Chapter 9:

Numerous facts prove one truth: everyone has desires. Some people may seem indifferent to everything on the surface, but it’s only because they hide their feelings deeper.

Lin Qiao glared at Shen Qingzhou with resentment for a moment, but seeing that he still showed no expression, she reluctantly withdrew her gaze.

Just as she turned her eyes away, Shen Qingzhou looked toward her. They weren’t seated far apart—no more than an arm’s length. She leaned sideways against the armrest of the sofa, her faint, delicate fragrance filling his nostrils, making it feel slightly hard for him to breathe.

Shen Qingzhou stood up nonchalantly and walked toward the dining room. At that moment, Wang Jiaqi also led Wang Chengcheng, who had just finished her training, downstairs. She beckoned Lin Qiao to follow them into the dining room, and obediently, Lin Qiao stood up and trailed behind Shen Qingzhou.

She kept her eyes slightly lowered, her gaze fixed on his upright back. His shoulders were broad, his waist narrow, his silhouette particularly handsome. No matter what he wore, it accentuated his charm. As she gazed at him, she became slightly dazed and didn’t notice when he suddenly stopped. By the time she realized, she had lightly bumped into his back.

A deep, low voice sounded beside her ear, making Lin Qiao feel both shy and annoyed: “The timing for throwing yourself at someone isn’t quite right.” Shen Qingzhou leaned down slightly and whispered in a voice inaudible to others, “Didn’t you say earlier that I’m not your type, Miss Lin? Why the sudden enthusiasm tonight? Could it be that you’re afraid no one will have you and decided to settle for less?”

…She definitely needed to find a good partner to erase this humiliation!

“Qingzhou, what are you doing? Come sit down and eat.”

Xie Jiayi noticed Shen Qingzhou standing there, smirking at Lin Qiao, not taking his seat, so she couldn’t help but urge him.

Shen Qingzhou hummed in acknowledgment, withdrew his gaze from Lin Qiao, and sat down at the seat on Xie Jiayi’s left.

Today, Fang Zheng’s father wasn’t present, so only Xie Jiayi sat at the head of the table. Fang Zheng sat on her right, naturally followed by Wang Jiaqi, then Wang Chengcheng. That left only one seat for Lin Qiao.

Slightly awkwardly, she sat beside Shen Qingzhou and ate her meal very cautiously, fearing she might provoke the person beside her.

Surprisingly, he seemed to give her face; after her earlier remarks, he actually didn’t meddle in her affairs anymore. After observing him for a while, she finally relaxed.

However, Lin Qiao was a bit too quick to celebrate. Today was destined to be her unlucky day; even without Shen Qingzhou, she still couldn’t escape trouble.

After dinner, everyone was preparing to leave when Lin Qiao stood up and suddenly felt a warm flow beneath her. Her entire body stiffened instantly, and she dared not take another step forward.

Her period had started = =

Fortunately, she had worn a navy-blue long skirt today. If she had worn her usual light-colored clothes, it would have been even more embarrassing.

“Why aren’t you leaving?” Not seeing her follow, Wang Jiaqi turned around in confusion and asked.

Lin Qiao nervously waved at her, saying, “Jiaqi, come quickly.” She glanced at Shen Qingzhou, who was ahead of her, and whispered, “Come here for a moment.”

Shen Qingzhou heard her deliberately lowered voice and instinctively slowed his pace. Wang Jiaqi passed him and walked to Lin Qiao’s side. Lin Qiao leaned close to whisper something in her ear. Shen Qingzhou couldn’t hear anything and frowned slightly, glancing at them before walking away.

At that moment, Wang Jiaqi’s low voice reached his ears: “How could you be so careless? You didn’t even remember to prepare when your period was due. Come upstairs with me and change clothes.”

Shen Qingzhou’s frown eased, and a faint smile curved his lips as he left the dining room.

Fang Zheng was waiting at the restaurant entrance. Seeing Shen Qingzhou come out, he raised his hand to stop him: “Hold on.”

Shen Qingzhou slightly lowered his gaze to look at Fang Zheng. His height advantage made him imposing even without speaking. Fang Zheng, however, was unfazed and smiled: “Master Shen, I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but I feel like you’ve been paying particular attention to Lin Qiao.”

