Chapter 97 Chapter 97 "Xia Xia, how can you still...

In panic, the passage of time became extremely chaotic. It seemed as if a century had passed, yet it also seemed like just a blink of an eye. Yao Yingxia heard the sound of a key being inserted into a hole.

With a rapid rotation, the bathroom door opened.

The violent scene she had imagined did not occur. Instead, a large hand landed on her head and gently rubbed it. Shen Xingchuan's deliberately slow voice reached her ears: "Xia Xia, it's okay."

Yao Yingxia trembled slightly and opened her eyes. Shen Xingchuan saw that her eyes were red. She was huddled in the corner pitifully, like a puppy stolen from a game restaurant, and finally waited for her savior.

My heart softened at first, and then it felt like it was pricked by a cocklebur, becoming painful and itchy.

He opened his arms and tried to pick up Yao Yingxia, but his injured left leg was really in the way. Shen Xingchuan only had time to bend down slightly before Yao Yingxia threw herself into his arms.

She was so scared that she temporarily forgot how he bullied her three days ago. Compared with the vicious criminal, Shen Xingchuan looked kind.

He wanted to laugh because Yao Yingxia didn't stay in the cold war with him for too long this time. In any case, this was a very positive sign. At least in times of crisis, Yao Yingxia knew who could protect her.

Xiao An came back with Shen Xingchuan.

In the middle of the night, all the security guards' mobile phones received alerts of illegal intrusion. Xiao An saw that the address displayed was Tianhe Bay No. 1, which was the large flat where Yao Yingxia lived alone that night.

He immediately ran towards the elevator. When the door was about to close, a hand suddenly reached in. Shen Xingchuan had a solemn expression on his face. He was only wearing pajamas and didn't even have time to put on his shoes. Xiao An didn't expect that he could run so fast with a cane, but he was only a few seconds behind himself.

Xiao An rushed back home at lightning speed, even reaching over 100 miles per hour in the city. Fortunately, it was late at night and there were few people around, so he ran through more than a dozen red lights without any accidents. The original half-hour drive was shortened to ten minutes.

By the time Shen Xingchuan and Xiao An returned to Tianhewan No. 1, the uninvited guest had been tied up and pinned to the floor. The two bodyguards who had escorted Yao Yingxia home that night were on duty at the door. Upon hearing the noise, they quickly entered the room. Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened; it was all just a false alarm.

When Shen Xingchuan and Xiao An entered the room, the living room was already full of people. One of them saw him and asked, "Mr. Shen, the person has been controlled. What should we do next?"

Shen Xingchuan walked closer and took off the man's hood. It was a strange face, and he looked young.

Shen Xingchuan patted his face and asked in a cold voice, "Who sent you?"

The man neither begged for mercy nor spoke a word, but just kept his eyes downcast and pretended to be dead.

Shen Xingchuan didn't want to waste time with him. He just took out a mobile phone from his pocket and handed it to the technician on the scene: "Verify his identity and find a way to find out something." After that, he left the living room and went to find Yao Yingxia.

Xiao An stood outside the door, watching his sister huddled in Shen Xingchuan's arms, clutching his pajamas tightly, and trembling constantly. It seemed that she was very scared.

Shen Xingchuan's hand fell on his sister's slender back, patted her gently, and whispered words of comfort to her. No matter who looked at it, it seemed that the relationship between them was indestructible.

Xiao An lowered his eyes and suddenly missed the kiss he had that morning. His sister had done the same thing then, clutching his shirt tightly. Her lips were soft and sweet, like freshly formed jelly. Xiao An didn't even dare to use force.

The familiar pain spread bit by bit, all the muscles in his body were tense, even his shirt that originally fit him well became a little tight.

There was no point in staying any longer, so Xiao An took a deep breath and turned to go to the living room.

Several colleagues were questioning me, and although their attitude was bad, they didn't do much violence. At most, they pushed me a few times, and naturally they couldn't get any useful information out of me.

Xiao An watched from the side for a moment, then squatted in front of the man and suddenly reached out to grab his hair. The man's face instantly turned pale as he felt his scalp nearly ripped off. He opened his eyes wide and tried to break free, but Xiao An's palm seemed to be welded to his scalp. Xiao An, who was always silent and generous in the eyes of his colleagues, seemed to have completely changed. His face was filled with a chilling cruelty: "Tell me now, and you can still leave this room in one piece."

The next second, Xiao An broke his little finger and said coldly amidst his shrill screams, "You won't have a chance later."

Half an hour later, Yao Yingxia finally calmed down completely, and Shen Xingchuan helped her sit on the sofa in the living room.

The intruder had been beaten beyond recognition and lay motionless on the ground. Yao Yingxia couldn't even recognize his original facial features. She could only see that his entire face was covered in blood.

