Listening to Madam Shen address him so familiarly, He Yining's lips curled into a mocking smile. He truly couldn't imagine that his Xiao Qi would have such a mother!
"Have a seat." He Yining sat down first, looking at the uneasy Madam Shen, and said lazily, "What brings Madam Shen to Jinghua Manor?"
Madam Shen's body stiffened. She had come today to pour out her grievances to Shen Qi. But now that Shen Qi wasn't here, crying to He Yining would be useless!
Who was He Yining? If he softened every time someone cried in front of him, the He Corporation would have gone bankrupt long ago! He Yining never paid attention to tears.
Madam Shen didn't know whether to stand or sit, and could only steel herself and say, "I suddenly realized I haven't seen Xiao Qi in a while, so I wanted to come see her..."
"In a while?" He Yining deliberately put on a surprised expression and said, "I recall you came by just yesterday morning to slap Xiao Qi..."
Madam Shen's face turned a mix of green and white. She stammered, "Yesterday, someone suddenly notified the Shen family that we can't do that project anymore..."
"Yes, I ordered that." He Yining said bluntly. "I remember announcing who my wife was a few days ago. From that day on, Shen Qi is no longer a member of the Shen family, but my woman, He Yining's! Hit my woman and think you can walk away unscathed? Madam Shen, are you three years old? How can you be so laughably naive? Are you telling me that I, He Yining, can't even protect my own woman?"
Madam Shen's face turned extremely ugly. She hadn't expected He Yining to defend Shen Qi so fiercely! If He Yining fell for Shen Qi, what would happen to her Yinyin? Only her Yinyin was worthy of He Yining, never that Shen Qi!
"This is the first time I'm meeting you alone, Madam Shen, and it will also be the last. If I hear again that my woman has been slapped or bullied by you, then the Shen family will never appear in H Province again. No, there will be no Shen family at all. Madam Shen, do you understand?" He Yining's voice was calm and lazy, but his oppressive aura was fully unleashed. The moment it hit, Madam Shen nearly fell to her knees on the spot!
"Butler, see the guest out." With that, He Yining stretched his long legs and stood up to leave.
After He Yining left, Madam Shen plopped down onto the carpet, her forehead and back completely soaked with sweat. What... what a terrifying man!
The butler, though maintaining a professional and calm smile on his face, didn't hide the mockery in his eyes. In this world, there were always those with inexplicable confidence, who somehow felt everyone should revolve around them. If they didn't, it was an unforgivable sin. Unfortunately, such people rarely took a good look in the mirror to see what they were really like before trying to climb the social ladder. Comparing everyone, the second young madam of their house was still the best—peaceful, gentle, steadfast, and calm. It was just a pity she came from such a chaotic and low-class family.
Madam Shen trembled as she said to the butler, "I'm He Yining's mother-in-law... he... he can't treat me like this!"
The butler's patience was nearly exhausted. He looked down at Madam Shen and said, "I'm sorry, I only follow my master's orders. If Madam Shen has other objections, you'll have to take them up with the young master yourself."
Madam Shen broke out in a cold sweat again. How could she dare! She was completely terrified of He Yining now! As unwilling as she was, she didn't have the courage to face him again. She could only slink away from Jinghua Manor.
Shen Qi had no idea what was happening at home. By then, she had already arrived at the gathering spot. She didn't want anyone to know she was the second young madam of the He family, so she drove the most low-key car from the garage—a BMW. Even so, it still stood out.
As soon as Shen Qi appeared, her classmates screamed with excitement. Chen Chen ran over and hugged her, looking her up and down. "Xiao Qi, look at you! You're driving a BMW now!"
Shen Qi then realized the problem. It was all He Yining's fault. Ever since she'd been with him, the cars she saw every day were either top-tier supercars or luxury vehicles, each worth tens of millions or even hundreds of millions. She'd picked the one that seemed the most low-key, but it was still a brand-new BMW, hardly inconspicuous.
"Oh... the car isn't mine; I borrowed it from a friend." Shen Qi quickly told a small lie. The underground garage at Jinghua Manor held hundreds of cars of all types, from RVs to motorcycles, everything imaginable. Honestly, she could drive any of them without He Yining objecting. But none of them were hers! So her words weren't exactly a lie.
"To lend you such a nice car, that friend of yours must be something!" The classmates still looked at her with envy.
