Category: Captivating Beauty

Chapter 50 p2

It was past breakfast time, but knowing Xu Jinnan’s sleeping habits, no one had disturbed them.

They got ready and went downstairs.

As Shen Shu was hurrying to leave, Xu Jinnan, worried she might get hungry, went to the kitchen to pack a couple of pastries for her. She overheard the servants gossiping about the original Xu Jinnan’s past, calling her a disgrace.

She didn’t have time for their judgment.

Xu Yincheng saw them to the door.

He gestured for Xu Jinnan to step aside, wanting to speak to her privately, so Shen Shu went to the car first.

“Even if I protect you, I can’t be by your side all the time. My work is sensitive, and I’m often away for months. I can’t always be there for you,” he said, his voice turning cold. “I only found out about the Yin Xue incident after it happened. You have to be more careful.”

Xu Jinnan, used to Xu Tao and Lu Yun’s fake concern, felt a twinge of awkwardness at his genuine worry.

“I’m fine. The Yin Xue incident is… over,” she said.

The news hadn’t reached North City, thanks to Li Lan’s intervention. She wondered if Xu Yincheng had heard about it from her.

“It’s not over for her. She’ll never get out,” he said, his voice laced with a chilling ruthlessness. Last night’s conversation between Xu Tao and Lu Yun had confirmed his protectiveness towards the original Xu Jinnan.

But she couldn’t understand why.

Did he know about the abuse she had suffered? Had she ever told him?

Or did he also know about the Qucheng secret, and as part of the Xu family, was he pretending to be ignorant to protect their reputation?

She hoped not. So far, he was the only decent person in the Xu family.

She changed the subject. “Does Li Lan know you’re back? She asked me to tell you to contact her.”

“Yes, I know,” he replied, then paused. “I talked to her.”

“She’s a good person,” Xu Jinnan commented.

Xu Yincheng smiled. “My little sister has changed. You’ve matured. It’s good. I used to worry about your friends, always wanting to get rid of them, afraid they would be a bad influence on you.”

“…” With the original Xu Jinnan’s personality, who was influencing whom was debatable.

“I don’t know Shen Shu well yet, but she seems decent,” he continued.

“As long as you like her,” Xu Jinnan replied.

“Exactly.”

“I’m leaving tonight. I don’t know when I’ll be back. But I’ll call you as soon as I can. If anything happens that you can’t handle, don’t be reckless. Wait for me. I’ll take care of it.”

“…Okay.”

He sounded more and more like a good person.

Not wanting to keep Shen Shu waiting, Xu Jinnan got into the car and left.

–

After they left, Xu Yincheng strolled over to the fishpond in the backyard and gestured slightly. A male Beta servant hurried over, his face pale.

“Young Master, what can I do for you…?”

Xu Yincheng took out a cigarette, and his female bodyguard immediately lit it for him. He took a drag, then asked, “Did you call my sister a ‘disgrace’ earlier?”

“I… I didn’t,” the servant stammered.

Xu Yincheng’s lips curved into a cold smile. He glanced at his male bodyguard, who, understanding the silent command, kicked the servant into the pond.

“Fish him out in ten minutes,” Xu Yincheng said, turning and walking away, his cigarette still burning.

–

After dropping Shen Shu off at the studio, Xu Jinnan called Professor Qin, intending to give him the powder from the box, but he said he was leaving for an international conference and wouldn’t be back for a few days.

She decided to keep it for now.

She didn’t know what it was, but the original Xu Jinnan’s cryptic message – the end – was ominous.

It was clearly something important, something she had kept hidden for a reason. Giving it to someone else could be dangerous.

She would wait for Professor Qin’s return.

–

At the office, there was nothing urgent, just a report from the property manager about a film crew wanting to rent space in the building.

Xu Jinnan said it was fine as long as it didn’t disturb the other tenants, the price was reasonable, and the schedule was flexible.

Perhaps because Shen Shu was now in the entertainment industry, she felt a certain fondness for film crews.

