Shen Qi's face flushed slightly.
Shen Lu lowered his eyelids, his handsome face dimming as he murmured, "Xiao Qi doesn't want me anymore..."
Seeing her brother like this, Shen Qi felt a pang of heartache. Just as she was about to speak, He Yining cut in: "No, she has always loved you deeply. It's just that she wants to see a stronger you! If she's always by your side, you'll rely on her. So, toughen up as soon as possible—don't let Xiao Qi down!"
Shen Lu's eyes lit up, and he stared blankly at Shen Qi: "Xiao Qi, really?"
Shen Qi opened her mouth, then could only nod and say, "Yeah! Xiao Qi loves it most when you're strong, big brother! Let me find you the best doctor, okay? Get better soon, and come back to me quickly!"
Seeing Shen Qi's eyes redden, Shen Lu seemed to make a huge decision and finally nodded solemnly: "Xiao Qi, come back often..."
"I will!" Shen Qi's eyes grew moist as she reached out and grasped Shen Lu's arm.
After dinner, He Yining took Shen Qi back to Jinghua Manor.
While Shen Qi was showering, He Yining dialed a number.
It rang for a long time before being answered.
"Yining? Why the sudden call?" The voice on the other end was still breathless from intense exercise. If he guessed right, at this hour, the person was still in the middle of heavy physical training.
"Mom..." He Yining spoke softly, "I want to ask you something. It's about the assassin organization."
There was a moment of silence on the line before the reply came: "What do you want to know?"
"Mom, that mark on you... does the organization it belongs to have any specific habits?" He Yining asked quietly.
Another pause. "Yining, what happened? You shouldn't have seen that, normally."
He Yining hesitated, then said, "I saw that mark on a friend today..."
The voice on the other end suddenly tensed, rising in pitch: "What did you say? Where did you see it? Impossible! The organization hasn't taken any domestic jobs recently!"
"Mom..." He Yining's phoenix eyes darkened. "Tell me the truth—does this mark mean something specific?"
"Yes..." He Yining's mother's voice grew heavy. "If this mark appears, it means the organization has acted. When a target is eliminated, they leave this mark to prove it was their work, for payment collection from the buyer."
"Mom... did you ever come to the mainland for a mission over a decade ago?" He Yining pressed on.
"Yes..." Mrs. He sighed softly. "That was a long time ago..."
After hanging up, He Yining's mood inexplicably grew heavy.
He seemed to have guessed the truth of something...
Shen Qi's father clearly hadn't committed suicide—he had been... killed...
If the one who killed Shen Qi's father was...
He Yining suddenly dared not think further.
Just then, Shen Qi finished her shower and came over in pajamas: "Finally got through that hurdle! Time to relax!"
He Yining shook off the thoughts, his smile dazzling: "Through the hurdle? This is just the beginning!"
Shen Qi looked at him, puzzled: "Huh?"
"As my wife, of course you have to make a public appearance!" He Yining grinned wickedly. "Starting tomorrow, you'll accompany me to various events."
Shen Qi's face filled with horror: "No way!"
"Absolutely necessary!" He Yining raised an eyebrow, gently tapping Shen Qi's nose. "Don't think about escaping! I'll contact a German doctor for you tomorrow—he's a top expert on autism. With his help, Shen Lu's late-onset autism can definitely be cured."
Hearing this, Shen Qi's initial resistance vanished instantly!
She almost wanted to pat her chest and assure He Yining that she could definitely play the role well, play the part of the second young mistress of the He family perfectly!
He Yining reached out and ruffled Shen Qi's hair: "Alright, get some rest early."
With that, he gave her a meaningful look. "Not sleeping separately anymore, are we?"
After saying this, he turned and headed to the bathroom to shower.
Shen Qi's cheeks flushed as she watched his retreating figure. She still found it hard to believe that her husband wasn't He Yiji, but He Yining.
God, if Shen Yinyin found out, she'd probably throw a fit, wouldn't she?
He Yining was her idol!
She must be regretting forcing Shen Qi to take her place in the marriage!
Thinking back to the bullying she'd endured from Shen Yinyin and comparing it to her current situation, Shen Qi felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
Even if it was childish, let her be childish for once!
She wanted Shen Yinyin to regret it to death!
News of the He family's second young master's marriage spread overnight through every street and alley of H City.
