Chapter 51

Yao Wenluo was taken away. 

Sheng Changyu was clearly unhappy. 

 Despite the others’ attempts to soothe him, he kept a stern face. 

“I’ll head out now. You all enjoy the rest of the performance. Mr. Wan has a great voice—it’s rare to get him to perform,” Sheng Changyu said. 

The others stood up to see him off. Ning Zhen left with him. 

What was supposed to be a bonding session over a play had turned into a ridiculous scene, leaving Ning Zhen feeling frustrated as well. 

As they left the theater, it was 7 PM, and the streets were lit up with neon signs. The plane trees, bare in the early winter, rustled in the cold wind like owls mourning in the night. 

Ning Zhen had removed her scarf, her hair tied into a low bun, leaving her neck exposed to the wind that blew into her collar. She felt cold. 

“Can it be cleaned?” Sheng Changyu suddenly asked. 

Ning Zhen hesitated. “The scarf?” 

“That red stain—can it be cleaned off?” 

“No, it won’t come out. But it’s not an expensive scarf, so it doesn’t really matter,” Ning Zhen replied. 

Sheng Changyu fell silent. 

He then suddenly instructed the driver, “Take us to the fur shop.” 

Ning Zhen quickly interjected, “Governor, there’s no need for you to replace it. This is between Yao Wenluo and me; it has nothing to do with you.” 

“She dared to act against you only because of her connection to her father and me,” Sheng Changyu said. 

Ning Zhen thought, No, she just wants to marry you as a second wife. 

She didn’t object further. Sheng Changyu was very concerned about saving face. Since he believed this incident was related to him, and a scarf wasn’t worth much, Ning Zhen saw no need to stubbornly refuse his offer. 

However, after visiting three fur shops without finding one that satisfied Sheng Changyu, Ning Zhen started feeling annoyed. 

Would it never end? 

At one shop, Ning Zhen spotted a scarf she liked and asked, “Could you buy me this one?” 

Sheng Changyu agreed, “Yes.” 

After purchasing it, he added, “But it’s not the same. Let’s keep looking.” 

Ning Zhen was speechless. 

Because he was determined to find an identical scarf, Ning Zhen accompanied him to five different fur shops. 

By then, she was starving. 

“Why is he so insistent?” Ning Zhen was baffled but didn’t dare show any hint of her frustration. 

When she had found one she liked at the third store and asked if he could buy it for her, she was essentially telling him that it would suffice. But Sheng Changyu either pretended not to understand or was simply being stubborn and kept searching. 

“Does he think there’s nothing in this world he can’t do? That if he wants something identical, he absolutely has to find it?” Ning Zhen wondered internally. 

Finally, at the sixth shop, they found an identical scarf. 

Sheng Changyu’s expression relaxed, and Ning Zhen let out a huge sigh of relief. 

“Try it on,” he said, draping the scarf around her neck. 

Her neck felt warm, both from the scarf and from his close proximity. His body heat seeped through their clothing. 

Ning Zhen felt the urge to step back but held her ground. 

“It’s the same, right, Governor?” she said, looking into the mirror. 

Sheng Changyu stood behind her, gazing at her reflection in the mirror. His eyes, initially calm and deep, began to stir, as though a whirlpool had formed, ready to draw something in. 

Feeling uneasy, Ning Zhen averted her gaze, avoiding the reflection of his eyes in the mirror. 

“Mm, it’s the same. This one looks better,” he finally said after a long pause. 

Ning Zhen relaxed, feeling the tension leave her body. 

It was finally over. 

She needed to go home. 

She needed to eat. 

When she went shopping with Jin Nuan and her sister-in-law, they never fussed over things like this. They just bought whatever they liked without insisting on finding a perfect match. 

This was the first time Ning Zhen had experienced the frustration of shopping. 

And the frustration came courtesy of Sheng Changyu. 