Yao Yingxia lowered her head instantly, not daring to look any further. Shen Xingchuan put his arm around her shoulders and signaled the bodyguard to turn the man's face to the other side, ensuring Yao Yingxia wouldn't see any bloody scenes. Then he spoke again, "Have you confessed?"

One of them replied, "Mr. Shen, he insists he's just a thief. It's almost Chinese New Year, and he wanted to make a killing. You and Ms. Yao weren't home the whole time, and he spent a few days staking out the place and didn't see anyone coming in or out, so he set his sights on this place."

Shen Xingchuan sneered, looking half-convinced. "The thief saw someone and not only didn't run away, but he also dared to smash the window and come in? He even used a knife to chop at the door?"

"He said he had just finished serving his sentence and didn't want to spend the New Year in prison, so he lost his mind for a while."

Soon, someone handed over another report: "Mr. Shen, this is his personal information. It shows that he does have a history of multiple thefts and was just released last month."

Shen Xingchuan glanced through the file. Judging from the information alone, he was indeed just a low-ranking gangster. It was already three in the morning, and there was no point in wasting time. Shen Xingchuan pondered for a moment and finally said, "Send him to the police station first, and then send someone to investigate further."

Three people escorted the petty thief away, and the rest of the people re-arranged their shifts. The nature of this emergency was extremely serious and had seriously threatened Yao Yingxia's personal safety. She could not leave anyone by her side for a moment. Shen Xingchuan not only sent people to guard outside the door, but also left people on the balcony and in the living room.

After arranging everything, Shen Xingchuan sent Yao Yingxia back to the bedroom. She was still in shock and it took her a long time to close her eyes. When she slept, she curled up like a shrimp again. It was not until she unconsciously leaned against his chest that her expression relaxed a little, as if only in this way could she feel a moment of safety.

In the darkness, he finally revealed a sincere smile.

After Yao Yingxia fell asleep, Shen Xingchuan walked out of the bedroom and looked at Xiao An who had been waiting outside the door and said, "Shall we talk?"

Apart from the matter concerning Yao Yingxia, they seemed to have nothing to talk about. Across the coffee table, the two of them were clearly separated.

Shen Xingchuan sat on the sofa, legs crossed. When he looked up at him, he also had a condescending arrogance: "Xia Xia has been uneasy lately. Although the security team has been expanded, we can't be completely at ease. What if someone takes advantage of the opportunity to sneak someone in—"

Xiao An's expression suddenly became serious.

He stopped there and revealed the core of the conversation: "If you're willing, I can help you clean up a guest bedroom. I hope you can help me keep an eye on it at all times to ensure Xia Xia's safety."

Xiao An was very surprised that he would make such a request. The two of them had obviously had a disagreement in their auras during their previous meetings, and even had a tense situation. At this time, Shen Xingchuan suddenly changed his attitude, which was tantamount to a weasel paying a New Year's visit to a chicken.

Shen Xingchuan was not worried that he would reject him, even though Xiao An had vaguely sensed something. However, once it came to matters related to Yao Yingxia, he would not put his own interests first.

My sister's safety is always more important than anything else.

Five minutes later, Shen Xingchuan got the result he wanted.

The next morning, Yao Yingxia was awakened by the heat. When she opened her eyes, all she saw was cold white flesh. Yao Yingxia was stunned for a moment before she realized that she was buried in Shen Xingchuan's chest.

Her foggy mind instantly became clear. She carefully broke away from his embrace and was about to get out of bed quietly when Shen Xingchuan reached out and pulled her back: "Xia Xia, sleep a little longer."

Because of all the things that happened last night, he had only slept for four hours so far and was still very sleepy. Yao Yingxia let him hold her without any resistance, but soon Shen Xingchuan began to take advantage of her and put his hand into her pajamas.

The sensation behind her gradually grew unsettling, and someone pressed against her lower back with great vigor. Yao Yingxia glanced at her phone. It was already past nine-thirty, well past Xiao An's shift change. She closed her eyes and let Shen Xingchuan do whatever he wanted.

After getting the tacit consent, the hot lips and tongue moved from the back of the neck to the shoulder blades, leaving a series of marks on the snow-white skin.

Maybe it was because he was in a good mood, but Shen Xingchuan was very patient in taking care of her feelings. Yao Yingxia was like an orange that had been rubbed repeatedly, becoming soft and sweet. Shen Xingchuan was not in a hurry and enjoyed it slowly, but it took almost twice as long.

By the time Shen Xingchuan finally finished, Yao Yingxia was already starving. She was really not suitable for long periods of physical labor.

Fortunately, the aroma of food coming from the restaurant was very tempting. It would have been even better if there were no bodyguards around who would occasionally cast their eyes on her. However, after experiencing a terrifying night like last night, she would probably have to live under surveillance for a long time.

