Zhou Yushen’s tone remained as indifferent as ever.
Yet Shen Nanyue somehow detected a hint of gritted teeth beneath his calm voice.
She turned to glance at him.
The man’s expression was perfectly normal.
Maybe she was imagining things.
Without saying a word, Zhou Yushen switched their bowls and chopsticks.
Then he picked up a dish that Shen Nanyue had been eyeing but hadn’t managed to reach and placed it into her bowl.
The gesture was completely natural, with no sense of boundaries whatsoever.
Shen Nanyue, however, didn’t think much of it.
After all, he had done things like this countless times before.
She barely noticed any intimacy in it.
Mi Xin, on the other hand, had just sat back down and witnessed the entire scene.
When her gaze landed on Shen Nanyue again, there was now a trace of scrutiny in her eyes.
“What’s wrong? Go on. You hadn’t finished what you were saying.”
Shen Nanyue casually continued the conversation while using her chopsticks to scoop up some crab roe and put it into her mouth.
Mi Xin finally snapped back to reality.
Years of acting experience allowed her to recover her composure almost immediately.
Even so, she had clearly been affected by what she had just seen.
Throughout the rest of the meal, she seemed somewhat distracted.
The dinner ended just like that.
As she watched Zhou Yushen and Shen Nanyue walk away together, a shadow flickered across Mi Xin’s eyes.
Her assistant noticed her mood and stepped forward.
“What’s wrong, Sis?”
“What kind of relationship do you think President Zhou and President Shen have?”
The assistant spent most of her time following Mi Xin around and occasionally listening to gossip on film sets.
She rarely heard any gossip about her boss.
So she shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
Mi Xin hadn’t really expected an answer anyway.
After a long moment, when the two figures had completely disappeared from view, she put her mask back on and lowered the brim of her baseball cap.
“I heard Sister Linlang is in the hospital. Arrange a visit for me.”
The assistant’s expression immediately changed.
“But Sis, your fans are still outside. Your trip to Fengcheng has already attracted a lot of attention. If someone photographs you going to the hospital, who knows what rumors the internet will start making up.”
“It’s fine. Just arrange it. I’ll be careful.”
The assistant knew very well that once Mi Xin made up her mind, nobody could change it.
With a sigh, she resigned herself to arranging the visit.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yushen followed Shen Nanyue all the way to the parking lot.
At last, Shen Nanyue couldn’t take it anymore.
“Can you stop following me?”
“If I don’t follow you, who am I supposed to follow? I don’t know anyone in Fengcheng. You’re the only ex-wife I’m close to, so I—”
“Zhou Yushen!”
Shen Nanyue genuinely couldn’t endure his persistence any longer.
She had no idea what medicine he’d taken.
Before their marriage, he certainly hadn’t pursued her through shameless clinginess like this.
He had been just as domineering back then.
But now, every so often, he would reveal a certain quality that could only be described as—
Shameless.
Seeing that she was about to lose her temper, Zhou Yushen wisely stopped teasing her.
He was genuinely afraid she might storm off.
Smiling, he walked over and held out something he had prepared long ago.
A small red velvet gift box.
Shen Nanyue’s first thought was that it contained an engagement ring.
“Open it.”
Zhou Yushen’s eyes were clear and calm.
He didn’t look like a man about to propose.
The tips of Shen Nanyue’s ears gradually turned pink.
For a long time, she refused to take the box.
But Zhou Yushen wasn’t nearly that patient.
He simply grabbed her hand and placed the box into her palm.
After a lengthy internal struggle, Shen Nanyue finally opened it.
Inside lay a pair of black diamond earrings.
Their sharp facets reflected the dim lighting of the underground parking garage, casting cool flashes of light.
Yet despite their icy elegance, the craftsmanship was exquisite, making them impossible to look away from.
Shen Nanyue secretly let out a sigh of relief.
At least it wasn’t a proposal.
