Shen Yuqing’s mind had always been orderly and logical, yet it still took him a while to process what he had heard.
The sound outside disappeared again.
A self-mocking smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
It really was a dream—
“President Shen!”
Wait, that voice…
“What would you like for breakfast?”
So it wasn’t a dream after all.
Shen Yuqing cleared his throat and pretended he had been awake for quite some time, deliberately flattening his tone.
“Just… jianbing guozi.”
“Got it!”
After a series of light, cheerful footsteps fading away, the person outside left.
Shen Yuqing still felt somewhat dazed.
With effort, he sat up. Holding onto the support rail installed beside the bed, he tightened his core muscles and transferred himself into his wheelchair before heading to the bathroom to wash up.
He had not taken much care of himself over the past two days, and a faint layer of stubble had appeared on his chin.
After carefully shaving and washing his face,
he changed into a freshly pressed white shirt that had recently been delivered and hung in his wardrobe.
Only after making sure there was no sign whatsoever that he had spent two lonely days by himself did Shen Yuqing head downstairs.
As expected, he looked toward the kitchen and saw the busy figure there.
She still wore her hair in a side braid.
This time, the ribbon tying it together was decorated with a cluster of pale pink peach blossoms.
Standing at the stove, Song Tinghuan turned toward him when she heard movement.
Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled, and two small dimples appeared beside her curved lips.
“President Shen, your jianbing guozi will be ready soon.”
Shen Yuqing withdrew his gaze and gave a soft acknowledgment.
He wheeled himself to the dining table and sat down on his own initiative.
Song Tinghuan first brought him a glass of warm milk.
Acting casual, Shen Yuqing asked: “Were you busy these past two days?”
“No.” Song Tinghuan replied casually. “Wasn’t it the weekend?”
Shen Yuqing: “……”
Having been away from work for so long, he had forgotten about that.
Still, it seemed Shen Heng had successfully invited Song Tinghuan back to continue working.
He could not very well act as though he had no idea.
But if he did not ask about it at all, then he would become the “aloof and superior” person Song Tinghuan often accused him of being.
Taking a sip of milk, Shen Yuqing tried hard to think of a topic.
Fortunately, Song Tinghuan was naturally outgoing.
After answering, she continued on her own.
“I helped out at my family’s shop these past two days and spent some time with my parents.”
Following her lead, Shen Yuqing said: “If you miss your parents, you can call them more often. You can visit them too.”
“I never call them.”
Shen Yuqing paused midway through drinking his milk.
Could it be that Song Tinghuan also had a poor relationship with her family?
As her boss, perhaps he should be more considerate and avoid bringing up topics like parents.
After all, reopening old wounds was not a good thing.
Song Tinghuan had no idea what was going through Shen Yuqing’s mind.
She simply thought he was a bit silly.
Who would call deaf-mute people?
It wasn’t as if he paid her phone bill.
The jianbing guozi was finished.
Song Tinghuan placed it on a plate and set it in front of Shen Yuqing, giving him a strange look.
Shen Yuqing asked: “What’s wrong?”
Song Tinghuan shook her head.
“Nothing.”
Forget it.
What was the point of explaining?
Rich people tended to have less empathy anyway.
After breakfast, the doorbell rang again outside the villa.
Once more, Song Tinghuan found herself facing a stranger.
The man smiled.
“Hello, I’m Mo Hai, Yuqing’s good friend.”
The phrase “good friend” was becoming a psychological trigger for Song Tinghuan.
Did Shen Yuqing really have any friends at all?
“Wait here.” she said cautiously. “I’ll go confirm it.”
She quickly ran back inside.
“There’s someone named Mo Hai at the door. Can you confirm he’s really your good friend?”
Shen Yuqing nodded.
“Yes. Let him in.”
“Really a good friend?”
“Yes.”
Her suspicion was not unreasonable.
What if another Xu Jiachang showed up?
If they argued with Shen Yuqing and he vented his anger by firing her again, what then?
Would Shen Heng come looking for her a second time?
She wasn’t Zhuge Liang. A nanny shouldn’t require the phrase “three visits to the thatched cottage.”
Apparently, Shen Yuqing had guessed exactly what she was thinking.
A trace of embarrassment flashed across his face.
“Mo Hai is fine. Besides being my friend, he’s also my attending doctor.”
Even then, Song Tinghuan remained suspicious.
After Mo Hai entered, she followed him the entire way, her eyes fixed firmly on him.
Mo Hai checked himself over.
There was nothing strange on him, was there?
He looked at Shen Yuqing.
“Your new nanny?”
“Yes. Her name is Song Tinghuan.”
Mo Hai nodded and then asked,
“Does she like me?”
For the first time, something resembling speechlessness appeared on Shen Yuqing’s face.
