Chapter Six: Did You Really Think You Were Mr. Shen's Favorite?

Zhou Qingfei, standing nearby, flickered with a hint of unease in her gaze and spoke cautiously, “It’s all my fault. I just thought Zhuzhou has such a great figure, so I took it upon myself to prepare that dress. Ah Rui, if you’re angry, be angry at me.”
A trace of coldness flashed through Shen Ruizhang’s eyes as he looked at her.
“You meant well.”
As he finished speaking, someone bowed and greeted him warmly.
He then introduced Zhou Qingfei to the crowd.
Jiang Yunzhu was left standing alone, forgotten.
She could feel the weight of many unfriendly stares.
This was something she had never experienced before.
At that moment, Zhao Ke approached with a glass of red wine.
“Care for a drink?”
Jiang Yunzhu stepped back, her face darkening. “Zhao Ke, don’t forget my uncle’s warning.”
“Hah!”
Instead of anger, Zhao Ke laughed.
He gestured toward Shen Ruizhang, who was busy introducing Zhou Qingfei to his connections.
“See? The real one is back. Did you think you were still the apple of President Shen’s eye?”
Faced with this scene, Jiang Yunzhu instinctively looked away.
Seeing this, Zhao Ke sneered again.
“How does it feel? Regret turning me down all those years ago? If you have a drink with me now, maybe I’ll be generous enough to keep you as my lover.”
“In your dreams!”
“Don’t know what’s good for you!” Zhao Ke splashed the red wine at her. “You’re just a stand-in, yet you really think you’re someone important? Pure and innocent? Who would believe that?”
“You’ve been with President Jiang for so long—he must be sick of you by now, right?”
The red wine soaked her dress, spreading in a wide patch, hinting at the allure beneath.
Jiang Yunzhu instinctively looked toward Shen Ruizhang.
Hearing the commotion, Shen Ruizhang glanced over.
Seeing Jiang Yunzhu in distress, he walked over without thinking.
He took off his jacket and draped it over Jiang Yunzhu’s shoulders, his gaze sharp as he looked at Zhao Ke.
Zhao Ke shuddered in disbelief, unable to withstand the oppressive aura, and stammered, “She was the one who flirted with me.”
Jiang Yunzhu’s eyes were rimmed with red.
Shen Ruizhang’s expression grew even darker.

Unable to endure the suffocating pressure any longer, Zhao Ke looked at Zhou Qingfei in desperation.
Finally, Zhou Qingfei spoke, “Ah Rui, you should let Zhuzhou handle this herself. If you’re not by her side next time and she faces something like this, what will she do? She’s not a child anymore—are you going to take care of her for the rest of her life?”
“Even if you’re willing, she might not be. She’ll have to marry someone else eventually…”
Shen Ruizhang’s face froze for a moment.
“Ah Rui, I just saw Director Ji. I heard he’s casting for the female lead in his next movie. Shall we go over and take a look?” Zhou Qingfei clung to his arm, pleading softly.
Shen Ruizhang was silent for a moment before leaving with Zhou Qingfei.
Watching his retreating back, Jiang Yunzhu’s gaze dimmed.
Had he forgotten she was allergic to grapes?
Suddenly, she remembered long ago, at her coming-of-age ceremony, someone had also tried to make her drink.
Back then, Shen Ruizhang had been furious.
It was the first time he’d lost control—he made the offender drink as punishment, forcing down three bottles before letting them go.
She later heard that person had to have their stomach pumped and almost died in the hospital.
Since then, no one dared force Jiang Yunzhu to drink again.
But times had changed.
Jiang Yunzhu rubbed her arms, hugging herself against the cold.
Taking advantage of her dazed state, Zhao Ke forced the wine into her mouth.
She coughed violently, her face flushing crimson.
Within a minute, her breath became labored.
“Zhuzhou!”
No longer caring about social niceties, Shen Ruizhang pushed Zhou Qingfei aside and rushed to her.
Just as he bent down to pick up Jiang Yunzhu, Zhou Qingfei panicked.
She clutched her stomach.
“Ah Rui, it hurts so much. My stomach trouble must be acting up again. I never told you, but I didn’t have a good time abroad—bad water, strange food. I didn’t want you to worry…”
Seeing Zhou Qingfei’s face pale with pain, Shen Ruizhang hurriedly scooped her into his arms and strode away.
Afterward, he shouted for the yacht to dock at once.
Once he was gone, the boat erupted in mocking laughter.

“They say President Shen dotes on his little niece, but it doesn’t look like much to me.”
“Exactly! This might all be her own scheme. Did you see the way she looked at President Shen? Like a scorned woman. Another one-sided crush, I bet.”
In that moment, Jiang Yunzhu became the butt of everyone’s joke.
She didn’t argue back. She dialed for an ambulance.
…
At the hospital.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed through the quiet corridor.
A tall, handsome man with long legs and a slim waist stopped at the doorway, his cold gaze falling on his secretary.
“How is she? I left you in Beijing to look after her, and this is the result? You might as well go dig mines in Africa and never come back!”
Ge Xingjing bowed his head quickly.
“I’m sorry, President Jiang…”
“Fortunately, Miss Jiang is fine—she just needs to rest. But she’s under a lot of stress and was badly shaken tonight. She may have nightmares.”
Shen Tingxiao grunted and entered the room.
He sat by the bed, gently taking Jiang Yunzhu’s hand as if handling a rare and fragile treasure.
Seeing this, Ge Xingjing’s eyes widened in disbelief.
President Shen could actually be this tender?
Suddenly, Shen Tingxiao looked over.
Ge Xingjing lowered his head at once and slipped away quietly.
Once he was gone, Shen Tingxiao fetched water from the bathroom to gently wipe Jiang Yunzhu down.
His movements were careful and thorough.
When she was clean, Shen Tingxiao tapped her nose, his eyes full of doting affection.
“You little liar.”
Once she woke up, he was determined not to let her go back to his uncle.
He had waited ten years for Jiang Yunzhu—why should he yield now?
If his uncle didn’t care,
there were others who would cherish her.