They went to a restaurant located on the top floor of a luxury hotel in the city center, overlooking the bustling CBD and facing the iconic third phase of the World Trade Center.

A curved floor-to-ceiling glass wall expanded the view, showcasing an elegant scene of men and women dressed to the nines, exchanging smiles and toasts.

In the distance, the last streak of twilight faded along the horizon.

As night descended, the city lights began to twinkle, and the endless stream of cars marked the arrival of a lively evening.

Yu Xi glanced around briefly before quickly averting her gaze.

She had never dined in such a place before. Without even glancing at the menu, the location and the clientele suggested that this restaurant must be far from affordable.

“See what you’d like to eat.” Shen Shu opened the digital menu on an iPad and gently pushed it toward her, even adjusting the screen to face her. His considerate manners reflected his upbringing.

Yu Xi, however, seemed disinterested.

Sliding her finger across the menu, the prices shocked her.

The cheapest dish was a cold bamboo shoot salad priced at over six hundred yuan. The hot dishes started in the four-figure range, and items like foie gras and caviar were astronomical.

Yu Xi, unfamiliar with such extravagant options, hesitated to make a selection.

Mistaking her reluctance for indifference, Shen Shu asked in a gentle tone, “Is there nothing you’d like?”

She pushed the menu back to him, gesturing briefly before realizing he didn’t understand sign language. She then took out a sticky note from her pocket and wrote:

[You decide.]

[I’m fine with anything.]

“I’ll order, then,” he replied, casually selecting a few dishes.

The high prices were reflected in the exceptional quality of both the service and the freshness of the ingredients.

“Do you drink?” he asked.

Yu Xi paused briefly before shaking her head.

He chuckled softly. “Then I’ll order you a glass of orange juice?”

She nodded, feeling as though he were coaxing a child.

Then again, compared to him, she did seem like a child. She had no reason to argue.

Yu Xi took small bites of foie gras, occasionally sipping her orange juice.

When she was about seventy percent full, she set down her knife and fork, rubbing her stomach lightly.

“Are you full?” Shen Shu asked.

She nodded.

“Eat a bit more. You’ve eaten too little.” He pushed a serving of mousse cake toward her.

After a moment’s hesitation, she obediently finished it.

Having practiced dance since childhood, Yu Xi was accustomed to eating only to six or seven-tenths full, as a bloated stomach would look unflattering.

Still, she didn’t see the need to explain or argue over such a trivial matter.

After dinner, Shen Shu drove her back to the Yu family home.

Yu Chen had intended to invite him in for dinner, but Shen Shu declined, citing another engagement later that evening. After dropping Yu Xi off, he left.

The atmosphere in the living room noticeably turned heavy. Yu Xi sat quietly on the sofa with her head lowered, not saying a word.

Yu Chen stood nearby, smoking a cigar with a furrowed brow.

Shen Huajuan brought him a cup of tea, but he waved her off. Surprised, she set the cup aside.

After a long silence, Yu Chen turned to Yu Xi. “How are you getting along with Shen Shu?”

Yu Xi was startled and lifted her head, unsure how to respond.

All eyes in the living room turned to her, making her feel uneasy.

Before she could write anything, Yu Qing sneered, “What do you think? They just got their marriage certificate this afternoon, and he already sent her back tonight. What else could it be?”

Her tone was filled with schadenfreude as she laughed.

She had always known that Shen Shu could never truly be interested in a mute girl. Aside from her looks, what else did she have to offer?

Choosing her must have been because she was easy to manipulate. That must be it.

Thinking this way, her frustration eased slightly.

She simply couldn’t accept losing to a mute girl and an illegitimate child.

“Hah, relying on her to maintain relations with the Shen family? Isn’t that wishful thinking? If you ask me—”

“Shut your mouth!” Yu Chen’s expression darkened as he reprimanded her. “Why can’t you learn from your elder sister? You’ve achieved nothing and only know how to run your mouth!”

Yu Qing closed her mouth in grievance, unwilling but too scared to oppose him. She shot Yu Xi a fierce glance and stomped upstairs.

Shen Huajuan pulled Yu Xi’s hand gently and said kindly, “It’s not that we don’t want to keep you, but you’ve already married into the Shen family. Staying here wouldn’t be proper.”

Yu Xi understood her meaning. She wrote on a piece of paper: [I understand, Aunt Shen.]

[Mr. Shen asked me to go home and pack. He’ll come to pick me up tomorrow morning.]

