Chapter 41 p2
After hanging up, Xu Jinnan received a message from Zhou Pei, saying Shen Jun was waiting at the office. She checked the time; it was almost noon.
She turned off her phone. “No time to cook,” she said to Shen Shu.
“There’s nothing to cook with anyway,” Shen Shu replied. The refrigerator contained only two carrots.
As if she hadn’t heard, Xu Jinnan asked, “Noodles or takeout?”
“Your stomach’s been upset. Let’s order porridge,” Shen Shu said.
Xu Jinnan didn’t argue. Her stomach felt better after breakfast, and she wasn’t hungry anyway.
—
After lunch, Xu Jinnan went to the office, which was located in a building she had acquired after a demolition project.
It was a 26-story building, and her office was on the top floor. She enjoyed the view. The other floors weren’t fully occupied yet, but new tenants were moving in regularly.
As she entered, she saw Shen Jun sitting on the sofa, playing on his phone.
Hearing her heels clicking against the floor, he looked up and quickly straightened up. “CEO Xu…”
Xu Jinnan glanced at him. “Are you alone?”
Shen Jun gulped, intimidated by her gaze. “My mother is here too. She’s inside.”
As for his friend, he had hesitated after hearing Xu Jinnan’s warning last night, but his mother had convinced him to call and badmouth Shen Shu.
However, his friend, a shrewd one, had looked up the address, realized it was Xu Jinnan’s company, and immediately backed down, even blocking his number.
“Bring them to the meeting room,” Xu Jinnan said coldly, not bothering to look for Wei Wuqing.
“Certainly,” Zhou Pei replied.
A few moments later, Wei Wuqing and Shen Jun entered the meeting room.
Xu Jinnan sat down casually. “Mrs. Wei, I don’t recall inviting you,” she said as they entered.
Wei Wuqing knew this was about last night’s incident. “Nannan, Shen Jun is still young. He didn’t mean—”
“Is he mentally challenged?” Xu Jinnan interrupted, her voice serious. “He’s 23 and still doesn’t know right from wrong?”
Wei Wuqing: “…”
Shen Jun cringed. “I’m 23 in Korean age… I’m only 22 this year.”
“Shut up!” Wei Wuqing slapped him on the shoulder. “Apologize!”
“Mrs. Wei, you should know me by now. I’m not one to let things slide,” Xu Jinnan said. “I’m here to see him. You can leave.”
Wei Wuqing pursed her lips as Zhou Pei gestured for her to leave. She glared at Shen Jun, then, after a few more words of caution and a pleading look at Xu Jinnan, she left the room.
Shen Jun’s mind finally cleared. “I was wrong! I won’t do it again! I shouldn’t have said those things!”
“How do you plan to make amends?” Xu Jinnan asked.
Shen Jun was stunned. “Huh?” He looked at her cautiously. “What do you want? Should I apologize to my sister and write a letter of apology? I really was wrong…” It was the most sincere apology he could muster.
He was genuinely afraid.
While Xu Jinnan’s reputation had improved recently, he had seen her violent side before. She was crazy, and anyone who offended her was asking for trouble. Just look at Yin Xue and Song Ronghui.
“Not enough,” Xu Jinnan said.
“Then what…?”
“One hundred frog jumps.”
Shen Jun: “…?”
—
A few minutes later, Wei Wuqing and the people passing by outside the meeting room heard agonizing cries.
“I can’t do this anymore! I’m sorry! I was wrong! One hundred is too many…”
“Can I stop now?”
“Help! Mom!”
Wei Wuqing’s face paled, and she tried to rush into the room, but Zhou Pei easily blocked her path. “Mrs. Wei, if you go in now, Miss Xu will make things even worse for the Shen family.”
“But… she’s not going to kill my son, is she?”
Zhou Pei considered this for a moment. “Miss Xu wouldn’t resort to violence,” she said.
Wei Wuqing still couldn’t enter. Twenty minutes later, they heard Xu Jinnan’s cold voice.
Zhou Pei opened the door.
Wei Wuqing rushed in to see Shen Jun standing in front of Xu Jinnan, his legs trembling.
Then—
Thud
He collapsed onto the floor, kneeling in front of Xu Jinnan.
Wei Wuqing: “…”
Xu Jinnan raised an eyebrow. “Do you know how to speak to your sister now?”
Shen Jun’s eyes were red, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “Y-yes,” he stammered.
“You can go.”
Xu Jinnan stood up, glancing at Wei Wuqing, who was helping Shen Jun up. Her coldness melted away, replaced by a gentle smile. “Mrs. Wei, Shu Shu is very busy. Please try to contact her less. And if you must contact her, please be kind to her. Do you understand?”
—
At 1 p.m., as Shen Shu was cleaning the living room, Xu Jinnan sent her a video.
She clicked on it. Shen Jun, his voice trembling, apologized. “Sis, I was wrong. I won’t speak to you like that again.”
Then, Xu Jinnan’s casual voice could be heard. “Step back. Further. A little more. Okay, ready… Begin.”
Shen Shu chuckled.
How had Xu Jinnan even come up with that?
