Chapter 36 "Yes, I like it very much."
The morning reading session lasted until noon. Yu Kaiqing was worried that Wen Jia wasn't eating well, so she specially prepared chicken soup for her at the villa. She followed the instructions sent by He Lingyi via WeChat step by step, and then instructed the driver to set off for Prism Films.
When she arrived, most of the people in the conference room had already left, with only a few remaining, some eating, some resting. She didn't see Wen Jia, and finally found her in the break room.
Wen Jia was holding a slice of whole wheat toast, eating it expressionlessly. It wasn't that she didn't find it unpalatable, but rather that she had become numb to it.
Yu Kaiqing knocked on the door and came in, snatched the toast from her hand, and threw it away. "If I hadn't come, was this all you were going to eat? Toast in the morning, toast at noon, you'll know the pain when your stomach is ruined."
Wen Jia forced a touched expression and said, "Only you care about me."
“If your aunt heard you say that, she’d be furious. She’s already sent me your daily meal plan since you joined the crew, and it’s even a spreadsheet,” Yu Kaiqing joked. “I don’t know when your aunt learned to use a computer.”
Wen Jia was even more moved, "Only the two of you care about me."
Yu Kaiqing sighed and said, “Okay, now Sister Zhang is going to get angry. She just messaged me saying she’s going to get you a new RV. The old one is old, the heating isn’t good, and it’s not windproof. She’s worried you’ll freeze to death while filming in the winter, and she’s also worried you’ll be pitiful with nowhere to rest.”
Wen Jia squeezed out a few tears and sobbed twice, "Only the three of you care about me."
"..."
This left Yu Kaiqing completely speechless.
She waved her hand, carefully opened the chicken soup, bent down to take a couple of sniffs, and boasted, "It's as good as my aunt's, do you believe me?"
Wen Jia was born to be a female star; she had a small stomach. She drank half a bowl of chicken soup and then refused to drink any more. Yu Kaiqing looked at the remaining half bowl and felt a pang of regret. "How about... I share it?"
"That's not a good idea, it's leftovers."
"This is really good stuff."
"Who will receive it?"
Yu Kaiqing's eyes darted around, and she whispered quietly, "Song Yanlin..."
Wen Jia couldn't help but chuckle, "Is there any special meaning to sending chicken soup to your ex?"
Yu Kaiqing, ever outspoken, said, "Let him take some tonics."
Wen Jia glanced at her and scolded her reproachfully.
"Forget it, I should try to avoid making jokes like that in the future. I always forget you have a boyfriend now, and I can't afford to offend Chairman Xu..."
Yu Kaiqing made a funny face very cleverly.
After lunch, the two left the tea room to rest in the nanny van. As they walked through a long, empty corridor, they happened to see Shen Zhiyun slowly strolling out of the meeting room.
Wen Jia and she were only acquaintances, not close friends, and exchanged a few awkward pleasantries.
After reading the script all morning, her mind was foggy and heavy, so when she turned the corner, she almost thought she was hallucinating.
The man that Yu Kaiqing had just told her was someone she couldn't afford to offend was now stepping out of the elevator car.
Wen Jia stopped and stared intently for two seconds—
The man's face was ashen, and his gaze was fixed intently on me.
Under his gaze, she had almost nowhere to escape. Feeling uneasy under his stare, she instinctively hissed and inwardly screamed that something was wrong.
That's it, he's here to find me.
She wouldn't answer his calls, wouldn't reply to his texts, and wouldn't open the door. Seeing him now, she felt inexplicably like a stranger. Feeling guilty, like a thief, she quickly turned around and walked in the opposite direction.
The high-heeled boots had barely moved a few steps when a woman's voice rang out in the empty space:
"Shao Ting".
Everyone in the corridor stopped walking at the same time; no one spoke, and the silence was terrifying.
Wen Jia slowly turned around and looked at the woman who had made the sound—
Shen Zhiyun was smiling, her usual bright and generous smile, her gaze fixed on the man walking towards her.
Wen Jia's expression was very calm, but she didn't even blink, staring at the man and woman who were getting closer and closer.
It took her almost ten seconds to process the scene before her.
