Chapter 23

Chapter 23

*

The sarcasm in his tone couldn't be more obvious. With Yin Jihong's status, bringing one extra person—hell, even twenty extra—wouldn't be a problem; the restaurant would have no choice but to make room for them.

Jin Mo also picked up on Chen Yuanshan deliberately needling and looked at him with slight confusion.

Chen Yuanshan was different from Yin Jihong. He was always proper and steady, gentle by nature—not the type to run his mouth on a whim.

Could he know Shen Yi? Had they crossed paths before? But if they really knew each other, he would've told her.

Shen Yi stayed unfazed, his expression totally calm: "It's fine. If you can't add a seat, I'll just order something simple in my room."

Yin Jihong, your would-be rival in love is such a green tea—playing the victim and playing pitiful like a total pro.

Chen Yuanshan thought to himself.

Sure enough, Jin Mo shot him a look, like, what could Shen Yi have possibly done to offend him when they'd barely said two words to each other?

He shrugged, putting on an innocent look, smooth as hell: "I was just spitballing. I was worried that if they really couldn't add a seat, it'd be awkward for everyone."

When they got to the restaurant, it was packed—wall-to-wall people as far as the eye could see.

Chen Yuanshan was just about to tell Shen Yi he might have to head back to his room to eat solo when, the next second, the restaurant manager came hustling out from inside. To Chen Yuanshan's surprise, the manager walked right past Jin Mo and him, making a beeline for Shen Yi with a big, deferential bow.

"Mr. Shen." The manager was dripping with respect. "Welcome. We've got a private room all set for you."

Jin Mo was stunned. Beside her, a deeper flicker of amusement crossed Chen Yuanshan's eyes.

So basically, Shen Yi hadn't made a reservation, yet the restaurant just assumed they'd free up a private room for him the second he walked in.

"Thanks, but no need to hold the private room for me," Shen Yi said coolly. "I'm here with my friends—they've already booked."

The manager then turned to Jin Mo and the rest of them.

When Jin Mo dropped Yin Jihong's name, the manager did another complete one-eighty, bowing deep: "Oh, you're friends with President Yin! My apologies for not recognizing you earlier! Please forgive the oversight!"

As they followed the manager to Yin Jihong's private room, Jin Mo couldn't help but whisper to Chen Yuanshan: "This manager really knows how to read the room."

Chen Yuanshan chuckled: "No kidding."

Once they were seated in the private room, the manager said respectfully, "I'll let the kitchen know to start serving."

"Hold on." Chen Yuanshan tilted his head slightly, gesturing at Shen Yi across from him. "Let's ask Mr. Shen about his taste first—see if we need to add anything or note any dietary restrictions."

The way he said "Mr. Shen" carried a weight Shen Yi could feel, unspoken but loud.

Shen Yi looked at the restaurant manager, but his words were aimed at Chen Yuanshan, his tone flat and even: "I'm not picky. Whatever you've got planned works for me."

After the manager left, Wang Xu couldn't help rubbing his hands together, beaming with excitement: "I'm so jealous of myself! The main hall outside is packed, with people queued up three deep, and not only do I get to eat, I get to pick between two private rooms! How is this even a thing?!"

Hearing that, Jin Mo instinctively glanced at Shen Yi.

She was slow to warm up to people, but she wasn't clueless. The first time she met Shen Yi, she thought he looked refined and gentle, yet carried an incredibly strong presence—totally different from his two flashy friends. She could tell from his mannerisms he was well-bred and came from a serious family, but she hadn't expected him to get that kind of treatment in Xinjiang, a million miles from S City.

Feeling her gaze, Shen Yi explained, "Every time I ski at Jikepulin, I hit this place. Over time, I've become kind of a semi-VIP."

Wang Xu was the ultimate hype beast: "Shen Yi, you're way too modest! With your rep as the Second Young Master Shen, even if you'd never stepped foot in this place, they'd still free up a private room for you!"

The "Second Young Master Shen" met Jin Mo and Chen Yuanshan's eyes, still calm, deflecting with ease: "I do have a big brother."

Jin Mo had never been big on titles and didn't think twice about his nickname. Instead, she asked casually, "If you don't mind me asking, what do you do?"

At the question, Shen Yi gave Chen Yuanshan a barely noticeable glance.

Chen Yuanshan was staring at his phone, looking totally checked out of the conversation.

Shen Yi paused for a beat before speaking slowly: "I used to handle family stuff. I recently came back to the country and started an AI tech company with some friends—planning to grow that field here."

Jin Mo nodded: "AI's growing fast now. It touches just about every industry—huge room for growth."

Shen Yi looked at her: "And you?"

Jin Mo: "I've been in media since I graduated from college."

She was deliberately vague because she didn't want people she wasn't close to knowing exactly where she worked, and she didn't want anyone treating her differently because of her family background either.

After she finished, she didn't notice Shen Yi's gaze on her had deepened a little.