—
It was a little past 6 p.m.
Tong Jia had arranged their celebratory dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Xu Jinnan and Shen Shu were on their way.
“Shen Jun sent me a handwritten letter of apology,” Shen Shu said.
“How did that make you feel?”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen him so subdued. Teacher Xu is a good disciplinarian,” Shen Shu replied, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Xu Jinnan chuckled. “You flatter me, Miss Shen.”
Besides Tong Jia and her girlfriend, Qiao Rui, two of their assistants, a man and a woman, both Betas, joined them for dinner.
They chatted about future projects, and the meal passed quickly.
Before 9 p.m., Tong Jia suggested going to karaoke.
“The Emperor Hotel.”
Xu Jinnan hadn’t been back since the incident in room 888.
The staff recognized her, and the manager personally escorted them to a VIP room, bringing several bottles of wine and beer, along with snacks and drinks.
Neither Xu Jinnan nor Shen Shu enjoyed singing, but Tong Jia and Qiao Rui, cuddling together, sang a few love songs while their assistants played dice.
Seeing Shen Shu’s lack of enthusiasm, Xu Jinnan leaned in close, her lips brushing against Shen Shu’s ear. “Want to leave?” she whispered over the loud music.
Shen Shu turned slightly.
Their lips brushed against each other, and they both froze.
The colorful, dim lighting in the room hid the brief contact, and Tong Jia, seeing them whispering, assumed they were being intimate. An idea sparked in her mind.
As Xu Jinnan pulled back, Tong Jia’s voice boomed through the microphone.
“This is boring! Let’s play a game!” she said, turning off the music. “How about truth or dare?”
“If you refuse a dare, you have to drink. But you can’t choose to drink twice in a row,” she added.
With their boss in a playful mood, the assistants readily agreed, and Qiao Rui nodded as well.
Xu Jinnan and Shen Shu didn’t object.
Xu Jinnan leaned in close to Shen Shu again, carefully maintaining a safe distance this time. “I told Zhou Pei to call me in ten minutes. We’ll leave then,” she whispered.
Shen Shu, her ear tingling from Xu Jinnan’s warm breath, nodded, resisting the urge to rub it.
The first round of truth or dare began. The male assistant spun the bottle, which landed on the female assistant, who dared Tong Jia and Qiao Rui to kiss for thirty seconds.
Xu Jinnan and Shen Shu exchanged a look, realizing the potential dangers of this game…
Xu Jinnan thought that besides Tong Jia, everyone else seemed rather reserved, especially Qiao Rui, who seemed like the quiet, demure type.
Shen Shu simply wasn’t interested in such games.
Neither of them had anticipated this.
They were both focused on their escape plan.
Tong Jia and Qiao Rui’s kiss ended, and the second round began.
This time, the bottle landed on Xu Jinnan.
“CEO Xu, tell Tong Jia, ‘I love you, and I want to be your little donkey!’” the female assistant said.
Xu Jinnan: “…” What the hell?
It was a simple dare, but she looked at Tong Jia and said, “I’ll drink.” She couldn’t bring herself to say those words.
Tong Jia: “…”
Xu Jinnan quickly finished her drink, rubbing her stomach. Tong Jia smiled slyly. “CEO Xu, you can’t choose to drink twice in a row. You know that, right?”
Xu Jinnan: “…” Did I? Did I say that?
Shen Shu nodded. She had.
They would have to leave.
She had known Tong Jia would come up with something ridiculous.
Shen Shu typed a message on her phone and showed it to Xu Jinnan: I asked Cai Ying to call.
Xu Jinnan nodded. It was time to go.
The game continued. Qiao Rui spun the bottle, which landed on the male assistant. She was about to dare Shen Shu, but glancing at Xu Jinnan, she changed her mind. “You two,” she said, pointing at the assistants, “kiss for ten seconds, through a napkin.”
Tong Jia pouted playfully. “Aww, that’s like a couples’ game. But it’s cute. I’d be jealous if you dared him to kiss someone else.”
Qiao Rui put her arm around Tong Jia’s waist and kissed her forehead. “Me too.”
The assistants, blushing, placed a thin napkin between their lips and kissed.
Only Xu Jinnan and Shen Shu remained expressionless.
A minute passed, and Cai Ying still hadn’t called.
Fortunately, the bottle didn’t land on them for the next two rounds. As the third round ended, Xu Jinnan glanced at Shen Shu, about to speak.
“CEO Xu, be careful. I have a feeling it’ll be your turn next,” Tong Jia said.
The assistants’ dare ended.
Tong Jia, staring at Xu Jinnan, as if seeking revenge for her earlier rejection, said, “Please, God, let it be Xu Jinnan!”
Xu Jinnan: “…”
The bottle spun, past the assistants, past Tong Jia and Qiao Rui, then stopped in front of Xu Jinnan.
Xu Jinnan: “…”
Tong Jia smiled. “Perfect! Don’t look at me like that. For Shu Shu’s sake, I’ll be gentle. You and Shu Shu, ten push-ups, bodies touching. That’s not too much, is it?”
Xu Jinnan: “…”
Shen Shu: “…”
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