Shen Lingge’s meeting did not actually last too long. Ten minutes after Wen Xian entered the room, he already ended the meeting, but with bad intentions he did not tell Wen Xian, just letting the little girl obediently shrink in his arms.
Wen Xian, sitting on Shen Lingge’s lap feeling bored, began to play with his shirt buttons, unbuttoning each one then buttoning them back again. Shen Lingge just let her mess around, during which he only lightly swept a glance at her.
After he finished sending emails to his assistant, he released the person in his arms: “Go change clothes, after eating I’ll take you out to play.”
Wen Xian let out a small yawn, those pair of clear eyes misted with water vapor, she mumbled and asked: “Where to play? Licheng, I’ve been going around since I was little, besides going to the club or playing racing on mountain roads, there’s nothing fun.”
Shen Lingge frowned: “In the future if you dare play racing again, just don’t think about keeping your legs.”
Wen Xian: “?”
Say that again?
While the two were in a standoff, the phone in Wen Xian’s pocket rang. Wen Xian temporarily called a ceasefire with Shen Lingge, took out her phone and glanced at the screen. Shen Lingge also naturally looked over.
On the screen were two glaring big characters: Chang Shang.
Wen Xian and Shen Lingge both froze.
Wen Xian picked up the call: “Shang Shang?”
On the other end, the youth’s voice carried a faint hoarseness, listening carefully there was also a trace of low spirits. His mood wasn’t very good: “Jie, I’m at Licheng Airport now, can you come pick me up?”
Upon hearing this, Wen Xian immediately stood up and asked: “How did you come over alone? Does uncle and aunt know?”
Chang Shang drooped his eyes, emotions complicated in his gaze: “Don’t know, I told them I went out with classmates, will go back in a few days.”
Wen Xian didn’t ask more over the phone, after hanging up she hurriedly walked outside. Shen Lingge saw this and followed up: “Xian Xian, what happened? That’s your younger male cousin?”
Wen Xian responded briefly and went into the room to change clothes.
Because it was to pick up Wen Xian’s younger cousin, Shen Lingge didn’t have the driver drive; he personally started to take Wen Xian to the airport. And Wen Xian was tangled on whether or not to tell her uncle and aunt.
Shen Lingge saw her face full of worry and asked: “How old is your younger cousin?”
Wen Xian counted on her fingers for a while: “Shang Shang just finished Gaokao in June, already admitted to Licheng University, after celebrating birthday at the start of the year he’s already eighteen.”
Shen Lingge said in a flat voice: “Then no need to manage. At this age he’s no longer a child, he has the responsibility to be accountable for his own personal safety, and should know what he’s doing.”
Wen Xian lightly sighed: “My younger cousin since little has been silent and not talkative, my female cousin takes after my aunt, personality lively. My younger cousin’s personality is neither like uncle nor like aunt, I often don’t know what he’s thinking.”
Shen Lingge looked at the time right now: “Being able to arrive at the airport at this time means the ticket was definitely bought beforehand, he already thought about coming to find you, definitely not running away from home on impulse. Don’t worry too much.”
Along the way Wen Xian recalled the short time spent with her younger cousin.
She is three years older than Chang Shang. At that time, before the Wen family went bankrupt, her uncle’s family would often come over as guests.
Usually her female cousin Chang Yuan would always drill into her dressing room to look at clothes together or go out shopping, two girls sticking together would easily forget about that silent little boy.
Wen Xian could sense, compared to Chang Yuan’s happiness when coming to Wen family, Chang Shang was not too willing to come to her house. Teen boys and girls’ thoughts are all very sensitive. Back then Wen Xian was careful when facing him.
At first she thought Chang Shang didn’t like her, but every year on her birthday she could receive Chang Shang’s gift on time. Sometimes Chang Yuan would forget, but Chang Shang never forgot.
Compared to Chang Yuan, the gifts Chang Shang gave her were all handmade by him. There were models he built himself, also dolls he made by hand.
