"Mr. Shen, I wanted to ask, does your household have any…"
Ren Siyi had been settled onto the sofa in the study by Shen Shen. It was the height of summer, yet the study was so cold it made one shiver.
The butler had lit the fireplace, the curtains were drawn tight, and warm amber flames flickered gently.
There was a bite wound on her arm, inflicted by one of those thugs. Fortunately, it was the only wound—they hadn't had the chance to do anything more to her.
Shen Shen had disinfected the area around the wound with iodine, then applied the same black herbal ointment as before, spreading it over her injury.
That medicine was truly potent. Within two days, Ren Siyi's wound had healed, and after the scab fell off, there was no scar left at all—her skin was as good as new.
Considering he ran a hospital himself, this was probably a formula he'd concocted on his own.
Shen Shen wrapped her arm in gauze, layer by layer.
The firelight from the hearth reflected in his eyes, tinging his dark pupils with a warm hue.
The arch of his brow was beautifully shaped—sharp and handsome, yet not coarse. When he looked down at someone, his lashes cast a small shadow beneath his eyes.
She said nothing, and he remained silent too, leaving only the soft rustling of the bandaging and the sound of her chewing hazelnut chocolate.
She broke the quiet first: "Mr. Shen, how did you find me?"
"One of my men spotted you." Shen Shen said casually, unconcerned whether she believed him or not.
Ren Siyi didn't press further—that wasn't the point of her conversation anyway. She looked down at her bandaged arm. "I've been having a lot of bloody calamities lately."
Shen Shen glanced at her sideways. "What are you trying to say?"
"I almost got raped today." Just thinking about that scene made her scalp tingle. "And I got hurt. I think this counts as a work injury. I was called there by Shen Du to that shady bar—I never go to places like that."
Ren Siyi was trying her best to prove she was a good girl.
What happened today was purely an accident, absolutely not something she'd brought upon herself. It was entirely Shen Du's negligence that had led to something so terrifying happening.
"Mm." Shen Shen acknowledged her words. "Want a raise?"
He could see right through the little scheme in Ren Siyi's mind.
"Uh…" Ren Siyi had indeed been planning to use a raise as leverage, but that wasn't her ultimate goal. "I could skip the raise! After all… what I went through today has already caused me severe psychological trauma. No amount of money can fix that!"
After she mumbled out those words, Shen Shen no longer believed she'd actually suffered any real psychological damage. Someone truly traumatized wouldn't be sitting here, hesitating and speaking with hidden meaning, negotiating leverage with him.
"I can arrange a psychologist for you." Shen Shen said patiently. "And during your employment, you'll be under my protection. No one will dare touch you again."
That statement really did give a sense of security!
Especially after seeing how terrified those thugs in the rental apartment were of him…
This guy was like a godfather from the movies, connected on both sides of the law.
"No need to go to all that trouble with a psychologist, and no need for a raise either." Ren Siyi quickly waved her hands. "I just… wanted to ask Mr. Shen to do me one tiny, tiny, tiny favor."
She used her fingers to indicate just how small it was. "I'd like to ask Mr. Shen to help me find someone—my dad. He's been missing for years."
After saying this, she looked at Shen Shen nervously.
The man leaned back on the sofa, legs apart, his posture lazy and relaxed.
He let out a scoffing laugh.
"You want my help?"
"If Mr. Shen would agree, I would definitely—"
"If you want my help, that kind of bargaining chip isn't enough." Shen Shen's gaze was like he was looking at an innocent child.
"You… what do you want?" Ren Siyi knew deep down that her chances were slim, but she still wanted to try.
Shen Shen picked up the wine glass on the table, swirled it gently, and looked at her.
Looked at the wound on her wrist.
After a long moment, he still downed the crimson liquid in one go, set the glass down, and rose to walk out—
"You don't have anything I want."
…
Shen Du had been beaten by his brother straight into bed, completely unable to get up. His arm was fractured, hanging in a sling across his chest, his face swollen and bruised. When he saw Ren Siyi walking in properly with a tray, he breathed a sigh of relief and said with a mournful face: "Sisi, I'm sorry."
Ren Siyi's tray held freshly cut fruit, which she set down beside the bed.
Of course, she'd dropped her previous gentle and tender demeanor toward him. She skewered an apple slice with a toothpick and shoved it into his mouth with a blank expression, like she was feeding a pig.
Shen Du didn't dare say a word. Whatever she fed him, he chewed vigorously and swallowed obediently.
She finished her work coldly and picked up the tray to leave, but Shen Du grabbed her. "Forgive me, okay?"
"Your brother won't even let you go out." Ren Siyi said. "You lied to me, and I almost got—"
"I really know I was wrong. I'll never drink that much again, I swear."
In truth, having suffered such a great injustice, showing attitude toward one's employer wasn't a wise move for a qualified nanny.
Moreover, Ren Siyi wasn't just any ordinary nanny—she was selling emotional value.
She took a deep breath, sat down on the edge of the bed, and said with a slightly exasperated tone, "I didn't end up in any real trouble, just got a scare. I can pretend it never happened, but I need you to do me a favor."
"Say it, say it, say it! I'll definitely help!"
"Those big shots who come to your brother for help—he doesn't seem to take gold, silver, or money. So what does he accept?" Ren Siyi asked, feigning curiosity.
"Why are you asking about that?" Shen Du frowned. "You've got something you want his help with too?"
Ren Siyi nodded.
Shen Du gave her a once-over and waved his hand. "Don't even think about it. You don't have what he wants. You can't offer it."
He said the same thing, which only made Ren Siyi more curious.
"What is it, exactly?"
Shen Du smiled mysteriously, leaned in to sniff her lightly, his expression suggestive. "Tell me what help you need. What I want… you can definitely give."
