Chapter 025: How About a Hug

Shen Xuening said, "What a pity about our eldest brother. He treated Wen Ni so well when he was alive, and now, with his body barely cold, she's already so eager to use herself to exchange for resources. Do you think her feelings for him were ever real?"

Zhou Mingfan’s expression grew even darker. He picked up his glass of milk and downed it in one gulp, drinking milk as if it were liquor.

Shen Xuening sighed. "Big brother was truly pitiful. So young, yet gone so soon, and to think Wen Ni deceived him for so long. Don’t you agree?"

Zhou Mingfan grunted in response. Holding Shen Xuening’s hand, he said, "Xuening, of all the women in the world, you are the best."

Shen Xuening smiled. "You always know how to make me happy."

After breakfast, Zhou Mingfan escorted Shen Xuening to her car. He leaned in, gave her a lingering, passionate farewell kiss, and said, "Take good care of yourself. Don’t overwork."

Shen Xuening was heading to the Xuening Kesi Studio. She nodded, cupped Zhou Mingfan’s face in her hands, and replied, "You too. Take care of yourself—it’s going to be another long day for you."

They parted ways. Zhou Mingfan got into his car. He was supposed to head to the western suburbs, but after driving for barely a kilometer, he suddenly turned the car around in anger and sped toward the Jiang family residence.

Meanwhile, Shen Xuening was driving, taking a deep breath as she went. She was nearly certain now that the man by her side wasn’t Zhou Linchuan, but Zhou Mingfan—Wen Ni’s legal husband, her own uncle-in-law by marriage. The one who died in that accident must have been Zhou Linchuan.

Staring straight ahead, her eyes fixed on the road for a long time until, weary, she finally let out a laugh. Wen Ni’s two men in this lifetime had both ended up being her own admirers. The realization gave Shen Xuening a peculiar thrill.

In the art of kesi, she could never match Wen Ni. But when it came to mastering men, even if Wen Ni had a hundred lifetimes, she’d never catch up. Shen Xuening couldn’t help but recall how Zhou Mingfan had once pursued Wen Ni—not out of love, but simply to distract her from Zhou Linchuan, to let herself and Zhou Linchuan have a chance.

She let out a soft chuckle. She almost pitied Wen Ni. Shen Xuening was itching to let Wen Ni know the truth right this moment. But her reason prevailed—now wasn’t the best time. There were still too many uncertainties. Once she had married, was pregnant, and had a child—once everything was settled—she would reveal the truth to Wen Ni and watch as Wen Ni was consumed by pain.

To stumble over the same pair of brothers, one after the other—how utterly foolish.

Shen Xuening’s mood was inexplicably good. Whether the man was Zhou Mingfan or Zhou Linchuan, it didn’t matter. As long as she could become the young madam of the Zhou family, then he would be her true love.

——

Zhou Mingfan arrived at the Jiang family villa. At the gate, he happened to see Jiang Shaozhang about to leave. Zhou Mingfan strode over and grabbed Jiang Shaozhang by the collar.

Already in a foul mood and itching for a fight, Jiang Shaozhang narrowed his eyes and glared at Zhou Mingfan. His voice was languid as he asked, "Zhou Linchuan, have you lost your mind? Let me go, or I’ll make you regret it."

Zhou Mingfan’s eyes were filled with accusation and confrontation. "Jiang Shaozhang, what did you do last night?"

Jiang Shaozhang was briefly taken aback, then a grin split his lips. He caught Zhou Mingfan’s collar in return, his voice insolent. "So you know already?"

Zhou Mingfan punched him square in the brow. Jiang Shaozhang staggered, crashing into the car behind him. As he got to his feet, his anger ignited. "What’s your problem, Zhou Linchuan? What’s Wen Ni to you, that you care so much? Weren’t you the one who left her at the altar to chase after your old flame?"

With that, Jiang Shaozhang let out a roar and threw a punch. Zhou Mingfan dodged and struck back. The two of them exchanged blows, fists whistling through the air.

