Meng Jiuyi: "..."

She felt like she was doing hard labor for him, but she couldn't let all her efforts go to waste.

After silently fuming for several seconds, she secretly took out her phone and sought help online.

A gentle breeze blows from the mountaintop, carrying the sounds of birdsong and the fragrance of flowers.

A finger poked the book upwards, the contours of his face were interspersed with light and shadow, the man's dark eyes were obscured by the light and turned amber, at the edge of his vision—she was engrossed in looking for a joke, her eyelashes elongated by the light and shadow, like butterflies fluttering.

He even read it out in a mumbling manner.

“A wealthy businessman was walking his dog when an assassin came out and killed it. When the businessman asked why, the assassin said, ‘Someone hired me to take your dog’s life.’”

A soft laugh rang in my ears.

Meng Jiuyi suddenly looked up. "You smiled! Ten thousand!"

"I have?"

The book was put back on, and Tan Yuchen refused to admit it, but the corners of his mouth were still turned up.

"It's definitely there!"

It would be a miracle if Meng Jiuyi let him cheat; otherwise, all that work would have been for nothing.

She took out her phone to take pictures as evidence, but he deliberately pulled the book down. She was so angry that she pushed herself across the coffee table to peel the book off his face.

However, even faster than the snapping sound, Tan Yuchen grabbed her wrist.

With a forceful movement, she threw herself against his chest.

The rocking chair swayed back and forth, creaking and groaning, filling her nostrils with the scent of sage.

He still held her wrist tightly, just like last night, so domineeringly.

She looked up in a panic and saw Tan Yuchen resting his head on one arm, his eyelids drooping down, his gaze fixed meaningfully on her face.

"You wanted to take pictures of me to molest me?"

Meng Jiuyi: "..." Where the hell do you have the nerve?

He released her hand, not to let her up, but to gently touch the corner of her eye with his fingertips.

There's a mole here.

A tingling, electric-like sensation shot through the area he touched, and Meng Jiuyi's heart trembled violently.

Even if she weren't particularly perceptive, she would know that this kind of atmosphere absolutely shouldn't belong to them.

What is he going to do now?

Meng Jiuyi was more than just startled; she tried to get up from his embrace.

The fragrance suddenly intensified, lingering around the man's nose before her hand could even touch the armrest. His eyes darkened slightly, and he already gripped her waist, pulling her back into his embrace.

She was caught off guard as she met his deep, cloud-covered eyes, their noses almost touching.

The air was filled with the scent of her camellias. Tan Yuchen stared at her intently, his eyes like whirlpools.

"Have you been using this perfume?"

?

"What a coincidence, I think I smelled it on the cruise ship last night too."

Meng Jiuyi's heart skipped a beat. If he hadn't been holding her, she would have definitely fallen down in fright.

She didn't dare to respond to him at all, and smiled generously, "It's not perfume, it's just a shampoo I grabbed from the supermarket. If you like the smell, you can buy it for Miss Shen."

Tan Yuchen remained silent.

"I have something to do this afternoon, so I'll be leaving now."

Meng Jiuyi quickly propped himself up, his hand still around her waist. He looked at her and slowly let go, but his gaze followed her as she left the bamboo fence courtyard.

**

When she got back, Meng Jiuyi bought different scented shampoos. She didn't throw away the camellia one she had before, and mixed several different kinds to use.

To avoid giving the impression that you're acting suspiciously like a thief.

This man is too vigilant; she must not let her guard down again.

This week's entertainment news is all about the marriage between the Shen and Chen families. The paparazzi are everywhere, and they have photographed the two together on multiple occasions, suggesting that they have already begun preparing for their engagement.

Meng Jiuyi was completely bewildered; he didn't seem to be forced into marriage at all.

Wen Qi also returned this week after finishing her annual leave. The house was spotless, but she couldn't stay idle and insisted on wiping everything down again.

"Jiuyi, come quick!" Meng Jiuyi heard her calling from inside the room.

"What's wrong?"

When she went outside, she saw Wen Qi holding an envelope containing a thick wad of cash.

Wen Qi stared in disbelief. "I found it under the coffee table. Where did all this money come from?"

Meng Jiuyi immediately realized that only Meng Cheng had been here, so it must have been him who gave it to her.

She took a picture and sent it to him, not knowing what time it was there, and Mengcheng replied instantly.

Hehe, I thought my sister wouldn't find out until next year.

Meng Jiuyi: [Where did you get so much money?]

