Chapter 26:

In short, Qin Muyao’s matter merely distracted Shen Qingzhou for a dozen or so minutes. Soon after, he immersed himself once again in his busy “work,” which, of course, wasn’t about lowering the Engel coefficient, but something entirely different from his usual tasks.

Feng Shui theory states that building a house directly over a river is absolutely inadvisable, as it could lead to severe financial losses for the residents. However, many wealthy people insist on doing so, believing it to be poetic and picturesque, reminiscent of classical pastoral beauty.

Shen Qingzhou arrived at the newly selected residence for the Fang family alongside Fang Mingjun’s secretary, Jian Shi. This was a traditional Chinese-style residence built over flowing water. From the outside alone, it exuded the elegance and grandeur of an ancient garden, prompting frequent nods of approval from Jian Shi.

“Chairman Fang will definitely love it,” she smiled. “Master Shen truly lives up to his reputation. This house looks even better than where Chairman Fang lives now.”

Shen Qingzhou gave a perfunctory smile and replied, “Since Miss Jian approves as well, let’s go inside and have a look.”

Jian Shi nodded quickly, shyly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before walking with Shen Qingzhou into the villa.

As they walked, Shen Qingzhou’s phone suddenly vibrated. He offered a slight apologetic glance toward Jian Shi, stepped aside, and answered the call. Before he could even speak, Lin Qiao’s voice came through the line, “Shen Qingzhou, where are you?”

Shen Qingzhou glanced at Jian Shi waiting ahead. Dressed in a sleek black business suit, her figure was graceful and poised, her makeup flawless and commanding—an entirely different type of woman from Lin Qiao.

He answered truthfully, “With the secretary of Fang Zheng’s father, looking at houses.”

“Secretary?” Lin Qiao’s tone tensed. “Male or female?”

“Most secretaries for male executives are female,” Shen Qingzhou replied matter-of-factly.

Hearing this, Lin Qiao bit her lip and asked softly, “Is she pretty?”

Shen Qingzhou glanced at Jian Shi again and answered honestly, “She’s quite pretty.”

“…More beautiful than me?” Lin Qiao’s voice was clearly laced with jealousy.

For the first time that day, a smile finally broke through Shen Qingzhou’s usual stoicism. He softened his tone and said, “You’re the most beautiful.”

That single sentence eased most of Lin Qiao’s displeasure, though not entirely.

“Where are you looking at houses? Is it convenient for me to come over?” she asked tentatively.

Shen Qingzhou thought for a moment and said, “You can wait outside for me, but you can’t get out of the car.”

Lin Qiao considered the implications and replied earnestly, “I promise I won’t sneak out to peek. I’ll just wait quietly in the car. Can you tell me the address now?”

Reassured by her promise, Shen Qingzhou gave her the address. As soon as she got it, Lin Qiao immediately started picking out clothes and doing her makeup. The former alone took nearly half an hour, not to mention the latter.

She even thought she was being too slow. By the time she finally reached the location, she was half-worried that they might have already finished and left.

Luckily, Shen Qingzhou’s eye-catching car was parked at the intersection, indirectly signaling that they were still there. She relaxed and obediently stayed in her car, waiting patiently for Master Shen’s return.

At that moment, Shen Qingzhou was leading Jian Shi through every corner of the villa with meticulous attention.

Jian Shi, young as she was, had become Fang Mingjun’s secretary for a reason. Though she appeared somewhat shy, she was diligent and thorough, asking and noting details about many aspects of the house—nothing escaped her attention.

Standing at the entrance to Fang Zheng’s bedroom, Shen Qingzhou’s lips curved slightly as he looked at the mirror mounted directly opposite the foot of the bed. The mirror was expensive, exquisitely carved, and occupied a large portion of the wall. No one could deny its quality. As a woman, Jian Shi naturally appreciated beautiful things and was no exception.

She ran her fingers lovingly along the frame and exclaimed, “Master Shen has such great taste. This mirror is designed so beautifully.”

Shen Qingzhou replied with a tone of self-evidence, “This is Chairman Fang’s home, so everything must be the best.”

Jian Shi covered her mouth and laughed lightly, “You’re absolutely right. Chairman Fang’s wife is also your mother, and you are part of the Fang family. Of course, you’d think of everything.”

Shen Qingzhou merely lifted the corner of his mouth, saying nothing. In fact, having a mirror directly facing any part of a sleeping bed is inauspicious—it can affect health, marital harmony, and even the fortune and offspring of the residents. Particularly unfavorable is a mirror directly at the foot of the bed, which symbolizes “soul capture,” causing the occupants to suffer from emotional instability and mood swings.

After finishing the master bedroom, the house tour was nearly complete. As they descended the stairs, Jian Shi’s gaze was drawn to a clock in the living room.

The clock was a vintage red wooden piece, fitting the overall decor style of the house. It wasn’t large, but it occupied a small, prominent space.

