Chapter 34 p1
Clearly, Shen Shu had only recounted half of City of Thorns. Xu Jinnan asked, “Then what?”
Shen Shu looked away from her. “You can read it yourself later.”
“Oh.”
Xu Jinnan placed her hands behind her head, closing her eyes. Shen Shu’s clear voice broke the silence. “Ren Xiaoqi asked for your WeChat. Should I give it to her?”
Xu Jinnan turned her head. “Who’s Ren Xiaoqi?”
“We had drinks together at the restaurant. She said she enjoyed our conversation and wanted to get to know you better.”
Xu Jinnan thought for a moment, recalling the actress. She had a good memory, but she rarely remembered people or things she wasn’t interested in.
The refusal was on the tip of her tongue, then she changed her mind. “What did you say?”
“I said I’d send her your WeChat.” Whether or not Xu Jinnan accepted the request was up to her.
Shen Shu paused. “Do you want to?”
“…How generous of you,” Xu Jinnan replied dryly.
Shen Shu glanced at her.
Their eyes met, the moment lingering briefly, or perhaps not at all.
Shen Shu looked away first. “If not, I’ll tell her you’re not interested.”
“Just decline all such requests in the future,” Xu Jinnan said.
She reminded Shen Shu that their marriage was a secret, and once Shen Shu became more famous, combined with Xu Jinnan’s own notoriety, it could cause trouble online.
Tong Jia had warned her about this.
It made sense.
Shen Shu closed her book. “I should be the one hiding it?” she asked, a hint of challenge in her voice.
Xu Jinnan’s tone softened. “I mean, when Xia Chun asked if we were friends, you didn’t say anything.” She assumed Shen Shu didn’t want their relationship to be public knowledge yet.
“Neither did you,” Shen Shu retorted.
She hadn’t been sure if Xu Jinnan wanted her to acknowledge their relationship, so she had waited. And when Xia Chun invited them to join them for dinner, Xu Jinnan hadn’t said anything either.
Xu Jinnan: “…”
She chuckled. “Those were your colleagues. Why would I be afraid to acknowledge our relationship?”
Shen Shu was at a loss for words.
They hadn’t been close then; how could she have known what Xu Jinnan was thinking?
And vice versa.
“Forget it,” Shen Shu said, as if arguing with a child.
There was no anger or resentment in her voice, only a desire to end the conversation.
But Xu Jinnan was sensitive to such nuances. When a woman said “forget it,” it meant she was slightly bothered.
There was no point in arguing.
She watched as Shen Shu placed her book on the bedside table, clearly not intending to read or continue the conversation.
“Perhaps I misunderstood,” Xu Jinnan said. “Just so you know, I don’t mind what you say or do. I’ll follow your lead regarding our marriage. Whatever makes you happy.”
Shen Shu’s fingers tightened around the blanket. Xu Jinnan’s words were sincere, especially the last part, “Whatever makes you happy,” something she had heard countless times now.
She thought back to Xu Jinnan’s earlier comment, so serious, and she almost smiled.
A warmth spread through her chest. She realized she didn’t dislike Xu Jinnan at all.
This person was rather endearing sometimes.
“I don’t mind either,” she replied softly, then slipped under the blanket, turning her back to Xu Jinnan. “Turn off the lights when you go to sleep.”
She pulled the blanket up to her chin, the faint, sunny scent of Xu Jinnan’s pheromones comforting and clean.
Xu Jinnan looked at her slender back and smiled faintly.
She sat up and picked up the book Shen Shu had left on the table, glancing at the title.
It wasn’t City of Thorns.
The cover read, Tipping the Velvet.
The original English version.
So, Shen Shu had been subtly mocking her. But what was the joke?
Curious, Xu Jinnan lay down and flipped through the pages, then found herself drawn into the story.
She had eclectic reading tastes, but she was also discerning.
She didn’t mind explicit content in novels; desire, both physical and emotional, was a fundamental human experience.
An instinct, a need.
She experienced it too, her body reacting to certain suggestive scenes.
Like now.
The effect of the written word could be twice as powerful as audio, the space for imagination limitless.
“…she breathed against my ear, ‘Do you like it?’”
“…The question, so gentle, so brave, almost made me cry…”
Xu Jinnan felt a sudden sting in her scent gland.
She put down the book and touched the tingling skin. She hadn’t had any reaction while sleeping on the floor these past few nights. She was suddenly wary.
Fortunately, the sensation wasn’t intense and quickly subsided.
Twenty minutes later, hearing Shen Shu shift on the bed, Xu Jinnan got up and turned off the lights.
Touching her scent gland, she wondered if Shen Shu experienced similar reactions while reading such scenes.
Probably not.
An aloof goddess wouldn’t be affected by such things.
The next morning, Shen Shu woke up before Xu Jinnan, preparing a simple breakfast of boiled eggs, warm milk, toast, and blueberry jam.
