Shen Jianian just finished crying, her eyelashes were wet, and she looked at him in shock.
It wasn't because she learned that it was Yin Shuyao's doing. She now sees clearly what kind of person Yin Shuyao is; nothing she does is unexpected. What truly surprised her was that the man in front of her knew she had a cousin, possibly indicating he had thoroughly investigated her identity.
Living in such a luxurious and distinctive manor, it is likely that with his ability, finding out someone's background is not difficult.
As thoughts spun in her mind, Shen Jianian felt a chill run down her spine.
Fu Jichen perceived her thoughts at a glance, rubbing his fingers on the sleeping lion carved from white jade, his eyebrows slightly smiling: "Miss Shen, don't worry, I won't harm you."
Shen Jianian was willing to believe this sentence. She had been staying at his private place for several days, if he harbored any ill intentions, he could have easily taken advantage while she was unconscious.
Besides this body, she had nothing else worth coveting.
Fu Jichen further explained: "I admit I investigated your background, it's solely due to my personal habit, I feel uneasy leaving unclear people close to me."
With such candor, Shen Jianian understood him better. The higher one is positioned, the more cautious one must be in handling matters; falling into an opponent's trap accidentally would lead to an irreparable situation. Not to mention strangers, even acquaintances of decades cannot be completely trusted, her father was too trusting of old family friends...
Judging from her gradually relaxed shoulder and neck stance, Fu Jichen discerned she had lowered her guard, then shifted the topic: "Miss Shen, what do you plan to do?"
Shen Jianian seemed puzzled, lifting her gaze in confusion.
"I'm talking about your cousin." Fu Jichen prompted.
Shen Jianian pressed her lips and looked down to immerse herself in thought.
Ever since she moved into the Yin Family, placed by Hu Yuzhi in the chaotic attic on the top floor, Yin Shuyao's mockery and sarcasm had not ceased. She endured repeatedly, merely not wanting to trouble her uncle. She thought Yin Shuyao might at most verbally gain some advantage, as long as she did not argue back, they could coexist peacefully.
No matter how stinging those words were, they wouldn't kill her or take away a piece of flesh, bear it and it'd pass.
When the man in front of her told her that it was Yin Shuyao who hired those people to humiliate her, all she felt was absurdity.
In the past, Yin Shuyao was the considerate and kind younger sister, visiting her every summer from Yicheng, always bringing her the local specialties she loved.
They lived in the same room, countless nights lying side by side on the wide and soft bed talking about girlish things, wore matching dresses during the day to go shopping and have afternoon tea, watched movies and listened to concerts in the evening.
Upon reflection now, the sisterly affection was all fake, Yin Shuyao's superb acting had deceived her.
Back then, the Shen Family was prestigious, befriending Yin Shuyao brought her plenty of benefits, wearing haute couture from her wardrobe, adorned with expensive jewelry, entering member-only restaurants under her name, attending lavish banquets.
Shen Jianian picked up the water cup and sipped it, warm water sliding over her dry, stinging throat, she resignedly said: "Forget it."
In her current precarious situation, what could she do to Yin Shuyao?
"What if I said I can help you." Fu Jichen's tone was casual, as if there was nothing in this world that could thwart him.
Slowly clenching her fists, the suppressed unwillingness and anger surfaced, Shen Jianian was not a pushover; it was impossible to treat Yin Shuyao with equanimity after nearly losing her innocence twice.
"I want—" Shen Jianian pondered for a moment, then enunciated word by word, "to repay her in her own coin."
Would he think her malicious? Shen Jianian scrutinized his expression, only to see him raise an eyebrow and utter three words: "Not stupid yet."
Shen Jianian swallowed the cold medicine, bitterness spread from the root of her tongue, she slightly frowned, hastily opened the lid of the tin box, took out a piece of chocolate cookie, and chewed it.
Sweetness invaded the taste buds, driving away the bitterness from the pill, her tightly furrowed brows relaxed.
Before leaving, Fu Jichen, seeing her childlike demeanor, compared to the cold and distant manner she displayed during their first encounter in the elevator, found it truly peculiar.
