Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Shen Yue had always been a man of dignity.

Until today, that dignity had remained intact.

The moment Zhong Yuan's voice rang out, all the eyes that had been focused elsewhere converged on him. Shen Yue froze, then had to pretend he had just noticed Wei Jinchuan and Zhong Yuan, slowly turning back.

True to his exceptional composure, even in this terribly awkward situation, he acted as if nothing had happened: "What are you two doing here?"

"I came to bring Mr. Shen some soup."

Seeing him, Zhong Yuan seemed to have found his pillar of support. The man's face lit up with joy, then he remembered something and glanced nervously at Wei Jinchuan before saying in a dejected tone, "This gentleman seems to have some misunderstanding about me and was lecturing me."

He had always known how to play innocent and pitiful in front of Shen Yue. He said "lecturing" lightly, as if mumbling deliberately to avoid putting Shen Yue in an awkward position, yet his eyes were glistening, as if he had suffered great injustice.

Shen Yue's heart melted at the sight. He instinctively wanted to turn and scold Wei Jinchuan, but when he actually met the man's eyes, his expression went blank, and he ended up asking Zhong Yuan instead: "What did he say to you?"

Zhong Yuan replied, "He told me not to bring you soup anymore, saying I'm idle all day and only think about how to seduce you." His voice grew softer as he spoke, like a wronged puppy. "Mr. Shen, I just want to take care of you. Did I do something wrong?"

No, of course not.

Zhong Yuan only had his best interests at heart, insisting on delivering soup every day even when he couldn't see him. How could he be at fault?

The more Shen Yue listened, the more his heart ached. But with Wei Jinchuan right there, he couldn't give Zhong Yuan a direct response. He could only say, "Please don't bring soup anymore."

The rest of Zhong Yuan's words of complaint were still brewing in his throat. He had been thinking about how to make Shen Yue dote on him more, but hearing this, his heart sank.

Conscience-stricken, Shen Yue avoided looking at him: "I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but there's been a lot of gossip at my company lately. Besides, your company isn't near mine. For both our sakes, it's best if you stop delivering the soup."

"I don't mind!" Zhong Yuan declared earnestly. "I've taken time off at noon, I—"

Before he could finish, Shen Yue gave him a calm look, and the rest of his words died in his throat. Zhong Yuan's lips slightly parted, his face pale.

"He's clearly rejected you. Is it worth being so desperate?"

Wei Jinchuan seemed to have finally gotten this off his chest. He walked to the front desk, picked up the soup that hadn't been delivered yet, and handed it back to Zhong Yuan, saying irritably, "Take your soup. Don't forget it when you leave. Shenghua isn't a garbage dump. Why are you throwing all sorts of things here?"

Zhong Yuan gazed longingly at Shen Yue, as if waiting for him to speak.

His heart aching, Shen Yue could only pretend not to notice his gaze: "Alright, I have things to do today. Let's not block the entrance anymore. Everyone, go back to what you were doing."

Though unwilling, Zhong Yuan left with his soup.

Shen Yue also made as if to leave, but before he had taken two steps, Wei Jinchuan stopped him again: "Where are you going?"

Shen Yue was baffled: "Why do you care where I'm going?"

Wei Jinchuan's gaze was intense and dark as he asked firmly, "Are you going to find him?"

Shen Yue immediately understood what he was thinking and felt both annoyed and amused: "What are you imagining? I have a client coming today. I need to attend to them."

Wei Jinchuan asked suspiciously, "How come I didn't know you had a client to meet today?"

"My brother referred them to me. It was a last-minute arrangement. Even Linda didn't know," Shen Yue coaxed gently. "Stop being upset, alright? I really have things to do. I'll come back to keep you company after I'm done, okay?"

That last "okay" was uttered softly and gently, as if soothing a child. Wei Jinchuan was delighted by the coaxing, though he kept a straight face and pursed his lips and asked, "Then... can I come with you?"

Shen Yue looked at him doubtfully. Seeing his reluctance, Wei Jinchuan grew anxious: "I'll just sit there quietly. I won't say much. Besides, didn't you say you'd give me learning opportunities? This is such a great chance. Aren't you going to let me practice?"

