“Miss Shen, I recall that Ran Ge is Miss Liu’s son, and you and Miss Liu are close friends. Is Miss Liu aware of… this relationship between you two?”
Li Dongze, unwilling to let it go, began to stir the pot, intending to point out that their unusual relationship defied conventional norms.
“Xiao Li, it’s somewhat improper for you to ask that.”
Shen Qing first gently chastised him, then her tone shifted. “Originally, these aren’t words I should be saying to you, but since you’re a guest here today, I suppose it’s alright to share.”
“I’ve watched Xiao Ranran grow up. Entrusting myself to him puts me at ease. As for our relationship, Ruoxi naturally knows about it.”
Shen Qing’s gentle and courteous attitude left Li Dongze feeling unsettled. After some thought, his confidence returned. If this slut Shen could even seduce this underage kid, surely he couldn’t be less appealing than this brat?
Perhaps this matter was even simpler than he had imagined. Miss Shen must be a whore in bed—he was a good judge of character. Since Miss Shen could even hook up with her best friend’s son, maybe with just a little effort on his part, she would throw herself into his arms.
Yang Haoran noticed the fleeting heat in Li Dongze’s eyes as he stared at Aunt Shen and found it baffling. He could understand this guy having designs on Aunt Shen, but where did his confidence come from?
Anyway, since the misunderstanding was cleared up, Yang Haoran smiled and began to usher him out. “Xiao Li, if there’s nothing else, you should head back. It’s not convenient to host you at home today.”
Compared to Shen Qing, who was still mindful of saving face, Yang Haoran’s words were almost a blunt dismissal.
Li Dongze’s expression remained unaffected. Ignoring Yang Haoran, he smiled and stood up, addressing Shen Qing. “Miss Shen, I’ll take my leave then. I’ll come back later to pick up Xiao Ting.”
Having decided to steal her away, Li Dongze knew well that with this shrewd kid around, today wasn’t the right moment. But there would be plenty of time ahead.
After all, you can’t stay on guard against a thief forever.
After Li Dongze left, Yang Haoran asked Aunt Shen about the situation.
It turned out Li Dongze was a distant relative of Wen Ting and had coincidentally been visiting her family. At noon, Wen Ting had suddenly told Zhou Shiwen that she wanted to come to his house to study together. Since the roads were slippery from the rain, Li Dongze had driven her over. Currently, Wen Ting and Zhou Shiwen were reviewing their lessons in the room.
“Aunt Shen, this is too much of a coincidence. Something feels off, doesn’t it?”
After hearing Aunt Shen’s account, Yang Haoran was no fool and immediately sensed something unreasonable.
“He’s here for me.”
Shen Qing sighed, her expression complicated. “Wen Ting might not be an ordinary girl. Xiao Wen, he…”
“Aunt Shen, what does this have to do with Wen Ting?”
Yang Haoran was confused.
“Xiao Ranran, that place isn’t simple…”
Shen Qing briefly explained to Yang Haoran the money-making schemes operating behind the scenes on the resort island.
Yang Haoran had been unaware of the filth hidden beneath the resort island, but Shen Qing, as one of the behind-the-scenes shareholders, had heard some things.
If Wen Ting hadn’t been connected to Li Dongze, Shen Qing wouldn’t have suspected her. She had chatted casually with Li Dongze for over ten minutes. To Li Dongze, it seemed like a friendly interaction, but from his fragmented remarks, Shen Qing had basically pieced together the truth.
The more Yang Haoran listened, the more appalled he became. He couldn’t help but say, “If Wen Ting is one of those girls, then what about Shiwen…”
He couldn’t finish his sentence, feeling that Shiwen was just too unlucky. Could the girlfriend he found actually be a sex slave kept by the wealthy circles?
Wen Ting always seemed so quiet and well-behaved in class. Who would have thought…
“Don’t worry about this matter, and don’t say anything to Xiao Wen either. I’ll handle it,” Shen Qing instructed Yang Haoran. Everything so far was just speculation; she needed to use her own resources to investigate and confirm the facts before deciding how to proceed.
She hadn’t planned to let Yang Haoran know in the first place. Matters like these were still too distant for a student.
If it really was just a coincidence, then all would be well. But if Wen Ting wasn’t a clean girl, then Shen Qing would never allow her to become her son’s girlfriend.
Yang Haoran felt a pang of sorrow, wondering what kind of blow it would be for Shiwen if he learned the truth.
“Xiao Ranran, you don’t need to think the worst either,” Shen Qing said. “It’s possible this wasn’t Wen Ting’s choice. If that’s the case, I’ll get her out. As for Xiao Wen, going through some hardship might be good for him.”
“Ah!”
Yang Haoran was torn between laughter and tears. “Aunt Shen, then why don’t you let me suffer some hardships too? No wonder Shiwen says you play favorites. Even I feel overwhelmingly pampered.”
“You… should be secretly pleased.”
Shen Qing shot him a playful glare, smiling brightly. “I’m with you now. All my assets in the future will be left to Xiao Wen. If he doesn’t mature, how can that work?”
“Aunt Shen, how much money do you have?”
Yang Haoran asked curiously. It wasn’t that he coveted Aunt Shen’s wealth, nor did he mind her leaving her assets to Shiwen. What he wanted was Aunt Shen herself. Money? His mom had plenty!
“What… do you want me to keep you?”
Shen Qing burst out laughing.
“Hehe… I don’t need much. Just give me a million a month to spend,” Yang Haoran joked.
“Dream on… that’s too cheap. I don’t want it.”
Yang Haoran was stunned. Aunt Shen, you’re really a wealthy woman! I have to beg my mom for 350,000, yet you don’t even bat an eye at a million.
Seeing Yang Haoran’s expression, Shen Qing leaned close to his ear and whispered, “I’ll give you two choices. First, after Xiao Wen comes of age, half of my assets go to him, half to you, and I’ll still be with you. Second, all my assets go to Xiao Wen, and I agree to be kept by you.”
“Two… two…!”
Yang Haoran’s excitement was instantly ignited. Without hesitation, he chose the second option, his face full of exhilaration. If Aunt Shen agreed to be kept by him, what did he need money for?
Not to mention his mom, but his grandmother and his grandfather in Beijing, who held a high position—wherever he went, he’d never go hungry.
“Xiao Ranran, don’t celebrate too soon…”
Shen Qing said with a playful smile. “The kind of keeping I have in mind might not be what you imagine. First, I require half of the living space, including a bedroom, study, garden, swimming pool… dining room, and so on. Once you come, I will live in the designated area, which can be arranged according to your preferences.”
“Second, I still retain the right to travel freely once a month. At other times, I must report to you, and without your consent, I cannot leave.”
“Uh… Aunt Shen, where would I get such a large place?”
Listening to Aunt Shen’s listed specifications, Yang Haoran was speechless. This wasn’t like keeping a breeding pet—it was more like housing a young lady.
“Gegege… have you forgotten the manor I gave you?”
Shen Qing laughed, her body trembling with amusement.
“Oh, right!”
Yang Haoran’s eyes lit up. The conditions Aunt Shen mentioned were basically all met by the pet manor. The only thing was that the villa would need expensive expansion and renovations—but where would he get the money?
Shen Qing clearly saw Yang Haoran’s concern and said with a smile, “You don’t need to worry about that. I’ll take care of everything. This will be my home in the future, so I’ll handle the arrangements. You won’t need to spend a dime. As for the designated area, you can think carefully about how to arrange it. Ruoxi might need to live there in the future as well.”
Yang Haoran’s heart raced with excitement. These weren’t conditions—it was practically Aunt Shen packaging herself up for him to hide away in a golden house.