That night, Shen Shu didn’t do anything to her. She was just too young, not only physically but emotionally as well.

They slept in the same room, but at night, they just covered themselves with blankets and chatted casually.

At first, Yu Xi was very nervous. After a few days, seeing that Shen Shu had no intention of making a move, the heavy weight in her heart finally lifted.

Habits are a good thing, and she gradually let her guard down.

Afterward, work kept her busy. She was up early and took the subway late into the night. Shen Shu, too, was tied up with company affairs. He often had to travel for business two or three days a week and would come home late, sometimes with social gatherings to attend.

Out of politeness, Yu Xi would wait for him at first, but eventually, she stopped caring and just went to sleep on her own.

She never asked about his matters, and he didn’t voluntarily share anything with her. Sometimes when they ran into each other in the house, he would casually ask about her recent schedule, and Yu Xi would answer.

But still… it felt like they were strangers.

Polite, respectful strangers.

It was as if the intimacy they shared the other day was all a misunderstanding. Shen Shu was a person who was difficult to read, and it was hard to discern his true thoughts just by looking at him.

Well, actually, this was fine too.

Yu Xi sighed inwardly, feeling that she and Shen Shu came from entirely different worlds.

One day, after work, Shen Shu had gone on another overseas business trip. She hadn’t seen him in nearly two days.

Strangely enough, it felt like she had returned to her single life before marriage.

That Sunday, Jiang Chuyi invited her to a nearby café for coffee.

She ordered a mocha for herself and a latte for Yu Xi.

As a good friend, she expressed her concern: “How’s your relationship with your husband going?”

[Why are you so concerned about him? Do you like him?]

Yu Xi wrote that on the napkin with no expression.

Jiang Chuyi took a big sip of her juice. “I’m just curious. Honestly, your husband is the ideal man, a walking hormone. He was the type I dreamed of sleeping with. He looks cold and refined, but his sexual tension is off the charts.”

Yu Xi nearly choked on her coffee and looked at her in disbelief.

She wrote: [Perverted woman!]

Seeing how serious Yu Xi was, Jiang Chuyi decided to tease her a bit: “Have you slept with him yet? Come on, tell me, how’s he in bed?”

Yu Xi’s face turned beet red, as if she were a boiled shrimp.

She wrote: [Not serious!!!]

Jiang Chuyi laughed out loud, pleased with herself for making her laugh.

They chatted about some trivial matters, and as they talked, Yu Xi gradually revealed everything.

Jiang Chuyi was incredulous: [You haven’t tried that yet?]

Yu Xi blushed and nodded.

Actually, that day she sensed that Shen Shu wanted to, but for some reason, he changed his mind. He gently lifted her onto the bed, tucked her in, and patted her like comforting a child: “Sleep now.”

Was he treating her like a little kid?

There was an indescribable sense of defeat in her heart.

It wasn’t about anything else.

It was just — was she really that unattractive?

People are strange. When he wanted to do something to her, she was truly scared, but when he didn’t do anything, she felt ignored and disappointed.

With that thought, her feeling of loss was visible on her face.

Yu Xi held her coffee cup and sighed lightly.

Jiang Chuyi’s teasing expression slowly faded, and she hesitated before speaking: “…He doesn’t have someone else, does he?”

Yu Xi was stunned for a moment, then shook her head and wrote on the paper: [He’s not that kind of person.]

Shen Shu came from a prestigious family, with a reputation for integrity. Both his parents and grandparents were intellectuals, and his grandfather was an academician at Qinghua University. Yu Xi had met Old Master Shen twice, and he was kind and cultured, with a demeanor that was clearly not something he pretended.

Though his father was serious and had been through two marriages, they were both for reasons related to character and politics, with no affairs or scandals involved.

Yu Xi didn’t think he’d like her, but she also didn’t think he was the kind of person to mess around outside.

Jiang Chuyi snorted in disbelief: “You can never truly know someone.”