Shen Qingzhou didn’t deny it and replied directly: “Yes. What about it?”

Fang Zheng was somewhat surprised and asked in confusion: “Why? You two only met recently. I don’t think you’re the type to fall in love at first sight.”

Shen Qingzhou replied indifferently: “You’re overthinking, you wedding-obsessed guy. Men are practical. No one dislikes a beautiful woman unless she’s mentally unstable, like your sister-in-law. As for a normal, pleasant-looking woman, it’s enough to simply appreciate her cuteness.”

“So,” Fang Zheng placed his hand on his lips, “can I understand that you just find her interesting, not that you like her?”

Shen Qingzhou glanced back at Wang Jiaqi and Lin Qiao, who were walking toward them. Lin Qiao’s face was flushed red as she clutched her skirt, too embarrassed to lift her head.

Fang Zheng also saw them and, while watching, heard Shen Qingzhou say: “Think about how you’d feel if it were your sister doing that.”

Fang Zheng imagined Wang Chengcheng acting similarly and somewhat understood Shen Qingzhou’s meaning.

Although Wang Chengcheng wasn’t unattractive, her personality left much to be desired—spoiled, temperamental, and always arguing. She was quite inferior to Lin Qiao. If she had acted like Lin Qiao, he would have probably walked away immediately to avoid giving her the chance to accuse him of mocking her. Unlike now, he couldn’t help but keep watching.

“It’s natural for people to take a few extra glances at something nice. If you can’t see it, it’s fine, but once you do, it’s only human to look. Mr. Fang, who changes wives faster than employees, surely understands this, right?” Shen Qingzhou said casually, glanced at Fang Zheng, and walked toward the living room. Wang Jiaqi and Lin Qiao had just gone upstairs and probably wouldn’t come down soon.

Fang Zheng followed him into the living room, his brows furrowed, his tone unfriendly: “Out there is one thing, but please don’t bring it up in my house, Master Shen.”

“If you don’t want others to know, don’t do it yourself,” Shen Qingzhou replied calmly.

Fang Zheng said, “I remember you dated a girlfriend back in college, even though she was white. You two were together for quite a while. You should understand relationships. These things can’t be forced. When there’s no feeling, there’s no need to stay together—it only tortures both sides. Please don’t mix your personal affairs with my business anymore. My business is stable. I’ve never taken them seriously.”

Shen Qingzhou sat on the sofa and looked at him indifferently: “Hoffer said in ‘The True Believer,’ ‘The less worthy a man is, the more readily he will boast of his nation, religion, race, or the holy cause he is part of.’ What do you think?”

The subtext was clear: So you’re that inferior, huh?

Fang Zheng’s eyes narrowed slightly, a flash of hostility passing through them. Just then, Wang Jiaqi and Lin Qiao came downstairs appropriately, easing the tense atmosphere in the living room.

“Honey, what are you two talking about?” Wang Jiaqi smiled as she walked over, linking her arm with Fang Zheng’s and looking at Shen Qingzhou: “Master Shen, thank you again for last time. Without you, there wouldn’t be us two today.” She dared not call Shen Qingzhou “brother” as persistently as Fang Zheng did, because her formidable mother-in-law had subtly instilled in her some of his taboos.

Shen Qingzhou didn’t respond. He couldn’t easily reply because her words sounded too much like a formal speech to elders.

“Um, Jiaqi, I’ll go first,” Lin Qiao weakly interjected. After the couple turned to look at her, she nodded goodbye. She had already changed into another dress—a short one above the knee. Her long, fair legs were exposed, which looked particularly glaring to certain people.

“If you’re not feeling well, go home and rest soon,” Wang Jiaqi, knowing the situation, hurriedly waved for Lin Qiao to go home.

Lin Qiao nodded and said goodbye to Fang Zheng before turning to leave. Shen Qingzhou calmly stood up: “Then I won’t disturb anymore. Excuse me.”

Wang Jiaqi hesitated, wanting to say something, but Shen Qingzhou had already left without looking back, almost simultaneously with Lin Qiao.

Seeing Wang Jiaqi deep in thought, Fang Zheng softly asked, “Feels strange?”

