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Fang Jing had been by Shen Huaiyan’s side for many years, from the initial days when he followed him to face the hostile factions of the Shen family, to the later stability of the Shen Group when Shen Huaiyan ventured across the ocean to Country A to develop the Jinming Group.
He had always stayed close to Shen Huaiyan.
Compared to others, he understood Shen Huaiyan’s personality a bit more.
An engagement with the Jiang family would bring significant advantages to the entire Shen Group and the Shen family.
The Jiang family’s influence was currently unparalleled, and if the Shen family could bind itself to the Jiang family, without doing anything, their shares and market value could multiply several times based on the current foundation.
The whole Shen family was looking forward to this engagement that had been predetermined since birth.
Except for Shen Huaiyan.
It seemed he was not in favor of this marriage.
Fang Jing wasn’t clear on why his boss was against the engagement, but he vaguely remembered that seven years ago, when Shen Huaiyan decided to establish the Jinming Group in Country A, he intended to bring Miss Nanzhi from the Jiang family.
However, the Jiang family refused to let her go.
Due to their unfamiliarity with life abroad and Shen Nanzhi’s young age, Shen’s mother had turned down the request, citing Shen Huaiyan’s busy work schedule and his inability to take care of her well.
Over these seven years abroad, Shen Huaiyan had worked tirelessly, seizing every moment to ensure the Jinming Building came into existence, gradually building it to a point where it could compete with the established families in the industry.
In these seven years, Shen Huaiyan had created one business legend after another in Country A.
Yet, regarding the engagement between the Jiang and Shen families, Shen Huaiyan’s attitude remained unchanged.
It felt as if time had stopped.
The atmosphere in the hospital room was heavy and suffocating.
Fang Jing dared not say much, even as the top medical team entered the ward to check on Shen Huaiyan’s condition.
After a group of doctors reviewed various data and explained the precautions for continued observation following his awakening, they quickly left the ward.
Just as Fang Jing was about to find an excuse to leave for a moment, he suddenly heard the distinct sound of high heels approaching quickly from the corridor outside.
Fang Jing glanced at Shen Huaiyan, who had a somewhat pallid complexion on the hospital bed, and was about to step out to check the situation.
The bodyguards outside the ward respectfully greeted the approaching person, and soon after, the door to the VIP room was pushed open.
Shen Nanzhi walked in, having hurried down the corridor, her breathing slightly hurried. Upon entering, her worried eyes immediately fell upon the figure on the hospital bed.
“Brother!”
She stepped in quickly, her ankle-length dress brushing against the air in the ward, which carried the scent of disinfectant.
The temperature in Country A was a bit different from that in Huaihai City. Before boarding the plane, Shen Nanzhi had intentionally brought a coat.
However, after hurrying to the hospital by taxi, she had only draped the coat over her arm and had not had the time to put it on.
Seeing Shen Nanzhi suddenly appear in a foreign land surprised Fang Jing.
But after his initial surprise, he quickly stepped forward.
He took the coat from Shen Nanzhi’s hand and placed it on the sofa beside them.
Shen Nanzhi didn’t have time to speak to Fang Jing; her full attention was on Shen Huaiyan, whose complexion was still quite pale.
“Brother, are you feeling better now?”
Shen Huaiyan was also a bit surprised; he put down his tablet and looked toward the door. At the moment he saw Shen Nanzhi, his expression softened, which had previously been cold due to her engagement with Jiang Jinnian.
“Nanzhi? What brings you here at this time?”
As he spoke, he waved her over.
“Come here, brother.”
Shen Nanzhi quickly walked over and sat by the hospital bed.
Her eyes were filled with concern, and the clear, shining gaze that had held back her emotions since hearing about Shen Huaiyan’s accident began to waver at the sight of his pale face. She struggled to hold back her tears.
“Such a serious accident, how could you not tell me?”
“If it weren’t for the company’s issues and Zhang Lan let it slip, when would you have planned to keep this from me?”
“Ten days ago, during that heavy rain, Mom and Dad had an accident while rushing to catch a flight. What if you leave me too? What would I do all alone?”
