MMCD - 19

After Shen Zai walked away, Shen Yunni finally let out a sigh of relief. She looked at Zheng Qi with dissatisfaction. “It’s all your fault. You made my uncle scold me too.”

Zheng Qi’s face was also very unpleasant. “...You guys didn’t tell me Sheng Wenyan was a guest invited by your grandma.”

Shen Yunni: “How was I supposed to know? I thought she just came with my uncle.”

Zheng Qi: “Didn’t you say she was just working at IZ? Does he have to protect her that much?”

Speaking of this, Shen Yunni was also very unhappy. But after being scolded by Shen Zai in the study last time, she was still feeling apprehensive, so she didn’t say anything to Sheng Wenyan today.

She also didn’t understand why Shen Zai was so biased towards Sheng Wenyan.

Zheng Qi snorted. “Sheng Wenyan is just capable. Yunni, I’m not wrong, am I? She’s got a way with men. Your uncle...”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Shen Shuyi suddenly snapped at her.

Zheng Qi was startled. “...”

Seeing that her brother was angry, Shen Yunni also quickly said, “You can talk about Sheng Wenyan all you want, but not my uncle. You’d better not let me hear you say anything bad about him.”

How would Zheng Qi dare to offend the Shen family? She pursed her lips and said with a forced smile, “Okay, okay, I was just saying it casually. Don’t be really angry.”

“Hmph.” Shen Yunni no longer paid her any attention. She pulled Bai Nianlei’s hand. “Let’s go, Sister Nianlei, let’s get something to eat.”

Bai Nianlei glanced at Shen Shuyi. “Okay.”

The two of them walked to the dessert table and took a little something to eat.

Shen Yunni was very close to Bai Nianlei. She knew Bai Nianlei because of her brother.

Back in high school, Bai Nianlei and Shen Shuyi were schoolmates. The two of them became acquainted after they represented their school together in a competition.

The Shen family’s house was spacious, and before the competition, their entire team came to the house to prepare. That was when Shen Yunni met Bai Nianlei.

She really liked this older sister, so even after she went abroad to study, she kept in touch with her on her phone. Of course, she also knew that Bai Nianlei had a crush on Shen Shuyi. So after she returned to China, she also deliberately tried to set the two of them up.

“It’s a pity that you and my brother didn’t go to the same university. Otherwise, Sheng Wenyan wouldn’t have been in the picture. But, it’s a good thing my brother doesn’t like Sheng Wenyan at all... Sister, you’re much better than her. My brother definitely likes you more. It’s just that he’s reserved and not very good at expressing his feelings.”

Although she listened to Shen Yunni’s words, Bai Nianlei’s mind still conjured up the look in Shen Shuyi’s eyes when he looked at Sheng Wenyan. She didn’t know how to describe that look, but she always felt that it was a little different.

“Does your brother really not like that girl?”

“Of course not. My brother hates showy young ladies the most. Sheng Wenyan is basically everything he can’t stand.”

________________________________________

The Shen family’s residence was very large. After they left the courtyard, they walked past a long corridor and went up two flights of stairs.

Sheng Wenyan didn’t say a word the whole way. She followed happily behind Shen Zai, her steps much lighter because of her joyful mood.

“Do you want to eat something?” Shen Zai asked.

When Sheng Wenyan looked up, she saw his back. His shoulders were broad, but his waist was narrow where the shirt was tucked into his pants. What a golden ratio...

“Sheng Wenyan?”

“Ah?” She suddenly snapped back to reality. Thinking about her inappropriate thoughts from just now, she touched her nose. “Yes, I’ll eat. I haven’t had dinner yet.”

“Okay.”

Shen Zai stopped in front of a room. The door was open, and he led her inside.

It was a large suite with a bedroom, a study, and a living area... everything was there.

The room was decorated in a traditional Chinese style. All the objects were placed neatly, but they were almost too neat, as if no one had ever lived in the room.

“Have a seat. I’ll have someone send up some food.”