Shen Zhiyun's voice suddenly brought back to her mind what he had said that night: only people very close to him would call him by the last two characters of his name.
At this moment, the disbelief in her heart far exceeded the sum of all her previous feelings.
Xu Shaoting and Shen Zhiyun had an unusual relationship; that was the only conclusion she could draw. However, she really had no interest in analyzing what kind of relationship the man and woman had.
Distant relatives, friends, and even exes are all irrelevant to her.
Wen Jia composed herself, steeled herself, turned around, and continued walking in the opposite direction, hoping that she and Xu Shaoting would pretend they hadn't seen each other, and desperately pleading in her heart that he would let her slip away as if nothing had happened.
However, expectations were not met.
Xu Shaoting had stopped and was coldly ordering her from behind:
"stop."
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhiyun froze before Wen Jia. She looked up at Xu Shaoting, only to find that his gaze was not on her, but on... the woman behind him.
She gradually suppressed her smile and looked at Wen Jia, who turned around with a forced smile and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle.
"...Hello, Chairman Xu!"
Shen Zhiyun's eyes silently darted between the man and woman before her. She was shocked, but she also had a good ability to hide her emotions. She smiled faintly and asked Wen Jia, "You... know Chairman Xu?"
Wen Jia wanted to ask her the exact same question.
“I know him, but we’re not close,” Wen Jia said with a smile. “Chairman Xu invested in my film, and we’ve had dinner together.”
She's a little afraid of Xu Shaoting now. She's genuinely afraid of him. For no apparent reason, ever since she heard that he almost got married, she feels like he's become a different person. She feels like he has some unknown past and is no longer the man she remembers.
She felt very uncomfortable standing there, and she didn't even want to rest in the nanny van. All she wanted to do was escape, to escape as far away as possible. So she turned around again and walked into the corridor.
However, a chilling male voice rang out again from behind, "I said stop."
This time, however, Wen Jia didn't listen to him. Instead, she quickened her pace and whispered as she passed Yu Kaiqing, "I'll excuse myself for a moment."
The moment she took that step, the shock in her mind pulled a thread, leading her thoughts in an unfamiliar direction, as if connecting all the scenes and gradually making sense of them.
Could Shen Zhiyun be his unmarried fiancée...?
Wen Jia suppressed the shock in her heart and left with her back turned. No one knew what kind of disbelief was in her eyes as she walked faster and faster, wanting only to get away from this hellish scene as quickly as possible.
Xu Shaoting squinted at her figure, then took two steps.
But Shen Zhiyun blocked it.
“Shao Ting,” she called out to him, “I never expected to run into you here.”
Xu Shaoting politely conceded and then turned his attention to her.
He nodded slightly and politely replied, "Long time no see."
Are you here... to discuss business?
In fact, Shen Zhiyun knew perfectly well that he couldn't possibly be here to discuss business; there was no one in Prism Films worth his personal visit.
"Looking for someone."
That was the end of the conversation Wen Jia could hear. She could only vaguely hear what came after that, because she had already jogged around a corner and opened a tightly closed door as if grasping at a straw.
It's a meeting room, where some employees are taking a nap on small sofas.
Hearing the noise, the employee looked up towards the door and saw a woman with a slightly flustered expression, her delicate eyebrows furrowed, her chest rising and falling slightly, and she was breathing heavily.
Wen Jia glanced around and realized this wasn't a good place to hide. She quickly turned her head and, in her panic, caught a glimpse of a man's coat hem around the corner, followed by leather shoes and suit pants.
Her heart was pounding, as if she were afraid it would actually jump out. She pressed her lips tightly together, tiptoed to close the door of the reception room, and ran to the bathroom next door.
She was afraid of the awful noise her high heels would make, so she ran on tiptoe, but luckily there was a thick carpet on the ground, which masked the sound of her footsteps.
Nevertheless, her feet still throbbed with a dull pain from standing on tiptoe. Fortunately, the restroom was right next door, only a few steps away. She quickly opened a door and rushed into a stall.
I hate myself for being so pathetic. Why do I always run to the bathroom in these situations where I have to hide?!
Wen Jia leaned her head against the door, tilting her head back, finally able to catch her breath, and sent a message to Yu Kaiqing:
"Where are the others?"
