Chapter 36 He thought, it’s over, he must have been exposed…

When Gao Xing pushed the door open and entered the house, the sensor light in the entrance hall lit up. Seeing that she came back early again today, Shen Xingjian concluded that she did not go to work.

"Off work?" he said deliberately.

Gao Xing hadn't told him that she was going to see Xu Jiakai today, so she deliberately avoided his question and said, "Have you eaten yet?"

"No, I'm just waiting for you to come back." He smirked, maneuvering his wheelchair to the dining table. "I learned a special spicy dish today, and it's perfect for you to come and taste it."

Gao Xing felt his tone was a little strange, but she couldn't put her finger on why. She had just finished eating at the Japanese restaurant, so she said, "I'm not eating today. I'm not hungry."

"Are you not hungry, or are you full?"

He couldn't help but grumble, his lips twitching as he snorted, "You didn't go to work today, did you? Who was that person who just sent you back?"

Gao Xing's heart tightened when he revealed she hadn't been at work, thinking he'd discovered her meeting with Xu Jiakai. It wasn't until he asked about what happened in the yard that she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, you mean Zhou Jinkai?"

"Zhou Jinkai? He is Zhou Jinkai?" Shen Xingjian's voice suddenly rose.

Gao Xing nodded hesitantly, not understanding why he reacted so strongly.

When he first heard this name, Shen Xingjian thought it was just an ordinary person with plain looks, but he didn't expect...

Damn! He's so handsome!

“I think you’d better stay away from him.” Shen Xingjian advised with feigned concern.

"Why?"

"His face shows that he is a playboy!"

Although he tried hard to act indifferent, he couldn't hide the subtle sourness in his tone.

Gao Xing noticed something was going on, and suppressing the upward curve of his lips, he feigned surprise, "You can also read faces?"

"I... I'm just afraid that you'll be cheated." He said with a sincere look on his face.

"I don't have any money, how can I be cheated by others?"

"People are evil, who knows what he is planning for you?" He murmured maliciously.

"He has the height, the looks, the talent, and the money. I'm poor and ordinary. Even if he really wants something from me, I'm not at a disadvantage, right?"

Shen Xingjian didn't expect Gao Xing to be so fascinated by Zhou Jinkai. He couldn't help but say, "No matter how outstanding he is, he is just a man! Why do you have to belittle yourself for him?"

He said rather indignantly, "Besides, you're not bad, are you? You're pretty good-looking, right? You have big eyes and a well-proportioned body. With a little dressing up, you'd be no worse than those stars on TV. Besides, it's not your fault that you're poor. You've managed to walk out of the mountains and live independently, which is already more impressive than many people!"

"You are also hardworking, strong, kind, and independent..." Shen Xingjian counted on his fingers, "These are such rare and precious qualities!"

As he was talking, he suddenly realized that Gaoxing was staring at him motionlessly.

Shen Xingjian suddenly paused, realizing that he seemed to have revealed himself a little, and hurriedly tried to make amends: "It's just... I have a bad temper! I hit people at the slightest provocation! Like a tigress!"

After he said that, he subconsciously took a defensive posture, thinking that Gao Xing would hit him as usual.

Unexpectedly, Gao Xing not only didn't hit her, but she smiled, her eyes shining: "Then I won't hit you anymore, okay?"

Shen Xingjian's heart suddenly swelled up, floating, empty and unable to find the edge.

He thought, it's over, he must have been exposed...

…

In order to be able to live to see the sun ten years from now, rehabilitation has now become something Shen Xingjian must do every few days. As time goes by, he begins to understand why Gao Xing looks so dead when he goes to and from get off work every day.

I’m tired, so tired!

In the freezing cold, you have to get up early, work yourself to death all day but get nothing, and finally have to drag your tired body and heart full of disappointment and pain home, and continue the cycle.

Although only a few weeks had passed, Shen Xingjian felt like several months had passed. He even began to miss the days when he had free time.

The only consolation is that he seems to have regained some vitality. He now occasionally wants to see the scenery that he had no interest in and was too lazy to see before, and even wants to buy a bouquet of flowers to put at home to feel the vibrant feeling.

Coming out of the hospital and on the way back to Mingjing Lake, Shen Xingjian thought that Gaoxing must have never seen the street scene ten years ago, so he raised his mobile phone and took pictures while moving.