Shen Xingchuan walked into the restaurant and pulled out a chair for her: "Xia Xia, you've worked hard. Eat more later."

As soon as he finished speaking, someone brought over the last dish: shrimp with vermicelli and garlic sauce. The bright, firm and plump shrimp meat exuded an enticing aroma. Yao Yingxia suddenly remembered that Xiao An had also prepared this dish when he was a guest last time.

She was distracted when she suddenly heard Shen Xingchuan ask behind her, "Want to eat together?"

Yao Yingxia was just surprised at when Shen Xingchuan became so polite when she saw Xiao An sitting opposite her.

The look on her face was so shocking that Shen Xingchuan couldn't help laughing: "Xia Xia, you look like you've seen an alien."

She quickly retracted her gaze and tried to calm her tone: "Why is my brother here?"

Shen Xingchuan peeled a shrimp for her and said, "Your brother moved in this morning and will live here from now on. I feel at ease with him in charge."

Xiao An didn't pay attention to what Shen Xingchuan was saying. His attention was all on his sister. His gaze stayed on her neck for two seconds and finally fell on the plate of vegetables in front of him. It was green and juicy, but it was really unappetizing.

Yao Yingxia didn't know what to say for a moment. She knew that both of them were thinking about her safety, but the thought that the three of them would have to live together before the end of winter vacation made her feel creepy.

Doesn’t Shen Xingchuan hate Xiao An very much?

Why are you willing to go to this extent?

Is it really just to protect her safety?

Perhaps sensing her distress, Shen Xingchuan advised, "Don't quarrel with your brother anymore. Xiao An is your family member after all. You can trust him at any time."

Is it because he is her "brother" that she can tolerate him and not kill him like he did before?

Thinking of this, Yao Yingxia forced a smile and then just focused on eating.

From that day on, Xiao An was not only a live-in bodyguard, but also served as a chef. After a few days, the three of them lived in peace, Yao Yingxia's resistance eased a little, and the New Year arrived in a peaceful atmosphere.

On New Year's Eve, Xiao An prepared hot pot. He used a double-boiled soup base, half butter and half mushroom broth. Freshly cut beef and mutton, along with a variety of washed side dishes, filled the table, bringing back memories of that winter long ago.

Xu Nian was working the night shift, and Yao Qihang was out drinking, and had taken the dinner money her mother had given her. Hungrily, she opened the refrigerator, only to find it empty.

When she was almost hallucinating from hunger, there was a knock on the door. Yao Yingxia had just opened the security lock when Xiao An grabbed her hand and led her out: "Sister, come to my house for hot pot."

At that time, she thought steaming hot pot was the most delicious thing in the world, but since Xiao An went to jail, Yao Yingxia has never eaten it again.

She felt unworthy.

Perhaps because she had been seeing Xiao An so often recently, she always lost herself in memories. Her heart seemed to be entangled in a dense net, causing her a little pain and occasionally making her breathless.

But thinking that school would start in half a month, Yao Yingxia felt somewhat relieved and clinked glasses with Xiao An: "Brother, Happy New Year."

The two smiled at each other, their eyes filled with memories that others had no involvement in and could not intervene in.

Shen Xingchuan didn't react at all, he just looked away and put the beef balls in the dish beside him.

By the time he put down his chopsticks, Yao Yingxia had already raised her cup. The smile on her face was gentle and appropriate, but lacked a touch of humanity. She looked more like a subordinate toasting him at the annual meeting, with a cautious and distant tone: "Happy New Year."

This is their first New Year together after getting married.

Shen Xingchuan smiled and clinked glasses with her: "Happy New Year, honey."

This name instantly chilled the atmosphere around them. Ignoring Xiao An's sudden glance, Shen Xingchuan saw the smile on her face froze. However, Yao Yingxia only lowered her head to take a sip of juice, then looked at the hot pot in front of her and said, "The chrysanthemum is cooked."

Xiao An and Yao Yingxia don't like spicy food. They just boiled the ingredients in the mushroom soup pot. Whatever color went in came out the same color. They looked unappetizing, but they ate with gusto.

Shen Xingchuan looked at the red-cooked hanging dragon in front of him and suddenly lost his appetite.

When he was in a bad mood, he liked to torment Yao Yingxia. On New Year's Eve, Shen Xingchuan almost didn't let her sleep.

There were sounds of firecrackers outside the window, making people irritable and annoyed, but Xiao An could only hear the noise coming from next door. The room he lived in was separated from the master bedroom by a wall. The house worth tens of millions had extremely poor sound insulation. Xiao An could even hear every word they said and every sound they made.

Shen Xingchuan was just as he expected, a bastard who would do anything to achieve his goals. He always found ways to force his sister to call him some sticky and disgusting names, and then asked her if she was comfortable and praised her for being a good child.

Most of the time my sister kept silent, and only when she really couldn't stand it anymore would she ask him to be gentler and slower.

