Chapter 20

She was delighted that she didn’t need to attend school that day. She hid in her room and read magazines.

Yu Weiwei was truly resourceful. She was able to get hold of all kinds of magazines.

She glanced slyly at the back cover of the magazine. There was a line in small print: prohibited for ages 18 and younger.

She counted the days. She would be celebrating her 18th birthday in three months. She rounded her age up and disregarded the rating.

What’s more, she had already read all about the wonders in this magazine before she’d even turned ten.

As she was engrossed in her magazine, she suddenly heard some people conversing in the garden downstairs.

Liu Rumei and Shen Shihan were sitting on a bench in the garden. Each had a cup of latte in front of them.

Liu Rumei seemed rather upset, and she kept her eyes fixed on Shen Shihan. On the contrary, Shen Shihan remained completely unbothered as he swirled the coffee in his cup.

“Shihan, you’re not heading to the Group today?”

Liu Rumei appeared quite anxious. She sounded quite irritated.

“All I deal with are some insignificant matters. I am only a vice president in name.”

After so many years, Shen Shihan did not appear to have changed much. His cold, handsome face merely looked slightly more mature. He resembled Shen Chi in quite a few ways. Frostiness had pervaded his bones, a characteristic most likely inherited from Shen Cexian.

“What nonsense is that? You have to fulfill your obligations. You should also take the initiative to do things that are beyond the scope of your obligations.”

Shen Shihan lifted up his cup and took a sip of coffee. “Fourth Brother is doing quite well. I don’t need to worry about him.”

“Shihan, should I compliment you for being so aloof from worldly affairs or should I scold you for being brainless?” Liu Rumei’s eyes were filled with a worry that seemed to exceed any anger she had against him.

“Mother, Father is recuperating in the mountain resort. If you are free, you should go and visit him,” Shen Shihan replied nonchalantly.

“I really underestimated Zhou Ran. Eight years ago, she kept one last trick up her sleeve and forced your father to pass the Group to Shen Chi. Otherwise, you would have been the person sitting in that seat.” Liu Rumei was incensed about that.

“Mother, is Father the kind of person who Zhou Ran could manipulate?”

The corners of Shen Shihan’s lips arched into a smile. He placed his cup down and stood up to leave.

Xu Zhaomu did not understand their conversation. However, she did some calculations and realized that she had not seen Auntie Zhou for eight years. She wondered if she was doing well.

She missed Auntie Zhou a bit. She also missed her mother.

After reading magazines for a long time, Xu Zhaomu felt very bored. Hence, she secretly gave Li Beiting a phone call.

Li Beiting had already taken over the Li family’s company. Although he was very busy, he always acceded to Xu Zhaomu’s every plea.

“Li Beiting, Shen Chi locked me up again,” Xu Zhaomu cried piteously.

“Fourth Brother locked you up? Hold on, don’t speak. Let me guess why,” Li Beiting said in a deadpan voice. “Did you sneak a peek at him showering?”

“Get lost!”

She thought to herself, Shen Chi always locked the door when he showered.

“Then did you pull at his clothes again?”

“Li Beiting, is Xu Zhaomu this kind of person to you?” She felt depressed even though she had to admit that Li Beiting was right.

“Of course. I don’t really think you have any morals. You’re the same type as Yu Weiwei.”

“Li Beiting, I’m being serious right now. That b*stard Shen Chi has locked me up.”

“My hands are tied. You clearly know Fourth Brother’s temperament. If I help you out, my Li family will receive a stack of bills tomorrow. One bill can amount to a few hundred million dollars. A few hundred million!”

“You’re a nasty person who values money over friends. Just help me think of a solution then.”

“Why don’t…you try jumping out of the window.”

“Get lost!”

Xu Zhaomu hung up the phone in frustration. She should have looked for Big White instead of Li Beiting. He was such a waste of time.

However, Shen Chi returned from the Group not long after she’d hung up the call.

She put away her magazines hastily and sat before her desk to study properly.

It was only 11:00 a.m. Why had he come back? Did he finally gain a conscience?

The moment he pushed open the door, he saw Xu Zhaomu attempting her worksheet. Her brows were furrowed, and she appeared as though she had encountered a difficult problem.

“Not wearing your mini-skirt anymore?” Shen Chi harrumphed coldly.

“I don’t dare!” Xu Zhaomu didn’t even look up. Hmph, how arrogant and conceited.

“It’s best if you dare not do so.”

Shen Chi walked over, but Xu Zhaomu ignored him.

“I’ll take you to school.” He stood by Xu Zhaomu’s side and looked down at her. His voice was resolute, and there didn’t seem to be any room for rejection.

Xu Zhaomu tossed her pen aside and stood before Shen Chi.

“I must attend if you say so, and if you don’t allow me to, then I can’t attend. Is anyone else as tyrannical as you?”

When she stood up, her head only reached his shoulders. However, she had to remain imposing.

“You say attend school, not simply attend,” Shen Chi spat out nonchalantly.

“,,,…” The corners of Xu Zhaomu’s lips twitched.

Regardless of Xu Zhaomu’s decision, Shen Chi tugged her arm like a bully and took her out of the room.

“Unless you carry me to the car, I’m not going!”

Xu Zhaomu made a completely unreasonable request. In any case, she assumed that Shen Chi wouldn’t carry her.

Shen Chi had no other choice. However, his actions were exceptionally overbearing.

Before Xu Zhaomu could react, Shen Chi picked her up bridal style and took her into his arms.

Fortune had made such a sudden arrival. She only had a few seconds to enjoy this before she was tossed onto the passenger seat.

She locked onto Shen Chi’s neck hastily and refused to let go. “Hug me for a while longer.”

“Asking for a mile after gaining an inch as usual!”

Xu Zhaomu stubbornly refused to let go. “You won’t lose anything by hugging me. Unless…”

Shen Chi raised his brow.

“Unless you don’t like women…” Xu Zhaomu continued, uttering such shocking words.

Shen Chi sneered coldly. He adjusted the rearview mirror and angled it toward her.

“Someone with such a tiny figure like you can be considered a woman?”

Shen Chi strode over toward the driver’s seat calmly.

Xu Zhaomu was seething with anger. She would rather die than receive such humiliation.

She glanced in the rearview mirror for some time. What was wrong with her? She had developed quite beautifully.

As she stared aggrievedly in the rearview mirror, Shen Chi pressed a button. The rearview mirror slowly turned back and the car moved off.

Throughout the entire journey, Xu Zhaomu was upset. No wonder Shen Chi wasn’t interested in her. As it turned out, all men were the same: they liked those with curves.

Vulgar!

What vulgar taste!

Unbearably vulgar!

Xu Zhaomu plastered herself against the window and stared gloomily outside. Unhappiness was written all over her face.

Shen Chi glanced at her from the edges of his vision. The corners of his lips slipped into a faint smile.

“Today, I’ll take you into the school,” Shen Chi said diffidently.

In the past, he would always stop a distance away from the school compound, before dropping Xu Zhaomu off.

Xu Zhaomu had begged him to drive into the school many times. To be honest, she wanted to show him off. She had such a handsome and charming Fourth Brother.

However, this time, Shen Chi had made the suggestion to take her in on his own accord. Despite this, she was still rather upset.

“You’re always so busy. I shouldn’t waste your time. Your time is very precious. How can you waste it on a lowly person like me? There might be important clients waiting for you at the Group, you should head back soon. It’ll be best if you let me out here. I can still walk, it’s not like I’m lacking legs,” Xu Zhaomu spoke sarcastically. When Shen Chi heard all this, his grin widened.

He had only spoken a single sentence and she had replied with ten.