“What are you doing here again?” Xu Yueyao asked helplessly.
“What’s for dinner tonight?” Chen Shen said casually, sitting on the sofa and crossing his legs.
Xu Yueyao looked at this shameless guy, remembering how she had protested when he first started coming over for meals. Who knew he would retort, “It’s not your food I’m eating—I’m eating Zhan Shao’s. Why don’t you ask Zhan Shao if he minds me eating here?”
Xu Yueyao was left speechless with anger. How could she, an insignificant little lover, dare to ask such a thing?
“I don’t know. Just wait,” Xu Yueyao said irritably.
Chen Shen picked up a nearby magazine and began flipping through it as if nothing was amiss. Xu Yueyao couldn’t help but recall the information about him from the book.
Chen Shen was born into the Chen family, one of the prominent clans. However, he was switched at birth by the family’s nanny, who replaced him with her own daughter’s child. The nanny had instructed her son-in-law to take him somewhere remote and strangle him, but the man’s heart softened. After walking for a long time, he left the baby at a secluded orphanage.
Years later, when Zhan Rong Xuan was eight years old, he was kidnapped by An Zhiyi’s father, An Tai, and hidden in that same orphanage. Unaware of the situation, An Zhiyi accidentally freed him. While escaping, Zhan Rong Xuan saw An Tai molesting the eight-year-old Chen Shen. Little Rong Xuan quietly approached, picked up a nearby fruit knife, and killed An Tai. The two children fled the orphanage, and little Rong Xuan brought him to the Zhan family. Because of his striking resemblance to Mrs. Chen, the Zhan family helped investigate the truth. Once the truth came to light, he returned to the Chen family and was given the name Chen Shen.
His experiences in the orphanage left him with a cold and detached personality. Mrs. Chen, heartbroken by his suffering, never forced him to do anything he didn’t want to do. As a result, he chose not to join the family business and instead became a doctor.
Perhaps due to his childhood trauma, he remained aloof toward everyone except Zhan Rong Xuan. Even Shen Yan and Duan Jingyi, who were close to Zhan Rong Xuan, took many years to earn his trust and become his friends.
He never had a girlfriend, possibly because of the impact of his childhood. Looking at him now, he seemed quite pitiful, Xu Yueyao thought. Forget it, I won’t argue with him. I’ll let him eat a little more later.
Although Chen Shen was reading, Xu Yueyao’s intense stare made him somewhat uncomfortable. Just as he was about to say something, Wang Ma entered with a food container.
“Dr. Chen is here too. Sorry for the delay—there was some traffic,” Wang Ma said as she opened two tall containers, revealing eight dishes and a soup. Xu Yueyao swallowed her saliva, got out of bed, and sat opposite Chen Shen. Wang Ma’s cooking suited Xu Yueyao’s taste perfectly. She picked up her chopsticks and went straight for the braised pork belly. Xu Yueyao was a carnivore who couldn’t enjoy a meal without meat.
Chen Shen also had his eyes on the braised pork belly. Their chopsticks simultaneously landed on the same piece of meat. Just as Chen Shen was about to retaliate, Xu Yueyao released her chopsticks, yielding it to him. She picked up another piece nearby, put it in her mouth, and chewed with delight.
Throughout the entire dinner, Xu Yueyao no longer confronted him and even deferred to him at every turn, making the meal quite satisfying for him. However, he felt a vague unease, sensing that Xu Yueyao was acting strangely tonight.
After dinner, Chen Shen was about to leave.
“Wait.”
Hearing her voice, Chen Shen turned around. An apple was tossed toward him, and he caught it, looking at the fruit in his hand. Xu Yueyao smiled and said, “Fruit for after the meal.”
Chen Shen held the apple, glanced at Xu Yueyao without saying a word, and turned to leave.Xu Yueyao clicked her tongue and shook her head. How rude! But then she remembered that all their identities existed to serve the male and female protagonists, and his childhood experiences were meant to enrich the heroine’s life. She felt a sense of relief. Ah, they were all pitiful souls.
Chen Shen returned to his lounge and stared at the apple in front of him. His handsome face stiffened slightly, and a complex emotion flickered in his sharp, dark eyes. He had originally intended to see if Xu Yueyao was approaching Rong Xuan with ulterior motives, but now he found himself feeling strangely unsettled.
The next day, Chen Shen came for his routine ward check. After examining Xu Yueyao’s wound, he said, “You can be discharged. Go home to recuperate.”
Xu Yueyao asked in surprise, “I can leave the hospital?”
Seeing her astonished expression, Chen Shen replied, “What, haven’t you had enough of staying here?”