“Is this your room?” This was because there were many books on finance on the bookshelf.

“Mm.”

Sheng Wenyan’s attention was drawn to one side of the bookshelf, where there were many trophies.

“What kind of awards are these? What kind of competitions? Can I look?”

She had never participated in any competitions during her school years, but she was especially fond of the handsome geniuses who won awards in them. That was why she had a crush on Shen Shuyi in college.

Shen Zai clearly didn’t mind. “Go ahead.”

Sheng Wenyan ran to the bookshelf and looked closely. The trophies were arranged by year, from elementary school to college, graduate school... There were trophies from every stage, and the later ones were more prestigious.

“These must be antiques, right? From over twenty years ago. I wasn’t even born yet,” Sheng Wenyan laughed. “Mr. Shen, you even kept your elementary school trophies. You’re a real collector.”

Shen Zai was on the phone with someone downstairs. He said casually, “My family kept them.”

“Oh...” Sheng Wenyan looked at each row. She suddenly saw a few photo frames high up, and they seemed to contain photos of Shen Zai.

Her curiosity led her to reach for them... but the photos were placed very high up.

Sheng Wenyan stood on her tiptoes. Her fingers hooked a photo frame, and then she gave a small jump and quickly pulled it—

“Be careful!”

The photo frames were connected. As she hooked one, the two next to it also fell down. Sheng Wenyan didn’t even have time to react before a hand covered her forehead, and she was pulled back, her back hitting a wall of flesh.

It was warm.

She was wearing a small cocktail dress with a cutout back, and her skin touched his shirt. The temperature made her heart pound heavily.

Sheng Wenyan quickly turned her head. Shen Zai was standing right behind her. One of his hands was holding her arm, and the other was protecting her forehead... They were in an almost hugging position. When she turned her head slightly, she touched his jaw.

They were too close. So close that she could smell the scent of his collar. It was faint, but it made her heart beat wildly. Her blood rushed, and she felt a wave of dizziness.

But it all happened in a flash. She opened her mouth, her mind completely blank.

“Are you trying to hold a funeral at our house on this day?” Shen Zai was about to scold her, but when he looked down and saw that she was so scared that she hadn’t moved and her eyes were blank, he felt a little helpless.

“I... it was an accident...”

She spoke, and her breath landed on his neck. The invisible airflow was like a very thin thread, carrying warmth, and it suddenly brushed against him.

Shen Zai was stunned for a moment. He quickly let go of her. “...What did you want to get?”

After he let go, they were back to a normal distance.

But Sheng Wenyan felt that her heart was still beating abnormally, as if it was about to jump out of her throat. She swallowed with difficulty and said, “I... I just wanted to see the person in the photo frame. I didn’t expect all of them to fall down at once.”

Shen Zai bent down and picked up the three photo frames from the floor. “You really overestimate your height.”

Sheng Wenyan: “...”

He handed the photo frames over. Only then did Sheng Wenyan see a bruise on the back of his left hand. “Your hand is bruised! Let’s go see a doctor!”

“Your head would need to see a doctor if it got hit.” Shen Zai said. “Stop moving around. Go sit over there.”

“But your hand...”

“It’s not serious.”

Sheng Wenyan had no choice but to sit on the sofa. But her eyes were constantly on Shen Zai, wanting to see if his hand was really not serious.

But he didn’t seem to mind. He just took out a first aid kit and applied some medicine to it casually.

After he was done, the food was also brought up by the people downstairs.

Sheng Wenyan ate absentmindedly, glancing at him from time to time. He didn’t seem to have any intention of eating. He just sat behind his desk, quietly looking at his computer.

Actually, he didn’t have to shield her just now. When she saw the photo frames fall, she had also raised her hand herself. Her head wouldn’t have been hit.

Sheng Wenyan looked away, a slight smile on her lips.

She felt a sense of guilt, but within that guilt, she couldn’t help but feel a little happy...

________________________________________

Probably because it was his mother’s birthday, Shen Zai uncharacteristically stayed at the Shen family residence tonight.