Seeing that Yu Xi still didn’t believe her, Jiang Chuyi gritted her teeth and pulled out her phone, shoving it in front of her with anger. “Look for yourself! Your husband’s trending topic! Open your eyes and see clearly!”

Yu Xi was momentarily stunned before focusing on the screen.

# Tan Wanzhi’s Love Affair #

Tan Wanzhi was a rising star in the entertainment industry. She had only been active for two years but had already played leading roles in several dramas and was considered one of the top new-generation actresses. She had numerous hit shows, was constantly in the top trending topics, and had high levels of public interest.

Her romance had always been a subject of intense media and fan attention.

This time, a popular Weibo influencer revealed a photo taken at a charity gala in Beijing. The main figure in the photo was Tan Wanzhi, who was wearing a red dress and smiling elegantly at the camera. The man next to her had his face heavily blurred, and the influencer only vaguely mentioned that he was from a prominent background in the capital, seemingly avoiding further details.

Yu Xi stared at the photo for a long time. Despite the heavy censorship, she could still recognize that it was Shen Shu.

Then, connecting it with a post Tan Wanzhi had made three days earlier, saying “I’m in love,” the fans collectively erupted in excitement.

People naturally tend to gravitate towards strength. Previously, when Tan Wanzhi was rumored with various male stars, fans cursed them for seeking attention. But now, with the involvement of a man from a powerful background, the fans had all shifted to “congratulations, respect, and blessings,” which was truly ironic.

They probably thought this man could bring more resources.

Some fans even asked about the romance on Tan Wanzhi’s Weibo, but she never answered directly. Instead, she posted a shy emoji, which only made people more curious.

The more she kept things vague, the more it seemed like there was something substantial going on, and people became even more eager to know who the man was. Speculations spread online, with some gossip suggesting that Tan Wanzhi’s success might be due to him and that they might have been together long before it was revealed.

As for the man’s background, there was plenty of guessing, but no one had solid proof.

Yu Xi couldn’t tell how she felt.

Was she angry? Not really. She and Shen Shu never had any real feelings for each other.

But to say she didn’t care at all was also untrue.

She did feel a sense of unease, as if she wasn’t truly involved, yet was somehow affected.

She silently pushed the phone away and stood up: [I still need to deliver some translation materials this afternoon, I’ll leave now.]

Seeing her act this way, Jiang Chuyi grew worried again: “No, no, no! Don’t listen to me. I think it’s just the blogger making things up. Look at this photo — they’re together in the frame, but there’s no intimate action, just standing close…”

Yu Xi smiled at her, signaling that she was fine.

After delivering the materials in the afternoon, Yu Xi returned home around 3 PM.

She tilted her head and rubbed her sore neck, then pressed the fingerprint lock. The door opened with a click.

The house was still empty, just like before. Shen Shu had been on a business trip for two days now.

Earlier, she thought his absence was due to work, and she had never asked about his schedule. But after today’s incident, other thoughts began to creep into her mind.

Was it really just work? Could he have been busy with Tan Wanzhi instead?

That night, the temperature in Beijing suddenly dropped, and by 8 PM, it had started snowing lightly, as if autumn had turned into winter overnight.

Yu Xi stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, silently gazing at the distant skyline. Tall buildings and flickering neon lights made the city feel grand and cold.

She reached out to touch the glass but quickly withdrew with a sharp hiss. It was so cold.

Had winter really arrived?

She rubbed her numb fingers and turned in defeat, only to see that Shen Shu had returned at some point, standing at the door with his suit jacket casually draped over one arm, watching her with a bemused smile.

She lowered her head to avoid his gaze and walked into the living room.

Shen Shu took off his jacket, went into the bathroom for a shower, and changed into a cozy sweater.

When he came out, he saw Yu Xi sitting on the couch, scrolling through her phone. He walked over and leaned down beside her. “Miss me?”

