Rose Manor: Tycoon's Relentless Chase-Chapter 265 - 248: Pink Rabbit

Shen Jianian thought that after lunch, Fu Jichen would return to the office to handle work. She just touched her stomach, and he noticed something amiss, smiling as he asked, "Ate too much?"

Shen Jianian didn’t answer, implicitly agreeing.

After entering the elevator, Fu Jichen pressed the sixth floor button, "I’ll take you for a spin to walk off the food."

Shen Jianian asked him, "What time is it now?" She didn’t have her phone and didn’t know the time.

Fu Jichen lifted his wrist to show her his watch, five minutes to two.

Shen Jianian didn’t expect that lunch would take so long, "Aren’t you going to the office today?"

"I’ll head over later, there are a few contracts that need signing."

The elevator ascended two floors and stopped at the sixth floor, Fu Jichen took Shen Jianian by the wrist and led her out.

Shen Jianian hadn’t been to an amusement arcade in years, more precisely, since graduating from university.

In her memory, the last time she went to an amusement arcade was in her junior year, it was Bai Changxia’s birthday, whose birthday was also in winter, a month earlier than hers. Four girls from their dorm gathered for hotpot at a restaurant in the mall. They ate too much that day as well, and a roommate suggested they take a stroll through the arcade, which left a deep impression: she and Bai Changxia took off their down jackets and danced to a song on the dance machine.

She wore a fluffy white wool sweater paired with a plaid mini skirt, while Bai Changxia wore a thin sweatshirt, black jeans below, and long leather boots. Bai Changxia was good at dancing, but she was different. Her limbs weren’t very coordinated, as she followed the movements on the screen, lifting her arms and kicking her legs. The other two roommates watched by the side, laughing incessantly, saying she looked like a clumsy penguin.

After getting off the dance machine, Bai Changxia went to ride a motorcycle, racing with a group of kids, and winning them a bag of candies, which she brought back to share with them.

Back then, life was simple and joyful, carefree, without a taste of worry.

Shen Jianian glanced in the direction of the dance machine, where two slender girls were dancing. They probably played often, as their movements were smooth and graceful, their dance steps precisely on point without mistakes.

Through them, Shen Jianian seemed to see herself during her university days.

Fu Jichen didn’t know what she was thinking, he only saw her zoning out while looking at the dance machine not far away and guessed she wanted to play, "There’s another machine beside it that’s empty; if you want to play, go ahead. I’ll get you some game tokens."

Shen Jianian turned back, meeting his deep eyes, and shook her head, "I can’t dance."

The place was full of young people, some playing racing games, some drumming on electronic drum sets, others shooting basketballs, and some trying their luck at claw machines.

After strolling around, Shen Jianian’s gaze fell on a few girls at the claw machine, watching them with their heads close together, excitedly discussing operations.

Shen Jianian was infected by the smiles on their faces and wondered if claw machines were really that joyful.

The man beside her had disappeared at some point; Shen Jianian looked around, her gaze suddenly pausing as Fu Jichen strode over from the counter, handing her a small red basket filled with game tokens, heavy with weight.

"Thank you."

Shen Jianian smiled, cradling the basket of game tokens, and chose a claw machine to play.

She inserted a few coins, pressed the operating button, watching as the iron claw wobbled down, picking up a bunny with big ears, yet it fell off before reaching the exit.

After five or six attempts, not a single bunny escaped successfully, Shen Jianian was a bit discouraged, it looked so easy when others did it, but she found it difficult to maneuver herself.

Fu Jichen, carrying shopping bags and sweet treats, leaned against a nearby claw machine, never taking his eyes off Shen Jianian, watching her struggle awkwardly and anxiously, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Need any help?" Fu Jichen finally couldn’t bear it any longer and decided to lend her a helping hand.

Shen Jianian straightened up, her eyes filled with skepticism towards him, "You can do it?" Such games relied on luck and technique; did he think being a businessman would make him good at claw machines?

"Why not give it a try and see?" Fu Jichen stood straight, walked to her side, and pushed her shoulder to make some room, "Step aside."

He placed the shopping bags on the ground, handing her the box of sweet treats, his voice magnetic with a smile, "Watch closely."

Shen Jianian handed him a few game tokens.

Fu Jichen had never played a claw machine in his life; just now, by watching Shen Jianian play, he learned the basic steps. He inserted the coin, aiming for the claw inside bound by chains, asking the person beside him, "Want that bunny?"

Shen Jianian wasn’t picky, "Any is fine."

Fu Jichen pressed the button, and Shen Jianian watched the claw intently, it landed perfectly on the back of a pink lop-eared bunny. The claw closed in, gripping the bunny’s head, slowly rising up, moving to the exit area.

