In the conference room of SQ Venture Capital Group, after the meeting, all the employees left, leaving only two men.

"Young Master, it's really kind of you to come back again." The man in the suit and tie looked apologetic. "The people under you are too careless, which caused such important data to be wrong."

“It’s a small matter, Uncle Zhao, you don’t need to take it to heart.” Qi Shen sat upright on the leather sofa, his voice deep and gentle, soothing to the soul. “Officially, Qiming and SQ are partners, so if something goes wrong, it’s my responsibility to step in and resolve it. Personally, you are an old friend of my father, so as a junior, it’s even more my duty to come.”

The man's words and attitude were humble and polite, leaving no room for criticism.

"Haha." Zhao Fengnian laughed heartily, his weathered, dark eyes subtly scrutinizing Qi Shen from head to toe.

A new landscape ink painting has been added to the background wall. The black ink on Xuan paper is exquisitely crafted, from its composition to the lines in the details, clearly an authentic work by an ancient literati. Against this elegant backdrop, the man's pale face appears even more refined and scholarly.

Zhao Fengnian's eyes were full of satisfaction, and he nodded slightly, "You are a promising young man. Your father must have done a lot of good deeds in his past life to have a son like you."

Zhao Fengnian and his father were peers and friends, so it was no big deal for them to make some jokes. As a junior, Qi Shen just smiled slightly and didn't respond.

"Your career is thriving, but you can't neglect important life matters." Zhao Fengnian praised her first, then tentatively asked, "Are you dating anyone?"

Qi Shen's eyes flickered, so quickly it was almost imperceptible. They were all intelligent people; they could guess what was to come just by hearing the beginning of a sentence.

His handsome face still held a gentle smile, showing no sign of anything amiss. "We're talking."

Upon hearing this, a hint of regret flashed across Zhao Fengnian's shrewd eyes; he knew how outstanding this child was.

He has a niece who is about the same age as Qi Shen, and he wanted to introduce them to each other, but unfortunately that didn't happen.

After a moment, his expression returned to normal. "Whose daughter is she? I've never heard your father mention her. When will you bring her out to meet the elders?"

“Uncle Zhao, we’ve only been together for a short time.” Qi Shen said calmly and gently. “She’s still young and inexperienced, and a bit shy. I’ll bring her out to meet you in a few years, once we’ve settled on marriage.”

Zhao Fengnian was secretly surprised. Given the Qi family's status in the political arena, where a mere flick of their finger could cause a major upheaval, Qi Shen's marriage partner must be no ordinary person either.

The fact that he directly proposed marriage suggests that the woman's background and connections are far more impressive than he imagined.

Zhao Fengnian completely abandoned any thought he might have had of introducing his niece to Qi Shen. "Look at him, he's already protecting her." He couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, then I'll be waiting to attend your wedding."

-

The two emerged from SQ. It was already late at night, with the moonlight on the horizon as clear and shallow as water. The magnificent skyscrapers beside them, reaching into the clouds, were brightly lit.

The van pulled up to the company entrance, and the assistant opened the door beforehand.

"I was hoping to have dinner with you, but you're in such a hurry to go back and be with your girlfriend." Zhao Fengnian stopped the car and looked at the tall, handsome man. "As an elder, I feel bad about bothering you any longer. I'm leaving now, and you should go back early too."

"There's a reason for this. Today is an important day in my girlfriend's life." Qi Shen smiled faintly. "I'll treat you to a banquet later as an apology."

Zhao Fengnian waved his hand, "The thought is enough. I'm leaving now. You should go back quickly too, don't keep people waiting."

Qi Shen raised his hand and said, "Take care."

Less than two minutes after seeing Zhao Fengnian off, the Bentley slowly pulled up beside Qi Shen. He opened the door, got in, and the car sped off toward the Nangong Villa.

When Qi Shen returned home and entered the dining room, he realized that dinner had just ended. The first person to see him was Wang Ma, "Young Master, you're back. Have you had dinner?"

"Not yet." Qi Shen draped his coat over the back of the chair and looked at her. "Aunt Wang, could you please get me a bowl of rice?"

"OK."

As soon as he approached, his cool, refreshing scent dominated her breath.

Fang Zhi put down the tissue he was wiping his mouth with, and like a primary school student caught on a surprise inspection by the teacher, he subconsciously straightened his posture and whispered, "Brother, are you done with your work?"

Qi Shen gave a soft "hmm," glancing at the food in the girl's bowl out of the corner of his eye. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly. "Are you full?"

"I'm full." Fang Zhi wanted to stand up and say that she was going back to the bedroom first, and the man seemed to have anticipated her thoughts.

She had barely lifted her buttocks off the seat by a centimeter when Qi Shen placed his hand on her shoulder. "If you're full, sit here and have a meal with your brother."

A warm, magnetic voice came from above, and only then did he realize that he could only obediently sit back down in his chair.

When Wang Ma brought him the food, Qi Shen slightly bent his knuckles and waved them in the air twice to signal her to leave first.

Wang Ma understood immediately. Before leaving, she glanced at Fang Zhi a few more times. The little girl had her head down, her black hair covering her face, so she couldn't see what she was thinking or what her expression was.

While eating slowly and deliberately, Qi Shen asked, "Zhizhi, do you have any plans for this summer vacation?"

Fang Zhi silently raised her head upon hearing this, gazing at the man's sharply defined profile. "Anything is fine?"

Qi Shen's eyes darkened. The young girl's mind had grown quite a bit, but her methods were still too immature. She was clearly no match for him when it came to playing these kinds of word traps.

"Of course." Qi Shen turned his head to look into her eyes, his handsome face showing a half-smile, "but only within the limits of my brother's permission."

"Oh." Fang Zhi, who was hiding his hands under the table, gripped the hem of his clothes and said slowly, "Brother... can I spend my birthday with Siyi this year? She invited me to her birthday party, and Siyi has said more than once that she wants to celebrate my birthday with me."

In previous years, Qi Shen would always be with her on her birthday, but this year was different. After graduation and studying abroad, she and Si Yi would not have many opportunities to see each other in the future, so she wanted to fulfill her request.

Qi Shen put down his chopsticks, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the table, his eyes as black as ink, lost in thought.

Time passed slowly, and the restaurant became quiet and oppressive.

Just as Fang Zhi heard her heart pounding wildly and thought her wish was about to be dashed, the man's thin lips parted slightly:

"Okay, brother promises you." The soft voice was as captivating as a rich, strong liquor.

The hand gripping the hem of her clothes suddenly loosened, and a genuine smile bloomed on the girl's serene face.

Qi Shen stared at the delighted girl, his narrow eyes slightly narrowed, the lenses of his gold-rimmed glasses gleaming coldly under the restaurant lights.