In the past week, Shen Shiyan has been overwhelmed with work.

Meetings were lined up one after another, and social engagements were in no short supply. With his subordinates making mistakes, Shen Shiyan had to make last-minute business trips and only returned this morning.

With so much piling up, he should have long forgotten about Jiang Mian. Yet, the woman was persistently active, sending him four or five messages a day, and occasionally sharing selfies as if afraid he might forget about her.

In the photos, Jiang Mian looked gentle as she smiled at the camera, radiating a sense of peace and contentment. Whenever Shen Shiyan felt frustrated, he would take a moment to look at her pictures, and his irritation would slowly subside.

After landing, he didn’t even go home and went straight to her place.

Jiang Mian had sent him her schedule for the day, including her plan to take the CET-4 exam.

After getting off the plane, he hadn’t told her he was coming,

But now, it seemed that the surprise had turned into a shock.

As fate would have it, their cars ended up parked next to each other.

The moment he got out of the car, he overheard a strange woman beside Jiang Mian mentioning something about “wearing a green hat,” and saw Jiang Mian holding a bouquet of roses in her hand.

Shen Shiyan’s deep phoenix eyes were half-squinted, his gaze cold and piercing watching Jiang Mian with a smile that was more mock than genuine.

Clearly, Jiang Mian had noticed him as well. She seemed almost unable to believe that she was seeing him here, blinking several times until she was certain it was really him. Her face quickly drained of color.

Shen Shiyan’s appearance here was indeed a shock to Jiang Mian.

She had thought that all the messages she had relentlessly sent over the past few days would have been enough to annoy him, that he would never come looking for her. That’s why she had felt comfortable bringing Shen Yin along for hot pot.

Shen Yin had never met Shen Shiyan and was openly urging Jiang Mian. “I’m serious, if I were you, I’d be secretly keeping a few handsome guys on the side!”

“Think about it, if your President Shen doesn’t even touch you, that just proves he doesn’t like you. Why would you keep hanging on to him? There’s a whole forest out there, isn’t it big enough for you to explore?”

“Stop talking!” Jiang Mian’s scalp tingled under Shen Shiyan’s intense gaze, her heart racing wildly. She quickly interrupted Shen Yin, trying to express her feelings. “Whether he likes me or not, I will only love him in this lifetime!”

She purposely raised her voice different from her usual soft, coquettish tone, her words full of determination.

Shen Yin clicked her tongue, about to say that if she was staying loyal to President Shen then why did she accept flowers from other men?

But before she could speak, Jiang Mian stomped hard on her foot causing Shen Yin to yelp in pain, her face twisting in agony.

Jiang Mian was wearing knee-high boots today, and they really hurt when she stepped on someone. Shen Yin was nearly in tears from the pain. “Jiang Mian, you crazy—why did you step on me?”

At that moment, Jiang Mian couldn’t care less about Shen Yin. She shoved the bouquet of roses into Shen Yin’s arms, quickly composed herself, and hurried over to the man.

Shen Yin was about to curse but in the blink of an eye she saw Jiang Mian run up to the man and, without hesitation, throw herself into his arms.

Her gaze shifted upward, locking onto his face. Her eyes widened in awe—this man was stunningly handsome, like a flawless beauty she had never seen before!

But the man, elegant and aloof, radiated an icy aura. His dark, deep-set eyes briefly swept over her, and it felt like a cold gust of wind passed through her heart making her shiver.

Why was this man looking at her with such a harsh, menacing gaze? It felt as if she had wronged him somehow.

The next second, Shen Yin understood why the man was looking at her that way.

She heard Jiang Mian calling out excitedly, “Mr. Shen,” and felt her heart, now frozen stiff, crack under the weight of her realization.

No way!

This man—was he the Shen Shiyan that Jiang Mian was hopelessly in love with?

She had been trying to convince Jiang Mian to give up on President Shen, but at that very moment, she had been caught by the man himself!

It was over—his gaze made it clear that every second she lived was one too many.

Shen Yin could already picture how she would meet her end at Shen Shiyan’s hands!

She cursed herself wishing she could stitch her mouth shut. Now, she truly understood the meaning of “trouble comes from the mouth.”

But even though she regretted it deeply, it was too late for second thoughts. All she could do now was apologize sincerely.

Jiang Mian clung to the man’s arm and coquettishly called out “Mr. Shen,” but quickly noticed his expression remained cold and distant. His dark eyes were so frosty, they could freeze a person to death.

