Financial Independence through Cracked Apps-Chapter 61: What Kind of Girl Do You Like?

The last time Qin Yuenan had felt her cheeks burn with this kind of heart-fluttering excitement was that time at Sheshan.

That was when her relationship with Lin Shen had undergone a subtle change, gradually evolving from boss and subordinate to "friends" on good terms.

It was also then that she’d felt an inexplicable attraction toward a man for the first time.

She’d even had a rather vivid dream that night.

But this time, the torrent of heat surging in her chest was clearly even fiercer than it had been at Sheshan.

As his strong, masculine frame pressed against her, holding her tight, Qin Yuenan felt a slight wave of dizziness wash over her.

It was as if she were the one who was drunk, not Lin Shen!

His hot breath, laced with the scent of alcohol, ghosted across the side of her face, leaving her once-clear mind feeling muddled.

She enjoyed drinking, but she hated the reek of alcohol on people, including herself.

And yet, she didn’t mind the smell of alcohol on Lin Shen.

It was contradictory. It was strange.

Qin Yuenan felt that Lin Shen was gradually changing many of her daily habits, pushing her in a direction she’d never experienced before.

’Could this be what Ningning meant when she talked about liking someone?’

Qin Yuenan quickly shook her head, first getting Lin Shen into the passenger seat and buckling his seatbelt for him.

"You’re so heavy."

"You’re so nice."

As Qin Yuenan leaned over him, Lin Shen suddenly reached out and threaded his fingers through her soft, loose hair. He stroked it and sniffed it, then took a deep, deliberate breath and sighed with a grin, like some kind of scoundrel.

"Nan, your hair smells amazing."

"Get lost!"

Flustered and incensed, Qin Yuenan shot Lin Shen a fierce glare.

’She never imagined this guy, Lin Shen, would actually dare to hit on her when he was drunk!’

’Was he doing it on purpose?’

’Or was it an accident?’

Qin Yuenan was inclined to believe the latter.

’I’ll forgive you this time!’

Qin Yuenan mentally absolved Lin Shen of his "crime," then sat down in the driver’s seat.

She slipped off her high heels, placed them on the back seat, and changed into a pair of flats for driving.

Just as Qin Yuenan finished buckling her seatbelt and was about to start the car, Lin Shen suddenly reached out and stroked her leg, sheathed in black silk stockings!

The fine, silky texture was so satisfying he didn’t want to stop.

!?

Qin Yuenan blinked a couple of times, clearly not processing what had just happened.

When she came to her senses, she narrowed her eyes. She was about to snap at him, but then she saw Lin Shen give her an embarrassed smile.

"I thought there was a bug on your leg, but I guess my eyes were playing tricks on me. Sorry, Nan."

"You’d better hope your eyes were playing tricks on you."

Qin Yuenan’s expression was icy, but inwardly, she forgave Lin Shen’s outrageous behavior for the third time.

But it was less about forgiveness and more about indulgence.

She was surprised to find a faint sense of anticipation stirring within her at Lin Shen’s uncharacteristically bold behavior.

Her personality was naturally aloof and passive, so she needed someone impolite like him to "stir things up" and break through the faint barrier that had always existed between them.

"Why did you drink so much?"

On the road, Qin Yuenan demanded with a frown, but Lin Shen just gave a carefree laugh.

"Because I’m happy!"

"Drinking with friends makes you this happy?"

Qin Yuenan pursed her lips disdainfully.

"I really don’t get what you men are thinking."

"You’ve got the subject wrong,"

Lin Shen suddenly said, turning his head to emphasize his point.

"It’s not the drinking that makes me happy, it’s being with my friends."

"It’s not like for women, who can hang out with their best friends every day. When guys get together, it’s usually a meaningful event. It typically means we’ve run into some kind of trouble in life."

"When we can’t process that stuff on our own, we find our friends to vent, and use alcohol to numb our battered hearts."

"..." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Hearing this, Qin Yuenan silently mulled over the deeper meaning behind Lin Shen’s words.

’She’d thought Lin Shen had long since moved on from his last failed relationship.’

’After all, he was usually so carefree and easygoing, his smile so gentle. She’d never seen the slightest hint of dejection or sorrow in him.’

’But apparently, that wasn’t the case.’

’It was only after this night of drinking that he was finally, slowly, able to let go.’

’Perhaps this was the meaning behind what he’d said about "when guys get together."’

Qin Yuenan pulled up a playlist, activated the electronic air freshener, and with her slender hands on the steering wheel, guided the Volvo S90 into the bustling river of traffic.

♪~If we can’t love in this life, let’s try again in the next~♪

...

The rhythmic melody of an old song slowly echoed through the dim car. Accompanied by the faint, barely-there scent of grapefruit in the air, it seemed to sober Lin Shen up quite a bit.

"Looks like we have similar taste in music. All old songs. It suits old folks like us."

Lin Shen remarked, then asked curiously.

"The air freshener smells nice, too. What’s that scent?"

"Sea Salt & Sage."

Qin Yuenan answered softly, her gaze fixed intently on the brake lights that intermittently glowed red outside the windshield.

She was silent for a long while before finally taking a deep breath and asking in a quiet, casual-sounding voice.

"Are you not planning on dating anymore?"

"Of course not!"

Lin Shen said lazily, his hands clasped behind his head.

"If I meet a girl I like, I’ll still feel something. I just probably won’t be looking for some kind of pure, innocent love anymore. Maybe being a player wouldn’t be so bad."

"Don’t actively pursue, but don’t refuse, either."

"Then you..."

Qin Yuenan wasn’t surprised by Lin Shen’s change in attitude.

’On the contrary, if he still believed in love after being betrayed by his ex-girlfriend, then there’d be something wrong with his Spirit!’

Qin Yuenan’s red lips parted slightly, her heart beginning to race with a strange nervousness.

Lin Shen seemed to sense her hesitation and turned his head, asking with a soft laugh.

"Nan, what do you want to say?"

"I was going to ask... what kind of girl do you like?"

Qin Yuenan’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, and she quickly added an explanation.

"I’ll see if there’s anyone suitable I can introduce you to. You are my assistant, after all."

"In that case, Nan, can you introduce me to yourself?"

Lin Shen said with a grin. The sudden, direct pass made Qin Yuenan’s heart flutter, and she bit the corner of her lip.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I said."

Lin Shen began counting on his fingers as he listed her praises.

"Nan, you’re beautiful, you have a great body, you have an outstanding career and education, and you’re very rich."

"With a package like that, I don’t think any guy would say no, right?"

"..."

Qin Yuenan pressed her thin lips together. It was as if a stone had been tossed into her already restless heart, sending ripples spreading through her.

’Does Lin Shen like me?’

After the absurd thought popped into her head, Qin Yuenan didn’t immediately dismiss it this time. Instead, she seriously considered the question.

’He praised me so much... maybe it’s true?’

’If he likes me...’

"Nan."

Lin Shen’s sudden interjection made Qin Yuenan jump, and her expression instantly became flustered and lost.

"Wh... what is it?"

"You’re going the wrong way."

Lin Shen jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

"My place is back that way."

"..."

After a moment of silence, Qin Yuenan shot Lin Shen a venomous glare.

’And here I was, thinking you were going to say something important!’

’But it was just this?’