Chapter 39

“Mmm.” Shen Chi acknowledged it.

Bai Man walked forward and helped Shen Chi to remove his jacket. Then she hung it up carefully on a rack.

When Shen Chi took his seat, she even poured him a glass of champagne.

“Have a taste. The owner of the bar just brought a few bottles of this champagne back with him from France.” Bai Man smiled at him.

When she looked at Shen Chi, her eyes were filled with an indescribable sense of warmth. They looked like the surface of a lake being tickled by a small breeze, etching out ripples of water.

The corners of Shen Chi’s lips tipped upward. “You asked me out to drink?”

“My flight arrived quite late, and I haven’t been able to see you. I missed you.” Bai Man sat by his side and held his arm, just like a cute and helpless-looking bird.

The fragrance of cherry blossoms emanated from her, as always. He knew that she liked to always use the same kind of perfume.

“What are you looking at?” Shen Chi spoke in a gentle tone of voice. He extended his arm and picked up the magazine on the table.

“I was waiting for you for quite a long time. So I was just flipping through it while sipping some cocktails. It’s just an ordinary magazine,” Bai Man said coquettishly.

Shen Chi flipped through a few pages leisurely. The smile on his face deepened.

“It’s quite a recent edition,” Shen Chi uttered nonchalantly.

It had even published an article about the incident that had happened at the dance the day before. Someone had secretly photographed his departing silhouette as he carried Xu Zhaomu out. From the look of it, this magazine company would soon have to cease their operations.

He casually flipped through a few more pages. At the back, it had published a few photographs that entertainment reporters had snapped as Bai Man exited the airport.

“There’s nothing much to look at.” Bai Man took the magazine from Shen Chi’s hands and held onto it. She spoke with a bit of disappointment, “Last night, I called you quite a few times, but you didn’t pick up.”

“When I got back from the dance yesterday, I was too tired. I accidentally fell asleep. I’m sorry.”

Bai Man smiled. “I’m not blaming you. I understand that you’re busy with work. All the matters related to the Group are important. I’m fine on my end. To me, I’m satisfied to be able to just sit here and chat with you.”

She rested on his shoulder in contentment.

Shen Chi didn’t reply. Bai Man held up the wine and brought it to Shen Chi’s lips. “Come on, have a sip. This drink is sweet, ripe, and mellow. It has been aged for a very long time and cannot be compared to newly fermented wines.”

Bai Man was an intelligent person. Shen Chi was also an intelligent person. It was impossible for him not to understand what she was implying.

He took a sip and smiled, “When it comes to wine, the longer it is aged, the more appealing it is. Just like you.”

Bai Man chuckled. “We haven’t seen each other for a few months. Who did you learn this from? You didn’t learn it from some attractive married woman, did you?”

“Do you really think that I’m that uncouth?”

Bai Man smiled more widely. “It was a joke, don’t get angry.”

Bai Man put her wine glass down. She picked up a box from the table and said coquettishly, “I brought you a gift. You have to take it even if you don’t want it.”

“It’s such a good thing to be on the receiving end of a gift. Does it make sense to decline it?” Shen Chi grinned.

“Look at this tie that I selected for you. Do you like it?”

Bai Man opened the box. An Armani business tie was inside the box, its surface covered with black oblique stripes. She took it out carefully with a faint smile on her face.

“Your taste has always been good.” Shen Chi glanced at it.

“Let me tie it on for you.” Bai Man drew closer to Shen Chi. She stretched out her hand to unfasten his tie. Her posture seemed very suggestive.

Shen Chi stopped her from unfastening his tie. However, he still spoke to her with a smile. “This isn’t urgent. Why don’t you tell me what other reasons you had for wanting to meet with me?”

“What other reason can there be? We haven’t seen each other for so many months. Don’t you miss me?” Bai Man said, displeased.

“Then this picture…” Shen Chi opened the magazine and extracted a photograph with his fingertips.

There was no one else but Zheng Lin in the picture. The photograph was taken at the stadium, and Zheng Lin appeared completely battered and abused.