Success was imminent, but the claw suddenly loosened, and the rabbit dropped to the edge of the hole.

Shen Jianian couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Seeing Fu Jichen looking so confident, she thought he was really great. However, the reality before her was that even the president of Jun Mountain had to admit defeat to this claw machine.

"Watch closely." Shen Jianian lowered her voice, repeating what Fu Jichen had said earlier.

Fu Jichen listened to her imitate him in a strange tone and chuckled in exasperation. He turned his head to glance at her and reached out his hand: "Give me a few more coins."

"Forget it, let’s not play this anymore." Shen Jianian wasn’t trying to save his dignity; she was telling the truth, "I heard that claw machines can have their success rate adjusted. Maybe this machine has a lower setting."

Fu Jichen was not about to let his reputation be tarnished by a claw machine: "Give me."

Fu Yuling stood next to the photo booth, blocking most of her body, watching the claw machine area diagonally across, three meters away, where a row of machines was lit up.

Fu Jichen was taller than the claw machine. There was a shopping bag at his feet, one hand was resting on the control panel, and he was bending over, intensely focused on the pile of plush toys inside. He wore a shirt and dress pants, and due to his bent posture, the shirt stretched into a smooth arc, highlighting the man’s broad back, narrow waist, and long legs.

The whole scene was incredibly out of place, yet strangely harmonious because of the woman beside him.

One couldn’t hear what they were saying, nor see their expressions, but it wasn’t hard to imagine—a man trying to win a toy to make his woman happy.

If it were any other man doing this, Fu Yuling would surely scoff, thinking it childish and boring. But that person was Fu Jichen, the one she couldn’t get despite all her efforts.

Fu Yuling didn’t understand why she followed along for punishment.

Hadn’t she already seen at the table how much Fu Jichen cared for that woman?

Fu Yuling didn’t want to watch any longer; remaining even a second more was torture for her. But her feet felt like they were rooted, unable to move for a long time.

Over there, Shen Jianian was utterly helpless, so she had to give Fu Jichen some more coins, teasing him mercilessly: "Admit it, even you, Boss Fu, have things you can’t accomplish."

Fu Jichen didn’t speak, focusing on the claw machine.

The second attempt also ended in failure.

Shen Jianian laughed so much she could hardly stand, holding onto the machine, her brows and mouth both curved in amusement. She discovered she probably had an odd sense of humor; she liked watching Fu Jichen mess up. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

She deliberately suggested, "Why don’t you try a different machine? I really think there’s something wrong with this one."

Fu Jichen wasn’t the type to admit defeat and continued to ask her for more coins. Shen Jianian simply handed him the basket: "With so many coins, you should be able to catch at least one."

Fu Jichen squinted his dark eyes at her, conveying everything he wanted to say with one look—the look that said: Enjoy teasing me?

Shen Jianian tried her best to hold back her laughter and finally couldn’t: "Alright, I won’t say anything, you just play to your heart’s content."

Fu Jichen inserted another round of coins, unbuttoned his cuffs, and rolled up his sleeves twice, focusing even more intently than before. It seemed he was determined not to stop until he had caught a toy, treating it as seriously as a major project.

Shen Jianian couldn’t help but imagine how people at Fu Jichen’s company would think of him if they saw this scene.

Lost in thought, she suddenly heard a soft thud. Shen Jianian fixed her eyes and saw Fu Jichen bending over to retrieve a pink plush rabbit from the hole. Its long ears drooped, and Fu Jichen tugged at one ear while resting a hand on his belt, handing the rabbit to her.

Shen Jianian was surprised; he had actually caught one.

As she reached out to take it, Fu Jichen deliberately raised his arm so her hand came up empty: "How will you thank me?"

Shen Jianian’s smile froze: "Bargaining over a toy rabbit? How stingy can you be?"

Fu Jichen was teasing her and lowered his arm, stuffing the rabbit into her arms: "I’m just joking, and you fell for it. You’re the stingy one."

Shen Jianian held the rabbit in one hand, looking expressionless at Fu Jichen. When he acted childish, he didn’t seem like the usual domineering him at all.

Fu Jichen had regained his pride and raised an eyebrow at her: "Want to play more?"

Shen Jianian shook her head; she didn’t want to play anything else and gave the leftover coins to a passing girl.

Seeing them about to come over, Fu Yuling hurriedly ducked into the photo booth. Luckily, there was no one inside. Her heart was racing as she pressed a hand to her chest.

Fu Yuling hid for a long time, and when she finally came out, those two people had already left.