“Did Ms. Shu just come out of the hospital?”
The moment Shen Shixiu’s words left his mouth, Shu Qing straightened and glared at him. “You were tracking me?”
“I have no need to track you, Ms. Shu.” Shen Shixiu chuckled. His constant calmness infuriated Shu Qing. “What are you trying to do?”
“Nothing. I’m just feeling glad that Ms. Shu is having a great life now.”
“You… Shen Shixiu, you’re trying to take revenge on me, aren’t you?” Shu Qing shook from anger. “I told you I didn’t destroy your family. Those are rumors!”
“When did I say that Ms. Shu destroyed my family?” Shen Shixiu looked up at her. The look in his eyes was so cold that Shu Qing could not help but shudder in fear.
“I…”
“My father’s plane will be reaching here today. Do you want to guess why he’s coming here?”
“How can I possibly know?” Shu Qing mumbled, but her eyes shifted away.
Shen Shixiu snorted. “You’ll find out when you meet my father later.”
Shu Qing’s lips parted, but she realized anything she said would be useless. “What happened to your father and your mother really has nothing to do with me.” I was only forced to it back then…
Shen Shixiu’s eyes darkened. “Ms. Shu, do you think I’m talking about that matter?”
“What else could it be?” Shu Qing lifted her head to look at him. No matter how hard she thought about it, she could not think of anything else that would make Shen Shixiu come to her.
Shen Shixiu scoffed, “Jiang Zhan, call my father and ask him where he is.”
Soon, Jiang Zhan came back with a reply. “He already got from the plane. Our men have picked him up. Mr. Shen, where do we go now?”
“We’re going to the hotel.”
At that, Shen Shixiu closed his eyes and rested. On the other hand, Shu Qing furrowed her brows at his carefree look.
She did not know how things had turned out this way. In fact…
Shu Qing clenched her fists, but she could not relieve the tension in her heart.
It wasn’t long before they reached the hotel. Shen Shixiu was the first to leave the car while Shu Qing hesitated. However, Jiang Zhan was quick to walk over. “Ms. Jiang, please leave the car.”
Hence, she was forced to come down from the car. When she saw Shen Shixiu entering the elevator, Shu Qing quickly rushed in.
The elevator stopped on the seventeenth floor, and Shen Shixiu strode out. It was then that he bumped into a person entering the elevator.
The person was none other than Lin Zhao. She was stunned for a moment before she collected herself. She then jumped onto Shen Shixiu. “Uncle Shixiu, are you surprised? I know you’ll be coming back at this time, so I’ve been waiting for you here!”
Like an octopus, Lin Zhao clung tightly onto Shen Shixiu. The more Shen Shixiu tried to pry her off, the tighter Lin Zhao clung to him; she was adamant about clinging onto Shen Shixiu. “Uncle Shixiu!”
“Get off me!” Shen Shixiu’s deep voice held a cold tone. He pinched Lin Zhao’s arm, and the latter whined in pain, “It hurts! Let go!”
The look in Shen Shixiu’s eyes darkened as he glared at Lin Zhao. Instantly, Lin Zhao let go of Shen Shixiu and climbed down. She huffed, “You don’t know how to be gentle with women at all.”
Shen Shixiu scoffed. “Why are you here?”
Lin Zhao pouted. “Uncle Shixiu, have you forgotten that I’ve always lived here?”
“What I’m asking is—haven’t you already gone back?” Shen Shixiu’s sharp gaze was fixed on Lin Zhao. Lin Zhao frowned before looking behind Shen Shixiu. She then pointed at Shu Qing. “Who’s this old woman? Uncle Shixiu, do you have someone else? Is that why you don’t want me anymore?”
Feeling a headache coming on, Shen Shixiu massaged his temples as he grabbed Lin Zhao’s hand. He then turned to sweep his gaze across Shu Qing and Jiang Zhan. “Jiang Zhan, lead Ms. Jiang to my father’s room. Without my permission, she’s not allowed to go anywhere.”
“Understood, Mr. Shen.”
Seeing that Shen Shixiu was still holding onto her hand, Lin Zhao raised a brow as she smiled. She mumbled, “Oh my, so that woman isn’t your new lover. You should’ve said so earlier. I was jealous for no reason!”
“Shut it.”
“But I miss you so much. I haven’t seen you in ages. A day of absence feels like a year, don’t you know? Don’t you miss me at all?”
“Lin Zhao!”
“Why are you so angry? I admit I haven’t visited you because I wanted to test you. I didn’t think you’d be… like this when you see me, Uncle Shixiu.”
“Call me Uncle Shixiu again, and I’ll break you neck!”
“Unc- I mean, Xiu!” Lin Zhao called out with an intentionally high-pitched voice.
Shen Shixiu halted in his tracks. Putting his hand around Lin Zhao’s shoulder, he pulled her and shoved her against the wall. The gloomy look in his eyes was as though he was about to devour her.
Lin Zhao could not help but gulp, but she stubbornly raised her brow and grinned at him. “What’s wrong? You won’t let me call you Uncle Shixiu, but I can’t call you Xiu either. What should I call you then? Dear? Honey? Babe? Or should I call you darling?”
At that, Lin Zhao even shyly reached out to smack Shen Shixiu’s shoulder. Emotions crashed in Shen Shixiu’s eyes and he suddenly grabbed her hand. His Adam apple bobbed, but his eyes remained fixed on her face.
