111: Chapter 111: Stole Someone’s Painting?

111: Chapter 111: Stole Someone’s Painting?

After that call ended, Su Lu tried to reach Bo Jingshen again.

Still, it was impossible to get through.

At the hot and spicy soup stand, Bo Jingshen placed a pink paper note on the counter.

The steam from the pot was making his nose itch, and Bo Jingshen covered his nose with his hand to suppress a sneeze.

The owner packed up the spicy soup and handed it to Bo Jingshen, then looked at the paper note with some difficulty, “Young man, can you pay by scanning a code?”

Bo Jingshen pulled out his mobile phone which had a blackened screen, “It’s out of battery.”

Owner: “Ah, I don’t have any change.

People rarely use cash these days…”

Bo Jingshen took the spicy soup and said quietly, “Keep the change.”

Jing Ruo had been eagerly waiting, and by the time Bo Jingshen returned to the neighborhood, she was fiddling around boredly on the colorful fitness equipment in the area.

She swung on the treadmill as if she was about to take off any second.

Finally, seeing that tall and slender figure walk into the neighborhood, Jing Ruo’s eyes lit up, and she bounced and ran up to him, “Brother!”

“Here,” Bo Jingshen handed over the bag in his hand.

Jing Ruo accepted it with glee, “I just called you and couldn’t get through.

I thought you forgot.”

“Out of battery,” Bo Jingshen glanced at her as he spoke, watching Jing Ruo carrying the spicy soup and following him, “What, you plan to take this back to my place to eat?”

Bo Jingshen wasn’t used to sharing his space under the same roof, so he arranged an apartment in the same neighborhood for Jing Ruo to move into.

Although Jing Ruo was unwilling to accept it.

So at this moment, the expression on Jing Ruo’s face was pitiful, “I don’t even have bowls or chopsticks there…”

She tried to look pitiful, but Bo Jingshen wasn’t buying it and pointed at the bag, “There are disposable bowls and chopsticks inside.”

Jing Ruo’s attempt to look miserable failed, her eyes rolling around, she then said, “I wanted to discuss something important with you.

Dad called me today.

Don’t you want to know what he said?”

Bo Jingshen furrowed his brows and paused his steps.

Looking at Jing Ruo again, his expression was a bit more irritated yet resigned, “Alright.”

With that, he walked ahead briskly.

Jing Ruo chuckled and quickly caught up.

She had noticed earlier, something wrapped in white cloth tucked under Bo Jingshen’s arm.

She wasn’t sure what it was.

But after staring for a while, Jing Ruo thought…

it might be something like a picture frame?

That made her even more curious, otherwise, she wouldn’t insist on going to his place to eat spicy soup.

Although she indeed didn’t have bowls or chopsticks at her place, she had recently tried all kinds of takeout nearby and had plenty of disposable tableware.

She was hardly so pitiful that she couldn’t get food into her mouth.

Upon entering the elevator, Jing Ruo couldn’t help but ask, “Hey Jingshen, what’s this you have under your arm…?”

As she spoke, she stretched out two fingers, trying to peek under the white cloth.

Bo Jingshen slapped her hand away, “Mind your own business.”

“Come on, don’t be so stingy.

Can’t I even have a look?” Jing Ruo pouted.

Bo Jingshen didn’t even bother to look at her, saying flatly, “If you think I’m stingy, put the spicy soup down.”

“Still saying you’re not stingy!

Even counting a bowl of spicy soup against me!” Jing Ruo stamped her foot and the elevator shook.

Bo Jingshen’s frowned, “Can you behave?”

Seeing his suddenly tightened brows, Jing Ruo felt regretful.

She knew about the horrific plane crash Bo Jingshen had endured, which had left him with PTSD.

Not only was he extremely sensitive to turbulence during flights, but something like an elevator, that hung between sky and ground, could also unsettle him if it shook too violently.

“Ah, sorry,” Jing Ruo honestly stayed still.

The elevator reached the floor, and they entered the apartment.

Jing Ruo knew her way around and found a large stainless steel bowl in the kitchen to serve the spicy hot pot.

She opened all the windows as soon as she carried it out, to avoid filling up the room with the smell.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted that picture frame or whatever it was that Bo Jingshen had previously treated like a mysterious treasure, unwilling to even let her have a glance.

It was now placed in the living room’s display cabinet.

Holding the stainless steel bowl, Jing Ruo slurped the Yi Mian from the spicy broth as she walked over to the cabinet.

She looked inside curiously.

“Oh, it’s a painting,” Jing Ruo remarked, slurping another mouthful of Yi Mian, her words muffled, “I thought it was a picture frame.”

She leaned in for a closer look, “The painting is quite good.”

Jing Ruo stuffed a quail egg into her mouth, her cheeks bulging as she studied the painting closely, “The brushwork is quite delicate, must be painted by a girl.

Plus, it’s still not varnished, so it hasn’t been painted long.

Also, here…”

Jing Ruo pointed at a small detail on the painting, “This part isn’t finished yet, is it?

You brought it back before it was finished?”

Though Jing Ruo was an illegitimate daughter, Jing Ce wanted to groom her into a socialite to potentially leverage her in familial alliances among other things.

He spared no expense in cultivating her interests in arts like music, chess, painting, and dance.

So, she could discern quite a bit.

Jing Ruo, her mouth full of chili oil, side-eyed Bo Jingshen skeptically, “You brought it back even though it’s unfinished.

Tell me honestly, did you steal this painting?”

Bo Jingshen didn’t bother speaking to her, instead, he examined the painting closely and then closed the glass door of the display cabinet.

Quite satisfied.

He then spoke softly, “Steal?

I paid for it.”

And paid quite a sum at that.

Jing Ruo, chewing on a tendon-rich meatball, narrowed her eyes in a teasing smile, “You didn’t come home last night.

I asked Jiang Li where you went, even Jiang Li couldn’t tell, just said that even after he dropped you at your building, you didn’t want to go up and insisted on going somewhere else.

So, where did you go?”

She clearly already had an answer, asking this purely to tease him.

Bo Jingshen couldn’t be bothered to speak, settling down on the couch with his long legs stretched out on the coffee table, “Hurry up and eat, then leave.”

Jing Ruo ate leisurely, her playful look gradually fading from her eyes.

She dabbed the chili oil from her lips and said in a low voice, “Brother, perhaps you should keep your distance from her?”

Bo Jingshen remained silent, side-glancing her.

Jing Ruo sighed softly, “You know what I mean.”

Bo Jingshen pursed his lips, saying nothing; of course, he understood Jing Ruo’s meaning.

Jing Ruo said, “Even if you just wait until this storm passes…

for now, just keep your distance from her, okay?

Once we settle the matters in Beijing and sort out the Jing Family issues, then you can do whatever you like.”

Jing Ruo paused, then added with a soft sigh, “Just to be safe.”

Yes, just to be safe.

Bo Jingshen detested taking precautions, hated those necessary evils, but he had to admit that Jing Ruo’s concerns were valid.

Too many precedents, too many lessons learned.

He couldn’t afford to gamble.

And he couldn’t afford to lose.

“I understand,” Bo Jingshen said.