{“Shen Qi wouldn’t care about women who throw themselves at him.” 2}

Cheng Shuangyi had no real feelings for him. Although Shen Qi appeared refined, he wasn’t rigid in his ways, while Xu Yanqing was just a dull goose. If she hadn’t wanted an excuse to end things with Shen Qi thoroughly, fearing he might come with the kids to disrupt her life, Cheng Shuangyi would never have agreed to any interaction with him.

“As for Shen Qi’s heart, don’t worry, I’ve got it under control.”

“I’m just worried that those two children of yours might be swayed by that scheming woman,” Cheng Songgan sighed deeply.

She had heard plenty of recent rumors about Shen Qi and was even more worried than Cheng Shuangyi herself. “It might not be easy to have complete control over Shen Qi and your children all at once.”

Cheng Songgan was filled with a sense of crisis. “I’ve seen their photos from Ohio. That woman isn’t unattractive; she seems quite capable.”

“What’s so impressive about a woman from a lower-class background? Does she think that just because she studied abroad for a master’s degree, she’s achieved a class leap?” Cheng Shuangyi glanced at her cousin with a look of pure disdain at the comparison. “Sister, how could she ever become one of us?”

Cheng Shuangyi’s eyes suddenly turned harsh and sharp. “In my opinion, at most, she’s just been a nanny for my children for three years.”

In fact, Cheng Shuangyi had been quietly observing Qian Xu and had thoroughly investigated and researched the woman’s background. Her parents only ran a declining hardware store.

It’s laughable. In this day and age, hardware stores should have long been obsolete. There’s hardly any business left in them!

Given her background, how could she possibly end up with Shen Qi?

Isn’t that a joke?

Even if Shen Qi had once fallen on hard times, it doesn’t mean he would marry someone who’s merely a “nanny” for his children.

Cheng Shuangyi did indeed love this man, which is why she understood all his unspoken thoughts. She firmly believed that she held Shen Qi’s heart tightly; otherwise, there would be no need for him to rush back so urgently.

She had anticipated this all along.

Her cousin’s constant worrying was completely unnecessary.

Seeing this, Cheng Songgan figured her cousin, who was so adept at winning men’s hearts, had the situation well in hand. She advised, “Anyway, I’ve said all that needs to be said. Grandpa hopes to cooperate with Shen Qi, so if you’re serious, get it done this year.”

Cheng Shuangyi smiled and nodded, appearing as the obedient younger sister.

But seeing Cheng Shuangyi’s irritating smile, Cheng Songgan knew there must be a lot of hidden, unseemly intentions behind it.

As expected, Cheng Shuangyi did plan to rekindle her relationship with Shen Qi, but she didn’t intend to use Shen Qi to help her cousin and uncle climb the social ladder. She had a younger brother herself, and even if she wasn’t ambitious, she understood the importance of pushing her own family up.

Given the benefits that came with Shen Qi’s status, Cheng Shuangyi had no intention of dating other men today.

To be honest, she hadn’t thought about Shen Qi like this for a long time.

____

“We’re back.”

Just after getting off the plane, Shen Qi’s fingers automatically typed out this message, but then he deleted it word by word after closing his eyes and reflecting.

He thought it was just a habit, but if he had sent the message, it would have only encouraged her to think that causing a fuss could force his concession. So, Shen Qi, with a composed expression, deleted those few words without hesitation. His gaze lingered on the blank chat page with her and, during the domestic administrative assistant’s pickup, he calmly handed the two children over to others.

Life in America was clearly a thing of the past, and Shen Qi never saw it as a significant regret.

It was just a few more glances at the screen.