Shen Lingge glanced at her with a half-smile, voice indifferent: “‘Think’?”
Wen Xian didn’t want to argue this with him. She just propped her chin in her hand, somewhat worried as she said: “Shen Lingge, my younger brother looks strange. The things he says I don’t really understand. What do you think is wrong with this child?”
Shen Lingge turned his cuff, the cold and expensive cufflinks glinting, his gaze falling on the little girl’s confused face. He asked: “What did he say to you?”
Wen Xian repeated their conversation once through. After she finished speaking, she climbed down from the sofa and leaned over the desk. She asked in a small voice: “Shen Lingge, can you have someone follow my younger brother? No need to care about what he’s doing, just make sure what he’s doing isn’t dangerous.”
Shen Lingge didn’t respond to her words, only spoke in a low voice: “Come over and let me hold you for a while.”
Wen Xian: “……”
Weren’t they discussing serious matters? Why did the topic suddenly skew over here?
Wen Xian considered herself still possessing a sense of shame. She turned her head away, tangled for a moment, then righteously refused Shen Lingge: “No, we’re still talking about serious business now. Don’t always… ah ah ah, what are you doing!”
Shen Lingge clicked his tongue lightly as if impatient. He stood up and walked around the desk, a few steps bringing him to the little girl leaning on the desk. He scooped her up in his arms, lowering his head to meet the gaze of the wide-eyed little girl in his arms.
He said flatly: “I’m just holding.”
Wen Xian struggled in vain, so she had no choice but to stay obediently in Shen Lingge’s arms. She lowered her eyes, only feeling her ears start to burn again.
Shen Lingge weighed the person in his arms, frowning: “From now on, eat half a bowl more rice. If you don’t finish eating, you’re not allowed to go play.”
Wen Xian protested in dissatisfaction: “…I already eat a lot! Didn’t you see the girls in your company, they eat grass every day. I’m the one who eats the most among all the girls in the cafeteria.”
Shen Lingge spoke ruthlessly: “I don’t care about others, I only care about you.”
Wen Xian tilted her head and thought for a while, starting to bargain: “Then you have someone watch my younger brother.”
Shen Lingge suddenly lowered his head closer to Wen Xian, the slightly warm breath mingling with hers. He clearly noticed her subconsciously shrinking back a little, his gaze lingering at her lips like indulging in a kind of obsession.
His voice hoarse: “Let me kiss once, and I’ll have someone watch him.”
Wen Xian’s face flushed red, not speaking. Shen Lingge smiled with unclear meaning: “Let me calculate for you. You let me kiss once, I not only agree to pretend to be your boyfriend, but also help you watch your younger brother, and all you need to do is sit in my arms.”
After a moment of silence, Wen Xian suddenly raised her hand and hit him once: “I see you’re clearly very pleased with yourself. I won’t let you kiss, let me down.”
Seeing her about to fly into a shameful rage, Shen Lingge decided to quit while ahead. He let out a low sigh, still not managing to kiss her.
He directly carried her up and walked out: “Go sleep for a while, after waking up I’ll take you to the manor to pick fruits and play.”
Wen Xian dangled her legs, saying as a matter of course: “Bring my younger brother, and Wen Xianxian. Qiuqiu doesn’t like going out to play, so just let it stay at home.”
Shen Lingge personally tucked her into the quilt, only after seeing her obediently close her eyes did he close the door and leave.
The day after tomorrow, he was going to leave the country, so he needed to handle Wen Xian’s matter before leaving. That night, the person who took pictures of Wen Xian at the studio entrance — only one was found. The surveillance footage captured the driver of the car, but the identity of the person taking the photos still had not been confirmed.
After Shen Lingge returned to the study, he immediately contacted his assistant. His expression slightly darkened, and his tone was not very good: “Has the driver’s identity been verified?”
