It was 10:30 p.m., after having dinner and singing at the KTV, Zhang Jing, Geng Liang, and Ju Yang returned to their school dormitory.

Meanwhile, Shen Qiang went back to the Gardener's Residential District with Miao Xiaoxia.

The district was very quiet at night.

Standing at the window, the Dark Department's Xiu Ju clearly saw Shen Qiang and Miao Xiaoxia heading to Miao Xiaoxia's house.

"He's a playboy,"

With a somewhat forlorn look in her eyes, the Dark Department's Xiu Ju said to the one-legged doll beside the computer, "Do you think I should go interrupt them now and make Shen Qiang come back?"

The doll beside the computer eerily shook its head.

The Dark Department's Xiu Ju sighed, "He's a bad man, not perfect at all, lacks magnanimity, and is ruthless and greedy. I really don't understand why those women like him?"

Sitting back down at the table, resting her chin on the table and looking at the one-legged doll, the Dark Department's Xiu Ju said, "Is this what people mean by 'women love a bad boy'?"

The doll eerily nodded.

The Dark Department's Xiu Ju let out a long breath and said earnestly, "The allure of bad men and bad women lies in the fact that if he were a true gentleman, then no woman would fantasize about him. But knowing he's a talented bad man, perhaps all the women attracted to him would like to take a bite."

Upstairs, the Dark Department's Xiu Ju talked to the doll.

Meanwhile, at Miao Xiaoxia's home.

After closing the door, Miao Xiaoxia turned around and saw Shen Qiang watching her.

"Come in. What are you standing there for?" Miao Xiaoxia was slightly surprised.

But almost at the same time, she suddenly found Shen Qiang, fiery with desire, had closed the gap between them.

"You are truly beautiful."

Shen Qiang whispered into Miao Xiaoxia's ear as he drew closer to her.

Miao Xiaoxia's body stiffened, and she stood frozen.

At that moment, Miao Xiaoxia could not only feel Shen Qiang's heated body but also clearly felt his hands wrapping around her waist.

Under the not-too-harsh light, Miao Xiaoxia's pretty face blushed, and her delicate body rigidly faced Shen Qiang.

At that moment, Shen Qiang, gazing into her beautiful eyes, slowly moved closer.

When Shen Qiang kissed her tender lips, she shuddered, her whole body going limp in Shen Qiang's arms.

After a long while, the two parted from their passionate kiss.

Looking at the shyly blushing Miao Xiaoxia, Shen Qiang bent down and held her in his arms.

Her face flushed to her neck, and her soft pink lips moved but made no sound.

Shen Qiang carried her toward the bedroom.

Nervous and bashful, her white jade hands clung tightly to Shen Qiang's shoulders.

In the bedroom, he laid the stunningly beautiful her on the bed.

Shen Qiang leaned over her.

Miao Xiaoxia, too embarrassed to look at Shen Qiang, whispered, "Are you serious?"

Shen Qiang lifted her flawless chin with his hand, gazed into her beautiful eyes, and nodded, "I am very serious."

In an instant, Miao Xiaoxia's face turned red to the roots of her neck, her eyes staring intensely at Shen Qiang.

Observing her complex expression—nervous, shy, fearful, yet expectant—Shen Qiang slowly leaned in closer.

…

The next morning, as the sunlight lit up the window.

Shen Qiang opened his eyes and instantly closed them again when he saw Miao Xiaoxia in his arms.

She pretended to be asleep.

It seemed she had no idea how to handle this situation.

Shen Qiang held her more tightly.

Compared to Su Xiaonuan, her waist was undoubtedly slimmer and more tender.

Her delicate body trembled, still pretending to sleep, and Shen Qiang whispered into her ear, "Didn't we agree to go for a morning run?"

Miao Xiaoxia's face turned red instantly. She opened her beautiful eyes, shyly glanced at Shen Qiang, and whispered, "I can't run now."

Shen Qiang laughed, gently brushed away the long hair from Miao Xiaoxia's cheek, and softly said, "Then let's not run."

Miao Xiaoxia looked at Shen Qiang coquettishly, rested her head on his shoulder, and whispered, "Don't tell cousin that we're together; she'll tell my parents."

Shen Qiang laughed, "If she tells them, so be it. What's there to be afraid of? We are not underage."

Miao Xiaoxia playfully said, "Let's not; it would be embarrassing if they found out."

Shen Qiang laughed and lifted her chin, asking, "Are you going to your class today?"

"Of course, I have to. How can I not go to class? I'd fail the tests," she said as she tried to get up. Seeing Shen Qiang looking at her, her beautiful face blushed deeply, then she covered Shen Qiang's eyes with her palm, chastising, "No peeking."

Shen Qiang laughed, "Okay, I won't look."

Seeing that Shen Qiang had closed his eyes, the charming Miao Xiaoxia quickly got up, put on her robe, and made for the bathroom. As soon as she stepped out of bed, she couldn't help but frown and gasped in pain.

"What's wrong?" Shen Qiang asked, startled.

Miao Xiaoxia's face turned red again, and she retorted coquettishly, "It's your fault." Then, she slowed her pace and walked out.

Her figure, that of a married woman, strangely gained a few traces of mature charm.

Shen Qiang laughed.

Still laughing, Shen Qiang's phone rang. He picked it up to see a very unfamiliar number.

"Hello, is this Shen Qiang?"

Shen Qiang replied, and the mature middle-aged woman on the phone said, "Hello sir, I'm sorry to disturb you this early. I am Lv Shuyao's mother. My surname is Song. We met at the airport when Shuyao went abroad. Now, I am the manager of Datong River. Today is my second day on the job."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qiang immediately smiled and said, "Hello Auntie Song, you can just call me Shen Qiang, no need to call me sir."

"A title is necessary, as I am about to discuss work matters with you," Lv Shuyao's mother said on the phone. "Our Datong River restaurant just received notification yesterday from the Huaxia Gourmet Awards organizers. With the second-place finish in Provincial City, we have been invited to the final competition of the Huaxia Gourmet Awards."

Shen Qiang laughed, "That's great news."

Lv Shuyao's mother hesitated before saying, "For this final competition of the Huaxia Gourmet Awards, there will be 70 teams from 23 provinces across Huaxia, featuring nearly all the top chefs in the country. Considering this, we thought we might have you compete personally."

Shen Qiang frowned, "I've been quite busy lately, let Lv Uncle and that guy from France handle it."

Hearing this, Lv Shuyao's mother sounded a bit anxious, "Sir, Datong River restaurant has gained some prominence in our provincial city, but in the grand scheme of Huaxia, we're practically unknown. If we want to grow Datong River, this competition is crucial."

"I'll think about it and let you know," Shen Qiang hung up directly; though it felt somewhat rude, discourteous even, he had an instinctive aversion to participating in the gourmet awards competition. Using medicinal cuisine, inherently intended to balance the body and help patients fight diseases, to court gourmets?

Why bother?

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