Shen Qi didn't know how to respond. Chen Chen pulled her aside and asked quietly, "Xiao Qi, how have you been? I just heard that Zhan Bo... Xiao Qi, he's gone now. You have to look forward."
Shen Qi lowered her eyes and smiled bitterly. "I understand. My life isn't just about love; there's family too. I have to live for my brother. Some might think I'm cold, but I don't want to explain. I can't let go of Zhan Bo, but I can't give up on my brother either."
Chen Chen patted her shoulder. "I get it. But you disappeared right after graduation. If I hadn't coincidentally gotten your number, I might never have found you! H City is so big, with tens of millions of people. Finding someone in this sea of faces is really hard."
"I'm sorry, Chen Chen." Shen Qi looked apologetic. "I really... I didn't want to trouble you all anymore. I already caused enough trouble during college."
"Alright, enough of that. Since we can all get together this time, let's just be happy." Chen Chen was a lively girl. Two years after graduation, she had shed her youthful naivety and become much more mature and capable. The little freckles on her face were mostly covered up now, but her impulsive nature seemed unchanged.
Shen Qi nodded and exchanged a smile with Chen Chen.
During the meal, the classmates talked about the upcoming school anniversary, all lamenting the passage of time. Someone said, "I heard that during the anniversary, they're organizing some alumni to go sketching at Nanshan with the current students. Want to join? Back in the day, we used to carry our easels everywhere to sketch!"
Another classmate chimed in, "I heard Nanshan was bought by some mysterious local rich guy. Can we really go sketch there?"
"We can just rent it for a day," Chen Chen said, raising her glass. "Xiao Qi had the best painting skills among us back then! Too bad she didn't end up becoming a painter!"
The others agreed. Shen Qi felt a bit embarrassed. "I haven't picked up a brush in so long; I probably can't do it anymore."
"Don't say that! You were the top scorer in the province back then! Coming to our university was a waste of your talent! I've seen your work—it's really inspired. Even if you don't paint now, it's still a nice hobby to relax," the first classmate said.
Others echoed him. Chen Chen made the decision for Shen Qi: "It's settled! It's just one day! We can all spare a day. Xiao Qi, no refusing! You've neglected us for two years, so you owe us! If you refuse again, we'll be mad!"
Shen Qi smiled helplessly. "Alright, since you're all so insistent, I'll go along with it. If my painting turns out bad, you'll have to go easy on me!"
Hearing her agree, everyone excitedly discussed the details of the sketching trip. Shen Qi didn't join in, instead letting Chen Chen drag her into chatting about various trivial matters.
After the meal, Shen Qi drove Chen Chen home before returning to Jinghua Manor. As soon as she entered, she asked the butler, "Do we have any easels or painting supplies at home?"
The butler thought for a moment and replied, "No, the young master never uses such things."
Shen Qi nodded. She'd have to go buy some paints and tools tomorrow. Although she was a stylist, drawing skills were a basic requirement for every stylist. Shen Qi was no exception, and she even had a love for painting. But it was an expensive hobby. She knew the Shen family wouldn't pay for it, so she'd always held back, avoiding such activities. Now, two years after graduation, she finally had a chance to join one. Truly, fate worked in mysterious ways.
News of Shen Qi wanting an easel quickly reached He Yining. During dinner, he asked her, "What do you need an easel for?"
Shen Qi replied casually, "My classmates and I are going to Nanshan to sketch. I agreed to go, so I'll need to buy some supplies tomorrow."
"Nanshan?" He Yining thought for a moment, then smiled. "Alright, have fun."
"Thanks." Shen Qi didn't think much of it and gave him a grateful smile.
After dinner, He Yining asked Xiao Chun, "Is Nanshan part of the He family's property?"
"Yes," Xiao Chun replied. "We bought Nanshan a year ago and opened several resorts there. One of them was sold to the Feng family."
He Yining nodded. "Good."
The next day, Shen Qi drove to the mall and went on a shopping spree, buying all the paints and tools she'd never dared to splurge on before. Maybe she wouldn't get many more chances to indulge like this in her lifetime! She had to make the most of it!
The day of the sketching trip arrived quickly. Shen Qi drove early to the meeting point. To her surprise, several people from other departments had joined, including one who had once pursued her fervently. Meeting him again now was a bit awkward.