Yu Kaiqing replied instantly:
"Who? Chairman Xu or Song Yanlin?"
She was almost panicking when she saw Yu Kaiqing still joking around, and she instantly became furious, rolling her eyes.
What do you think?
Yu Kaiqing, watching the drama unfold from the other side, seemed to enjoy it even more:
"Chairman Xu went in your direction."
"Why didn't you stop them for me?"
"How can I stop them?"
Wen Jia was speechless. The clattering of the keyboard annoyed her, so she wisely turned on the mute button.
Try not to make a sound.
She pressed her ear to the door, holding her breath to listen to the sounds outside. During lunch break, the entire company was very quiet, except for the occasional chatter from employees passing by.
Feeling extremely guilty, her heart rate didn't slow down; instead, it inexplicably became faster and faster. She repeatedly stroked her chest with her hands and had no choice but to ask Kaiqing for help.
"Could you check if Xu Shaoting is in the bathroom?"
Yu Kaiqing, on the other hand, was quite rational:
"Isn't this just making things more obvious? If they see you, it's like telling them you're in there."
Wen Jia looked at her message, closed her eyes in pain, feeling alone inside, unable to ask for help.
She stood in the cubicle for half an hour, and seeing that it was gradually getting quiet outside, she quietly slid open the door lock, tiptoed to the doorway, and leaned against the wall to peek out.
Very well, the empty corridor was deserted and silent, as if all the employees had vanished in an instant.
In the terrible silence, she held her breath and paced outside.
Suddenly, a series of footsteps sounded, and her pupils instantly contracted.
It was the sound of familiar footsteps.
Her breath hitched, her heart leaped into her throat, and before she could turn her head, she felt a dizzying sensation as she was pulled into the men's restroom and then into someone's arms.
The man's deep voice rang directly in her ear:
"Why couldn't you have hidden it better?"
Is it fun to hide from me?
When she regained consciousness, she was completely trapped in Xu Shaoting's arms, almost suffocating. She didn't dare to look up at his expression, and only knew to struggle, "Let me go."
"Let you go?" He only grabbed one of her wrists, leaving her nowhere to escape.
She glanced at him, her eyelashes drooping low, and his chin was pinched between two fingers, forcibly turning her back.
The two remained silent for a long time, as if sulking.
Xu Shaoting softened his tone, "Look at me, Wen Jia."
"don't want."
Why are you avoiding me?
"Avoiding you?" Wen Jia finally met his gaze, but this eye contact only made the two of them more hostile.
"If I don't avoid you, am I supposed to watch you reminisce with your ex-girlfriend or your future spouse? I don't have that kind of leisure."
She scoffed lightly, looked away, swallowed, and felt a strange soreness rise in her throat.
As Xu Shaoting listened to her words, he slowly lowered his brows, his expression more bewildered than ever before. He stared at her intently, trying to piece together more information from her few words.
"Marriage partner?"
"Xu Shaoting, why didn't you tell me that you were about to get married?"
This wasn't what she really wanted to ask. What she wanted to ask was why he only casually mentioned having an engagement, without saying that they were almost at the point of marriage. Why didn't he say from the beginning that he had someone he loved so much? If she had known earlier, she wouldn't have fallen into his trap, wouldn't have followed his wishes, and wouldn't have signed that contract.
He squinted slightly and blurted out, "I told you I was engaged, you know that..." His brows furrowed deeper, as if he were pondering something. Suddenly, countless fragments of scenes flashed through his mind, finally piecing themselves together. "You mean me and Shen Zhiyun?"
Wen Jia nodded slightly. "You've finally admitted it."
Hearing him admit it himself was even more impactful than I had imagined.
Xu Shaoting remained calm, his tone turning icy, "Who told you that?"
"Does this matter? Are you still trying to hide it from me?"
"important."
Xu Shaoting glanced at her tightly pursed lips, no longer forcing her. He relaxed his brows, shook his head, and said with an extremely incredulous expression, "Wen Jia, don't tell me that you're not answering my calls, not replying to my messages, refusing to see me, and avoiding me, just because of this."
"Just?" She tried to move her wrists to break free from the man's grasp, but no matter how much she struggled, Xu Shaoting's large hands held her firmly in place.
