Chapter 119: Leave No Opportunity

When Jiang Yunzhou regained her senses, she was already in the Shen family villa. She lifted her hand to her throbbing forehead and sat up groggily. Glancing at the quilt draped across her body, her mind suddenly could not recall what had happened the previous night. “Wine is truly the ruin of men! I got blackout drunk!” Rubbing her temples, she gave a bitter smile.

With a click, the door opened and Shen Ruizhang stepped inside. “Are you feeling better? Does your head hurt?” His gaze was gentle, brimming with concern.

Jiang Yunzhou paused, then said coolly, “Last night I drank too much. I hope I didn’t say anything I shouldn’t have.”

Shen Ruizhang hesitated, quickly masking his reaction, and shook his head slowly. “No. Why would you think that? Do you worry that you might have said something inappropriate?” The question carried a subtle probe.

Jiang Yunzhou’s eyes flickered. “No, it’s just that when one is drunk, it’s easy to say hurtful things. I was afraid I might have affected you.”

Shen Ruizhang regarded her with tenderness. “It’s fine. You drank for me. Even if you really did say something you shouldn’t have, no one would have been offended. This was only a company celebration party—family.” A faint smile curved his lips. “Are you getting up?”

She nodded. “Sleeping too long makes the head even more dizzy.”

Jiang Yunzhou rose, and Shen Ruizhang politely withdrew from the room. Once she had tidied herself, she descended to the living room. Breakfast was already laid out on the table. Jiang Yunzhou looked at Shen Ruizhang in surprise. “You made this?”

“Try it and see if it suits your taste.”

Her eyes softened. She sat quietly at the table. “Thank you.”

Shen Ruizhang pursed his lips, his expression disappointed. “Yunzhou, you are too polite! It’s only breakfast—why thank me?”

She said nothing, eating in silence.

Seeing him still standing, she added, “You should eat too. You made it; surely you’re not going to skip?”

A smile curved Shen Ruizhang’s mouth. “Eat!”

He took a bite, his expression shifting slightly as he glanced at Jiang Yunzhou, clearly uneasy.

After she finished her meal without altering her expression, she lifted her head. “What are you looking at?”

Shen Ruizhang stared at the empty bowl, hesitating. “If it doesn’t suit your taste, you needn’t hold back for my sake.”

“It’s fine. Not inedible.” His smile broke through, genuine and heart-felt. Jiang Yunzhou watched him, still in the midst of his recovery. After a moment’s pause, she said, “You needn’t do such chores yourself. Your wound hasn’t healed yet.”

The concern in her words lifted his spirits. “It’s only cooking.”

Jiang Yunzhou offered no further comment and gave a soft smile.

The Shen villa employed servants, yet Jiang Yunzhou could not fathom how Shen Ruizhang had suddenly wished to cook for himself. Later, whenever she noticed him heading toward the kitchen, she promptly stopped him. Though his efforts were not especially poor, she still longed for normal meals.

Meanwhile, Shen Tingxiao had finally found a moment of peace. He sent Jiang Yunzhou a message at once, but no reply came. He grew restless. Then he called Ge Xingjing.

“I need Yunzhou’s current location.”

“Understood, Young Master Shen.”

Ge Xingjing moved swiftly, forwarding the position at once.

Shen Tingxiao glanced at the message and saw that it was at the Shen villa. His brows drew together involuntarily. He instructed the driver to head in that direction.

Upon arrival, Shen Tingxiao was already desperate to see Jiang Yunzhou. The last time they had met, on the plane, when she had pretended not to recognize him, he had felt an ache in his heart that he could not shake. Unable to bear it, he had trailed behind her discreetly, waiting for the chance to speak. Now that he had managed to free himself for a moment, he wanted to speak with her properly.

He had also seen the message Jiang Yunzhou had sent him, yet other considerations had prevented him from replying. After composing himself, he walked straight toward the villa. At the entrance he halted, suddenly spotting two figures inside.

He froze in place, actions locked. Stepping sideways, he peered through the floor-to-ceiling window and saw clearly what was happening.

Jiang Yunzhou had placed the simmering porridge before Shen Ruizhang. The latter gazed at her with tender devotion, and Jiang Yunzhou smiled in return. One seated, the other standing, the standing figure gently tended to the seated one.

The sight struck Shen Tingxiao like a blow. Panic surged in his chest. He knew Jiang Yunzhou had once loved Shen Ruizhang—after all, that had been the man she had cherished since childhood. He had struggled to suppress her feelings, only for her to be pursued by someone else while he was away. The pain clenched his fists until they ached, refusing to let the image before him shatter his composure.

He longed to reclaim his Yunzhou, yet he dared not. He feared that appearing before her would result in outright rejection, severing his hopes forever. Moreover, he was engaged to another woman now. Even though the engagement was a sham—arranged to repay a debt—Jiang Yunzhou knew she was betrothed and saw her with other women. She must already harbor some resentment toward him.

The possibility tightened Shen Tingxiao’s resolve. He stepped back unconsciously, his gaze fixed on the ambiguous figures framed by the window. His eyes reddened. He bit his teeth hard, knowing he must resolve the engagement swiftly so he could appear before her Yunzhou with clear justification.

The problem was that he had been forced into the engagement by a debt he owed to someone. That person had recently run into trouble and required a marriage alliance. He had assumed he could simply choose any reliable candidate, but the difficulties faced by the other party were beyond the reach of an ordinary person. He had no choice but to act himself. With the Shen family’s prestige, the other side would exercise caution and not act rashly. That was why Shen Tingxiao had no alternative but to engage her.

Because the other party operated from the shadows, he feared that knowledge of how important Yunzhou was to him would only increase their vigilance. He dared not contact Jiang Yunzhou at all, lest the other party discover her and attempt to use her against him. These past days had been the first time in a long while that the other party had lost its chance to keep watch over him. Only then had he been able to come seeking her.

Yet now, seeing this scene, Shen Tingxiao hated the hidden figure with a fury that bordered on madness. If not for that person, Shen Tingxiao would never have allowed Shen Ruizhang the slightest opportunity.