He should come to pick her up tomorrow, right?

Yu Xi wasn’t entirely sure, but after thinking about what he had said earlier, that he would come to help her move her things, she guessed it meant he would be picking her up.

She didn’t really want to stay at the Yu family’s house either.

Unfortunately, she didn’t know what kind of agreement Yang Jilan and Yu Chen had reached, but Yang Jilan hadn’t come to pick her up. She had been stuck at the Yu family’s house for the past few days.

She figured it was probably to maintain the formality of the marriage alliance.

After all, she was representing the Yu family.

Yu Xi’s room was on the third floor, an entire floor to herself, newly arranged.

She didn’t have to stay on the same floor as anyone else, which was exactly what she wanted. After taking a bath, she comfortably lay on the bed and played with her phone for a while.

There was a little red dot on WeChat.

Yu Xi was surprised and clicked it open. The contact name was “S.”

She instinctively clicked to accept.

S: [You can contact me through this number if you need anything.]

S: [This is my private number.]

It took her a moment to realize that the person who added her was Shen Shu.

She hesitated for a moment, then replied, “Okay.”

After that, she didn’t know what else to say, and fortunately, he didn’t send any more messages either.

Yu Xi had some social anxiety, especially when it came to chatting with others.

After a while, feeling a bit bored, she opened Shen Shu’s Moments.

His Moments were very clean, with only two posts, both from half a year ago.

The content was simple to the point of being minimal—one was a photo of a snowy mountain, the other, a shot underwater, seemingly taken while diving.

Both were breathtaking.

Yu Xi wasn’t very daring. The farthest she had ever been from home was Suzhou. She couldn’t even imagine going to foreign places. Just thinking about going to a foreign country and having to communicate with people she didn’t know gave her goosebumps.

Shen Shu was completely different.

Though she hadn’t met him in person, she had heard a lot about him.

He was a well-known business magnate, a famous young master in the capital. Naturally, there were many rumors about him.

Even her colleagues would talk about him during tea breaks.

His interests seemed to be broad. She once saw a photo of him horseback riding in a financial magazine—handsome and gallant. She had heard he enjoyed climbing mountains, diving, and even flying helicopters—extreme sports.

In comparison, her own social life was rather dull.

Yu Xi puffed out her cheeks and looked up at the dark night through the floor-to-ceiling window.

She was actually quite uncertain about her future.

Shen Shu seemed like a real gentleman—mature and considerate. But a man like that was hard to handle. He seemed too deep, and who knew which side of him was genuine?

He might even have several mistresses outside, who could say?

This was the very reason her mother had always opposed men like him—such men were hard to control, and it was better to be realistic.

Forget it. She decided not to think about it. Anyway, it didn’t matter to her.

…

Shen Shu returned home and went to see his grandfather first.

The old man was practicing calligraphy in his study. Shen Shu stayed with him for more than an hour, playing chess without a hint of impatience.

His grandfather asked how his work was going, and he replied truthfully, “Everything is on track. Two of my partners want to branch out on their own. I’ve talked to them. The main issue is expanding the current business, and I think we could set up localized funds in places like ACD. If we can’t come to an agreement, I won’t force it.”

His grandfather nodded. “Always leave a way out for others. It’s better to part on good terms. Go see your mother. She’s been asking about you for days.”

Shen Shu smiled and nodded, then went to Jiang Ci’s room.

Before he even entered, he overheard Jiang Ci complaining on the phone, “He’s already thirty and still has no girlfriend. Do you think something’s wrong with him? What’s the point of making so much money? Does our family lack that little bit? Now he’s forced to do something stupid, and after all the picking and choosing, he ended up with someone mute! What am I supposed to tell people about this…”

The door was half-open, and as Jiang Ci stood up angrily, she turned around and saw Shen Shu. She quickly ended the call and hung up, her face cold.

“When did you get here?”

Shen Shu awkwardly rubbed his nose. “Just arrived.”

Jiang Ci sneered, turned back, and sat down in front of the vanity mirror to remove her makeup.

Shen Shu walked over, smiling as he leaned down behind her. He placed one arm on the desk, bent his head, and looked at her seriously. “Such a beautiful face, why the stern look? Miss Jiang, it won’t be pretty if you keep frowning.”

Jiang Ci snorted, then smiled and glared at him. “Stop it!”

