Chapter 232: Shen Tian is simply Better

Several women tried not to laugh.

Shen Tian’s voice softened.

"Big Sis."

She looked back.

"I don’t want you behind me."

Her expression changed.

"I want you beside me."

Silence.

Shen Yan stared.

Then...

Slowly...

She nodded.

"Understood."

Shen Tian smiled.

"Good."

Yin Suyi watched the exchange.

A proud expression slowly appeared.

"My son is finally becoming the head of his household."

Shen Tian looked toward her.

"Finally?"

"You were spoiled."

"By who?"

Yin Suyi stared at him.

Everyone stared at her.

She slowly picked up her tea.

"...Irrelevant."

Shen Tian laughed.

. . .

Across the city...

Gu Qingya was having a much less enjoyable breakfast.

"No."

Old Master Gu stared at his granddaughter.

Gu Qingya calmly took another sip of coffee.

"Qingya."

"No."

"You don’t even know what I was going to say."

"Lu Chen."

"..."

Gu Qingya lowered her cup.

"Was I wrong?"

Her grandfather sighed.

"He saved your life."

"And I thanked him."

"He is extraordinarily capable."

"I fired him."

"He promised our family..."

"That doesn’t make him my owner."

Old Master Gu frowned.

"I never said that."

"I know."

Gu Qingya’s voice softened slightly.

She loved her grandfather.

That was exactly why this was difficult.

She understood his perspective.

His old friend had saved him.

An engagement had been promised.

Lu Chen had returned.

In Old Master Gu’s generation...

A promise like that carried enormous weight.

But...

Gu Qingya wasn’t a payment for an old debt.

"The engagement was arranged without asking me."

Her grandfather stroked his beard.

"Things were different then."

"They aren’t now."

Silence.

Gu Qingya continued.

"I don’t dislike Lu Chen because you chose him."

"I dislike how he behaves."

"He doesn’t listen."

"He decides what I should want."

"He enters my company after I tell him not to."

"He hurts my employees because they try to enforce my instructions."

"And he constantly acts like I’m already his."

Her expression became colder.

"That is what I hate."

Old Master Gu stared at her.

Then sighed.

"Perhaps he simply doesn’t understand women."

Gu Qingya almost laughed.

"That is not an excuse."

"No."

Her grandfather admitted it.

"It isn’t."

Gu Qingya relaxed slightly.

Then...

His expression changed.

A smile appeared.

She immediately became suspicious.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Grandfather."

He stroked his beard.

"You seem considerably more tolerant toward another arrogant young man."

Gu Qingya froze.

"...Who?"

Her grandfather laughed.

"Do I really need to say it?"

Her expression remained perfectly cold.

Her ears...

Did not.

"Shen Tian and Lu Chen are completely different."

"Oh?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Shen Tian listens."

Immediate.

No hesitation.

Gu Qingya froze.

Old Master Gu’s smile widened.

"..."

She realized what she’d done.

"Interesting."

"Don’t."

"I didn’t say anything."

"You don’t need to."

Gu Qingya stood.

"I’m going to work."

"You haven’t finished breakfast."

"I’ve lost my appetite."

She turned.

Old Master Gu’s laughter followed her.

Once Gu Qingya entered the hallway...

She slowed.

Her expression became thoughtful.

Shen Tian.

Why had she answered so quickly?

She barely knew him.

Yes...

He had helped her.

Yes...

He respected her decisions.

Yes...

He had proven far more reasonable than his arrogant personality suggested.

And yes...

Watching him effortlessly deal with Lu Chen had been...

Gu Qingya stopped.

Her cheeks warmed slightly.

"...No."

Absolutely not.

She continued walking.

Her phone vibrated.

Gu Qingya looked down.

Tang Meilin.

She opened the message.

Tang Meilin: I’m inviting Shen Tian to dinner tonight.

Gu Qingya stared.

Another message.

Tang Meilin: My father wants to thank him properly.

A pause.

Then...

Tang Meilin: That’s all.

Gu Qingya slowly raised an eyebrow.

Why...

Would she need to clarify that?

Gu Qingya typed.

Gu Qingya: I didn’t ask.

Three dots appeared.

Stopped.

Appeared again.

Tang Meilin: I know.

Gu Qingya stared.

Then...

A small smile appeared.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

. . .

At the Tang Family residence...

Tang Meilin sat on the edge of her bed.

She stared at the message she’d just sent.

Then...

Slowly covered her face.

"Why did I say ’that’s all’...?"

A voice came from the doorway.

"That’s an excellent question."

Tang Meilin froze.

Slowly...

She looked toward the door.

Her mother stood there.

Smiling.

"...How long have you been there?"

"Long enough."

"Mother."

Her mother entered.

"You invited him?"

"Father invited him."

"You called him."

Tang Meilin’s cheeks warmed.

"He saved me."

"I know."

"I wanted to thank him."

"I know."

"That’s all."

Her mother nodded seriously.

"Of course."

Tang Meilin narrowed her eyes.

"Why are you smiling?"

"I’m not."

"You absolutely are."

Her mother laughed.

Tang Meilin grabbed a pillow.

"Get out."

"Such disrespect."

"Mother!"

Her mother escaped before the pillow flew.

The door closed.

Tang Meilin sighed.

Then...

Looked at her phone.

Shen Tian.

She remembered the warehouse.

The fear.

The confusion.

Then...

Him.

Calm.

Controlled.

He hadn’t stared at her.

Hadn’t touched her unnecessarily.

Hadn’t tried using the rescue to impress her.

He had simply made sure she was safe.

That was it.

Meanwhile...

Lu Chen’s thoughts had been impossible to ignore.

Her appearance.

Her figure.

Whether she would admire him.

Whether she would become interested in him.

Tang Meilin’s expression soured.

The contrast was...

Significant.

She looked at Shen Tian’s contact again.

Her heartbeat increased slightly.

She immediately locked the phone.

"Gratitude."

She nodded.

"That’s all."

She paused.

Then muttered...

"...Probably."

. . .

Meanwhile...

Lu Chen’s fist slammed into a reinforced training dummy.

BOOM!

Again.

BOOM!

Again.

His movements were brutal.

Efficient.

Battle tested.

Sweat rolled down his body.

Rose sat nearby.

Watching.

Once...

She would have watched with admiration.

This was War Wolf.

Their commander.

The man who had dragged them through impossible missions.

The mercenary who had survived places where entire squads disappeared.

She respected him.

Trusted him.

But recently...

Something had changed.

Because now...

She could hear him.

[Shen Tian.]

BOOM!

[That bastard.]

BOOM!

[He thinks he’s better than me.]

Rose’s expression remained blank.

Lu Chen punched again.

[Just another spoiled rich kid.]

Rose slowly raised an eyebrow.

Spoiled?

She had reviewed Shen Tian’s recent activities.

Whatever else the man was...

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