After leaving the room, Shen Nanyue found a restaurant server and borrowed a charger.
The two of them settled breakfast in the restaurant.
Despite Zhou Yushen’s objections, Shen Nanyue still transferred the money for the clothes to his bank card.
Zhou Yushen had been wondering why she hadn’t sent it to him through WeChat.
But when he opened Shen Nanyue’s chat window, he discovered that she had already deleted him.
Zhou Yushen: …
“One week from now, you’ll attend the exchange gathering as my female companion.”
“Why?”
Surely he had the ability to get her another invitation?
“I don’t have the ability to obtain another invitation right now.”
Shen Nanyue looked at him in confusion.
As the sole heir of the Zhou Corporation, whether in terms of wealth or social standing, he shouldn’t have so little influence at an exchange gathering in Fengcheng.
Seeming to notice her doubts, Zhou Yushen casually explained, “I was kicked out of the Zhou Corporation.”
Shen Nanyue paused mid-sip while drinking water.
Her gaze toward Zhou Yushen filled with suspicion.
As far as she knew, the Zhou family in the capital was a truly prestigious clan.
Yet for generations, they only ever had one heir per generation.
By Zhou Yushen’s generation, he was the Zhou family’s only son.
Even if he was illegitimate, he was still preferable to choosing some random branch family member as successor, wasn’t he?
How could he possibly have been expelled from the Zhou family?
Noticing her expression, Zhou Yushen spoke calmly.
“My father died early. For years, my grandfather managed the family business before eventually handing it over to me. But recently Aunt Han—my father’s legal wife—seized control of the Zhou Corporation, and I was forced to leave.”
His voice was gentle and steady, carrying not even the slightest trace of regret.
Shen Nanyue’s gaze swept lightly across his face.
His expression remained indifferent.
There wasn’t the slightest sign of sorrow from being driven out.
She turned her head to look toward the sunlight climbing over the mountains.
None of this had anything to do with her.
But regarding the exchange gathering next week—
Wouldn’t it be inappropriate if she attended as Zhou Yushen’s female companion?
After all, he was supposedly going to marry Gu Linlang now.
She had no interest in becoming someone else’s mistress.
Yet this exchange gathering was her only lead for investigating the Chen family.
She didn’t want to miss it.
Or perhaps… she could make use of Chen Mu again?
After struggling internally for quite a while, Shen Nanyue finally spoke.
“Forget it. I’ll think of another way myself.”
“Since the exchange gathering is off the table, then the three meals don’t count anymore either. As for the meal I owed you before, last night settled it. I’m leaving first.”
Picking up her handbag, Shen Nanyue prepared to leave.
Zhou Yushen frowned.
Things weren’t unfolding the way he had imagined.
The exchange gathering was clearly important to her.
He was only asking her to attend as his companion—why was she refusing?
And after everything he had just said, he hadn’t seen even the slightest trace of concern in her eyes.
Had just three months truly erased every bit of affection she once had for him?
Zhou Yushen’s expression darkened instantly.
He stood and chased after her.
Shen Nanyue was asking a server to arrange a car to take her down the mountain when Zhou Yushen suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her outside the restaurant.
“Hey! What are you doing?!”
Wearing high heels, Shen Nanyue lost her balance slightly from the sudden movement and stumbled.
Zhou Yushen instinctively steadied her.
But he didn’t let go.
Once she regained her footing, he continued dragging her toward the parking garage.
When Zhou Yushen pushed her back into the passenger seat again, Shen Nanyue instinctively struggled to get out.
But Zhou Yushen pinned her shoulders down, his large hands restraining her body like iron clamps.
She glared up at him.
“The restaurant has cars going downhill. We’re not heading the same way.”
She didn’t want to ride in Zhou Yushen’s car.
“What about the exchange gathering? How are you planning to get in?”
Shen Nanyue froze for a moment, seemingly caught off guard by his abrupt change of topic.
Frowning, she replied, “I’ll figure something out myself.”
“What way? Going to ask Meng Yan?”
Shen Nanyue was speechless.
After things had escalated so badly between her and the Meng family, was she crazy enough to go ask Meng Yan?
Still, Zhou Yushen’s words reminded her of something.
Perhaps there were other methods she could use to force Meng Yan into giving her an invitation?
After thinking briefly, she answered, “No matter what method I use, it has nothing to do with you anymore. Move aside.”
She pushed against Zhou Yushen’s hand, trying to get out of the car.
But Zhou Yushen applied more force, pinning her back against the seat so thoroughly that she couldn’t move at all.
A trace of displeasure flickered through Shen Nanyue’s eyes.
Yet Zhou Yushen leaned down until his gaze met hers directly.
From this angle, most people’s faces would hardly look flattering when viewed from below at such close range.
But Zhou Yushen’s features were exceptionally striking—deep eyes, breathtakingly beautiful features.
Even from such a deadly angle, he carried it effortlessly.
Shen Nanyue looked at Zhou Yushen coldly.
“All I ask was just to be my date, is it such a hardship that you’d rather spend so much time and energy trying to get an invitation?”
There was anger in Zhou Yushen’s voice, but also a trace of grievance.
Shen Nanyue let out a mocking laugh.
“Mr. Zhou, should I feel honored to be your female companion?”
Wasn’t he already someone about to get married?
Shouldn’t he be bringing his fiancée instead?
Zhou Yushen remained silent.
His deep, somber eyes stared fixedly at her.
“I want to attend the exchange gathering in the name of Shen Nanyue. I don’t want to be anyone’s companion.”
Once again, she tried to push his hand away.
And unsurprisingly, she failed again.
She lifted her gaze to meet Zhou Yushen’s eyes.
The two looked at each other for a long time before Zhou Yushen was finally the first to let go.
He said nothing, only calmly fastening her seatbelt.
Just before stepping away, he finally spoke.
“I’ll figure out the invitation issue. As for the three meals—not one of them can be missing.”
With that, he withdrew and shut the passenger-side door.
Shen Nanyue watched Zhou Yushen’s moving figure in confusion.
What did he mean?
Hadn’t he just said earlier that he had no way of obtaining another invitation?
So why could he suddenly do it now?
Only after Zhou Yushen sat in the driver’s seat did she finally understand.
He had deliberately set her up to become his female companion.
The car started moving.
Shen Nanyue withdrew her gaze from Zhou Yushen.
In the past, she thought Zhou Yushen could be irritating, but she never really had any issue with him as a person.
But now, she felt that there was genuinely something wrong with his character.
Three months ago, he had abandoned her in the hands of kidnappers for Gu Linlang.
And now, three months later, while discussing marriage with Gu Linlang, he was still trying to flirt with her.
Perhaps she had never truly understood Zhou Yushen at all.
Turning her head, she looked out at the scenery outside the window and said nothing more.
Right now, the Chen family mattered more.
Trying to get an invitation from either Chen Mu or Meng Yan would be an extremely foolish choice.
Since Zhou Yushen claimed he had a way, she would let him handle it.
After driving Shen Nanyue back to the Shen residence, Zhou Yushen didn’t leave immediately.
Instead, he parked outside the Shen family gates and called Li Che.
“Any discoveries?”
Li Che replied, “Chen Mu looked terrible when he returned to the company this morning. I asked around, and apparently he spent the entire night searching for Shen Nanyue’s whereabouts.”
“What about Huo Zhu?”
“Huo Zhu stayed at the Shen residence the whole time. I think he was the one who informed Chen Mu that Shen Nanyue was with you, which is why Chen Mu became so anxious.”
— The end of the Chapter–
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