That afternoon, she messaged Shen Shu, asking if she needed a ride home.

They hadn’t had a chance to discuss last night’s events yet, and she owed Shen Shu an explanation.

A few minutes later:

Shen Shu: [No need. Having dinner with the studio staff tonight.]

Xu Jinnan: [Okay. Will someone drive you?]

Shen Shu: [We have a van.]

Oh, right. Tong Jia had arranged a van for Shen Shu.

Xu Jinnan: [Be careful.]

Shen Shu: [Okay.]

–

That evening, Tong Jia had a little too much to drink. She was in an unusually bad mood, having even preemptively arranged her work schedule for the next day to accommodate this drinking session.

She grabbed Shen Shu’s arm. “Shu Shu, I’m really not feeling myself today.”

Shen Shu, still not entirely comfortable with such casual intimacy, didn’t pull away, seeing Tong Jia’s distress. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

Tong Jia sighed, glancing at the others in the room, then lowered her voice, the words slurred slightly. “Qiao Rui and I had a fight. About sex… She hasn’t touched me in ages. You know how important physical intimacy is in a relationship.”

Shen Shu: “…Oh.”

She didn’t know what to say.

She couldn’t exactly tell Tong Jia she wasn’t very experienced in that department either.

“Let me ask you something. Be honest,” Tong Jia said.

“Go ahead.”

“How do you and Teacher Xu keep things fresh?”

Shen Shu: “…”

She took a sip of her drink. “We just… maintain things normally.”

“Ah, newlyweds are different. Teacher Xu said the same thing,” Tong Jia said, taking a swig of beer. “She even teased me, saying I was being demanding. I didn’t tell her we haven’t even… Don’t tell her, okay? And she said I shouldn’t be thinking about it all the time…”

She slammed her hand on the table, startling the others.

She burped loudly.

“…” Shen Shu gently pushed her beer glass away. “You’ve had too much to drink. You should go home.”

“Easy for her to say!” Tong Jia exclaimed, as if she hadn’t heard Shen Shu’s words. “Don’t couples think about that? What does she mean, ‘all the time’?”

Shen Shu, unsure why she was even asking, said, “Think about what?”

“Thinking about kissing her, wanting to sleep with her! Don’t you feel that way about Teacher Xu? Don’t you want to kiss her, make love to her?”

Shen Shu: “…”

She took two more sips of her beer, the low alcohol content not affecting her much, but her mind felt strangely blank.

Tong Jia, despite drinking more, hadn’t thrown up. Shen Shu took her phone and called Qiao Rui, but the call went straight to voicemail.

She tried again, and this time, Qiao Rui answered, her tone slightly annoyed, probably due to their fight. “What is it? I told you I have a late class tonight.”

“It’s Shen Shu.”

“Oh, Miss Shen. Why are you calling? Where’s Jia Jia?”

Shen Shu briefly explained the situation, and after a moment of silence, Qiao Rui said, “But I’m still in class. Could you possibly take her home?”

Shen Shu didn’t argue.

–

After dropping Tong Jia off, Shen Shu returned home to find Xu Jinnan watching TV, her laptop on her lap, her legs crossed.

“Tong Jia isn’t very good at being an agent, is she? Taking her artist out drinking and getting drunk herself. How unprofessional,” Xu Jinnan commented, her tone half-joking, the corners of her lips curving upwards in a faint smile.

“How do you know she’s drunk?” Shen Shu asked, changing her shoes.

Xu Jinnan stood up and went to the kitchen island, washing a bunch of grapes. “She sent a series of voice messages. Completely incoherent. Drunk as a skunk,” she replied.

“She and Qiao Rui had a fight,” Shen Shu said.

“No wonder…”

Xu Jinnan placed the grapes on a plate, then started cutting a mango. “Do you want to eat first, or take a shower?”

“Shower first.”

“Okay.”

As Shen Shu emerged from the bedroom with her pajamas, she glanced at the kitchen and froze.