"So this is just a trivial matter in your eyes? If I hadn't told you, were you planning to keep it from me forever? To wait until I found out myself..."
Her pupils began to well up with tears, her words tinged with doubt, yet her tone remained as calm as ever, "I just don't understand why you kept this from me..."
That wasn't what she really wanted to ask. What she really wanted to ask was why he hid his love and lingering feelings for someone else, giving her the illusion that he loved her very much.
She shouldn't have done that. From the moment he mentioned the contract, she knew she and he weren't meant to be. She didn't want to agree, but she didn't know why she signed it so firmly. Was it because of the money? One hundred million yuan—she could earn that back by taking on a few movies and getting a few high-end endorsements. If it was because of the money, why did she imagine that if Zhou Jingcheng had offered her a contract, she would have refused without hesitation?
It's not because of money.
She knew it was normal for a man like him to have had several relationships, and it was also normal to have a few secret lovers. But even seeing him love someone else in her dreams made her heart pound when she woke up. He was successful and had everything; being loved by him was a heavy burden, unlike ordinary relationships where simply saying "I like you" was enough. Being loved by him should have been a romantic and grand thing, and this grandeur suffocated her.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Wen Jia felt a dull pain in her heart and her eyes stung. He was too tall. All along, when they were face to face, she had to look up to see his face clearly.
But only she knew that at this moment, she was trying her best to hold back her tears by tilting her head back.
"Never mind," she thought. "It's perfectly normal for a man to have a few women he likes; it would be abnormal if he didn't like any."
She silently understood these principles in her heart, and she managed to hold back most of her tears, but a few still stubbornly slid down her cheeks. Xu Shaoting saw it clearly, raised his hand, and tried to wipe them away for her.
"You've misunderstood, Wen Jia."
His tone was extremely serious, but Wen Jia was in no mood to listen. A sharp, indescribable pain surged through her heart. She moved his hand away. "What misunderstanding? Do you misunderstand that you're not actually marrying Shen Zhiyun, but someone else? Or do you misunderstand that you don't just have one marriage partner, but many, many? I don't want to know."
"Listen to me."
Wen Jia refused to comply, wiping away her tears, taking a few deep breaths, and desperately trying to suppress her sobs. When she looked up again, she wore a generous smile, her voice nasal from crying and still trembling.
"...I'm sorry, I made a mountain out of a molehill. We're just in a contractual relationship. I've said I won't ask too much of you," she said, her bright expression almost blinding. "I hope we can both avoid bringing this up again and just pretend it never happened."
She didn't want to talk about it anymore, afraid that it would become too deeply ingrained in her heart. After she finished speaking, she didn't look up at him and turned to leave, but the man hugged her from behind. She gritted her teeth and tried to push his arms away, but it was in vain.
Xu Shaoting ignored her struggles and even hugged her tighter. He rested his chin on the crook of her neck and turned his head to kiss her cheek.
Because he wasn't worried that she could escape, he spoke slowly and deliberately, "Listen to me, Wen Jia."
"I don't want to hear it at all."
"What if I said that my engagement to her never happened because I didn't want to get married?"
Wen Jia stopped what she was doing instantly. The bathroom fell completely silent. She froze, her eyes filled with embarrassment, resentment, and disbelief.
Why is it assumed that I want to marry someone else?
He stumped her with his precise question. She had never thought about this issue before. When she heard that he was the one who personally told the media about the marriage, she assumed that he loved someone else or that he was in love with someone else, but she never thought that someone else loved him.
She even imagined what he would look like when he announced the news, and the thought made her heart ache.
Wen Jia was held tightly in Xu Shaoting's arms, her back pressed against his chest, and she could almost feel his strong heartbeat.
Amidst the pounding of her heart, she found her voice, "But it wasn't you who personally leaked the news..."
He interrupted her ruthlessly, asking earnestly, "Wen Jia, are you also afraid that I'll fall in love with someone else?"
“I’m not afraid,” she suddenly laughed, answering without hesitation. “I’m not afraid at all that you love someone else. I’m just afraid that you love someone else but pretend you don’t in front of me, or that you’ve loved someone else and can’t forget them but hide it from me.”