His breath carried a faint scent of alcohol. Yu Xi frowned and turned her head away.

Shen Shu could hold his liquor well, and with his status, few dared to push him too hard. He had only drunk a little tonight, purely for fun.

Seeing her dodge him, with a frown that seemed to express both displeasure and distaste, he couldn’t help but laugh, his voice deep and soothing: “You don’t like the smell of alcohol?”

Yu Xi nodded, then shook her head. After a moment’s hesitation, she looked up at him.

After two days on a business trip, Shen Shu had a light stubble on his lips, which didn’t take away from his handsome appearance. His phoenix-like eyes were deep and dark, with an intriguing allure.

His voice remained as rich and magnetic as ever, always soft and gentle when speaking to her.

However, every time she thought about the trending topic she saw during the day, or the possibility that he might speak to other women in the same tone, she couldn’t help but feel a bit down.

She averted her gaze, not responding.

Although she tried hard to show that she didn’t care and was calm, her emotions still leaked out a little.

Shen Shu, who was always sharp and observant, noticed the slightest change in her emotions. It was especially noticeable with someone as straightforward as Yu Xi.

He paused for a moment and caught sight of the phone she had left on the coffee table.

The screen was still on, showing a glaring headline about the new rising star and her relationship with a certain powerful figure.

Shen Shu raised an eyebrow and casually picked up the phone.

Yu Xi realized her mistake only when she saw his actions. She had forgotten to turn off her phone while browsing the entertainment news earlier, and now she felt a little embarrassed.

She swore she hadn’t meant to do it. She had just been bored, and with the news being so big, she clicked on it out of habit…

Shen Shu only glanced at it a few times before closing the page and returning the phone to her. It seemed a little unbelievable to him as he asked, “You believe this?”

Yu Xi didn’t know how to answer.

Shen Shu continued, “It’s all nonsense. I’ll have someone clear it up. The woman is an actress from a friend’s company. I spoke to her for a few minutes that day, but I don’t even know her.”

Yu Xi stayed silent for a while before nodding.

Her expression seemed forced and didn’t look particularly happy. Shen Shu paused, thinking for a moment before saying, “If you’re still uncomfortable, I’ll talk to Wen Hao and try to keep her off the screen as much as possible.”

Yu Xi was stunned at first. She didn’t quite understand his words because his tone was so casual, as if it was just a minor decision.

It took her a while to realize—he was offering to deal with the situation involving Tan Wanzhi as an apology to her.

A strange chill ran up from her feet, spreading through her body.

Yu Xi felt her hands and feet growing cold and couldn’t help but rub them.

She didn’t dislike Tan Wanzhi. She mostly disliked the trouble the situation had caused her, but she didn’t think the other woman deserved to be utterly condemned.

All she probably wanted was a little fame, a shortcut, or to satisfy some vanity.

But with one sentence, Shen Shu could decide someone’s fate.

She had noticed this a long time ago. Shen Shu was always kind to the people around him, but to those who were irrelevant, he was completely indifferent, even ruthless. Especially to those who dared to challenge or take advantage of him.

The sound of crackling came from outside. Shen Shu glanced toward the glass window. Under the dim sky, fine white snow had begun to fall, drifting like ash or salt in the air.

He walked over to the window. “The snow in Beijing is coming early this year.”

Yu Xi gazed at his gentle, smiling profile, unable to speak.

She realized that she and he were completely from different worlds.

Maybe it was the long silence that made Shen Shu turn back to look at her. As soon as he saw her expression, he paused and chuckled. “Did I scare you? I was just joking.”

Yu Xi didn’t answer.

It seemed pointless to argue over such a small thing. Shen Shu gradually withdrew his expression and asked, “Have you eaten yet?”

She nodded.

“Then eat with me.” Seeing her surprised look, the shock clearly visible in her large eyes, he smiled. “I didn’t eat much at the wine table.”