Bai Man snatched it away from him. “My cousin made you upset, so this is the punishment she must bear.”

“It’s best if you think this way.” A meaningful look appeared on Shen Chi’s face. “I just knew that you would understand.”

Bai Man wrapped herself around him and rested her head on his shoulder. She seemed to be flirting and pleading for leniency at the same time. “Shen Chi, please don’t let these photographs spread, okay? You can retract those that have already circulated, can’t you?”

Shen Chi grinned lazily. “Do you think I’m that capable?”

“In C City, you have the final say. Please, I’m begging you…” Bai Man leaned on his shoulder.

She was keenly aware that Shen Chi had probably ordered people to toss Zheng Lin into the stadium. Apart from Shen Chi, no one else in C City would dare to do such a thing to a precious daughter of the wealthy Zheng family.

However, she could not understand how that little girl was related to Shen Chi?

From what she’d gathered, that girl was merely an orphan who had been adopted from the orphanage.

“I definitely cannot ignore your pleas. I will get someone to bar the circulation of the photos.”

Shen Chi had simply wanted to teach Zheng Lin a lesson. He hadn’t wanted to cause tension in their relationship. After all, Zheng Lin was Bai Man’s biological cousin, and the Bai Family was also quite powerful in C City.

“I knew you cherished me.” A cheerful smile appeared on Bai Man’s face.

Shen Chi left the bar after he’d finished drinking a few glasses of wine. It was already midnight. Bai Man tried to implore him to stay behind, but Shen Chi insisted on leaving.

When he got home, it was already past midnight.

At the Shen family’s villa, only the street lamps outside were still lighted. He raised his head and noticed that Xu Zhaomu’s room lights were also still switched on.

He frowned. It was late. Why hadn’t that girl gone to sleep?

Xu Zhaomu kept her room door open as she waited for Shen Chi to return. She didn’t even know why she was waiting. She had seen Zheng Lin’s video and was probably waiting to thank him.

She paced back and forth in her room. When Shen Chi caught sight of her, she was hugging a bunny stuffed animal and talking to herself.

A faint smile surfaced on his face as he walked in.

“It’s late. Why aren’t you sleeping?” he chided her.

“Fourth Brother!” Xu Zhaomu flung the bunny aside and walked up to him.

“Mmm? You have something to tell me?” Shen Chi stared seriously at her.

Xu Zhaomu wanted to ask if he was the one who had helped her to vent her resentment. However, the moment she approached him, she detected the thick scent of wine from his body, mixed with the overpowering fragrance of perfume.

“I don’t!” Xu Zhaomu was immediately in a bad mood.

“If you don’t, then why aren’t you sleeping?” Shen Chi frowned.

“I can’t sleep, I’m excited. Today, Luo Yanli gave me so many things on our date. What do you think I should give him?” Xu Zhaomu appeared to be in deep contemplation.

“I’ve already told you. You’re not allowed to go on dates with boys!” Anger was written all over Shen Chi’s face.

“If you can go on a date with a woman, then why can’t I go on a date with a boy? Why are you so unreasonable? Fourth Brother, don’t you forget. Your family name is Shen, while mine is Xu. Let me ask you frankly. You have nothing to do with me, why do you care?”

Xu Zhaomu stuck her head up in the air. She was full of disdain.

Shen Chi lowered his head and patted her cheeks. An obvious grin was etched onto his face. However, he spoke tyrannically, “Do you believe that I can make your name appear on the same family registration record?”

Xu Zhaomu blinked her eyes. Shen Chi did not wait for her to react before switching off her room lights.

“Go to sleep now. Don’t keep thinking about these trivial things.”

In the darkness, Shen Chi’s voice was crisp and cold. Before he left, he added, “You’re not allowed to go on dates with boys!”

After he shut the doors, Xu Zhaomu blanked out for a long time.

Why was he such a f*cking bully. His entire body was drenched in the fragrance of perfume. Yet, he was still particular about her going on a date with a boy.

Xu Zhaomu found this very unfair. She would resist and fight this inequality.