Cai Ying, looking at the breakfast on the table, said to Xu Jinnan, who had just emerged from the guest room, “Xu Jinnan, your wife’s best friend is begging you to make me something edible for breakfast.” Since returning to China and rediscovering the joys of youtiao, xiaohuntun, tofu soup, and baozi, she had lost her taste for milk and toast.
“What do you mean, ‘inedible’?” Shen Shu asked, sitting down opposite Cai Ying with a faint smile.
Cai Ying, intimidated by the smile, immediately backtracked. “It’s edible, it’s edible! Shu Shu’s breakfast is delicious!” she chirped, taking a bite of toast.
Xu Jinnan sat down beside Shen Shu. “You’re easily intimidated, aren’t you?”
Cai Ying glared at her, but Xu Jinnan simply raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of milk. “Delicious. Perfect temperature.”
Cai Ying wanted to bite into her toast as if it were Xu Jinnan’s head.
“Alright, eat your breakfast,” Shen Shu said, pushing the blueberry jam towards Xu Jinnan. “I talked to your father. He agreed to find you a more… visually appealing tutor.”
Before Cai Ying could celebrate, Shen Shu continued, “But you have to pass your English exam first.”
Cai Ying: “…”
She was doomed. She hadn’t studied at all, and as Xu Jinnan had pointed out, she didn’t even know the basics.
She looked at Xu Jinnan pleadingly.
Xu Jinnan wasn’t fond of blueberry jam, but she opened the jar and spread a small amount on her toast. “You have half a month. Better start studying.”
“I can’t focus with that tutor… Hey, Jinnan-jie,” Cai Ying said.
A chill ran down Xu Jinnan’s spine. “…?”
“You’re more than qualified to tutor me. I’d much rather study with you than that tutor.”
You’d much rather stare at me, you mean.
Xu Jinnan wiped her mouth, her voice calm. “Don’t even think about it.”
Cai Ying: “…”
Shen Shu, listening to their banter, smiled faintly. Their lively conversation brightened the gloomy morning.
Cai Ying received a call from her father; her car was waiting downstairs.
After she left, Xu Jinnan lowered her voice. “It’s my mother’s birthday today. I have to go to the Xu residence.”
“Okay.”
Xu Jinnan hesitated. “I want to buy her a gift. Any suggestions?” She wasn’t good at choosing gifts for elders, and her previous attempts had always missed the mark. Perhaps subconsciously, she felt a sense of empathy for Lu Yun, suspecting she might have experienced similar hardships as the original Xu Jinnan, so she wanted to show her kindness.
She had been thinking about the gift all night, but Lu Yun seemed to have everything.
Shen Shu looked at her, then asked, “When are you going shopping?”
“This afternoon,” Xu Jinnan replied.
She had a meeting in the morning, and the Song family matter to attend to.
“I’m free this afternoon. I can go with you.”
Xu Jinnan was slightly surprised, then smiled. “I’ll pick you up after my meeting.”
“Okay.”
The word “pick you up” sent a strange thrill through Shen Shu.
She wondered if Xu Jinnan used such words casually, or if she understood their implications and used them deliberately.
They went downstairs together, Shen Shu to the supermarket, and Xu Jinnan to her office.
At the curb, Xu Jinnan turned to Shen Shu. “Want a ride?”
Shen Shu glanced at the nearby supermarket. “No, it’s just up ahead.”
“Oh, I’ve never been to this supermarket,” Xu Jinnan explained.
“Okay, I’ll go then.”
As Xu Jinnan got into the car, she saw Shen Shu bend down to brush something off her pants. Her white T-shirt rode up slightly, revealing a sliver of her pale waist.
Xu Jinnan quickly looked away and got into the car.
“Miss, Song Ronghui called this morning,” Zhou Pei said.
“What did she want?”
“She asked when you would be at the office and said your phone was off.” Zhou Pei continued, “I told her you weren’t coming in today. I was worried she would contact Miss Shen.”
Xu Jinnan paused. Zhou Pei’s words were a reminder.
She turned on her phone and saw several messages, mostly from Song Ronghui.
Song Ronghui: [Nan, is there some misunderstanding between our families and the Xu family?]
Song Ronghui: [If you see this, can you ask around? Someone’s targeting our investments, and it’s a former financial manager of the Xu family.]
Song Ronghui: [Xu Jinnan, was this you?]
Those were the messages from before 1 a.m. Song Ronghui had still been relatively calm then.
The later messages were more frantic.
Song Ronghui: [Why are you doing this? Xu Jinnan, after all these years of friendship, this is how you treat me?]
Song Ronghui: [Was it you or not?! What’s with turning off your phone?]
Song Ronghui: [Just tell me what you want! What is this about? What did I ever do to you? At least let me know before I die! Was it you or not?!]
As she had predicted, even if Song Ronghui suspected her involvement, she wouldn’t admit to the incident at the banquet so readily.
After all, Xu Jinnan didn’t have any concrete evidence yet.
It wasn’t time yet. This was just the beginning.
“Call her back and tell her it’s my mother’s birthday today, and I’m at the Xu residence. I’m not seeing anyone,” Xu Jinnan instructed Zhou Pei. That way, Song Ronghui wouldn’t bother Shen Shu.
