Zhou Yushen paused mid-motion while eating his porridge.
Looking up at Shen Nanyue, he unexpectedly felt a faint sense of guilt rising within him.
Seeing the situation, Shen An’an immediately put down her bowl and chopsticks.
Smiling, she gestured to Shen Nanyue that she had finished eating and was going to rest.
As soon as Shen An’an left, the dining room fell silent again.
Zhou Yushen forced himself to remain calm as he asked,
“What did I do last night?”
Shen Nanyue smiled as she set down the spoon she was using for porridge and looked at him.
“Think about it yourself. What exactly did you do at the bar last night?”
After saying that, she tossed down the spoon, stood up, and left the dining room.
Leaving Zhou Yushen sitting there blankly, frowning in confusion.
Shen An’an, who had quietly returned, peeked into the dining room from the living room.
Seeing that Shen Nanyue was gone, she walked over to Zhou Yushen with a tablet in hand.
Zhou Yushen turned his head toward the words displayed on the screen.
‘Brother-in-law, you got drunk last night. My sister brought you home, but she looked really upset. I asked her what happened, and she wouldn’t say anything. Did you get drunk outside and mess around with someone?’
Zhou Yushen’s expression darkened slightly, his cold eyes sweeping over Shen An’an’s face without answering.
He had been drunk, not insane.
Whenever he went to bars with friends like Xu Ping, they wouldn’t even call for hostesses.
How could he possibly fool around recklessly?
At the very least, he had enough cleanliness obsession to be confident about that!
Seeing Zhou Yushen’s bad expression, Shen An’an realized she had been too direct.
So she took back the tablet and continued typing.
‘Brother-in-law, if you betray my sister, then even if you worked hard to find an amazing doctor for me, I’ll still throw you out.’
Well then—if she wasn’t direct, she wouldn’t be Shen An’an.
Zhou Yushen stood up, his gaze lightly brushing over her face.
“You’ll never get that chance.”
Picking up the coat beside him and draping it over his arm, he turned and walked out the door.
Shen An’an watched his departing figure.
Thinking back on her interactions with him over the past few days, she increasingly felt that something was off.
Every movement Zhou Yushen made was gentlemanly and elegant, nothing like someone from an ordinary family.
Instead, he seemed like someone who had received excellent etiquette training since childhood.
The discipline in his bearing surpassed the casual looseness of ordinary people and was even more refined than Shen Nanyue, who herself had grown up in a wealthy family.
Was Zhou Yushen really an ordinary person?
Tilting her head, Shen An’an stared at the now-closed door.
Blinking thoughtfully, she decided that perhaps she really should investigate this brother-in-law of hers properly.
…
As promised, Shen Nanyue arrived at the art exhibition and met with Bai Youwei.
Bai Youwei had just returned from abroad.
Though already in her forties, time had left almost no trace on her face.
Not even a deep wrinkle could be seen.
She wore a white qipao that accentuated her graceful figure.
Pearl earrings shimmered with a soft glow under the sunlight as she stood elegantly atop the stone steps, dignified and noble.
The moment she saw Shen Nanyue, a trace of amazement flashed through Bai Youwei’s eyes.
“Miss Shen is truly beautiful.”
Artists had no resistance toward beautiful things.
Even in the entertainment industry, Shen Nanyue’s appearance would be considered god-tier beauty.
Today, she wore light makeup.
Her curled lashes fluttered gently, making her grape-like eyes appear especially lively.
Her nose stood tall and elegant, and her thin lips were painted with a trendy red shade that seemed almost juicy whenever she pursed them slightly.
Caught off guard by the sudden compliment, Shen Nanyue froze momentarily.
Then she quickly recovered and smiled at Bai Youwei.
“You flatter me, Madam Bai. You’re the one who’s still so charming! How do you maintain your skin? I’m honestly feeling a bit ashamed of myself.”
“I visit beauty salons often. Recently, I’ve been using a skincare set that’s quite good—I’ll recommend it to you!”
“Really? That sounds great!”
Although it was their first meeting, the two women entered the exhibition arm in arm like old friends.
Both of them understood fashion well.
Although they discussed the paintings briefly after entering the gallery, the conversation soon drifted from the clothing worn by the girls in the artwork to jewelry and accessories.
Bai Youwei wasn’t like those rigid, old-fashioned artists.
She was an extremely interesting person.
Shen Nanyue genuinely liked Madam Bai from the bottom of her heart.
“Fengcheng is a dreamlike city with thousands of years of cultural heritage. There are many talented and remarkable people here. As far as I know, Xiao Xingxing is from Fengcheng too, right?”
“You know Xiao Xingxing?”
Shen Nanyue was initially surprised, but then felt it was only natural that Bai Youwei had heard of Xiao Xingxing.
Back then, Xiao Xingxing’s explosive rise to fame had shocked the entire art world.
“Of course I’ve heard of her. Some time ago, her painting Queen Beneath the Umbrella was auctioned off, and I saw it online. Both the brushwork and the spirit of the piece deeply moved me.”
“If I could meet such a genius painter in person, that would truly be my honor.”
Shen Nanyue smiled politely beside her but said nothing more.
Shen An’an cared more about her works than fame itself.
Shen Nanyue had once asked her why she didn’t take the opportunity to become more publicly known.
Wouldn’t it be meaningful to gain fame and secure her own rights and recognition in the future?
But the young Shen An’an had firmly shaken her head.
She once said:
“I don’t want to become famous. I only want my paintings to become famous.”
Her childish words were filled with innocent dreams.
To her, fame and profit were like filthy muddy water carrying a rotten stench.
She didn’t want her artwork tainted by any of it.
And so, Shen Nanyue had always protected this pure white dream of her younger sister’s.
“Madam Bai, are you free for lunch? We could eat together and also discuss our collaboration.”
Bai Youwei nodded without refusing.
The restaurant they chose was an upscale Western restaurant near the Shen Corporation headquarters.
Soft, soothing music drifted through the restaurant, creating a rich atmosphere.
After ordering, the two finally began discussing business.
Bai Youwei smiled at Shen Nanyue.
“I’ve looked through your company’s clothing line. The designs themselves are beautiful, and I also like the artistic style blended into them. But I feel like something is still missing.”
Shen Nanyue asked, “Please go ahead, Madam Bai.”
“The clothing your company designs is positioned as high-end. The intricate craftsmanship, stitching, and luxurious fabrics make the target audience wealthy people only. But in the proposal you showed me, the intended audience isn’t divided by social class.”
Shen Nanyue froze slightly.
She actually hadn’t noticed this point herself.
Bai Youwei continued,
“My paintings are different from most others’. People from almost every social class can understand them. So if I become your spokesperson, I can’t deceive the people who like me, nor can I make them feel that I discriminate between social classes.”
Realization dawned on Shen Nanyue, and she was just about to respond— When Shen Tong appeared unexpectedly.
He rose from the neighboring table and walked over to the two women.
His gaze settled on Bai Youwei.
“President Shen has only recently taken over the Shen Corporation, so she may still lack experience in business matters. Hello, Madam Bai. I’m President Shen’s uncle, Shen Tong, one of the shareholders of the Shen Corporation. Perhaps we could discuss the endorsement deal together.”
Bai Youwei did not reply immediately.
Her gaze swept calmly over the two of them.
Shen Nanyue’s expression cooled as she looked at Shen Tong indifferently.
“Uncle, what exactly are you trying to do?”
— The end of the Chapter–
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