An Ruo marveled at the Shen family's vast estate while pushing Shen Xiaoxing through a maze of twists and turns...
As expected, they got lost.
"Master Shen, um..." she asked awkwardly, "This is my first time at the Shen residence, and without a guide, it seems we're lost."
"Where are we now?" the man asked knowingly, staring at the cobblestone path ahead.
An Ruo looked around. "This seems to be a garden with rockeries... I'm not sure exactly where we are."
"..."
The man held the hot water bottle she had shoved into his arms when they left, snorted coldly, and simply closed his eyes to rest.
Take your time walking!
As they passed a rockery, sounds of breathless moans came from within, making An Ruo's face flush. Who was doing something so scandalous in broad daylight?!
The man opened his eyes, his brows furrowed deeply as he said in a low voice, "What are you standing there for? Move on!"
Snapping back to reality, An Ruo quickly pushed the wheelchair away from this trouble spot, but haste often leads to mishaps.
In her rush, she tripped over a stone on the ground, letting out a startled cry as she fell. Her palms stung, and her knees burned...
Hearing her cry, the man knew the silly girl had fallen. In that critical moment, he instinctively wanted to stand and catch her, but the situation didn't allow him to reveal himself yet.
Shen Xiaoxing forcefully suppressed his impulse and asked feignedly, "What happened?"
Just as he spoke, a pleasant male voice sounded above the girl's head: "Are you alright?"
An Ruo rubbed her elbow and saw a pair of long legs before her. She looked up to find a man with a wicked grin staring at her, his features sharp and handsome.
He wasn't bad-looking, just a notch below Shen Xiaoxing.
His collar was half-open, with a telltale red mark on his neck, and his slightly raised peach blossom eyes were most alluring—the type of man exuding charm.
He must have been the male lead behind the rockery.
"Here." He extended his hand. "Can you stand? If not, I can carry you."
An Ruo almost fell for his enchanting face. "No need, I can manage on my own."
She stood up and politely thanked him: "I appreciate your kindness."
"You're welcome." The man's thin lips curved into a smile. "I always enjoy helping a beautiful lady."
Shen Xiaoxing had his back to them, but the moment he heard the man's voice, his entire demeanor shifted into alert mode. He called out sternly, "An Qing!"
An Ruo, forgetting to continue the conversation with the man, gritted her teeth against the pain in her leg: "I'm here."
"Push me back."
Before An Ruo could move the wheelchair, a shadow loomed over her. The man beat her to it, turning the wheelchair around with one hand.
"Brother, why the rush to leave?" The man stuffed one hand in his pocket, his greedy gaze roaming over An Ruo without restraint. "I haven't even greeted my sister-in-law yet."
His smile deepened. "First meeting, sister-in-law. You're truly beautiful."
Caught off guard by the compliment, An Ruo nodded dumbly: "Hello... hello..."
So this was the famous Second Young Master of the Shen family in Shencheng, Shen Tingfeng, the eldest son of Shen Yuhe and Fang Yingsong.
Rumor had it he was a womanizer, adored by many girls in Shencheng, including those at their school.
"Brother, I didn't expect Grandfather to find you such a beautiful wife." Shen Tingfeng leaned down, his tone suggestive. "Sister-in-law is truly a stunner. This figure is the best I've seen among women."
Shen Xiaoxing's fists slowly tightened, his knuckles cracking audibly, as a chilling murderous aura emanated from him.
An Ruo, unaware of the brothers' rivalry, mistook Shen Tingfeng's words for a compliment and smiled politely: "Second Young Master Shen is quite handsome too."
At least so far, his temper was far better than Shen Xiaoxing's.
Shen Tingfeng studied her with interest, then suddenly leaned closer, his wicked grin deepening: "Then I must thank my sister-in-law for the compliment. It makes me very happy."
He reached out and deliberately touched her waist. Even through the bulky down jacket, he could feel the slender waist beneath.
The seemingly refined and amiable man suddenly turned lecherous, instantly souring An Ruo's impression of him. She stepped back warily, nearly falling again.
Shen Tingfeng caught her swiftly and, before An Ruo could react, lifted her into his arms, his tone dripping with provocation: "Brother, sister-in-law's leg is hurt. I'll carry her to get some medicine for you."
Such blatant provocation was unbearable not only for Shen Xiaoxing but even for An Ruo, who wanted to slap him.
But since they were on his turf, she struggled with all her might to jump out of his arms. The uneven cobblestones made her unsteady, and just as she was about to fall, a strong arm caught her.
"Injured?"
An Ruo clenched her teeth, but the pain in her knee was severe. She nodded. "Mm."
"Sit up here."
"Huh?" An Ruo didn't understand.
Shen Xiaoxing's handsome face darkened as he groped for her wrist and yanked her hard, causing the girl to land unexpectedly on his lap.
An Ruo froze for a moment, but before she could get up, the man's arms locked around her: "Stay put."
Sensing his anger, An Ruo wondered what she had done to upset him now.
Looking at Shen Tingfeng's smug face, she suddenly had no good impression of either of the Shen brothers.