Chapter 2:

Although she had finally obtained Shen Qingzhou’s personal contact information, Lin Qiao still felt it was unreliable. She thought she had every reason to doubt whether the number would even work. It wasn’t that she was overly suspicious—it was simply because she had been mentally and physically drained over the past half year, and she had long since stopped hoping for the best.

To verify its authenticity, as soon as she returned to the hotel, Lin Qiao cautiously sent a text message to the number on the business card. But she waited all night and still hadn’t received a reply by the next morning.

Feeling disappointed, Lin Qiao sighed. Sure enough, this guy was simply untrustworthy. She decided she should just contact Du Xinling instead.

After freshening up, she lightly applied some makeup, grabbed her bag, and headed downstairs, planning to visit Du Xinling again. But as soon as she stepped into the elevator, her phone rang. She hurriedly took it out and saw that it was actually Shen Qingzhou calling.

Lin Qiao was incredibly surprised. She took several deep breaths to calm her excitement before answering the call. She tried her best to keep her voice calm and not sound overly eager or flattering. However, the moment she heard the voice on the other end of the line, her expression immediately twisted.

“Hello, Miss?”

…Way too polite—starting with “Miss” just like that.

Lin Qiao hesitated for just a moment before quickly responding, “Are you Young Master Shen?” The voice on the other end sounded unusually young—it must be Shen Qingzhou’s son. Since he was Shen Qingzhou’s son, he would naturally carry the surname Shen.

“It’s me! Miss, you’re so smart!” The child sounded delighted. “I saw you sent Dad a text last night, but Dad wouldn’t reply himself and wouldn’t let me reply either. Right now he’s gone to talk to the doctor, and he left me here to pack. I’m calling you secretly—we’ll be checking out soon.”

Checking out soon? That meant his injuries weren’t serious, which was good news. But…

Lin Qiao glanced at the time on her phone before decisively asking, “Which hospital are you at?”

Ten minutes later, Lin Qiao arrived at the hospital where Shen Qingzhou was currently staying. She stood beside a pillar, eagerly peering inside, hoping to intercept him.

She wasn’t sure whether he had already left. She had already asked Shen’s son to stall for more time, so he probably wouldn’t leave too soon.

Even standing on the steps, the scorching sun made her unbearably hot. She kept wiping the sweat from her forehead, growing increasingly impatient. Finally, she spotted a familiar figure carrying a little boy walking out of the hospital, and she froze.

What was going on? Why was it Du Xinling carrying Shen Qingzhou’s son instead of Shen himself?

Lin Qiao stood there, stunned, until Du Xinling approached with the child and she finally snapped back to reality.

“Miss Lin, what are you doing here?” Du Xinling asked with a puzzled frown.

The little boy hurriedly said, “Uncle Du, this is the lady who saved me!” He pointed at Lin Qiao.

Lin Qiao felt delighted that the child was showing gratitude. Seizing the moment, she said, “Yes, I came to check if he was feeling better.”

Du Xinling hesitated before nodding. “Xiaoning is fine. Actually, you and Shirong really have quite the connection. You didn’t meet at the company, but you met elsewhere. What a coincidence.”

Lin Qiao looked at him, completely confused. “Shirong? Who is that?”

Du Xinling smiled, about to explain, when a deep, pleasant voice came slowly from behind her. “That’s me.”

Lin Qiao immediately turned around. A black Audi A8 was parked just below the steps. The driver’s window was rolled down, and Shen Qingzhou’s arm rested casually on the windowsill. He was smirking slightly as he glanced at them. His long, narrow eyes were slightly narrowed, giving his refined face a teasing, half-smiling expression. She had no idea how long he had been standing there or how much he had overheard.

He opened the car door and smoothly stepped out, fastening the button of his suit jacket as he strode up the steps.

He took the child from Du Xinling’s arms but didn’t look at Lin Qiao as he spoke. “We meet again. My surname is Shen, given name Qingzhou, and my courtesy name is Shirong.”

So that was it…

Lin Qiao nodded slightly, awkwardly gripping the strap of her bag as she watched the two adults and one child clearly preparing to leave. She hesitated over whether to mention the purpose of her visit.

Du Xinling seemed to read her thoughts. After glancing at Shen Qingzhou and seeing no intention to stay, he directly crushed her hopes. “Miss Lin, we have things to attend to today, so we won’t chat any longer. I’ll contact you later to schedule another meeting. Goodbye.”

Without waiting for Du to finish speaking, Shen Qingzhou had already placed the child in the back seat of the car. He closed the door and immediately got into the driver’s seat.

He gripped the steering wheel and glanced at Lin Qiao, who was still standing on the steps. The wind blew her long, jet-black hair cascading down to her waist. Her pretty face wore a clearly displeased expression.

After speaking, Du Xinling got into the front passenger seat. Seeing that Shen hadn’t started the car yet, he looked at him in confusion. Shen’s expression was unreadable, making Du uncertain about his intentions.

As if making a sudden decision, Lin Qiao took a deep breath. Before Shen could drive off, she walked down the steps and opened the back door of the car. She turned to the boy sitting inside and said, “Xiaoning, move to the inside so I can sit by the window.”