The argument was sound and reasonable. Shen Yue couldn't find a reason to refuse, and prompted by an inexplicable urge, he agreed.

Haicheng was near the sea, and temperatures soared in the summer. During the hottest months of August and September, even wearing a short-sleeved shirt outside for a few minutes would leave one drenched in sweat.

The place Shen Yue had booked for the client was a private members-only restaurant with an annual fee of hundreds of thousands. The layout was excellent, with a long corridor connecting the parking lot to the indoor area. Wisteria vines climbed over the corridor, and an occasional cool breeze swept through, greatly reducing their exposure to the sweltering heat.

The person he had invited had already arrived. Guided by a server, Shen Yue arrived at the private dining room and saw a figure seated inside.

Summer in Haicheng was hot, and almost everyone, including Shen Yue and Wei Jinchuan, was wearing short sleeves. Yet this man wore a black shirt, the cuffs casually rolled up to reveal a pair of striking sapphire cufflinks.

The man had been looking down at his phone but raised his head at the sound of the door. His sharp eyes lifted to meet theirs, and the faint smile at the corners of his lips disappeared. Even just looking at them calmly, he radiated intense pressure.

Wei Jinchuan sensed a similar type—someone who had been tempered by the business world and was more mature and composed than him in every way. His alarm bells went off.

Shen Yue walked straight up to the man and extended a hand, saying politely, "You must be President Fu? I've long heard of you."

Fu Jingbie raised his hand for a handshake, grasping it lightly and briefly before letting go. He looked Shen Yue up and down and asked coolly, "You're Shen Cuo's younger brother?"

Shen Cuo was the eldest of the Shen family. After graduating from university, he gradually took over the family business. Fu Jingbie was from Jiangcheng, which bordered Haicheng. He wanted to expand his business here and had initially contacted Shen Cuo, who passed the opportunity along as a favor.

Otherwise, given Shen Yue's small company of a few hundred people, he would never have had access to someone of Fu Jingbie's caliber.

—Of course, Haicheng was an exception. People in Haicheng still showed the Shen family some respect.

Shen Yue nodded and sat down, naturally slid the menu over: "My brother told me about Fuke's situation. Why don't you order first, and we can talk over the meal?"

Fu Jingbie didn't take the menu. Instead, he picked up two exquisitely packaged cakes from the chair beside him: "Have you eaten? Would you like to try these?"

"..."

Shen Yue and Wei Jinchuan exchanged a glance, seeing the same confusion in each other's eyes.

They hadn't eaten yet, but... wasn't this a restaurant?

Bringing your own cakes to a private restaurant was a first.

Wei Jinchuan looked displeased and was about to say something when Shen Yue stopped him with a look, taking the cakes first and saying with a smile, "How thoughtful of you, President Fu. I was feeling a bit light-headed. This will help."

He then pushed the menu toward Fu Jingbie again. This time, the other man didn't ignore it and ordered a few light dishes.

Shen Yue ate with refined grace, even when having cake, as if he were dining on Western cuisine. His movements were graceful and dignified, unhurried yet not slow, like a beautiful painting that was hard to look away from.

Fu Jingbie sat quietly beside him, watching with a calm face and focused gaze.

Wei Jinchuan had regarded Fu Jingbie as a rival from the moment they entered. How could he not notice the man's gaze practically glued to Shen Yue? He felt uncomfortable but held back out of consideration for Shen Yue's client. He finished his cake in a few bites, then put down his fork and said in a low, dissatisfied voice, "I'm done!"

Author's Note:

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Wei Jinchuan: Look at me! Look at me! What's the meaning of this? There are three people in this room! Why does it feel like I'm being left out? Speaking loudly to draw everyone's attention!!!

Here's Wei Jinchuan, who gets defensive even if his wife isn't looking at others but is just being looked at~

But actually, Little Fu isn't looking at Shen Yue—he's looking at the little cake...

Special thanks today to Baby Gui Lingxing for a bottle of nutrient solution, Baby Danran Jinli for a bottle of nutrient solution, and Baby Wu Yiling for throwing a little landmine. Shen Yue is growing strong thanks to all the aunties!!!