The sports car pulled up by the roadside. Shen Tingfeng wore a sharply tailored dark uniform, double-breasted gold-thread buttons tracing intricate patterns, his long boots hugging his slender legs.
As he walked, everyone who saw him greeted him respectfully.
A doorman stopped him. "Sir, please show me your invitation."
Qi Ming, following beside Shen Tingfeng, grabbed the doorman by the collar. "Blind? Can't you see this is the Second Young Master of the Shen family?"
Shen Tingfeng patted his shoulder. Qi Ming released the doorman, a wicked grin spreading across his arrogant face. "When Aunt hosts an art exhibition, how could I not come to show my support? Be smart—I don't feel like hitting anyone today, and I don't want to make a scene that might upset Aunt."
The doorman stared at the stack of red bills tossed onto the counter, looking up at him in surprise. After a few seconds of silence, his greed got the better of him, and he quickly hid the money, letting them both in.
A cold smirk curled at the corner of Shen Tingfeng's mouth.
He walked in with a lazy stride, lowering his voice. "You know what to do once we're inside, right? No need for me to remind you."
"Relax, Second Young Master. I've got this handled."
Shen Tingfeng kept one hand in his pocket, nodding slightly at those who greeted him as he passed.
He had no hand in the Shen Group, so no one in the business world knew him. Aside from a few wealthy young men from Shen City who acknowledged him, the rest—he might have seen their faces in newspapers, but to them, he was a stranger.
Han Chong leaned down, whispering into the man's ear. "Second Young Master is here."
The man's eyes didn't move. Shen Tingfeng's appearance was entirely expected.
This was the first time he'd shown his face in public since the accident, and the ever-intrusive Shen Tingfeng wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity to humiliate him.
"Keep an eye on him. The moment anything happens, notify me immediately."
An Ru came out of the restroom and ran into Han Chong leaving the room. She looked puzzled. "Why does Han Chong seem so busy?"
"Everyone here is from prominent, powerful families, and the exhibition is being held at sea. I've assigned him to keep a closer watch in case anything goes wrong."
An Ru nodded. Shen Xiaoxing's foresight was wise. Lin Zhao was the eldest wife of the Shen family, and these people were only attending out of respect for her. If something went wrong, she'd likely bear all the blame.
And as her son and daughter-in-law, if Lin Zhao got into trouble, they'd be equally culpable.
---
The bell chimed, and the venue buzzed with lively discussions about the artworks' merits. An Ru, feeling like an outsider, sat off to the side, completely lost.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.
As if noticing her, the person winked at her smugly and struck a pose he thought was charming.
An Ru turned away with a cold expression. What an eyesore!
The man beside her watched Shen Tingfeng making flirtatious faces at An Ru through the crowd, his hand on his knee slowly clenching.
His palm itched—he really wanted to throttle that bastard!
Qi Ming sneaked into the backstage area of the venue, deliberately sending the staff away, and plugged a pre-prepared USB drive into the main screen's computer, replacing the artwork Lin Zhao was supposed to present to the audience.
After finishing, he checked that no one was around and slipped out before the staff returned.
Han Chong, who had been tailing him, saw the man sneak into the projection room. He hid behind a stone pillar, waiting until Qi Ming was far enough away before darting in and pulling out the USB drive.
The young master's guess was spot on—those two were up to nothing but shady business!
Qi Ming ran back to Shen Tingfeng, boasting. "Relax, Second Young Master. It's all taken care of. Just wait for the good news!"
Seeing his confidence, Shen Tingfeng swirled the glass in his hand, a malicious grin curling his lips as his gaze drifted toward An Ru.
Han Chong walked over, bending slightly to report what he'd seen and done to the man.
The man held a USB drive in his palm, his eyes burning as he tightened his grip.
If Shen Tingfeng wanted to play, he'd see it through to the end!
Elegant and poised, Lin Zhao spoke eloquently on stage, introducing the theme of the exhibition and the artworks on display.
Suddenly, someone in the audience interrupted. Qi Ming, blending into the crowd, shouted, "Madam Shen, I hear the eldest young master and his newlywed wife are also here tonight. Why don't you introduce them to us? Where are they? The eldest young master hiding away—that doesn't seem like the Shen family's style!"
At major events, all it takes is one or two troublemakers to stir things up. As Qi Ming finished speaking, murmurs rippled through the hall.
Lin Zhao frowned. Though accustomed to such grand occasions, a flicker of panic crossed her eyes before she regained her composure. She signaled to her subordinates and began to steady the crowd.
"I heard that two years ago, the eldest young master of the Shen family met with a tragic accident. After being rescued, not only did he go blind, but his legs were crippled too. The old master called in so many esteemed doctors, but none could cure him. They say he'll be stuck in a wheelchair for life."
"Exactly! It looks like the Shen family empire is destined for the second branch. Isn't it said that Shen Yu, the Second Master, is the one running things now?"
"Word has it that the eldest young master isn't the son of the lady on stage. If the eldest master hadn't died young and the old master wanted to leave an heir for the main branch, he'd never have been secretly brought back into the Shen family."
"Ha, so he's a bastard. That means the Shen family will definitely be inherited by the Second Young Master, right?"
"Blind and crippled, he's practically useless. With an unclear background and being a bastard, the old master acknowledging him is already an act of charity. Does he really think he can climb to the position of family head?"
"If you ask me, it's probably some romantic debt the eldest master racked up in his youth with some woman of the night, hahaha."