It was from that time Wen Xian started to understand that her younger cousin did not dislike her, just not good at expressing his own emotions. His thoughts were much more delicate than Chang Yuan. These two siblings’ personalities were not alike at all.
One is outgoing, one is reserved.
Simply doesn’t seem like children coming from the same family.
What Wen Xian was more worried about was whether Chang Shang encountered something outside and didn’t dare go home, so he ran to Licheng to find her. Since young, he had always been the kind to make people feel at ease, but precisely because of this, he made people feel even more distressed.
One hour later, Shen Lingge and Wen Xian arrived at the airport.
As soon as Wen Xian opened the car door, she wanted to run forward. Shen Lingge pulled her back, his voice low as he scolded: “Wen Xian, there are so many people now, and you still dare to run around. What if you bump into someone?”
Wen Xian raised her eyes and looked at him once, pressing her lips together: “I’m a little worried about him.”
Shen Lingge glanced at her, holding her hand as they walked forward, his tone filled with sourness as he spoke: “Never saw you worry about me that much. During that period when I sent you messages, you didn’t reply to a single one. If I hadn’t come looking for you, were you planning to never see me again?”
Wen Xian honestly said: “No way. Zanzan is still in your hands. And besides, Shang Shang is still a child. You’re already grown up, Shen Lingge. Don’t be childish like a little kid.”
Shen Lingge: “……?”
Exactly who’s childish?
Not long after, Wen Xian saw Chang Shang at the exit. After so many years of not meeting, the once young boy had already grown up quite a bit, almost as tall as Shen Lingge.
The seemingly silent youth was wearing a black T-shirt and sports pants, one hand in his pocket, his head slightly lowered, the messy bangs on his forehead slightly disordered. His cold white side profile looked thin and sharp.
Perhaps noticing her gaze, he lifted his eyes and looked over. Only his eyes had just gained a bit of warmth, but upon touching Shen Lingge, it slightly turned cold again. He silently exchanged a glance with Shen Lingge.
Chang Shang slowly walked toward Wen Xian, calling out in a low voice: “Jie.”
Wen Xian frowned, looking at the hostility and gloom locked between his brows, gently asking: “Shang Shang, what’s wrong? Did you have a fight with uncle and aunt? I thought you would only come over next month.”
Wen Xian led him toward the car: “Jiejie will take you home.”
Chang Shang tilted his head and glanced at Shen Lingge, who also had an indifferent face, and softly asked: “Jie, who is this?”
Wen Xian: “This is…”
Originally she wanted to say this is my friend, but right now Shen Lingge was living together with her, Duoduo and Butler Uncle all called him Shaoye [young master]. And later on, since Chang Shang would be studying in Licheng, this friend’s lie would be exposed sooner or later.
So she hesitated a bit, quietly said: “This is my boyfriend.”
Wen Xian thought she said it very quietly, but Shen Lingge obviously heard it. He raised his eyebrows and looked toward Wen Xian. Wen Xian hurriedly blinked at him, silently signaling: cooperate a bit.
Shen Lingge was very cooperative. He spoke in a flat tone: “Chang Shang? I’m Shen Lingge. From now on, you can call me jiefu [older sister’s husband].”
Chang Shang’s footsteps paused. He repeated: “Shen Lingge?”
His pupils slightly trembled: “Mingcheng Shen family?”
Shen Lingge opened the front passenger seat door for Wen Xian, but Wen Xian hesitated for a moment and still sat in the back seat together with Chang Shang. Shen Lingge didn’t get annoyed. He casually made a sound as if answering Chang Shang’s question.
After getting in the car, Chang Shang’s expression worsened. He turned his head and asked: “Jie, where are you living now?”
Wen Xian met Chang Shang’s eyes once: “I moved back home.”
Both she and Chang Shang knew where the place Wen Xian called home was.
After a long silence, Chang Shang finally said: “Jie, don’t let my parents know about this, including Chang Yuan.”
