Chapter Forty: Catching Sight of a Face I’d Rather Not See

Shen Ruizhang’s face was ashen. “I know.” After the doctor left, he and Jiang Yunzhou approached the old matriarch, frail and aged on the hospital bed.

“Grandma, how do you feel?” Jiang Yunzhou’s eyes were red as she gripped the old woman’s withered hand tightly. “Can you speak?”

“Zhouzhou?” A look of confusion flashed across the old matriarch’s face. “Where am I?”

“In M Country,” Shen Ruizhang answered softly from the side. “Mom, I brought you here for treatment. Did you forget?”

“Go away. I don’t want to see you.” The old lady’s expression changed suddenly, her voice sharp and cold.

Shen Ruizhang pressed his lips together, then turned to Jiang Yunzhou. “Zhouzhou, stay with Grandma.”

With that, he left the room. As the door closed, Jiang Yunzhou watched his thin figure disappear and suddenly felt a pang of loneliness emanating from him.

“Grandma,” Jiang Yunzhou sat down by the sickbed, “why did your illness suddenly worsen? When I visited you before I came back, weren’t you about to be discharged?”

“It was all because of Zhou Qingpei!” the old lady said anxiously. “How many times have I told Ruizhang to cut ties with her, but he never listens! Then that scandal broke out—he thought that just because he paid to suppress it online, I’d know nothing? Even if I die, I’ll never let Zhou Qingpei set foot in the Shen family!”

Seeing her agitation, Jiang Yunzhou gently soothed her chest. “Grandma, please don’t get upset. Uncle and Miss Zhou aren’t like that—you’ve misunderstood. I assure you, there is absolutely nothing between him and Miss Zhou.”

“Zhouzhou, don’t lie to me. I saw the news myself.”

“It was Miss Zhou’s ex-husband causing her trouble. It had nothing to do with Uncle,” Jiang Yunzhou lied without blinking. “Miss Zhou is, after all, an artist under Uncle’s company. He couldn’t just let the scandal spread unchecked. Don’t worry, Grandma.”

The old lady still looked uncertain. “Really?”

“Yes, everyone at the company knows what happened,” Jiang Yunzhou said gently. “Grandma, you must take care of your health. Otherwise, if one day you can’t hold on, and Uncle starts thinking about her again, who will stop him if you’re not here?”

The old matriarch was about to get angry, but suddenly realized Jiang Yunzhou had a point. “You’re right! I can’t let myself be overwhelmed by this. I have to get better!”

When Jiang Yunzhou left the hospital room, she saw Shen Ruizhang sitting on a bench in the corridor, arms folded, leaning against the wall, fast asleep.

She walked over and looked down at him.

In just a few days, Shen Ruizhang had grown haggard. His brow was deeply furrowed, and even in sleep, he looked restless.

People always said Zhou Qingpei was the one Shen Ruizhang could never have in his youth. With the old matriarch’s current attitude toward Zhou Qingpei, he must be tormented by this, too.

Jiang Yunzhou felt a sharp ache in her heart.

Part of it was sympathy for him, and part was a deep sense of empathy for unrequited love.

But Shen Ruizhang had it better than she did.

At least Zhou Qingpei had turned to him.

“Uncle,” Jiang Yunzhou murmured softly.

A cough suddenly sounded nearby—a subtle reminder.

Jiang Yunzhou immediately straightened her back and turned warily.

Not far away stood Shen Tingxiao, tall and imposing, exuding a heavy pressure simply by standing there.

“Master Shen?” Jiang Yunzhou wished she could sink into the floor from embarrassment. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Since you were gazing at Shen Ruizhang so devotedly,” Shen Tingxiao replied, hands in his pockets.

Jiang Yunzhou wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but it felt as though a chilly aura radiated from him.

“I didn’t know Master Shen enjoyed spying on others,” she muttered with a hint of complaint. If he’d arrived earlier, he could have said something.

“I wasn’t spying. I watched openly,” Shen Tingxiao strode a few steps closer. “If you don’t want people watching, don’t act out your melodrama in public.”

“I wasn’t…” Jiang Yunzhou tried to protest, but stopped halfway.

“Wasn’t what?” Shen Tingxiao pressed.

She glanced at him. “Did you come to visit a patient? On this floor? Finished already?”

“Starting to chase me away as soon as you run out of excuses?” Shen Tingxiao was right in front of her now. “You were saying you weren’t acting—what exactly weren’t you doing?”

Jiang Yunzhou didn’t feel like arguing. “Nothing.”

She cast a look at Shen Ruizhang, thinking it was rare for him to get some rest; she didn’t want Shen Tingxiao waking him.

“If you’re here to visit someone, go ahead,” she said, and walked away.

Now that the old lady was out of danger, there was no need for her to stay.

But surprisingly, Shen Tingxiao caught up with her. “Did someone come to pick you up today?”

“My family’s driver is waiting for me,” Jiang Yunzhou glanced back at him. “Master Shen seems quite free today as well.”

Hands in his pockets, Shen Tingxiao suddenly said, “The item.”

“What?” Jiang Yunzhou found him baffling.

They left the hospital together, and just before parting, he fixed his gaze on her. “Have you given up on the acrylic sign?”

Jiang Yunzhou remembered. “I didn’t bring anything this time, didn’t expect to run into you. Next time?”

“Zhouzhou has my contact information,” Shen Tingxiao replied, standing against the light, one hand in his pocket. “You can just make an appointment with me directly.”

…

Jiang Yunzhou sat in her office at the company, propping her cheek with one hand while browsing a shopping website.

Shao Shu brought her a cup of water and peered in. “Shopping for something?”

“For a…” Jiang Yunzhou considered thoughtfully, “a penny-pincher. Just a little token.”

“Huh?” Shao Shu looked completely confused. “What did you say?”

“Nothing.” Jiang Yunzhou scrolled past a bizarre-looking figurine and, for some reason, thought it suited Shen Tingxiao perfectly.

Handsome as he was, Shen Tingxiao was, in many ways, inexplicable.

She checked the price.

Perhaps because the figurine looked too odd to be popular, it was rather cheap.

Jiang Yunzhou decided to buy twenty, clearing out the entire inventory.

Soon, a private message popped up: Dearest, thank you for shopping with us! Because of your generous purchase, we’d like to gift you a pair of gold-plated rings.

Clearly, these figurines weren’t selling at all.

The seller was deeply moved by Jiang Yunzhou’s act of clearing out their stock.

Perhaps afraid she’d cancel the order, they shipped out the same day, even arranging same-city delivery.

By the end of the workday, Jiang Yunzhou had received over twenty figurines. She packed a few in her bag and examined the pair of rings.

Though only gold-plated, their style was simple and elegant—quite nice.

Wearing them for fun would be fine.

Just as she left the company building, Jiang Yunzhou received a message.

It was from Director Shang: Xiaozhou, I remember your parents recently started a film company and have some promising artists under their wing? I just so happen to have a film to shoot and need Chinese faces. If you’re available, bring your artists to dinner with the investors.

Jiang Yunzhou: All right.

She quickly contacted a few outstanding artists, among them Sang Bai and Shao Shu.

When she arrived at the dinner, she swept her gaze across the room—and her heart gave a jolt.

In the corner sat a man who emanated an indescribable aura, making everything around him pale in comparison.

It was Shen Tingxiao again.

His eyes were lowered, fingers tapping the table in an idle, rhythmic manner.