Xu Jinnan, holding half a mango, her slender fingers expertly slicing the flesh into cubes, then popping them into her mouth with her thumb, her lips parted slightly, her tongue tracing the sweetness of the fruit.

The image was unexpectedly sensual.

Their eyes met, and Xu Jinnan swallowed the mango, casually wiping her mouth with her fingertip, a playful smile on her lips. “Miss Shen, staring at me like that, I might think you have feelings for me.”

Shen Shu’s gaze shifted from the glistening mango to Xu Jinnan’s lips. “What if I do?”

Xu Jinnan: “…”

Chapter 50 p1

Xu Jinnan’s mind went blank.

The lights in the room flicked on, and she stared into Shen Shu’s startled eyes, beautiful and mesmerizing, the lingering warmth of her lips soft and distinct.

For a moment, she forgot their precarious situation.

Her breath hitched, and she tilted her head back slightly, creating a small distance between them.

Then, Shen Shu’s eyelashes fluttered, and seeing the curtain shift slightly, she instinctively grabbed Xu Jinnan’s hand and pulled her closer.

Their lips met again…

Unlike the previous fleeting touch, Xu Jinnan’s lips were slightly parted, and she could feel the soft fullness of Shen Shu’s.

Her throat tightened, the involuntary swallow audible in the quiet room.

They both froze.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Xu Tao’s voice said, snapping them back to reality. Xu Jinnan, her nerves on edge, quickly pulled away from Shen Shu.

She held Shen Shu’s gaze for a moment, then, hearing footsteps approaching, quickly looked away, straining her ears, her heart pounding.

Xu Tao simply opened the safe, took something out, then put it back.

After a long silence, a knock came at the door.

“Dad?”

It was Xu Li.

Xu Tao opened the door.

“Dad, it’s so late. Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Xu Tao tapped a document on his desk, his brow furrowed. “Xiaoli, come here. Let’s talk about the North District project.” He briefly explained his decision to give Xu Jinnan half of the land.

“What?!” Xu Li exclaimed. “How could he do that?! That idiot Xu Jinnan can’t handle such a big project! If she messes it up, the authorities will never trust us with anything important again! Dad, didn’t you explain the situation to my brother?”

“He insisted. Arrange it tomorrow,” Xu Tao said.

“But…”

“It’s settled,” he said firmly, closing the document. His mood had soured.

Xu Li bit her lip, suppressing her frustration. “Brother is giving Xu Jinnan everything. Is he planning to give her the company too?” she asked, her voice tight.

Xu Tao looked at her. “I know what you’re thinking. It’s good to be ambitious. Don’t worry, she’ll never inherit the company. No matter how much power your brother has, I built the Xu Corporation…”

After Xu Li left, Xu Tao sat at his desk for a while, completely unaware of the two people hidden behind the curtains.

—

Xu Jinnan was in agony.

She stood with her feet on either side of Shen Shu, her body almost pressed against hers, their proximity intensified by their earlier embrace.

Their breaths mingled, their faces inches apart.

Even taking a deep breath was difficult.

The slightest movement would brush against the curtains.

She held herself rigid, afraid of getting even closer, though they were already incredibly close… Her neck, stiff and aching, was trapped between the wall and Shen Shu’s head.

Shen Shu was equally uncomfortable. Xu Jinnan was taller, and besides the physical closeness, her warm breath on Shen Shu’s skin was sending shivers down her spine.

She wondered if Xu Jinnan had noticed her flushed face and burning earlobes.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl.

After about fifteen minutes, not only did Xu Tao show no signs of leaving, but Lu Yun entered the study as well.

The aroma of coffee filled the room.

Xu Jinnan: “…”

With coffee involved, this could take at least half an hour.

She glanced down, relieved that Shen Shu could lean against the wall, easing their awkward position slightly.

“You’re losing control of your daughter,” Lu Yun said, placing a cup of coffee on Xu Tao’s desk, her expression impassive. “Is it my fault, or yours? If you hadn’t almost hit her that day, I wouldn’t have had to throw her phone away, and she wouldn’t still be angry with me.”