His expression frightened Lin Zhao, but she forced herself to calm down. Her eyes continued to have the same delight in them. In the next moment, Lin Zhao’s hands crawled onto Shen Shixiu’s shoulder, and she leaned her lips close to Shen Shixiu’s and chuckled. “So, which one do you like?”
Shen Shixiu grabbed her hands again and uttered, “You’re playing with fire.”
“I’m not. I’m just afraid you’d be holding yourself back too much. After all, for a high and mighty man like yourself, most women won’t be of your interest, especially after you’ve got a taste of me. Everyone else will taste like nothing to you.” As she spoke, she even licked her lips and fluttered her lashes at him. “Look at me. I’m already so passionate. Can’t you give me even a hint of reaction?”
A fire burned in Shen Shixiu’s eyes, but the gaze on her remained cold. “Are you not giving up yet?”
“Give up? How can I? Uncle Shixiu, you’re my first man.” Lin Zhao pretended not to understand his words. “Men and women all feel something for their first times. Although I’m not your first time, you’re mine!”
Shen Shixiu pinched his nose bridge. “I’m talking about the project. Stop trying to change the topic.” He gripped Lin Zhao’s chin and repeated, “Are you not giving up yet?”
“Oh,” Lin Zhao exclaimed in realization as she slapped her head. “So that’s what you’re talking about.”
Shen Shixiu scoffed, “Keep faking it.”
“I’m not faking it. Yes. I’m here for the project, but you can’t kill the passion I have for you. I feel love for both the project and you.”
“I told you to give up on the project. It doesn’t matter even if you’ve gotten Kang Zicheng for it.” Shen Shixiu pried Lin Zhao off. “Go back to Sheen City right away.”
“I’ll definitely get this project.” Lin Zhao clenched her fists. “And you too.”
There was a glint in Lin Zhao’s eyes as she said those words. She smiled and winked at Shen Shixiu. “I’m going to look for Mr. Kang now. If you didn’t stop me earlier, I might have already been meeting Mr. Kang now.”
“Didn’t you say you were waiting for me?” Shen Shixiu’s tone was frigid as he said that, making Lin Zhao froze. She then smirked. “Are you jealous?”
Shen Shixiu frowned at that. “I won’t ever.”
Lin Zhao shrugged nonchalantly. “You’re enjoying your time with me here. Aren’t you afraid that middle-aged woman will get anxious?”
Shen Shixiu narrowed his eyes. He was about to reach out to grab her again, but the latter dodged him easily. “Don’t get too anxious, Uncle Shixiu. The night is long. Wait for my return!”
With that said, Lin Zhao sent a flying kiss in Shen Shixiu’s direction before speeding off.
Shen Shixiu frowned, looking in the direction she disappeared to as his heart sank.
“Mr. Shen.”
Seeing that Jiang Zhan was walking over with an apprehensive look, Shen Shixiu questioned, “What’s wrong?”
“The young lady has found out that you’ve brought Ms. Jiang back. She’s now…”
“How did she find out?” Shen Shixiu walked toward the room as he instructed, “Send someone to follow Lin Zhao.”
“Understood.”
When Shen Shixiu pushed the door open, he heard Shen Qianan and Shu Qing’s voices.
“Why are you here? What’s wrong? Giving up on that acting career you got? Why have you come here?” Shen Qianan glared at Shu Qing with spiteful eyes.
Shu Qing’s heart ached when she saw Shen Qianan’s expression. “An, Mom isn’t…”
“What Mom? You are not my mother,” Shen Qianan interrupted. “Stop acting like you’re my family. Do you think anyone who claims to be my mom can enter the Shen family? Ms. Shu, how do you feel now? How does it feel to be judged by everyone when you walk down the streets?”
Shu Qing stared at Shen Qianan in disbelief. “How can you say this to me? I’m your mom.”
“Why can’t I say that to you? I’m unrelated to you. I’m Shen Feng’s daughter, Shen Shixiu’s sister, and the young lady of the Shen family. As for you, you’re just a slutty entertainer.” Mockery was in Shen Qianan’s eyes. “What can you do as an entertainer? It’s not as if you can change the world.”
“Shen Qianan!” Shu Qing gritted out. “Is this what the Shen family has taught you all these years?” Shu Qing could not believe that these words came from Shen Qianan’s mouth.
“What the Shen family taught me is the Shen family’s business. It has nothing to do with you.” Shen Qianan fixed her stony gaze on Shu Qing. “Look at you. You make it seem like I’m related to you.”
“I’m your mother. Your biological mother!”
Right then, the door suddenly swung open to reveal Shen Shixiu standing there, watching Shu Qing with interest. “Ms. Jiang, it’s time for you to change your nasty habit of trying to make everyone your family.”
“Shen Shixiu, what are you trying to do? What are you going to do after bringing me to this place? Are you going to humiliate me?”
“Humiliate you? You’re not even worthy of that.” Shen Shixiu couldn’t be bothered with Shu Qing. “It’s my father who wants to meet you. Otherwise, do you think you’re someone that’s worthy enough to make me do things myself?” Shen Shixiu narrowed his eyes and glanced at Shen Qianan. “What are you waiting for? Come out now.”
