Chapter 25:

Shen Qingzhou arrived at the Lin residence just as Lin Qiao was brewing coffee. Hearing the doorbell, she immediately put down what she was doing and went to open the door.

It was already evening. From the time Shen spent the night at her place the previous night, a full day had passed. The two had practically been inseparable the entire day, having only parted ways an hour ago, and now they were meeting again. Perhaps this was fate.

Lin Qiao invited Shen Qingzhou inside. The living room was filled with the pleasant aroma of coffee. Expressionless, Shen silently watched her bustling around in the open kitchen. Soon, a rich cup of coffee was placed before him, and he settled onto the sofa.

Lin Qiao carried a cup of coffee and sat down opposite him. After taking a sip, she softly asked, “I feel like I’ve been troubling you these past couple of days. Could this interfere with your work?”

Shen Qingzhou shook his head, leaning back into the sofa. The well-lit room accentuated his pale complexion.

Lin Qiao’s gaze repeatedly swept over his composed, refined features. Suddenly, he curled his lips slightly and spoke in a nonchalant tone, “No.”

Lin Qiao nodded slightly, “Then that’s good. Your profession must allow for a relatively flexible schedule.”

He gave no clear response, lifting his hand to stroke his lips while eyeing the rising steam from the coffee cup. “You’re right. Most of my time is spent helping the nation reduce its Engel coefficient.”

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

Shen lowered his hand, placing both arms on the table and leaning closer to her, “In other words, helping people improve their standard of living.”

Hearing this strange explanation, Lin Qiao couldn’t help but smile. Seeing her finally relax her tense expression, Shen softened his tone, “Feeling better?”

Lin Qiao lowered her eyelids, “So-so. I wasn’t that nervous anyway. What’s done is done. We’ll deal with whatever comes our way.”

“You have a pretty good mindset.”

“Worrying or being happy, it’s still a day. Time is limited, but worries are endless. It all depends on how you choose to spend it.” She shrugged. “As for the current situation, I think the worst-case scenario is bankruptcy. There’s a way to live with no money, and another way with money. Either way, I won’t die from it.”

Shen leaned back on the sofa, his eyes fixed on her with an indescribable emotion. After a moment, he said, “Actually, I hope your mindset isn’t that good. That way, I’d have a chance.”

Lin Qiao raised her eyebrows slightly and replied cautiously, “This matter with Fang Zheng really has nothing to do with you, and my family’s issues are unrelated to you as well. You could’ve stayed out of it, and I wouldn’t have blamed you.”

He gave her a sidelong glance, his calm expression tinged with a touch of coldness, “Now that I’m already here, don’t you think it’s a bit too late to say that?”

Lin Qiao replied, “Not too late. I was actually planning to invite you for dinner anyway, as a way to thank you for your recent help.” She rubbed her arm slightly, “You know my family’s situation. With your usual fee, I can’t afford to pay you right now, so this is the only way.”

Shen looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before quietly asking, “So you’re rejecting me?”

Lin Qiao looked him in the eye and replied earnestly, “Not a rejection. I know your feelings, and I admit that I have feelings for you too. But as you said, it’s always been you helping me through my troubles. I don’t want your affection for me to become a convenient excuse for me to burden you, regardless of whether we end up together or not.”

Shen looked at her in surprise, a flicker of uncertainty flashing in his eyes. After a pause, he said, “What if I told you I was willing?”

Lin Qiao was momentarily stunned, clearly not expecting Shen Qingzhou, who was usually proud and aloof, to say something like that.

Shen remained indifferent. “Enough. Just knowing that you like me is enough. Let’s talk about Fang Zheng now.” He stood up and sat beside her, picking up her coffee cup and taking a sip from where her lips had left their mark. “Tell Mr. Lin not to worry. I’ll handle the issues with Fang Zheng. It won’t take long.”

Lin Qiao looked at him in confusion. “How are you going to handle it? I don’t want to pass all the difficulties onto you alone.”

Shen raised his hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She stiffened slightly but didn’t pull away. He looked at her in satisfaction, his pale, long fingers gently stroking her warm cheek. His voice was barely audible, “Some things exist if you believe in them, and vanish if you don’t.”

The ancient proverb made perfect sense, so Lin Qiao agreed with him. Still, she was very curious about his plan, but Shen changed the subject, “And some things, if you don’t accept them, you’ll just suffer.”

Lin Qiao asked, “What things?”

“Being my girlfriend?”

“I…”

“You don’t have to answer now.” Shen’s fingers moved from her face to her lips. He looked elsewhere as he said, “Tell me when everything is resolved.”

So, the words Lin Qiao had been about to say were swallowed back.

Was this man actually afraid she would say no?

“I really wish I could figure out what you’re thinking,” Lin Qiao sighed helplessly, standing up. “I’ll go prepare dinner. Sit here for a while.”

Shen didn’t respond, only nodding slightly. He watched her walk away again, his gaze lingering for a long time.

Though he appeared to be staring blankly at her, his mind was racing—not thinking about how to deal with Fang Zheng, but calculating the nearest auspicious date and the ideal feng shui location for their future union.

…

This was a very, very pragmatic man. But while pragmatic, this man was also absolutely capable of getting things done.