But he had clearly overestimated his ability to multitask. The moment he was distracted by operating his wheelchair, the wheel ran over a stone, causing him to stumble and his phone to fly out of his hand. The screen hit the ground with a snap, cracking into spiderweb-like shatters.

He was feeling a little lost when a clerk from the flower shop next door saw him, ran out quickly, picked up the phone for him and handed it back to him.

After Shen Xingjian thanked her, he was immediately attracted by the bright yellow sunflowers inside. He remembered the bunch he happily brought back some time ago, and walked into the store as if possessed by a ghost.

Seeing him staring at the sunflowers, the clerk enthusiastically introduced them, "These are our new flowers, flown in this morning. Do you want me to recommend some?"

Shen Xingjian finally came back to his senses, and his gaze shifted from the sunflowers to the surroundings - roses, lilies, lavender, baby's breath... all kinds of flowers clustered together, colorful and dazzling.

Each one looks great.

"I want this."

His gaze shifted back to the sunflowers. The clerk was about to ask if he wanted some other flowers when he heard him say, "There's also this, this, this, this..."

He ordered every flower in the shop, and the clerk hurriedly reminded him, "Sir, a bouquet of flowers usually only needs three to five varieties. Too many will make it look messy. How about this, I'll use sunflowers as the main flower and try to choose as many varieties as possible. Is that okay with you?"

Shen Xingjian waved his hand and said, “No need, you can pack the sunflowers separately, and send the others to my house together with the vase.”

As he spoke, he generously took out his card, left his address, and specifically instructed, "Just make sure it's delivered before 4 p.m."

Gao Xing gets off work at 5:30 and usually gets home at 6:00. To be on the safe side, Shen Xingjian asked them to send him off two hours in advance to avoid people thinking something supernatural had happened if they bumped into him.

After receiving the packed sunflowers, Shen Xingjian thought he had done another good deed today, helping the clerk take on such a large order, which was a way of repaying his debt. Little did he know that florists don't get commissions. Not only do they have to prune and pack the flowers, but they also have to deliver them to customers' homes, adding a whole week's worth of work to their workload.

So when he left, the clerk rolled his eyes behind his back.

I thought: Where did this local tycoon come from? He must have read too many romance novels! Pah!

The flower shop that Shen Xingjian patronized was on an old commercial street next to Mingjing Lake. He remembered that Xu Jiakai's parents' morning tea shop was also nearby. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to go and have a look.

A hundred meters away, at the entrance of the store, the signboard of "Xu's Morning Tea" has long been old and yellow, but the narrow store is still as clean as ever.

It was mid-afternoon, and the restaurant should still have been filled with the afterglow of the dining peak, but there was no one behind the glass sliding door. Uncle Xu and Aunt Zhang sat in the middle of the restaurant, looking up at the TV hanging high above.

Shen Xingjian raised his hand and knocked on the door a few times. The sound of "dong dong" came into the room. Aunt Zhang looked up at the sound and hurriedly stood up when she saw that the guest had arrived. Noticing that the other party was a young man in a wheelchair, she quickly stepped forward and took the initiative to help him open the door.

"Hello, what would you like to eat?" Aunt Zhang spoke in not-so-standard Mandarin and moved a few chairs away from the table so that Shen Xingjian's wheelchair could fit in.

“Shrimp dumplings, siu mai, and radish cake,” Shen Xingjian replied.

After a few years, Uncle Xu and Aunt Zhang didn't recognize him at first sight, or rather, they noticed him but didn't dare to acknowledge him. It wasn't until they heard him skillfully order the three old items that Uncle Xu asked tentatively, "Are you... Xiao Shen?"

Shen Xingjian smiled and nodded.

Aunt Zhang immediately let out an "Oh my," and looked at him distressedly: "A few years ago, I heard from Jiakai that you were in a car accident. Is it that serious?"

The Xu family's parents didn't know the reason why Shen Xingjian had a car accident, and Shen Xingjian didn't mention it. The matter was already done, so what could they do even if they knew? It would only increase the pressure.

"It's much better now." He smiled.

Uncle Xu immediately pulled Aunt Zhang aside, signaling her not to make a fuss, which embarrassed the child. He then raised his prosthetic left hand and said, "Look, uncle. I was electrocuted when I was a kid and lost a hand, but now it's fine, isn't it? It's okay!"

Aunt Zhang also quickly said: "Yes, yes, medicine is very advanced now, everything will be fine!"

