CH 22

Before Shen Ji could find a chance to talk to Shen Dehan about Chu Qianqian’s arrival, Chu Qianqian had unexpectedly rejected Shen Dehan’s offer herself.

Despite her apologetic look, Chu Qianqian’s attitude was very firm.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Shen, I don’t think I’m the right person to be your personal caregiver.”

Shen Dehan never thought he would be turned down and the smile had not yet faded from his face, “Xiao Chu, what are you talking about?”

Chu Qianqian gave Shen Dehan an embarrassed look, but still repeated firmly, “Sorry, Mr. Shen, I can’t be your personal caregiver.”

“Why?” Shen Dehan was a bit confused; these days Chu Qianqian was very attentive to his care, gentle, meticulous and patient. The two got along quite well. Shen Dehan felt that although he was a bit older, he was still quite elegant due to his long-standing high position and good maintenance. He could see from Chu Qianqian’s daily behaviour that she did not hate him. He just invited her to do nursing work for him, which was easy and profitable. Why didn’t she agree?

Shen Dehan made it clear that he was going to pursue the matter to the end. Chu Qianqian was silent for a moment and spoke softly under Shen Dehan’s compelling gaze, “I know your good intentions, Mr. Shen. Someone must have talked to you about my situation and that’s why you thought of hiring me as a personal caregiver. Mr. Shen, you are very kind, but that’s why I can’t agree. You know that I have just graduated and I am still in the internship stage. I am fine at the hospital, but if I go to your home, I will not have enough experience to deal with the unexpected situations that may arise. What your body needs, Mr. Shen, is a professional caregiver, and I can’t disregard your health because of your good intentions.”

Chu Qianqian’s attitude towards Shen Dehan was very gentle, but there was a little alienation in the gentleness. She smiled lightly, grateful for Shen Dehan’s kindness, but she didn’t need Shen Dehan’s sympathy.

Shen Dehan looked at Chu Qianqian in front of him in a moment of daze. He remembered that Fang Yun was also like this back then, with fortitude in her weakness, and chose to refuse his help without hesitation. No matter how difficult the situation was, Fang Yun refused to take advantage of his kindness.

Nostalgia surfaced in Shen Dehan’s eyes and his tone became a bit more gentle, “I know my own health, Xiao Chu, don’t worry, you can definitely handle it.”

Chu Qianqian shook her head, “I appreciate your kindness, Mr. Shen, but I really can’t agree.”

Shen Dehan sharply interrupted Chu Qianqian’s refusal, “If you are worried about my health, I can hire another private nurse, and you can also take the opportunity to learn properly from her. What do you think?”

Chu Qianqian did not expect Shen Dehan to say this; she froze for a moment but still refused.

Looking at Shen Dehan’s uncomprehending eyes, Chu Qianqian was embarrassed and finally said in a small voice, “I don’t know why but I can feel that Shen Dashao does not like my presence. If Mr. Shen insists on hiring me as a personal caregiver, Shen Dashao will be even more unhappy, right?”

Having said that, Chu Qianqian hurriedly explained, “I am not displeased with Shen Dashao in any way. No one can make everyone like them, I understand this. It’s just that you, Mr. Shen, are the first patient I have taken care of since I graduated, and you have a very special meaning to me. You have already given me a lot of care during this time and I am very grateful to you. I wish you all the best and don’t want you to have any misunderstanding with your family for me, so I am really unable to agree to your proposal.”

After Chu Qianqian finished speaking, she showed a faint smile to Shen Dehan and left the ward without waiting for him to say anything else.

Behind her, Shen Dehan stared at Chu Qianqian’s departing figure with a complicated expression, not knowing what to think.

Only when Chu Qianqian was alone in the duty room did the gentleness on her face fade and change back to her usual expression. Although this job was lucrative, the idea of being with the smug old man every day, even if she had a good work ethic, was a bit much. 

She took her mobile phone out of her pocket and typed quickly, telling Shen Xi about his father’s recent developments, with particular emphasis on the fact that he wanted to hire her as a private caregiver. Of course she didn’t forget to write that she had declined.

When Shen Xi received the message, he was sitting on his bed tinkering with his new mobile phone.

The original phone had been soaked in water for too long and the phone and its card had been scrapped. When Shen Xi was depressed about it, Li Mingxuan, who asked his assistant to send clothes over, by the way, helped Shen Xi get a new card and brought a new mobile phone.

Understanding the way Shen Dehan’s mind worked, Shen Xi replied curiously, “Playing hard to get?”

Chu Qianqian quickly replied, “That’s how you have to deal with men. No matter if they are old or young, their virtues are the same, this is the way they eat.”

Seeing this message, Shen Xi couldn’t help but laugh with the phone in his hand.

Shen Xi’s laughter attracted Li Mingxuan, who was talking to his assistant in the living room. He looked over, “What’s the matter?”

“I received a joke about the inferior nature of men, do you want me to read it to you?” Shen Xi looked back with a smile.

Li Mingxuan smiled and returned to his conversation.

Shen Xi surveyed Li Mingxuan’s back thoughtfully.

Speaking of which, Li Mingxuan originally planned to leave yesterday. However, after examining Shen Xi, the doctor said that although Shen Xi’s fever had gone down, he still suggested one more night of observation, so Li Mingxuan stayed behind. Although Shen Xi said that he was fine on his own, Li Mingxuan was still very determined.