Finally, he added awkwardly, "I would be afraid of anyone doing this. Rather than being afraid that you will love someone else, I am more afraid that I will be deceived."
Xu Shaoting didn't dwell on her excuses, he just smiled, his hot breath making her neck and heart itch. "I don't love her."
"It has nothing to do with me."
His grip on her hand tightened. "It matters. You're afraid I'll fall in love with someone else, aren't you?"
"I'm not afraid. Besides, didn't you personally announce the engagement to the media? Why are you saying you don't love me now? Which of your words can I believe?"
Xu Shaoting ignored her aggressive questioning and simply kissed the corner of her mouth gently to comfort her. "The engagement was not my choice, nor was the announcement of the engagement. But canceling the engagement was my decision. I didn't say anything because I never had any feelings for her. I felt it wasn't worth mentioning and had nothing to do with hiding anything. If you ask, I will tell you why you're avoiding me. I never intended to hide anything."
He paused for a few seconds, then let out a slight sigh of relief. "I'm sorry, I made you misunderstand."
The man who was high and mighty was now seeking her forgiveness.
I don't believe it.
Wen Jia's heart softened, but her tone remained defiant. Little did she know that her stubbornness was nothing but a bluff in his eyes, making him feel a tickle in his heart.
"Which part don't you believe? I'll explain it to you later. Be good and let me hug you for a while."
Wen Jia, taking advantage of the situation, said, "I don't want to, let me go."
She struggled, but couldn't break free at all.
Fortunately, an employee's voice came from outside the restroom, which, though untimely, saved the day:
"Sister Wen? Sister Wen, are you in the restroom? Director Yu is looking for you."
Before the employee could finish speaking, Wen Jia was swiftly dragged into a stall by Xu Shaoting. Fortunately, the entire men's restroom was empty, but she still couldn't make a sound. It wouldn't be a big deal if someone noticed she had gone into the wrong restroom, but she couldn't very well be seen throwing a tantrum at a man in the restroom...
Still in this position...
"Let me go." Tears still clung to her eyes. She didn't dare to speak aloud, but spoke in breaths, sounding very urgent.
"I won't let go."
"Let me go, Xu Shaoting, Yu Jianshan is looking for me."
"I can make him stop looking for it."
Wen Jia took a deep breath, utterly impressed by the man's shamelessness; she believed he was absolutely capable of doing it.
She had no choice but to let him hug her for a while.
Xu Shaoting buried his face in the crook of her neck, his voice becoming even deeper as it was muffled:
Are you still angry?
Wen Jia didn't answer him. She was never angry; rather than angry, she felt heartbroken and aggrieved.
But the words he uttered were arrogant:
"angry."
"How about I coax you until you're not angry anymore before we go out?"
He looked at her meaningfully, his tone now completely different.
"..."
Why didn't you answer my calls?
"I didn't hear it."
"You deliberately didn't hear me, didn't you?"
As he spoke, he reached his hand around her back. She was wearing something damn loose today, and he easily slipped his hand under her clothes and found the buttons.
By the time Wen Jia reacted, a crisp sound of a clasp being undone echoed in the darkness.
……!
She hurriedly reached out to push him away, "Xu Shaoting, don't go crazy!"
However, she couldn't push him away.
Without a word, he gripped her hand tightly and covered her face with his. His hand was slightly cool, which made her tremble all over.
After squeezing one side, he didn't neglect the other, saying, "I'll punish you."
"..."
“I’ve called so many times and you didn’t answer, so this is a punishment to teach me a lesson.” He stared at her face in the darkness, his eyes deep and unfathomable. After speaking, he snorted coldly, “Sorry, I forgot you didn’t even reply to my text messages, that’s an even bigger offense.”
He increased the pressure on his hands as he spoke.
She was trapped between the door and his embrace, with the cold wooden board behind her and his burning chest in front of her. He kissed her forehead, cheeks, and neck, kissing her everywhere, but deliberately refusing to kiss her lips.
If someone were to enter at this moment, they would hear the commotion causing the cubicle door to rattle rhythmically as it was squeezed.
She made a plausible excuse: "It's because you don't send WeChat messages. I don't have the habit of checking messages; I never do."