Shen Du happened to have a particular taste for clean virgin blood.
A wave of goosebumps broke out on Ren Siyi's skin, and she thought back to that night when a group of men had surrounded her, sniffing at her.
Disgusting.
She quickly backed away, keeping a safe distance from him. Shen Du was a one-legged cripple, so she wasn't afraid he could force anything on her.
"Forget it." She left with the tray.
She'd rather not find her dad at all than sleep with this guy.
"Hey, just tell me! Maybe I really can help!" Shen Du's voice came from the room.
Ren Siyi slammed the door shut. "No need!"
…
Dragonfly Immortal Venerable: "Hello, hello, still looking for your dad? Want a fortune reading? [Cute cat]"
Ren Siyi was waiting for the macarons in the oven to finish baking. Seeing his message, she casually replied, "Are you going to say my dad turned into a werewolf again?"
Dragonfly Immortal Venerable: "Pfft, that's just a legend. There's no such thing as werewolves in the world."
Cute Neurotic: "Vampires exist, so why not werewolves? [Rolling eyes]"
Li Er sent a sticker of a little pink bear scratching its head: "You're the one who asked. I tell you, and you don't believe it."
Ren Siyi was about to ignore him, but then she looked down and suddenly noticed her wrist.
The bite wound had already scabbed over.
Even though she still didn't believe something as absurd as vampires actually existing in this world, her recent "bloody calamities" had indeed been increasing.
That day at the bar, she'd also seen a man bite a woman's lip until it bled.
God! So ridiculous.
Could vampires really be real?
That thought took root in her mind, just like when she was a kid and wondered if ghosts existed. Logically she knew they didn't, but walking down a dark road still gave her a slight chill.
Cute Neurotic: "Do vampires really exist in the world?"
Dragonfly Immortal Venerable: "What happened to you recently?"
Cute Neurotic: "Does almost getting kidnapped and raped count as a big deal?"
Dragonfly Immortal Venerable: "God! Are you okay!"
Cute Neurotic: "I'm fine. My employer saved me—he seems like a pretty impressive figure. I only got a minor injury, also from someone biting me."
She was really afraid he'd say something like she'd been bitten by a vampire.
Fortunately, Li Er only expressed concern about her injuries, and also tried to make a quick buck on the side—
"Glad you're okay. Want to meet up? I'll cast another fortune for you."
Cute Neurotic: "My employer won't let me go out and run around. Forget it, I'll just stay home."
Dragonfly Immortal Venerable: "Alright. [Shrug]"
The macarons were done baking. Ren Siyi was about to put down her phone and stop chatting when she saw a lucky pouch appear on the screen—
Dragonfly Immortal Venerable: "Blessing you with good health, a strong body, and protection from evil spirits. One lucky pouch, only 5 yuan."
Cute Neurotic: [Goodbye]
Dragonfly Immortal Venerable: "Whatever you feel like giving, just a little is fine."
Cute Neurotic: "I'm a bit superstitious, but I'm not brainless! [Smile]"
…
Ren Siyi had a nightmare. In the dream, several flying vampire bats chased her, from the village entrance all the way to town.
She scrambled and crawled, sprinting for her life.
Finally, the vampire bats morphed into the faces of the thugs who had kidnapped her. She fell to the ground, and they surrounded her.
Ren Siyi jolted awake, sitting up abruptly.
Half a month had passed since the kidnapping incident, but she still had nightmares.
It was the afternoon, and the midsummer sun at noon was blazing bright.
Ren Siyi was about to go downstairs to get some water. She threw off the blanket—and a pool of blood was spread across the pristine white sheets.
!!
Ren Siyi touched her pants. They were wet too, a warm rush flowing out.
Counting the days, it was indeed around this time for her period.
She quickly got out of bed, scratched her head, and searched every cabinet in the room—no sanitary pads to be found.
The entire villa probably didn't have a single pad.
And because of the incident with Shen Du going out, he was now essentially under complete house arrest. Ren Siyi changed into a clean pair of pants, sat on the toilet, and hurriedly pulled out her phone to order delivery.
After waiting anxiously for over half an hour, she finally got an irate call from the delivery guy: "Where exactly is your place? Central Park Road, No. 321—I can't find it!"
The villa was a bit tricky to locate, requiring entry through a wooded path with twists and turns. Even Ren Siyi had nearly gotten lost the first time she came back from outside.
She patiently described the general directions to the delivery guy, but after another ten-plus minutes, she saw that he had already returned the order, citing: "Can't find it. No such place."
Ren Siyi: …
She placed another order, only to face the same problem—the rider simply couldn't locate the villa.
"What the heck!"
Completely exasperated, Ren Siyi had no choice but to tear out dozens of sheets of paper to pad herself with, then ran downstairs.
She found the villa's front door tightly shut—and locked.
Ever since the incident, the butler Lu Sen had been locking the door before bed every night to prevent Shen Du from sneaking out again.
At this hour, the butler should be catching up on sleep.
The entire villa ran on a nocturnal schedule—Lu Sen usually woke up around three in the afternoon, and Shen Du didn't rise until evening. It was now midday, and the only person in the house who might possibly be awake…
She quietly pushed open the study door.
Sure enough, Shen Shen sat at the heavy, solid rosewood desk, holding an old roll of parchment as he read.
His features were composed, his demeanor calm and collected.
The moment Ren Siyi entered, he sensitively raised his head, his nose giving a slight sniff, and his tone carried a hint of resignation—
"Did you hurt yourself again?"
Ren Siyi's face crumpled as she shook her head, then whispered to him, "Mr. Shen, may I ask… does the house have any sanitary pads?"