189: Chapter 189 Arrived Home

The door to the private room closed gently, and the sound of Shen Xi's high heels gradually faded into the distance.

Only two people remained in the large private room, and the air suddenly became quiet and thick.

Lu Manqi stood where she was, the warmth from Jiang Chen's palm still lingering on her arm.

She took a secret deep breath, her heart beating impossibly fast, and she could clearly hear her own pulse in her ears.

Sister Shen's words just now had been spoken so naturally.

"Take Manqi home on your way back."

But Lu Manqi knew very well that this wasn't a matter of it being on the way or not; this was something she had been faintly hoping for but hadn't dared to expect since the very first glass of wine.

And now, the opportunity had been steadily delivered to her by Sister Shen.

Lu Manqi lowered her head slightly, stealing a glance at Jiang Chen beside her with her peripheral vision.

He was holding his coat in one hand, his posture composed, seemingly unaware of the turmoil in her heart.

A secret, uncontrollable surge of joy suddenly welled up inside her.

Throughout the whole evening, he hadn't shown any impatience. When he supported her, his palm held her arm steadily with just the right amount of pressure—neither distant nor overstepping, yet somehow making her feel a kind of gentle, proper care.

What did this mean?

Did it count as interest?

Or was it just a result of his upbringing?

Lu Manqi's thoughts whirled rapidly, though the alcohol made her brain a beat slower than usual.

But that joy was exceptionally clear, like bubbles in a carbonated drink, rising up one after another, impossible to suppress.

She bit her lower lip and, emboldened by the alcohol, made a decision she would never have dared to make normally.

Tonight, she didn't plan on hiding it anymore.

"President Jiang," she looked up, her voice a few degrees softer than usual and slightly raspy from the alcohol, "shall we go?"

Jiang Chen glanced at her. Seeing her flushed cheeks, shimmering eyes, and slightly unsteady stance, he nodded slightly. "Let's go. The car is in the underground garage."

The two of them walked out of the private room side by side.

The lights in the hallway were dimmer than in the room, and with the thick carpet, their footsteps were muffled into near silence.

Lu Manqi walked very slowly, partly because she was indeed a bit dizzy, and partly because she privately wanted to linger a bit longer in this shared distance.

The moment the elevator doors closed, only the two of them remained in the enclosed space.

The mirrored walls of the elevator clearly reflected their figures.

She stood slightly turned, her shoulder almost touching his arm, while he stood tall with his coat draped over his forearm. His shirt sleeves were rolled up twice, revealing a section of clean-lined wrist.

Lu Manqi stared at their reflections in the mirror, her heart racing a bit faster.

The alcohol was like a small hammer, chipping away at her usual reserve and hesitation one strike at a time.

She suddenly felt that all those cautious worries didn't matter tonight.

She liked this person, and right now he was by her side, within reach.

That was enough.

With a "ding," the elevator reached the underground garage.

As the doors opened, a gust of cold, damp air rushed in, contrasting sharply with the warmth of the hallway.

Lu Manqi couldn't help but shiver, her body trembling slightly.

He walked a step ahead, opened the back door, and stood aside to wait for her to get in.

Lu Manqi clenched her fingers and bent down to sit in the back seat.

The interior was more spacious than she had imagined. The independent aviation seats were soft and large. As she leaned back, she was enveloped in a comfortable sense of weariness.

Jiang Chen closed the door for her, walked around to the other side, and got in through the other rear door, sitting beside her in the back row.

The sound of the car door closing was low and solid, sealing out the cold air of the garage.

In the driver's seat, Lu Zheng turned his head slightly, his gaze meeting Jiang Chen's in the rearview mirror for a fleeting moment.

The inside of the car was extremely quiet. The lexus lm's sound insulation was excellent, making it so that almost no outside noise could be heard, only the faint hum of the air conditioning vents.

Lu Manqi leaned against the seat and tilted her head to look at Jiang Chen sitting beside her. The cold light from the dashboard reflected on his profile, outlining his sharp, clean features.

She unconsciously shifted her body a little closer to him.

"President Jiang," she began, her voice exceptionally clear in the quiet cabin.