She had remembered the boy’s name when Du had called him earlier. Grateful to her, Xiaoning obediently moved inward, and Lin Qiao confidently got into the car.

“We can go now,” she said, exhaling in relief after settling in.

Du Xinling stared at her in shock, unable to speak for a moment. But Shen Qingzhou, who was driving, slightly lifted the corner of his lips after hearing her words. He actually shifted gears, stepped on the gas, and started the car.

“Where is Miss Lin headed?”

The way he said “Lin” clearly indicated that he already knew who she was. It seemed Du must have shown him her information. Without overthinking it, Lin Qiao replied directly, “You decide. Anywhere is fine. Now that we’ve met, let’s discuss the matter of you coming with me to Beijing to help with my feng shui work.” She continued without waiting for his response, “You said yesterday you wanted to thank me properly. Don’t bother thinking about how to repay me—I’ve already figured it out. Just come back to Beijing with me.”

Shen Qingzhou smiled silently, continuing to drive without speaking. Lin Qiao, receiving no response for a while, added somewhat nervously, “Thank you, Master Shen.”

Still, Shen Qingzhou remained silent, driving quietly. She glanced at his expression through the rearview mirror. His refined, handsome face revealed nothing, and the skin on his neck peeked out like jade, shimmering faintly.

She felt a light tug on her sleeve. Turning to the child beside her, she met Xiaoning’s gaze. He smiled at her reassuringly and whispered, “Dad agreed.”

…What a little angel.

They arrived quietly at the three-story villa she had visited before. The location was secluded and scenic, with a wide open courtyard in front—an ideal traditional Chinese residence, perfect for accumulating wealth.

The first floor’s grand hall was entirely enclosed in glass, with no walls, only elegantly hanging bamboo curtains creating a refined atmosphere.

Before getting out of the car, Shen Qingzhou finally spoke, but only to Du Xinling. “Arrange a room for Miss Lin on the third floor. She’ll be staying here temporarily. I’ll spare some time later to go to Beijing with her.”

Du Xinling looked at Shen Qingzhou doubtfully, but after staring at him for a while without detecting his true intentions, he reluctantly got out of the car.

Seeing Du get out, and having heard Shen Qingzhou’s promise, Lin Qiao didn’t hesitate and followed him out as well.

After getting out, Lin Qiao couldn’t help glancing back into the car. Shen Qingzhou was holding the steering wheel with one hand and resting the other on the seat, watching the car slowly reverse.

Because of this movement, his collar was slightly loosened, and the top button of his shirt was barely holding on. One could easily imagine the excellent physique hidden beneath the expensive fabric.

…Ugh, what was she thinking? Even though he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, he had a son already. Even if he was divorced, she had no intention of becoming a stepmother.

Shen Qingzhou drove off—not to park, but to take Xiaoning home. Only Lin Qiao remained at the villa, meaning the entire three-story house was hers alone.

When she learned this, Du Xinling was just about to leave. Lin Qiao looked at him hopefully and asked, “Um, Mr. Du, how are you getting back?”

“My car is parked in the garage behind. What’s wrong?”

Lin Qiao awkwardly scratched the back of her head. “Mr. Du, could you give me a ride? It’s hard to hail a taxi here, and my luggage is still at the hotel.”

Du Xinling smiled kindly. “Of course. I’ll take you to the hotel. Wait for me by the entrance while I go get my car.”

Gratefully, Lin Qiao agreed and followed him downstairs, obediently waiting by the door. Although she had the taxi company’s number, she hadn’t called ahead, so the driver might not be nearby. If the driver had to come from far away, it would not only take time but also cost more. Since she had someone who could help, she didn’t hesitate to accept.

Du Xinling drove Lin Qiao back to the hotel and warmly offered to help her carry her luggage and take her back to the villa, but Lin Qiao declined all his offers. She already felt guilty for troubling him once and didn’t want to impose further.

Seeing her insistence, Du Xinling didn’t press further, said his goodbyes, and left.

On the way back, Du Xinling kept thinking: given Shen Qingzhou’s personality, even if he were grateful, he wouldn’t have agreed so easily unless there was something he didn’t know.

Recalling Lin Qiao standing on the steps earlier, he thought of the young girl in her prime, wearing a cotton short and a chiffon top, her long, straight black hair cascading down her back, her face flawless.

Du Xinling paused briefly, murmuring unconsciously, “Could it be that he’s finally opened his heart?”

Lin Qiao also hadn’t expected Shen Qingzhou to be so agreeable. After returning to the hotel to collect her luggage, she went to the villa. Originally, she had thought that given Shen’s personality, she might have to wait several days for any news, and she had already prepared herself for a delayed return. But two days later, she received a call from Du Xinling.

Du told her that the flight tickets to Beijing had already been booked and that she didn’t need to worry. He also invited her over for dinner, saying it was a farewell banquet, and mentioned that he was already waiting downstairs.

While packing and heading out, Lin Qiao couldn’t help but wonder: Why did everything feel too smooth? Had she been through too much hardship and finally turned into a masochist?