An Ruo gently pressed her lips together and, under his tender gaze, gave a slight nod. Her thick lashes half-lowered, her fair skin tinged with pink, and her delicate, enchanting face slowly bloomed with a lovely blush. Purple suited her well—both pure and alluring, and an unintentional movement was enough to quicken one's pulse.
Shen Xiaoxing's gaze deepened. He had seen many beautiful women, and could find those even more stunning than her, yet in his heart, she alone was the most beautiful. No matter what he did, whenever he had a moment of leisure, her face was all he could think of. He recalled how, in the casino, without uttering a single word, she had made Yun Li stare blankly, unable to tear his eyes away from her for a long time. She had that charm. This girl was breathtakingly bold in her beauty, giving other women a sense of oppressive threat, but in the eyes of men, she was a challenge. Coupled with her reserved nature and the aloof aura she exuded, she looked cold and unapproachable to everyone.
Shen Xiaoxing pinched her chin and leaned his handsome face closer: "If I had known someone harbored ill intentions, I would never have agreed to dress you up so beautifully." Wasn't this just parading his own girl around, all dolled up for others to admire? An Ruo blinked her clear brown eyes, not understanding his meaning. "I really regret making you look so beautiful," he said, his large hand gently resting on her head and ruffling her hair. Knowing she didn't grasp his words, his eyes dimmed slightly. At least this girl had no romantic experience and didn't understand Yun Li's intentions. "Are you hungry? Should I have someone make you something to eat?"
It was noon, and An Ruo's stomach was indeed a bit hungry. The waiter punctually brought up lunch, and the two of them clung to each other, whispering and nuzzling, taking nearly two hours to finish the meal. After eating, An Ruo remembered the clothes she had bought for the man and took them out to show him. "I bought these for you at the mall today. I thought they looked nice. Do you want to try them on?" The clothes were more suited for summer, perfect for the weather in New Zealand. Since they were planning to stay for a while, and she hadn't packed many clothes, she could only buy a couple of sets locally. "Didn't you buy anything for yourself?" "I brought plenty of clothes," An Ruo said, helping him change into the new outfit. "Is the fabric comfortable?" "Mm." A faint smile curled on the man's thin lips. He suddenly grasped her small hand, his eyes deepening. "Thank you for spending the money, Mrs. Shen. I really like it." An Ruo lowered her eyes slightly and pursed her lips. "I used your card for all of this. I don't have much left from my salary..." She felt a bit ashamed that her current financial situation couldn't even afford him a decent piece of clothing. Shen Xiaoxing rubbed her hand and lowered his voice. "Did you forget our promise just now? We're husband and wife—there's no 'yours' and 'mine.'" "..." "Isn't it normal for a husband to earn money for his wife to spend?"
That made sense, but An Ruo still felt uneasy. She had originally planned to buy it with her own money, but when she entered the mall, she realized how few high-end brands she could afford. So, she bought a few outfits, all charged to the card he had given her. Shen Xiaoxing didn't plan to take off the new clothes once he put them on. An Ruo wanted to persuade him to take them off and wash them first, but the man went off to work. "If you get bored at the hotel, you can take a walk in the courtyard, but don't go outside," he said. Few people knew he was on a business trip in New Zealand, but staying too long risked the second branch catching wind of it. Fearing that revealing their location might bring harm, he specifically instructed the girl not to wander around and, preferably, not to leave the hotel.
Han Chong knocked and entered. Shen Xiaoxing's gaze inadvertently swept over him and noticed that the clothes he was wearing were the same style as his own, just a different color. Someone might even mistake them for matching outfits! He stared at him with a dark, ominous look, and Han Chong felt awkward. Who knew the young master would just happen to be wearing new clothes? Running into him like this was a bit unsettling. An Ruo watched them sizing each other up and walked over with a light laugh. "I didn't know your size, so I thought Han Chong, being about your build, could try them on for me. Who knew they'd look so good on him? I ended up giving him a set." "..." "New year, new look. Since he's your right-hand man, consider it a New Year's gift from you." Shen Xiaoxing's expression remained sour. It wasn't that he was stingy about buying clothes for Han Chong, but... the two of them wearing the same style felt strange, and wouldn't it make people think twice if they went out like that? Still, he didn't want to lose face in front of the girl, so he grunted and told Han Chong to push him out the door. As soon as the door closed, the man immediately darkened his face and ordered coldly, "Go back to your room and change out of those clothes!" Han Chong was speechless. Wasn't the young master acting so magnanimous in front of the young mistress just now? And now he was threatening him to take off the clothes behind her back?
...
In front of a massive floor-to-ceiling window, a man sat in a wheelchair, toying with a gun while a doctor changed his bandages. A black-clad bodyguard entered. He bowed slightly. "Young master." The man waved his hand, and the doctor finished applying the medicine before rising and withdrawing. "Our people have located the eldest young master's position in New Zealand. We await your orders to act." Shen Tingfeng lazily wiped the gun's muzzle, a hint of sinister cruelty flashing across his devilishly handsome face. "I also heard he successfully persuaded Ende Bliss to agree to a partnership. The largest shareholder of that piece of land in New Zealand has all fallen into his hands." "Yes..." "What news from my father?" "With the eldest young master securing New Zealand, the old master will surely let him manage the Shen Group's president affairs. The second master is trying to stop him from finalizing the contract." Shen Tingfeng sneered. "My father is making too big a deal out of this. Why stop the contract? Just send a few people to kill him quietly, and the New Zealand project will fall into our laps." "Perhaps..." the bodyguard lowered his head. "Perhaps the second master is considering family ties..." Shen Yu wasn't hesitating out of family affection; he was ambitious and wanted to secure the position of project manager for the New Zealand land development. The reason he hadn't acted yet was that his men's information wasn't as fast as Shen Tingfeng's, and he still wasn't sure of the situation there. "Find a few skilled men. Make it clean. I don't want to see him come back alive." Shen Tingfeng suddenly aimed the gun at him and said coldly, "Understood?" "Yes... I guarantee the mission will be completed!"
Ever since Shen Tingfeng's leg was injured, his dark and erratic nature had only grown. He seemed to have become a second Shen Xiaoxing, with a volatile temper that made the servants attending him keep their distance. Shen Tingfeng wiped the gun with a white cloth, his tongue pressing against his cheekbone, his eyes filled with venomous hatred! This time, he would make sure Shen Xiaoxing disappeared from this world for good! Let's see how many lives he had left to live.
...
The man had been busy with cooperation matters for the past two days, while An Ruo, bored, stayed in the hotel watching shows or occasionally strolling in the courtyard downstairs. Having finally made it to New Zealand, she hadn't seen any of the sights. Sitting on a swing, lost in thought, a shadow fell over her. She looked up to see a tall, elegant man standing before her. His features were similar to Shen Xiaoxing's, but compared to him, he fell a bit short. Yun Li smiled lightly. "Mr. Shen is discussing cooperation with my grandfather. I thought you might be bored at the hotel." He simply couldn't help but come looking for her. An Ruo pressed her lips together, unsure of what to say at that moment. This was the first time they had met since the day he advised her to leave Shen Xiaoxing. Recalling what had happened that day, it was somewhat awkward.