharing daily lives with each other was indeed very nice.

At nine o'clock the next morning, Wang Chen arrived on time at the east gate of Yida Plaza in his brand-new white Mercedes-Benz GLE 450. As soon as he parked, he saw Qin Qing and Yang Li, who were already waiting there.

The two of them had clearly dressed up carefully today, their charm levels maxed out.

Qin Qing was wearing a light blue floral dress that reached just above her knees, revealing a section of her fair calves. She wore exquisite white small heels, and her long, slightly curly hair fell over her shoulders. With her elegant makeup, she looked fresh and refined, yet with a hint of sexiness.

Yang Li went for a "hot girl" style, wearing a black crop top paired with high-waisted denim hot pants and Martin boots, looking full of energy. She also specially wore a pair of cool sunglasses.

"Brother Wang Chen!" When the two women saw Wang Chen getting out of the Mercedes, their eyes lit up, and they quickly stepped forward to greet him.

"Wow! Brother Wang Chen, you bought a car? And it's a Benz! That's so cool!" Yang Li, being extroverted, exclaimed directly and walked around the car to take a look.

Although Qin Qing didn't say anything, her eyes were full of surprise and admiration as she looked at Wang Chen, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"It's just a means of transportation." Wang Chen waved his hand with feigned composure and gentlemanly opened the back door for them. "Beautiful ladies, please get in. Today's itinerary is at your command."

Since it was still early, the two women suggested going shopping first. Before long, the three of them arrived at the most bustling commercial center. The two women didn't actually have anything specific to buy and just looked around here and there. However, with two beauties accompanying him, Wang Chen attracted many envious and jealous looks along the way!

As they walked into the mall and passed a well-known jewelry store, Wang Chen's heart stirred as he looked at the translucent jade pieces in the display cases.

"Let's go in and take a look." Under the puzzled gazes of the two women, Wang Chen entered the store first, and they quickly followed.

Wang Chen's gaze swept over the counter, and he pointed to a pair of Qingshui-bottom emerald bracelets with excellent translucency and clear color, saying to the clerk, "Take these two out for me to see."

Taking the bracelets, he turned and smiled at the somewhat dazed Qin Qing and Yang Li. "Meeting is fate. Thank you for helping me pick out clothes. I'm giving you a small gift today, and you're not allowed to refuse."

With that, he pulled Qin Qing's hand without giving her a choice and carefully slipped one of the jade bracelets onto her wrist.

The pale green bracelet made her snow-white wrist look even more slender and beautiful.

"Ah... this is too precious!" Feeling the warmth of Wang Chen's palm, Qin Qing's face instantly turned red to her ears. She wanted to pull her hand back but also felt a bit of attachment to that brief contact.

"Brother Wang Chen, this... this isn't right, is it?" Yang Li was also startled. Although she didn't know much about the trade, she could tell from the quality of the bracelet and the brand of the store that it was expensive.

"There's nothing wrong with it; I have the final say." Wang Chen waved his hand dominantly and put the other one on Yang Li's wrist. "Just wear it for fun, for the sake of happiness."

"Besides, beautiful girls naturally deserve beautiful bracelets!"

After saying that, he turned to the clerk and asked, "How much for the two?"

Faced with Wang Chen's inquiry, the clerk quickly replied, "Sir, you have excellent taste. These two Qingshui emerald bracelets are premium items in our store, priced at 38,888 yuan each."

Hearing the price, both Qin Qing and Yang Li gasped and carefully began taking off the bracelets.

Before they could hand them back to the clerk, Wang Chen pulled out his card and handed it over. "Swipe the card. No need to wrap them; they'll wear them directly."

Watching Wang Chen spend nearly 80,000 yuan without even blinking, Qin Qing and Yang Li looked at the beautiful bracelets in their hands and then at each other, seeing the pleasant surprise in each other's eyes!

Especially Qin Qing; the look she gave Wang Chen held more than just gratitude—it held a hint of an indescribable emotion.

By the time they left the mall, it was already past 11 o'clock, just in time for lunch. Wang Chen chose a creative cuisine restaurant with a good environment and reputation.

While waiting for the food, Yang Li chattered away about interesting things, while Qin Qing was much quieter, occasionally chiming in but always unconsciously glancing toward Wang Chen.

After the meal, Yang Li suggested going to an amusement park to rediscover their inner child, and Wang Chen naturally had no objection.

At the amusement park, Yang Li directly pulled them toward the most thrilling roller coaster. Wang Chen remained unfazed, while Qin Qing, though a bit scared, gathered her courage and got on.