Xu Tao’s anger flared. He slammed his hand on the desk and stood up. “Don’t you dare speak to me like that! You’ve lost control of her ever since that ridiculous marriage! You were so confident, claiming it was just a game, a way to keep her happy and prevent her from going off the rails. And now? Look at her. She doesn’t even respect you anymore.”

“That’s not true! I underestimated the situation, but why did I agree to the marriage in the first place? Besides letting her vent her frustrations, it was also for the Xu family!” Lu Yun retorted. “And I haven’t even confronted her about secretly investigating the Qucheng accounts.”

“You dare confront her?” Lu Yun sneered. “If those shady dealings come to light, the entire Xu family will be ruined. Besides, with Xu Yincheng protecting her… do you really dare?”

Xu Tao narrowed his eyes. “What? Now that your daughter has a backer, you think you’re invincible too?”

“I’m just reminding you that what belongs to Nannan will always belong to Nannan. Next time you try to give her things to Xu Li, think about whether Xu Yincheng will allow it.”

Xu Tao swept the cup of coffee off the desk, the liquid splashing onto the floor.

“You bitch! Who are you trying to fool? Acting like a loving mother?” He grabbed Lu Yun by the throat. “You think I don’t know what you’re planning? You think securing Nannan’s future will secure yours? Putting on a virtuous facade, using your own daughter as a shield? Lu Yun, if Nannan remembers the time you made her take a beating for you, do you think she’ll ever forgive you?”

Lu Yun’s face paled.

Xu Tao, seeing her fear, felt a surge of satisfaction. “Think about what she said to you on your birthday. Do you think she remembers now?”

“Impossible! She was only three! How could she possibly remember?!” Lu Yun exclaimed, then, as if regretting her outburst, shook her head. “I didn’t use her as a shield! It wasn’t intentional! If you hadn’t…”

Xu Tao was pleased with her reaction, her denial only fueling his anger. “You know you’re no better than the rest of the Xu family, don’t you?”

Behind the curtains, Shen Shu frowned, glancing up at Xu Jinnan.

Sensing her gaze, Xu Jinnan looked down, meeting Shen Shu’s eyes, which were filled with anger and concern.

Her own brow furrowed, a wave of fury rising within her.

She had lost all hope for Lu Yun after the birthday incident.

But she hadn’t expected this, that Lu Yun had actually used her own child as a human shield.

Their conversation filled Xu Jinnan with disgust.

Did these people even deserve to be called parents? Even animals protected their young.

If it weren’t for their current situation, she would have slapped them both.

Three years old.

She couldn’t remember anything from when she was three.

But she didn’t know if the original Xu Jinnan remembered, having never experienced such trauma herself.

The memories of abuse victims were different from those of ordinary people.

Xu Jinnan closed her eyes, a decision hardening within her – she would make them pay.

The conversation continued for a few more minutes.

Both her body and mind were in agony, her neck stiff and aching… and they showed no signs of leaving.

Shen Shu’s hand suddenly squeezed hers, then moved slightly, a subtle gesture.

Xu Jinnan looked at her for a moment, then slowly lowered her head, resting her forehead against Shen Shu’s. Their skin was hot, damp with sweat.

As Xu Jinnan leaned in, Shen Shu’s eyelashes fluttered against her cheek.

Her back didn’t touch the curtains, but the lace trim of her pajama top brushed against the fabric, a barely perceptible movement, like a ripple on a still lake.

Xu Jinnan didn’t notice, but Shen Shu stiffened.

Just then, Xu Tao said, “Close the window. It’s time for bed.” He gave Lu Yun a cold look, then stood up and put the documents back in the safe.

Hearing his words, and seeing the panic in Shen Shu’s eyes, Xu Jinnan’s heart pounded.

The sweat on their foreheads mingled.

She steeled herself, deciding to make a run for it if they were discovered.

