After a brief moment of daze, Shen Lingge reached out and held her.
His big palm gently stroked Wen Xian’s black hair, speaking in a low voice: “It’s okay, I’m here, don’t be afraid. Tell me what happened, you being like this makes me very worried.”
Wen Xian didn’t speak, only lying on his shoulder breathing heavily.
Outside the car window, tree shadows swayed.
The wind had risen.
—
Wen Xian was carried upstairs by Shen Lingge. During the whole time, she leaned in his arms without speaking.
It wasn’t until he placed her on the sofa, and Qiuqiu also trotted over and burrowed into her arms, that she finally regained her senses.
Shen Lingge squatted in front of Wen Xian, raising his head to look at her.
The two of them looked at each other.
In his pitch-black pupils was reflected her pale, flustered little face.
Wen Xian opened her mouth, yet found she couldn’t say a single word. She instinctively reached out to hold Shen Lingge’s hand.
Shen Lingge reached out and wrapped her hand in his palm. The warm touch came. His hand was broad, dry, and warm.
Wen Xian could feel her own body temperature gradually returning bit by bit.
She spoke softly: “Gege, I… my parents’ death seems like it wasn’t an accident. That winter four years ago, not only did they arrange my engagement with Qin Song, they also left me an inheritance in advance.”
“If what Grandpa Qin said is true, then the hundred billion assets were also prepared at that time.”
Wen Xian unconsciously reddened her eyes, letting out a small sob: “Did they already know early on that something would happen to them? So they… so they arranged everything for me early.”
“Then, was their death really an accident?”
Shen Lingge’s heart also became heavy along with her tears.
He had read the report from that plane crash four years ago. At that time, Wen Tianlin and Chang Shuang were returning from abroad, but they suddenly encountered a thunderstorm, and then crashed on a nearby small island.
Shen Lingge gripped her hand tightly, his voice low and firm: “Xian Xian, I will investigate. I will check all the information regarding that accident, including the identities of all the crew members on the plane.”
He spoke softly to comfort her: “Don’t rush for now. Trust me.”
“I will find out the truth.”
Wen Xian listened with red eyes to Shen Lingge’s gentle voice. His expression was rarely gentle, his black eyes full of heartache, but seeing that made her want to cry even more.
So she pouted, wanting to cry out loud, but Shen Lingge suddenly tightened the strength in his palm.
His voice was suppressed and restrained: “You’re not allowed to cry.”
Wen Xian feeling wronged: “I feel sad.”
Shen Lingge did not retreat a single step: “If you cry again, I’ll leave tomorrow.”
Wen Xian felt even more like crying: “Wuwuwu, I’m already this miserable and you’re still threatening me.”
“Waa wuwuwu—”
Shen Lingge: “……”
Facing her, he simply had no way to handle it.
So he accompanied the little girl crying for more than half an hour. However long she cried, his heart felt stifled for just as long. If Wen Xian kept crying, Shen Lingge suspected he would suffocate.
Fortunately, as she cried, she eventually grew tired.
After Wen Xian cried until exhausted, she curled into a ball on the sofa and fell asleep. Qiuqiu squatted silently on the sofa watching Wen Xian, and Yu also secretly poked its head out from behind.
They were all very worried about her.
But as soon as Shen Lingge made a move to get up, Yu immediately lay down pretending to be dead.
Shen Lingge went to the bathroom to get a hot towel. He bent down carefully to wipe away the tear marks on her face. After finishing all this, Shen Lingge carried Wen Xian back to the bedroom.
After tucking her into the quilt, Shen Lingge turned on a small wall lamp, so that she wouldn’t be afraid if she woke up.
Qiuqiu had already consciously nestled its little paws by the pillow and lay down properly.
Wen Xian lay on her side on the bed. The warm yellow light shone on her small face. The tip of her nose was still red, her eyelashes stuck together wetly, making her look like a small little ball.
Exquisite yet fragile.
Her breathing was very light, but very even.
Shen Lingge reached out and gently brushed her hair. His gaze then landed on the photo on the bedside table.
After a moment, he spoke in a low voice: “Good night, Xian Xian.”
—
Qin Family.
That night, the light in Qin Huai’s study remained on. He sat at his desk with a stern face, looking at the documents Qin Zan had shown him. All the evidence on them indicated that Wen Tianlin had deceived him four years ago.
There had been no changes at all in Wen Family’s accounts before their bankruptcy. Where did he suddenly produce that hundred-billion asset to give to him?
As for Chang Shuang, even less needed to be said. She was born into an ordinary family, both her parents were retired workers, and she had an older brother.
It was by chance that she met Wen Tianlin. After marrying Wen Tianlin, her brother Chang Ligu’s company expanded quite a bit. It seemed Wen Tianlin had helped them a lot.
After Chang Shuang passed away, Chang Ligu gradually moved his business over to Mingcheng. Their family could not bear the sudden blow. From then on, they only returned to Licheng during Qingming Festival to pay respects to Wen Tianlin and Chang Shuang.
Qin Huai slammed the file onto the desk heavily, his face not looking good: “He deceived me!”
Qin Zan spoke in a light tone: “Cancelling the engagement is a good thing for A’Song.”
Qin Huai was silent for a moment, then asked: “A’Song said you would handle the funding chain issue?”
Qin Zan raised his eyes to look at Qin Huai, who was already full of white hair, and spoke softly: “Grandfather, after I resolve Qin Corporation’s funding chain problem, I will resign. I will return Qin Corporation to you.”
Qin Huai said in astonishment: “What did you say?”
Qin Zan’s fingertips lightly turned at his cuff: “I know your intentions. The shares my father left to me, I will sell them to A’Song at original price. From then on, the development of Qin Corporation will have nothing to do with me.”