Logically, Jiang Mian would have hoped for Shen Shiyan to be as angry as possible. After all, if he were furious enough, he might just break up with her on the spot.

But the moment her gaze met his cold, piercing phoenix eyes, she instinctively flinched. There was an overwhelming, inexplicable fear of the angry Shen Shiyan.

So, what was supposed to be an act of pretending to please him in order to maintain her image turned into a genuine attempt to win his favor.

Jiang Mian’s cheeks flushed, and she curved her lips into a soft, tender smile. Her eyes, clear as water, gazed at him as she asked sweetly. “Mr. Shen, what brings you here?”

Shen Shiyan glanced at her, his tone neither warm nor cold. “What, do you mean I shouldn’t have come?”

Of course, you shouldn’t have come. Haven’t you already grown tired of me?

Jiang Mian was confused as to why Shen Shiyan was here, but she couldn’t let her true feelings show.

She quickly denied it. “Of course not!”

“I’m just happy you’re here,” she said, her gaze full of affection as she looked at him. Then, with a hint of shyness, she added apologetically. “It’s just… if you’d told me you were coming, I could have prepared lunch for you myself!”

Instead of showing up unexpectedly and scaring her half to death.

Her little heart was bound to give out from overstrain sooner or later.

“Happy?” Shen Shiyan repeated the word softly, his cold gaze sweeping over her face, as if evaluating the truth of her words.

Jiang Mian looked at him with bright, sparkling eyes, her gaze full of affection. Shen Shiyan’s lips curled slightly. “Is that so?”

Jiang Mian nodded confidently, her face practically screaming she was truly, really happy, believer her.

This woman, always full of lies, never says anything sincere to him. She’s so disobedient.

Shen Shiyan’s gaze, dark and assessing, lingered on her face. “Well, isn’t that just perfect?”

Isn’t it just perfect?!

They had bought a lot of ingredients for hot pot earlier today, preparing for a nice meal together, and then—he showed up!

It’s easy to be confused when you’re involved, but from an outsider’s perspective, things were clearer.

Standing nearby, Shen Yin noticed the way Shen Shiyan looked at Jiang Mian. His gaze was off, especially when he said those words—perfect. His eyes were so deep, it seemed as though he wanted to devour Jiang Mian whole.

With her years of experience in observing people, Shen Yin was absolutely certain she wasn’t mistaken!

The next moment, Shen Shiyan’s gaze shifted to Shen Yin’s face. Though he was smiling, it sent a chill down her spine.

“Who is this? Your friend?”

Suddenly, his hand tightened around Jiang Mian’s waist, causing her to straighten her back instinctively. She quickly introduced them.

“Mr. Shen, this is my friend, Shen Yin.”

“Shen Yin, this is the person I told you about!” Jiang Mian said shyly, stealing a glance at Shen Shiyan, her eyes full of affection.

The sight of a handsome man and beautiful woman together was always enviable.

After seeing Shen Shiyan in person, Shen Yin finally understood why Jiang Mian would ignore a whole forest and cling to this one tree.

One couldn’t deny, Shen Shiyan was truly the epitome of a man.

Shen Yin had just made a comment about putting a “green hat” on Shen Shiyan, and now, naturally feeling guilty, she hurried to greet him. “Mr. Shen, it’s such an honor to meet you… I’m truly lucky…”

Shen Shiyan gave a cold, indifferent response.

“Mr. Shen, I often hear Jiang Mian speak of you. You’re not only handsome, but also capable and talented. And you’re so kind and considerate with Jiang Mian…”

Shen Yin was no stranger to interacting with influential people like Shen Shiyan, and she had developed a habit of mindlessly flattering them, piling on compliments.

However, his gaze remained unyielding, cold, as though he had heard every word and was holding a grudge.

Shen Shiyan stared at her with an unreadable expression, making Shen Yin’s throat tighten making her compliments immediately faltered.

She let out an awkward laugh, glancing at Jiang Mian with a silent plea for help.

Jiang Mian caught on quickly and tugged gently at the man’s sleeve, playfully saying. “It’s too cold outside. Let’s go back inside, shall we?”

Jiang Mian was afraid of the cold, and Shen Shiyan knew that all too well.

Knowing full well she couldn’t handle the cold, yet still dressed so lightly, Shen Shiyan pressed his lips together, thinking she must have been causing trouble for those young boys at school.

