Song Qi Nian's stomach dropped when she realized Shen Keqin was behind the scheme. She massaged her temples, fighting off a headache. It was a harsh reminder that enemies weren't always outsiders watching like predators—sometimes they were the people closest to you, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
[Qin Qin, take those posts down right now!]
"I can't! If I do, my brother will think we're both conspiring against him. He'll destroy us both!"
Before Song Qi Nian could type a response, another message from Shen Keqin popped up: "Don't stress, sister-in-law. I've got everything under control. Just sit back and watch how my brother reacts. Someone's downstairs at his company, making this grand public confession to his wife. Let's see if that doesn't make him jealous."
Something fluttered in Song Qi Nian's chest. Would Shen Chi Yan actually feel jealous?
She glanced across the restaurant, only to find his seat empty. She hadn't even noticed him leave. Now only Lin Lanxing remained, approaching her with unmistakable satisfaction written across her face.
"Song Qi Nian," Lin Lanxing practically sang, "you're done for."
Song Qi Nian ignored her, but her heart felt heavy. Thanks to this public confession, she had transformed from a nobody into the talk of Dingsheng Group overnight. Everyone suddenly knew about the beautiful mute girl in Planning, and people kept inventing reasons to walk by her desk.
She'd spent the whole afternoon bracing for Shen Chi Yan's reaction, but her phone remained silent except for Shen Keqin's messages. The silence left her with a tangle of emotions she couldn't sort through. If he'd been angry, at least it would have meant she mattered to him somehow. But this indifference? It was worse than any punishment—it meant she truly meant nothing to him at all.
"Song Qi Nian, Shen Yu Shu, you two will work together on this amusement park planning proposal. I need the final version on my desk by Monday morning."
After Yang Hongbin's departure, Shen Chi Yan had recruited Pan Yingying, an experienced manager who'd worked overseas, offering her an impressive salary package. From day one, she'd established her authority, and under her leadership, the Planning Department's old, problematic practices vanished.
At the end of the workday, Shen Yushu stopped by Song Qi Nian's desk.
"Nian Nian, have you thought of anything for the proposal?"
Song Qi Nian shook her head. She'd spent the entire afternoon distracted by thoughts of Shen Chi Yan, leaving no mental space for work.
"It's hard to plan something like this just sitting here," Shen Yushu said. "Why don't we visit the amusement park tomorrow? Since it's the weekend, we could do some field research, get some real inspiration." Before Song Qi Nian could respond, he added, "This is our first project together, and Pan Yingying's first assignment to us. We need to nail it."
His enthusiasm for the project was infectious. Song Qi Nian took a deep breath, pushed thoughts of Shen Chi Yan aside, and nodded.
That evening, Song Qi Nian came home to an empty house. After dinner, she retreated to her room, planning to research amusement parks online. But her six-year-old computer crawled along at a snail's pace, its components showing their age. She checked her bank balance and decided to wait for her next paycheck before buying a new one.
By eleven, Shen Chi Yan still hadn't returned. Song Qi Nian had just finished getting ready for bed when she got a message from Mu Yuxin.
"Nian Nian, you still up?"
[Yes, what's wrong?]
"There's an event at the mall tomorrow and I can't watch Qiaoqiao. Could you take her for the day?"
Song Qi Nian had met Mu Yuxin outside the prison while visiting Song Guanliang. Mu Yuxin's boyfriend was serving eight years for intentional homicide. She kept trying to visit him, but the guards always turned her away.
Song Qi Nian had watched Mu Yuxin get turned away from the prison so many times that she started passing messages between Mu Yuxin and her boyfriend through Song Guanliang. That's how their friendship began.
Qiaoqiao was Mu Yuxin's niece. After her sister died, Mu Yuxin had taken on the responsibility of raising the little girl. Song Qi Nian had grown quite fond of Qiaoqiao—she was a sweet, thoughtful child.
[Sure, I'll come get Qiaoqiao tomorrow,] Song Qi Nian typed.
"You're the best, Nian Nian baby!"
Song Qi Nian smiled at the message, then remembered her plans with Shen Yu Shu. She quickly sent him a text about bringing Qiaoqiao along.
"That's fine with me—I love kids. See you tomorrow," came his reply.
That night, Shen Chi Yan never came home.
The next morning, Song Qi Nian picked up Qiaoqiao before heading to meet Shen Yu Shu at the amusement park.
…
"Uncle, I'm six now. I don't want to go to some amusement park."
Shen Chi Yan fixed his nephew with an icy stare. "What makes you think you have a choice?"
Wen Ziqian slumped in defeat. "It's my birthday. Isn't the birthday kid supposed to get what they want?"
Shen Chi Yan let out a derisive snort. "You're just a child. What makes you think you're important?"
Wen Ziqian was speechless. His uncle was a tyrant. Cold-hearted. Ruthless. Completely unreasonable!
"Uncle, with that attitude, won't Auntie make you kneel on durians?"
At the mention of Song Qi Nian, Shen Chi Yan's brow creased. "She wouldn't dare."
"Where there's oppression, there's resistance," Wen Ziqian shot back. "Keep acting like this, and when some kind, gentle, handsome guy comes along, Auntie will definitely leave you."
Wen Ziqian had struck a nerve, and Shen Chi Yan's expression darkened further.
His phone rang.
"What is it?"
"Brother, are you here yet? I think I just saw sister-in-law at the amusement park with a little girl and some guy."
"Whose child?"
"No idea. Want me to go ask?"
"Don't bother."
Shen Chi Yan hung up and barked at Gao Kunlun, "Drive faster."
The weekend crowd packed the amusement park, with endless lines at every attraction. Seeing Qiaoqiao's flushed face from the heat, Song Qi Nian took her to get ice cream.
"Nian Nian, can I have these? The rabbit ears are so cute!"
Song Qi Nian smiled and nodded, placing them on Qiaoqiao's head. With her round eyes and chubby cheeks, she looked absolutely precious.
"If Qiaoqiao gets some, Nian Nian should have a pair too, right?" Shen Yu Shu reached for a red fox ear headband.
Song Qi Nian instinctively backed away. Seeing his hand frozen mid-air, she felt a flash of guilt.
"No thanks, I'm good."
Since Qiaoqiao understood sign language, she'd been acting as their little interpreter.
"You should wear them! Qiaoqiao wants to see Nian Nian in them too!"
Ever the gentleman, Shen Yu Shu handed the fox ears to Qiaoqiao. "How about you help put them on Nian Nian?"
"Okay!"
Shen Yushu lifted Qiaoqiao up. Song Qi Nian couldn't bring herself to refuse the little girl, even if she'd turned down Shen Yushu.
When Shen Chi Yan arrived, the first thing he saw was Shen Yu Shu holding up a little girl in rabbit ears while she tried to place fox ears on Song Qi Nian's head. The scene looked so warm, so intimate—and something raw and angry spread through his body, from his limbs straight to his chest...
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