One last chance. An Ruo took a deep breath, silently cheering herself on. She was quite competitive about every match.
The dart flew out. With An Che's exclamation, An Ruo had no mood to watch further. She turned around, embarrassed, ready to leave. The man raised his thin lips and smiled at her. "Mrs. Shen, aren't you going to see my score?"
"Sis, it's not over yet." An Che tried to comfort her, but couldn't help the corners of his mouth lifting.
As soon as they finished speaking, the man casually picked up a blue dart and threw it, hitting the very center of the bullseye.
"Sis, brother-in-law won. This Spring Festival, shouldn't we listen to him about where to go?"
An Ruo pouted. "You two conspired together, why even ask for my opinion?"
Then she added, "There's still a week left. If we're going skiing, you'll need to prepare the gear. I'm not helping you."
Despite what she said, the very next day, taking advantage of the weekend when the man didn't have to go to the office, she took them shopping at the mall.
Good-looking men and women usually drew attention, but it was a pity that the most handsome man was in a wheelchair—somewhat of a waste.
They were used to people pointing and staring. An Ruo and Shen Xiaoxing showed no fear.
They bought some household fruits, festive lights, and New Year pictures. Han Chong pushed the wheelchair, followed by two bodyguards carrying the bags.
Passing a clothing store, An Ruo noticed a pair of festive couple sweaters in the window display—red ones with cartoon ox images.
To welcome the Year of the Ox, of course, you'd wear the corresponding zodiac sign.
Seeing her staring intently at the display, An Che pursed his lips and smiled. "Sis, you're not thinking of getting that couple outfit, are you?"
"It looks pretty nice."
"Don't you think it's a bit tacky?"
An Ruo's taste was criticized, and she twitched her mouth, not wanting to say anything.
"I think it looks nice." The man beside her also noticed her gaze and waved for Han Chong to go into the store and buy it.
He reached out and took the woman's small hand. "Mrs. Shen wants to wear couple sweaters with me?"
An Ruo teased him on purpose. "I was planning to wear it with Xiaoche..."
An Che instinctively retorted, "No way."
After saying that, seeing the man's slightly displeased expression, he was even more convinced he'd made the right call not agreeing right away.
"He's not willing to wear it." Shen Xiaoxing smiled. "I am. I don't think it's ugly."
"..."
They continued shopping around the mall.
Passing a milk tea shop, they saw a few high school girls sitting in the rest area. With winter break, the mall was full of young people.
"Xingrou, you're really not going home?"
The girl stirred the cream cap in her cup idly, pouting. "What's there to go back to in that kind of home?"
"But isn't it bad for you to keep living with a strange man like this?"
Shen Xingrou propped her chin on her hand. Lately, she felt that living outside, even listening to that old man He Su yell every day, was more comfortable than living in the scheming Shen residence.
The man suddenly raised his hand, and Han Chong stopped the wheelchair.
Shen Xiaoxing looked at the girl with her back to him at the milk tea shop entrance, his face darkening.
"Xingrou, there's a handsome guy behind you staring at you. Too bad he's disabled."
Shen Xingrou turned her face at the sound and saw Shen Xiaoxing somehow behind her, his handsome face dark as he stared at her.
An Ruo, chatting with An Che, noticed the man wasn't following and turned to see them stopped at the milk tea shop.
"Want some milk tea?" she walked over and teased.
Seeing both of them there, Shen Xingrou felt even more awkward.
She lowered her head and softly called out, "Big brother, big sister-in-law."
Only then did An Ruo belatedly notice her presence.
It wasn't a good place to talk with so many people, so they found a KFC. An Ruo ordered a family bucket, enough for all of them.
The server brought the drinks. Shen Xingrou sat across from them, fidgeting and lightly picking at her fingers.
After a long silence, just as An Ruo was about to ask why she was here, the man spoke in a low voice. "I heard you ran away from home?"
Shen Xingrou nodded obediently. "Mm."
"Why?"
The girl took a sip of iced cola. "Had a little argument with my second brother."
"Just because of that?" The man quietly took the cold drink from in front of her.
Drinking that in the dead of winter wasn't good.
"I got bored at home, just wanted to hang out."
"Your dad has people looking everywhere for you. When you've had your fun, go home obediently."
Shen Xingrou bit her lip. "I don't want to go back..."
Shen Xiaoxing didn't want to say more. She was Shen Yu's daughter, from the second branch of the family. Whether she lived or died outside wasn't really his concern.
But he remembered she was young, and in the Shen family, she treated him like a real brother. He didn't want to see her in danger out there.
An Ruo glanced at the man, then at Shen Xingrou across from her. She lightly bit her lip and, as the sister-in-law, took the initiative to talk. "It's not safe for a girl like you out there. Better go home early so your parents don't worry."
"They wouldn't worry about me." Shen Xingrou was stubborn and didn't want them to know too much about her affairs. She bit her lip. "I'm sharing a place with someone now. There's no danger."
The man asked in a low voice, "Sharing with who?"
Shen Xingrou confessed honestly, "He Su, Dr. He."
That way, he wouldn't dig around and have someone investigate, then expose it to the second branch. She'd definitely be dragged back.
An Ruo was stunned. "Dr. He?"
What was going on with these two? How were they, so unrelated, sharing a place?
"Mm."
Hearing that she was living with He Su, Shen Xiaoxing felt a lot more at ease.
He Su, as a doctor who saved lives, had terrible character but was still a gentleman. And since she was just a green girl, he wouldn't have any evil intentions.
"Go back soon."
Shen Xiaoxing said this briefly, then told Han Chong to pay the bill. They planned to continue shopping.
Before leaving, An Ruo advised her, "If you can't finish this, pack it up and take it home, or just throw it away."
It was a bit wasteful, but she couldn't very well ask the girl in front of her which items she didn't want and then have them taken away...
An Che walked up to discuss with the man what kind of ski gear to buy. Shen Xingrou perked up her ears, caught a few words, and immediately got up to chase after them.
"You're going skiing for Spring Festival?"
An Ruo put on her sister-in-law demeanor. "Yeah, nothing to do at home, so we're taking a trip. Want to come along?"
"Sure!" Shen Xingrou agreed without hesitation. She was just wondering how to get into her big brother's villa. Following He Su meant she had to be on her best behavior, afraid of angering him and losing her meals.
"..." An Ruo was stunned.
She hadn't expected Shen Xingrou to agree so quickly. She'd only asked as a formality—couldn't she have been polite about it?
"Then... we're leaving tomorrow. Leave your address, and Han Chong will pick you up tomorrow."
Shen Xingrou told Han Chong the neighborhood where He Su lived.
She chatted with them a bit more, then left happily with her friend.
Once she was far away, the man lifted his head to look at her and raised an eyebrow. "You're really planning to take her along?"
An Ruo gave a wry smile. "Let's just bring her along."
She'd already said it—could she, as the sister-in-law, deceive a kid?
"Aren't you worried about her being alone out there? After the Spring Festival trip, we can drop her back at the Shen residence on the way."
"I'm afraid with her temper, she won't obediently come back to the Shen residence with us."