Shen Shiyan shifted his gaze to Shen Yin. “Miss Shen, would you like to join us?”

The weather had turned cold, and she was craving a hot pot meal to warm up. Shen Yin had even bought a bunch of ingredients she loved.

Although Shen Shiyan was inviting her, his eyes clearly conveyed the message that he wasn’t really allowing it.

Shen Yin was no fool. One glance was enough to understand what he meant.

She slapped her forehead. “Look at me, my memory is terrible! I just remembered I have something to do today. I’ll pass on the meal!”

As she spoke, she stuffed all the things she was holding into Jiang Mian’s arms with a laugh. “Jiang Mian, you and Mr. Shen enjoy your romantic hot pot!”

Jiang Mian twitched her lips. Romantic hot pot? What could possibly be romantic about eating hot pot?

This woman was clearly afraid of Shen Shiyan and had bailed out at the last minute!

Shen Yin thought to herself: There’s nothing to be done. After all, Shen Shiyan looked too intimidating. Just like the rumors said, he really was a living “King of Hell.”

Shen Yin couldn’t help but feel genuinely amazed at Jiang Mian—how could she possibly like someone with such a temperament?

She shot Jiang Mian a “Take-care-sister-I’ll-head-out-first” look and hurriedly hopped into the car, speeding off in no time!

Jiang Mian was furious. Shen Yin, that disloyal friend had actually left her alone to face Shen Shiyan.

She wanted to run too, but her body wouldn’t let her. She had no choice but to turn back and deal with Shen Shiyan.

“Mr. Shen, shall we head upstairs?”

Shen Shiyan turned his head slightly, his eyes flicking to the bouquet of roses she was holding, clearly irritated by it.

It seemed she had been pursued by some young boy while he was away!

He let go of her and quickly walked toward the elevator. Jiang Mian let out a quiet sigh of relief and hurriedly followed with the bouquet in her arms.

“Mr. Shen, wait for me!”

The elevator ride was silent.

Jiang Mian wanted to start a conversation but couldn’t figure out what to say.

She had just confessed that she would love only him for the rest of her life, but he hadn’t reacted at all.

She looked up and stole a glance at Shen Shiyan. His expression was indifferent, revealing no hint of emotion.

Jiang Mian sighed in disappointment. It’s so hard to please this man!

Wait, hold on!

Why did she need to please Shen Shiyan? She should actually be hoping that he’d get fed up and break up with her!

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Shen Shiyan stepped out first, noticing Jiang Mian hadn’t followed, he turned around to see her with her head lowered, gazing intently at the bouquet of roses as if she was particularly fond of it.

His brows furrowed, and his voice was less than pleasant when he called her name.

Jiang Mian quickly snapped out of her thoughts, clutching the bouquet and hurrying to catch up.

Over the past few days, she had received quite a few deliveries.

There were quite a few unopened packages piled up on either side of the door, along with several cardboard boxes that had already been unpacked, leaving only a narrow path in the middle.

Shen Shiyan’s eyelid twitched as he stood in the doorway. His gaze briefly swept over Jiang Mian, and the tension in his temples flared. “Do you live in a trash heap?”

Jiang Mian awkwardly scratched her head. “Well, it’s for work!”

He had a strong aversion to mess. Everything within sight had to be spotless. Once, when he found a few stray hairs in the bathroom, he had fired the maid on the spot.

This was the first time in his life he’d seen such a mess by the door. Without hesitation, he shot back. “So, your job is collecting garbage?”

Damn it, this bastard really had a sharp tongue!

You’re the one who collects garbage. Your whole family collects garbage!

Jiang Mian set the items down and muttered softly. “Is it really that dirty? I think it’s fine…”

There were only two of them in the room, and they were standing quite close to each other. Naturally, Shen Shiyan heard her murmuring.

His brow furrowed deeply. “Jiang Mian, clean this up. Now.”

Jiang Mian: …

There was so much stuff, how could she possibly clean it all up in a short time?

If he thinks it’s dirty, then just leave. She won’t stop him!

She thought this in her mind, but didn’t dare show it on her face. Instead, she obediently responded with a soft “oh,” picked up the unopened packages, and glanced around. She spotted an empty space in the living room and was about to move the boxes there.

Clearly, Shen Shiyan noticed where her gaze had landed. “Don’t put it in the living room!”

