Gu Ying's face flushed slightly from Nan Zhi's rubbing, and he was a little shy. He softly hummed in agreement, then turned around and walked to the other side of the table, obediently sat down, and began to eat his breakfast.
But his face was flushed red no matter what he did. Seeing him like this, Nanzhi wanted to rub him a few more times. It was hard to imagine that this child would grow up to be such a cold and heartless person, seemingly without a trace of pity for Lian Chuchu.
"Miss, Shen Xingmian has been found."
Nanzhi had just finished breakfast and was wiping her mouth when the butler came to the restaurant entrance and spoke.
Nan Zhi paused, unable to describe the feelings in her heart at that moment—excitement, longing, and fear.
At this time, Shen Xingmian did not know her, and she was quite uncertain about herself.
"Really?"
Gu Ying stood up excitedly and looked at the butler, her eyes sparkling, revealing her current mood. Here, she could only rely on her brother Xingmian, and the only two of them knew and were familiar with each other.
Fortunately, he met Sister Xixi, and now he's found his brother...
Suddenly, Gu Ying wondered if she would have to leave this place once she found Xingmian.
He looked at Nanzhi with a hint of reluctance and sadness, but Nanzhi was lost in thought and didn't notice Gu Ying's emotions.
A moment later, Nanzhi asked the steward, "Where is he?"
The butler spoke respectfully:
"The gentleman said it was fine for them to accompany you, so I had them brought back as soon as I found them. They're in the lobby now."
Nan Zhi: "......" Is it that fast?
Push me over there.
The housekeeper came over, helped Nanzhi into her wheelchair, and then pushed her out of the restaurant and into the lobby.
Gu Ying walked out first, and when he saw Shen Xingmian, his face was full of surprise and joy. "Brother Xingmian."
Upon seeing the ropes binding him, Gu Ying's face stiffened, and she quickly ran over, glaring fiercely at the two burly men in black behind Shen Xingmian.
"Let go of my brother."
Nan Zhi was also stunned. Seeing Shen Xingmian tied up with rope, she frowned and turned to the butler, saying, "Who gave you permission to tie him up?"
The butler answered methodically, "Miss, we found him, but he refused to come and was only thinking about escaping. He also liked to fight on the way. In order to bring him to you, we had no choice but to resort to this tactic."
Nan Zhi: "......" Heavens, is this butler here to bring her bad luck? So rigid and inflexible, he'll be following her around nagging all the time. Even if he doesn't mean any harm, Nan Zhi is still annoyed.
When Shen Xingmian saw Gu Ying, his expression softened slightly, losing its initial sharpness and arrogance.
"Let me go."
The burly man in black remained unmoved, and Nan Zhi said coldly:
"Let him go."
The burly man in black then began to untie Shen Xingmian's ropes.
The first thing Shen Xingmian did upon gaining his freedom was to pull Gu Ying behind him, his entire body on high alert, staring at Nan Zhi and the others like a wild beast.
This was the first time Nan Zhi had seen Shen Xingmian like this. He was still the young Shen Xingmian. His face was both familiar and unfamiliar. It was familiar because he resembled the grown-up Shen Xingmian in many ways. It was unfamiliar because his expression and eyes were devoid of warmth and full of vigilance.
His clothes were disheveled and dirty, and his hair was messy instead of neat. Seeing the fatigue between his brows, yet his determined demeanor in confronting them, I felt a sudden pang of pain in my heart.
She smiled slightly, "They meant no harm. It was my fault for not explaining things clearly. I'm sorry. I just helped Gu Ying find you and brought you here. I didn't mean anything else."
It seemed as if Shen Xingmian was only now paying attention to the girl in the wheelchair. The moment he saw her, he had a strange feeling, but he didn't know why.
In any case, this is a strange world, with strange people. He and Gu Ying are here, and they can't trust anyone.
Shen Xingmian glanced at Nan Zhi indifferently, without saying a word, her expression still full of vigilance.
Until Gu Ying reached out and tugged at his sleeve, she spoke:
"Brother, Sister Xixi is a good person. I was bullied yesterday, and she brought me back. She even prepared a room and clothes for me."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xingmian turned to look at Gu Ying, who was indeed wearing new clothes, her face showing worry and sadness.
Shen Xingmian reached out and patted his head. "Aying, then we'll thank her and your brother will take you away."
After speaking, Shen Xingmian looked at Nan Zhi, frowned, and said:
"Thank you for taking in Aying. Now that I've found him, we won't bother him anymore."
He didn't trust this girl.
"No, you must stay and keep the young lady company."
Before Nanzhi could speak, the butler spoke forcefully.
Nan Zhi: "..." Butler, you're really a stumbling block on my road to winning over my husband.
"Ha, I knew it, you guys aren't good people."
Disgust and anger flashed across Shen Xingmian's face. "We don't need your permission to leave."
After saying that, he took Gu Ying's hand and walked towards the door.
The burly man in black tried to stop them, but Nanzhi raised her hand to stop him, saying, "Let them go."
Shen Xingmian paused, turned her head and gave her a strange look, then pulled Gu Ying forward without looking back.
Just as I reached the door, I heard the girl speak in a clear, crisp voice:
"You need to understand what your lives will be like after you leave this door. If you stay here, I will get you identification documents so you can go to school and have good food and drink. All you need to do is keep me company. As you can see, I'm practically a useless person. I'm just a little lonely and want to find a companion. If you don't want to stay, I won't force you. However, I want to tell you two that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you can't make it, I can find someone else."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xingmian paused on the doorknob, but before he could speak, Gu Ying gently tugged at him and whispered:
“Brother, we can’t make a living in this world right now. There’s nothing wrong with staying. Sister Xixi is really good. She won’t hurt us.”
Upon hearing Gu Ying's words, a look of struggle flashed across Shen Xingmian's face. He hesitated for a while, his hand gripping the doorknob tightened slightly, and then slowly let go.
Seeing their actions, Nan Zhi smiled and said, "Be soft when you need to be soft, and be firm when you need to be firm."
The current Shen Xingmian is a rebellious and unruly teenager. Moreover, without the Shen family as his backing, he has nothing in this new world. He can't even find the most basic job, let alone go to school. Without identification, he can't move an inch.
This is the best option right now.
Shen Xingmian and Gu Ying stayed behind. Nan Zhi arranged for the housekeeper to process their identity documents and register their household registration with the Mu family, which would be more convenient.
Nan Zhi arranged a house for Shen Xingmian on the first floor, right next to her bedroom, while Gu Ying's house was on the second floor.
When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Shen Xingmian didn't have any other demands, but she still bargained with Nan Zhi.
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