Shen Xingjian was a little overwhelmed by their enthusiastic comfort, so he could only smile euphemistically and said, “Uncle and aunt, I’m a little hungry.”

Uncle Xu slapped his head and said, "Look at me! The three things, right? I'll get them for you right now."

After Uncle Xu left, Aunt Zhang sat down opposite him: "Xiao Shen, how is your grandfather now? Is he in good health?"

Aunt Zhang is a straightforward person who can’t hide things. Seeing Shen Xingjian like this, her eyes were red.

When he was in middle school, Shen Xingjian loved to come here to eat, not only because he wanted to take care of Xu Jiakai's business, but also because Uncle Xu and Aunt Zhang were very good people. They always took special care of the students nearby and asked about their well-being.

Here, he sometimes feels like he could be a child.

“He passed away a few years ago,” Shen Xingjian replied.

"Oh..." Aunt Zhang's face showed a bit more sympathy, and she couldn't hide her worry and asked, "So you live alone now?"

After she asked, she saw Shen Xingjian looking down at the bouquet of sunflowers in his arms, and immediately understood, smiling awkwardly: “Auntie is a bit too talkative, right?”

Shen Xingjian shook his head: “No.”

Aunt Zhang guessed that he was giving the flowers to his girlfriend, and she felt relieved. She pulled him aside and said, "Hey, if Jiakai could be as worry-free as you, I wouldn't have to worry about this every day!"

Aunt Zhang opened up, "Look at Jiakai. He's almost 25 or 30, and he still doesn't even have a girlfriend!"

Listening to Aunt Zhang's complaints, Shen Xingjian laughed dryly twice. If he remembered correctly, Xu Jiakai was the same age as him, so he should be only twenty-two this year, right?

Also, how did the topic get to this point?

Aunt Zhang ignored him and listed Xu Jiakai's "several sins": "A few years ago, I asked him to pay attention at school, but he didn't listen. He ignored my advice and is still single! Last year, a friend who owns a factory in my hometown contacted me and said her family had a daughter who also worked in southern Beijing. I thought that was great, since we know each other well, so I asked him to go meet her, but he refused to go!"

"Two months ago, a girl came to my restaurant to eat. She said she was his college classmate and seemed to be interested in him. But he just chased her away! Tell me, if he doesn't get married at such an old age, what will happen to his younger brothers and sisters? I'm so embarrassed!" Aunt Zhang sighed repeatedly.

Shen Xingjian: “…”

He had only seen people being urged to get married in TV dramas before, and this was the first time he encountered it in real life. He thought those outrageous lines were written by screenwriters to sell anxiety, but he didn't expect that drama came from life.

Fortunately, Uncle Xu brought the meal over at this time, and Shen Xingjian immediately pretended to be dead and stuffed his mouth full.

Uncle Xu saw Aunt Zhang scolding Xu Jiakai in front of others again, and he argued for him, "Is your son not good enough? I bought you a villa, what else do you want? Do you have to be satisfied with a spendthrift son?"

Speaking of the villa, Aunt Zhang became proud again and asked Shen Xingjian: “Xiao Shen, did you know that this place is about to be demolished?”

Shen Xingjian had received a call from the demolition office before, and Gao Xing also confirmed that the land near Mingjing Lake would be developed into a resort in ten years, so he was not surprised.

"Originally, Jiakai's father and I were planning to find another place to continue our small business. Although business is not doing well now, we can't just sit around at home doing nothing, right? But Jiakai refused to agree, saying that we are old and need to rest. So, he bought us a villa in Dongjiang Garden so that we can retire in peace!"

Aunt Zhang seemed to be complaining, but in fact she was pleased and showing off. As the eldest son in the family, Xu Jiakai was able to buy a villa for his parents in a big city. When this news spread to his hometown, they felt extremely proud.

Uncle Xu also smiled and said, "We went to see it the other day, and we heard it cost over a million!" Then he felt distressed, "It's such a shame, all the money he'd saved from starting a business over the past few years has gone into it."

Listening to Uncle Xu and Aunt Zhang’s description, Shen Xingjian gradually realized that something was wrong.

He knew Dongjiang Garden. Although it was a new development, it was considered high-end, with villas starting at five million. When Gao Xing had previously said he wouldn't live here in ten years, he had considered moving there, as it was the only villa complex in southern Jingnan City with an environment similar to Mingjing Lake. Based on Xu Jiakai's share of the profits from his two years of business, even with the demolition compensation from Xu's Morning Tea, it would still be far from enough.

