Chapter Thirteen: Are You Really That Desperate for a Man?

Shen Ruizhang strode in and dragged the person in front of him.

Seeing Shen Ruizhang’s dark expression, Jiang Yunzhu immediately felt a sense of foreboding. She looked at him uneasily and forced a stiff smile. “Uncle, why are you here?”

Seeing her so frightened, Song Shuheng immediately became wary, fixing his gaze on Shen Ruizhang without moving. “Let go of Yunzhou right now!”

Hearing his outburst, a chill flashed in Shen Ruizhang’s eyes as he glanced at Song Shuheng with contempt.

“Has Song Corporation’s flight route approval come through?”

Song Shuheng’s expression changed instantly.

“Uncle!” Jiang Yunzhu called out anxiously, “I’ve just finished eating. Let’s go home.”

Noticing the worry in her eyes, Shen Ruizhang felt a twinge of displeasure. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her tightly against himself, leaned down so their eyes met, and the heat of his breath, tinged with his scent, brushed across her face.

Jiang Yunzhu instinctively wanted to step back.

Sensing her rejection, a faint scowl crossed Shen Ruizhang’s brow, and a cold shadow quickly passed over his face.

“Let her go!” Song Shuheng shouted, rolling up his sleeves, ready to lunge forward.

Shen Ruizhang’s gaze swept past Song Shuheng indifferently, quickly returning to Jiang Yunzhu, as if Song Shuheng wasn’t worth his attention.

He spoke with a casual reminder, “Has the ship Song Corporation is about to deliver been built as well?”

Song Shuheng immediately froze.

He glared at Shen Ruizhang in frustration, his aura significantly diminished. “I was only having a meal with Yunzhou—nothing more.”

Jiang Yunzhu quickly stepped in front of Song Shuheng, lowering her voice in explanation. “Uncle, I was just having a simple meal with Shuheng. Nothing else.”

Shen Ruizhang gave a short, derisive laugh.

If anything had really happened between the two, Song Shuheng wouldn’t be standing there unharmed.

Suddenly, something occurred to Song Shuheng and he gave a meaningful, ambiguous smile. “You’re just Old Master Shen’s adopted son, aren’t you? But I hear the real heir of the Shen family has returned to the capital. Can you really keep your position as president?”

How cold it was then! The temperature seemed to plummet in that moment.

Jiang Yunzhu felt as though a giant hand was squeezing her heart, making it hard to breathe. She glanced nervously at Shen Ruizhang, who exuded a natural aura of authority, and shook her head at Song Shuheng, silently warning him to stop talking.

What Shen Ruizhang despised most was being compared to the legitimate line of the Shen family. Even if the true heir had returned, Shen Ruizhang still called the shots in the domestic Shen Corporation. The mighty dragon from afar could hardly suppress the local serpent—especially when this local “serpent” was a real dragon in his own right.

Shen Ruizhang’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. If things escalated further, the Song family might truly be finished.

Jiang Yunzhu shivered; her unease grew. She pleaded again, “Uncle, let’s go.”

Shen Ruizhang glanced down at her and sneered, “Is this the man you’ve chosen? Are you really so desperate for a man?”

Her face went deathly pale at his words.

Song Shuheng, incensed, grabbed a wine bottle and hurled it at Shen Ruizhang.

Shen Ruizhang caught it effortlessly, set it on the table, and looked at Song Shuheng coolly.

Song Shuheng, subdued by his overwhelming presence, swallowed involuntarily, his voice trembling. “What… what do you want?”

Without answering, Shen Ruizhang released his gaze, grabbed Jiang Yunzhu, and started to walk out.

“Hey!” Song Shuheng chased after them, shouting at Shen Ruizhang’s back, “You only know how to bully women—what kind of man are you?”

Shen Ruizhang turned and fixed him with a cold stare.

Song Shuheng immediately lost his nerve and dared not make another move.

With a dismissive laugh, Shen Ruizhang continued walking out.

At the villa.

He pressed her against the wall, lifting one leg between hers while raising her hands high above her head with his other hand.

Facing those fathomless black eyes, Jiang Yunzhu’s heart tightened. She spoke anxiously, “Uncle, let me go.”

Shen Ruizhang leaned in.

In an instant, his forceful cool scent enveloped her, invading every cell in her body.

