Chapter 14:

Perhaps feeling a bit uneasy under the gazes of two girls—one filled with disdain and the other with despair—Shen Qingzhou awkwardly offered a few words of comfort, though the effect was far from ideal.

He said, “Miss Wang, you don’t need to feel too upset. After all, the worst-case scenario is just that the Wang family goes bankrupt. If you were carrying his child, things would be better—you’d at least receive higher alimony.”

He paused briefly, then offered a very reasonable suggestion: “Actually, you could also choose to sue him. Although I wouldn’t recommend it. Fang Zheng has solid connections with the relevant departments, and his methods are always clean—you won’t find any evidence, and you won’t be able to afford the legal fees.”

Lin Qiao covered her face in disbelief. This guy was truly a calamity sent from heaven, always bringing up the most awkward topics. She peeked through her fingers at Wang Jiaqi, whose tears had indeed started flowing again.

Lin Qiao sighed and lowered her hands. Under the table, she gave Shen Qingzhou a sharp kick. He immediately looked at her, his brows furrowed deeply, his gaze intense and unfathomable. There was something in his eyes she couldn’t understand, and at the moment, she had neither the time nor the patience to think about it. She simply said, “Master Shen, if you came here just to say these things, then once you finish your coffee, please leave. We don’t expect you to offer help in our time of need, but please don’t make things worse for us.”

Shen Qingzhou slightly pursed his pale lips, his clean, handsome face somehow carrying a hint of creepiness.

Seeing that the two were about to argue, Wang Jiaqi hastily said, “Qiaoqiao, forget it. After all, Shen is technically Fang Zheng’s older brother in terms of legal guardianship. I’m already surprised he said this much.”

Lin Qiao frowned. “Anyone with even a shred of conscience wouldn’t side with Fang Zheng.”

Hearing that, Wang Jiaqi seemed to recall someone, her lips curling into a bitter smile as she whispered, “Enough. It’s getting late—I’ll head back first. I’ll think more about what you said. Don’t worry about me. Even for the sake of my parents and Chongchong, I won’t fall apart.”

Lin Qiao exhaled in relief and stood up to see her off. But Shen Qingzhou was sitting beside her, blocking her path. As she was about to ask him to move, Wang Jiaqi said, “You stay here and finish your coffee with Master Shen. I can go alone. For now, please don’t come to see me anymore.”

She turned and left quickly, yet still remembered to settle the bill at the counter before leaving. That was just who she was—no matter the circumstances, she never forgot her manners. She had invited them, so she would pay.

Afraid that something might happen to Wang Jiaqi, Lin Qiao anxiously wanted to chase after her, but Shen Qingzhou blocked her and said, “She doesn’t want to see you most right now. Can’t you tell?”

“What?” Lin Qiao looked at him in confusion.

Shen Qingzhou said indifferently, “Given Wang Jiaqi’s personality and your years of friendship, she definitely doesn’t want you to see her in such a pitiful state. She only came to you for comfort because she had no other choice.”

Lin Qiao clenched her fists slightly and bit her lip. “I really didn’t expect Fang Zheng to be this kind of person. The old saying goes, ‘One cannot judge a person by appearances’—and it’s true.”

Shen Qingzhou seemed interested in this and slightly lifted his head, gazing intently at her. “So then, in your eyes, what kind of person am I?”

Lin Qiao quickly looked down at him, held his gaze for a few seconds, then stiffly turned her head away. “You really want to hear it?”

Shen Qingzhou nodded slightly. “I’d be honored to hear your thoughts.”

Lin Qiao had plenty to say about him, but when the words reached her lips, she swallowed them all back.

If she said what she really thought, they would definitely part ways unhappily today. Who knew if they’d ever cross paths again? There was no need to leave each other with such a bad final impression.

So in the end, Lin Qiao only said four words: “Male. Alive.”

Hearing that, Shen Qingzhou’s eyes flickered with a momentary haze before returning to normal. He fixed her with a dangerous look unlike anything before, softly chuckling in a low voice. He neither moved aside to let her go nor spoke another word, leaving her in an awkward situation.