She heard Xu Tao’s footsteps retreating, then a long silence, followed by the clinking of glass as Lu Yun picked up the cup and walked towards the window…

Xu Jinnan squeezed Shen Shu’s hand reassuringly. Then, the curtains parted, and Lu Yun stood beside them, so close they could see her hand reaching for the window latch.

There was a small gap in the window.

Lu Yun quickly closed it, drew the curtains, and left the study, the room falling silent again.

They didn’t move, waiting for a few minutes to make sure she wouldn’t return, then emerged from behind the curtains.

“Go back to the room,” Xu Jinnan whispered.

“Stop wasting time. What are you looking for? I’ll help you,” Shen Shu replied.

Xu Jinnan: “…” Miss Shen can be quite assertive sometimes.

“A key, hidden under one of the drawers,” she said.

Without another word, Xu Jinnan opened the remaining drawers, and Shen Shu, seeing her searching under them, started checking the others.

A minute later, Shen Shu pulled something out from under a drawer. “This?”

—

Like the locked box, the key was custom-made.

Back in Xu Jinnan’s room, she checked the time. Almost 3 a.m.

“Can you tell me what this is about now?” Shen Shu asked. After overhearing their conversation in the study, she had a feeling this was related to Xu Jinnan’s parents.

“Shu Shu, not now. I don’t even know how to explain it…” Xu Jinnan said, looking at Shen Shu, her gaze lingering on a damp strand of hair clinging to her forehead. “I need to find something. Something this key unlocks.”

“Don’t keep secrets from me,” Shen Shu said firmly.

“I’ll tell you everything once I figure it out, okay?”

Shen Shu nodded. “I’ll help you look.”

Xu Jinnan smiled faintly. “Okay, but aren’t you tired?”

“Very. That’s why we have to hurry,” Shen Shu replied, wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

Xu Jinnan took a tissue from the desk and gently wiped Shen Shu’s forehead, her eyes meeting Shen Shu’s. Her hand was damp with sweat, and the memory of their close proximity in the study, the tension and the strange mix of emotions, the warmth on her lips and the fluttering in her chest, resurfaced.

Shen Shu took the tissue from her. “Let’s start looking,” she said.

Not knowing what they were looking for, they started with the most obvious places, checking every piece of furniture in the room.

Twenty minutes later, frustrated and exhausted, Xu Jinnan’s gaze fell on the large painting of a back on the wall.

It wasn’t painted directly onto the wall, but framed.

“You think it’s behind the painting?” Shen Shu asked. “It’s too big, and if the key unlocks something, it must be a box of some sort.” It wouldn’t fit.

Xu Jinnan examined the frame. “It’s not that difficult. I’ve seen this type of frame before, on construction sites. It’s secured from the center, like a pivot. With a little force, you can swing it open.” The fact that the original Xu Jinnan had kept the key separate, and hadn’t hidden it in the secret room, meant this was even more important than the locked box.

There was likely another hidden compartment in the room.

She pushed against the frame, and Shen Shu joined her.

The heavy frame shifted slightly, and as the corner moved away from the wall, Xu Jinnan saw a small, rough opening, a few centimeters wide.

A small box, just large enough to fit a fist, was hidden inside. The key fit perfectly.

Inside, a small packet of white powder…

And nothing else.

The original Xu Jinnan had been fond of writing, judging by the messages Xu Jinnan had seen.

She had expected to find something more, but there was nothing.

She opened the packet. It wasn’t a drug; they wouldn’t hide drugs here. She put it in her bag, intending to ask Professor Qin about it tomorrow.

—

After showering and finally lying down in bed, it was almost 4 a.m.

Xu Jinnan turned on her side, facing Shen Shu, her voice hoarse from lack of sleep. “Go to sleep. We’ll talk about this tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay.”

After a few seconds, Xu Jinnan lay back down, exhaustion washing over her, and quickly fell asleep.

Shen Shu was also tired, but she couldn’t sleep.