The assistant reported everything in detail: “That driver’s name is Zhao Liming. Four years ago, he was an employee of Wen Corporation. After Wen Corporation went bankrupt, he became unemployed. At that time, his mother was seriously ill. Later, someone gave him a large sum of money.”
“The source of the money is unclear. We are still investigating.”
Shen Lingge furrowed his brows: “Check who he’s been in contact with in the past six months. Focus on former Wen Corporation employees. In the two months I’m away, I don’t want to see anything happen to Wen Xian.”
The assistant answered in a deep voice: “Understood.”
Being connected to Wen Corporation made this matter even more complicated. The unease in Shen Lingge’s heart also gradually deepened. Back then, after Wen Corporation went bankrupt, it took more than half a year to pay off the owed wages. Most people had no complaints, but it couldn’t be ruled out that a small number of people held resentment against Wen Corporation.
Shen Lingge had carefully investigated. The bankruptcy of Wen Corporation back then had nothing to do with external forces; it was caused by an internal power struggle after Wen Tianlin passed away. A vast commercial empire collapsed in less than half a year.
At that time, there was no one in Licheng who wasn’t sighing with lament.
But all of that had nothing to do with Wen Xian. She was innocent.
At that time, Wen Xian had not yet reached adulthood and lost both her parents overnight. Half a year later, the Wen family members gradually left Licheng one after another, and the Chang family also gradually moved the company to Mingcheng.
Licheng was left with only Wen Xian, who stubbornly stayed here alone, guarding her home and her deceased parents.
Shen Lingge lightly sighed. Foolish girl.
–
2:30 in the afternoon.
Wen Xian was fished out from the covers by Duoduo. She kept her eyes closed, letting Duoduo apply sunscreen and put a hat on her. Her little head would droop from time to time, then be held up by a soft hand.
Looking at the still-sleepy Wen Xian, Duoduo said helplessly: “Miss, it’s no wonder Young Master is angry. What time did you sleep last night?”
Wen Xian puffed her cheeks slightly and mumbled: “I was watching dramas and lost track of time. By the time I finished watching, it was already three o’clock.”
Duoduo: “……”
Duoduo sighed: “No wonder today Xian Xian also slept all day. Miss, Xian Xian is still a child, you can’t stay up late with her.”
Wen Xian nodded: “Next time I’ll kick Wen Xianxian to the next room, I’ll stay up late by myself.”
Duoduo’s face changed immediately. She spoke mercilessly: “Miss, do you still remember that if you keep staying up late, our bonuses will get deducted?”
Wen Xian felt bitter in her heart: “Wu, working is already so hard, can’t I have happiness on weekend nights?”
Duoduo finished putting Wen Xian’s hat on. The light apricot-colored ribbon was tied into a beautiful bow under Wen Xian’s chin by Duoduo’s nimble hands: “Miss, Young Master won’t be home for two months. You should behave.”
Wen Xian sighed gloomily. Her happy life was gone forever.
After Wen Xian fully woke up, she went to knock on Chang Shang’s room door. She called out: “Shang Shang, I’m going out with Shen Lingge to play. Do you want to come with us?”
Before long, the door opened.
Chang Shang had just taken a shower and changed clothes. Droplets of water dripped from his damp black hair onto the white T-shirt. He nodded and answered: “Wait, I’ll get my phone.”
When Wen Xian and Chang Shang came downstairs, Shen Lingge was already waiting in the living room.
The moment Wen Xian saw Shen Lingge, she jogged up next to him. She deliberately leaned close to his ear and shouted loudly: “Shen Lingge, we’re heading out! I even brought my drawing board. Aren’t I very serious?”
Shen Lingge turned his head and glanced at her, then stood up and held her hand: “Not picking grapes anymore?”
Wen Xian obediently still let him hold her hand: “Pick, I’ll pick first then draw.”
Chang Shang walked behind them, looking at Wen Xian’s curved brows and eyes as she spoke with Shen Lingge. He hadn’t seen her smile so happily in a long, long time. It seemed like she had turned back from that forced-to-grow-up Wen Xian into that innocent and carefree girl.
