Chapter 21: Settling the Matter

The bathroom was thick with steam.

Shen Yichi’s eyes smoldered with desire, his voice dropping an octave. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Song Yanzi’s palms grew warm, but she feigned composure. "I wouldn't go looking for trouble for myself."

Shen Yichi tilted her chin up and kissed her. "What trouble? You enjoyed it well enough that time..."

Unable to listen any longer, Song Yanzi covered his mouth, manually silencing him.

"Shen Yichi, enough!"

After showering, drying her hair, and helping her into her pajamas, he carried her out. He applied ointment to her skin and sprayed medicine on her injured ankle.

"Does it hurt?"

"No."

One question, one answer.

Shen Yichi shot her a sidelong glance. The fragile girl who used to whimper even at a mosquito bite now wouldn't let out a single sound, no matter how much pain she was in. What on earth had she been through?

After the exhaustion of the night, both were sleepy, and Shen Yichi held her as they drifted off.

The next day, Song Yanzi’s ankle made it difficult to move, so she worked from home instead of going to the office. Shen Yichi prepared breakfast for her before leaving for work. At noon, he had Dong Chuan deliver lunch and sent her a message reminding her to apply her medicine.

Song Yanzi sent him a GIF of someone kneeling and thanking their boss.

The Client: "Give me some real gratitude, none of this superficial nonsense."

Song Yanzi replied: "President Shen is truly something; he never lets himself suffer even the slightest loss."

The Client: "I only feast on people, not losses."

Just as she was about to reply, her mother called. Song Yanzi felt a physical reaction the moment she saw the number—a visceral sense of resistance and dread. Taking a deep breath, she answered.

Su Yijin’s tone was sharp. "I heard you put Xu Jingcheng in the hospital and are planning to press charges?"

She started with an interrogation, without a single word of concern.

"Yes," Song Yanzi murmured.

The news had reached her mother so quickly. She didn't have to guess; Xu Jingcheng must have been the one to tattle.

Su Yijin remained as cold as ever. "Drop the charges. You’re fine anyway, and he was just drunk and confused."

Hearing this, Song Yanzi froze, her hand, mid-application of the ointment, still in the air. Her chest tightened, her throat gripped by an invisible hand, unable to utter a single word.

Receiving no response, Su Yijin continued, "Xu Jingcheng’s aunt is the wife of the Lu Group’s chairman. She called me specifically to ask me to plead on his behalf. You know the state our family is in now—times have changed, and we cannot afford to offend the Lu family. So, let this matter end here. Keep the peace."

It wasn't a request; it was a direct order.

Song Yanzi’s good mood was instantly crushed to the bottom of a valley by her mother’s call. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "Fine. As you wish."

Then, she hung up without mercy. That was her mother. Throughout the entire call, she hadn't asked if Song Yanzi was hurt, nor had she inquired about her feelings. Of course, she hadn't—after all, she hated her.

Song Yanzi called the police station to agree to a settlement and drop the charges. Afterward, she handled some work matters. She didn't eat lunch. Partly because she had no appetite, and partly because by the time she finished her work, the food had gone cold. She couldn't be bothered to reheat it.

However, she hadn't expected Shen Yichi to return. Seeing the untouched meal, he took it to be reheated. Since the President himself was doing the labor, she had to show some face.

The man across from her spoke lazily. "In a bad mood?"

"No."

She wasn't someone who wore her emotions on her sleeve; she hid them well. But who was Shen Yichi? His ability to read people was exceptional, and he knew her all too well.

Shen Yichi didn't press her. Instead, he said, "So you're not pressing charges after all!"

It was a statement, not a question.

Song Yanzi looked up at the man before her. "Did you install hidden cameras on me?" How did he know everything?

Shen Yichi looked indifferent. "Reason?"

Avoiding his gaze, Song Yanzi lowered her head to drink her soup. After about three seconds, she said slowly, "I just couldn't be bothered. We’re all in the same circle, and we’re bound to run into each other eventually. I didn't want to make things too awkward."

Shen Yichi mocked her with a cold laugh. "President Song is truly magnanimous. You really should be given an award." To be able to choose forgiveness for such a piece of trash.

"Thanks for the compliment," Song Yanzi replied.

The conversation ended there, and Shen Yichi returned to the office.

Song Yanzi finished her work and took a nap, waking up in the evening. Dong Chuan brought dinner over. After eating, she was watching television in the living room when the doorbell rang. Besides Dong Chuan, no one else usually came by.

Song Yanzi limped to the door and saw Shen Yihuan on the display screen. Her eyes flashed with complexity. Without a moment’s hesitation, she turned and walked away. Soon, the doorbell stopped ringing.

Outside the villa, Shen Yihuan called her older brother.

"Brother, are you not home?"

Shen Yichi asked coldly, "Is something the matter?"

Shen Yihuan looked at the brightly lit villa, feeling suspicious. "I’m at your villa. Open the door and let me in."

Shen Yichi replied, "I’m at a business dinner. If you have something to say, say it over the phone."

Shen Yihuan started acting spoiled. "Brother, there’s a piece of jewelry I’ve taken a liking to. Could you sponsor me?"

Shen Yichi agreed readily, and as soon as the call ended, he transferred the money.

Shen Yihuan received the funds, but she wasn't happy. She stood there, staring at the illuminated villa, her gaze darkening. If her brother wasn't home, why were the lights on?

Earlier, Sheng Zhiyi had been fishing for information, asking if her brother had a woman. She had dismissed it outright, but now, it seemed it might be true. Her brother really was keeping a beauty hidden away in a golden house.

Shen Yihuan pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "Help me look into something."