Her mind replayed the disturbing conversation between Lu Yun and Xu Tao. She had suspected Xu Jinnan’s seemingly perfect life wasn’t as idyllic as it appeared, but hearing such things from her own parents was different…

Some people didn’t deserve to be called parents.

She listened to Xu Jinnan’s heavy breathing, then turned over, her eyes adjusting to the darkness, and saw the furrow in Xu Jinnan’s brow. She always had bad dreams.

Shen Shu’s heart ached. She didn’t like seeing Xu Jinnan like this. The Xu Jinnan she knew was confident and assertive, sometimes carefree and reckless, other times warm and sincere.

Like her pheromones, she should be like the sun.

She reached out, her warm fingertips gently smoothing out the wrinkles on Xu Jinnan’s forehead.

After a moment, Xu Jinnan’s expression, instead of relaxing, became more troubled, and she grabbed Shen Shu’s hand, pulling it down to her chest.

Shen Shu’s palm landed on something soft.

Shen Shu: “…”

She instinctively tried to pull away, but Xu Jinnan, lost in her dream, tightened her grip.

Shen Shu’s heart raced. She looked at Xu Jinnan’s face, which had relaxed slightly, and bit her lip. This person was truly a restless sleeper.

—

Since Shen Shu had to go to the studio, Xu Jinnan woke up with her at 8 a.m., her head throbbing.

After washing her face, she looked at her tired reflection in the mirror as Shen Shu entered the bathroom to wash her hands.

“If you’re not busy this afternoon, go home and get some rest,” Xu Jinnan said, wiping her face.

Shen Shu’s face was also pale, her eyes bloodshot.

As she was drying her hands, about to leave, she turned to Xu Jinnan. “Are you always this restless in your sleep?”

“…?” Xu Jinnan thought about it. She had been fine when she woke up this morning, the blanket still between them, no signs of having crossed any boundaries. “What did I do? Nothing much, right?”

Shen Shu looked at her. “No, nothing much.”

Xu Jinnan relaxed, then heard Shen Shu’s calm voice. “You just talked in your sleep.”

I did? “What did I say?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

Shen Shu seemed to enjoy her curiosity, pausing for a moment before leaving the bathroom. “You said… you had good stamina,” she said, her voice flat.

Xu Jinnan: “…”

She had had a strange dream last night. It had started with a plate of pumpkin pie she didn’t want to eat, pushing it away with a frown. She had been very tired in the dream and had fallen asleep on the sofa. Then, the scene had shifted, and Shen Shu had emerged from the bathroom, holding black lace lingerie.

She had asked Xu Jinnan, her voice slightly accusatory, if she had touched it.

Xu Jinnan had denied it, but Shen Shu’s expression had changed, and she had placed the lingerie in Xu Jinnan’s lap, saying it was a gift.

Shen Shu’s hand had brushed against hers, the atmosphere charged with tension, and then they had… kissed.

At the end of the dream, Xu Jinnan had been on top of Shen Shu, about to take things further, when she had suddenly felt too tired, lacking the energy.

Shen Shu had sneered, as if saying, I knew you were no good.

Xu Jinnan had been indignant, protesting, then…

She couldn’t remember the rest.

It had been a bizarre dream.

Perhaps sensing her silence, Shen Shu turned back, looking at her intently. “What did you dream about?”

“…Nothing,” Xu Jinnan mumbled.

“Really?”

“Yes, yes,” she replied quickly, then started applying moisturizer to her face, changing the subject. “Oh, right, my brother wants your autograph. For his colleague. There’s some paper on the desk. Can you sign it for him?”

Shen Shu knew she was trying to distract her, but she played along.

“Your brother’s colleague?” She thought about Xu Yincheng.

He had an intimidating presence; his colleagues were likely similar. Asking for an autograph… She paused, a strange feeling settling over her.

“Everyone in that family is a little odd. You’ll get used to it,” Xu Jinnan said.

It was true. “You’re odd too,” Shen Shu said.

“How so?”

“Your sleep-talking is odd.”

Xu Jinnan: “…” Why are we back to this?

…