Zhou Yushen’s expression remained indifferent, his deep voice devoid of warmth.
“Where’s Grandpa?”
On the other end of the line, the butler glanced at Old Master Zhou, who was frantically waving his hands beside him.
Bracing himself, he answered Zhou Yushen.
“The old master has already gone to sleep. He’s been talking about this all day, so I called to ask on his behalf.”
“Put it on speaker,” Zhou Yushen said coolly.
The butler glanced at Old Master Zhou again, moved the phone away slightly, and turned on speaker mode.
“Grandpa, I’ll keep my promise to you. Within one month, I’ll bring your future granddaughter-in-law to meet you. Until then, I hope you stop stuffing random women around me.”
Old Master Zhou’s eyes lit up instantly, completely unconcerned by Zhou Yushen’s poor tone.
He hurried forward, snatched the phone from the butler, and asked loudly,
“Yushen! Do you already have a girl you like? Which family’s daughter is she? Let Grandpa take a look for you.”
“I’m still pursuing her. Don’t interfere—you’ll scare her.”
Old Master Zhou wanted to continue asking questions, but Zhou Yushen had already hung up.
The old man was so angry that he blew into his beard and glared.
“That brat! He hasn’t even won her over yet, and he’s already protecting her!”
The butler stood silently at the side, pretending not to hear anything.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yushen tossed his phone aside and lay down to sleep.
The soft moonlight streamed through the window, casting a flowing glow across his bed.
One arm rested behind his head as the moonlight reflected in his dark eyes, revealing a dangerous glimmer that was difficult to describe.
…
For the next several days, Shen Nanyue traveled back and forth between the hospital and her studio.
She was so busy she felt completely drained, and Zhou Yushen’s proposal had long since been pushed to the back of her mind.
Her senior colleague didn’t know about her grandfather’s hospitalization.
Seeing the exhaustion written all over Shen Nanyue’s face, she felt a little sorry for her.
“The competition is already wrapping up. You should get more rest. Look at this little face of yours—you used to be so fair and delicate, and now you’re about to work yourself into a worn-out old woman.”
As she spoke, her senior gently pinched Shen Nanyue’s soft cheek.
Shen Nanyue let out a deep sigh.
“The competition’s wrapping up, and now that the studio’s reputation has spread, the number of orders has doubled. I’m so busy I don’t even know whether I should be happy or miserable.”
She propped her head up with one hand, yet her eyes never left the order requirements in front of her.
Her senior sat across from her and laughed teasingly.
“I honestly can’t tell whether you’re showing off or genuinely troubled.”
She pushed a folder toward Shen Nanyue.
Under Shen Nanyue’s puzzled gaze, she teased lightly,
“Now that the studio has more orders, it’s time to expand. These are some talented candidates I screened out. Let’s see whether Boss Shen wants them.”
This was like someone delivering water right when she was thirsty.
Shen Nanyue glanced through the list and saw that they were all underclassmen she had already noticed for their strong overall abilities.
She tossed the folder aside, leaned over, and hugged her senior.
“Thank you, Senior Sister! Boss Shen officially permits you to become a shareholder. From now on, we’ll make money together!”
Her senior laughed and pushed her away.
Seeing the dark circles under Shen Nanyue’s eyes, she couldn’t even bring herself to tease her anymore.
“Did something happen to you recently?”
The smile on Shen Nanyue’s face didn’t fade.
“No matter how huge the problem is, Boss Shen can handle it!”
Seeing her act so open-minded, her senior’s worries eased considerably.
“That’s good. If anything comes up, just say the word. I’m leaving first.”
Her senior stood up, patted Shen Nanyue on the shoulder, and left.
After sitting back down, the smile on Shen Nanyue’s face faded noticeably.
She wasn’t used to complaining to others.
She only knew how to silently digest her troubles inside.
Just as she finished work and was about to head to the hospital, an unexpected guest arrived at the studio.
