Shen Nanyue returned to the villa still filled with confusion.
Inside the living room, Zhou Yu was sitting upright on the sofa, clearly waiting for her.
She wore a grayish-brown silk nightgown and held a glass of milk in her hand.
The moment she saw Shen Nanyue enter, she set the milk down on the coffee table.
“You’re back. Come drink this milk.”
The sudden concern instantly made Shen Nanyue wary.
Expressionless, she walked over and sat on the sofa, casually glancing at the milk without touching it.
“How did you know I was coming back?”
“Your grandfather was discharged from the hospital today. If you weren’t coming home, were you planning to keep fooling around outside?”
Shen Nanyue let out a faint laugh, her tone cold and indifferent.
Leaning back into the sofa, she said lazily, “So you were deliberately waiting for me. What now? Still trying to force me to apologize to Lin Siwan?”
Zhou Yu frowned.
“Siwan is your sister after all. Can’t you treat her a little better?”
“I already gave her my fiancé. Isn’t that good enough?” Shen Nanyue sneered.
Zhou Yu took a deep breath and shot her a cold glare.
“Who was the man who drove you home just now?”
“My sex partner.”
Curled up on the sofa, Shen Nanyue admired her newly done manicure as she answered casually and recklessly.
This time, Zhou Yu truly lost her composure.
She stood up, face tense as she glared at Shen Nanyue.
“What did you say?”
“I said he’s my sex partner.”
Shen Nanyue enunciated each word clearly, completely unconcerned that her mother was so furious her chest visibly heaved.
“Shen Nanyue! Do you have no shame?”
But Zhou Yu’s furious outburst had no effect on her at all.
Shen Nanyue lowered her hand, lifted her eyes, and smiled faintly at Zhou Yu.
“Mom, did you see the car he drives? A limited-edition Maybach—there’s only one in the world. Do you know who he is? The only heir of a top-tier wealthy family in Beijing.”
She leaned forward slightly, propping her chin up with one hand.
A rose-like, dangerously alluring smile bloomed across her face.
“So now, do you think I still need shame?”
Zhou Yu stood frozen in place, glaring down at Shen Nanyue.
Her hands clenched tightly at her sides, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.
For a long while, she said nothing.
Only then did Shen Nanyue rise to her feet.
As she blinked, a mocking smile curled at the corners of her eyes.
“Stop trying to control me.”
Leaving behind those cold, almost heartless words, she turned and walked upstairs.
Zhou Yu watched the slender figure disappear at the stairway, her emotions indescribably complicated.
The turbulent feelings nearly drowned her.
But the moment she thought about the benefits Shen Nanyue could bring her, she instantly forced that strange sense of guilt out of her heart.
So what if they were mother and daughter?
Only money and power could give her the life she truly wanted!
…
Shen Nanyue first went to check on her grandfather.
Seeing that he was doing well, she finally relaxed.
Her grandfather didn’t have much time left, so she decided to stay at the Shen family home for a while.
At the very least, she wanted to spend more time with him while she still could.
Preparations for Zhou Yu’s birthday banquet were still in full swing.
Ever since Old Master Shen woke up from his hospital bed this time, he had never once asked about his own condition.
It seemed he had probably guessed the truth already.
This time, Old Master Shen also personally participated in some of the arrangements for Zhou Yu’s birthday banquet.
From the program schedule to the banquet menu, he enthusiastically planned everything with great care.
This was the last thing he could do for the younger generation within his limited abilities.
Shen Nanyue simply followed along with her grandfather’s arrangements and didn’t say much.
Two days later, the birthday banquet officially began.
Only then did Shen Nanyue finally understand what Zhou Yushen had meant that day when he said, “See you the day after tomorrow.”
He had come to attend her mother’s birthday banquet as well.
“We meet again.”
Today, Zhou Yushen was dressed in a custom-tailored black suit.
The perfectly fitted cut made his tall figure appear even more straight and imposing.
The lights danced across the deep blue brooch pinned to his chest, making his entire presence seem even more noble and dazzling.
A trace of amazement flickered through Shen Nanyue’s eyes.
This male fox spirit really was exceptionally pleasing to the eye once he dressed up properly.
“As far as I remember, my mother’s birthday banquet didn’t invite you.”
Before Zhou Yushen could answer, Old Master Shen—being pushed over in a wheelchair—lightly tapped Shen Nanyue’s calf with his cane.
The movement was gentle, yet carried an unmistakable warning.
“Nanyue, is that how you speak to a guest?”
Shen Nanyue pursed her lips and retreated to stand beside Old Master Shen.
Seeing this, Zhou Yushen smiled faintly.
“Hello, Grandpa Shen.”
He bent slightly at the waist in greeting.
Old Master Shen narrowed his eyes and carefully sized Zhou Yushen up from head to toe.
Clearly satisfied, he smiled.
“No need to be so polite, young man. A guest is a guest—don’t stand on ceremony. You and Nanyue are friends, right? Let her show you around and have some fun.”
The birthday banquet was being held at the Shen family villa.
As part of the host family, entertaining guests was naturally one of Shen Nanyue’s responsibilities.
Watching Old Master Shen leave in high spirits, Shen Nanyue pressed her lips together.
Her grandfather seemed to have misunderstood something.
“It was your senior who invited me. She’s trying very hard to set us up.”
Zhou Yushen’s low, husky voice sounded beside her as he answered her earlier question.
Only then did Shen Nanyue realize her senior wasn’t there.
So she had handed the invitation to Zhou Yushen instead.
“You didn’t want me to come?”
Zhou Yushen lowered his gaze slightly, his burning eyes fixed on Shen Nanyue.
Tonight, she wore a light blue strapless mermaid gown that revealed her fair, delicate shoulders.
A sapphire diamond necklace rested against her collarbone, making her look even more sexy and enchanting.
She wore light makeup, her curled hair neatly gathered behind her.
Her fiery red lips curved faintly upward.
Unavoidably, Zhou Yushen thought back to the softness of that night.
The fingers hanging at his side twitched slightly, as if recalling the sensation.
“How could that be? A guest is always welcome. I’m very happy you came.” Shen Nanyue smiled.
She wasn’t resistant to Zhou Yushen at all, so why wouldn’t she welcome him?
“Let me show you around.”
Since Zhou Yushen had only recently arrived in Fengcheng, there probably weren’t many people who knew him yet.
So Shen Nanyue took him around to meet several of her friends.
Zhou Yushen was handsome enough that, based on looks alone, nobody refused to talk with him.
After making the rounds, Zhou Yushen had already become acquainted with most of Shen Nanyue’s friends.
“Nanyue, are you two dating or something? Since when did you start hiding such a handsome guy? Come on, how long have you been keeping him secret?”
One of Shen Nanyue’s friends began teasing her.
Shen Nanyue smiled as she responded to the teasing.
“Do I look like the type to keep a pretty boy hidden away? He’s an innocent man—don’t corrupt him.”
Innocent?
Zhou Yushen curved his lips into a faint smile.
She really could make up anything with a straight face.
“Innocent?”
A mocking laugh suddenly sounded from behind them, the contempt in the voice impossible to hide.
Without even turning around, Shen Nanyue already knew whose barking dog voice it was.
“Big Sister, why are you here? Mom’s been looking for you for ages.”
Shen Nanyue slowly set down her wine glass and turned to see Lin Siwan and Chen Mu walking over hand in hand.
When Chen Mu reached them, his gaze swept over Zhou Yushen before he let out a disdainful snort.
“Even a pathetic simp can be described as ‘innocent’? Shen Nanyue, is your dictionary missing those two words or something?”
— The end of the Chapter–
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