Xiao An hasn't had a good night's sleep since he moved in here. Shen Xingchuan is more energetic than a dog and has no idea of ​​self-control.

Xiao An felt a pang of heartache when he thought of his sister's frail body and pale face. He even dreamed that Shen Xingchuan had died suddenly from excessive indulgence. This was one of the few good dreams he had had in the past two years.

Whenever night falls, Shen Xingchuan is full of energy and does not look like a patient at all. During the day, he is very good at pretending and ordering people around.

Xiao An looked at Shen Xingchuan coldly, pointed at a plate of Sunshine Roses on the coffee table and said, "Xia Xia, I want to eat grapes."

My sister must have been a little embarrassed, after all, there were seven or eight people at home every day. Fortunately, the bodyguards were very professional and didn't even look over here when they heard the boss make such a request.

Yao Yingxia knew that it was useless to refuse. She knew very well the consequences of resisting Shen Xingchuan, so she could only wash her hands patiently and then start peeling the grapes.

After peeling it, Yao Yingxia handed it to him. Unexpectedly, Shen Xingchuan's attention was on the TV and he just opened his mouth.

Yao Yingxia paused, then quickly stuffed the food into his mouth. Xiao An even saw Shen Xingchuan's tongue graze across his sister's fingertips as he ate the third one.

Yao Yingxia calmly wiped her hands with a wet towel and continued to peel the grapes.

Compared to her past experiences, this little fact was nothing, and she thought her brother hadn't noticed, but the vein on Xiao An's forehead was throbbing wildly.

Even an eighty-year-old grandfather in a nursing home doesn't need such care.

Shen Xingchuan is really going too far.

Yao Yingxia peeled about ten and asked, "Do you want more?"

Shen Xingchuan nodded, but saw Xiao An walk to the coffee table and start helping her peel grapes.

Yao Yingxia tried to stop him: "No need, brother."

Xiao An, however, insisted: "You take a rest, I can do this kind of thing."

Shen Xingchuan raised his eyebrows. If you didn't know, you would think that he had ordered Xia Xia to do some heavy physical labor. In a sense, Xiao An was indeed a qualified good brother, but he had no sense of boundaries.

Shen Xingchuan didn't stop the other party's inappropriate behavior. He just watched Xiao An put all the peeled grapes into a small bowl, then handed it to him and said, "Eat it."

Fortunately, he didn't feed it to himself, but this was enough for Shen Xingchuan to make a fuss.

Yao Yingxia had a premonition that something very awkward was about to happen, so she quickly picked up the remote and tried to change the subject: "Do you want to change the channel?"

Unfortunately, no one paid attention to her suggestion. Only Shen Xingchuan's smiling voice drifted into her ears: "Isn't this a bit too ambiguous?"

Even if a food crisis breaks out in the whole world and no grass grows, and only this bowl of grapes peeled by Xiao An remains, Shen Xingchuan will not touch it.

He looked at Xiao An, and suddenly he looked a little dazed, then his tone softened: "If you need anything, I can introduce you to a boyfriend."

During his pause, Yao Yingxia's fingers were already clenched to the point of pain, and then Shen Xingchuan held them in his palm, freeing her red fingers.

Xiao An's face really turned ugly. He did not discriminate against minority groups, but the malice in Shen Xingchuan's voice was too obvious.

He replied coldly: "Sorry, I'm not gay."

Shen Xingchuan looked at him and asked, "What type do you like? I can also help you find a girlfriend."

Even if Xiao An has his eyes on some young celebrity, Shen Xingchuan will use all his resources to help him get her, but he is afraid that Xiao An will look down on everyone and only want to steal other people's things.

Xiao An obviously had no comment on this topic, so he just walked towards the kitchen: "It's time to cook."

Not long after, Shen Xingchuan heard the sound of Xiao An chopping vegetables. The five-digit kitchen knife was like a tiger with wings in his hands, and the sound was more frequent than drumbeats. However, the noise was too loud, as if he was dismembering a body, which attracted the attention of the bodyguards in the living room.

Fortunately, it only took him fifteen minutes to prepare the food.

After the noise died down, Shen Xingchuan glanced at Yao Yingxia distractedly, then calmly held her cold fingers in his hand and asked, "Xia Xia, are you cold?"

She really wanted to tell Shen Xingchuan not to provoke Xiao An anymore, but when the words came to her lips, she felt that there was no point in saying them. If he listened to her, no one would be in their current situation.

At noon that day, Xiao An prepared four dishes and a soup as usual. The only dish with a strong flavor was beef tenderloin with hot peppers, which he made specially to cater to Shen Xingchuan's taste. After all, no one in the family eats spicy food except him.

