Chapter 65
Hearing Xu Jinnan approach, Shen Shu looked up, her slender fingers wrapped around the riding crop. “Done talking?” she asked.
Xu Jinnan nodded, sitting down beside her and taking a sip of water from the bottle on the table. She glanced at the riding crop in Shen Shu’s hand.
“What’s so interesting about that?”
Shen Shu put down the crop. “The braiding is quite intricate, don’t you think?” she said, her voice calm.
Xu Jinnan hadn’t looked closely before, but now, she examined the leather handle, the intricate pattern woven into the leather, like tiny, sculpted flowers.
“It is quite nice,” she agreed. “Do you want to take it home with you?”
“…Take it home? What for?” Shen Shu asked, pausing slightly between the two questions, then glancing at Xu Jinnan.
Xu Jinnan had simply been making conversation, but Shen Shu’s look made her pause. “…As a souvenir?” she suggested. Just then, they heard footsteps approaching.
The door was open, and the stable manager stood at the entrance, smiling. “Miss Xu, Miss Shen, afternoon tea is ready. Would you like to have it inside, or outside?”
Xu Jinnan, having been outside earlier, preferred the fresh air.
Shen Shu didn’t have a preference.
They sat down at a table under a large parasol, a selection of delicate pastries and cakes arranged in front of them. Xu Jinnan offered Shen Shu a small mousse cake topped with a strawberry.
The late afternoon sun was gentle, the breeze carrying the scent of freshly cut grass, creating the illusion of being in a vast meadow.
Xu Jinnan leaned back in her chair, her legs crossed, scrolling through messages on her phone.
She looked up to see Shen Shu taking a bite of the cake. Shen Shu usually wore minimal makeup, and today, she wasn’t wearing any lipstick, just a light lip balm, but her lips looked unusually red.
Was it from the kiss?
The thought made Xu Jinnan’s breath hitch, and she frowned slightly, touching her scent gland.
The familiar tingling sensation returned.
She hadn’t had this reaction during their past two encounters and had assumed it was subsiding.
“Do you want some?” Shen Shu asked, looking up.
Xu Jinnan, startled, shook her head. “You have it.”
Shen Shu took the strawberry from the cake and held it up to Xu Jinnan’s lips. “Open up.”
Xu Jinnan paused, looking at the strawberry, a smile playing on her lips, then leaned forward and took a bite, her teeth gently grazing the fork.
Shen Shu felt the light touch.
“Mm, sweet,” Xu Jinnan murmured.
Shen Shu pulled the fork away, gesturing towards the other pastries. “Then have some,” she said.
Xu Jinnan took a small bite of a mango cheesecake. It was fine, but not as good as the strawberry mousse cake.
Or perhaps she was too distracted by the tingling in her scent gland to appreciate it.
Professor Qin had reminded her to schedule a check-up, which she had been putting off. She decided to make an appointment.
She took out her phone and sent him a message.
—
After resting for a while, Xu Jinnan asked if Shen Shu wanted to ride again, and Shen Shu agreed.
This time, Xu Jinnan led the horse, walking beside her at a leisurely pace.
“You’re still a beginner. I can’t let you ride alone yet,” she said. “It’s not far. We can come back anytime.”
“I’m not in a hurry,” Shen Shu replied, looking down at Xu Jinnan, who was wearing a black riding helmet, her face partially obscured, a few strands of her light brown hair escaping and brushing against her cheek. Xu Jinnan tucked them behind her ear.
“No, you’re not,” she said with a smile.
—
In the distance, Chen Bo sat on the second floor of the resting area, two attractive Omegas beside him. He glanced at Han Wenfang, who was standing by the railing, then tossed his cards onto the table. “What are you looking at? Are you still playing or not?”
“Is Texas Hold’em any fun with just two people?” Han Wenfang retorted, not turning around.
Chen Bo released the Omega he had been holding. “It’s fucking boring. Ever since Yin Xue and Song Ronghui left… no, ever since Nan-jie settled down, life has been so dull.”
Hearing Yin Xue’s name, Han Wenfang said, “I almost forgot about her. Good thing I cut ties early. Otherwise, I might have ended up like Song Ronghui, dragged down by that woman.”
Chen Bo chuckled. “Please. You and your sister are the same. As if you would let yourself be dragged down by anyone. You Han family members are all the same, always avoiding trouble.” He remembered when Yin Xue had tried to seduce Han Wenfang, who had initially been receptive, then, upon learning about her connection to Xu Jinnan, had quickly retreated, afraid of getting involved.
Han Wenling, unlike her younger sister, was more discerning, not interested in just any woman, and never associating with their crowd.
“Speaking of which, is it you or your sister who’s getting engaged to the He family heiress? I heard rumors from my father,” Chen Bo asked, changing the subject.