Xu Shaoting's voice was low and husky as he lifted his head from the crook of her neck, a playful smile on his face. "I sent you a WeChat message. How am I going to find a reason to punish you?"
"..."
Seeing that she couldn't speak, Xu Shaoting became even more eager to question her:
Why did you just say we weren't familiar with each other?
"Would two people who aren't familiar with each other do something like what we're doing now, Miss Wen?"
Wen Jia bit her lip tightly, refusing to look at him or answer; she was too ashamed to reply.
"say."
"What did you say?" she asked, feigning ignorance.
Are we familiar with each other?
"Not familiar with it."
"Say it again, are you not familiar with me?" Xu Shaoting's hands became increasingly unrestrained.
Wen Jia endured for about ten seconds, then couldn't hold on any longer. She clung to his neck, unable to utter a complete sentence, and finally gave in, practically forcing out a plea for mercy, "No..."
"Are we familiar with each other?" he pressed further.
"Hmm... cooked..."
"How well do we know each other?" Xu Shaoting looked up and stared at her.
She spoke haltingly and stammeringly, "Very familiar...very familiar..."
She was talking about her cheek.
...
Xu Shaoting truly kept his word, and only let her go after he had completely calmed her down.
The two walked out of the restroom one after the other, deliberately keeping a five-meter distance. Yu Kaiqing was resting in the reception room when she looked out and saw Wen Jia walking nonchalantly, just like before. Behind her was a tall man with long legs, a steady gait, and a dignified air as he adjusted his tie.
If she hadn't been an insider, she would have truly believed that the man and woman were just strangers who happened to walk out of the restroom together.
Wen Jia returned to the conference room and had just sat down when Xu Shaoting's message came in:
"I'll pick you up after it's over."
The meeting room door was made of frosted glass, so Wen Jia couldn't see outside and therefore didn't know that Xu Shaoting had run into Shen Zhiyun at the corner after sending the message.
The latter crossed his arms, flicked his short, side-parted hair, and smiled broadly. "Shao Ting, can we talk?"
Xu Shaoting put away his phone, stared at her intently for two seconds, and then smiled politely.
Xu Shaoting has always treated Shen Zhiyun with a purely businesslike attitude.
The year after he returned from abroad, Zhao Xinglan brought her to the Xu residence.
When Zhao Xinglan introduced her future daughter-in-law, she spoke eloquently about her illustrious family background and outstanding academic achievements. She mentioned that the two of them should have common interests, and that she studied acting abroad with a minor in philosophy. She also mentioned that she returned to China to make her own films, and that her first film was appreciated by investors, attracting an investment of 50 million RMB, which showed her considerable talent.
That day, Xu Shaoting and Shen Zhiyun sat in the garden for an entire afternoon. Zhao Xinglan repeatedly reminded her son not to neglect the girl. So they talked about everything—life, money, ideals, and feelings—and had a very harmonious conversation.
However, looking back now, Shen Zhiyun still feels that there is a sense of estrangement and wariness in this harmony.
After seeing her off that day, Xu Shaoting went to Xu Bozheng's study—
"If nothing unexpected happens, you should marry her."
At that moment, Xu Bozheng was sitting at his desk and spoke to Xu Shaoting without looking up.
For Xu Shaoting, relationships are not particularly attractive. Perhaps because he has been used to loneliness since childhood, he rarely asks others for affection, whether it is family, friendship or love. Similarly, he rarely expresses it, so much so that all the younger generation in the Xu family look up to him or even respect him.
He had everything, and was groomed to be his heir. He was not allowed to make any mistakes, and everything could be bought with money. As a result, he spent the first twenty years of his life without much interest. The only thing that could arouse his desire to explore was racing cars.
As for women, naturally, there were always people sent to him, but whether they had ulterior motives or were sincere, none of them could make him truly care. Each time, after a brief period of getting to know each other, he would send them away with some top-of-the-line jewelry or limited-edition luxury items. In short, he would send Zhao Xinglan whatever she liked.
He knew that as the eldest son of the Xu family, he couldn't have freedom in matters of the heart. Marriage, while supposedly about feelings, was more of a duty to him. He could disobey, yet he was too lazy to do so. Coincidentally, he hadn't met anyone he liked, so upon hearing Xu Bozheng's words, he surprisingly didn't refuse. He simply silently prepared himself to spend his life with a woman he would never love.
