books44 Chapter 23 Madam...Master is waiting for you inside.
Chapter 23 Madam...Master is waiting for you inside.
Zhou Fu was Old Madam Huo's man, so he naturally knew something about Huo Sili and Jiang Qin's affair.
Slightly surprised, but mostly pleased and delighted, she quickly agreed with a bright look in her eyes.
The elevator went straight to the basement level. Huo Sili got into the car, and a few minutes later, when Wang Ma from Yunhai Huafu saw the caller ID, she was as shocked as if she had seen the sun rise in the west.
"Sir? You wanted to see me?"
Huo Sili's voice was quite calm: "Well, I'll be home for dinner tonight. You and Aunt Liu can prepare two meals."
After a slight pause, he added, "Keep the dishes light and not greasy. Try to steam or blanch the meat dishes as much as possible, and make more refreshing vegetables. Don't have too many different dishes, and don't make anything too fancy. Just keep it home-style. Also, prepare some refreshing fruit juice, but at room temperature, don't add ice."
Upon hearing such detailed instructions, Wang Ma was completely stunned.
However, he quickly realized that it was the old lady who had intervened and spoken to the two of them.
As the "whistleblower," Wang Ma felt a little guilty, but then she thought, well, no matter what, it's a good thing that her husband and wife's life has changed, even if it doesn't go back to the sweetness it was a year ago.
Take it slow, and we'll see. Maybe things will turn out just like they were a year ago? Anything is possible!
Thinking it over, Wang Ma happily agreed, "Okay! Okay! Sir, what time will you and your wife be back? I'll make sure to cook and juice at the right time so it's just right for you and your wife to eat when you get back. Juice doesn't stay fresh if it's left out for too long."
“I should be there around seven o’clock, she’ll probably be there around seven-thirty. You can prepare the juice later,” Horstley said.
As it turns out, Huo Sili and Jiang Qin were indeed quite aware of each other's behavior at times.
It was 6:40 PM at the apartment building where Su Lejia lived.
After finishing the bright green lettuce she had just picked up from the clear broth pot, Jiang Qin glanced at the time and took a napkin to wipe her mouth.
Su Lejia was slightly surprised when she saw her actions, and clearly reluctant to let her go. "What's going on? You're just going to leave?"
Su Lejia gestured for her to look at the pot, "You didn't eat any of the beef, shrimp paste, and meatballs you bought?"
Jiang Qin said apologetically, "Well, I have to go back now. As I told you earlier, the old lady wants to video call."
Su Lejia was a little unhappy. "But isn't that eight o'clock? It's not even seven o'clock yet! Why go back so early? It only takes about forty minutes to get from here to your place, including traffic."
Su Lejia did the math and pouted even more, "If you leave now, wouldn't you arrive around 7:30?"
Jiang Qin looked down at the two bubbling pots on the table, clearly feeling a little embarrassed.
However, she clearly had no intention of changing her mind, and suggested, "How about you, Lele, call Zhou Junxuan over?"
Zhou Junxuan is Su Lejia's boyfriend and also their classmate in high school. They have a very good relationship.
But after hearing this, Jiang Qin learned that Zhou Junxuan was currently on official business in another city and was not in Beijing. After Su Lejia finished talking about Zhou Junxuan, she glanced at Jiang Qin, snorted, and didn't say anything more about Jiang Qin leaving now.
Jiang Qin knew how important that old lady was to her. Jiang Qin was determined to leave; she couldn't really leave her best friend behind.
"Never mind, I'll take you. It's late at night and you're not feeling well. I don't feel comfortable letting you ride in someone else's car." With that, Su Lejia got up to get her car keys.
Knowing that Su Lejia was all bark and no bite, Jiang Qin felt a surge of warmth in her heart upon seeing this. She couldn't help but go over and hug Su Lejia, sincerely saying, "Thank you, Lele."
Su Lejia turned around, gently patted Jiang Qin's head, looked into Jiang Qin's eyes and said seriously, "Okay, no matter what decision you make, Qinqin, remember, you still have me. When the baby is born, I will be the baby's godmother."
"So, I'll naturally have to help protect the children from now on. Don't be afraid, contact me immediately if anything happens." He said this with a deliberately lively tone.
"Sister, I have plenty of strength and methods!"
Jiang Qin naturally saw that Su Lejia was deliberately teasing her, and the corners of her lips lifted in response, "Yes! Our Lele has plenty of strength and methods!"
Yunhai Huafu, first floor restaurant.