Qin Huai was stunned. He couldn’t help but stand up: “A’Zan, Grandfather never planned it like this. Although I’ve favored that child a little more since childhood, you are also Grandfather’s grandson. How can you not care about Qin Corporation?”
Qin Zan sighed lightly: “I know you have always been concerned about my mother’s side. As for Qin Corporation, you don’t need to worry. If something really happens, I won’t ignore A’Song.”
Qin Huai thought for a while, then asked in a deep voice: “You’ve thought it through?”
Qin Zan nodded: “Yes.”
Qin Huai gripped the cane in his hand tightly. Although he had always worried that A’Zan’s maternal grandparents harbored resentment toward the Qin family—after all, the Qin family did bear responsibility for his mother’s death—
But after all, Qin Zan’s surname was still Qin. He had never imagined Qin Zan would be so resolute.
—
Wen Xian woke up at dawn. She lay in her own room, the light in the room still faintly glowing, and by her ear was the small purring sound of Qiuqiu, sleeping soundly.
She instinctively wanted to go find Shen Lingge.
Wen Xian quietly opened the door and secretly slipped into the living room.
The living room was completely dark. Wen Xian carefully felt her way to the side of the sofa. She could vaguely see a person lying on it. She quietly and lightly lay down onto the sofa.
Shen Lingge moved slightly, raising his hand to touch Wen Xian’s head, a fluffy ball, just like Qiuqiu.
Not long after, he fell back asleep.
Wen Xian quietly let out a breath of relief. She rubbed slightly against Shen Lingge’s chest in a small movement.
However, as time passed minute by minute, Wen Xian still didn’t fall asleep. Her eyes remained open, staring into the darkness.
She quietly leaned against Shen Lingge’s side, only feeling that even if the road ahead was completely dark, her body still shone with light. He wouldn’t let her stumble, and would always protect her.
She remembered the words she had said before. She said she would work hard to like him. Now, was what she felt for him liking?
With that thought, Wen Xian gradually fell asleep.
…
When Shen Lingge woke up, he felt something wasn’t quite right. He had originally thought that last night it was Qiuqiu who had burrowed into his arms, but instead, he touched some kind of warm thing.
He suddenly opened his eyes wide.
The little crybaby from yesterday was curled up in his arms, her hand still resting on his chest. A small imprint had been pressed onto her fair, tender face, and her thick, curled eyelashes hung down quietly.
Her light pink lips were slightly parted.
Shen Lingge suddenly froze.
How did Wen Xian end up on the sofa?
He withdrew his hand. After a while, he called out in a low voice: “Xian Xian, wake up.”
Wen Xian: “Hoo—”
Shen Lingge: “……”
She was sleeping soundly in his arms, completely unaware of how much trouble her actions had brought him.
Shen Lingge furrowed his brows, got up, and once again carried her towards the bedroom.
As soon as the door opened, Qiuqiu was tilting its head to look at them, its bright, round eyes staring at them unblinkingly.
Shen Lingge: “……”
For some reason, he felt a little guilty.
Early in the morning, Shen Lingge was left feeling restless because of Wen Xian. After washing up, he started pestering the butler again.
[Shen Lingge: What if, when you wake up, there’s suddenly… a person on your bed?]
[Butler: Young Master, did you sleep together with your younger brother?]
[Shen Lingge: Not my younger brother.]
[Butler: Oh?]
[Butler: You slept with a certain someone.]
[Shen Lingge: .]
[Butler: Please explain.]
[Shen Lingge: Why would this person climb onto my bed in the middle of the night?]
[Butler: Young Master, may I ask, how old is the person you are describing? Is it convenient to reveal the gender?]
[Shen Lingge: A child, not convenient.]
[Butler: Then perhaps it was from having a nightmare.]
Shen Lingge stared at that line of text on his phone for a while, feeling that what the butler said made sense. Wen Xian must have had a nightmare last night and, afraid, came looking for him.
He let out a breath of relief.
[Shen Lingge: I’m hungry.]
[Butler: Understood, Young Master.]
[Shen Lingge: One more thing. Find a professional housekeeping team in Licheng and have them wait for me at Wen Mountain Villa this afternoon.]
[Butler: Yes, Young Master.]
Half an hour later, a plentiful breakfast was delivered to Licheng Garden.
Shen Lingge grabbed Qiuqiu, who was trying to pounce onto the table, stuffed it into the room through a small crack in the door without mercy, and instructed: “Go wake her up.”
Qiuqiu wriggled its little butt and jumped onto the bed.
Five minutes later.
Wen Xian was woken up by Qiuqiu pressing on her. With a face full of confusion, she grabbed the cat that was stuck to her face, then suddenly sat up.
She looked left and right, confirming that she was on the bed, and then spoke in disbelief: “Yesterday I actually dreamed that I crawled into Gege’s arms to sleep, but that feeling was so real.”
She frowned in thought. In the end, was it a dream or did she really crawl into his arms?
As soon as Wen Xian opened the door, she met Shen Lingge’s gaze. His expression was natural, and his tone was the same as always: “Wen Xian, go wash your face, brush your teeth, then change clothes and come out to eat.”
Wen Xian blinked, feeling a little guilty inside: “Gege, did I last night…”
Shen Lingge’s movements didn’t stop, his voice steady: “What?”
Wen Xian shook her head: “Nothing, I probably just had a dream.”
Shen Lingge probed: “What did you dream about?”
Wen Xian looked innocent: “I dreamed that a monster inexplicably ran into my house, not only stealing my cat but also stealing my rabbit, so I destroyed him.”
Shen Lingge: “?”