The dishes were simple home-cooked food, yet Shen Nanyue ate with obvious enjoyment.
Seeing her like this, the smile in Zhou Yushen’s eyes deepened.
“Does that painter you like know how to cook?”
Zhou Yushen’s question made Shen Nanyue pause mid-motion with her chopsticks for a second before she looked at him in confusion.
“You didn’t cook for me just because you were jealous, did you?”
“Not entirely. I just want to show off my strengths in the shortest amount of time, so you’ll understand that whether male or female, I’m still the best choice.”
Here he goes again.
Shen Nanyue silently continued eating.
Watching her remain completely unmoved, Zhou Yushen felt for the first time that winning over a woman could actually be difficult.
The agreed deadline with his grandfather was drawing closer and closer.
He had to make Shen Nanyue fall for him.
After dinner, Shen Nanyue returned to the Shen residence.
When she arrived home, she discovered Zhou Yu was there as well.
Ever since Shen Nanyue repeatedly defied her and stopped treating her biological mother’s words as law, Zhou Yu’s attitude toward her had become colder and uglier by the day.
Pretending not to notice, Shen Nanyue prepared to head upstairs.
But Zhou Yu stopped her.
“I heard you bullied your younger sister at the auction.”
Speechless, Shen Nanyue replied,
“So I’m not allowed to buy things now? You’re always standing up for a daughter who doesn’t even share your blood. Do you really have that much free time every day?”
Ever since openly falling out with Zhou Yu, Shen Nanyue no longer bothered pretending to be the obedient daughter.
As a child, she had been treated like a toy and abused by this mother, leading her to believe Zhou Yu was simply cold-blooded.
Yet unexpectedly, Zhou Yu showed genuine concern toward Lin Siwan.
If Shen Nanyue hadn’t secretly done a DNA test proving she was Zhou Yu’s biological daughter— She might truly have suspected that Lin Siwan was the real daughter instead.
“Shen Nanyue!”
Zhou Yu glared at her with eyes as fierce as a beast staring at prey, as though she wanted to tear her apart at any moment.
Shen Nanyue had no desire to deal with her and moved to walk upstairs.
At that moment, Old Master Shen suddenly appeared at the stairway entrance.
Zhou Yu snorted coldly and deliberately spoke louder.
“You’ve really become capable now. Throwing around twenty million just to buy a useless painting! You refuse to care about the company, but when it comes to spending money, you certainly don’t hold back!”
Before Shen Nanyue could respond, Old Master Shen let out a cold snort.
His voice traveled from the staircase into the living room, dignified and imposing.
“What, is the Shen family bankrupt now? We can’t even afford something worth twenty million?”
“Dad, that’s not what I meant—”
“No matter how Yueyue spends money, she’s still spending the family’s own money. That’s better than someone using a man’s money while crying that her biological sister bullied her!”
Old Master Shen usually rarely got angry, but once he truly started arguing, he was anything but gentle.
Having been rebuked, Zhou Yu’s face immediately darkened.
She shot Shen Nanyue a vicious glare before suppressing her anger and storming off.
Old Master Shen sighed and looked at Shen Nanyue.
“Yueyue, come to the study. I need to talk to you.”
Shen Nanyue followed him into the study.
Old Master Shen covered his mouth and coughed twice.
His back bent lower, making him appear even older and frailer.
Quickly, Shen Nanyue poured him a glass of water.
After drinking, Old Master Shen leaned back in his chair and spoke guiltily.
“Yueyue, I just agreed to your mother’s request and allowed Lin Siwan into the company.”
Shen Nanyue frowned.
“Why?”
The moment she asked, she suddenly realized she wasn’t really in a position to question him.
She herself had already stated she didn’t want to take over the company.
Criticizing her grandfather’s arrangements now really wasn’t appropriate.
But Old Master Shen didn’t mind.
He sighed heavily, his tone filled with helplessness.
“Yueyue, after I’m gone, although the company will be donated to the state, its operations won’t be affected. As for the shares your father left behind, Grandpa still hopes they’ll end up in your hands.”
