CM - 14

Shen Tingwen played dumb to the end: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Zhou Shuirong moved away from the tree trunk and walked towards him: “That kick just now was so swift, you must have practiced a lot, right? You were instrumental in Chen Ziqian going to the juvenile detention center. I’m wondering, what does that have to do with ‘going back on your word’? Why did Chen Fuyu’s boyfriend say you went back on your word? So I looked into it. It turns out that demanding an apology with an ID card was indeed your idea. I wondered why her apology was so standardized. Turns out, Young Master Shen was secretly guiding her.”

Shen Tingwen said: “I just thought, since the situation had already happened, I might as well help you. You helped me before, didn’t you?”

“The problem is, you could have told me the truth, but you didn’t. You pretended to be innocent with me.”

“I don’t like taking credit, so I didn’t say anything.”

Heh, quite impressive. Finally, someone who can put up a fight. Zhou Shuirong said: “Then why, when you clearly can protect yourself and others, did you keep giving me ‘it’s fine’ and ‘I’m okay’?”

Shen Tingwen said: “I didn’t lie to you, it really was fine.”

Zhou Shuirong understood. So, she had overthought it. She hadn’t clarified things herself, and just seeing his innocent, naive eyes and his peace-loving attitude, she directly concluded in her heart that he was a useless little thing.

This was like saying she had eyes but couldn’t recognize a true gem.

She truly felt sorry for Si Wen’s painstaking efforts in teaching her how to discern people and things. She had just returned to the country and fallen into the hands of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Fine, alright. She’d take this loss, and she’d remember this stumble, but only this once.

She had nothing left to say. She took out her phone and, right in front of Shen Tingwen, deleted his WeChat: “From now on, don’t bother your Dad Zhou. You’re annoying to look at!”

Shen Tingwen looked at her retreating back. He wasn’t overcome with emotions, but he was annoyed, even though he had long anticipated this day.

________________________________________

Zhou Shuirong removed the filter she had for Shen Tingwen; he was simply a ruthless, cunning practitioner with more tricks up his sleeve than hairs on his head. With such obvious manipulative traits, she actually hadn’t noticed. She had thought he was a little white rabbit; turns out she was the little white rabbit all along.

Of course, upon reflection, she still found the reason she fell into the trap—this Shen Tingwen knew she responded to kindness, not harshness.

He seemed to understand her very well, precisely hitting her weak spots with every step. This was quite interesting. She had been to so many schools; she had seen intelligent people, but this was the first time she had seen someone so adept at playing dumb.

Lost in thought, she walked to a convenience store and bought a bottle of beer to drink. With this weather and this anger, she needed to cool herself down.

Zhao Guqing entered behind her, bought a bottle of yogurt, but her phone was dead and she couldn’t pay. Her face was flushed, and the cashier eyed her up and down unpleasantly: “Next, please.”

Zhao Guqing pursed her lips, ready to put the yogurt back.

Zhou Shuirong walked over and paid for her.

Zhao Guqing turned to see Zhou Shuirong’s profile. Her nose was perfectly shaped, as were her lips. The contour of her profile was like a magnet, drawing Zhao Guqing in, unable to tear her gaze away.

Outside the convenience store, Zhao Guqing thanked Zhou Shuirong: “Let’s add each other on WeChat. I’ll pay you back when I get home.”

“No need,” Zhou Shuirong said and walked away.

Zhao Guqing clutched the yogurt in both hands, staring blankly at Zhou Shuirong’s retreating figure.

When Zhu Jiayi arrived, she saw Zhao Guqing spacing out and waved her hand in front of her eyes: “What are you looking at?”

Zhao Guqing snapped back: “Nothing.”

Zhu Jiayi hooked her arm around her neck: “Hey, did you hear about Zhou Shuirong hitting someone? That girl is so fierce! It’s all over social media. The person who got hit spread the news to prove Zhou Shuirong was ruthless, but it backfired, and now everyone’s mocking her, saying the four of them were taken down by Zhou Shuirong alone. So satisfying! Their nemesis has arrived. Let’s see if they dare to run their mouths again.”

Zhao Guqing thought of Zhou Shuirong’s profile and said nothing.

________________________________________

When Shen Tingwen got home, he didn’t see Shen Cheng and Wen Huo. Only Shen Naiyi was in the living room, painting the hundred-square-meter courtyard outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Shen Naiyi graduated from the Florence Academy of Fine Arts, then spent half a year in Russia, and later found an artist manager boyfriend in Denmark, beginning her path to fame.

Her boyfriend successfully managed her painting, “The Bistada Terrace,” which eventually sold for the equivalent of six million RMB, making her one of the most influential realist painters of her time.

Later, to accumulate more wealth, her boyfriend encouraged her to enter the domestic market.

Their skilled operations and sharp eye quickly helped them establish a firm footing in China. Nowadays, they owned the largest channels for acquiring and selling art domestically and had signed several promising artists, making their position unshakable.

Of course, all of this was built on the foundation of her being Shen Cheng’s daughter. Having a father with significant influence in elite circles made many things easier.

This was an unspoken rule, and a lesson many talented individuals without inherent advantages had to learn.

Shen Tingwen first went to the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water, and also got one for Shen Naiyi.

Shen Naiyi continued painting without looking up: “Mom said you’re going abroad?”

For children of their family background, going abroad was decided from birth; it had become a rule. Regardless of how undeserving the overseas study circle might be, they still sent their children abroad to gain a “golden” veneer before returning to take over the family business.

Shen Cheng and Wen Huo’s attitudes were good; they didn’t really micromanage their children. It wasn’t about letting them grow freely, but rather that they barely had enough time for their own world, so they didn’t have time to manage them.

“The news needs an update,” Shen Tingwen said.

Shen Naiyi looked up: “Why aren’t you going anymore?”

“I don’t want to.”

Shen Naiyi immediately saw through his deception: “Are you in love?”

“Is that any of your business?”

Shen Naiyi glared at him: “Be careful your soul doesn’t get taken away.”

“I’m the one who took her soul away.”

“Just brag, why don’t you.”

Shen Tingwen stopped talking to her: “Where are they?”

Shen Naiyi stood up and stretched: “They’re interrogating your brother-in-law.”

“He brought a wild man home?”

Shen Naiyi kicked a slipper at him from three meters away. It flew and hit his arm: “That’s your brother-in-law, not some wild man!”

Shen Tingwen stopped talking to her and went upstairs.

Shen Naiyi watched him run off, then had time to ponder what he had just said. Whose soul did he take away? Zhou Xiyou’s?