*
The lingering effects from the recurrence of her illness were particularly prolonged; for several consecutive days, Shen Jianian felt utterly weak, not leaving the guest bedroom at all. Three meals a day were brought to her room by Zhou Rongzhen, followed by timely medication.
Shen Jianian no longer mentioned the matter of leaving, the previous incident left her with a deep shadow, her body not fully recovered, she dared not act recklessly again.
On this day, Shen Jianian lay in bed resting with her eyes closed, without her phone, spending most of her day in a daze. Worrying she might get too bored, Zhou Rongzhen brought her several magazines.
She wasn't interested in those, her mind constantly active, mostly thinking about how to regain Lingyue Group.
When lunchtime arrived, the room door was knocked on as it had been the past few days. Shen Jianian sat up, got out of bed, knowing it was Zhou Rongzhen, and went to open the door.
It was indeed Zhou Rongzhen.
She wasn't carrying anything, smiled warmly upon seeing Shen Jianian and said: "Miss Shen, sir invites you down to the dining room for a meal."
Shen Jianian was surprised, momentarily forgetting to react.
"Go on, the dishes are already served." Zhou Rongzhen's gentle voice offered her some comfort, "Staying cooped up in the room all day isn't good for your health. The weather is nice today, you can take a walk in the garden after the meal, the flowers are blooming beautifully."
"Alright, I'll be right down."
Shen Jianian washed her face to awaken herself, following Zhou Rongzhen downstairs to the dining room.
The spacious long table was set with several appetizing dishes, the man sat quietly on one side, leisurely flipping through a cookbook placed by the table, seemingly absorbed.
To this day, Shen Jianian didn't know his name or identity, only aware that everyone in the manor addressed him as "sir" with respectful attitudes, from which she deduced his family background was not just rich but exceptional.
The aura amassed solely from wealth differed from the confidence brought by power, this person should belong to the category lacking neither money nor influence.
"Here? Sit down and eat." Fu Jichen glanced at a graceful figure in the corner of his eye, closed the book, and returned it to its original place.
Shen Jianian pulled out a chair opposite him, sat down with her knees together, hands naturally resting on her lap, not knowing what to say, she nodded to him.
The atmosphere was somewhat silent, fortunately, Fu Jichen wasn't a talkative person either.
Both ate quietly, Shen Jianian picked up a shrimp, her dining movements were subtle, almost silent, such dining ambiance could make one's stomach uncomfortable.
Shen Jianian took a deep breath, decided not to play the innocent girl anymore: "Mr. Chen, I want to..."
"Wait." Fu Jichen looked at her, his mouth seemingly curved upward, though the curve was not pronounced, "Who told you my surname is Chen?"
Shen Jianian was interrupted, the courage she gathered instantly dissipated, she hesitated: "The driver who took me back to the Yin Family that day, he addressed you as Mr. Chen."
Fu Jichen coughed lightly: "My last name is Fu, not Chen."
Shen Jianian was too embarrassed to blink, staring at him for a few seconds, then apologized: "Sorry, I made a mistake. Mr. Fu, I want..."
Under his gaze, Shen Jianian's heart drummed with nerves; those words were already difficult to express.
Fu Jichen patiently waited; the dining room only had the two of them, along with an orange kitten appearing unbeknownst to her, strutting elegantly over and leaping onto an empty chair, "meowed" towards the dining table.
On the table was a dish of steamed bass, the kitten had come for the smell.
Fu Jichen furrowed his brows slightly, temporarily ignoring the cat, focusing on the person across.
During her stay at the manor, although Shen Jianian hadn't left her room, she knew the estate housed three stray cats and two stray dogs.
Just this one fact allowed her to deduce that the manor's owner was a compassionate person.
"What do you want to say?" Fu Jichen raised his wrist to check his watch, he had to go out soon, the time left for her was little.
Shen Jianian took a deep breath and summoned the courage to say: "Mr. Fu, I want to make a deal with you. Help me take back the company, and I'll be at your disposal indefinitely, okay?"
He had investigated her identity and background, understanding her current plight, so she wouldn't elaborate further, opting to directly state her purpose.