Xu Yueyao glanced around and unconsciously nodded. This was the first place she had stayed since arriving here, and now that she was leaving, she felt an inexplicable reluctance.
Chen Shen chuckled. “I won’t say ‘welcome back often’—that would be inauspicious. If you haven’t had enough, stay a couple more days. After all, someone is footing the bill.”
Xu Yueyao shook her head. “Discharge.” Who would enjoy staying in a hospital?
“Alright, then I’ll help Miss Xu pack,” Wang Ma said happily.
Xu Yueyao took off the oversized hospital gown and changed into the clothes Zhan Feng had prepared for her. Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw a beige Chanel-style suit, exquisitely crafted and perfectly tailored. Wearing it, Xu Yueyao looked like a wealthy heiress. Seeing how well-rested and radiant her complexion had become over the past few days, with smooth and glowing skin, she sighed in admiration. Beautiful, truly beautiful.
When Xu Yueyao stepped out of the bathroom, Wang Ma was momentarily stunned.
Xu Yueyao smiled and asked, “What’s wrong, Wang Ma? Don’t you recognize me?”
Wang Ma snapped back to reality. “Miss Xu, you look absolutely stunning.”
Wang Ma’s praise pleased her greatly. The corners of her lips lifted slightly, and she felt quite cheerful. After all, who doesn’t enjoy compliments?
Xu Yueyao took one last look at the hospital room where she had stayed for several days, then turned and left. As she stepped out of the room, she thought it would be polite to say goodbye to Chen Shen, considering they had been meal companions for so long. She said to Wang Ma, “Wang Ma, please give these fruits to the medical staff. I’ll go say goodbye to Dr. Chen.”
“Of course, Miss Xu.”
Xu Yueyao found Chen Shen’s office but saw that he seemed to have a patient. After a moment’s thought, she walked to the front desk and left a note for him, handing it to the nurse on duty and asking her to pass it along.
Xu Yueyao glanced once more at Chen Shen, who was focused on his work, and muttered softly, “Look at you, quite handsome when you’re working.”
“Miss Xu, this is Mr. Zhan Feng’s driver for you, Zhang Changtai. You can call him Zhang Shu,” Wang Ma introduced.
“Zhang Shu, thank you for your trouble,” Xu Yueyao said politely, noting his robust physique and guessing he might have served in the military.
“Miss Xu, you’re too kind. Are we heading to Hua Mansion?” Zhang Shu asked.
Hua Mansion—the residence Zhan Rong Xuan had arranged for her. Xu Yueyao nodded. “Yes, to Hua Mansion.” She certainly wasn’t going back to that basement rental.
Wang Ma opened the door, and Xu Yueyao stepped inside, taking in the room. The grand crystal chandelier in the hall sparkled brilliantly, with priceless artworks adorning the space. Every inch exuded an air of aristocratic elegance. The room was exceptionally luxurious. At the end of the corridor, a priceless oil painting covered the wall, and the carpet beneath her feet was soft and plush, as if she had stepped into an art gallery.”Miss Xu, Mr. Zhan Feng said the room has only been simply decorated. If you don’t like it, it can be renovated according to your preferred style.”
“No, that’s not necessary,” Xu Yueyao shook her head. She liked it, she really liked it a lot.
“Miss Xu, you can rest in the bedroom. I’ll go prepare the meal.” Wang Ma put away the things and walked into the kitchen.
Xu Yueyao pushed open the bedroom door. The overall style was French light luxury, with a creamy coffee-colored accent wall decorated with delicate lines, and the bed was adorned with high-quality satin sheets and duvet covers. The bedside tables on both sides were also in a French style—simple yet elegant—along with a complete vanity set.
Adjacent to it was the walk-in closet, designed to be open and connected to the bedroom, making the entire space appear more spacious and bright. Custom-made white cabinets lined the walls. Xu Yueyao opened the wardrobe to find a variety of seasonal clothes in different styles, as well as an entire row of pajamas in various designs. She opened the drawer beside it to see rows of neatly arranged underwear in different colors. At a glance, she noticed they were all her size. Her face flushed bright red—this was a bit exaggerated, wasn’t it?
Next to it was an area for bags, filled with various handbags, and a jewelry table with watches, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, sunglasses… everything one could imagine. Xu Yueyao was stunned; she had truly broadened her horizons.
Xu Yueyao lay down on the bed, comfortably thinking about what to do next. She needed to go to her rented apartment to move her luggage, right? Yes, moving should come first. But for now, she yawned—she should catch up on some sleep first.