Chapter 19 News

Chapter 19: News

Out of consideration for the children, Song Xianghan and Shen Shiyan had an unspoken agreement to skip the fancy restaurant and took everyone to the Jin Ting Luxury Mall instead.

The Shen family had invested in building this new mall. It had only been open for two or three years and occupied an excellent location. The stores included nearly all luxury brands from across the country, and the decor was sleek and luxurious. A huge crystal chandelier hung from the center of the high ceiling, and the bustling crowd created a lively atmosphere.

The Cloud Top buffet restaurant on the top floor was great for group dinners. The tables were spaced widely apart, each set within soft white and blue sofas, which offered a decent amount of privacy.

Shen Ci sat in a bit of a daze next to Shen Shiyan. He removed the scarf from his neck and poked Shen Shiyan's thigh under the table.

Shen Shiyan's leg, the one next to Shen Ci, immediately retracted slightly. He leaned down discreetly.

Shen Ci leaned his head in, warm breath brushing against his skin. When speaking, his soft lips brushed faintly against Shen Shiyan's earlobe.

"Whispering secrets? Not letting us hear?" Song Xianghan held a champagne flute, her beautiful eyes dancing with amusement as she teased.

Shen Shiyan looked up and said, "It's nothing. He's never been here before and's worried he'll grab the wrong thing."

Shen Ci had been passed around and raised by several beggars as a child, then wandered alone, later ending up in an orphanage. Now, suddenly thrust into the world of wealthy families and high society, he felt completely out of his element.

However, this being said out loud didn't make Shen Ci feel particularly awkward. He smiled at Song Xianghan, keeping his hands busy as he slowly folded his scarf.

Shen Shiyan took the scarf from his hands, folded it neatly, and said, "Just go get whatever you want to eat. No need to ask. Even if you really take the wrong thing, someone will cover for you."

Influenced by Song Xianghan, Song Qiuchi didn't act like a typical rich Song family heiress. She had just returned with a plate of Black Forest cake and, hearing this, tugged Shen Ci's wrist, saying, "Come on, accompany me to get some more snacks."

When Shen Shiyan said he would cover for him, Shen Ci almost felt like crying. It was true; his daddy was the best to him in the whole world.

If they weren't in public, he would definitely fling himself into Shen Shiyan's arms and nuzzle him fiercely.

Song Xianghan's manicure made it a little awkward. Shen Shiyan, observant, took the plate of top-quality Arctic sweet shrimp from her hands, put on disposable gloves, and began peeling them slowly.

"Thank you," Song Xianghan responded politely. Looking down, she saw Shen Shiyan's phone light up beside his hand, the caller ID showing 'Qi Zhuli' (Assistant Qi).

Shen Shiyan glanced at it too, placing one peeled shrimp on an empty plate before picking up another. "Miss Song, could you put it on speaker for me?"

Song Xianghan's fingertip swiped across the screen. As soon as the call connected and the speaker activated, Miss Qi's anxious voice came through: "President Shen, is it convenient on your end?"

"Convenient, go ahead," Shen Shiyan replied without hesitation. As a business partner, saying it wasn't convenient now would easily embarrass Song Xianghan.

"It's like this. Around 5:30 PM today, Yunfan Wanxiang Media Company suddenly ran a gossip story. It maliciously speculated about and interpreted the cooperation between our company and Xingtu. I suspect someone has bought connections, as a large number of online trolls are stirring up public opinion under this news. I've received calls from assistants at two companies we were about to sign contracts with, saying they want to postpone for further evaluation."

Shen Shiyan's expression didn't change, nor did his hands slow down. He simply asked calmly, "What's the content of the news?"

There was a moment of hesitation on the other end of the line, the voice softening: "It's about you. The main content is roughly that the newly appointed president of Yuhe, to secure the deal, resorted to any means, selling... his body... seducing Miss Song of Xingtu..."

Her latter words were spoken haltingly. After two seconds of silence, Song Xianghan couldn't hold back a laugh first.

Miss Qi thought she was hearing things. "President Shen?"

Shen Shiyan finished peeling the last shrimp, removed his gloves, then pushed the neatly arranged plate of shrimp towards Song Xianghan before picking up his phone. "Assistant Qi, Miss Song and I are together right now."

Qi Zizhu fell silent again, finally saying after a while, "Is Miss Song not angry?"

Shen Shiyan also looked up at the person, his eyes showing only a hint of apology and no other emotion. Song Xianghan took the phone from his hand and said, "It's fine. I'll handle this matter."

Hearing Song Xianghan's voice sounding completely normal, Qi Zizhu finally felt completely at ease.

After the call ended, the two children slowly returned and sat to one side, starting to talk about Shen Rong.

Song Xianghan picked up a sweet shrimp and put it in her mouth, joking, "Fabricated news can also become real news, you know."

Shen Shiyan choked on the warm water he had just sipped, coughing twice. After calming down, he replied, "I wouldn't dare. This matter was most likely orchestrated by my elder brother. Damaging Miss Song's reputation is already highly inappropriate."

Song Xianghan immediately put on a regretful expression. "That's truly a pity."

Shen Shiyan gave a slight smile. "How does Miss Song wish to resolve this?"

Song Xianghan laughed heartily twice, then became serious. Lightly pinching the rim of the wine glass with four fingers, her wrist hanging naturally, she swirled the champagne in the glass and said, "Your elder brother really refuses to change his ways. Xingtu initially wanted to cooperate with Chonghe. During the negotiation of terms, he had a bit to drink and started spouting nonsense and getting handsy."

Song Xianghan's voice wasn't loud. Shen Shiyan could tell she was concerned about the potential impact on the children, so he proactively suggested going to the opposite balcony to enjoy the view.

This restaurant floor was on the seventeenth story. Looking out from this most prosperous commercial building in the city, the evening in Yun City was already beginning to show the embryonic form of the decadent, money-drenched nightlife. The sky had darkened, neon lights flickered, vehicles streamed endlessly, and the 3D screen opposite played an advertisement video for the spokesperson of Jin Ting.

"Does Miss Song have any substantive evidence?"

Shen Shiyan tightened his collar slightly, watching as the woman before him took out a pack of cigarettes.

"Mind?" Song Xianghan pulled out a lighter, raising an eyebrow. Upon receiving Shen Shiyan's answer, she lit one. The tobacco burned, a wisp of smoke rising amidst the flickering glow. "He treats you like this, and you still want to help him?"

The smell of tobacco entered Shen Shiyan's nostrils. He gave a cold laugh. "Help him? Help him go to jail."

Song Xianghan leaned against the glass partition, somewhat unable to discern the true nature of the person before her. "Shen Group and my second brother Song Huixuan's Dingming Media both have investments in Yunfan Wanxiang. Your brother alone couldn't stir up such a big wave."

Although Shen Shiyan had a comprehensive understanding of Yun City's commercial structure, it ultimately couldn't compare to Song Xianghan's five or six years of experience navigating it.

Song Xianghan took a drag of her cigarette and said mockingly, "I have substantive evidence, but it's not enough to send him to jail."

The venue for the meeting that day was set at a tavern under Song Xianghan's name, but because it was never publicly disclosed, Shen Siwen was unaware.

There were no surveillance cameras in the private room, which was why Shen Siwen felt bold and secure. What he didn't know, however, was that Song Xianghan had embedded high-definition pinhole micro-cameras in the centerpiece decorations on every private room's table.

Song Xianghan didn't trust Shen Siwen's character—after all, there were plenty of rumors in the industry. So she had backed up the surveillance footage on her phone early on, to be used as leverage for profit in the future.