Chapter 3: The Cat
He straightened his clothes, wiping his hand on her knit sweater.
A crimson lipstick mark was left behind.
If Xu Yu hadn't been wearing no lipstick, someone might have believed it to be a woman's lip print.
She steadied her breathing and put herself back together.
Just beyond the wall, outside.
As soon as Shen Liangyan emerged, Wen Han hurried over. “Liangyan, you’re here. I called you just now—why didn’t you answer?”
“I was bitten by a stray cat, so I was cleaning up the blood inside. Didn’t want you to worry.”
As expected, Wen Han’s attention was diverted.
“Where did it bite you? How could you be so careless?”
“My palm,” Shen Liangyan replied with a gentle laugh. “Maybe I petted it a couple of times and it wasn’t pleased.”
Wen Han’s heart ached for him. “The management of this scenic spot is terrible—even stray cats can get in.”
In the back-and-forth, they seemed to have forgotten Xu Yu.
By the time Wen Han remembered her, Xu Yu had already exited the Qiliang Cave and taken a shortcut back to the inn.
Unfortunately, the three of them ran into each other again.
Seeing that Xu Yu was alone, Wen Han asked, “Where’s Shen Yue?”
“He just returned—he has a contract to discuss.”
“The ‘Yilan Mountain’ project?”
These words were exchanged between Wen Han and Shen Liangyan. She clung coquettishly to his sleeve, and Shen Liangyan lowered his gaze to her, his eyes deep and dark. “You want it?”
Wen Han’s face was full of longing. “The bride price for the Shen family’s new daughter-in-law. Liangyan, you’ll win it for me, won’t you?”
Shen Liangyan gave an ambiguous laugh, indulgence in his smile.
“If you want it, then I’ll make sure to give it to you.”
“Liangyan, you’re wonderful.”
Wen Han swayed his arm, tilting her head playfully. “Sister, did you hear that? Shen Yue also wants to bid for ‘Yilan Mountain.’ So, it’s up to our own abilities—after all, there can only be one new daughter-in-law to get ‘Yilan Mountain.’”
Xu Yu replied with a cool “Oh.”
“I’ll head up first. Didn’t sleep well last night, so I need a nap.”
Xu Yu went upstairs, but not to sleep.
She opened the window and called back her younger brother, who had tried to reach her four times.
After the fourth ring, Xu Jing finally answered, sounding irritable. “You finally remembered to call your brother?”
Xu Yu guessed he was in one of his moods again. She softened her tone. “Don’t be difficult, Xiaojing. I’ll visit you at school next month.”
“Who’s being difficult?” Xu Jing grumbled. “Just send money. Who cares if you’re here or not?”
Xu Yu made a sound of agreement and asked, “Is twenty thousand enough?”
“Not enough. That’s not even enough to take my friends out to dinner once.”
His arrogance was palpable, and Xu Yu felt a twinge of frustration. “Xiaojing, your sister isn’t made of money. Twenty thousand takes a long time to earn. Don’t go to those sketchy places with your friends. A regular meal should cost three or four hundred…”
“Oh, you’re so annoying! Last time a friend treated me, he ordered an eighteen-thousand seafood set. If I only buy them two hundred’s worth of barbecue, how could I show my face?”
Xu Yu started to say something, her lips moving, but in the end, kept silent.
On the other end, the boy took a deep breath and kicked a railing. “Give me thirty thousand more, and I won’t ask you for money again this semester. Deal?”
Xu Yu hesitated for a couple of seconds, then agreed.
“That’s settled, then. Bye.”
She didn’t even have time to say goodbye before the line went dead.
Setting her phone down, she sent Wen Han a message.
“When will you pay the final installment?”
The reply came quickly. “Why the rush? You’ll get it within seven days, won’t you?”
Xu Yu: “I need it urgently.”
Wen Han: “Don’t you even have five thousand?”
Xu Yu didn’t reply.
Her role as Miss Phoenix in a video earned her ten thousand—five at the start, five at the end.
She didn’t know how much Wen Han made, only that her total online followers exceeded a million, and brand deals were easy money.
Half an hour later, Wen Han sent another message.
“Convince Shen Yue to give up, and I’ll pay you immediately.”
Xu Yu pursed her lips. “He won’t listen to me.”
Two men competing for Wen Han’s favor, and Xu Yu was merely a ball being kicked between them.
Besides, she knew that Shen Liangyan would not lose.
Wen Han sent a laughing-crying emoji. “Then you’ll just have to wait.”
Xu Yu switched to messaging Shen Liangyan.
She asked him to transfer the payment for this morning’s “services.”
Shen Liangyan didn’t respond all afternoon—probably busy negotiating.
Xu Yu had no choice but to post her commercial photos online and wait for a client to place an order.
In the middle of the night, Shen Liangyan came in carrying an oiled paper package and set it on the table.
His movements were light. Looking back, he saw Xu Yu rubbing her eyes, her hair draping down to cover half her face.
She sat up, and the sleepiness vanished from her eyes in an instant.
“What’s that?” she asked, pointing at the package on the table.
“Ginger candy. For your period.”
Xu Yu wrinkled her nose. “Is there only one?”
“Just one.”
He sat at the round table and poured a cup of cool tea, beckoning her over. “Come here.”
Xu Yu climbed out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and settled onto his lap.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, and her hands rested on his neck.
His expression softened. “The deal is closed.”
Xu Yu nodded. “Congratulations.”
She knew perfectly well that Shen Liangyan and Shen Yue were not on the same level.
The Shen family was complicated. Shen Liangyan was the youngest son of Old Master Shen’s third wife, while Shen Yue was the legitimate grandson of the first wife.
Shen Yue, the eldest grandson, had been showered with affection and grown up with every advantage, studying finance at a top university in the country.
Shen Liangyan, on the other hand, had been exiled at thirteen due to family infighting and only returned at twenty-three. In just two years, he had climbed to the position of vice president—standing shoulder to shoulder with Shen Yue—his cunning and strategy not to be underestimated.