Mo Hai continued,
“Why are you looking at me like that? I’m handsome, and I have a great job. Plenty of women in the hospital chase after me. Isn’t it normal for someone to like me?”
The speechlessness evolved into outright disdain.
Mo Hai immediately surrendered.
“Fine. Not as handsome as you. Not as successful as you.”
Shen Yuqing nodded.
“That’s more like it.”
Song Tinghuan smiled politely.
“Do you two think I can’t hear you?”
Shen Yuqing coughed lightly, attempting to hide his embarrassment.
Unfortunately, Mo Hai had no concept of embarrassment.
“Xiao Song, give us your opinion. Which one of us is more handsome?”
“Me?”
She would have to be desperate to lose her job before she dared evaluate her boss.
Objectively speaking, however, Mo Hai was nowhere near Shen Yuqing’s level.
In all her years, she had never seen a man more handsome than Shen Yuqing.
Handsome, yet not feminine.
His hair was black and soft.
His features were sharp and refined.
A high nose, thin lips, and cool pale skin.
Though lean, Shen Yuqing carried a sense of resilient strength.
From time to time, the pressure accumulated from years in a position of authority unconsciously revealed itself.
When he sat there, people often forgot that his legs were disabled.
For example, right now.
He seemed somewhat tired of Mo Hai’s joking around.
A faint glance swept over.
The movement was minimal—just a slight turn of his dark eyes.
Yet it was enough to make Mo Hai nervous and immediately serious.
“Let’s focus on business. Let me see how your legs are recovering.”
Mo Hai crouched down and reached to roll up Shen Yuqing’s pant leg.
As he turned around, he noticed Song Tinghuan staring intently.
“Xiao Song, perhaps you should step out for a moment.”
“Can’t I watch?”
Mo Hai wanted to say no.
Other than him, Shen Yuqing’s attending doctor, Shen Yuqing never allowed anyone to see the scars on his legs.
Before he could refuse, Shen Yuqing spoke first.
“It’s fine. Let her watch.”
Mo Hai stared in astonishment.
Shen Yuqing calmly added,
“Otherwise she’ll remove my battery.”
Mo Hai blinked.
“You just let her do that?”
Shen Yuqing gave him a complicated look.
Then Mo Hai realized.
“Oh, right. Once the battery’s gone, it’s gone. It’s not like you can jump up and take it back.”
He gave Song Tinghuan a thumbs-up.
“You’re really something.”
With that, he no longer insisted that she leave and continued the examination.
“The condition of your muscles is still quite good.”
He tapped Shen Yuqing’s knee.
“Can you feel that?”
“No.”
“Take it slowly. Your scans show that the nerves in your legs haven’t completely died. The wounds are still healing right now, and recovery is the most important thing. Once the injuries are mostly healed, combined with daily rehabilitation, a full recovery isn’t impossible.”
Song Tinghuan’s eyes lit up.
“President Shen can stand again?!”
Mo Hai smiled and nodded.
“I performed the surgery myself. If I didn’t have at least a ninety percent chance of success, I wouldn’t say something like that.”
“That’s wonderful!”
Song Tinghuan exclaimed.
“Doctor Mo, please tell me everything I need to pay attention to. If it can help President Shen recover faster, I’ll write it all down.”
Mo Hai said,
“The first thing is: don’t tell anyone.”
“The first thing is that mysterious? I can’t tell anyone?”
“…” Mo Hai emphasized each word. “The first thing is that you must not tell anyone that Yuqing’s legs can recover.”
Song Tinghuan paused.
“Not even Young President Shen?”
Mo Hai shook his head.
“No one.”
Suddenly, Song Tinghuan felt like a bronze-ranked player who had accidentally wandered into a professional tournament.
She really should not have gotten involved in this.
“Three months ago, the car accident that targeted Yuqing was intentional.”
Mo Hai casually dropped the bombshell.
Instantly, Song Tinghuan imagined an eight-hundred-chapter novel filled with wealthy-family feuds and conspiracies.
Good heavens.
The world of rich people was literally life-threatening.
“But we still haven’t identified the person behind it. His current condition is also partly meant to make the culprit lower their guard.”
Song Tinghuan’s expression turned serious.
She nodded heavily.
“I’ll definitely keep it a secret.”
Mo Hai smiled.
“The second thing is to keep Yuqing in a good mood every day. That will help his nerves recover.”
Song Tinghuan pointed at herself.
“That’s my responsibility too?”
“Xiao Song, you can do it.”
Despairingly, Song Tinghuan turned to Shen Yuqing.
“President Shen, can I really do it?”
Shen Yuqing’s hands rested on his thighs.
His fingers curled slightly around each other.
“Give it a try.”