Shen Huaiyan had just awakened, and his body was still weak.
Shen Nanzhi didn’t want to cry at this moment.
She feared it might affect his recovery.
However, she couldn’t control her emotions. When she heard Zhang Lan say that Shen Huaiyan had gotten into an accident while returning home to see her, she trembled all over.
The words “plane” and “car accident” were etched deep in her bones as her greatest fears.
Shen Huaiyan looked at the girl in front of him, desperately trying to hold back her sobs, but the hot tears in her eyes began to overflow, one by one, rolling down onto the blanket. Her eyes were red with worry.
He raised his hand and gently wiped away her tears.
Then he pulled her into his embrace, softening his voice as he patted her back to soothe her emotions.
“Don’t be afraid.”
“Brother will never leave you.”
“The accident was just a minor mishap; nothing happened. Don’t overthink it, and don’t worry.”
Feelings of grievance and fear are often easier to endure when alone. Once these emotions break through, the more comfort one receives, the more uncontrollable they become.
With Shen Huaiyan holding her, Shen Nanzhi buried her face in his shoulder. It took a minute or two before she could barely control her tears. “What did the doctor say?”
She wiped her tears and pulled away from Shen Huaiyan’s embrace.
Shen Huaiyan looked at the girl in front of him, raised his hand to wipe away the tear stains at the corners of her eyes, and was about to speak when she interrupted him.
“Forget it. You always tell me good news and never the bad. Brother, don’t say anything; I’ll listen to the doctor.”
As she spoke, Shen Nanzhi turned to Fang Jing, who was nearby. “Assistant Fang, please call the doctor over. I want to hear about my brother’s condition.”
Fang Jing glanced at Shen Huaiyan and immediately nodded.
“Yes, Miss.”
The medical team arrived quickly. With Fang Jing’s instructions, they brought along the medical records and imaging results, explaining Shen Huaiyan’s condition to Shen Nanzhi in detail.
After the doctors left, Shen Huaiyan finally let out a sigh of relief as he looked at Shen Nanzhi.
“Are you feeling more reassured now?”
Shen Nanzhi walked over, her gaze catching Shen Huaiyan as he handled work on the tablet. Remembering the doctor’s repeated advice about resting and not overexerting himself, she bent down, took the tablet, and handed it to Fang Jing, asking him to place it on the farthest sofa before nodding and sitting back down.
“Brother, you need to rest well these days. Assistant Fang and the others are here for the company matters; you don’t need to worry about everything.”
Shen Huaiyan smiled gently, quietly observing the increasingly beautiful girl sitting beside his bed.
“Since I can’t be discharged and can’t handle work, why not have Nanzhi stay here with me for a few days?”
Shen Nanzhi didn’t hesitate at all.
She nodded immediately.
“I took a week off. I’ll stay here to take care of you.”
When Shen Huaiyan came abroad, Shen Nanzhi was only thirteen years old.
Over these seven years, Shen Huaiyan had been tirelessly managing two groups, constantly expanding the business in Country A, leaving little time for return visits.
Most of the time, Shen Huaiyan would regularly video call Shen Nanzhi to keep in touch.
During the past half year, Shen Huaiyan was busy handling the Jinming Group’s affairs, and with the time difference between Country A and China, Shen Nanzhi often had classes and experiments at school. Their schedules were tight, and they hadn’t had as many video calls as before.
Having Assistant Fang around meant he had high emotional intelligence and keen insight.
Knowing that his boss and the young lady hadn’t seen each other for a long time and needed to catch up, Fang Jing left the ward without needing further instructions from Shen Huaiyan.
Shen Nanzhi sat in the chair in front of the hospital bed.
Peeling an orange, she chatted with Shen Huaiyan.
As they talked, the conversation somehow shifted to the topic of engagement.
“I heard from Fang Jing that the Jiang family is interested in having you engage with Jiang Jinnian?”
“Nanzhi, tell me the truth, is this for real?”
Shen Nanzhi paused in her movements.
She looked up at Shen Huaiyan and, her voice lowering, let out a soft “ah,” nodding slowly.