Meng Cheng: [Since Old Deng gave it to me, I might as well keep it.]

Knowing she didn't like Meng Xincheng, and being cunning himself, he didn't even call her "father."

Meng Jiuyi: "..."

She didn't keep the money; instead, she added another 200,000 yuan and transferred it to Mo Ruyue.

On Friday morning, Tan Ni called her to ask if she had forgotten about what happened that evening.

"ah?"

Meng Jiuyi was a little dazed. She had just come out of the nursing home, and the thought of changing rooms was still on her mind.

"Charity auction gala dinner".

Tan Ni said, "I told you a month ago, you're not allowed to stand me up!"

When the Bentley arrived to pick her up, Meng Jiuyi had changed into a pale yellow dress, a simple and neat style, and her short hair was braided and tucked behind her ears.

The only adornment she wore was a pearl earring.

After getting on the bus, Tan Ni stared at her intently, unable to look away. As the night deepened, it was as if the moonlight was draped over her.

"Xiao Jiu, what did you bring?" Tan Ni noticed the black velvet gift box in her hand.

Meng Jiuyi smiled and said, "I also plan to do my part for charity."

Inside the box was a Cartier watch, the only thing her father gave her the year she graduated.

Donate it, and you'll also lose the fatherly love she never had.

Meng Jiuyi felt a great sense of relief.

But most ordinary luxury items like these will likely go unsold at the dinner party, since they're readily available in shop windows, so who would specifically come to bid on such a thing?

Ultimately, it will most likely be sent to a pawnshop for valuation by the organizers.

Upon arriving at the hotel entrance, a waiter opened the door for them.

Paulaner is a renowned top-tier business hotel, often used for weddings and summits due to the grand scale of its banquet halls.

Although the hotel is under the Xu family's ownership, it was actually sold many years ago, and now the Xu family only holds a portion of the shares.

The elevator steadily ascended, and Tan Ni covered her mouth and whispered in her ear, "I found out that there's a summit upstairs at 7 p.m., and Xu Yanzhi will be attending as a special guest. I don't plan to go back tonight."

Meng Jiuyi chuckled and reminded her.

"Watch out, the old lady will scold you."

"Grandma can't look after me right now; she's busy preparing for my brother's wedding—"

Before he could finish speaking, the elevator doors opened with a ding, and Meng Jiuyi thought he was hallucinating.

It turns out there really is such a thing as "saying Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives".

He was clearly not walking at the front; there were people leading the way for them, and behind him were all people in suits and ties.

But Xu Yanzhi is instantly eye-catching; his misty black suit exudes sophistication and texture, his phone is close to his face, and he strides with long legs.

The elevator couldn't hold that many people, so even though it was open on their side, the people attending the summit didn't seem inclined to get in.

He was on the phone and didn't notice them.

Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Tan Ni said, "Brother Yanzhi!"

Everyone was stunned.

In that one glance Xu Yanzhi gave her, Meng Jiuyi was completely exposed to his gaze. There was no need for panic, for he remained completely composed.

Upon seeing an acquaintance, Xu Yanzhi said something to the person behind him and entered the elevator.

The elevator doors closed behind Meng Jiuyi, and she heard him ask Tan Ni with a faint smile, "Here to attend a charity gala?"

"Yeah! Will Brother Yanzhi go to the auction? I heard that a 2005 Romanée-conti will be leaked tonight."

Tan Ni knew he was a wine collector and would definitely not miss out on such a top-tier vintage.

Xu Yanzhi shook his head, somewhat regretful.

"I can't get away, let's see if my assistant has such good luck."

The two hadn't exchanged more than a few words when the elevator reached the fifth floor. Xu Yanzhi held the elevator button for them and gentlemanly gestured for them to stop.

Tan Ni belatedly realized she had forgotten about Xiao Jiu and belatedly introduced her to them.

"By the way, Brother Yanzhi, this is my friend Meng Jiuyi."

Meng Jiuyi looked up at him.

As he followed Tan Ni's introduction, his gaze fell on her face, which remained completely unmoved. Even his nods were polite and brief.

It wasn't the chuckled whispers while teaching her to play billiards at the club, nor was it the calm and patient demeanor of that night on the cruise ship.

He remained expressionless, treating it as if they were meeting for the first time.

Meng Jiuyi keenly sensed that everything that had happened between them since they fell into the water involved the hydrogen balloon that had gently carried her around a while ago.

He wiped them all out.