Chang Shang lowered his eyes. Like this now was also good—there was someone to protect her.
…
All along the way, Wen Xian was swiping Weibo on her phone, while Shen Lingge beside her and Chang Shang opposite her were both very quiet. In the car, from time to time, Wen Xian’s laughter would ring out, and at that moment, both men would coincidentally glance at her.
When they noticed their gazes collided, they both very tacitly looked away.
The place Shen Lingge brought Wen Xian to was a natural manor opened by a friend of his in Licheng, located on a mountainside in the suburbs. Because it was only open to a small group of people, Wen Xian barely saw anyone on the way up the mountain.
Wen Xian leaned outside the car window looking out for a while. She asked: “Shen Lingge, when did this place open?”
Shen Lingge recalled for a moment: “Two years ago.”
Wen Xianxian, who had been obediently lying by Wen Xian’s feet, saw her leaning on the window and jumped up onto her lap, mimicking her by raising both paws to hold onto the window edge and looking outside. Its tongue was sticking out, looking very excited.
When they arrived, there were already quite a few cars parked at the manor entrance.
Wen Xian carried Wen Xianxian as she got out of the car. She could vaguely hear children’s happy laughter from inside. She pinched Wen Xianxian’s soft little ear and softly said: “Xian Xian, let’s wear the leash obediently. You’re not allowed to run around, understand?”
Wen Xianxian: “Woof!”
Chang Shang originally followed just to see how Shen Lingge and Wen Xian got along. Hearing this, he reached out his hand to Wen Xian: “Jie, let me hold Xian Xian’s leash. I’ll take it somewhere with fewer people.”
Wen Xian handed Wen Xianxian over to Chang Shang, then jogged into the garden. When she was younger, Wen Tianlin often brought her to places like this to play, but as she grew older, she seldom went anymore.
As she gradually grew up, Wen Tianlin’s work got busier, and she also gradually had her own social circle. The time their family of three spent going out together slowly decreased.
Wen Xian once thought they still had many, many more days in the future.
The manor was lively. There were people barbecuing outdoors, some fishing by the pond, and little girls chasing each other among the flowers, but most were gathered in the orchard.
Wen Xian looked far ahead. In the orchard, the fruit trees were neatly arranged in several rows. Among the lush green branches and leaves, plump and round grape bunches faintly peeked through. Not far away, there was also a huge white windmill turning.
She looked back once. Chang Shang was holding Wen Xianxian, walking off somewhere else, while Shen Lingge seemed to be stopped by a friend. He was standing shoulder to shoulder with someone, raising his eyes to look at her.
As if signaling her not to run around.
Wen Xian hesitated for a moment and decided to stay obediently in place to wait for him. Just as she crouched down out of boredom to observe the wildflowers by the roadside, a familiar voice suddenly sounded in her ear: “Stupid woman, what are you squatting here for?”
Wen Xian: “……”
Stupid woman?
Exactly where was she stupid?
Wen Xian looked up. Gong Yan was standing there with a straight face looking at her, and on his head, he was even wearing a flower crown. Maybe because he noticed her gaze landing on his head, Gong Yan’s little face turned slightly red: “My mom insisted on putting it on me.”
Wen Xian blinked and sincerely praised: “I think the flower crown your mom made is very pretty.”
Gong Yan stared at the flower crown in his hand for a while, then suddenly raised his hand and placed it on Wen Xian’s hat. His chin lifted slightly: “Since you like it, I’ll give it to you. Don’t all little girls like these things?”
Wen Xian’s face darkened. Where did he learn this domineering CEO tone from?
Just as she was about to speak, a shadow suddenly fell over her from in front. Shen Lingge was looking down at her from above. He glanced at the little brat and the flower crown on her head, his voice cold: “Wen Xian, you even scam flowers from kids?”
Wen Xian: ?
Are we going to argue again!