MMCD - 18

It was already autumn, and the weather in the south was starting to get cold. It had rained today, and the air was damp and chilly.

The office was heated, and the temperature was set high.

After taking Sheng Wenyan’s call from the meeting just now, Shen Zai had asked her to wait for him in his office. When he pushed the door open, he saw that Sheng Wenyan was already there.

However, she wasn’t sitting obediently. She was half-lying on the sofa, covered with a blanket that was already there, sleeping soundly.

Shen Zai’s lips curved into a silent smile. He remembered the tearful voice he heard from her on the phone.

He had originally thought that when he walked in, he would see her in tears, and he would have to “comfort the child” on behalf of Sheng Tianhe again.

He walked over and sat down on the side without waking her. He poured himself a cup of tea.

But Sheng Wenyan was a light sleeper, and she quickly opened her eyes when she heard a sound next to her.

She then saw Shen Zai. He was dressed differently than he usually was at the office. He was wearing a white crewneck sweater, a very casual style. The sleeves covered half of his palms, revealing his clean, fair fingers with well-defined knuckles.

At this moment, his right hand was holding a round cup, and a stream of hot steam was rising from it.

It was a rare moment of him being relaxed at the office.

Sheng Wenyan lifted the blanket and sat up on the sofa. Her voice was hoarse from just waking up. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

Shen Zai poured another cup of tea and pushed it in front of her. “For your throat.”

“Oh...”

“Are you very sad?” Shen Zai turned to look at her.

Sheng Wenyan was stunned for a moment. She nodded but then quickly shook her head. “I don’t know... I can’t explain it.”

The girl in front of him looked a little lost. Her eyes were watery but had lost their usual sparkle.

The temperature in the room was already very high. She had been covered by a blanket for a while, and a flush of heat had risen to her clean face. She looked like a porcelain doll that could only blink.

Seeing her like this, Shen Zai suddenly remembered the little girl at Li Xiaopan’s funeral many years ago.

Her face was red from crying, and tears streamed down her cheeks. At the time, her eyes were also like they were now, beautiful but without a spark.

“If my dad calls you, you have to say that I really have work to do...” Sheng Wenyan paused here and said, “Never mind. They’re probably celebrating right now, so they don’t have time to worry about these small things.”

Shen Zai put down his cup. “Do you remember what I told you before?”

“What?”

“You’re not necessarily incapable.”

“...”

Shen Zai said, “You can be excellent and let everyone in your family know that you’re no worse than a boy.”

Sheng Wenyan fell silent. Of course, she remembered what he had said.

Shen Zai: “Also, working hard isn’t just to show your family. What others think isn’t important. The important thing is that you live a good life. Even without the Sheng Corporation, you can still live a great life.”

“Like you?” Sheng Wenyan asked.

Shen Zai: “You don’t need to be like anyone. Just be yourself.”

“But I want to be like you... I think you’re very cool.”

“You want to be like me?” Shen Zai looked at the serious girl and smiled faintly. “Then keep working hard.”

“Okay, I’ll learn from you. You can watch me.” Sheng Wenyan suddenly felt much better.

Shen Zai said, “You have to be able to do a good job without me watching you.”

“That won’t work,” Sheng Wenyan said. “Without my boss watching me, I might become lazy. I need someone to watch me.”

Shen Zai shook his head slightly. She was truly an un-grown child.

“Oh, by the way, it’s the matriarch’s birthday next weekend, right?” Sheng Wenyan changed the subject to another matter.

Shen Zai: “How do you know?”

“She told me. She even sent me a special invitation and asked me to go to her birthday party.”

Shen Zai was a little surprised. His mother’s birthday invitations were only sent to the older generation. The younger generation would be brought by their elders, and the children wouldn’t receive an invitation from his mother.

But Sheng Wenyan had received one from his mother personally, which showed that his mother genuinely liked her.

Shen Zai: “In that case, you should go.”

“You’re definitely going, right?”

“Yes.”

“That’s great. I’ll just have to bother Mr. Shen to give me a ride there.”

________________________________________

News of the Sheng family expecting a new addition had somehow gotten out. Many friends had even messaged Sheng Wenyan to ask if her stepmom was pregnant.