Not even in the living room?

Jiang Mian frowned and turned to look at him. “So, you don’t want me to put it in the living room either?”

“Then throw it away!”

Of course, that was the mindset of someone who had money to burn!

Though it was all bought with his card, and technically it was his money being wasted, Jiang Mian still felt the sting of it. She looked at him with a reluctant expression, her eyes wide and timid. “But these were bought with your card, which means they’re like gifts from you. I just can’t bring myself to throw them away.”

Shen Shiyan: …

There was just so much stuff, and dealing with it wasn’t something that could be done quickly. Plus, she had no idea where to even put it.

He took a deep breath, clenched his teeth, and stared at the pile of things. “Get rid of it within two days.”

Jiang Mian nodded obediently and placed the items back at his feet.

Shen Shiyan pursed his lips.

This apartment was somewhere Shen Shiyan frequented, so there was no shortage of daily necessities.

When Jiang Mian first moved in, she briefly considered throwing all of Shen Shiyan’s things out. But then she thought better of it—what if one day he decided to drop by on a whim, only to find his things missing? She knew he would be furious.

Now, she was grateful she hadn’t gotten rid of his things back then.

The air conditioner was on, and the room soon grew warm.

Shen Shiyan took off his jacket and walked inside, glancing around. He noticed the place was relatively clean and tidy, and his brow finally relaxed a little.

Jiang Mian, holding the ingredients and the bouquet of roses, headed toward the dining area. She noticed one of the petals on a flower had wilted—probably from being accidentally crushed earlier—so she gently adjusted it with her fingers.

This scene was noticed by him, and in just a few steps, he was beside her.

His gaze, heavy and sharp, settled on her face as he moved closer, asking in a low, cold voice by her ear. “Who gave you these flowers?”

Jiang Mian jumped in surprise, stumbling backward until her back was against the table. Shen Shiyan closed the distance, placing one hand on the table behind her, trapping her in his arms. He leaned slightly forward, reducing the space between them.

“Huh? This flower… was given to me from the sports department…”

Before she could say anything else, Jiang Mian looked up and saw the cold light in Shen Shiyan’s dark eyes. A chill ran through her, and she instinctively lied, “It was from Yinyin.”

If she had said it was from one of the guys, he would probably be even angrier, right?

Maybe he’d be so mad that he’d dump her, and then she’d get exactly what she wanted!

Ah, her damn survival instinct—why did she have to lie and say it was from Shen Yin, even coming up with an excuse?

Before he could question her further, Jiang Mian quickly added. “I had my CET-4 exam today, and Yinyin bought the flowers to cheer me on. It’s to celebrate me passing the exam in advance!”

Oh my God, that look from Shen Shiyan was so terrifying. She couldn’t bring herself to tell the truth.

His deep voice sounded again, low and cold. “Roses?”

Jiang Mian froze, cursing herself for being so stupid—who gives roses as a good luck charm for an exam?

But the lie was already out, like spilled water she couldn’t take back. She had no choice but to stick with it. “Yeah, I don’t know why she bought roses either.”

Now, she regretted bringing the roses back with her.

This was a thoughtful gesture from the guy, and if she threw the flowers in the trash right then and there, wouldn’t she be hurting his feelings?

And as for Shen Shiyan—why did he have to come back at this moment of all times?

Trying to play the role of a woman deeply in love with him was so difficult.

Not knowing if Shen Shiyan believed her, his deep, dark eyes locked onto her. “Jiang Mian, do you know what I hate the most?”

She knew, she definitely knew!

He had a serious obsession with cleanliness, hated mess, disliked noise, and absolutely despised being lied to… There was practically nothing he didn’t dislike.

Her expression grew uneasy as if her eyes were brimming with unshed tears as she whispered. “I don’t know.”

“I hate being lied to the most.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mian’s eyes grew even more misty, and she hurriedly shook her head. “I—I didn’t lie!”

After denying it, she grew anxious fearing Shen Shiyan wouldn’t believe her. She reached out to tug at his sleeve, her eyes reddening making her appear even more pitiful and endearing.

This woman was always full of lies but when it came to pretending to be pitiful she was more convincing than anyone else.

Cold fingers gently touched her chin, applying just enough pressure to tilt her head up. Jiang Mian froze, not daring to move, her moist eyes wide open and before she could utter a word, the man’s voice, calm yet firm, rang out. “If I find out you’ve lied to me, I’ll make sure to deal with you properly.”