Of everyone in the room, aside from Wang Xu, nobody was exactly chatty. If Wang Xu buried his head in his food and stayed quiet, the whole room would be so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Jin Mo ate while sending photos to whoever was on the other end of her phone, letting him feast his eyes from afar.

Ji: "Eat up—consider it eating for me too."

Ji: "Don't talk while you eat. Focus on your food. If you don't say anything, nobody in that room is gonna die."

He was as sharp-tongued as ever, and his words had a pointed edge Jin Mo couldn't quite figure out, though she couldn't help but find it funny.

When dessert arrived, Wang Xu patted his round belly and grinned sheepishly at everyone: "I've eaten way too much. I'm going to the restroom—enjoy the rest of your meal."

Jin Mo also stood up: "I'll go too."

In an instant, only Chen Yuanshan and Shen Yi remained in the private room.

Shen Yi had already set down his utensils. Across from him, Chen Yuanshan still held his fork, eating dessert with such elegance he looked like a painting.

Shen Yi wiped the corner of his mouth with his napkin, set it aside, and spoke calmly: "President Chen seems to be in good spirits. I didn't expect that you, who don't even ski, would make a special trip to Xinjiang. It seems the rumors that the Geshan Group plans to shift some key business operations back to the domestic market are true."

Chen Yuanshan wasn't surprised to hear this. He slowly set down his fork and looked at Shen Yi with a faint smile: "Done your homework? Quite thorough."

The two had actually recognized each other's identities long ago—they'd simply chosen not to reveal it in front of Jin Mo and Wang Xu.

"President Chen's reputation precedes you—no homework needed," Shen Yi said calmly. "Everyone knows the Young Master of the Yin Family has two close friends: one is Deputy Director Shan of the S City Police Bureau, and the other is Chen Yuanshan, the long-time overseas CEO of the Geshan Group."

"Then how do you know I'm not Dan Jingchuan?" Chen Yuanshan looked at him lazily. "Don't tell me it's because Momo calls me Brother Yuanshan."

Shen Yi replied unhurriedly: "I had the fortune of meeting Deputy Director Shan in my early years. He doesn't carry an ounce of the suppressed killing intent and ferocity that you have, President Chen."

Chen Yuanshan gave a slight nod, a hint of a smile playing on his lips: "Thank you?"

Shen Yi didn't flinch under his gaze, leaning back against his chair: "Please convey my thanks to President Yin for the dinner."

"Save those words to say to him yourself." Chen Yuanshan snapped his fingers lightly. "He'll be here tomorrow."

A flicker of surprise passed through Shen Yi's eyes, quickly replaced by something deeper and more subtle: "The outside world says President Yin treasures Miss Jin, his childhood friend, above all else. Seeing it today, the reputation is well deserved. He can't be here himself, so he sends the ever-busy President Chen to personally watch over and protect her. Such sibling devotion is truly remarkable."

"Good that you know—he treasures her dearly." Chen Yuanshan went along with it, his words carrying a double meaning. "He values her more than his own life. Never mind you—even I can't speak ill of her or lay a finger on her."

"As for whether you two are really that close as siblings, that's not for you to say."

Shen Yi didn't take the bait. He just picked up his glass and slowly raised it to his lips.

The next second, Chen Yuanshan raised his glass to him, and as Shen Yi's face darkened, he drawled with a slow smile:

"Also, Ke Qingteng asked me to send his regards to you, your old man, and the whole Shentu Group."

-

When Jin Mo got back to the private room, the tension in the air had somehow gotten even thicker.

It was so thick that even Wang Xu—who was usually clueless about this kind of thing—picked up on it. He snuck a peek at Shen Yi, who was quietly drinking by himself, then at Chen Yuanshan, who was scrolling his phone with an icy vibe. He quickly made an excuse: "My stomach's been acting up all night. I was gonna drag you guys out for a few drinks later, but looks like that's a no-go now."

"Then head home and get some rest," Jin Mo said gently. "There'll be plenty of chances to drink later. Take care of yourself first."

Wang Xu was only too glad to take that out. He nodded quickly, said his goodbyes, and bolted out of there faster than a mouse, gone in a flash.

Chen Yuanshan got up to put Yin Jihong's tab on his card at the manager's desk. Jin Mo stood at the door of the private room and said to Shen Yi, "You go on up and rest. I'll wait for Yuanshan ge."

Shen Yi gave a slight nod but didn't budge.

After a beat, he asked, "Can I add you on WeChat?"

Jin Mo looked up at him. His tone was easy and casual: "Before you and Wang Xu head to the slopes tomorrow, give me a shout if it works. I'll tag along."

What Jin Mo didn't realize at that moment was that Shen Yi already had Wang Xu's WeChat—he could've just hit him up directly to confirm the departure time.

Sure, their first meeting had been a bit dramatic, but the more she got to know him, the more she found Shen Yi way more reliable than his two playboy buddies. He was a gentleman, polite, level-headed, well-traveled, and experienced, and they had a lot of common interests. She didn't feel any resistance or dislike toward him.

So she pulled out her phone and let him scan her code.

"See you tomorrow, then." After adding her, Shen Yi thanked her again. "Thanks again for having me at dinner."