As expected, Shen Xingchuan picked up this dish first. The extremely spicy taste and the saltiness of almost half a bottle of salt instantly attacked his taste buds. Shen Xingchuan had never eaten such a disgusting thing in his life. His face instantly became very strange, but in front of Yao Yingxia and Xiao An, he did not allow himself to lose his composure and finally had to swallow it.

Shen Xingchuan put down his chopsticks, drank a glass of water, and never touched the dish again.

This was probably the quietest meal Yao Yingxia had had since her holiday. Shen Xingchuan, contrary to his usual habit of being a silent vegetarian, remained silent until the meal was over. He then looked at the young man across the table and asked sincerely, "We're going to have our wedding after Xia Xia graduates. Do you want to be best man?"

Xiao An stopped his hand as he was about to clear the table, and even Yao Yingxia turned around to look at him. Shen Xingchuan had never mentioned the wedding before, and now she seemed very surprised to hear him say this.

Shen Xingchuan looked at the expressions of the two people in front of him and smiled a little, "Xia Xia, why do you seem to have lost your memory? Did you forget that we already got the marriage certificate?"

Despite his repeated warnings, Yao Yingxia didn't seem to learn much. In fact, apart from the initial discomfort she felt when getting the marriage certificate, she had no idea she was married.

Until Shen Xingchuan's lawyer took out the divorce agreement.

Yao Yingxia now knew very well what this marriage meant to her, so she forced a smile: "I haven't forgotten."

She had no idea how pathetic she looked and just wanted to get away with it as much as possible: "Isn't it a little too early to start planning for the wedding now?" After all, she still had a year and a half before graduation.

Shen Xingchuan thought about this question very seriously: "It's not too early. The process of hand-making a custom wedding dress is very long. The wedding venue also needs to be arranged in advance. There are still many things that need to be prepared. After all, I want to give you the best of everything."

These words pierced Xiao An's heart like a thorn. His sister really deserved the best. Even if they could really get rid of Shen Xingchuan and be together, what could he give her?

Xiao An finally just silently cleaned up the leftovers on the table. Yao Yingxia was about to help when she heard Shen Xingchuan say, "Xia Xia, pour me a glass of water."

Just as the cup of water was handed to Shen Xingchuan, the doorbell rang. After the bodyguard opened the door, he heard a voice from the door saying, "Hello, I am the doctor who is here to help Mr. Shen with his rehabilitation. My colleague is behind me."

When Xiao An finished cleaning the kitchen and came out, the doctor had already left. He saw Shen Xingchuan standing next to the newly installed rehabilitation equipment, with most of his body hanging on his sister, trying to walk slowly without the crutches.

Although my sister didn't look like she was struggling, she still looked pitiful with such a huge body pressing on her thin shoulders.

Xiao An really wanted to rush up and argue with Shen Xingchuan like he did in the past, even if the result was not satisfactory.

But at this moment, he suddenly began to think, did his sister really need his help? Was his previous behavior out of heartache or narrow-minded possessiveness?

What position does he have to do these things?

He would always only make things difficult for his sister.

Xiao An was lost in thought for so long that when Shen Xingchuan walked to the end of the balcony and turned back, he saw him staring at him.

Yao Yingxia obviously saw it too. Xiao An's expression was not particularly gloomy, but it looked very heavy, with a sense of helplessness and unwillingness.

The hand that was holding Shen Xingchuan's waist subconsciously tightened, accidentally pinching his flesh. Shen Xingchuan lowered his head and smiled, then leaned close to Yao Yingxia's ear and said, "Your brother feels sorry for you again."

Yao Yingxia didn't understand what was so funny about this. In this world, only Xu Nian and Xiao An felt sorry for her. Uncharacteristically, she raised her head and asked, "Are you even jealous of my brother?"

Shen Xingchuan obviously hadn't expected her to be so self-righteous, so he looked at her for a long time before analyzing himself without shame: "You know, I've always been petty."

His frankness made Yao Yingxia at a loss for words. She pursed her lips and saw Xiao An had turned back to his bedroom and closed the door.

Shen Xingchuan has always been ruthless, even to himself. The doctor advised him to do short and frequent training in the early stages of rehabilitation, and to exercise his joints and muscles as much as possible within his tolerance. Even though the severe pain often made him break out in cold sweats, Shen Xingchuan strictly followed the instructions, and indeed achieved remarkable results in a short period of time.

One morning, Xiao An even saw him walking into the study without a cane as if it were flat ground.

However, when his sister woke up, Shen Xingchuan still wanted to use her as a human crutch, wishing he could hang on her every day.

Although Xiao An scoffed at his childish behavior, he didn't do anything to escalate the conflict. He worked hard without letting his emotions get in the way. During the day, he watched coldly as Shen Xingchuan dragged his sister to accompany him for rehabilitation. At night, he had to endure the noises that kept him awake.