After Sheng Wenyan came downstairs, the banquet was almost over. She said goodbye to the matriarch and prepared to leave.

She had come with Shen Zai today and was driving his car. If Shen Zai wasn’t leaving, the car would have to stay there for him. So she stood at the door, preparing to have someone from the Shen family give her a ride.

The Shen family’s residence was on a mountain and was quite remote.

Today, Zhao Shunzhi had arranged for a driver to take home the guests who had been drinking and didn’t have a driver. After Sheng Wenyan told the person in charge, a car was arranged for her immediately.

“Sheng Wenyan.”

A car stopped in front of her shortly after. Sheng Wenyan bent down and looked inside, a little surprised.

It was Shen Shuyi.

“Why is it you?”

Shen Shuyi hesitated. He said, “Get in. The cars inside have all left. I’ll drive you.”

Sheng Wenyan was stunned for a moment. In the past, this person would have stayed as far away from her as possible. What was going on today?

“No need. I’ll just call a taxi.”

“It’s remote here. No taxis will come up,” Shen Shuyi said awkwardly, seeming a little unaccustomed to the situation himself. “Grandma said that all guests must get home safely today, so I have to drive you.”

“Oh... you don’t have to be so polite.”

“It’s fine. Get in the car. Your house is on my way anyway.”

Sheng Wenyan was actually a little tired from the evening, so she didn’t hesitate anymore and got in.

“Thank you.”

“...It’s nothing.”

The ride was silent, and the atmosphere was a little heavy. But the heaviness was all Shen Shuyi’s. Sheng Wenyan rested her head on her hand and looked out the window, at ease and not feeling awkward at all.

“Are you cold? Should I turn up the A/C?” Shen Shuyi asked after holding it in for a long time.

Sheng Wenyan: “Oh, no need. I’m not cold.”

“Mm...” Shen Shuyi glanced at her. He felt a little regretful that he had called her into the car because he never knew what to say when he was with her.

But when he heard the housekeeper arranging a car for Sheng Wenyan at the door just now, he had subconsciously gone himself. He couldn’t control his thoughts at that moment.

“What are you holding in your hand?” Shen Shuyi noticed her hand and asked, just to make conversation.

“This? It’s Mr. Shen’s photo frame. I accidentally broke it just now.” Of the photo frames that fell just now, only this one was cracked. Before she left, she took it without Shen Zai noticing, wanting to get him a new one and give it back.

“This looks like it’s from Uncle’s bookshelf.”

“Yeah. I wanted to take a look, and this happened.”

Uncle let her into his room?

Shen Shuyi felt a moment of strangeness. But then he thought, she’s his assistant. She probably goes to his place often anyway.

“Uncle doesn’t like taking pictures. This photo was taken when he won a competition, so it’s a rare one. That’s why grandma kept it.”

Sheng Wenyan hummed in response and picked up the photo frame to look at it again.

Actually, she had looked at it many times just now. This was because the 17-year-old Shen Zai in the photo was a little cute. He was much more boyish than he was now, handsome yet young.

“He seems very impressive...” Sheng Wenyan murmured.

Shen Shuyi finally smiled a little. “Of course. Uncle’s academic achievements are the best in our family, and so are his abilities. That’s why I always wanted to intern at his company.”

Speaking of this, Shen Shuyi’s voice suddenly stopped.

He glanced at Sheng Wenyan and, after some thought, said, “The reason I didn’t go to IZ before was because my father wanted me to work with him. I... only didn’t go because of that reason.”

Sheng Wenyan didn’t think much of it at first. Only when Shen Shuyi emphasized it did she remember the whole internship thing.

She had always thought that he didn’t come to IZ because she was there.

“Oh, that. It’s okay. Working with your dad is also great.”

“Mm. So, how are you doing with Uncle?”

“I’m doing well,” Sheng Wenyan smiled, her eyes sparkling slightly. “Shen Zai is very good.”