His relationship with Shen Zhiyun could truly be described as one of mutual respect. The two were not partners, and there was no talk of love, feelings, or promises. He simply followed Zhao Xinglan's instructions to avoid neglecting her and fulfill all her requests, showering her with luxury cars, villas, and handbags as if they were free.
She even complied with Xu Bozheng's request and personally informed the media of the engagement to satisfy her vanity as a bride-to-be in the Xu family.
At first, Shen Zhiyun was naturally delighted, but as time went on, she began to realize that money was the least important thing to this man, and that it was the easiest way to appease him with material things. She also began to realize that for Xu Shaoting, feelings were the most precious thing.
She was strong-willed and unwilling to accept defeat, so gradually, she wanted more than just that.
She began to crave Xu Shaoting's love.
But she forgot that Xu Shaoting was such a perceptive man that he could see through others, and naturally he could also discern her feelings for him. However, he did not respond for a long time.
At first, Shen Zhiyun thought that men like him, with their high positions and power, were born to be fawned over, so she began to take the initiative more proactively than before. However, she never expected that her initiative would only elicit a single sentence from him:
"Miss Chen, you don't need to do this."
Disheartened, Shen Zhiyun changed her strategy, retreating to advance. She abandoned her previous enthusiasm and sat there waiting for Xu Shaoting to take the initiative. However, all she got after all her hard work was bags and jewelry.
She subtly complained to Xu Bozheng, once, twice, three times. Xu Bozheng had no other choice but to regret sending his eldest son abroad to live alone when he was young, which led to him not listening to a word he said.
Xu Bozheng had no choice but to snort and patiently offer some kind words of advice to soothe Shen Zhiyun's heart.
Xu Shaoting remained unmoved after learning of Shen Zhiyun's actions and continued to treat her normally until one day, a man who had never objected to the engagement barged into Xu Bozheng's study.
"Cancel the engagement; I will not marry Shen Zhiyun."
What's wrong with you?
Xu Bozheng slammed his hand on the solid wood table, making a deafening noise.
"I don't love her."
Xu Shaoting ignored his anger and left only his back view.
Shen Zhiyun's feelings for Xu Shaoting went beyond love; they were more of an admiration. Coming from a prominent family and raised with the adulation of others, she naturally possessed a more haughty nature than the average girl. Before going abroad, she had boys from China pursuing her, and after studying abroad, she had white boys pursuing her. However, none of her suitors ever caught her eye, because she was proud and admired strength, and naturally, she only liked men who were stronger than herself.
So no one knew that when Zhao Xinglan brought her to Xu Shaoting, an unprecedentedly firm thought arose in her mind: she must win this man over.
However, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. Just when she thought she could finally become his wife, Xu Shaoting personally intervened and announced the annulment of the engagement, making a bigger fuss than when the engagement was announced.
This action infuriated Xu Bozheng, who threw a huge tantrum at the Xu residence, but he couldn't do anything about Xu Shaoting. In the end, Zhao Xinglan had to persuade him gently for an entire afternoon before he calmed down.
Since then, Xu Bozheng continued to arrange marriages for Xu Shaoting, but it seemed he wasn't truly trying to get him married, but rather doing it out of spite, one after another. At first, Xu Shaoting dealt with them personally, but eventually he became completely fed up and handed them over to Lin Youzhe. The bonus for getting rid of each matchmaker was at least six figures, a task Lin Youzhe did with great enthusiasm and diligence. He secretly prayed that the chairman wouldn't marry so young, and that the old chairman could contribute to the matchmaking business.
Shen Zhiyun was naturally unwilling to accept the annulment of her engagement, but the more unwilling she was, the more determined she became, never giving up her pursuit of Xu Shaoting. However, with the engagement gone, Xu Shaoting treated her like a complete stranger, calm yet indifferent, and no matter how she tried to manipulate him, he couldn't stir any emotion in him. This young lady had never suffered such humiliation in love. She made a scene at home, even contemplating giving up, but after much thought, she felt indignant and determined to defy the odds, even if it meant hitting a brick wall with her head held high.