The minute hand of the cream-colored white wall clock turned, and it was 7:28 p.m.
Huo Sili sat in a dining chair with a phone stand beside him. His dark, deep eyes glanced at the wall clock, and his long, slender fingers tapped rhythmically on the marble tabletop covered with a fine velvet tablecloth.
At the entrance of the hall, Wang Ma craned her neck and anxiously peered into the wrought iron gate of the villa.
The headlights illuminated, and a white vehicle appeared at the smart access control box next to the gate.
Wang Ma's heart sank halfway down. When she saw a familiar figure getting out of the back seat, she patted her chest and hurried over. Her heart finally returned to normal.
As soon as Jiang Qin got off the train and stood still, she noticed someone beside her and saw Wang Ma.
"Madam, you're finally back. Your husband is waiting for you inside."
"Okay." Jiang Qin replied, but did not go inside immediately. Instead, she went ahead to say goodbye to Su Lejia, "Be careful on the road."
“Okay, go ahead,” Su Lejia said, waving to Jiang Qin.
Jiang Qin smiled and nodded before walking into the house.
Upon entering the lobby, at exactly 7:30, the old lady sent a WeChat video call invitation to Huo Sili's phone.
Huo Sili glanced up at Jiang Qin, who was washing her hands at the washbasin on the island, and waited for her to sit down before answering the call.
A gentle smile curved his thin lips. "Grandma."
A few minutes later, I saw the two of them sitting together in the dining chairs, and the dishes on the table were clearly all things my granddaughter-in-law liked.
On the other end of the screen, Grandma Huo smiled kindly, clearly satisfied, and said, "Alright, then I won't keep you two from eating any longer. You two eat quickly, and eat more, it's so late."
For the sake of video calls, Jiang Qin, who was originally supposed to be sitting opposite Huo Sili, is now sitting next to him.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Qin, who was eating, stopped and gave the old lady on the other side of the screen a sweet smile, "Mmm."
Horstley said, "Okay, Grandma, then we'll continue eating."
"Okay, you can hang up now," Qiu Huilan said kindly.
After the video ended, Huo Sili got up and removed the phone stand, placing it aside.
Seeing this, Jiang Qin assumed that Huo Sili was done acting and wasn't going to eat, so she got up as well.
Wang Ma couldn't help but look at Jiang Qin, "Madam, wouldn't you like some more? The master specifically..."
I specially ordered this to be made for you; it's all your favorite food.
Jiang Qin shook her head, "No, I ate before I came back, I'm quite full."
After saying that, he didn't linger and went straight into the elevator.
Huo Sili, who had placed the phone stand on the coffee table, paused and glanced back at Wang Ma.
Back in my chair, I glanced at the changing numbers on the display screen next to the elevator, picked up my chopsticks, and continued eating.
In recent months, Horstley has only come upstairs before going to bed.
Jiang Qin, who had returned to the master bedroom, did not hear any noise behind her and did not think much of it.
After all, she knew what Huo Sili was doing today. He wouldn't actually wait until 7:30 to eat; he'd probably be in the living room downstairs or in the study.
Jiang Qin first took folic acid as prescribed by the doctor, then took out the pregnancy knowledge booklet that the doctor had given her from her bag and sat on the sofa to read it.
Out of a sense of responsibility towards the child, she watched very carefully. However, having almost been caught by Horstley last time, this time, although she was very attentive, she remained vigilant and alert to any movement outside the door.
But to her surprise, as she became more alert, the man's footsteps became as light as a feather falling, as if he had studied with assassins in movies and TV shows.
The moment the doorknob was pressed down, Jiang Qin's heart jumped. She quickly scanned the area, grabbed a cushion to shield herself, picked up her phone, and slipped the manual between herself and the cushion.
But it seemed that Horst was about to go crazy again. The tall man pushed open the door and walked straight toward where she was.
Jiang Qin's heart pounded wildly, but her face remained calm and composed, and she didn't even lift her eyelids.
As luck would have it, the phone I was holding suddenly vibrated with a clear, crisp "ding-ding."
Jiang Qin glanced down at her status bar and caught a glimpse of a handsome man walking towards her out of the corner of her eye. Her heart inexplicably started pounding even harder.
It was Xie Youan who sent the WeChat message.
Just as Jiang Qin was about to turn off the volume, several more beeps sounded, and Xie You'an sent several more messages.
“Su Lejia?” Huo Sili stood in front of her.
Looking at Jiang Qin's contact name with the words "Xie You'an" written in large letters: "..."