Sheng Wenyan knew that most people were just looking for some excitement, after all, she was “getting a younger sibling late in life.”

Originally, she was truly depressed and jealous, but after seeing Shen Zai that day, she found that she didn’t care as much anymore... Sometimes, she also found it magical, as if what Shen Zai said could always calm her strange anxieties.

A week later, it was Zhao Shunzhi’s birthday.

The matriarch’s birthday party was held at their old family residence. The manor’s courtyard was large enough to invite a large number of guests.

When Sheng Wenyan and Shen Zai arrived, they went inside to wish the matriarch a happy birthday. After giving her their carefully selected gifts, they stayed and talked with her for a while before going outside to have some fun.

As she watched Sheng Wenyan leave, Zhao Shunzhi pulled Shen Zai aside. “That girl is so good. The gift she chose is also to my liking. Shen Zai, you should keep an eye on her. She would make a great wife for our Shuyi in the future.”

Shen Zai’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. He seemed to dislike this kind of talk.

Shen Han, who was standing nearby, laughed. “Mom, you’ve already found a wife for Shuyi. Does Big Brother know?”

Zhao Shunzhi: “That girl is so good. She’s pretty, and she’s Shuyi’s classmate. It’s a perfect match.”

Shen Zai said faintly, “Doesn’t Shuyi have a girlfriend?”

Zhao Shunzhi: “Huh? A girlfriend? Where? Oh, are you talking about that little girl named Nianlei?”

Shen Zai: “Probably.”

Zhao Shunzhi: “They’re not together. I asked Shuyi, and they’re just friends. The two of them were high school classmates before. That girl is not bad, but I just like Wenyan more.”

Shen Han said, speechless, “Oh, Mom, you don’t have to worry about this. The children will naturally be with whoever they like. Why are you making all these blind arrangements?”

“Well, I just clicked with Wenyan,” Zhao Shunzhi patted Shen Zai. “Hey, son, just try a little harder. Shuyi listens to you the most. If you put in a good word, something might happen between those two.”

Try a little harder.

What should he try harder for?

Shen Zai was too lazy to pay attention anymore. He said, “I’m going out first.”

“Hey, don’t leave yet. Did you hear me?”

...

Today was Zhao Shunzhi’s big birthday, and many dignitaries were present. The group of rich young ladies that Sheng Wenyan was familiar with also came with their elders.

“Hey? Isn’t that Wenyan? You’re here.” Her nemesis, Zheng Qi, was also there, with a fake smile on her face, as if they were sisters from another life.

Sheng Wenyan replied with a perfunctory “Mm.”

And as soon as Zheng Qi spoke, the people around them naturally looked over.

Shen Yunni, Shen Shuyi, and Shen Shuyi’s girlfriend, Bai Nianlei, were all there, staring at her. Sheng Wenyan grabbed a drink and greeted everyone.

Shen Shuyi nodded at her. Lately, he had been hearing his grandma talk about Sheng Wenyan at home. His grandma seemed to like her a lot and always hinted for him to talk to her more.

He had also heard from his grandma that Sheng Wenyan was doing a very good and serious job with his uncle.

Shen Shuyi was a little confused because the Sheng Wenyan he heard about from Zhao Shunzhi was completely different from the one he heard about from his friends. His perception of Sheng Wenyan was now a little jumbled.

Occasionally, he would also wonder if she wasn’t as cynical as he had thought.

“Wenyan, you look so beautiful today. Hey, you’re even wearing the same color as Nianlei.”

When Zheng Qi complimented her, it was never a good sign.

As expected, the next thing she said was, “Hey, do you two have similar tastes in everything?”

Everyone with a brain at the scene could understand what she meant.

Tastes in everything... didn’t that mean taste in people?

Both of them liked Shen Shuyi, but Shen Shuyi was clearly repulsed by Sheng Wenyan and close to Bai Nianlei. Putting these words together was an attempt to embarrass Sheng Wenyan.

