It was as if he wasn't a CEO at all, but someone who had always been by her side, silently taking care of her and providing the sense of security she needed.
Shi Xinxin recalled again the feeling of peace when she was lying in bed. It felt like this wouldn't be so bad.
"Alright, the soup is almost cold. You've eaten so many buns, have some soup," Sheng Chenjin said, gentlemanly placing the bowl in front of her. The spoon was conveniently positioned to her right.
How had he become so thoughtful? Shi Xinxin was surprised but dared not show it. She now looked like a thief with a guilty conscience, afraid that Sheng Chenjin would see through her recent thoughts.
If he knew what she had just been thinking, she would probably be ridiculed. How could she be worthy of someone like him? Even if he was arrogant and ill-tempered, he was still the chairman.
Second only to the heavens, how many women wanted to sleep with him? Someone like her should just forget about it. "Shi Xinxin, wake up. He can't possibly have feelings for you. Don't be fooled by appearances, or you'll end up crying alone."
Shi Xinxin drank the soup while trying to convince herself, to stop her thoughts from wandering. Within seconds, Sheng Chenjin interrupted her self-talk and offered a positive idea.
"Are you free next weekend? There's a ball, and I've been invited, but I'm lacking a female companion..."
Shi Xinxin was so taken aback by his request that she forgot to close her jaw.
"You don't have to be so surprised, do you? It's just a ball, like your company's annual party, just with more people," Sheng Chenjin tried to put Shi Xinxin at ease.
It was just a ball, and he didn't want her to be nervous. Moreover, the butler had also mentioned finding an opportunity to bring them closer. By his usual standards, he would have refused such an invitation.
But then he considered that he could use this opportunity to close the distance between him and Shi Xinxin. So, he made an exception and agreed. Seeing Shi Xinxin's surprised expression, Sheng Chenjin quickly explained.
He didn't want there to be any distance between them. After all, Shi Xinxin had only been an ordinary office worker before, and she was likely unfamiliar with such balls. If she had any concerns, Sheng Chenjin wanted to be the one to alleviate them.
It was just a ball, nothing to be afraid of. But he didn't want to put any pressure on Shi Xinxin. If Shi Xinxin showed any sign of hesitation, he was willing to stay home with her.
Fortunately, Shi Xinxin wasn't as timid as he expected.
After listening to Sheng Chenjin's explanation, she put down the spoon and hesitated.
"It's okay. I'm just a dance partner, and as your companion, I'll be by your side the whole time. You don't need to be nervous. I swear, apart from the crowd, there's nothing special about it."
Because he had started from scratch himself, he had made many blunders when he first attended high-society balls. But at that time, to meet more influential people at the banquet, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and push forward.
As his company's performance gradually improved, people began to remember not Sheng Chenjin's embarrassing moments, but his capabilities. Once he had established a firm foothold, balls like these were no longer a big deal to Sheng Chenjin.
However, due to his intelligence and resourcefulness, social dance steps were already ingrained in his mind. Now, he could easily handle the situation of taking Shi Xinxin out for some fun.
Despite his reassurances, Shi Xinxin still kept her head down, fiddling with her fingers, saying nothing. Sheng Chenjin grew anxious. Could she still be angry with him? He had apologized for what happened earlier, so why wasn't she responding? What was he supposed to do?
He had no experience in coaxing girls and didn't know what to do. The room fell silent. After a long while, Shi Xinxin stammered something that Sheng Chenjin couldn't hear clearly.
But at least Shi Xinxin had made a sound, and he felt a glimmer of hope. "What did you say? I didn't hear you clearly."
Shi Xinxin looked up, her eyes filled with a hint of grievance.
"I really didn't hear you clearly." The only value of this ball for Sheng Chenjin was to get closer to her. But if it made Shi Xinxin uncomfortable, Sheng Chenjin would definitely not force her.
He didn't want to discover that she had run away again in defiance of his orders. The anxiety of that experience was unbearable.
After all, this was initially his own wish. He hoped Shi Xinxin would simply consider it a request, not a work order.
Shi Xinxin took a deep breath and said softly, "I don't know how to dance." This time, it was Sheng Chenjin's turn to be speechless.
"Then what about your company's annual parties? Don't you go and have fun?" Sheng Chenjin recalled that company annual parties always involved banquets and organized entertainment for employees, with dancing being one of the most common activities.
"Our company's annual parties are mainly about eating," Shi Xinxin argued evasively, her gaze shifting, avoiding his eyes.
Sheng Chenjin thought for a moment. "Alright, then I'll teach you."
"What?!" Shi Xinxin was very surprised.
"I'll teach you how to dance. We don't have to go until next weekend, so there's plenty of time to teach you."
"Then, won't you be working?" Shi Xinxin, unable to find any other excuse, blurted out this question. Sheng Chenjin replied with a wry smile, "Haven't you been working from home with me for so long?"
"Oh, right..." Shi Xinxin felt a little embarrassed.
"Are you sure you didn't have a concussion and your brain got damaged?" Sheng Chenjin said, reaching out to touch Shi Xinxin's head again, but his hand froze midway.
He remembered the incident at the mall and didn't know what to do. Then, in the next second, Shi Xinxin reached out, pulled Sheng Chenjin's hand over, and placed it on her head, saying, "Then touch it and see if anything's broken. Can I claim worker's compensation?"
Sheng Chenjin was startled by her action and couldn't respond immediately. Later, Shi Xinxin herself realized what she had done. She had pulled Sheng Chenjin's hand and placed it on her head. How could she do that? He was her boss.
Would this action make him misunderstand something? It seemed too late to regret it now. Why had she done that? Had she really fallen under Sheng Chenjin's spell?
A silence fell between them. Sheng Chenjin withdrew his hand, a little awkwardly, and after a long pause, said, "I thought you were still angry about what happened last time."