It was the customer who had previously ordered custom lingerie from her studio.
And also Zhou Yushen’s ex-girlfriend—Gu Linlang.
The last time Gu Linlang came to place an order, Shen Nanyue had seen her name on the order form and subconsciously remembered it.
“Miss Gu, are you here to order more clothing?”
Gu Linlang’s previous order had already been settled, and she had expressed satisfaction with the finished clothing.
Since she had come back to the studio again, there was a high chance she was a returning customer.
Shen Nanyue treated every customer seriously.
“Miss Shen, I’m not here to discuss business this time. I want to ask you a question.”
Gu Linlang accepted the water Shen Nanyue handed her, her clear eyes fixed directly on Shen Nanyue’s face.
As if trying to engrave her appearance into memory.
“What question?”
Seeing her hesitation, Shen Nanyue began to sense that something was off.
“I saw you in my boyfriend’s car before. You two looked intimate. I want to ask—what exactly is your relationship?”
The moment her words fell, the younger girls busy working in the studio immediately stopped what they were doing and turned to look at them.
Their gossip-hungry gazes were brighter than fluorescent lights.
Only then did Shen Nanyue truly examine Gu Linlang carefully.
She had already felt something strange from the beginning, but only now realized that Gu Linlang’s cool eyes were filled with hostility toward her.
Shen Nanyue laughed softly.
“Boyfriend? Who are you talking about?”
“Zhou Yushen. Don’t tell me you don’t know him.”
“I know him.”
Not only did she know him—they had gotten quite intimate.
Seeing her admit it, Gu Linlang’s composure immediately cracked.
Her eyes shimmered with tears as she glared at Shen Nanyue with anger and grievance.
“Miss Shen, being a mistress is shameful! I hope you’ll stop clinging to my boyfriend.”
As soon as the words fell, whispers immediately spread around the room.
The voices weren’t loud, but every judgmental comment directed at Shen Nanyue reached her ears clearly.
“I never expected Senior Shen to be this kind of person in private.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions yet. Senior Shen hasn’t even defended herself. What if things aren’t what we think?”
“The girlfriend already came to confront her in person. The ‘mistress’ label is practically nailed to her head now. What’s the point of defending herself?”
“…”
Shen Nanyue curled her lips into a faint smile, crossing her arms as she looked at Gu Linlang.
So this was the woman’s purpose for coming here today?
She had deliberately chosen a crowded moment to show up and slap the label of “homewrecker” onto her without explanation.
Was she trying to destroy both her reputation and her career at the same time?
“Miss Gu, are you sure Zhou Yushen is your boyfriend?”
“Otherwise?” Gu Linlang sneered.
Suddenly, traces of hatred flashed through her eyes.
“Miss Shen, I saw you before in the restaurant hallway. You saw how intimate Yushen and I were, and afterward I even came to your studio to order that outfit, making it clear that Yushen is my boyfriend. Yet you still kept an ambiguous relationship with him. Don’t you think your excuses are weak and pathetic?”
Oh?
So she had already seen her back at the restaurant?
It seemed that the custom lingerie order had been planned from the very beginning.
All to set her up for today?
But why had Gu Linlang been so certain, even back then, that she had some kind of relationship with Zhou Yushen?
“I haven’t even said a word yet, and you’re already calling it an excuse. You must’ve rehearsed these lines countless times in your head, huh?”
Shen Nanyue didn’t want to waste time arguing.
Running a studio wasn’t easy.
She could live without a reputation, but she couldn’t lose her studio.
Watching Gu Linlang act like the furious and wronged official girlfriend, Shen Nanyue pulled out her phone and opened Zhou Yushen’s contact information.
“Since this is an issue involving three people, then two people shouldn’t be the only ones talking about it. I’ll call the male lead over.”
She looked at Gu Linlang’s cracking expression with smiling eyes.
— The end of the Chapter–
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