"I was really happy today, and not just because of the project. I just feel... it's been a long time since I've chatted with someone so relaxedly."

Jiang Chen looked at her, the corners of his mouth curving slightly. "We can get together again when you have time."

Hearing this, Lu Manqi's heart skipped a beat.

"Get together again when you have time."

He said "get together," not "talk more," and it wasn't just a polite formality.

She couldn't tell if it was politeness or sincerity, but the alcohol made her choose to believe the latter.

The car drove out of the garage and merged into the nighttime traffic.

Neon lights on both sides of the road flickered past the window, casting shifting shadows across Lu Manqi's face.

She rested her head against the seat back and turned her body slightly, her gaze falling on Jiang Chen almost undisguised.

Jiang Chen seemed to sense her gaze, but he only shifted slightly, maintaining a distance between them that was neither distant nor overly intimate.

"Where do you live? I'll drop you off first." His tone was gentle and polite, like asking for an ordinary friend's address.

Lu Manqi gave the name of her residential complex, her voice soft and carrying a hint of drunken playfulness.

After speaking, she looked at him again and added, "Where does President Jiang live? If it's not on the way, I can actually..."

"It's on the way," Jiang Chen cut her off, his tone flat. He then looked up and said to Lu Zheng in the driver's seat, "Go to Jiangbin Road first."

Lu Zheng nodded in the rearview mirror and deftly flicked the turn signal. The lexus lm merged onto the main road so smoothly there wasn't even a hint of a jolt.

Hearing the words "on the way," Lu Manqi felt as if her heart had been lightly tickled—it was itchy yet sweet.

She secretly pursed her lips and turned her face toward the window, the glass reflecting a smile she couldn't suppress.

The car was very stable. Lu Zheng's driving was excellent, and combined with the lexus lm's comfort-oriented suspension tuning, almost no bumps could be felt.

Lu Manqi had already been drinking, and with the warm air in the car blowing on her, sleepiness and drunkenness surged together, making her eyelids heavier and heavier.

After a few slight sways, her body unconsciously leaned toward Jiang Chen.

Her head came to rest on a solid shoulder.

Jiang Chen felt the weight on his shoulder and glanced sideways.

Lu Manqi's hair brushed against his shoulder, carrying a faint scent of gardenia. Her breathing was steady and long; she seemed to have truly fallen asleep.

He didn't move, nor did he push her away.

Lu Zheng's gaze flickered across the rearview mirror. He said nothing, only silently making his driving even steadier.

The car traveled along Jiangbin Road for about twenty minutes before finally coming to a steady stop downstairs at a high-end apartment building.

Lu Zheng pulled the handbrake and turned off the engine, sitting quietly in the driver's seat without looking back or making a sound.

The back seat was silent.

Jiang Chen turned his head slightly and called out softly, "Manqi, we're here."

Lu Manqi didn't react, her breathing remaining steady.

He called again, raising his voice slightly, "Lu Manqi, you're home."

Only then did Lu Manqi wake up dizzily. Realizing she had actually fallen asleep leaning on Jiang Chen's shoulder, her cheeks instantly burned.

She hurriedly sat up straight, her fingers instinctively touching the corner of her mouth to make sure she hadn't embarrassed herself before breathing a sigh of relief.

"Sorry, sorry, I... I fell asleep." Her voice was raspy from just waking up, and she was incredibly embarrassed.

Jiang Chen's expression was as usual, and he only shook his head slightly to indicate it was fine.

"Can you make it up yourself?" he asked.

Lu Manqi unbuckled her seatbelt and pushed open the car door.

When her feet touched the ground, it felt like stepping on cotton. Her body swayed, and she quickly grabbed the car door for support.

Jiang Chen had already gotten out from the other side. Seeing this, he walked over and reached out to steadily support her elbow.

"I'll see you up." His tone was flat but brooked no refusal.

Lu Manqi looked up and met his gaze. Her eyes, made exceptionally watery by the alcohol, held the fragmented reflections of the lights, shining startlingly bright.

She didn't refuse, nor did she even pretend to be polite; she just nodded gently.

The elevator ascended, the floor numbers ticking up one by one.