Sheng Minglan was afraid to wake Jing Yun up and ask him. What if she had misunderstood?

  However, she was also upset that she couldn’t get to the bottom of things—in the end, she had to ask Sheng Xiao about it for assurance.

  That said, she was not going to see him leave his room for the entire night.

  ***

  The next day, Sheng Minglan’s had a weak look on her face when she left the guest room.

  She took a seat beside Sheng Xiao when she found him having a coffee in the guest hall.

  “Jing Yun hasn’t woken up yet?” Sheng Xiao asked before all else—he more or less knew that those two would be sharing a room for the night.

  “Is that the most important thing right now?” Sheng Minglan gave him a stern look. “Sheng Xiao, I have something to ask you.”


  Sheng Xiao looked up with what resembled a vague smile on his face. “You want to ask whether Jing Yun likes you?”


  “How did you know?”


  “About that, it’s best if you ask the person himself. Would what I say matter to you anyway?” Sheng Xiao said, deliberately baiting Sheng Minglan’s curiosity. “Can’t you feel in your heart whether a man likes you?”


  Sheng Minglan said nothing, but the look on Sheng Xiao’s face made her more or less positive.

  “It doesn’t matter if he likes you anyway. You are the fourth sister of the Sheng family while he is my assistant—that’s lower in status than Qi’er. Furthermore, there is another condition in learning the answer to that: can you shoulder his feelings? You can’t even stay friends with him if you exposed him without so much as having thought about it.”


  In fact, was Sheng Minglan supposed to think about that question at all?

  Of course, she shouldn’t. She wasn’t even able to handle the immediate crisis she was facing, and she wouldn’t be able to bear involving Jing Yun. After all, what had been his sin that he had to suffer with her?

  “Looks like you’ve made up your mind. If you stay, you’re going to have to face Jing Yun and what happened last night. That said, you could also leave Jing Yun right now and pretend you didn’t have a clue while I handle him.”


  Hence, Sheng Minglan rose from the sofa, having thought things through. “Then I’m off. Look after Jing Yun.”


  Sheng Xiao nodded. Still, even as he studied Sheng Minglan’s reaction, he knew that Jing Yun still had a long road ahead of him.

  Mu Qiqi came downstairs as Sheng Minglan left.

  She felt puzzled even as she watched her from behind. “Why is Fourth Sister leaving?”


  “She hasn’t made up her mind to confront Jing Yun. That’s why I stopped her from wavering like that in front of him—it would only hurt him more.”


  Mu Qiqi nodded in agreement at that and wrapped her arms around Sheng Xiao’s neck. “You’re always so prudent.

  “But it’s so tiring watching a couple having a restrained relationship.”


  That was Sheng Xiao’s own principle. After all, what joy is there in life unless you claim what you cherish?

  Soon, Jing Yun came out of the guest room as well, straightening respectfully once he saw Sheng Xiao.

  “Don’t drink too much from now on. It’s been tough for Aunt Wu, taking care of you the whole night.”


  Jing Yun frowned at that, since he clearly remembered that it was Fourth Sister who had cleaned his face last night, and that they seemed to have a talk.

  Could he have been dreaming?

  Whatever the case may be, Jing Yun answered. “Got it.”


  Hence, Sheng Xiao managed to disguise the whole affair vaguely.

  He wouldn’t be telling Jing Yun what had happened last night, and would wait until the time was right for everything to come out at once.

  ***

  Meanwhile, back at the Sheng family’s house.

  Seventh Sister immediately knew that Sheng Minglan had been to Jing Ting after staying out overnight and smelling of thick alcohol.

  “Fourth Sister is so close to Sheng Xiao and his lover.”


  Already a mess inside, Sheng Minglan was certainly not in the mood for courtesy since Seventh Sister came looking for trouble.

  She promptly caught her sleeve and warned her. “I’m telling you now. Don’t make me angry.”


  Seventh Sister was certainly stunned by Sheng Minglan’s reaction, although she snorted after Sheng Minglan left. “Grandpa is the one making the decisions in the family. Isn’t she taking the wrong side?”


  “Moreover, hanging out with Mu Qiqi? What good would that be?”


  With that, Seventh Sister headed to Grandpa Sheng’s study. “Grandpa, did you know that Fourth Sister stayed the night at Jing Ting and didn’t come home?”


  “Up to no good again, are you?” Grandpa Sheng paused in his calligraphy and looked up at her. “Can’t you hold back until after the VVIP night?”


  “No, Grandpa. Think about it—Fourth Sister might have agreed to her engagement on the surface, but all of us could see how reluctant she is about it. And now that she is so close with Mu Qiqi, aren’t you afraid at all that she would change her mind suddenly?

  “What couldn’t Mu Qiqi do? And wouldn’t Sheng Xiao urge Fourth Sister to pursue her own freedom?”


  Despite how illogical Seventh Sister’s words were, it pierced straight into the old man’s misgivings.

  Was Sheng Minglan really afraid to go against him just because she always listened to him and never showed resistance?

  It seemed that plans had to be made, and the deal sealed before that happened.

  “Alright, stop fussing over Mu Qiqi twenty-four seven. Aren’t you using her right now?”


  Seventh Sister finally stopped talking then. It was true when she thought about it, and it wouldn’t be too late to deal with her after waiting out the VVIP night.

  As for the old man who was bent on avoiding any unforeseen circumstances over Sheng Minglan and the Englishman’s engagement, he took the extra step of inviting the Englishman to their house for dinner before the engagement party.

  What was he trying to achieve? Nobody knew.

  ***

  Unable to tell what the old man was planning, Sheng Minglan dialed Sheng Xiao’s number. “Grandpa has arranged for the Englishman to have dinner at our house. Did you get the news?”


  “I heard about it, but the old man didn’t invite me or Qi’er.” Sheng Xiao replied.

  “What do you think he’s trying to do? Could he have picked up on something and was trying to take precautions?”


  “I’ll have my mother keep an eye on the matter. You can ask for her help if you have any trouble.” Sheng Xiao told Sheng Minglan—it definitely wouldn’t be a casual dinner since the old man was doing such a thing while disallowing him or Qiqi from going.

  He was definitely going back and have fun since the old man didn’t want him around.

  After all, the old man had always been shrewd. With Seventh Sister weaving tall tales around him all the time, things would certainly get even more complicated.

  Nonetheless, Mama Sheng became more aware of the old man’s movements thanks to Sheng Xiao’s instruction, and that he had specially bought an expensive bottle of Chateau Lafite.

  She had assumed that the old man was going to share the treat with the Englishman, only to realize that the old man had kept it in his study and didn’t know what she was planning.

  A day later, the old man called in the family doctor for a checkup. It was nothing suspicious since the old man had checkups from time to time, but Mama Sheng later learnt from one of the maids on hand that the doctor had prescribed the old man some medicine.