Xiao An suffered from insomnia for several days, and the red bloodshot in his eyes were so numerous that they almost looked like they were about to burst.

His condition looked too bad, and Yao Yingxia repeatedly advised him to see a doctor. Xiao An just bought a bottle of melatonin, but it didn't help.

As long as Xiao An heard Shen Xingchuan panting and calling his sister's name, and those voices that were about to drive him crazy, he could only keep his eyes open until dawn.

If this continues, Xiao An suspects that he might become mentally ill and then stab Shen Xingchuan to death during an emotional outburst one night.

Fortunately, my sister will start school soon.

On the night of the Lantern Festival, Yao Yingxia finally put some daily necessities into the suitcase and locked the safety buckle.

Shen Xingchuan, whose help she had just refused, was sitting beside the bed. Whenever the school was about to start, he couldn't help feeling heavy-hearted. Yao Yingxia hadn't left yet, but he had already begun to miss her.

If he had been more ruthless, Yao Yingxia would not have been able to leave City A. When the college entrance examination results came out, she was still hospitalized with a high fever and unconscious. Although Yao Yingxia had discussed her desired major with Xu Nian in advance, Shen Xingchuan had many ways to influence her choice.

No one wanted Yao Yingxia to stay in City A more than he did.

Although Chuanhe Group's subsidiaries are spread all over the country, its roots have always been in City A. He has his own ambitions and aspirations and does not want to distract too much energy on running a long-distance relationship.

But when Shen Xingchuan learned that Yao Yingxia ranked first in the school and ranked very high in the province, he still felt a little bit reluctant.

Even before this, the two of them had already had a very unpleasant argument.

On the evening of the final decision, he went to Yao Yingxia's room alone and carefully read every notebook she had written in high school.

The smell of paper and ink carried a sense of years of sedimentation. He seemed to be able to see how Yao Yingxia had written each word with great concentration and care, stroke by stroke.

In the end, Shen Xingchuan just stroked the name she wrote on the cover and decided to loosen the string that was wrapped around her.

Later, he also wanted to be at ease in this relationship, but once people get a little bit, they will gradually become greedy. Moreover, he has never felt a bit of security from Yao Yingxia.

Shen Xingchuan stretched out his hand, and the girl sat on his lap obediently. At the moment of separation, she always seemed to be a little more obedient than usual, for the upcoming freedom.

The mood of loving and not loving is very different. Shen Xingchuan is eager to leave some mark.

It wasn't until two in the morning that the noise from next door finally died down. Xiao An lay there with his eyes wide open, his sister's voice, almost crying, still echoing in his ears.

He was obviously in great pain, yet he reacted shamefully. Human instincts were so base that it was devastating. Xiao An laughed silently.

Yao Yingxia's flight was at 2 pm the next day, and she barely woke up at 10 am when the alarm clock rang. The arm wrapped around her waist was very tight. No wonder she felt short of breath the whole night, just like the feeling Shen Xingchuan gave her.

Yao Yingxia reached out and grabbed his arm, but before she could move away, she felt herself being hugged even tighter.

Behind her was Shen Xingchuan's firm, warm chest. Yao Yingxia's scalp tingled, and she recalled the fear of being completely dominated last night. By the end, they were both sweating profusely, their bodies mingling stickily. Even after she showered, his scent still lingered on her.

Shen Xingchuan let go of her hand after ten minutes. The time for the plane to take off was getting closer and closer, and they didn't have much time to continue being affectionate.

When Yao Yingxia packed up everything and went out, Xiao An had already prepared the meal. He only took a glance and found that his sister's lips were swollen.

Shen Xingchuan originally wanted to appreciate Xiao An's extremely frustrated and angry expression, but on this day he just withdrew his gaze as if nothing had happened and sat opposite Yao Yingxia.

People seem to grow rapidly through hardships. Xiao An decided to play the role of a perfect "brother" in the next period of time. His eyes were calm and firm, and he seemed never to lose control easily because of these little things.

When Xiao An met Shen Xingchuan's eyes that were looking straight at him, he even smiled. It was a polite smile without any emotion, just like those fake people in social occasions.

So Shen Xingchuan also laughed. A game with equal strength is much more fun than a one-sided crushing. He really wants to see where Xiao An's limit is.

Just after Yao Yingxia finished her meal, Shen Xingchuan introduced her to two unfamiliar faces. "These two are former special forces veterans. They will be responsible for your safety while you're at school. I've already contacted the school. They will attend school with you as auditors. If you don't want to change roommates, the school will help you move into a six-person dormitory."

This seemed to be the best option under the current circumstances, but the days of completely losing freedom were very difficult to endure. Even though the two female bodyguards did not interfere with her daily life, their constant gaze still made her mentally tense, and the school seemed to have become a new cage.