Jian Shi smiled and said, “Master Shen truly sees all. You knew Chairman Fang likes to have Feng Shui clocks at home. Do you have any explanation for this one?”

Shen Qingzhou glanced at the red wooden clock and replied indifferently, “The Five Yellow and Two Black stars carry illness energy, and their positions have shifted this year. That’s why it’s placed here.” With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Jian Shi slightly disappointed and wanting more details.

In truth, Shen Qingzhou couldn’t say more without raising suspicion.

Jian Shi was no fool—she knew how to ask the right questions. And what he had said wasn’t a lie. Lying would bring misfortune. In the field of Feng Shui, blessings were crucial. Shen Qingzhou would never deliberately use Feng Shui to harm others. At most, he might make someone extremely unlucky, letting their own misfortunes lead to their downfall.

The Five Yellow and Two Black stars were indeed associated with illness and both belonged to the Earth element. To neutralize them, one needed the help of Metal. Therefore, a red wooden clock placed there would not only be ineffective but could even cause problems.

This year, the Feng Shui clock needed to be golden in color, chime on the hour, and be large in size with a fish-tail pendulum. Only then could it fulfill the principle of “Earth nourishing Metal” and help ward off illness.

After exiting the villa, Shen Qingzhou and Jian Shi walked toward his parked car. As they walked, he took out his phone and sent a text to Lin Qiao, telling her to wait a moment while he dropped Jian Shi off first, so as not to raise the sharp-eyed woman’s suspicions.

Lin Qiao stared at the text message, then glared at the slender figure walking beside Shen Qingzhou, feeling that they looked unexpectedly well-matched.

Sure enough, despite Shen Qingzhou’s poor temperament, his looks and wealth naturally attracted many women eager to bear his children.

She hadn’t seen him for a few days, and already there was an unknown female secretary by his side. The girl spoke to him shyly, walking close to him involuntarily—clearly smitten.

Wait, she couldn’t really be called a girl anymore. She must be around thirty, stylish and capable, clearly a few years older than Lin Qiao—perhaps her only advantage.

With a sigh, Lin Qiao quietly followed them in her car, thinking she was being stealthy, unaware that Shen Qingzhou, even while speaking on the phone with Xie Jiayi, had already noticed her.

After reminding Xie Jiayi about precautions after moving, Shen Qingzhou hung up and glanced at the silver Buick trailing behind through the rearview mirror, smirking slightly. Jian Shi in the front passenger seat caught that smile.

Jian Shi smiled warmly and said, “You and Chairman Fang’s wife must have a great relationship. Just seeing you smile after that phone call makes me think you’re a very happy family.”

Shen Qingzhou actually laughed out loud at that, asking with slight confusion, “I smiled?”

Jian Shi replied, “Didn’t you? You’re laughing out loud now.”

Shen Qingzhou paused slightly, then nodded after a moment, “I guess I really am happy.”

“Happiness is good. We only live one day at a time—why waste time on sadness?” Jian Shi said with a cheerful tone.

Shen Qingzhou looked at her, his usually calm expression tinged with a hint of nostalgia, “I’ve heard someone else say something similar.”

Jian Shi was surprised, “Really? What a coincidence?”

Shen Qingzhou gave a slight nod, his dark eyes fixed ahead as he casually turned the steering wheel, “She’s a few years younger than you.”

Jian Shi hesitated for a moment before finally asking, “From your tone, I assume she’s a young lady. Could she be your girlfriend?”

Shen Qingzhou didn’t answer immediately. After a long pause, as if carefully considering, he finally said, “Not quite. I haven’t won her over yet.”

Jian Shi’s smile faltered slightly, struggling to maintain it.

A man who was a textbook tall, rich, and handsome, mysterious yet gentlemanly (at least on the surface), was hard not to admire and care for.

Through their recent interactions, Jian Shi had unavoidably developed a slight interest in Shen Qingzhou. Now, hearing that he had someone he liked, but hadn’t even successfully pursued yet, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

Still, despite her inner turmoil, she kept a faint smile on her face. Years of professional experience had taught her better emotional control than Lin Qiao. Age might bring disadvantages to a woman, but it also had its benefits.

Eventually, the road came to an end. As Lin Qiao followed them, she saw Shen Qingzhou park at the entrance of a residential complex. Jian Shi got out from the front passenger seat, said goodbye to Shen Qingzhou, and walked into the complex.

As soon as Jian Shi disappeared from sight, Lin Qiao quickly parked by the roadside and ran to Shen Qingzhou’s car. Without hesitation, she slid into the front passenger seat and looked at the man behind the wheel with a pitiful expression, clearly wanting to say something but holding back.

Shen Qingzhou looked at her amusing expression and wanted to tease her, but the setting wasn’t appropriate. So he remained silent for now and simply drove away.

Lin Qiao, receiving no response, couldn’t remain as calm as he was. She finally understood how he must have felt when she gave him the cold shoulder—it was truly agonizing. >_<…