Lin Qiao had thought he would keep blocking her for the entire afternoon, but he didn’t. He uncrossed his legs, reached up to unbutton his collar, and glanced sideways at her, his voice slightly hoarse. “Do you want to know what kind of person you are in my eyes?”

Lin Qiao couldn’t quite figure out what Shen Qingzhou meant. Ever since the incident when he had fallen ill, there had always been a strange, subtle tension between them whenever they were alone together. It was a kind of pressure that made her feel like she couldn’t breathe.

She sat back on the sofa somewhat confused, pursed her lips, and tried to think of how to respond—but her phone rang at that moment, interrupting her thoughts.

She took out her white bar phone and checked the caller ID—it was Qin Muyao.

Without hesitation, she answered, softening her voice. “Senior Qin, what’s the order?”

Upon hearing the words “Senior Qin,” Shen Qingzhou’s lips curled into a colder smile. His hand resting on his knee slowly clenched into a fist, and he let out a barely audible cold snort.

Unaware that another person was present, Qin Muyao spoke gently. “I can’t really give you orders. I just need a favor.”

Lin Qiao quickly replied, “No problem. I happen to be free today. Whatever you need, just say it.”

Qin Muyao said, “You know my parents are overseas, and I’m the only one here in the country with my sister for her studies. She has a parent-teacher meeting this afternoon, but something urgent came up on my end—I really can’t make it. Could you go in my place?”

Lin Qiao immediately agreed. “Zhizhi’s parent-teacher meeting? No problem. Just tell me the time—I’ll definitely be there.”

Qin Muyao gave her the time and class details, and after a brief exchange, they hung up. Putting her phone away, Lin Qiao looked up at Shen Qingzhou. He wasn’t looking at her, just quietly sipping his coffee. The black cup made his fingers appear even paler and longer. His watermelon-red, moist lips, slightly stained by the coffee, carried an indescribable allure as they gently parted and touched.

“Master Shen, excuse me,” Lin Qiao politely said, picking up her bag. “I have something urgent to attend to—I need to go now. Please take your time finishing your coffee.”

Shen Qingzhou put down his cup and looked at her in silence for a moment. “You haven’t answered my question yet.”

“What question?” Lin Qiao feigned forgetfulness, then quickly remembered and brushed it off. “It doesn’t matter to me—I don’t really want to know. Can I go now?”

Shen Qingzhou stood up, turned slightly to give her space, his jet-black eyes dark and stormy, like molten lava about to erupt from a volcano.

“Lin Qiao, don’t regret this,” he said, his tone unusually serious.

For some reason, Lin Qiao found herself unable to lift her feet. A strange sense of guilt welled up inside her, and she turned her head, walking past him. But just as she passed, she couldn’t help herself. “Why did you make it sound so serious when you asked? Actually, I already know what kind of person I am in your eyes.”

Shen Qingzhou replied indifferently, “Oh? And what kind?”

His tone, showing absolutely no curiosity, triggered a stubborn streak in Lin Qiao. She gritted her teeth, glared at him, and said, “None of your business. Anyway, I’m the kind you can’t have.” Then she turned and walked away.

Shen Qingzhou narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression unreadable as he grabbed her wrist without warning and pulled her out of the café.

“Hey!” Lin Qiao was forced to follow him forward. “Where are you taking me?”

Without turning around, Shen Qingzhou said firmly, “That’s my question.”

He turned his head slightly, his tone brooking no argument. “Wherever you go, I’m going with you.”

“…”

Somehow, the person attending Qin Muyao’s sister’s parent-teacher meeting expanded from Lin Qiao alone to include Shen Qingzhou as well.

Sitting in the classroom, Lin Qiao endured the curious glances from all directions. When the meeting finally ended, she was still bombarded with questions by Qin Zhi, the middle school girl.

“Big sister Lin, who’s that uncle?” the girl asked curiously.