As the roller coaster dived from its highest point, the intense feeling of weightlessness made Qin Qing scream involuntarily, and she instinctively grabbed Wang Chen's arm tightly. Wang Chen could clearly feel the sweat on her palm and her slight trembling.

After the ride, Qin Qing's legs felt weak. As she got off, she stumbled and almost fell.

"Careful!" Wang Chen was quick-eyed and nimble-handed, grabbing her slender waist and holding her steady.

"Tha... Thank you..." Leaning in Wang Chen's embrace, Qin Qing smelled his fresh scent and felt the strength from his arm. Her heart beat even faster than when she was on the roller coaster. Her cheeks were crimson, and even her earlobes were tinged with pink; for a moment, she was somewhat reluctant to leave this embrace.

Watching this scene, a sly glint flashed in Yang Li's eyes. She immediately pretended to be frail, holding her forehead. "Oh my, I can't take it either. I'm so dizzy, and my legs are weak. Brother Wang Chen, look, Qing Qing can't even walk anymore. Aren't you going to do something?"

How could Wang Chen not see through Yang Li's little scheme? He looked down at the blushing Qin Qing, who was too shy to raise her head, smiled, and simply bent over, picking her up in a standard princess carry.

"Ah!" Qin Qing cried out in surprise, instinctively wrapping her arms around Wang Chen's neck. Her whole body stiffened, and her mind went blank, leaving only the warmth of Wang Chen's chest and his strong heartbeat.

"Let's go, Yang Li. Support your Sister Qing Qing's savior, and let's find a place to rest," Wang Chen said to the giggling Yang Li while holding the light-as-a-feather Qin Qing.

In the rest area, it took quite a while for Qin Qing to recover from that dizzying sweetness, but the blush on her face lingered for a long time.

For the rest of the time, although she tried her best to act natural, her frequent peeks at Wang Chen and her hurried attempts to look away when caught were more than Yang Li could bear to watch.

In the evening, with Yang Li's egging on, the three of them went to see the latest romantic movie.

In the dim theater, Qin Qing sat next to Wang Chen, her mind not on the movie at all.

Smelling the pleasant scent on Wang Chen, her peripheral vision was filled with his sharp profile. When the male and female leads in the movie kissed passionately, she felt like her heart was about to jump out. The love in her eyes as she peeked at Wang Chen was almost overflowing, making Yang Li shake her head as she watched from the side.

After the movie ended, on the way back, Yang Li asked casually, "Brother Wang Chen, are you going out tomorrow? I heard you mention it yesterday."

"Yeah, I'm going to Jiang City tomorrow to handle some business. I'll probably be there for a few days," Wang Chen replied casually while driving.

"Jiang City?" Yang Li's eyes lit up, and she immediately shook Qin Qing's arm. "Qing Qing, don't we still have annual leave? Since we don't have anything else to do, why don't we go to Jiang City with Brother Wang Chen? I haven't been to Jiang City in my whole life!"

Qin Qing didn't expect Yang Li to be so direct. She was stunned for a moment, then looked at Wang Chen with a hint of anxiety in her eyes, whispering, "Is... is that okay? Will it interfere with your business?"

Seeing the expectant look in Qin Qing's eyes through the rearview mirror and thinking about how shy and cute she had been today, Wang Chen's heart softened, and he didn't refuse.

"It won't be a bother. I'm just going to handle some personal matters, and my time is quite flexible. If you want to go, then let's go together. We can look out for each other on the way."

"Yay! Great! Long live Brother Wang Chen!" Yang Li immediately cheered.

Qin Qing also showed a joyful smile. Looking at the back of Wang Chen's head, she softly said, "Thank you, Brother Wang Chen."

After dropping the two women off at their respective homes, Wang Chen had just returned to his residence when he received a wechat message from Qin Qing.

"Brother Wang Chen, we just asked the store manager for leave. We have 8 days! What time do we leave tomorrow? Where should we meet? (Cute)"

Looking at the message, Wang Chen could almost see Qin Qing's jumping and expectant look on the other end of the phone.

He replied, "Send me your location. Tomorrow at ten in the morning, I'll drive to your place to pick you up."

"Okay! See you tomorrow then! Goodnight, Brother Wang Chen! (ᐢᴖ ·̫ ᴖᐢ)"

Wang Chen rubbed the bridge of his nose. The solo trip to Jiang City to cash out that he had originally planned had somehow turned into a trip for three. However, traveling with two beauties seemed quite nice, didn't it?