As he fought, Jiang Shaozhang jeered, "Zhou Linchuan, you’re just meddling in things that have nothing to do with you. Zhou Mingfan is dead. Wen Ni is a widow. Even if I want to be with her, it’s perfectly legitimate. What’s it to you? Who the hell do you think you are?"

Before long, Jiang Shaozhang had Zhou Mingfan pinned beneath him, raining punches down with vicious force.

He growled, "Last night was Wen Ni’s own damn choice. I didn’t force her. What’s it to you if I take advantage? Zhou Linchuan, you bastard, to hell with you!"

The Jiang family’s butler hurriedly called the eldest young master, reporting that the two were fighting outside. The eldest master replied, "Keep an eye on them and be ready to call for an ambulance. If someone dies, then call me again."

The old butler was left speechless. He quickly hid inside the door to watch, only to see the two men sprawled in the grass.

Zhou Mingfan warned Jiang Shaozhang, "Even if... even if someone’s dead, Wen Ni is a daughter-in-law of the Zhou family. Jiang Shaozhang, you’d better give up any messy ideas you have."

Jiang Shaozhang, a natural-born rebel, replied, "I won’t give up. I like Wen Ni. I want to be with her. I want to put a big green hat on the dead man. What are you going to do, kill me?"

Zhou Mingfan’s gaze was dark as thunderclouds.

Jiang Shaozhang climbed to his feet. "You’re just her brother-in-law, meddling in your sister-in-law’s affairs. What do you want, to have both sisters to yourself? Key copies are five bucks each—how many do you need?"

Before Zhou Mingfan could get up, Jiang Shaozhang had already jumped into his car and sped away, leaving Zhou Mingfan far behind. The window rolled down, and Jiang Shaozhang stuck his hand out, flipping him the finger.

Zhou Mingfan’s eyes were bloodshot. Could it be... at the funeral, the marks on Wen Ni’s body were also Jiang Shaozhang’s doing?

No, that couldn’t be. If they’d been together back then, Jiang Shaozhang wouldn’t have used silk to trouble Wen Ni. So, in less than half a month since "Zhou Mingfan" died, Wen Ni had already been with two men.

Zhou Mingfan clenched his teeth, his jaw rigid with anger. Slut. A woman for anyone.

——

Wen Ni oversaw the moving of silk, occasionally stepping up to help. "Be careful, take fewer at a time. Uncle Liu, watch your step."

Ning Sui laughed, "It always comes down to our Miss Wen. There’s nothing she can’t accomplish."

Wen Ni glanced back. "Ning Sui, did you see it?"

Ning Sui was curious. "See what?"

Wen Ni grinned. "My invisible tail—under your shameless flattery, it’s spinning at ten revolutions a second."

Ning Sui burst out laughing.

Just then, a high-end Range Rover pulled up at the curb. Jiang Shaozhang whistled, "Wen Ni."

Wen Ni saw him, frowned, and quickly looked away, pretending not to notice. Jiang Shaozhang got out and walked over. "Are you blind?"

He always kept his hair cropped short. That time she’d smashed a bottle over his head and left him with eighteen stitches, Wen Ni thought he’d grow his hair out to hide the scar. But he hadn’t. Even now, if one looked closely, there was a faint scar, six or seven centimeters long, on his scalp.

Wen Ni withdrew her gaze. Jiang Shaozhang cocked his head at her. "Back at my place, your neck was stretched out like a little rooster. You must have had it rough, didn’t you?"

Wen Ni turned to leave, but caught a glimpse of Zhou Jingyi stepping out of a car. She hesitated, then suddenly turned to Jiang Shaozhang with a smile. "Young Master Jiang, it’s better to resolve grudges than to keep them. Shall we shake hands?"

Her face was so strikingly beautiful it was almost overwhelming. When she smiled, Jiang Shaozhang was momentarily stunned, as if his throat had filled with cement. He managed to force out a few words to keep up his tough act. "How about a hug instead?"