His hot breath brushed her ear as he spoke in a low voice, “Desperate for a man, are you?”

She trembled again, instinctively shaking her head.

He lowered his head, gazing into her misty eyes, and couldn’t help but kiss her.

He scooped her up and carried her inside, throwing her onto the bed.

In the dim light, Shen Ruizhang shrugged off his suit jacket, revealing the black shirt beneath. His sculpted abs showed faintly under the fabric.

Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and powerful muscles in his arms exuded allure from every angle.

He half-knelt on the bed, his well-defined hand cupping her small face that fit perfectly in his palm. “Are you really so desperate? Even that kind of man would do?”

Feeling the danger closing in, cold sweat beaded on Jiang Yunzhu’s forehead.

“No…”

Her soft murmur did nothing to restore Shen Ruizhang’s reason; the heat and possessiveness in his eyes only grew stronger.

Click—

He undid his belt with one hand and tossed it carelessly to the floor.

Realizing what he intended, panic gave way to obvious hatred in Jiang Yunzhu’s eyes.

What did he take her for?

“Shen Ruizhang, if you dare touch me, I’ll die right here!”

With that, she pulled a fruit knife from under the pillow and pressed it to her neck.

Seeing her suddenly brandish a fruit knife, Shen Ruizhang frowned. “Why do you have something so dangerous in your bed?”

She gave a bitter laugh. “Why do you think? Aren’t you the one who knows best?”

A memory he had tried to forget resurfaced.

Looking at her again, Shen Ruizhang’s gaze grew complicated.

He straightened, looking down at her from above. “Get some rest.”

With those words, he turned and left the room without a backward glance.

Outside the door.

Shen Ruizhang slammed a fist into the wall, his eyes full of frustration.

What was it about Jiang Yunzhu…

Why did he react that way?

No, it must be because he’d been overworked lately—just a hallucination.

Buzz—

Shen Ruizhang took out his phone. Seeing it was his nephew who had just returned to the country, his expression immediately grew serious.

Nightfall Bar.

Shen Ruizhang found the private room. As soon as he entered, he saw only one person in the spacious suite.

The man sat upright, holding a glass of whisky with elegant poise, as if savoring a rare vintage.

Hearing the sound, he lifted his head. Those black eyes, which seemed to see through everything, locked onto Shen Ruizhang.

He was like a monarch from ancient times, seated firmly on his throne, looking down on his subjects with disdain.

His brows were sharp as if painted in ink, his deep eyes as sharp as a falcon’s, with irises that were a striking brown.

His chiseled features held a faint, chilling aura. Though even more handsome than the male celebrities in showbiz, he was not someone you could stare at; to do so felt almost sacrilegious.

Suppressing his unease, Shen Ruizhang walked over and sat beside him.

Shen Tingxiao set a glass of whisky in front of him. “I’ve heard abroad that you’ve managed the company well, Uncle. I came to see you as soon as I returned. You don’t mind, do you?”

Shen Ruizhang took the glass, clinked it with his, and replied with a smile and a shake of his head. “I’m glad you’re back. Are you planning to stay here long-term?”

“We’ll see. I haven’t decided yet. But I heard you stood up a few executives today—did something happen?”

After speaking, Shen Tingxiao turned to look at him. His black eyes were utterly emotionless, yet deeply intimidating.

Shen Ruizhang’s throat felt dry; he took another sip of whiskey.

It seemed everything about him was under Shen Tingxiao’s surveillance, and he’d never realized.

Shen Tingxiao was the legitimate child of the Shen family, known as the family’s crown prince. At eighteen, he’d already subdued several centuries-old aristocratic families. Now, whether in Europe or North America, his word carried weight.

With just a few words, he could easily determine the fate of a head of state.

Facing such a man, master of both legal and underworld forces, even the formidable Shen Ruizhang felt a sense of dread.

He forced a casual smile. “It was nothing, just a child at home being disobedient. But you—do you want to visit the company tomorrow?”

Shen Tingxiao nodded without hesitation.

“As it happens, I’m quite interested in your employee Sang Bai. I hear someone in the company is being maliciously suppressed? With your management style, Uncle, if the family finds out, they won’t be pleased.”

Shen Ruizhang immediately frowned, then surreptitiously studied this inscrutable man before him.

Why was he so interested in Sang Bai?

Could it be…