Sheng Wenyan naturally heard Zheng Qi’s sarcasm. She gave her a disgusted look and said, “We’re both beautiful, so it’s natural that we have similar tastes. Unlike some people, who are ugly and have bad taste, dressing up like a poached chicken and thinking they’re a fairy descended from heaven.”

Zheng Qi was wearing a white dress today, and she was immediately hit where it hurt. “What did you say—”

“Oh, I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking about the auntie I saw when I walked in. Ugh, I couldn’t even compliment her.”

Zheng Qi was furious that her outfit was being mocked, but she couldn’t show it. She held it in and remembered something else, saying in a passive-aggressive tone, “Wenyan, your parents didn’t come today. You came alone?”

Without waiting for her reply, she continued on her own, “Oh, I forgot. Your stepmom is pregnant. Your dad must be treating her like a queen and is too busy. Tsk, I guess they could only send you, a person with too much time on her hands.”

Sheng Wenyan’s expression changed slightly. She hated it the most when people mentioned the pregnancy.

Zheng Qi: “I have a question. How does it feel? You’re about to have a younger brother. Are you worried? Honestly, if I had a stepmom and she had another sibling for me, I’d be so mad.”

Sheng Wenyan let out a cold laugh. “I’m sorry, but I’m not here representing my family. I’m different from you. I’m here representing myself.”

“Representing yourself?” Zheng Qi laughed under her breath. “What’s there for you to represent?”

“You might not know what there is for me to represent, but the hosts of this house know. What’s it to you?”

The smile on Zheng Qi’s face couldn’t be maintained anymore. She couldn’t let go of this chance to mock Sheng Wenyan. “What are you pretending to be? The hosts of this house are right here. How good could your relationship with them be?”

Sheng Wenyan: “Are Shen Shuyi and Shen Yunni the only ones left in the Shen family?”

“Well, who else? Did Lady Zhao personally send you an invitation? Does she even know you?”

“My mother did indeed personally send me an invitation. Do you have a problem with that?”

Amidst the chatter and music, a deep male voice rang out from behind them.

Everyone was startled. They looked back and saw a man walking over from a distance.

He was wearing a simple shirt and trousers, with his sleeves rolled up, and the top button was undone. Compared to the other guests in neat suits, he was clearly more casual and at ease.

But even with his casualness, people couldn’t take their eyes off him.

Zheng Qi remembered this person. She had seen him at the bar that day. And she also remembered what her elders had told her: if she saw Shen Zai at the Shen family’s house, she must greet him properly.

So, she quickly said, “Mr. Shen, hello...”

Shen Zai walked over and first looked at Shen Shuyi and Shen Yunni with dissatisfaction. “The person your grandmother personally invited is a guest of honor tonight. Is this how you’re supposed to be entertaining a guest of honor?”

Shen Yunni looked at Sheng Wenyan in shock. “What? Uncle, she...”

“Have some manners. What have you two been taught?”

Shen Zai’s words were a little harsh. Shen Yunni and Shen Shuyi exchanged glances and didn’t dare to say a word.

After scolding his younger relatives, Shen Zai looked at Zheng Qi. “Which family is this young lady from?”

Zheng Qi’s heart tightened. “My father is Zheng Qibin...”

“Oh,” Shen Zai said. “Then it seems your father has some opinions on our guest list.”

“No, he doesn’t! No!” How could she dare to involve her father in this? If the Shen family were to hold a grudge against their family because of this, her father would kill her.

“It was me. I didn’t know the situation. I’m sorry...”

Zheng Qi’s face turned pale with fear. She had no idea that Sheng Wenyan was actually a personal guest of Zhao Shunzhi.

Besides Zheng Qi, everyone else was also very surprised.

Hadn’t Sheng Wenyan’s relationship with Shen Shuyi gone nowhere? How did she end up getting closer to the Shen family instead?

“Let’s go,” Shen Zai said, not bothering to say anything more to the group of younger people. He turned and walked back the way he came. But after taking a step, he realized that no one was following him, so he turned back. “Why are you standing there stunned?”

Only then did Sheng Wenyan realize that he was talking to her. “...Where are we going?”

Shen Zai’s lips curled slightly, and he had a business-like attitude. “Miss Sheng, just follow me.”