Chapter 135: Admitting Fault Part 1

The secretary didn’t dare delay for a second, rushing straight to the elevator to intercept her, fearing Xu Yinian might vanish in the blink of an eye.

“CEO Shen is here for business today… She happened to see you and asked me to bring you to the room. Is now a convenient time, Miss Xu?”

The words were phrased delicately, but both of them knew the reality: lying to that woman carried severe consequences. In front of Shen Yi, Xu Yinian had no room to escape.

Her small face turned as pale as a sheet, though whether from fear or the biting cold, it was hard to tell. She could only nod, casting a pitiful, pleading look at Secretary Zhou.

“I… my classmates are… over there…”

At least they’re just classmates, the secretary thought, letting out a small sigh of relief.

Even though he knew the young woman had gotten herself into trouble, his protective bias left no room for blame. His gaze drifted down to her fair legs, which were flushed red from the cold. He couldn’t help but ask out of personal concern, “Why are you out here dressed like this? Aren’t you cold?”

“…I got lost. Again.”

Xu Yinian covered her face, too embarrassed to look anyone in the eye.

The Lian family had naturally arranged for their partner, Shen Yi, to stay in one of the most exclusive villa suites. Built against the mountain, it featured a completely natural hot spring.

Xu Yinian spent the entire walk in a state of nervous dread. Shen Yi’s interrogation was inevitable, and she was equally terrified of running into Ji Yan or Lu Zhou. She had spent her life hovering in the middle of social minefields, trying to keep the peace, but nothing compared to the thrill of this particular Shura Field.

She was so tense that it wasn’t until they reached the villa door that she remembered she hadn’t even changed her clothes. At the thought of the translucent gauze hidden beneath her bathrobe—the one that couldn’t be seen by anyone—her breath hitched.

She hadn’t forgotten the heavy price she’d paid for the dress last time. If Shen Yi saw this… it would be the end of her!

“CEO Shen’s business meeting should last a bit longer. Miss Xu, you can wait in the villa until—CEO Shen?!”

Xu Yinian had just been secretly planning to sneak inside and change her clothes, but the secretary’s words were cut short the moment the door opened. She realized instantly that the CEO had left her engagement early.

The secretary knew better than anyone that the contract between the two families was practically finalized. For a superior who usually prioritized work over personal matters to come back now…

She smiled bitterly to herself, unsure whether to marvel at the girl’s growing importance in CEO Shen’s heart or to worry about the punishment the girl was about to endure.

Under the dim lights, the cold, elegant woman stood before the dressing room, her brow furrowed as she unfastened her cufflinks with one hand. There was a strange, sharp intensity in her noble fingertips; the metallic click of the cufflinks sounded like nails being driven into one’s heart.

Xu Yinian kept her head bowed low, waiting for judgment. The dead silence drained the air from the room, leaving her with the suffocating feeling of a slow execution.

After what felt like an eternity, an undeniable command was uttered.

“Come here.”

Knowing she shouldn’t witness what came next, the secretary quietly set down Xu Yinian’s things and slipped out the door.

It felt as though the only person who could offer her a sliver of safety had left. Xu Yinian’s innate cowardice forced her to seek protection from the very person towering over her. She had lied, and besides, Shen Yi had helped her uncle…

At that thought, Xu Yinian lifted her face, looking at Shen Yi of her own accord for the first time since their relationship had changed. Her almond eyes, shimmering like ripples on water, were filled with a natural blend of fear and dependence.

“CEO Shen… I… I shouldn’t have… lied.”

She looked so pitiful, yet she was still inadvertently tugging at one’s heartstrings. The person who had spent every moment fearing her and hiding from her finally had a day where she had no choice but to approach her.

But was she really so lenient as to be satisfied with just this?

Shen Yi looked down at her, her cold, sharp features unchanged. Her gaze swept from the bathrobe—an obvious attempt at concealment—down to the girl’s bare legs, before finally settling on her upturned face.

The girl looked pure and oblivious, yet every inch of her radiated an unconscious, delicate charm. Shen Yi could already imagine how she would obediently, bit by bit, learn to make expressions and movements she didn’t even understand under her tutelage.

“With whom?”

Under such pressure, it wasn’t a question; it was a demand for a confession.

“A Senior Sister from the broadcasting station… she helped me find part-time work. She’s a friend, and there were many others…”

It wasn’t an intimate date.

Detecting a hint of something more, Shen Yi narrowed her eyes, refusing to let it go. “A Senior Sister who has designs on you?”

Xu Yinian was terrified by the blunt accuracy of the question. She didn’t dare reveal even a fraction of Qin Jiashu’s interest or the way she’d touched her. Trembling, she shook her head, thankful she had scrambled to come up with an excuse on the way over. She brought up the two ex-girlfriends who had shown up today and Ji Yan, whom everyone knew she had “pursued.”

“The Senior Sister is… chasing my roommate. That’s why she invited me out.”

“What were you doing outside alone?”

“I wanted to leave early, but the Senior Sister and her ex-girlfriend started arguing. She didn’t have time to see me out, so I… I got lost…”

As Xu Yinian spoke, her heart pounded against her ribs. Under Shen Yi’s overwhelming presence and downward gaze, it felt as though everything was being seen through.

The reason she dared to explain it this way was because she knew that after Lu Zhou and Ji Yan showed up today, the “fake girlfriend” ruse would be exposed. Even if Shen Yi looked into Qin Jiashu later, it wouldn’t matter.

Perhaps sensing that the girl was too weak and cowardly to dare cause trouble in their relationship, the coldness in Shen Yi’s brow softened slightly.

“Do not let there be a next time. If you lie again, or if you become entangled with others while in this relationship with me, you know the consequences.”