Wen Xian helplessly said: “Shang Shang, that’s your older sister. Is it because you quarreled with Yuan Yuan-jie this time? From small to big I’ve never seen you lose your temper.”
Chang Shang was just silent.
Seeing that Chang Shang was unwilling to speak, Wen Xian did not ask again. Along the way, she did not notice that this youth’s eyes were lowered, the hand placed beside his leg tightly clenched into a fist, his eyes full of pain and struggle.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, Shen Lingge expressionlessly swept a glance at this youth who seemed a bit strange.
That sentence he had just said was thought-provoking.
…
After returning home and finishing eating, Shen Lingge went upstairs. He knew this pair of siblings probably had some things that were inconvenient to say in front of him. After Shen Lingge left, only Wen Xian and Chang Shang remained in the living room.
Once Shen Lingge was gone, Chang Shang’s state clearly relaxed a lot. He swept a glance at the villa that was no different from usual and asked: “Jie, when did you move back? And what’s with that man?”
Wen Xian lightly coughed: “Not long since I moved back. As for the man, it’s nothing much, just dating.”
Chang Shang frowned: “You’re living together?”
Wen Xian’s ears flushed slightly, hurriedly shook her head: “No. He just came over to visit, staying here for two days, he’ll go back to Mingcheng tomorrow.”
Looking at Wen Xian’s face full of shyness, Chang Shang sighed. His jiejie had always seemed not very clever since young. He reminded: “Jie, no matter if he’s from the Shen family, the Song family, or whatever, you must protect yourself. Don’t let everything be up to him and let him do as he pleases.”
Wen Xian: “……”
Wen Xian quickly changed the topic: “Let’s not talk about this. Shang Shang, what exactly happened with your family? Did you have a fight?”
Hearing this, Chang Shang’s eyelashes trembled slightly. After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke in a hoarse voice: “Jie, if one day you find out that everyone close to you are all liars, what would you do?”
Wen Xian was stunned. She suddenly realized things were more serious than she had imagined.
She recalled again how Chang Shang and Chang Yuan were completely unlike, so she tentatively asked: “Shang Shang… you probably weren’t picked up, right? When you were born, I even went with mom to see you.”
Chang Shang: “……”
Chang Shang fixedly looked at Wen Xian. One word at a time he said: “Jie, in the future, don’t easily believe anyone.”
Wen Xian was thrown into disarray by Chang Shang’s random sentence. She worriedly said: “Is it really that serious? Then these days you’re not going home, won’t uncle and aunt be worried?”
Chang Shang shifted his gaze away: “Jie, how long has it been since my dad and mom called you?”
Wen Xian frowned, recalling for a while: “Last time when I broke off the engagement with the Qin family, your dad called me to ask if something happened. After that, it seems they haven’t contacted me.”
Chang Shang didn’t react for quite a while after hearing this. He only let out a mocking laugh.
After a while, Chang Shang finally explained: “I told my dad and mom that I won’t go back for now. Coming to Licheng is just to see you. In a few days I’ll leave. There’s something I want to confirm.”
In Wen Xian’s eyes was clear, dazzling worry: “Where are you going?”
Chang Shang shook his head: “Jie, don’t worry. It’s nothing. Before school starts, I’ll come back.”
Even though Shen Lingge had left, Wen Xian still couldn’t get anything out of Chang Shang. So after bringing Chang Shang to the guest room, Wen Xian slipped away to the study to look for Shen Lingge. Only this time she carefully observed whether Shen Lingge was in a video conference.
The moment the door opened, Shen Lingge saw the little head swaying at the doorway.
He unhurriedly put down the pen in his hand, his black eyes silently falling on her face. He casually tugged at the tightly fastened necktie, his voice flat: “Xian Xian, come here.”
After Wen Xian closed the door behind her, she sat cross-legged on the sofa. She lightly coughed and emphasized again: “You need to cooperate with me, let my younger brother think you’re my boyfriend.”