Han Wenfang frowned. “I’m not some kind of commodity to be traded,” she said coldly.
“So it’s true?” Chen Bo asked, his interest piqued, walking over and putting an arm around her shoulder. “Tell me more!”
“There’s nothing to tell. Her mother wants to find her a suitable husband, a strategic alliance. Those two are ambitious. But unfortunately for them…” Han Wenfang’s gaze drifted towards two figures in the distance. “She’s not Dad’s favorite. Does she really think she can secure her position in the Han family by marrying well?”
As she spoke, Chen Bo dismissed the two Omegas.
He was about to reply when he followed her gaze and saw Xu Jinnan leading a white horse, his eyes widening. “Holy shit, is that Nan-jie? I’m not seeing things, am I? She’s leading a horse?”
Han Wenfang offered him a cigarette, lighting one for herself as well, a look of disbelief on her face. “Is she serious?”
“My Nan-jie is the best,” Chen Bo said.
Han Wenfang looked at him, thinking, He’s an idiot.
Was Xu Jinnan seriously leading a horse? Wasn’t she embarrassed?
—
“You should rest. Let someone else do this,” Shen Shu said.
Xu Jinnan looked up. “I’m fine. I haven’t exercised in a while. This is good exercise,” she replied.
Shen Shu didn’t argue, but her gaze lingered on Xu Jinnan’s lower back, then instinctively drifted downwards… Xu Jinnan’s figure was undeniably attractive, her backside perfectly rounded, the tight black breeches accentuating her curves.
Her gaze was unmistakable, and Xu Jinnan, sensing it, caught her eye, a playful smile on her lips. “Enjoying the view?” she asked, her voice teasing.
Shen Shu: “…Nothing’s stopping me from looking.” Her voice was soft, but Xu Jinnan still heard it.
Xu Jinnan, amused, leaned closer. “Then tell me, what are you looking at?”
“Wherever I want,” Shen Shu retorted calmly.
Their playful banter continued, neither of them backing down, until Xu Jinnan, as usual, relented.
“Fine,” she said with a smile, finding Shen Shu’s defiance endearing. “I can’t exactly blindfold you, can I?” Then, she imagined doing just that, the image flashing through her mind before she quickly pushed it aside.
A faint smile touched Shen Shu’s lips.
Xu Jinnan’s willingness to yield sometimes made her feel like she could be more open, more playful, more herself. Anything seemed possible around Xu Jinnan.
—
Twenty minutes later, Shen Shu insisted Xu Jinnan take a break, finding a Beta riding instructor to lead her horse. Xu Jinnan didn’t argue, watching from under a parasol.
Chen Bo, seeing her alone, approached her.
He asked about his father’s birthday banquet next week, and Xu Jinnan agreed to attend. It was a major event for the Chen family, and most of North City’s business elite would be there, including Xu Tao and Lu Yun.
“My old man keeps comparing me to you,” Chen Bo said, lighting a cigarette. “He’ll be thrilled to see you there.”
After chatting for a while, he suddenly asked, “Oh, right, Nan-jie, you’re not going to bother with Han Hui anymore, are you?”
“Why?”
“The Han family will be there too, including Han Hui. Just giving you a heads-up,” he explained.
Xu Jinnan looked at him silently.
The hotel incident had been proven unrelated to Han Hui; she wasn’t going to hold a grudge. She wasn’t unreasonable.
“Of course not. Nan-jie is the most reasonable person I know,” Chen Bo said, flattering her. He received a call and excused himself, then, as he was leaving, asked, “Nan-jie, is that guy I recommended working out for you?”
Just then, Shen Shu, riding the white horse, approached, and Xu Jinnan, her gaze fixed on her, didn’t reply.
Chen Bo, understanding instantly, said, “I didn’t ask anything. I don’t know anything,” then quickly left.
As Shen Shu’s horse approached, she dismounted without assistance, and Xu Jinnan, stepping forward, instinctively placed a hand on her waist to steady her.
Feeling the warmth of her skin, she asked, “Did you work up a sweat?”
Shen Shu took off her gloves, relieved to be back on solid ground. “Not really. What time is it?” she asked. She hadn’t realized how tense she had been until someone else was leading the horse.
“5 p.m.,” Xu Jinnan replied. “Want to eat here before we go? The food looks decent.”
“Sure,” Shen Shu agreed.
They ordered two Western dishes, which looked appetizing, but Shen Shu still preferred Xu Jinnan’s cooking.
“Let’s eat at home next time,” she said, taking a sip of lemonade.
Xu Jinnan, glancing at the uneaten food on Shen Shu’s plate, asked, “Is it not good?”
“It’s not as good as yours,” Shen Shu replied.
Xu Jinnan felt a surge of satisfaction. “Tell me what you want, and I’ll make it for you when we get back,” she said with a smile.
