Chapter 36: “Be My Girlfriend”

On the sofa, Shen Yanli’s gaze remained fixed on the book in his hands.

Tang Tian stood in the middle of the living room. He hadn’t looked up or spoken, making her even more uneasy.

She couldn’t explain her nervousness.  Her intuition told her that Shen Yanli… was somewhat dangerous.

After a while, he slowly raised his eyes.

Shen Yanli placed the book on the coffee table. Leaning back against the sofa, he elegantly stretched out his long legs, his hands clasped neatly on his lap. His posture was graceful and languid, his gaze calm yet concealing a hidden darkness as he looked at her.

Tang Tian didn’t dare meet his eyes.  She looked at the floor, about to speak.

At that moment, he asked in a low voice, “Why did you have Liu Xiaozhi deliver it?”

Tang Tian explained, “Liu Xiaozhi and I divided the tasks. She’s responsible for Mr. Shen and Mr. Pei, while Mr. Fu and Mr. Wen are my responsibility. So… that’s why I told her you wanted a cup of warm milk this morning.”

Shen Yanli remained silent in response.

Tang Tian felt a chill run down her spine under his unnervingly calm gaze.  As long as he didn’t mention anything like “wanting to try” again, she would pretend nothing had happened.

But reality didn’t go as she hoped.

Shen Yanli finally spoke again, “I’m serious. I want you… to be my girlfriend.”

His voice was low and resonant, enough to drive any voice enthusiast crazy.

Tang Tian, however, took a half-step backward, her exquisitely beautiful face filled with shock and dismay, a sight that evoked pity.

She forced herself to calm down, but his words were like a thunderclap in her mind, leaving her utterly stunned.

Shen Yanli seemed to enjoy watching her small expressions, his gaze unwavering.

After a long time, Tang Tian finally found her voice.  She quickly said, “Mr. Shen, that day in the sunroom… it was an accident. It wasn’t your fault. It was me… I didn’t wake up and hold your hand, so… so that happened.”

It was better left unsaid.  The mention of the incident in the sunroom, the countless dreams Shen Yanli had that night, the suppressed desire, instantly deepened the darkness in his eyes.

His Adam’s apple bobbed a few times. The feeling of her touch that day… was likely something he would never forget in his lifetime.

When Shen Yanli spoke again, Tang Tian heard the hoarseness in his voice.  However, for some reason, she didn’t pay attention to it; it was the meaning behind his words that truly left her flustered and helpless.

He said, “You’re right. I should take responsibility for you.”

Tang Tian quickly waved her hands in refusal, “No responsibility is needed, Mr. Shen. I’m just a servant. I’m truly not worthy of your status.”

Shen Yanli frowned, “Don’t belittle yourself.  What does it matter if you’re a servant? I like you.”

Seeing that he didn’t seem to be testing her or joking, her fingertips trembled.

Shen Yanli’s proposal that she be his girlfriend was something she never in her wildest dreams expected to happen.  Her thoughts were completely chaotic.

Tang Tian took a deep breath to ease her anxiety. She politely declined, “Mr. Shen, I don’t have any plans to date right now.”

For someone like Shen Yanli, a man of privilege, whatever he desired or whoever he loved, he was usually sure of victory, certain of success.

He remained calm and unhurried, “No rush. Think it over carefully.”

Tang Tian immediately shook her head, “I’ve thought it over. I can’t reciprocate your feelings.”

Her current priority was to escape the plot of the novel.  She never imagined that during this time she would start a relationship, especially with one of the male leads in the novel.

As the vicious female supporting character in the novel, dating one of the male leads? She didn’t dare imagine how disastrous the consequences would be.

Shen Yanli ignored her refusal, simply saying, “Starting tomorrow, deliver a cup of warm milk to my room every morning.”

Tang Tian thought the matter was settled and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Yes, Mr. Shen.”

Seeing her eager to leave, Shen Yanli added in a deep voice, “You cannot pass this on to Liu Xiaozhi again.”

Tang Tian felt caught off guard and awkwardly agreed, hurriedly exiting his room.

She closed the door behind her and stood at the entrance, drenched in cold sweat. Just as she began to recover, she heard footsteps approach and stop to her right.

Turning her face, she saw Wen Shaohan dressed casually. His tall and fit figure was even more perfect than a model’s, and his gentle demeanor paired with his handsome appearance made him seem like a refined nobleman.

His gaze lightly swept over her startled expression, and he asked, “What are you doing standing at Yanli’s door?”

Tang Tian replied, “I just came out of Mr. Shen’s room.”

Wen Shaohan paused for a moment, glancing at the door to the left. “Did he make things difficult for you?”

Tang Tian quickly shook her head, “No, no. Mr. Shen just asked me a few questions.”

Wen Shaohan studied her for a long while without pressing further. “If you need anything, call me. Don’t be afraid; I’ll help you.”

His words warmed Tang Tian’s heart. Wen Shaohan truly was a gentleman, a decent person.

“Thank you for your concern, Mr. Wen.”

With her beautiful, watery eyes slightly bent, Tang Tian’s clear, bright gaze always evoked feelings of affection in others, making them want to draw closer to her.

Wen Shaohan smiled, “No need to be polite.”

Tang Tian left to attend to her tasks, unaware that behind her, Wen Shaohan’s warm yet enigmatic gaze was following her slender figure.

Back on the first floor, having resolved the matter, Tang Tian felt much lighter.

Liu Xiaozhi had been eager to see her in tears, but instead, Tang Tian emerged from Shen Yanli’s room, not displaying any signs of embarrassment from being reprimanded; instead, her mood had brightened.

Liu Xiaozhi’s hope for her plan to succeed gradually crumbled as she warily observed Tang Tian’s relaxed expression and body language.

While Tang Tian was having breakfast, Liu Xiaozhi unusually sat beside her.

Tang Tian was fully aware of Liu Xiaozhi’s intentions; having her sit next to her was simply a way to probe into what she and Shen Yanli had discussed.

As she ate, she completely treated Liu Xiaozhi’s presence as air.

When someone was intent on harming her but was not easy to avoid, the only option was to ignore them.

“Tang Tian, what did Mr. Shen say to you?”

Tang Tian swallowed a mouthful of porridge, “We discussed how to handle the situation with you abandoning me near the helipad.”

Liu Xiaozhi: “…”

Her gentle expression nearly faltered. Privately, she was furious with the woman before her, knowing that Tang Tian was teasing her, as her words were not the truth.

No matter how angry Liu Xiaozhi was, she had to play along with her. “What did Mr. Shen say?”

Tang Tian suddenly stopped eating and turned to look at her expressionlessly, making Liu Xiaozhi feel a chill down her spine.

Tang Tian, however, decided to keep her cards close to her chest: “You’ll find out soon enough.”

Liu Xiaozhi knew she was trying to scare her, yet she couldn’t help but waver. Could it be that Mr. Shen truly discussed this matter with Tang Tian?

She continued to ask, “Did Mr. Shen mention anything else?”

Tang Tian resumed eating her breakfast, seizing a moment to tell her, “Mr. Shen asked me to deliver hot milk to him every morning and said I can’t pass this task to you anymore.”

Tang Tian deliberately shared this with Liu Xiaozhi. Given how closely Liu Xiaozhi guarded Shen Yanli, how could she possibly allow Tang Tian to deliver milk to him every morning?

Therefore, Tang Tian concluded that Liu Xiaozhi would definitely intervene and take over the task of delivering the milk.