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Shen Chi picked up the necklace and walked over to put the sapphire necklace around her neck.

With the light shining on it, the sapphire made Bai Man’s neck look even more delicate and fair, irresistibly charming. She took out a mirror and looked at herself, filled with joy.

Today, she had a disagreement with Shen Chi and almost lost the necklace. Looking back, she was glad she hadn’t.

It was she who had thought too much; Shen Chi’s feelings for her had never changed.

She lowered her head, playing with the sapphire necklace on her neck, touching it over and over, growing fonder of it. She felt like a little girl in her first love, flush with embarrassment and shyness.

Shen Chi, however, remained as he always was, expressionless. After helping Bai Man with the necklace, he returned to his seat and picked up the red wine from the table.

“Thank you… Can you stay with me tonight?” Bai Man looked up, her eyes full of hope.

She had mustered all her courage to say this. She had hinted at it openly and covertly before, but he always found various reasons to decline.

He was even more conservative than she, a woman.

“I’m a bit tired today,” Shen Chi replied indifferently, once again rejecting her.

Bai Man didn’t dare to insist, after all, she had been at fault earlier that day for upsetting him. Thus, she knew she needed to know when to advance and when to retreat.

“Then tonight you have to drink with me, and drink a lot. It’s best not to go home unless you’re drunk,” Bai Man said with a smile.

“Hmm,” came Shen Chi’s reply from his throat.

At the Shen family residence, after Shen Chi left, the butler began to personally cook egg dumpling soup with shrimp for Xu Chaomu in the kitchen.

Now in springtime, fresh shrimp was hard to find, and the butler had searched for quite some time before finding them.

While she was cooking in the kitchen, she pondered a serious matter. Like everyone else in the Shen family, she used to be indifferent to Xu Chaomu.

Now, should she learn to take a side?

Should she stand with the Fourth Young Master or with Madam Liu?

Her answer was without doubt; she must stand with the Fourth Young Master, who was the future master of the Shen family.

The character of the Fourth Young Master truly had the restraint of the old master and the arrogance of Madam Zhou. Although he was too aloof in his dealings with others, she knew that his heart was not cold.

When she had prepared a whole table of dinner, she went to knock on Xu Chaomu’s door.

After Shen Chi left, Xu Chaomu had been doing her homework. After reflecting all afternoon, she still felt that she must study hard. Only then would she have a chance to turn things around in the future…

For instance, once she excelled in her studies, she could earn a lot of money, then acquire Shen Group, make Shen Chi homeless, have him plead with her, and then… keep him as her kept man!

After mulling it over, it all came down to keeping Shen Chi.

No, she didn’t want this man with such a terrible temper!

Once she had money, she could keep a whole host of young, attractive men. Why bother with Shen Chi, an older man?

As she was daydreaming and doing her homework, the butler knocked on her door.

“Miss Xu, are you there? It’s time to come down for dinner.”

“Oh, I’m coming,” she had to interrupt her pleasant dream once again.

“Miss Xu, you go eat, and I will tidy up the room for you,” the butler said with a smile.

“Just me?” Xu Chaomu saw a large spread of dishes downstairs, but the entire living room was empty.

“Yes, Miss Xu. However, the Fourth Young Master asked me to make the egg dumpling soup with shrimp for you, which you love. Please go try it!”

“Oh,” Xu Chaomu suddenly felt listless, with a hollow feeling inside.

She sat alone at the table, surrounded by her favorite dishes, yet they tasted bland.

She ate her rice slowly, chewed it slowly. She picked up an egg dumpling with shrimp with her chopsticks and then left it untouched.

A long table, full of dishes, steaming hot, fragrant, but her heart ached.

Just as she had taken a few bites of her rice, all of a sudden, the door to the living room was flung open forcefully.

Xu Chaomu jumped in shock because this way of opening a door was something only Shen Chi dared to do. Yet, when she looked up, it was her uncle, Shen Cexian.

Due to his health, Shen Cexian seldom returned to the Shen family residence and usually stayed in the summer villa in C City.

“Uncle Shen,” Xu Chaomu called timidly, quickly setting down her chopsticks and bowl.

She wasn’t afraid of Shen Chi or Liu Rumei, but she didn’t dare to defy Shen

Cexian, nor… Zhou Ran.

Between Shen Cexian and Zhou Ran, she always felt there was a profound secret, a secret involving her mother, Xu Mengxi.

Shen Cexian ignored Xu Chaomu’s greeting, his face unhappy. He stood there with a cold expression, pointed at her, and said, “Come with me!”

Xu Chaomu didn’t dare to say anything; after all, Shen Cexian was her elder. Although he had been indifferent to her in the past eight years, the words he had spoken to her could be counted on one hand.

She followed him hesitantly, head bowed, not daring to make a sound.

Shen Cexian walked straight to the small study room of the Shen family, then

stopped and sat down on a chair.

“Cough cough…” Having walked just a few steps, Shen Cexian started coughing non-stop, gasping for breath.

He rested for a while before he felt less uncomfortable.

“Uncle Shen, shall I get you a cup of tea?” Xu Chaomu offered, her voice timid. “No need!” Shen Cexian almost instantly refused, his tone exceptionally cold.

Xu Chaomu was startled and didn’t move, standing in front of him.

Shen Cexian lifted his head, his eyes staring directly at her, filled with warning, hostility, and rejection.

Xu Chaomu didn’t dare meet his gaze and lowered her head instead.

What was he going to say to her?

This was the first time in eight years that Shen Cexian had asked to speak with her alone.

The air was as if it had solidified, carrying a whooshing chill. It was very quiet all around, and no sound could be heard. In the silence, Xu Chaomu could even hear her own heartbeat.

“Xu Chaomu, how many years has the Shen family provided for you?” Shen Cexian finally spoke, his voice slow.

Xu Chaomu’s heart trembled slightly; this question had also been asked by

Zhou Ran.

“Eight years,” Xu Chaomu answered truthfully.

“How have the Shen family treated you?”

“Quite well,” Xu Chaomu replied flatly, her voice devoid of emotion.

“Do you always consider yourself the young miss of the Shen family?” Shen Cexian’s tone clearly showed his impatience.

“No, my surname is Xu.”

She had never seen herself as the young miss. Even living in the Shen family for eight years, she knew that none of the Shen family members had ever considered her one of their own.

Her status was just slightly better than that of a servant, nothing more.

“At least you remember your surname is Xu,” scoffed Shen Cexian. “So your behavior today, wasn’t it excessively audacious?”

So it was about today’s incident. Xu Chaomu understood; probably Liu Rumei and Shen Yanrou had called to complain about her.

“I did nothing wrong,” Xu Chaomu maintained, still speaking flatly.

“You’re stubborn! Cough cough… cough cough…” Shen Cexian became agitated, and once again, his coughing worsened, making even breathing difficult..