Shen Shu looked at her, a thoughtful expression on her face.
Xu Jinnan took a bite of steak, chewing slowly. “Miss Shen, don’t stare at me while I’m eating,” she said. It was a little unnerving.
Shen Shu blinked slowly, then picked up her knife and fork, her voice calm. “Why not?”
Xu Jinnan paused, wondering if Shen Shu had missed the innuendo.
“Why not?” Shen Shu repeated.
Xu Jinnan, realizing she hadn’t understood, smiled faintly. “Go ahead,” she said.
Shen Shu took a bite of steak, but still didn’t finish her meal, and Xu Jinnan, not wanting her to force herself, ate the rest.
—
As they left the restaurant, the sun had already set, the sky a dim, dusky orange.
It was almost 7 p.m.
The manager saw them to the door, handing Xu Jinnan a long, black box, elegantly wrapped.
Then, remembering something, Xu Jinnan turned back to talk to the manager, telling Shen Shu to wait in the car.
Shen Shu walked towards the car, the parking lot almost empty, only a few luxury cars remaining. The sound of her footsteps was muffled by her sneakers.
The silence was unsettling.
She thought she heard footsteps behind her.
Her scalp prickled, and she quickly turned around… but there was no one there. The brightly lit restaurant was a short distance away, the scent of freshly cut grass still lingering in the air.
She relaxed slightly, then, as she reached for the car door, that feeling of being watched returned.
This time, she didn’t turn around, quickly unlocking the car and getting inside, locking the doors behind her.
Then, through the window, she saw Xu Jinnan walking towards her from the restaurant.
—
As Xu Jinnan got into the car, she noticed Shen Shu’s pale face and asked if she was okay.
“I’m a little… on edge lately. I keep feeling like someone’s following me,” Shen Shu replied. It wasn’t the first time she had felt this way, but she had never found anyone, and Tong Jia had even checked the surveillance footage last time, but there had been nothing suspicious.
Xu Jinnan frowned, her gaze scanning their surroundings. “Sometimes, your instincts are the most accurate. Don’t go anywhere alone. Have Tong Jia or Xinxin accompany you.”
Shen Shu hadn’t been alone much since starting filming, but seeing Xu Jinnan’s worried expression, she said, “They have their own work. They can’t be with me 24/7.”
Xu Jinnan looked away from the window. “Just during the day. I’ll be with you at night,” she said without thinking.
Shen Shu looked at her. “Really?”
Xu Jinnan started the car, then, after a moment of thought, said, “If I’m not around, lock your doors and have Tong Jia come upstairs with you.” She had heard about obsessive fans, the kind who stalked celebrities.
With Shen Shu’s rising popularity, it was a possibility.
The thought made her expression darken.
“Why wouldn’t you be around?” Shen Shu asked.
“Huh?”
Xu Jinnan, caught off guard by the question, paused. “I mean, if I’m not around.”
“So, Teacher Xu might not be coming home at night?” Shen Shu asked, a playful lilt in her voice.
Xu Jinnan: “…?” Is that what she’s focused on?
She considered it, a smile playing on her lips. “It’s possible,” she replied, playing along.
She waited for a response, but Shen Shu simply looked out the window, seemingly uninterested in continuing the conversation.
Xu Jinnan, giving up, changed the subject. “What did the manager give you?”
“I’ll open it when I get home,” Shen Shu replied.
“Aren’t you curious? He said it was for you.”
“No.”
One-word answers now, huh?
Xu Jinnan sighed softly. “Come on, sis, let’s see it. I’m curious,” she said, her voice coaxing.
Shen Shu’s ear tingled at the endearment.
It was Xu Jinnan’s normal voice, but lowered slightly, and Shen Shu, surprised, detected a hint of… flirtation.
And she found it strangely endearing.
The box, small and rectangular, had been presented with a serious, almost reverent expression.
Shen Shu untied the ribbon and opened it.
She froze.
“What is it?” Xu Jinnan asked, turning to look, then chuckled. “No wonder the manager said you would like it. He must have overheard our conversation and thought…” She paused, deliberately leaving the sentence unfinished, wanting to dispel the awkwardness from earlier.
“Thought what?” Shen Shu asked instinctively, then, realizing what she had said, looked at Xu Jinnan, a playful glint in her eyes. “You better watch out,” she said, mimicking Xu Jinnan’s teasing tone. She took the riding crop from the box, twirling it between her fingers, then lightly tapped it against the leather car seat.
The soft thud against the leather, strangely reminiscent of the sound of flesh against flesh, made Xu Jinnan’s heart skip a beat.
“You might end up on the receiving end of this,” Shen Shu finished, her voice calm.
Xu Jinnan: “…”
She realized they needed to communicate more effectively.
She had simply been about to say, …that you had a… unique hobby.
