Shen Nanyue calmly met Lin Siwan’s gaze and spoke with a faint smile.
“Angry now? Were they wrong?”
Lin Siwan couldn’t argue back.
Her face twisted in fury, as if she wanted to pounce on Shen Nanyue and tear her apart, yet she forced herself to hold back.
“Little Sister Lin, let me give you some advice—never forget your own surname for the rest of your life.”
Lin Siwan’s face turned even paler.
“That’s enough!”
Chen Mu, who had been sitting silently beside them the whole time, suddenly barked out.
He stood up and positioned himself in front of Lin Siwan, glaring coldly at Shen Nanyue with undisguised disgust.
“Do you really have to be this aggressive? Is exposing other people’s scars that entertaining to you?”
Before Shen Nanyue could speak, Zhu Yuan let out a mocking laugh.
Sitting up straight, she looked at Chen Mu with open ridicule.
“Who was the one that came over here looking for trouble first? What, you’re allowed to spread rumors about Yueyue, but we’re not allowed to tell the truth?”
She lifted her eyelids lazily, rolled her eyes, then sat back down again.
“Forget it. There’s no reasoning with a cheating couple like you two anyway.”
“You—!”
Chen Mu angrily pointed at Zhu Yuan, about to say something, but Shen Nanyue spoke first.
“If you people hadn’t come jumping around in front of me, I almost would’ve forgotten about that video. What? Do you want me to prove my innocence again?”
The moment the video was mentioned, both Lin Siwan and Chen Mu stiffened instantly.
Meanwhile, Zhao Qingqing couldn’t stand Shen Nanyue’s arrogant demeanor.
“Acting all smug just because you gained the upper hand, I—”
“Qingqing, forget it.”
Lin Siwan stopped Zhao Qingqing before she could explode in anger.
“She treats you like this and you’re still helping her?”
“What Sister said is true too. Qingqing, for my sake, don’t argue with Sister anymore. Let’s just go back and have a drink.”
Lin Siwan looked at Zhao Qingqing pleadingly.
Zhao Qingqing frowned in confusion, but after a long pause, she finally nodded.
“Fine. But I’d like to see how long Miss Shen can keep up this attitude!”
With that, she shook off Lin Siwan’s hand and turned to leave.
Soon after, Lin Siwan also pulled Chen Mu away.
As he left, Chen Mu looked at Shen Nanyue with a complicated expression flashing through his eyes.
Shen Nanyue didn’t notice, and even if she had, she wouldn’t have cared.
Now that the show was over, the crowd reluctantly dispersed.
“Ah, too bad they didn’t start fighting.”
“You really like watching women pull each other’s hair?”
“That Shen Nanyue personally broke her uncle’s leg before. I wanted to see blood splatter everywhere!”
“…You freak.”
The murmurs gradually faded away.
Shen Nanyue paid them no mind and turned to head back to her seat.
Out of the corner of her eye, however, she spotted a black booklet lying where Lin Siwan had been sitting.
On the cover were the words Tang Zhou Auction House.
She bent down to pick it up and casually flipped through a couple of pages.
But the moment she saw one particular item, her pupils contracted sharply.
“What’s wrong?”
Sitting beside Zhu Yuan, Shen Nanyue handed the catalog over to her.
“Look at this.”
The catalog showed a painting framed in golden nanmu wood.
The drawing depicted a woman holding an umbrella.
The smooth, flowing lines perfectly outlined the graceful curve of her back.
The woman glanced sideways toward the viewer, and through the interplay of light and shadow, one could almost feel the overwhelming sorrow in her eyes.
“It’s just a painting. Why are you so shocked?”
Shen Nanyue’s hands trembled slightly as she held the catalog.
Rarely seen emotions surged violently in her eyes, stripping away her usual calm and pushing her close to losing control.
She looked at Zhu Yuan, her voice tinged with urgency.
“This is An’an’s painting.”
Zhu Yuan looked up in surprise, meeting Shen Nanyue’s panicked expression.
Subconsciously, she patted Shen Nanyue on the back to comfort her, suppressing her own shock before slowly speaking.