Knowing she was still angry with him, Shen Shu smiled and said, “I wasn’t married before, and you were upset. Now I’m married, and you’re still frowning. What’s the matter?”

“I wanted you to get married, but not to pick a mute!” Jiang Ci complained, throwing the earrings in her hand down in frustration.

Shen Shu calmly picked them up and carefully put them back on her. “Calm down, calm down. If I don’t choose her, do you want me to choose the Third Miss? She’s a real young lady with a temper. Wouldn’t you be arguing with her every day?”

“Who told you to choose her?” Jiang Ci frowned. “There were so many other well-bred young women…”

“This was Grandpa’s idea. We need to maintain our relationship with the Yu family,” Shen Shu said seriously, his tone rare and firm.

Jiang Ci was stunned for a moment and looked at him.

Shen Shu’s expression was serious, unlike his usual smiling or joking demeanor. It showed an unusual determination.

At some point, her son had grown up.

And it made her feel a bit unfamiliar.

He had matured so much, it even made her heart ache.

She felt a pang in her heart and, holding his hand, comforted him. “I’m just glad you understand. Your grandfather takes his promises too seriously. Honestly, this marriage is beneficial for both families, but I know it’s unfair to you. Just bear with it, do what’s necessary. Even if you don’t like the mute, don’t let people see you upset. Otherwise, they might think our family is bullying her.”

Shen Shu smiled lightly. “Mom, you’re overthinking.”

“Right, I just remembered something.” Jiang Ci lowered her head, opened the second drawer of the dressing table, rummaged for a moment, and pulled out a deep blue velvet box. She handed it to him. “This is from Aunt Liang. She said it belonged to the wife of a high-ranking official during the Qing Dynasty. You can take it and give it to her.”

Shen Shu took it and opened the box.

Inside were a pair of platinum sapphire earrings, with delicate filigree work. The craftsmanship seemed a bit rough in some areas, but the texture was antique, clearly handmade.

Jiang Ci was never lacking in jewelry—diamonds, gemstones, she had grown tired of them all. Recently, she had developed a passion for antiques.

Shen Shu smiled bitterly. He had once advised her not to wear so much jewelry. Who knew where it might have come from—perhaps some unlucky ghost’s grave. This had made her so angry that she slapped him.

He quietly placed the box in his palm, toyed with it for a moment, and then closed it. “Alright, I’ll thank you on her behalf.”

Though he doubted that Yu Xi would like such a thing, it was a thoughtful gesture from his mother, so he didn’t want to disappoint her. He thought he could just toss it into the storage room later.

As he left the room, Shen Shu grabbed his suit and started down the stairs.

“Brother!” He bumped into Shen Yuan on his way down. She called out to him.

Shen Shu acted as if he hadn’t heard, walking on without looking at her.

Shen Yuan rushed up, blocking his path at the bottom of the stairs. “I’m talking to you. Why are you ignoring me?”

Shen Shu lowered his head to fasten his watch, his expression indifferent. “Because past experience tells me that whenever you call me, it’s never for anything important. Time is life, and life is precious. How can I waste it on meaningless things?”

Shen Yuan was fuming. She huffed and said, “I was just concerned about you.”

“Spit it out, I’m in a hurry to attend a banquet.”

“You still have a dinner party tonight?” Shen Yuan sneered. “Workaholic! No humanity!”

But then, thinking of how Shen Shu always valued relationships with influential people, especially business partners, she stopped wasting time and got to the point. “I heard you got your marriage certificate today.”

Shen Shu looked at her.

Shen Yuan continued, “Where’s your little wife? Why didn’t she come back with you?”

Shen Shu raised an eyebrow. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

Shen Yuan pouted. “I’m just curious. I heard your little wife is very beautiful, and I wanted to see her.”

Shen Shu replied, “You saw her at the wedding banquet, didn’t you?”

Shen Yuan: “…” Well, this conversation is over!

No wonder he had been single for so many years! It was well-deserved!

Shen Shu was about to step around her when Shen Yuan, quick on her feet, snatched his phone from his pocket and dashed upstairs.

By the time Shen Shu caught up with her, she had already sent a message to Yu Xi from his phone: [Baby, do you miss me?]

At that moment, Yu Xi was about to fall asleep.

She was startled when she saw the message, so she quickly closed it and then opened it again after a while, confirming it had indeed been sent by Shen Shu.

She hesitated for a long time before typing cautiously:

[Mr. Shen, has your account been hacked?]