Old Master Shen’s face looked deeply worn with age, his voice faint and distant.
As though speaking those words had exhausted all his strength.
After two seconds of silence, Shen Nanyue finally asked,
“Grandpa… what did Mom say to you?”
Old Master Shen shook his head, avoiding a direct answer.
“Think carefully about what Grandpa said. Go get some rest.”
Seeing that Old Master Shen didn’t want to say more, Shen Nanyue didn’t continue pressing him for answers.
After reminding him to rest early, she returned to her room.
She could roughly guess why Zhou Yu insisted on letting Lin Siwan enter the company.
That day at the bar, Lin Siwan had been mocked in front of so many people.
Naturally, she would do everything possible to persuade Zhou Yu to help her get into Shen Corporation.
As for how Grandpa ended up agreeing, Shen Nanyue suspected Zhou Yu had used her father to pressure him.
Old Master Shen had always felt guilty toward Zhou Yu as his daughter-in-law, making it difficult for him to refuse her.
And the consequences of allowing Lin Siwan into the company were exactly what worried him most.
The Lin family had always depended on the Shen family to establish themselves in Fengcheng.
If one day Lin Siwan truly gained control of Shen Corporation, then Shen Corporation might very well become the Lin Corporation instead.
Shen Nanyue would never allow Lin Siwan to succeed.
But what Old Master Shen cared about even more was the fear that once he was gone, if the Lin family swallowed up the Shen family, Shen Nanyue would no longer have anyone left to protect her.
At that moment, Zhou Yushen suddenly sent her a message—a simple goodnight.
Then another sentence from her father’s will resurfaced in her mind.
“The twenty percent of shares in my possession will all be transferred to my daughter, Shen Nanyue, once she gets married.”
…
The next day.
Lin Siwan successfully entered Shen Corporation.
As the suddenly appointed general manager of the design department, however, no one truly took her seriously.
The previous general manager had been exceptionally capable and had led the department through several glorious achievements.
Now, someone who got the position purely through connections had parachuted in to replace them.
Naturally, almost everyone beneath her was dissatisfied.
Only the general manager’s assistant constantly flattered Lin Siwan, terrified of offending someone arranged by upper management.
Shen Corporation and Meng Corporation had a collaboration project, and the contract discussion was scheduled at Shiji Restaurant.
By the time Lin Siwan arrived, Meng Yan was already seated at the table waiting.
The moment he saw her, the smile on his face vanished, his gaze turning icy.
“Why are you here?”
Maintaining a polite smile, Lin Siwan sat across from him.
“I’m now serving as the general manager of Shen Corporation’s design department, so I’m the one discussing this collaboration with Young Master Meng.”
Meng Yan merely let out a cold snort.
His indifferent eyes held not the slightest regard for Lin Siwan.
“Shouldn’t Shen Corporation’s general manager position belong to Shen Nanyue? What’s a person surnamed Lin doing here?”
His blunt words instantly changed Lin Siwan’s expression.
Just as she was about to say something, Meng Yan stood up directly.
“Get Shen Nanyue to talk to me instead. Otherwise, the cooperation between Meng Corporation and Shen Corporation ends here.”
After saying that, no matter how Lin Siwan called after him, he never turned back.
Lin Siwan trembled with rage, her face alternating between pale and green.
She had already reached a high position within Shen Corporation, yet she still couldn’t escape the shadow of the name Shen Nanyue.
And in her eyes, Meng Yan’s concern for Shen Nanyue had already surpassed the indifference he displayed when Zhou Yu first arranged their engagement.
How Meng Yan treated Shen Nanyue before wasn’t her business.
But now that she had entered Shen Corporation, if Meng Yan continued acting like this, it would be extremely disadvantageous for her.
Taking out her phone, she called Chen Mu, her voice sounding pitiful and aggrieved.
“Brother Chen Mu, I want to discuss something with you.”
— The end of the Chapter–
TL note : Join Patreon to support the translation and to read up ahead of the release :
https://www.patreon.com/DeCakraWnloverz
