Romantic Turkey lived up to its name with breathtaking scenery. After a good night’s rest, the four of them set off energetically toward the recommended tourist spots.
Over these past few days, the four experienced the romance and thrill of hot air balloons, drove deep into valleys to witness the magnificence of karst landscapes, and felt an indescribable awe while paragliding two thousand meters above the Dead Sea.
After enjoying the speed and excitement, the group visited castles and churches, admiring the beautiful views, immersing themselves in different cultures, and overlooking various historical wonders.
The cousins had transitioned from bodyguards to personal photographers. Whenever Yao Yao arrived at a new attraction, she would have Ji Xingzhi take photos, then carefully select a few of the best ones to send to Shen Yu.
Shen Yu knew how to provide emotional support. Whenever he received Yao Yao’s photos, no matter what he was doing, he would stop and reply immediately, each time offering unique praise from different angles and perspectives.
With such positive feedback, Yao Yao naturally continued the habit. She had developed a routine of sending photos to Shen Yu first, waiting for his compliments before sharing them on social media.
Once, Shi Dan accidentally saw their chat history and got goosebumps all over again. She was utterly speechless and silently nicknamed the couple “The Sickeningly Sweet Duo” in her mind.
Their travels extended far beyond this. The four visited several major European tourist destinations.
From the banks of the Seine in France to the Roman Colosseum in Italy, from Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle to Norway’s four major fjords, from Switzerland’s Jungfrau to Iceland’s Blue Lagoon—each place offered unique experiences. Even revisiting certain locations brought different joys.
By late June, Ji Xingzhi checked his college entrance exam scores—they were excellent, almost matching his estimates, securing his admission to the Capital University. Overjoyed, Yao Yao splurged on shopping sprees, celebrating the future college student enthusiastically!
The four were having so much fun they forgot all about returning home, enjoying each day to the fullest.
While some were happily traveling, others could only rely on photos to ease their longing.
When the longing grew too intense, nearly reaching the point of losing Control, Shen Yu had to distract himself through other means, such as working overtime.
The Shen Corporation’s secretarial team found their off-duty hours returning to the same hours as when their boss was single. Unaware of the boss’s personal affairs, they could only speculate privately. Some had even started discussing the possibility of the couple heading for divorce and fighting over assets in court.
Secretary Zhou had been particularly miserable during this period. Ever since the previous misunderstanding, he felt Shen Yu looked at him differently—as if he were a fool. Although Secretary Zhou admitted he had been rather foolish that time, it was a rare misstep! He wished he could turn back time to salvage his image as the all-capable,万能 secretary!
The monthly summary meeting convened at the end of the month. Department managers and supervisors entered the conference room with their reports, taking turns presenting to Shen Yu and the shareholders.
Everyone noticed that Shen Yu was stricter than usual today. After each report, he immediately pointed out issues—big or small—without sparing anyone’s feelings. While he used to have some warmth, today… he was purely an icy devil.
Those who had already finished their reports were frantically taking notes on the issues pointed out by President Shen, shamefacedly promising immediate corrections and swearing there would be no next time. Meanwhile, those yet to present were already sweating profusely.
The hours-long meeting finally concluded amidst everyone’s trepidation. Even Secretary Zhou began to suspect President Shen must have been provoked by something – today he was being unreasonably nitpicky!
Shen Yu walked out of the conference room with a stern face, followed by Secretary Zhou. Upon reaching his office, Shen Yu turned and instructed: “Notify everyone that solutions to all issues raised in today’s meeting must be submitted to me before closing time.”
Secretary Zhou immediately responded: “Understood, President Shen.”
Shen Yu sank into his plush office chair, pinching the bridge of his nose before massaging his temples to relieve fatigue.
Just then, his phone chimed several times in succession with WeChat notifications. Shen Yu immediately perked up and opened his phone to find messages from the expected person.
Recently, since Yao Yao was sharing a room with Shi Dan, they rarely video-called, mostly communicating through text or voice messages.
Yao Yao had sent several photos showing four people dining at an upscale restaurant.
[Husband, Ji Xingzhi’s exam results are out – 628 points! He can get into Capital University back home!]
[We’re celebrating for Ji Xingzhi!]
[Ji Xingzhi says thank you for the treat, brother-in-law! (shy giggle)]
Seeing his brother-in-law’s results, Shen Yu immediately offered congratulations.
[Xingzhi did excellently. Wife, please tell your brother he’s welcome. When he comes to the capital for university, I’ll throw him another celebration party.]
[Xingzhi can stay at our place if he attends Capital University. By the way, does he have a driver’s license? If yes, I’ll gift him a car as his university admission present.]
Yao Yao showed the message to her brother who was eating steak. Ji Xingzhi beamed at his brother-in-law’s praise.
Ji Xingzhi: “Sis, tell brother-in-law I won’t intrude on your couple time. I’ve never experienced dorm life before and would like to try communal living. I don’t have a license yet – never had time to test for one. After we return home, I’ll get certified and then claim the car from brother-in-law!”
Yao Yao: “Alright, I’ll tell him.”
Yao Yao relayed the message via voice note.
Shen Yu responded with a voice message: “Fine. Once Xingzhi gets his license, he can choose any car brand he wants, no price limit.”
“Wow!” Shen Yu’s message drew synchronized exclamations from all three listeners.
Ji Xingzhi: “My brother-in-law is absolutely legendary!”
Shi Dan: “Sis Yao’s husband is ridiculously generous!”
Ji Xingyun: “Cousin, ask your husband if he could give me a belated gift. As your cousin, I also got into university back then, and I currently have a driver’s license. I’d like to experience being spoiled by my cousin-in-law too.”
Yao Yao: “…”
Shi Dan smacked Ji Xingyun’s back, exasperated: “Have some shame!”
Ji Xingyun muttered defensively: “What’s shame compared to free stuff?”
Shi Dan: “…”
Ji Xingzhi couldn’t take it anymore: “Cousin, stop pretending! You’re sitting on piles of money but too stingy to spend it, you miser!”
Ji Xingyun paid no mind to his cousin’s teasing and spoke with the tone of someone who had been through it all: “Little cousin, it’s not that I’m unwilling to spend money, but rather that I have none to spend. Once you step into society, there are too many places where money is needed. If you don’t have the ability to earn enough, it’s better to spend frugally.”
Seeming to catch the underlying meaning, Ji Xingzhi bluntly pointed out: “Cousin, don’t tell me you’ve failed in yet another investment!”
Ji Xingyun: “…”
Yao Yao: “…”
Shi Dan: “…”
Silence. A moment of silence. Ji Xingyun let out an awkward, bitter chuckle.
Shi Dan glared furiously at Ji Xingyun across from her. If looks could kill, Ji Xingyun would be in a very sorry state right now!