But why had she even thought about a proposal in the first place?
The realization made her inwardly annoyed with herself, and her expression became noticeably less pleasant.
“You don’t like them?”
Zhou Yushen frowned as he asked.
He had seen Shen Nanyue come across these earrings several times while casually scrolling through her phone.
It had taken him a long time to track down the exact pair.
Then he had spent a considerable amount of money having them shipped from overseas.
Did she really not like them?
Shen Nanyue closed the box and handed it back to him.
“I can’t accept rewards I haven’t earned. President Zhou should keep them.”
Zhou Yushen’s expression darkened instantly.
His grip on the box tightened slightly, and his gaze turned noticeably colder.
“It’s normal for business partners to exchange gifts. If accepting it makes you uncomfortable, you can always give me something in return.”
As he spoke, he shoved the box back into her hands without giving her a chance to refuse.
“You really are shameless!”
Her hand was firmly trapped in his, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t pull it away.
Seeing her anger, Zhou Yushen couldn’t help feeling nervous.
“Fine, I’m shameless. Don’t be angry. But I spent a long time finding these earrings. I invested a lot of time, effort, and money into them. If you won’t take them, I’ll have to throw them away. What a waste.”
Although he sounded pitiful, the threat hidden in his words was unmistakable.
Shen Nanyue snapped back, “Then let them go to waste! Don’t tell me a young master of the Zhou family can’t afford to waste a little money.”
“I’m not a young master of the Zhou family anymore. I got kicked out.”
Zhou Yushen seized the opportunity to play the victim.
Just as he had done months ago in front of Shen Nanyue.
The sharp lines of his face softened.
Combined with those affectionate eyes, not a trace of coldness remained.
Shen Nanyue bit her lip and finally stopped struggling.
The moment Zhou Yushen realized he had won, he immediately pushed his luck further.
“I’m giving you a gift. You don’t need to feel pressured. You can always return the favor. And if you don’t know what to give me…”
His eyes curved slightly.
“A hug or a kiss would work too.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Shen Nanyue looked up and shot him an indignant glare.
A few months apart had done nothing to change his true nature.
If anything, he’d become even more of a hooligan.
Maybe that fever had burned away whatever sense he once possessed.
Furious, Shen Nanyue finally shook off his hand.
Without saying another word, she got into her car and drove away.
This time, Zhou Yushen didn’t try to hitch a ride.
He was genuinely afraid of pushing his little ancestor too far and ending up ignored forever.
A victorious smile lingered at the corners of his lips, as gentle and intoxicating as a spring breeze.
Only after her car disappeared from the parking garage did Zhou Yushen climb into another black Rolls-Royce and drive away, still smiling.
By the time Mi Xin arrived at the hospital, a nurse was removing Gu Linlang’s IV needle.
“Sister Linlang.”
The moment Gu Linlang saw the familiar face, excitement flashed across her features.
She was about to speak when she noticed Mi Xin glance at the nurse and subtly shake her head.
Gu Linlang immediately understood.
“Once you’re done, leave.”
Her tone wasn’t particularly pleasant.
The nurse merely glanced at her indifferently, gathered her supplies, and turned to leave.
What’s with that attitude?
Gu Linlang didn’t even notice.
Only after the nurse left did she beckon Mi Xin over.
“What brings you to Fengcheng? Are you filming something here?”
Mi Xin removed her mask and cap, revealing her delicate, beautiful face.
“I do have some work here, but it’s not filming.”
As she spoke, Mi Xin carefully watched Gu Linlang’s expression.
“It’s related to becoming the spokesperson for Shen Corporation’s clothing line next quarter. President Zhou personally arranged it.”
The instant the words fell, Gu Linlang’s expression changed dramatically.
Her small, beautiful face twisted with emotion.
Mi Xin frowned.
It seemed Sister Linlang was well aware of Shen Nanyue’s existence.
— The end of the Chapter–
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