She was so smart that she had long seen through Xu Shaoting's gradual distancing and growing indifference. However, there was no estrangement or even argument between them. Therefore, she couldn't figure out why he had taken the initiative to cancel the engagement.
She wanted to ask, but Xu Shaoting never gave her the chance.
Even today.
She never imagined she would run into him in such a setting.
Although Xu Shaoting wanted to leave, he still showed her a final bit of respect:
What do you want to talk about?
The two entered another meeting room. Xu Shaoting sat down calmly and asked concisely.
Shen Zhiyun didn't answer immediately, but poured him a cup of tea and then exchanged perfunctory pleasantries: "I never thought I would run into you here."
“It is quite a coincidence.” Xu Shaoting picked up the ceramic cup, took a small sip, and then smiled faintly.
Recalling the scene they had just met, Shen Zhiyun could easily guess his purpose. However, without complete certainty, she dared not speak out, and simply asked with a smile, "Are you here to see Yu Jianshan?"
"no."
He answered very briefly, responding to her questions without making any attempt to advance the conversation. After finishing, he took another sip of tea.
Exes can be jealous of each other when they meet, let alone two people who were about to get married.
However, this jealousy was one-sided. Shen Zhiyun was extremely embarrassed, while Xu Shaoting sat calmly, waiting for her to speak.
How have you been lately?
"very good."
"How are your parents doing lately?"
"very good."
"company…"
"Everything is fine."
...
The entire conference room remained silent for half a minute, but she didn't hear the man speak.
Further pleasantries would be too awkward, and she was afraid that Xu Shaoting would say "excuse me" at any moment, so she stopped asking trivial questions and instead asked the question that was on her mind:
"Shao Ting, actually after we broke up..."
"Miss Shen, the word 'separated' doesn't quite describe our relationship."
Xu Shaoting put down his teacup, calmly interrupted her, and finally turned his gaze to her.
Slightly embarrassed, Shen Zhiyun tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and changed her words, "Actually, after that incident, I really wanted to know why you did that..."
Xu Shaoting gazed at her quietly. "You won't want to hear this reason, so don't be too insistent on it."
"Tell me your thoughts, maybe..."
Shen Zhiyun looked up at him, but seeing that he showed no intention of answering, she had no choice but to abandon her doubts and then stubbornly asked again:
"Shao Ting, I really want to know if you ever had any feelings for me? Even just a little bit?"
Women are often so foolish when they get attached to love, and Shen Zhiyun is no exception.
Xu Shaoting answered all the previous questions calmly and deliberately, but for this one, he barely hesitated before saying, word by word:
Never.
After she said that, the conference room became so quiet that you could almost hear her breathing and blinking.
It was deathly quiet.
The silence in the room was broken by Xu Shaoting's message ringtone. He glanced at it, then put on a very polite expression.
"Excuse me, that's all for today. I have something to do. Let's talk again when we have time. Please excuse me."
After speaking, he gestured with his chin towards Shen Zhiyun, stood up, and walked towards the door while buttoning his suit jacket.
Just as he was about to touch the door, Shen Zhiyun called out to him from behind.
"Shao Ting".
He stopped walking respectfully.
"I want to ask, is there still a possibility between us?"
Xu Shaoting didn't turn around, but simply answered:
You should already have the answer in your heart.
"I can wait for you."
She was so eager that she almost stood up.
Xu Shaoting remained unmoved, only indirectly rejecting the idea, saying, "I will fight for the person I like myself."
After saying that, he lifted his foot again and took two more steps.
"etc."
The voices pleading for him to stay rang out again. Shen Zhiyun, unwilling to give up, blocked his path one last time. She pursed her lips, and when she spoke again, her tone was hesitant, as if afraid of his answer.
“Shao Ting…”
"Do you already have a girl you like?"
She was curious, yet wanted to cover her ears, almost afraid to listen to his answer.
Xu Shaoting had one hand on the doorknob and the other hanging down.
Hearing her question, this time, he finally turned his head slightly.
She calmly and slowly gave her a disappointing answer:
“Yes,” he paused.
"I really like it."
-----------------------
Author's Note: How exactly did Chairman Xu manage to appease him? It's so hard to guess!
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