Lin Qiao was secretly delighted. All the frustration she had felt when being called “Auntie” by the younger girl was instantly erased. That’s right—she should call him “Uncle”! She was the “big sister,” but he wasn’t a “big brother”!

But Shen Qingzhou didn’t seem to like the term. He gave Qin Zhi a subtle but sharp glance, so piercing that the girl immediately fell silent.

Lin Qiao glared at Shen Qingzhou disapprovingly, protesting his intimidation of the child. Shen Qingzhou remained unmoved, sitting in the passenger seat as if nothing had happened. Even after Lin Qiao dropped Qin Zhi off at Qin Muyao’s restaurant, he showed no sign of leaving.

“Are you still going to follow me?” Lin Qiao asked uncertainly.

Shen Qingzhou said, “I have something to say to you.”

“What is it?” Lin Qiao asked.

Shen Qingzhou slightly parted his lips, about to speak, when he saw Qin Muyao walking out of the restaurant. Suddenly, he couldn’t say anything anymore. His hand, hanging at his side, unconsciously clenched into a fist behind his back.

Lin Qiao also saw Qin Muyao and hurriedly greeted him. “Senior, done with work?”

Qin Muyao smiled. “Yeah, done. Thank you again today.”

“No problem, it was nothing. If you ever need anything else, just let me know. It’s rare that I get a chance to repay you.”

Qin Muyao nodded and shifted his gaze to Shen Qingzhou. He seemed slightly puzzled at first, but quickly resumed his usual polite manner. “So this is Master Shen? We met briefly before, but you left in a hurry—we didn’t get properly acquainted.”

Shen Qingzhou gave a slight nod, his attitude distant and cold, showing no interest in further interaction.

Afraid that Shen Qingzhou’s odd personality might make Qin Muyao feel awkward, Lin Qiao quickly said her goodbyes. “We still have something to do—we won’t disturb you any longer. We’ll be going now.” She grabbed Shen Qingzhou’s hand and hurried toward the alley, not looking back.

Shen Qingzhou’s previously sour mood was somewhat lifted. Back in the car, Lin Qiao asked him, “What was it you wanted to say earlier?”

Shen Qingzhou opened his mouth, but the words wouldn’t come out. He ended up changing the subject stiffly. “Do you have any money on you?”

Lin Qiao was momentarily confused. “What’s wrong? Didn’t my dad transfer the fee for the feng shui consultation to your account already? Is it not enough?”

Shen Qingzhou simply said, “Answer.”

Seeing how insistent he was, Lin Qiao replied, “I do, but I didn’t bring much cash—less than a thousand.”

Shen Qingzhou’s expression softened slightly. He stretched out his hand toward her. “It’ll do. Although the location for your new home has been finalized, the interior hasn’t been examined yet. I happen to be free today—I’ll go to your house. If you mess around with the decoration like last time, even moving in won’t help.”

As if anticipating her refusal, he added, “I’m not trying to trouble you. Du Xinling should have told you my rates.”

Lin Qiao nodded numbly, unconsciously reciting the price list that had once shocked her. “Meeting you for an hour costs thirty thousand. Choosing an auspicious date costs a hundred thousand. Finding the dragon vein and altering fate costs even more.”

Shen Qingzhou gave a slight nod. Perhaps because the car’s air conditioning was too cold, he slowly fastened the top button of his shirt. His long, pale fingers contrasted sharply against the black fabric, almost like a piece of flawless jade.

“If we calculate it properly, you already owe me far too much.”

He said this, slightly lifting his chin, making it impossible for her not to notice the sexy Adam’s apple below. She almost wanted to grab a knife and cut it off.

She did know those rates, yes. She had even ranted to her father about them when she first booked an appointment with him. But she had never expected Shen Qingzhou to actually count the time he spent with her voluntarily as part of his fee.

Was he really going to bring this up now, as if he were doing her a favor? Wasn’t that a bit too shameless? >_

Wait—what he meant just now was that if she gave him less than a thousand, he’d still be willing to go to her house to check the interior design. Shouldn’t she be kneeling in gratitude? Then why did she feel even more annoyed instead?