Having settled things with Lin Qiao, naturally, he had to fulfill her request and deal with the person who was both an obstacle to her and to himself.

Fang Zheng’s father and Shen Qingzhou’s stepfather was Fang Mingjun. Fang Mingjun had been handling business in the U.S. for the past few months and had only recently returned to China, which was why Fang Zheng had been relatively well-behaved lately.

Shen Qingzhou wouldn’t reach out to Fang Zheng first, but he would interact with Fang Mingjun, after all, Fang was his mother’s current husband and his nominal father. Though not worldly-wise, Shen was not completely socially inept.

Fang Mingjun was well aware of his son’s past misdeeds in the U.S., which was why he had shifted the focus of his business back to China, hoping that the new environment would help Fang Zheng behave more responsibly. After all, cultural differences between East and West meant Fang would need time to adjust.

Indeed, Fang Mingjun’s expectations were accurate—at first, Fang Zheng did behave himself. But after the initial period, his true nature resurfaced.

Shen Qingzhou informed Fang Mingjun about the Wang family affair. Fang had no idea his son had caused such trouble while he was abroad.

It was midsummer. Shen Qingzhou visited the Fang residence alone. Xie Jiayi and Fang Zheng were both absent, leaving only Fang Mingjun.

Fang Mingjun appeared to be a youthful middle-aged man. He was tall, dressed in a very British style, and his accessories and personal items were all carefully chosen. He was a man of great presence and taste, a successful businessman.

As the saying goes, no businessman is completely honest. Naturally, Fang Mingjun was no simple character. The man Xie Jiayi had chosen would certainly not be an easy one to deal with. Therefore, Shen Qingzhou didn’t mention the Wang family or Fang Zheng too directly in front of Fang Mingjun. Instead, he steered the conversation toward the Fang family’s residence.

“Qingzhou, are you saying this house is not good?” Fang Mingjun put down his cigar and chuckled. “You’re the expert here. If that’s really the case, we’ll move.”

Seated across from him, Shen sipped his tea without looking up. “Wouldn’t that be troublesome?”

Fang Mingjun waved it off, “Trouble is secondary. I have to make sure my wife and child live in a place that suits them.”

Shen Qingzhou’s lips curled slightly in silence, a faint trace of disdain flashing across his face. He finished his tea in one gulp, then looked up at Fang and said, “Leave it to me.”

Fang Mingjun nodded, “Go ahead. Money won’t be an issue. Everything must be the best.”

Earning money was hard, but spending it was easy. When it came to spending, Shen Qingzhou was always skilled. He nodded agreeably, appearing quite accommodating.

Fang Mingjun couldn’t help but say, “Qingzhou, it’s been a while since we last met. You seem more docile than before. Have you started dating anyone?”

Shen Qingzhou remained silent, offering no reply. Fang Mingjun continued, “I suppose not. Since I probably won’t have time to go house-hunting, how about this? My secretary has been with me for quite some time and knows my preferences well. I’ll have her accompany you.”

Shen Qingzhou gave a quiet “Mm,” showing no objection to the suggestion.

Fang Mingjun rarely had such a pleasant conversation with Shen, and was now in a good mood, hoping to chat a little longer. However, Shen, the busy master, kept receiving phone calls, so Fang Mingjun had no choice but to let him go.

In fact, Shen had no official business today. The call was from an unexpected person—Qin Muyao.

Qin Muyao invited Shen Qingzhou to meet, but Shen declined. Qin didn’t insist, and instead said directly over the phone, “Last time at my place, we didn’t really get to greet each other properly. That was rude of me.”

Seated inside his white Ferrari, Shen Qingzhou looked ahead at the road, seemingly indifferent to Qin’s words.

He was not a man who enjoyed phone conversations. If you ever saw him chatting on the phone for a long time, he might as well have been possessed by a ghost.

Qin didn’t mind and continued, “Master Shen, by the order of acquaintance, I met Qiao Qiao first, so technically I have the advantage. But the current situation clearly doesn’t reflect that.” He chuckled softly, “But it’s fine. I will win.”

Shen Qingzhou finally spoke, his tone indifferent, “Then Mr. Qin will probably be disappointed. I hate losing the most.”

Qin Muyao mocked, “No, Master Shen, you don’t understand yourself well enough. It’s not that you hate losing—it’s that you can’t handle it.” He paused briefly, then scoffed lightly, “But it’s fine anyway. With your reputation and wealth, there will always be people willing to lose for you. What do you have to fear? At most, you’re afraid that when you grow old and can no longer afford to pay others, they’ll abandon you. But so what? By then, you’ll be near death anyway. The pain won’t last long.” With that, he laughed clearly and hung up the phone.

Qin’s words were clearly meant to mock Shen Qingzhou for once having paid someone to be his “girlfriend” while studying in the U.S.

This was actually a matter that could be viewed from multiple angles. From Shen’s perspective, paying was actually a good idea—money made things clear. A financial transaction indicated the absence of emotion, making it easier to end things cleanly when needed. His purpose at the time was simply to have a shield, to avoid unnecessary romantic entanglements during his busy college years. From this perspective, paying was the best choice.

Yet, to others, such a simple matter became a sign of a man’s weakness. He didn’t know whether to feel amused or saddened.