“Thank you, Governor. Now that I’ve got the scarf, I’ll head home,” Ning Zhen said. 

Sheng Changyu said, “Let’s get something to eat.” 

Every time Ning Zhen did something with him, it never ended pleasantly. It felt like he was bad luck for her. 

“Governor, I have no appetite. I’m a bit tired today and just want to go home and lie down,” Ning Zhen said. 

“You need to eat something,” Sheng Changyu insisted. 

Ning Zhen fell silent. 

“How about some porridge?” he suggested. 

He chose an old-fashioned porridge shop. The place was about to close, but after his adjutant entered, the shop locked the doors, leaving just a small crack open. 

Ning Zhen and Sheng Changyu sat at the very back. As soon as he sat down, he took out a cigarette and placed the matchbox on the table. On instinct, Ning Zhen struck a match and offered the small flame to him. 

He glanced at her and leaned in closer.  

Ning Zhen’s palm felt warm—she wasn’t sure if it was from the fire or his breath. Sheng Changyu had a strong presence, especially in the cold of winter. His proximity brought warmth with it. 

There was a faint smell of tobacco, but it wasn’t unpleasant. 

While he smoked, Ning Zhen sat quietly. They exchanged casual small talk. His mood had significantly improved from earlier. 

“What time is it?” he asked suddenly. 

“I don’t know,” Ning Zhen replied. 

“Where’s your pocket watch? Take it out and check,” he said. 

Ning Zhen pulled the watch from her coat pocket. Before she could open it, he reached out his hand. “Let me see.” 

Without a word, Ning Zhen handed it to him without hesitation. As her fingers brushed his palm, his hand closed around hers. 

Before she could react, he asked, “Why are your hands so cold?” 

He let go quickly, as if the movement had been incidental while taking the watch. At the same time, he instructed the adjutant, “Go to the kitchen and hurry them with the food for Madam.” 

The adjutant quickly complied. 

Ning Zhen watched as Sheng Changyu opened the pocket watch. She felt a little awkward. 

Inside the cover was a small black-and-white photo of her.  

The young face in the photo, with her fluffy hair and small features, made her look like a child. 

“How old were you in this photo?” he asked, as if curious, though it seemed like a casual question. 

“Before I went abroad,” Ning Zhen answered. She added, “It was a farewell gift from Jin Nuan. She took the photo as well. I’ve gotten used to using it, so I always carry it.” 

The watch was indeed old. However, since it was a parting gift from a dear friend, Ning Zhen cherished it and always kept it with her. 

Sheng Changyu closed the watch and handed it back to her. “It’s not keeping time well anymore.” 

“It often slows down after a while,” Ning Zhen admitted. 

“Why not buy a wristwatch?” Sheng Changyu asked. 

Nowadays, fashionable women were wearing wristwatches. 

“I have. I’ve bought several wristwatches, but I’m just more used to using the pocket watch,” Ning Zhen explained. 

As they talked, a steaming bowl of porridge was served. 

Ning Zhen’s porridge was vegetable and minced meat. It didn’t look like much, and she didn’t think much of it until she took a sip—it was incredibly flavorful. The savory meat and sweet rice blended perfectly. 

She realized how hungry she was and quickly dug in. Before long, a thin sheen of sweat formed on her nose. 

After finishing half the bowl, she felt warm inside and out, and her mood had noticeably improved. 

“This is really good,” Ning Zhen complimented. 

“The porridge here is excellent,” Sheng Changyu said. 

“I didn’t expect you to know good places to eat,” Ning Zhen said with a smile. 

Sheng Changyu replied, “I grew up around here.” 

Then he added, “But you—you seem like an outsider.” 

Ning Zhen was momentarily speechless. 

He continued, “Let me ask you something.” 

“Go ahead,” she said. 

“What were you doing all those more than 20 years? I don’t recall ever seeing you. Suzhou isn’t that big,” Sheng Changyu said. 

Ning Zhen found herself at a loss for words.