Where did he get so much money to buy a villa?

The more Shen Xingjian thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. After returning home, he thought about it and called Zhang Wei.

When Zhang Wei received a call from Shen Xingjian, he thought that there would be a chance for work again, and suppressed his joy and said, "Boss Shen, do you have something to talk to me about?"

Shen Xingjian: “Zhang Wei, I have already left Zhongyue, you don’t have to call me President Shen.”

Zhang Wei hurriedly said carefully: "Okay, okay, Mr. Shen."

Shen Xingjian thought of what Gao Xing had said about Zhang Wei's situation ten years later. He wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't mention it. He asked about the business: "Zhang Wei, I have something to ask you. I want to see Zhongyue's previous accounts. Do you know who to contact?"

Until now, he has only been responsible for projects and has never been involved in the management of the company, so he is not very familiar with the company's personnel.

"Accountant Liu has always been in charge of the company's accounts," Zhang Wei replied.

"Then do you have Accountant Liu's contact information?" Shen Xingjian asked.

"This..." Zhang Wei hesitated.

To be precise, he did have a relationship with Accountant Liu a year and a half ago. At that time, Accountant Liu had just joined the company and Zhang Wei was single. He saw that Accountant Liu was young and beautiful and wanted to pursue her. However, he was ridiculed in front of her as a toad wanting to eat swan meat, so he deleted the person in anger.

Later, I heard from other people in the company that Accountant Liu was Mr. Xu's college classmate and a highly talented student. No wonder she looked down on him. There were also rumors that she liked Mr. Xu.

After hearing these reasons, Shen Xingjian couldn’t force it anymore, and Zhang Wei suddenly remembered: “But when I was helping Mr. Xu sort out the company’s assets some time ago, I found a USB flash drive, and it seemed to contain the account sheet, but I couldn’t quite understand the details.”

He had wanted to return it to Accountant Liu, but Accountant Liu had been looking at him with a dirty look since she rejected him. Zhang Wei was angry and wanted to make her anxious so that she would forget about it after a while.

Shen Xingjian then said, “Can you let me see that USB drive?”

Before the change of legal person, Shen Xingjian had always been the boss of the company. It was natural for him to see the accounts, so Zhang Wei did not suspect anything and said he would send them to him in a few days.

Before hanging up the phone, Shen Xingjian couldn't sit idly by and said, "Zhang Wei, there are many things in life that we can't control. No matter what happens, it will pass. Maybe some blows are too great and we can't let go for a while. At this time, we must calm ourselves down and protect our family."

Zhang Wei was confused by Shen Xingjian's words. Just as he was about to ask what he meant, he heard someone on the phone say, "Although I may not be able to solve your actual difficulties, if you need money, just ask."

These days, even relatives and friends wouldn't dare to lend you money casually. As a former boss with whom he had a shallow relationship, Shen Xingjian was already quite kind and righteous.

Zhang Wei took it to heart and said he understood and he would definitely work hard.

In the evening, when Gao Xing returned, the living room, dining room, and kitchen were filled with flowers. She was stunned, thinking that Villa No. 1 had been plagued by flower demons again.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Sitting among the flowers, Shen Xingjian looked at his own masterpiece on the first floor with great satisfaction: "I passed by a flower shop today and saw that the flowers there were in full bloom, so I bought some."

Is this a point? This means the flower shops are all back here, right?

Gao Xing laughed dryly twice, and the strong floral fragrance that filled the room suddenly made his nose itchy.

Shen Xingjian pointed to the only sunflower in the bunch of flowers that was carefully wrapped into a bouquet and said, "That one, you take it up." "I don't want it." Gao Xing scratched his nose and couldn't help sneezing.

"Don't want it? Why not? On what basis do you want it? Didn't you accept the flowers your editor sent you last time?" Shen Xingjian immediately sat up straight, his tone full of confusion.

They have been together for so long, is he not as good as an editor?

"That's just politeness," Gao Xing explained helplessly, "Besides, I don't like sunflowers."

"You don't like sunflowers? What flowers do you like?"

"Well—if I must say, I like brains."

"Brain?!" Shen Xingjian was shocked, "Human...?"

Happy and speechless: "...Damn it!!"