Yao Yingxia tried to focus more on her studies and exam preparation. The year passed quickly. She reviewed step by step and flew back to City A to visit Xu Nian every week. Even though she had a long summer vacation, Xiao An and Shen Xingchuan did not cause her any trouble. The two seemed to have reached some kind of consensus and were able to live in peace for a short time until Yao Yingxia finished her postgraduate entrance examination.

Winter vacation has begun.

With the pragmatic mentality of starting to work if she failed to get into college, Yao Yingxia returned to City A and prepared to find a finance-related internship. She did not mention it to anyone in advance, but in the end her resume and relevant company information were still delivered to Shen Xingchuan.

Perhaps they had been screened in advance, as none of the companies Yao Yingxia applied to had any obvious connection with the Chuanhe Group. However, since they were companies rooted in City A, they were definitely inextricably linked to him.

Shen Xingchuan first passed on her behalf several companies whose bosses were shameless, greedy and lustful. He then eliminated companies with extremely bad corporate culture and various bad criminal records. Finally, he crossed out all the companies that were too far from home and often required overtime. He didn't want Yao Yingxia to get up early and work late to suffer such hardships in the middle of winter.

After screening until only a few were left, Shen Xingchuan picked the one he could learn the most from and called the other company's boss: "Mr. Li, long time no see. Do you have time to have dinner together?"

Li Chengye was flattered. "What brings you here? I'm always available."

They made an appointment to meet that evening, and Shen Xingchuan also invited a few friends who were familiar with Li Chengye. The meal was a great pleasure for both the host and the guests.

Li Chengye was a little confused. Rumor had it that Mr. Shen didn't like socializing and seldom attended business dinners. Li Chengye himself was a technical person and not good at scheming for personal gain. Although he had cooperated with Chuanhe Group on several projects, the interests involved were not deep. There was no reason for Mr. Shen to take the initiative to make friends with him.

It was not until they had eaten and drunk their fill and were talking about business that Li Chengye suddenly realized that Mr. Shen's wife was coming to their company for an internship.

Although he rarely paid attention to gossip reports, the news that Mr. Shen had obtained a marriage certificate with a college student was too sensational. Li Chengye had also heard about it, but he did not expect that Mr. Shen's wife would come to him instead of going to Chuanhe Group.

No matter what, it was a pleasant surprise to be able to establish this relationship. Moreover, Mr. Shen's wife's resume was excellent enough. Even without today's dinner, it was almost certain that she would get the internship qualification.

Mr. Shen finally gave him a contract for a new project, but attached three requirements: first, do not treat his wife specially; second, in order to ensure his wife's safety, he needs to deploy two extra people from his team; third, all this must be kept secret from his wife.

If someone else made such a request, Li Chengye would think that the other party wanted to come to their company to steal business secrets, but the size of Chuanhe Group is not at the same level as his company, so there is no need to do such a thing.

Compared with the benefits that the contract could bring, this small request was just a piece of cake. Li Chengye just didn't expect that Mr. Shen would protect his wife to this extent. It was just an ordinary internship. If you didn't know, you would think that he was in some dire straits.

However, Li Chengye soon realized that Mr. Shen's concerns were not unfounded. Miss Yao had caused quite a stir on her first day as an intern at the company. Even the partner, who always prioritized profit over everything else, casually mentioned, "We have a very beautiful intern here. Did you know? She's from the Finance Department of S University."

Li Chengye quickly stopped him: "She's married, don't get any ideas."

The partner's face rarely showed such a stunned expression, as if he had suffered a severe blow. "Impossible? She hasn't even graduated yet."

When Li Chengye explained the details, the partner said awkwardly, "So he's Mr. Shen's man. No wonder, no wonder."

After only one week of internship, the software that simultaneously monitored Yao Yingxia's mobile phone showed that more than a dozen male colleagues from different departments had added her on WeChat. Some came to ask about her well-being, some pretended to chat about work for a few minutes and then started asking questions, and some senior executives even directly asked her out on a date, claiming that they could help her get a permanent position early.

Even if Yao Yingxia did not respond to these harassments and did not have any extra contact with anyone except for work-related matters, it was enough to make Shen Xingchuan very angry.

These people don’t even look in the mirror and think about their own weight. How dare they get close to Xia Xia?

Fortunately, Li Chengye was very sensible and would never tolerate any unhealthy practices in the company. After collecting relevant evidence, he fired the two most serious executives the next day. At the same time, he issued an internal document explicitly prohibiting office romances, and anyone who unilaterally harassed a female colleague would be immediately fired.

Of course, all this happened silently, and Yao Yingxia was not aware of it. She just happened to notice that her surroundings suddenly became very quiet, and her mobile phone almost no longer received those harassing messages that were not related to work.

The internship work afterwards was intense and fulfilling. It was not until the day before New Year's Eve when the company went on annual holiday that she received her first internship salary, which, together with the holiday allowance, totaled more than 5,000 yuan.

