After the contract was signed, the next step was to film the endorsement advertisement. As the lead coordinator, An Ruo oversaw the entire shooting process.
Song Weiwei was highly adaptable; she seemed like a born idol, effortlessly controlling her presence in front of the camera. Every movement and pose was smooth and graceful. Her innate temperament, as if honed by professional training, was deeply ingrained in her bones, making it impossible to look away...
With just a casual pose, she became a perfect frame.
The photographer flipped through the photos repeatedly. With his high aesthetic standards, he would have saved every single one if not for the rule that only a few could be selected.
For the video shoot, they needed to film on location. Gu Chao placed great importance on this new product, so he hired a renowned domestic director for the shoot. After discussions, they decided to film in Yucheng.
This meant she would have to go on a business trip for a few days!
That evening, when An Ruo got home from work, An Che was curled up on the sofa reading a book. Seeing her return, he put the book down and rushed over.
"Sis, why are you home so early today?" An Che thoughtfully handed her slippers and hung her coat on the rack. The maid nearby blinked—her job had been taken over!
"I finished work early, so I came back." An Ruo affectionately flicked his forehead.
An Che rubbed his head and grinned foolishly. "Sis, are you thirsty? Want me to get you some water?"
"Sit down." An Ruo watched as he did all the maid's work, leaving the woman standing there wide-eyed. She smiled slightly. "I have something to tell you."
Back when there were no servants, every time she came home, An Che would bustle around, fetching her clothes, slippers, water, washing fruit...
Though he was physically weak and had grown up without parents, which had shaped his timid and insecure personality, he was lively and obedient around her, following her around and taking care of her with whatever little strength he had.
An Che obediently sat beside her, his eyes wide open, thinking she had something important to say. He looked nervous. "What is it?"
Had he done something wrong? Was she going to send him back to the apartment to live alone?
"Due to work, I need to go to Yucheng for a few days on a business trip."
An Che let out a sigh of relief—so she wasn’t kicking him out. But just as his heart settled, it tensed up again sensitively. "A business trip? How many days will you be gone?"
"Not sure yet."
"When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow."
"So soon?" An Che felt a pang of disappointment. His physics competition was tomorrow, and he had wanted to invite his sister to cheer him on.
"What’s wrong?" An Ruo patted his head and chuckled. "Can’t bear to part with your sister?"
An Che shook his head. He wasn’t a child anymore; he knew she had work to do. As her brother, he should understand.
"I’ll bring you some treats when I get back."
In his memory, this was the first time since they’d grown up that she would leave him for a few days.
"Does brother-in-law know about this?"
An Ruo paused, pressing her lips together. "I haven’t told him yet."
...
It was rare for her to get off work early, so An Ruo decided to cook dinner herself, all her signature dishes. The maid watched her busy in the kitchen and tried to help, but she smiled and declined.
At six o’clock in the evening, the man returned to the seaside villa on time.
Butler Xu came forward to take his coat. "Young master, dinner might take a little longer. Would you like to rest for a bit?"
"Where is the young mistress?" the man asked about her as usual.
"The young mistress had a sudden whim today and insisted on preparing dinner herself. She’s busy in the kitchen right now."
Shen Xiaoxing’s eyes turned cold, his tone devoid of warmth. "Am I paying you all to do nothing?"
Letting her cook while the servants stood by watching!?
Seeing his anger, Butler Xu quickly bowed his head, trembling. "The young mistress insisted on cooking, and we couldn’t stop her..."
The man didn’t listen to his excuses. He maneuvered his wheelchair to the kitchen door and saw the girl in an apron, her back to him as she worked.
The air was filled with a rich aroma. She chopped vegetables, cooked, and plated with a fluid, practiced skill, clearly no stranger to cooking.
He thought back to the day after she married into the Shen family, when she returned to the An family to demand her 500,000 dowry and was beaten and kicked by that vicious mother and daughter. The investigation report showed she had long been bullied, painting a clear picture of her life.
And then he looked at himself—wasn’t he the same?
They had something in common: a childhood spent treading carefully, living on edge in families that weren’t truly theirs.
People like them craved love even more and were extremely sensitive to it.
An Ruo finished stir-frying the last dish and turned around to find the man at the door, his clear gaze fixed intently on her.
"When did you get back?"
The man’s thin lips curled slightly. "Just now."
"Hungry, right? There’s one last dish. I’ll plate it, and we can eat." An Ruo turned his wheelchair and pushed him out. "Wait outside. The kitchen is too smoky."
Shen Xiaoxing caught her hand in time and chuckled softly. "Since it’s so smoky, why bother cooking yourself?"
With so many servants and chefs in the villa, there was no need for her to do it herself.
She had struggled enough in the past. Now that she was with him, he didn’t want to see her suffer even a little.
"I’m in a good mood today, so I wanted to show off my skills." An Ruo smiled. "You’ve never tried my cooking, have you?"
"Lucky me today?"
"Of course."
An Ruo pushed him to the living room. Just as she was about to leave, the man held her hand and wouldn’t let go. He said gently, "Let the servants handle the last dish. You’ve been busy for so long—take a break."
Butler Xu, seeing a chance to redeem himself, quickly poured a glass of water and handed it over eagerly. "Young mistress, you must be thirsty. Have some water."
As soon as he spoke, a large, well-defined hand took the glass, shooting him a cold glare before turning to the girl with softened brows. "Drink some water."
An Ruo chuckled lightly, took the glass, and drank a couple of sips.
Just then, An Che ran downstairs, still holding that book.
He greeted them politely. "Sis, brother-in-law."
"You like reading this kind of book?" Shen Xiaoxing’s gaze fell on the *Harry Potter* book in his hand, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Don’t read too many extracurricular books."
"I’ve finished all the books you gave me and done all the problems. I was too bored, so I picked up a novel to pass the time."
The man raised an eyebrow. "You’ve finished all those books?"
"A lot of them I’d read before."
An Ruo explained, "He loves reading. He’s studied himself silly."
"..."
"I think he’s pretty smart. He gets first place in every exam." Shen Xiaoxing felt proud of him. "Keep it up. Aim for the provincial top scorer in the college entrance exam."
"Then our family would have two provincial top scorers."
Shen Xiaoxing’s brows relaxed. "Two?"
"That’s right! My sister was the top scorer in the province back in her college entrance exam!"
"Xiao Che..." An Ruo shot him a warning look.
The man turned to her, his large hand holding hers and gently stroking it. His tone grew even prouder. "So Mrs. Shen was the top female scholar who made waves in Shencheng that year?"
When he investigated her background, how could he not know she had excelled academically since childhood, ranking at the top in middle school and high school, and being praised by the local news for her outstanding college entrance exam results?
Whatever she set her mind to, she could do brilliantly.