Wang Jiaqi nodded: “Why do I feel like Master Shen seems particularly concerned about Qiaoqiao?”

Fang Zheng replied, “They’re both single. Even if he is, it’s not our place to say anything.”

“You’re right, but it’s a pity for Chengcheng. Originally, as you suggested, I invited Qiao to dinner to ease the tension between her and Chengcheng, but now it’s worse.” Wang Jiaqi frowned and leaned into Fang Zheng’s arms: “Honey, socializing is too tiring. I need a break.”

Fang Zheng just smiled without speaking.

After leaving Fang’s house, Lin Qiao heard footsteps behind her—neither too light nor too heavy. She turned around and saw Shen Qingzhou. Thinking for a while, she hesitantly asked, “Are you leaving too, Master Shen?”

“Mm.” Shen Qingzhou responded indifferently, slowly walking to her side.

Lin Qiao looked around. It was hard to hail a taxi here. Out of humanitarian principles, she politely asked, “Are you going back to the hotel? Do you need a ride?” She looked around again and explained, “You don’t have a car, and it’s hard to get a taxi around here.”

That was one of the best things about Lin Qiao—she never held grudges. Any anger she felt was expressed immediately, and whether she vented or not, she never held onto resentment. Once it passed, it was gone, at most just being a bit cold in speech, but never seeking revenge or slandering others. That was truly rare and precious.

Shen Qingzhou almost immediately nodded without hesitation: “Then thank you.”

“…” He actually agreed. She had only meant to be polite.

With things said this far, Lin Qiao didn’t act coy. She walked with him toward where her car was parked. They got in from opposite sides and returned to the hotel together.

As they drove past an intersection, Lin Qiao noticed a flashy white Ferrari parked there. She couldn’t help but look a few times, her eyes filled with envy.

Shen Qingzhou glanced at her, observed her expression, and after confirming nothing was amiss, calmly withdrew his gaze and closed his eyes to rest.

They didn’t speak again on the way back to the hotel and didn’t exchange any words upon arrival. They each returned to their respective rooms without any further interaction.

Recently, Lin Qiao’s father had been busy handling company matters and selling their house. Staying in a hotel wasn’t a long-term solution, and Shen Qingzhou wouldn’t stay in Beijing for long either. He needed to act quickly.

One day, Lin Qiao’s father told her that their house would be sold soon. He was busy communicating with the buyer and dealing with company affairs, leaving him with little time. Therefore, he asked her to notify Shen Qingzhou to start looking at land.

Feeling for her father, Lin Qiao readily agreed. After hanging up, she immediately dialed Shen Qingzhou’s number and explained the situation. He simply replied, “Note down the address. I’ll come now.”

…

Although puzzled why a face-to-face meeting was necessary, Lin Qiao obediently noted the address and drove to the location he specified.

Haidian District in Beijing, located in the northwest of the city, was known for its saying, “Favorable winds and waters favor Haidian,” indicating its excellent feng shui.

Driving from Wangfujing to Haidian took Lin Qiao over an hour due to traffic. Shen Qingzhou didn’t urge her, and when she arrived, he even personally came to the roadside to meet her.

The silver Buick slowly pulled to a stop by the roadside. Lin Qiao stepped out of the car. The wind lifted her jet-black, soft hair. Shen Qingzhou glanced at her, slowly narrowing his eyes.

“Master Shen, why did you come here?”

Curious, Lin Qiao asked. After not seeing Shen Qingzhou for a few days, she had forgotten their previous tense interactions and asked naturally.

Shen Qingzhou didn’t hide it and truthfully replied, “I didn’t come to Beijing just for you. There’s a client here. I’ve had an appointment with them for nearly a year. I came to meet them.”

Lin Qiao was taken aback: “You met a client but still invited me here?”

Shen Qingzhou changed the subject: “What’s your Chinese zodiac sign?”

“Eh?” Lin Qiao was startled.

“What’s your zodiac sign?” he pressed.

“…Horse.” She reluctantly answered.

Shen Qingzhou nodded slightly in satisfaction: “I’ll set up a Seven-Star Formation at your home later to attract wealth, protect the house, and reverse bad luck.”

So then, why did you meet a client but still invited me here?