As he turned to leave, he ran right into Chen Yuanshan, who was walking over. Chen Yuanshan had caught the whole exchange. Once Shen Yi was out of earshot, he looked at Jin Mo. "You added him?"

Jin Mo nodded.

Chen Yuanshan pressed, "So how did you two meet?"

Jin Mo gave Chen Yuanshan a quick rundown of what happened at the KTV that night—how Shen Yi's two friends tried to start shit with her and how Shen Yi stepped in to help.

After listening, a flicker of understanding crossed Chen Yuanshan's eyes.

No wonder Shan Jingchuan had bitched to him a few days ago about Yin Jihong raising hell in the middle of the night looking for someone in S City, keeping him up all night without even touching his bed, and he'd had to crash on the couch.

No wonder Shen Yi had clocked both him and Jin Mo right away. Those two playboys must have run crying to Shen Yi after Yin Jihong put them in their place.

Seeing that he didn't have much to say after hearing the story, Jin Mo voiced the doubt in her head: "Yuanshan ge, did you know Shen Yi before? I get the feeling you don't really like him."

Chen Yuanshan didn't want her dragged into the messy scheming of the business world. He just gave a faint smile and said in a soft tone, "I wouldn't say I dislike him yet."

He pressed the elevator button and glanced at Jin Mo beside him, a subtle warning in his tone: "But as the old saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. If he were really a stand-up guy, how could he be calling those two good-for-nothings his brothers?"

-

Back in her room, Jin Mo barely hit the bed after her shower before her eyelids started drooping, exhaustion crashing over her like a wave.

But the next second, her phone buzzed—a WeChat voice call.

Rubbing her heavy eyes, she forced herself to sit up and saw it was Yan Qinxuan.

Unless it was urgent, Yan Qinxuan rarely called her, let alone this late at night when she knew Jin Mo was in Xinjiang.

Jin Mo's heart clenched, and she picked up immediately: "Xuanxuan? What's wrong?"

Yan Qinxuan cut straight to the chase: "Mo Mo, have you talked to Jin Yuan these past couple of days?"

Jin Mo: "No. I texted her Happy New Year on New Year's Eve, and she replied, but when I asked to meet up, she didn't agree. She just said we'd talk after the new year."

"Same here." Yan Qinxuan's voice got heavier. "I've been trying to get together with her after the new year, but she keeps making excuses and putting me off. Something's off. Go check her WeChat right now."

Jin Mo's heart skipped a beat. She quickly minimized the call and scrolled through her contacts until she found Jin Yuan's chat.

Jin Yuan's profile picture used to be her silver golden chinchilla cat she'd had for three or four years—a soft, fluffy little ball.

But now, the screen was just a stark, jarring black.

Jin Mo frowned and tapped into her Moments.

Her cover photo had also changed from a selfie with her cat to the same pitch black as her avatar. Her whole Moments feed was empty—all the everyday posts, the cute cat pics, the photos of them together—all gone without a trace.

What sent the biggest chill down her spine was Jin Yuan's personal signature.

"If I vanish from this world, would I leave a deeper mark in your heart?"

...

Jin Mo's fingers went stiff. A chill shot up her spine and made her hair stand on end.

She said urgently into the phone: "I see it! Something's definitely wrong. Did you call her?"

"I have." Yan Qinxuan's voice was tight. "Ever since I noticed her WeChat changed yesterday, I've called her over thirty times. She hasn't answered a single one, not even replied to a single message."

The drowsiness vanished in an instant. Jin Mo shot up in bed, her voice trembling slightly: "I think Yuanyuan might..."

"Might be thinking of doing something drastic, right?" Yan Qinxuan finished her sentence for her, her voice full of anxiety. "I think she's having suicidal thoughts too."

——————————

Author's note:

Red envelopes continue to drop randomly! Please keep showing your love with collections, comments, and nutrient solutions~ Love you all! Also, don't forget to check out my author page! Feel free to check out my next new book "The Crane" in my collection—a Beijing circle story (might also switch to a Beijing circle ensemble piece). Either way, it's all mature men and women with plenty of spice, haha.

Jin Yuan! Ah! Sang Jie, don't you dare stir up trouble!

Yin Jihong, oh Yin Jihong, it's been five whole days now—shouldn't you show up already!? Your wife and your rival have already skied, dined, added each other on WeChat, and played the green tea game. Your love bodyguard Shan Mei has fought tooth and nail for you, a loyal servant bought for five points—shouldn't you let him retire already!? Even a maid isn't used this hard!!!

By now, everyone should know Shen Yi's identity, right? He's the tough nut from Shentu Group that Shan Mei mentioned earlier who dared to go head-to-head with Ke Zai! Little dog, oh little dog, I'm really sweating for you!!!

But our little dog! He's also absolutely stunning! I'm still a staunch male lead supporter—so tell me, are you Team Little Dog or Team Shen Er!?

I'd love to add more chapters, but my draft folder really isn't stocked enough to splurge recklessly! Let me keep working on it!