“You’re sure? Why would An’an’s painting appear at an auction?”
“An’an was intelligent from a young age, and her talent for painting seemed almost innate. Even her paintings at the age of five could stand out among works by accomplished artists. So it’s not strange for her paintings to appear at an auction, but…”
Shen Nanyue lowered her eyes, her slender fingers gently brushing over the painting printed in the catalog.
A tender longing filled her gaze.
“But this painting was drawn before An’an’s accident. It was never released onto the market before.”
Zhu Yuan looked even more shocked.
“You mean that after An’an’s accident, this painting was never found, and now it’s somehow appeared on the market and is even being auctioned?”
Shen Nanyue finally managed to suppress her turbulent emotions and nodded.
“Maybe this painting contains clues about An’an.”
“I’ll go to the auction with you.”
Zhu Yuan made the decision immediately, and Shen Nanyue did not object.
She glanced at the auction organizer, and Zhu Yuan seemed to guess what Shen Nanyue was thinking.
Patting Shen Nanyue on the shoulder, she thumped her chest confidently.
“Don’t worry. Leave investigating the auction organizer to me!”
“Thank you, Zhu Yuan.”
Zhu Yuan smiled.
Shen Nanyue tightened her grip on the catalog, and at last, a sincere smile appeared on her face.
An’an, I’ll definitely find you!
Meanwhile, Zhou Yushen had been leaning against the second-floor corridor railing for who knew how long.
Through the dazzling lights, he silently watched Shen Nanyue’s lowered eyes from afar, his thoughts unreadable.
“President Zhou, Meng Yan seems to have realized your identity isn’t simple. He’s investigating you again.”
Zhao Xuan stood beside Zhou Yushen, his expression grave.
Over the past few days, as Huansheng Group and Meng Corporation clashed repeatedly, Zhou Yushen and Meng Yan had inevitably crossed paths several times as well.
After interacting more deeply with Zhou Yushen, Meng Yan had finally begun to sense that something was off.
Zhou Yushen’s business abilities were terrifyingly strong, and Huansheng Group was clearly protecting him.
But Meng Yan still found it strange—how could an ordinary man with no background remain completely unscathed after Meng Yan had already used some of the connections and tactics of elite families against him?
Moreover, Zhou Yushen’s entire demeanor simply didn’t resemble that of someone from an ordinary family.
Suspicious, Meng Yan ordered people to investigate Zhou Yushen again.
Unlike Zhao Xuan, who was filled with worry, Zhou Yushen remained calm as ever.
A faint smile even appeared at the corner of his lips.
“Wasn’t the information already prepared? Let him investigate.”
If Meng Yan managed to uncover even a little, Xu Ping’s so-called reputation would probably have to move down a few ranks.
“But…”
Zhou Yushen suddenly straightened up and turned his head, looking warmly at Zhao Xuan.
“Did you see the lively dance floor downstairs just now?”
Zhao Xuan had been standing there with Zhou Yushen the whole time, so of course he had seen it.
He nodded suspiciously, unsure what Zhou Yushen was getting at.
“Shen Nanyue was down there just now. Did you see the most dazzling person in the crowd?”
“Of course. The moment Miss Shen stepped onto the dance floor, I noticed her. A graceful beauty, elegant as a soaring swan—I’d have a hard time not noticing her.”
The exaggerated praise for Shen Nanyue slipped out naturally from his mouth.
But Zhou Yushen’s gentle expression slowly faded because of those words.
Realizing too late what he had said, Zhao Xuan met Zhou Yushen’s deep gaze, and a sudden chill crawled up his spine.
Instinctively, he took a step back and swallowed nervously.
“P-President Zhou… you were the one who asked me…”
The smile on Zhou Yushen’s lips remained, yet there was not the slightest trace of amusement in his eyes.
He spoke softly.
“I did ask you. Relax.”
As he spoke, he patted Zhao Xuan on the shoulder before turning and walking toward the staircase.
Only Zhao Xuan remained frozen in place, patting his chest in lingering fear as he let out a long breath.
A jealous man is terrifying indeed!
— The end of the Chapter–
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