Those who heard it shattered like glass shards all over the ground!
Especially the women secretly in love with He Yining—they smashed everything within reach!
Feng Kexin was the most frenzied.
She not only smashed everything in her hands but also wrecked the entire living room.
"Are you kidding me? He Yining married? Married who? How did I not know he was married!" Feng Kexin's delicate makeup twisted into a terrifying grimace.
Everyone around her fell silent, afraid to approach.
"Who dares to marry him? Who dares!" She grabbed a decoration worth hundreds of thousands and smashed it to the ground. "I'll kill her!"
Feng Manlun heard the commotion and came in from outside.
He sighed at the mess.
"Kexin, you've lost control again." Feng Manlun walked over slowly, sat calmly on the sofa, and leaned back elegantly. "Didn't I tell you? When anything happens, the first thing is to stay calm and then investigate everything."
"Brother, that's easy for you to say! But that person is He Yining!" Feng Kexin roared hysterically. "Tonight, He Yining put out an announcement saying he's already married! Brother, are you kidding me? He's married, and I didn't know? What does he mean by saying that? The whole world knows I'm chasing him, and now he says this—is he trying to slap my face?"
"Oh? What else did he say?" Feng Manlun remained utterly composed.
"He said he's holding a banquet tomorrow to formally introduce his new wife to everyone!" Feng Kexin gritted her teeth. "I'm going to see which bitch dared to marry He Yining!"
"Looks like he's invited a lot of people," Feng Manlun said with a graceful smile. "I happen to have nothing going on. How about I go with you?"
Meanwhile, the Shen family was also hit by a massive earthquake.
When Shen Yinyin heard the news, she was completely stunned.
"Mom, how could He Yining already be married? How is that possible!" Shen Yinyin grabbed Mrs. Shen's arm, her nails digging in so deep it made Mrs. Shen wince in pain.
"No, impossible! Absolutely impossible! He Yining has never had women around him—he's always been the ascetic idol! How could he suddenly get married? No, it must be fake news! I refuse to believe it!" Shen Yinyin screamed wildly, looking almost deranged.
"Yinyin, calm down!" Mrs. Shen endured the pain in her arm, still patiently trying to soothe her. "He Yining is publicly inviting many people to the banquet, isn't he? Go see for yourself! Besides, plenty of people have heard the news. Even if He Yining really is married, do you think the others will let that woman off easy? Yinyin, our Shen family has shallow roots—we can't act rashly. Understand?"
"How can I calm down? Mom, I gave up the engagement with the He family's eldest son for He Yining! I don't want anyone else but him! Only He Yining is worthy of me!" Shen Yinyin shoved Mrs. Shen aside, not caring that she nearly knocked her over, and continued smashing things. "No, I have to go see which bitch stole my idol! Whoever she is, I'll make her pay!"
At the eye of the storm, Shen Qi looked uneasily at the long row of jewelry, bags, and shoes laid out before her.
"Do I really have to attend this banquet as the second young mistress?" She sighed softly. "Yining, do you understand? Once it's public, it'll be hard for me to untangle our relationship later."
He Yining's phoenix eyes narrowed, and he rubbed his chin against Shen Qi's head. "The German doctor has already been contacted. You still have a chance to back out now."
Shen Qi closed her eyes gently.
This bastard... he always knew how to exploit her weakness!
He knew that as long as he mentioned her brother, she'd surrender without a fight!
"He Yining, you'd better not regret this," Shen Qi said through gritted teeth.
"I won't. I'll never regret it for the rest of my life." He Yining pinched Shen Qi's cheek. "You're a stylist yourself—use these however you like. If you don't like something or have special needs, just tell the butler. As long as you can name it, I can get it for you."
Shen Qi nodded.
What was in front of her was more than enough.
All were masterpieces from top global designers, none of them mass-market—all haute couture.
Such designs demanded high standards for attire.
But luckily, her professional skills were up to par—none of this was a challenge for her.
Still, after this banquet, she'd be completely tied to He Yining.
When the one-year agreement ended, leaving wouldn't be easy...
But so what?
As long as it helped her brother recover, she'd pay any price!
He Yining smiled confidently. He knew Shen Qi wouldn't refuse...
Once this banquet was over, the whole world would know about their relationship.
And then, his little white rabbit would never escape his grasp again...