Fang Yuming was hoarse with fury as he berated Tao Huanyi.
“And don’t tell me you think your uncle really cares about that little bit of money! Your uncle’s company is having trouble keeping its operations afloat. Wasn’t it all to keep the original Tao family business going? The pianos for the new project at my company are the very pianos your mother designed!”
Tao Huanyi froze.
The crisis at Fang Yuming’s company had long been imminent. “Huanyi, do you really want to watch your uncle’s company go under, and the pianos your mother designed all those years ago never see the light of day?”
His question sent a tremor through Tao Huanyi. Her hands clenched into fists. After a long moment, she finally spoke. “Uncle, it isn’t what you think… Give me some time. I’ll find a way to get the money to you.”
At her words, the tension in Fang Yuming’s face immediately eased. He had apparently forgotten that he had come to “seek justice” for his niece. He simply patted Tao Huanyi on the shoulder, beaming. “I’ll be waiting for good news from you!”
The sound of the door closing rang out, and the entire Shen residence fell into an eerie silence. Tao Huanyi knew Shen Yanchen hadn’t left. She could faintly feel his gaze fixed on her, prickling at her back like needles.
She turned slightly. Her red lips parted, but in the end she couldn’t bring herself to speak. Her unfocused gaze passed over Shen Yanchen, and she said apologetically, “I’m sorry for the disturbance, Young Master Shen.”
Then, leaning on her cane, she carefully made her way upstairs. Her figure seemed light and ethereal, her back straight, with a hint of stubbornness about her.
As the tap-tap of her cane gradually faded, Shen Yanchen couldn’t help sneering.
The message from his assistant said that Fang Yuming’s company was facing a financial crisis.
There was no telling whether Tao Huanyi and Fang Yuming had put on this little performance today to secure funds for the company. Tao Huanyi was pretending to help him, when in reality she had moved into the Shen residence to work “in concert” with her so-called family.
If that was really the case, then he had underestimated her!
Early the next morning, Tao Huanyi got up at dawn. Before she had even gone downstairs, she heard two maids whispering below.
They weren’t speaking loudly, but Tao Huanyi’s hearing was exceptionally sharp, and she caught every word.
“Oh my goodness! The Young Madam has spent her first night in the Shen residence completely unharmed!”
“Shh—the Old Madam is coming!”
As Old Madam Shen approached, the two maids fell silent, on their guard. Then came the sound of a chair being pulled out, followed by Old Madam Shen settling into it.
The maid’s words lingered in Tao Huanyi’s mind. For some reason, the whole Shen residence suddenly seemed shrouded in mystery.
She thought of the rumors about Shen Yanchen that she hadn’t had time to consider carefully the night before, as well as the Shen family’s affairs, and felt a faint unease.
“Girl, why are you up so early?”
Old Madam Shen’s expression was kind, her voice gentle. “What are you two standing around for? Hurry and help your Young Madam downstairs!”
“Yes!”
At her command, the two maids hurried forward to help.
Tao Huanyi gripped her cane and shook her head, a little embarrassed. “Grandma, it’s all right…”
The moment she finished speaking, her foot slipped, and she fell down the stairs.
In the blink of an eye, Tao Huanyi curled protectively around her belly and shifted her weight. That kept her from tumbling all the way down; instead, she slid down the staircase.
Fortunately, only her calf and waist were scraped by the steps. She and the baby were unharmed.
“Hey! Be careful!”
Watching from below, Old Madam Shen’s heart lurched, and she sprang to her feet. Her voice sharpened with anger. “I told you to help the Young Madam, and you just stood there watching her fall?! What if the Girl had been hurt?”
Hearing the Old Madam’s concern, Tao Huanyi’s heart tightened. The person Old Madam Shen was worried about wasn’t the child in her belly, but her…
Even that brief remark moved Tao Huanyi deeply.
“Old Madam, we were wrong!”
The two maids hurried to Tao Huanyi’s side and asked anxiously, “Young Madam, are you all right?”
“The baby’s fine. My calf and waist might… have some scrapes.”
Just then, Shen Yanchen came downstairs. Seeing Tao Huanyi still lying on her back at the foot of the stairs, he looked down at her and asked in a low voice, “What happened?”
The two maids hurried to Tao Huanyi, intending to help her up. “To answer Young Master, the Young Madam slipped and fell while coming downstairs this morning.”
“I just slipped. I’m fine,” Tao Huanyi said calmly, though she remembered that the stairs had clearly been waxed when she came down. The spot where she had stepped was much slipperier than the rest. As if… someone had done it on purpose!
Old Madam Shen, unaware of what had happened, let out a breath of relief. “I’m glad you’re all right. Watching from downstairs just now frightened me half to death. You two failed to look after the Young Madam, so leave her in the Young Master’s care. Now go and call a doctor at once! Yanchen, you take care of the Girl. She’s hurt, so she’ll probably have trouble getting around for the next few days.”
At Old Madam Shen’s words, Shen Yanchen’s brows drew together.
It was obvious he wasn’t willing.
“Grandma, I’m a man. I don’t know my own strength. You want me to take care of her?”
He may be willing, but she wasn’t!
Who would dare let the Living King of Hell take care of her? Her calf and waist still hurt, but the injuries were surely minor. After the Living King of Hell got his hands on her, though, who knew what might happen?
“Grandma, I’m fine. It’s just a small injury. I’ll be all right once I put some medicine on it.”
But Old Madam Shen wasn’t having it.
“Yanchen, how did I raise you? The Girl is just a young woman, and she can’t see. How is she supposed to apply medicine by herself? Besides, she married into the Shen family, so she’s our daughter-in-law now. She’s carrying your child, too. How can you bear to let her suffer? I won’t hear another word. If you don’t promise to take good care of her today, then don’t call me Grandma anymore!”
Listening to Old Madam Shen’s “lecture,” Shen Yanchen could only grit his teeth and nod. “All right, all right. I’ll take care of her, okay?”
As he spoke, he was already beside Tao Huanyi. Before she could react, the scent of mint washed over her, and she was lifted into the air, into Shen Yanchen’s arms.
Shen Yanchen picked her up bridal-style and carried her back to the room.
Downstairs, the Old Madam heard something that didn’t sound right and called up again, “Shen Yanchen, are you making a fool of this old woman?! Your wife doesn’t sleep in your room, so you’re putting her in the guest room? If she’s alone in the guest room, how are you going to take care of her?!”
At her words, Shen Yanchen’s expression darkened. He changed direction and carried Tao Huanyi back to his own room. He set her on the bed and said coldly, in warning, “Stay right here. Don’t go anywhere.”
Tao Huanyi was startled and could only nod blankly.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Huh?”
“Breakfast.”
Shen Yanchen tugged at his tie in exasperation. “I’m going downstairs to get the medicine. I’ll bring your breakfast up too.”
Tao Huanyi pressed her lips together and answered cautiously, “Anything is fine.”
Shen Yanchen took a deep breath, then went downstairs.
As the mint scent around her gradually faded, Tao Huanyi curled her fingers around her cane and pressed her lips together.
Shen Yanchen… didn’t seem as frightening or as brutal as the rumors made him out to be.