Shen Xi vaguely felt that there was something strange about Li Mingxuan’s attitude, but he couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it, so he could only be more wary of Li Mingxuan in his heart.

Not long after, Li Mingxuan finished talking to his assistant and walked back to Shen Xi’s side, “Xiao Xi, I have to go.”

Shen Xi cooperatively showed a surprised face, “Cousin wants to go back?”

Li Mingxuan nodded and instructed, “Although you’ve recovered from your illness, it’s best for Xiao Xi to rest at the hotel for one more day. Remember to call me if anything happens.”

Shen Xi nodded obediently, not missing the curious gaze of the assistant on the side.

Until they entered the elevator, the assistant’s eyes were still unabashedly curious.

Li Mingxuan was puzzled, “What?”

The assistant chuckled dryly, “Nothing, just curious about your good relationship with Shen Sanshao.”

When Li Mingxuan heard the word “good relationship”, he let out a bitter smile and did not say anything.

Because he had something on his mind, Li Mingxuan did not pay attention to his surroundings and therefore did not see Shen Ji who was talking with someone in the corner of the hotel lobby.

Shen Ji looked at Li Mingxuan, who appeared in his sight, in astonishment, suddenly remembering the last news reports and feeling very uncomfortable.

Shen Ji hadn’t had time to adjust his mood yet when he saw Shen Xi.

Despite his efforts to convince himself that it was all just a coincidence, the fact that Li Mingxuan and Shen Xi appeared in front of him one after the other still cast a shadow over Shen Ji’s mood.

Shen Ji resisted the urge to dial Li Mingxuan’s number immediately and reluctantly turned his mind back to the conversation he was having.

Like Li Mingxuan, Shen Xi, who was in a hurry to find Lao K, did not notice Shen Ji. He left his room and went straight to Lao K almost as soon as Li Mingxuan walked out.

“Are you really not going to enter Shen Group?” Lao K looked at Shen Xi who had been nestling in the balcony recliner since he came in, puzzled by his behaviour.

Shen Xi gave Lao K a lazy look, “What am I going to do in Shen Group?”

“Show your ability outside, buy people inside, find ways to secretly collude with the shareholders, eat away at Shen Ji’s power in the company little by little, and finally succeed in killing your father to take over, how about that?” Lao K elaborated excitedly, as if he could already see Shen Xi’s domineering aura overflowing and the company filled with people at his beck and call.

Shen Xi sneered, “It’s not like I want to revitalise Shen Group. I just want to destroy it, why go to all this trouble?”

Lao K was full of regret, “You loser, do you know how much Shen Group is worth?”

Shen Xi chuckled, “It’s not like I’m short of money.”

Lao K had a choked look on his face for a long time before he recovered, “I know you’re not short of money, but isn’t all of your money hidden? How are you going to transfer it to the open?”

The hidden money Lao K mentioned was Shen Xi’s biggest support for his comeback. He wanted to bring down Shen Group; what he needed most besides people was money.

Shen Xi did not know how much money he had made during five years abroad. Thinking of the source of this money, Shen Xi could not help but glance at Lao K. Whether it was Lao K or this money, it was a gift to him from his prison career in his previous life.

People who have never been in prison can never imagine the monotony of that life that can drive people crazy. You are like a trapped animal in a cage, living numbly in a small, cramped space day after day. The passage of time is invisible, your days are repetitive, always the same faces, always the same work, work, work, work, never a break.

In that kind of life, what Shen Xi looked forward to most every day was watching TV in the evening. Even though there were only a few news channels that they could watch, only at this time would Shen Xi feel that he was truly living in this world. 

Shen Xi’s attitude to watching TV was so religious that no matter what the prison guards put on, Shen Xi would watch it with great interest and then reflect on life outside alone in the dead of night.

Shen Xi remembered that his second year in prison coincided with the World Cup, which was a major event in the whole world. The guards who worked in Shen Xi’s section of the prison were all fans, so the nightly news programs were replaced with football matches, commentaries on the matches, and even replays.

Thanks to those replays, Shen Xi was able to retell almost all of the 64 matches.

Living a new life after ten years, Shen Xi became rich overnight by relying on these memories. The only pity was that in order not to be detected by the Shen family, the bets he took were all in underground illegal markets, so all his money could not see the light of day and he could only launder it a little through other means.

He had already thought about Lao K’s question before, and thinking about Fang Luowei’s ideals in his previous life, Shen Xi had a plan for this. Therefore, after Lao K asked, he said directly, “I heard that making movies is very profitable these days.”

“You want to launder money by making movies?” Lao K thought about it, “That’s a good way to go and it also fits your position.”

Shen Xi snorted, “Yeah, a dude who is wandering in the entertainment industry, the Shen family must definitely feel at ease.”

Lao K pondered, “It’s just that the time to get the money this way is slow, six months or something?”

Shen Xi nodded indifferently.

Lao K’s expression was a bit strange, “You don’t seem to be in a hurry at all?”

Shen Xi understood what he meant and smiled faintly, “Killing with a slow knife is more painful, why should I spare them from pain?”

Under the pale golden sunlight, Shen Xi lay there lazily with a relaxed expression, but the smile on his face made Lao K shiver.