After get off work, Yao Yingxia did not go to the hospital immediately, but asked her bodyguard to take her to a nearby shopping mall.

She added some money and bought Xu Nian a gold bracelet carved with auspicious clouds, and a coat for Xiao An. Shen Xingchuan seemed to have everything he needed, and Yao Yingxia couldn't afford the things he liked, so she went into a luxury men's clothing store and bought a tie.

The bodyguards followed closely throughout the entire process. Shen Xingchuan knew in advance what gift Yao Yingxia had prepared for him, but he was still happy when he received it. He held her face and kissed her: "Thank you, my wife."

At that time, Xiao An was trying on the coat his sister gave him. He didn't react when he heard the noise behind him. The clothes fit him well, the fabric was soft yet crisp, and the warmth it brought was enough to support him to continue facing all this.

Yao Yingxia had just glanced at her brother when she heard Shen Xingchuan say, "Xia Xia, help me tie my tie."

Yao Yingxia is now very familiar with doing this kind of thing, but she still can't adapt to Shen Xingchuan's gaze on her. The sticky and dense gaze is like a huge net covering the sky, trying to wrap her tightly, wishing that not even the tip of his finger is exposed.

Yao Yingxia tried hard to put aside those messy thoughts and quickly helped him tie his tie.

A white shirt seemed to go with any color, and he was naturally good-looking, so when Shen Xingchuan asked for her opinion, Yao Yingxia nodded sincerely, "It looks good."

Shen Xingchuan's brows relaxed as he took out a small box and handed it to her: "Xia Xia, Happy New Year."

It was an imperial green jadeite necklace. Even though Yao Yingxia didn't know much about jade, she thought it was extremely beautiful.

Shen Xingchuan personally helped her put it around her neck. The rich and translucent emerald green color was like a clear spring, which perfectly matched her skin tone. It was radiant and beautiful, complementing each other.

But Yao Yingxia only wore it for a short while. She took it off when she took a shower and put it in the cabinet, just like the jewels he had given her before, never to see the light of day again.

Instead, she had a cheap bracelet that she wore every day when she went to school and only took it off when she got home. It was obvious who gave it to her.

Yao Yingxia was keenly aware of Shen Xingchuan's mood changes. When he was in a bad mood, his eyes would become a little cold, but the corners of his lips would slightly rise. His half-smile always made people feel uneasy.

However, Yao Yingxia no longer had the energy to guess what he was thinking. No matter how angry Shen Xingchuan was, all she had to do was sleep with him for a while. If that didn't work, she could just sleep a few more times.

Unfortunately, she is currently on her menstrual period, so no matter how much Shen Xingchuan wants to vent his anger, he has to wait a few days.

Yao Yingxia was slightly distracted when Shen Xingchuan had already grasped her wrists together and pressed them above her head.

This completely restrained posture made her somewhat resistant. She felt a slight pain in her wrist and struggled twice, but the big hand didn't move at all. Yao Yingxia looked at him in surprise, but Shen Xingchuan just slowly unbuttoned her pajamas.

It has been very quiet next door in recent days. Xiao An didn't wear earmuffs when he slept until the familiar voice sounded again.

The night was long and endless. Xiao An got up and went to the terrace. The bodyguard on night duty was drowsy, but he instantly perked up when he saw Xiao An. Sure enough, Xiao An took out a cigarette and handed it to him: "Go get some sleep, I'll keep watch for you."

"Thanks, brother." The two men finished a cigarette together, and the other party left the terrace.

By the time he finished his eleventh cigarette, the sky was finally turning pale. Xiao An had lost count of how many times he had watched the sunrise from this spot. The thick darkness gradually faded, but the dark fog that choked his heart was so heavy that he could barely breathe.

This was like an obedience test tailored specifically for him by Shen Xingchuan. Xiao An didn't expect that he could be so patient.

Before seven o'clock, he put away his cigarette butts, walked into the kitchen, and began to prepare breakfast. Lately, his sister has been getting up early every day because of her internship, so even if she doesn't have to go to work today, she probably won't get up too late.

Sure enough, after half past eight, Yao Yingxia appeared in the restaurant and greeted him sleepily, saying, "Good morning, brother."

Xiao An didn't know if it was an illusion, but he felt that his sister's face was even paler than usual. When she picked up the cup to drink water, her sleeve fell down by inertia, revealing a part of her forearm.

Xiao An immediately noticed that her wrist was all red, which was particularly conspicuous against her snow-white skin. His eyes fell on the other wrist, which was tightly covered by the sleeve and nothing could be seen.

Xiao An walked over, grabbed her forearm, lifted her sleeve and saw that there was indeed the same mark there.

Shen Xingchuan is indeed a pervert. He even ties up his sister on the bed?

Xiao An's face turned very ugly in an instant.