She hadn’t expected such a suggestive comment from Shen Shu.
She couldn’t respond to that.
—
As they approached Shen Shu’s apartment, Cai Ying sent a message in the group chat, asking what they were doing, along with a funny video.
Shen Shu replied that they were just returning from the riding stable.
Cai Ying: [How was it?! Was it fun?]
Shen Shu, remembering the kiss on horseback, her lips suddenly feeling dry, looked down at her phone as Xu Jinnan locked the car doors.
Shen Shu: [Yes, it was fun.]
Cai Ying: [Did you see my little pony?]
Shen Shu: [Yes, it’s adorable.]
Xu Jinnan, walking over to Shen Shu’s side, also took out her phone. [Small and cute, just like you.]
Cai Ying: [? Are you calling me short? How am I short? Explain yourself! Do you have a conscience? Give me back my VIP card!]
Cai Ying: [@Xu Jinnan You ungrateful, backstabbing, two-faced, opportunistic, treacherous woman!]
Xu Jinnan: [… facepalm emoji]
Xu Jinnan chuckled. “This child has quite the vocabulary.”
Shen Shu glanced at her. “You’re a child too,” she retorted.
Xu Jinnan: “?”
Excuse me?
—
Upstairs, Xu Jinnan mentioned Chen Bo’s birthday banquet.
“The Cai family usually attends as well,” she said, closing the door.
“Cai Ying won’t be going. She dislikes these kinds of events, just like me,” Shen Shu replied, taking off her shoes, her hand briefly resting on her knee as she bent down.
Xu Jinnan, noticing her slight wince as she changed her shoes, asked, “Are your legs sore?”
“A little,” Shen Shu admitted. She had started feeling it after dismounting, her thighs slightly achy.
“It’s probably from riding for so long. It might be worse tomorrow. A hot bath will help,” Xu Jinnan said.
Shen Shu nodded. “Don’t you feel it too?”
“I do,” Xu Jinnan admitted.
This body wasn’t used to exercise, especially horseback riding, and she had been tense the entire time, focusing on controlling the horse and making sure Shen Shu was comfortable.
Her legs were also sore, but not as much as Shen Shu’s, who was a beginner.
Xu Jinnan told Shen Shu to shower first, then sat down on the sofa, catching up on messages and waiting.
It was 9 p.m.
Chen Yue still hadn’t called, and the memory of Wang Zheng disappearing made her slightly anxious.
She could still hear occasional noises from outside, and the distant hum of traffic. She looked out the window at the bright neon lights of the city, one of them suddenly flickering and going out.
Her phone vibrated in her hand.
—
Shen Shu had just finished her shower and turned off the water when she heard Xu Jinnan’s voice from outside the bathroom.
“Shu Shu, I have to go out for a bit. Get some rest,” she said.
Shen Shu frowned slightly. “Where are you going?”
“To meet Chen Yue. I might be late. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow,” Xu Jinnan replied.
Shen Shu got dressed, the living room lights still on. Xu Jinnan had told her she had asked Chen Yue to continue searching for Wang Zheng.
She felt a pang of worry for Xu Jinnan.
Would she find the answers she was looking for tonight?
What secrets would she uncover?
—
Xu Jinnan drove to the train station, and a few minutes later, Chen Yue got into the car, his face grim.
“CEO Xu,” he said, knowing the importance of this matter.
He handed her two photos, printed on old, slightly yellowed paper, covered in handwritten notes and numbers. She glanced at them, recognizing Xu Tao and Lu Yun’s names, then put them away.
“CEO Xu, I haven’t looked at them,” Chen Yue said quickly, assuring her.
It was the truth; he was just doing his job, not looking for trouble.
“Go home. Send me your bank account information,” Xu Jinnan said.
After he left, she drove to a more secluded area and took out the photos again.
They seemed to be candid shots taken by Wang Zheng, the paper old and faded, the images grainy and low-resolution, like something from an old newspaper.
But the handwritten notes were still legible.
The car’s interior lights weren’t bright enough, so she turned on her phone’s flashlight, the bright beam illuminating the faded ink.
The first photo showed a date at the top – the year Xu Tao and Lu Yun were married.
The first entry was about Xu Tao – Alpha, S-class, blood type, birth date and time, down to the second, and his Bazi chart, the level of detail astonishing.
The second entry:
Suitable Mates: Six.
Six names followed, each one an S-class Omega, some newly differentiated, others not, their information as detailed as Xu Tao’s, with an additional entry – Compatibility Level.
The lowest was 60%.
The highest, 95%.
And the 95% match belonged to Lu Yun.
Newly differentiated, high compatibility, excellent genetic match.
Xu Jinnan took a deep breath, then noticed an additional note next to Lu Yun’s name, enclosed in parentheses.
(Note: Close relative within three generations of the Xu family.)