“Certainly.”
Even Mr. Song wouldn’t dare contact the Xu family directly, let alone Song Ronghui.
And this excuse would allay Song Ronghui’s suspicions. The original Xu Jinnan always visited her mother on her birthday and didn’t see anyone else, even turning off her phone in advance.
The author had likely included this detail to portray the original’s love and respect for her mother, but Xu Jinnan had always found it odd.
A meeting with a business partner ran late.
By the time they arrived at the mall, it was almost 2 p.m. Xu Jinnan hadn’t had lunch, so she took Shen Shu to get a burger first.
“It’s almost 2 p.m.,” Shen Shu commented, looking at the burger on her plate.
“The meeting ran late. I didn’t want to keep you waiting,” Xu Jinnan replied, handing her an ice cream cone. “Here.”
It was a gloomy day, perfect ice cream weather.
Shen Shu took the cone and ate it slowly, the tip melting on her tongue.
Xu Jinnan swallowed her burger, her tongue tingling slightly. “Is it good?” she asked casually.
“It’s fine.”
Xu Jinnan wiped her mouth, took a sip of cola, and leaned back. “Vanilla,” she commented.
Shen Shu paused, looking out the window, thinking, She’s being suggestive again.
Xu Jinnan thought Shen Shu’s earlobes looked a little pinker now. Then, she realized how that sounded.
It could be easily misinterpreted – she was practically saying Shen Shu’s pheromones were delicious.
In the ABO world, commenting on an Omega’s pheromones was akin to complimenting their sexual prowess. It was a very direct, and rather suggestive, remark.
Xu Jinnan touched her forehead. She hadn’t meant it that way.
As Shen Shu stood up, still holding her half-eaten ice cream cone, the napkin slipped from her hand, and the melting ice cream smeared across her white T-shirt.
They both froze. Xu Jinnan chuckled and handed her a napkin.
After wiping the stain, which was still visible on her shirt and jeans, Shen Shu sighed.
“I guess I should buy you a new one.”
“…”
Shen Shu said it would be fine once it dried, but Xu Jinnan insisted, leaving to find a store.
When she returned, the stain had faded after being dried, but it was still slightly visible.
She handed Shen Shu a dark green dress, the hem falling just below her knees, accentuating her calves.
As they walked through the mall, several people turned to look at them.
Both Xu Jinnan and Shen Shu were head-turners, their styles distinct yet complementary.
One, casual and carefree, with delicate features and a playful smile.
The other, aloof and elegant, her beauty striking, but her expression always cool and composed.
The combination was unexpectedly harmonious.
“Wow, they’re gorgeous!”
“Which one is the Alpha?”
“I’ve seen the one in green before. Wasn’t she trending online? The qipao beauty…?”
“I think so.” Someone took out their phone and searched, comparing the photo to the women walking past. “Holy shit, it’s them!!!”
“I didn’t take a picture! Where did they go?”
“If you think the dress is too plain, we can find a brooch to go with it,” Shen Shu said, pointing towards a high-end boutique. “That store has more age-appropriate options for your mother.”
Xu Jinnan agreed. A dress alone felt insufficient, and she wanted Lu Yun to like the gift.
While she had a good eye for fashion, she wasn’t sure what would suit Lu Yun’s age, so Shen Shu helped her choose a dark blue dress.
They went to a jewelry store.
While Xu Jinnan was in the restroom, Shen Shu browsed the brooches.
“Well, well, if it isn’t CEO Shen,” a heavily made-up woman said, approaching her. “Or should I say, Extra Shen? Or the Beautiful Assassin?”
Shen Shu had met Chen Baimo before, at Cai Ying’s birthday party. She was part of the wealthy socialite circle.
They weren’t close. Shen Shu had defended Cai Ying when they had a disagreement, and Chen Baimo had made a few snide remarks since then.
Shen Shu usually ignored her.
She did so again now, turning away to look at a brooch. The more you engaged with such people, the more they persisted.
“Let me see this one,” she said to the sales assistant.
Chen Baimo walked closer. “Shen Jun said you’ve been kicked out of the Shen family. Does your minor role even pay enough for jewelry?”
Shen Shu ignored her.
“Oh, I almost forgot, you married that slut Xu Jinnan. With your looks, you must be making a decent living, right?”
“Are you done?” Shen Shu asked, her voice cold. “You’re truly idle, aren’t you? Gossiping all day.”
Chen Baimo’s face hardened. Before she could retort, another voice echoed through the store. “Well, well, if it isn’t my little sister’s wife.”
Xu Li entered, her heels clicking against the floor.
“Li-li, your family is bullying me! Aren’t you going to defend me?” Chen Baimo clung to Xu Li’s arm.
Xu Li pushed her away, her eyes flashing with warning. “My family? The Xu family has no shame, but not that much.”
Chen Baimo, knowing Xu Li disliked being touched, stood close to her instead, forcing a smile. “Right, I saw those photos online. I was shocked. I thought Miss Shen had become a prostitute.”
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