His gaze, intense and suffocating made Jiang Mian feel uneasy, her heart racing. She instinctively tried to look away, but her chin was held firmly, and she couldn’t move.

She could only whisper. “I—I understand.”

His eyes briefly swept over her soft, pink lips, noticing the faint bite marks—evidence of her habit of nibbling on her lips. They looked tempting, almost begging to be kissed.

Apart from her act of vulnerability, she was also good at playing the seductress.

The two were so close, and with the way he was looking at her—his usual cold gaze now mixed with anger and something more sharp made her heart race.

Jiang Mian’s mind was in turmoil. She thought he was about to kiss her, her chest pounding like a drum and her eyes wide with surprise.

The thought of kissing her had indeed crossed his mind, growing stronger with each passing second. Not only did he want to kiss her, but he also wanted to bite her marking her lips with his own.

A woman who understands the art of seduction should shyly half-close her eyes, yet she, with her clear gaze, kept staring at him as if he were about to do something wrong. Her dark pupils flickered with a hint of fear.

She had tempted him first, yet in the end, it was he who became obsessed with her.

He had always disliked situations where things were beyond his control, and now, feeling frustrated and uneasy, his expression darkened.

Suppressing the dark thoughts swirling in his mind, Shen Shiyan asked. “What are we having for lunch?”

The abrupt change in topic caught Jiang Mian off guard. She didn’t fully register his words until he released her as if waking from a daze.

After narrowly escaping, Jiang Mian felt a little weak in the knees. Leaning on the table behind her, she caught her breath and, once steady, said. “I was thinking of having hot pot.”

Someone like him with such a strong sense of cleanliness, probably wouldn’t like hot pot, right?

However, to her surprise, Shen Shiyan simply responded with a single word. “Good.”

Jiang Mian nodded and quickly gathered the ingredients, rushing into the kitchen.

Hot pot was simple to prepare: wash the ingredients and cook the broth.

Jiang Mian took out a pack of hot pot base that she had bought—this one was super spicy. Both she and Shen Yin loved spicy food, so she had bought several packs.

As she added the hot pot base to the pot, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of smugness. She remembered that Shen Shiyan preferred light flavors and didn’t like spicy food.

Perfect. She would add more chili and make it as spicy as possible—hopefully, it would make him suffer!

She intentionally added two packs of hot pot base and waited for the water to come to a boil. Before long, the fragrant aroma of the hot pot filled the air.

Just the smell alone was enough to make her hungry.

After tossing in meatballs and other ingredients, she noticed they were almost done and went to the study to call Shen Shiyan.

She knocked on the door, and upon hearing a response, she pushed it open.

Before she could see Shen Shiyan, she heard him on the phone so she spoke up. “Mr. Shen, the hot pot is ready!”

Shen Shiyan was sitting on the sofa, one hand pressed against his forehead, the other holding the phone as he gave instructions to He Lai about work.

He Lai on the other end of the line paused for a moment but quickly recognized Jiang Mian’s voice.

He was actually at Jiang Mian’s place?!

Jiang Mian’s words echoed in He Lai’s ears like a spell, repeating over and over. She couldn’t control the jealousy building up inside her, and her voice grew sharper as she desperately tried to get an answer from Shen Shiyan.

“Mr. Shen, are you with Jiang Mian?”

No, that couldn’t be!

She had known him for so many years, and he wasn’t the type to be infatuated with women. Even with Tang Mian, he had never acted like this.

Jiang Mian was just a substitute, a placeholder. She must have used some underhanded means to get him.

However, Shen Shiyan didn’t give her any answer. He simply hung up the phone.

He Lai was furious, slamming her phone onto the ground!

She had guarded against so many women, but despite all her precautions, she had never expected Jiang Mian—this shameless woman—to be the one to slip through.

Shen Shiyan was in a bad mood. It seemed it was time to replace He Lai.

Jiang Mian had no idea what had happened and reminded him again. “The hotpot is ready, you can eat now!”

Shen Shiyan glanced up at the unsuspecting culprit, his tone calm as he replied with a simple “Mm.”

The scent of the hotpot was overpowering, and the entire living room was filled with the strong, spicy aroma, pungent and sharp in the air.

Suddenly, Shen Shiyan regretted agreeing to have hotpot with her.

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