The Subtle Relationship Between the Ascetic Boss and Cen Yao

Cen Yao didn't believe him and felt that he was just placating her.

"Shao Xichen, do you think I'm a woman without principles and very casual?" Upon reflection, she indeed hadn't left a good impression on him for a long time.

Shao Xichen gazed deeply into her eyes, filled with regret for his earlier thoughtless words.

"Cen Yao, I..."

"There's no need for you to explain," she said, her frightened eyes like those of a wounded deer, instinctively stepping back half a step.

He stopped in his tracks, feeling a sharp pain in his heart.

Any further explanations were futile; he wanted to prove that it was all a misunderstanding with his actions.

He took out his phone and dialed the number from the previous call, pressing the speaker button under Cen Yao's watchful gaze.

After a few rings, the call was quickly answered, "You finally decided to call me back? I hadn't finished talking when you hung up just now."

It was the same woman's voice, the one who had called Shao Xichen the previous two times.

Cen Yao's long eyelashes fluttered, and she looked at Shao Xichen in confusion.

"Mom, I'm not considering going abroad, so you don't need to call me anymore," he said, then immediately hung up without giving the other person a chance to speak.

Cen Yao's pupils dilated, and her facial expression stiffened.

"Mom?!" So that woman was Shao Xichen's mother.

"Do you have any more questions now?" he asked, raising his eyebrows slightly, and reached up to wipe away the tears from the corner of her eye. "If there's anything else unclear, I can continue to explain."

Cen Yao looked embarrassed, now wishing she could dig a hole and crawl into it immediately.

She lowered her head and twisted her fingers, but since she had already lost face, she might as well ask everything clearly at once.

"The call at the alumni meeting, was that also your mother?"

"Mm-hmm."

He hadn't informed his family about his retirement from the military, and his mother had initially been unaware of it. Later, she learned about Shao Xichen's retirement from a friend and rushed back from abroad that night.

His parents had never approved of him attending military school, and now that he had retired, they wanted him to take over the business overseas. However, he insisted on staying in Nancheng, and no matter how much his mother pleaded, she couldn't persuade him.

"Do you have anything else you want to ask?"

Cen Yao's cheeks burned hot, and she obediently shook her head.

"If you have any doubts in the future, you can come to me directly and ask clearly, instead of brooding alone," Shao Xichen said, rubbing her head.

"Go change your clothes, and then come out for breakfast."

"Shao Xichen," she called him by name, "I've said that our relationship is free, and either party has the right to stop at any time. So, if you have a girlfriend or someone you like, please tell me."

Shao Xichen looked up at her and noticed that Cen Yao seemed particularly sensitive about such matters, even somewhat repelled.

Ordinary girls might just be angry, but Cen Yao's reaction far exceeded his expectations.

She used to be confident, proud, and full of hope for everything, not like now, where she was cautious in every way.

She was still the same person as before, but also seemed different from before.

On a rare day off, Cen Yao didn't like to go out. Her only hobby was to curl up on the sofa drawing and then relax by watching TV dramas.

She had a low tolerance for emotional scenes and couldn't help but cry at slightly touching moments.

In the morning, Shao Xichen had watched her cry and laugh several times as her mood changed.

He kindly handed her a tissue and sat down beside her. "There's not much food left in the fridge, shall we go to the supermarket later?" "I don't want to go," she said, continuing to focus on the TV.

"Something really big must have happened, but you have to wait until I finish this episode," she said.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Shao Xichen, being considerate, went to open it.

"Yao Yao, what..." The words died on Cheng Xue's lips as she stood outside the door, her pupils dilating in shock, staring at Shao Xichen with her mouth wide open in surprise.

She took a step back to check the house number, almost doubting that she had the wrong address if she could find it with her eyes closed.

Fang Shaoqing had been on business trips recently, and she felt bored being alone at home, so she wanted to invite Cen Yao out shopping.

Thinking that she would definitely be home, she didn't call ahead to notify her.

She never expected such an unexpected gain.

Who could tell her what was going on?

When she saw Shao Xichen leading someone inside, Cen Yao's shock was no less than Cheng Xue's earlier reaction.

Shao Xichen glanced at her indifferently, said nothing, and walked straight to the kitchen.

"Yao Yao, what's going on here, have you been cohabiting with Shao Xichen?!"

Cen Yao's cheeks burned hot, all the way to the back of her ears, as if she had been caught secretly dating in her early teens.

"Tell me quickly, when did you start cohabiting together."

Cheng Xue crossed her arms, somewhat angry. It wasn't because Cen Yao hadn't told her about cohabiting with someone else, but because the person she was cohabiting with was Shao Xichen.

"We haven't been cohabiting, it's just..." What exactly, even she couldn't explain clearly.

"So what's your relationship now?"

Cen Yao pondered for a moment, then just shook her head.

"There's no relationship at all, and you've brought him home."

Cheng Xue was about to be infuriated to the point of vomiting blood.

If, according to what Cen Yao said, they were just taking what they needed from each other, that wouldn't be a big deal, after all, it was the 21st century.

But the key issue was that she had brought him home, which meant more than just a mutually beneficial relationship.

Cen Yao was hard-pressed to defend herself; it wasn't like she had brought him home, he had just shown up on his own.

"Cen Yao, now that things have come to this, haven't you thought about taking it a step further?"

Cen Yao frowned, not understanding what Cheng Xue meant.

"What I mean is, now that you're cohabiting, haven't you thought about turning the other person into a boyfriend? After all, once this kind of relationship ends, you definitely won't be able to remain friends. Since that's the case, why not develop into a boyfriend?" Men like Shao Xichen were a catch.

As she was analyzing, Shao Xichen came out with a fruit platter and placed it on the table. Then he turned around and went back into the kitchen, not knowing if he had heard their conversation.

Cheng Xue was dumbfounded, once again shocked, and stammered to Cen Yao.

"Was he just cutting fruit for us?"

"Mm-hmm, and his cooking skills are also very good, do you want to stay for dinner?"

Cheng Xue immediately changed her expression, "Does he usually cook for you?"

"Yeah, the three meals a day are prepared by him."

Cheng Xue grabbed Cen Yao's hand tightly, even more convinced of her earlier thoughts.