Inside the study—
No sooner had Shen Nanyue and Zhou Yushen sat down than Huo Zhu came upstairs carrying tea.
After setting down the tea, he did not leave.
Instead, he stood quietly to the side, secretly observing the two through lowered eyes.
Shen Nanyue looked up at Huo Zhu.
“Huo Zhu, you can leave first.”
Just as Huo Zhu was about to leave, Zhou Yushen said lightly, “It’s fine. It’s not like we’re discussing any major secrets.”
Shen Nanyue looked at Zhou Yushen in confusion.
Why was he interfering here?
But unusually, she did not refute him.
Seeing that Shen Nanyue said nothing, Huo Zhu stopped moving toward the stairs.
Shen Nanyue took a document out of the drawer and handed it to Zhou Yushen.
“The collaboration with the movie queen from your company last time went very smoothly. Shen Corporation will be launching a new line of menswear next quarter. The design style leans artistic and literary. Do you have any recommendations?”
Zhou Yushen casually flipped through a few pages of the file while listening to Shen Nanyue.
After thinking for a moment, he replied, “In the first half of the year, Qianzhang Entertainment signed a new male actor. He gained attention through a supporting role in an artistic film. In the movie, he played a literary youth from the 1970s. He should fit the image well.”
Shen Nanyue thought for a while before asking, “Is the actor you’re talking about Ming Zifan?”
“You know him?”
Zhou Yushen looked at her.
Shen Nanyue nodded and smiled.
“I watched that movie—The Time of Our Fathers, right? Ming Zifan played an educated youth who originally had grand ambitions to build his hometown, but ended up imprisoned because of his alcoholic father. I was deeply impressed by him. His acting was excellent.”
Shen Nanyue simply admired talent.
Zhou Yushen’s dark gaze swept across her bright, sparkling eyes as his fingers lightly brushed against the file folder.
His expression remained calm, making it impossible to glimpse the intense emotions beneath.
“You like actors?”
His tone sounded like casual conversation between old friends.
Shen Nanyue paid no attention to his expression.
While lowering her head to search Ming Zifan’s online profile on her phone, she casually answered him.
“Of course I like actors who perform well. I’d say I’m somewhat artistically inclined myself.”
As she spoke, Ming Zifan’s profile page appeared on her phone screen.
She had never privately looked into the actor before and only vaguely remembered the character from the film.
But at first glance, Ming Zifan’s modern styling still looked exceptionally handsome.
His refined and gentle face naturally carried a scholarly air that perfectly matched Shen Corporation’s menswear image.
Shen Nanyue nodded in satisfaction.
“This actor will work.”
Zhou Yushen’s gaze swept over the phone screen, and his eyes darkened further.
“If he’s suitable, then draft the contract and sign him.”
“This time you’re not discussing it with the senior management at Shen Corporation?”
“No need. I’ll make the decision myself.”
As she spoke, Shen Nanyue put away her phone.
Her expression looked relaxed, faintly tinged with happiness.
She was simply happy to have found a spokesperson.
But Zhou Yushen’s thoughts ran much deeper.
“I’ll go back and confirm his schedule first. If there’s a conflict, we’ll choose someone else.”
Ming Zifan was highly focused on his acting career and did not yet have many endorsement deals.
In reality, his schedule was more than flexible enough.
But Shen Nanyue did not know this.
Assuming celebrities were all extremely busy, she simply nodded and said nothing more.
She lowered her head and continued flipping through some documents.
Yet Zhou Yushen’s stifled emotions did not ease in the slightest.
Instead, the silence only made them heavier and heavier.
Suddenly, he stood up.
Shen Nanyue looked up at him in confusion.
“I have something else to do. I’m leaving first.”
Without waiting for her response, he turned and walked out of the study.
“Hey—”
Shen Nanyue failed to stop him and could only watch as his figure disappeared beyond the doorway.
Why was he leaving so quickly?
They had not even finished talking yet.
She placed the documents in her hands onto the desk and let out a speechless sigh.
Nothing had really been accomplished this entire morning.
As Huo Zhu watched Shen Nanyue organizing the documents, his gaze darkened when he lowered his head.
Just as Zhou Yushen stepped down the last stair, Shen An’an blocked his path.
The look she gave him was cold.
“Young Master Zhou, you and my sister are already divorced. Please stop pestering her.”
Zhou Yushen’s indifferent gaze swept across her face.
“Even after divorce, people can remarry.”
Shen An’an’s expression changed.
“So you really are still scheming after my sister!”
“I’ve always been after her. There’s no need for you to doubt it.”
Zhou Yushen spoke with an almost arrogant confidence.
The next second, he vaguely heard footsteps coming from upstairs.
A faint smile curled onto his lips.
With his back facing the person upstairs, and under Shen An’an’s furious glare, he calmly said, “Don’t worry. I won’t appear too often and disturb your sister.”
When he said those words, his voice was very soft, faintly carrying a trace of humility.
After speaking, he left.
Shen An’an stared at his departing figure in surprise.
As if realizing something, she suddenly looked upstairs and met Shen Nanyue’s gaze.
Damn it!
That man did it on purpose!
“Big Sis, I definitely didn’t threaten him!”
The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them.
Wasn’t this the very definition of exposing herself unnecessarily?
At that moment, Shen An’an hated Zhou Yushen so much that her teeth itched.
But Shen Nanyue acted as though nothing had happened.
She walked downstairs and patted Shen An’an on the shoulder.
“Even if you did threaten him, it’s fine. Why are you so nervous?”
Seeing how unconcerned Shen Nanyue looked, Shen An’an gazed at her in confusion.
“Big Sis, you…”
She wanted to ask something, but Shen Nanyue’s eyes were clear, calmly and sincerely looking at her.
Suddenly, Shen An’an smiled and did not continue asking.
“Big Sis, Zhou Yushen lied to you. You can’t forgive him that easily!”
The two sisters linked arms and sat down on the sofa together.
Shen Nanyue did not respond to Shen An’an’s words.
Instead, she carefully looked her over from head to toe.
Her complexion looked much better, and she even seemed to have gained a little weight.
Only then did Shen Nanyue feel relieved.
It seemed Shen An’an had been living very well overseas.
“Enough about me. Let’s talk about you. When are you planning to acknowledge your biological parents?”
“Big Sis, do you want me to acknowledge them?”
Shen Nanyue froze for a moment.
“Why are you asking me?”
Ever since childhood, Shen An’an had always been very independent and almost never asked Shen Nanyue to make decisions for her.
“Big Sis, honestly, the reason I’ve never been obsessed with finding my biological parents all these years is because I felt there was no need. I already have family.”
Shen An’an looked at Shen Nanyue seriously.
“Although Mr. and Mrs. Bai treat me very well, I don’t have any emotional attachment to them, so it’s hard for me to make a decision.”
Only then did Shen Nanyue truly understand Shen An’an’s dilemma.
Smiling gently, she patted Shen An’an on the head.
“Silly girl. No matter what, they’re still your blood relatives. Sooner or later, feelings will develop. You just need to remember this: me being your family and them being your family are two things that do not conflict at all.”
Shen An’an silently looked at Shen Nanyue, a trace of sadness hidden in her eyes.
She did not want to leave Shen Nanyue all alone.
Glancing at the time, Shen Nanyue said to Shen An’an, “It’s getting late. I need to head to the company. You should rest for a while. I’ll send you Mom’s room number.”
Then Shen Nanyue stood up and left.
— The end of the Chapter–
TL note : Join Patreon to support the translation and to read up to 50 chapters of the release :
https://www.patreon.com/DeCakraWnloverz
