Shen Nanyue froze for a moment and asked, “What’s wrong, Uncle Liu? Did something happen?”
Butler Liu sighed.
“My wife is sick. The doctor said she has less than two years left. I want to stay by her side for the remainder of her time.”
Shen Nanyue frowned. “What illness? Uncle Liu, I can arrange for more authoritative doctors for Auntie and see if there’s another treatment option.”
Butler Liu shook his head.
“It’s the same illness the old master had.”
Shen Nanyue’s face turned pale as she sat there, unable to say another word of comfort.
Her grandfather’s illness had also been treated by renowned doctors, yet in the end, they still couldn’t escape death.
Butler Liu spoke apologetically, “Miss, I really shouldn’t be leaving your side at a time like this, but… I hope you can understand.”
Shen Nanyue forced a smile and stood up, walking over to him.
Softly, she comforted him, “Uncle Liu, spend time with Auntie properly. I’ll contact the doctor who treated Grandpa before. Bring Auntie for another examination when you have time. If there’s still hope, we shouldn’t give up.”
Butler Liu lowered his head slightly.
Tears had already welled up in his aged eyes.
“Thank you, Miss. I’ve already chosen someone to take over my work. He’s a young man I used to know, very capable at his job. If you don’t mind, I’ll arrange everything for you directly.”
“That’s fine.”
Shen Nanyue trusted the people Butler Liu chose.
Only after saying his final farewell to Shen Nanyue did Butler Liu turn and leave.
Shen Nanyue picked up her pen again and sat back in front of the drawing board.
Her slender back looked especially lonely.
Under the dim, flickering light, the curve of her slightly bent spine could vaguely be seen.
In just a few short months, everyone around her had disappeared.
Her gaze swept over Zhou Yushen’s outline in the drawing.
In the end, she tore the paper off, crumpled it up, and threw it into the trash bin.
She took out a fresh sheet of paper and began designing again.
This time, she didn’t lose focus.
…
The meeting with the owner of Qianzhang Entertainment, arranged through Li Che, was set for this afternoon.
After checking the time, Shen Nanyue drove to the agreed location.
The meeting place was a high-end western restaurant.
Following the private room number Li Che had sent her, Shen Nanyue opened the door—only to freeze on the spot.
Why was her ex-husband inside the room?
She decisively shut the door and looked up at the room number again.
It was definitely the right room.
Just as she was about to message Li Che, he walked over from the hallway.
The moment he saw her, he greeted her enthusiastically.
“President Shen, you’re here. Why aren’t you going in? President Zhou’s already arrived and is just waiting for you.”
President Zhou…
Shen Nanyue frowned. “The other owner of Qianzhang Entertainment is Zhou Yushen?”
“Yeah. What’s wrong?”
Shen Nanyue’s face darkened.
“Did your President Zhou know about my cooperation with your company?”
“Of course. He personally approved the entire project!”
Shen Nanyue fell silent.
But Li Che directly opened the door and pushed her inside.
“Zhou Yushen, President Shen from Shen Group is here.”
Their eyes met.
Shen Nanyue saw Zhou Yushen sitting leisurely in his seat, his back facing the window.
Outside, the lingering glow of the sunset painted the sky.
He had changed out of the black suits she had grown used to seeing him wear and was instead dressed in a white suit.
His black hair was neatly styled in a side part, with a few strands falling over his forehead.
His handsome features were still sharp and defined.
Those dark eyes looked exactly the same as when she first met him—cold and distant.
Three months apart, and he still looked radiant and flourishing.
At this point, Shen Nanyue could no longer retreat.
Calmly, she walked forward and sat opposite him.
“I never expected Young Master Zhou to be the hidden boss behind Qianzhang Entertainment. My apologies for not recognizing you sooner.”
A faint smile curled on her lips, but her eyes grew colder and colder.
“I originally planned to tell you when the opportunity came, but the timing was never right. So… I’m sorry for hiding it from you for so long.”
What was originally meant to be an apology sounded, coming from Zhou Yushen, more like a casual explanation devoid of any emotion.
Shen Nanyue did not respond.
The entire private room fell into a heavy, stifling silence.
Li Che, sitting nearby, felt rather uncomfortable.
Just then, his phone rang.
It was a call from Shen An’an.
It practically saved his life.
“I’ll go take this call first. You two talk.”
With that, he left.
When Shen Nanyue noticed that Li Che hadn’t asked how she and Zhou Yushen knew each other, she realized the two of them had already discussed it beforehand.
She was extremely angry now, feeling as though she had been played.
“Let’s cancel the cooperation proposal I mentioned before.”
As she spoke, she stood up to leave, but Zhou Yushen stopped her.
“If you cancel this one, then all our previous collaborations will be canceled as well. What do you think, President Shen?”
Shen Nanyue frowned at him and was just about to speak when his next words cut her off.
It was the first time Shen Nanyue had witnessed Zhou Yushen’s domineering side, and for a moment, she couldn’t react.
“President Shen, even though we’re divorced, that doesn’t stop us from discussing business cooperation, does it? If we can’t be husband and wife, can’t we at least be friends?”
After several seconds of silence, Shen Nanyue finally sat back down.
When she looked up at Zhou Yushen again, the coldness in her eyes had deepened even further.
Unlike the man who had pretended to be poor three months ago, the current Zhou Yushen still carried an air of nobility.
Simply sitting there casually made it impossible for people to look away from him.
But Shen Nanyue no longer felt any romantic stirrings in her heart.
“Since President Zhou has already put it that way, then I have nothing more to say. I assume you’ve already reviewed the contract terms. Is there anything you’d like to add?”
“Yes.”
Zhou Yushen answered with absolute certainty.
“I want all of Shen Group’s brands over the next two years to sign endorsement contracts exclusively with artists under my company.”
“That’s impossible.”
Shen Nanyue rejected the idea without hesitation.
Fashion products evolved constantly, and they would only select spokespersons who best matched the brand’s philosophy.
“Don’t rush to refuse. Hear me out first.”
Shen Nanyue remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
“All artists under Qianzhang Entertainment undergo strict background investigations. There will absolutely never be any scandal-ridden celebrities among them. I believe President Shen understands this very well.”
“So what? Our brand doesn’t necessarily need celebrities from the entertainment industry as endorsers.”
“The future development of Shen Group over the next two years won’t involve more than four clothing sub-brands. My company has artists of every type, including inheritors of intangible cultural heritage who transitioned into the entertainment industry. They would also have influence over your future development in modernized traditional Chinese fashion. You can think it over again.”
Shen Nanyue frowned at him.
How did he know their future focus would mainly be on innovating traditional clothing styles?
Thinking about it carefully—
This was actually a profitable deal.
After all, the artists under Qianzhang Entertainment all possessed extraordinary influence.
Without exaggeration, Shen Group was the one benefiting here.
Yet Zhou Yushen wanted to lock in a two-year agreement all at once.
What exactly was his motive?
At that thought, she asked directly, “What is your purpose?”
— 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
