Secretary Zhou looked at Xu Yinian, whose supple long hair was once again draped loosely over her shoulders, and didn’t dare utter a word.
Yesterday, he had praised her in a message, saying she looked beautiful with her hair tied up—a subtle attempt at a hint. If it had been any of CEO Shen’s previous lovers, they would have been vying for attention, dressing to the nines to cater to her whims.
But the Little Ancestor was incredibly dense; she had merely replied with a “thank you,” sounding quite flattered. Today, as expected, she hadn’t even brought the hair tie out with her.
Turning his head, Secretary Zhou saw that CEO Shen’s cold, exquisite features remained as stoic as ever, and he realized he was worrying over nothing. To put it bluntly, that priceless antique hair tie was just a toy given to a young girl to play with on a whim. With this kind of singular favoritism, Xu Yinian didn’t need to waste any effort currying favor or acting cute.
Perhaps it was because of the intimacy of the previous day—being carried back by Shen Yi or the woman deigning to blow-dry her hair—but as Xu Yinian looked at Shen Yi again, a hint of complex emotion appeared in her heart, cutting through her usual avoidant cowardice.
However, the thought of going to Shen Yi’s apartment tonight quickly suppressed that fledgling sense of closeness, replacing it with a sense of impending dread.
Xu Yinian remained stiff, her hands instinctively clenched into fists resting on her lap. She was even more taciturn than usual. Aside from a quiet “CEO Shen” when she entered the car, she suddenly remembered the compliment from yesterday and turned to greet Secretary Zhou with a soft, lingering tone.
Sensing a vague, unreadable gaze from CEO Shen sweep over from the rearview mirror, the secretary immediately suppressed the smile that had begun to form at Xu Yinian’s friendliness.
He wailed inwardly, My Little Ancestor, don’t just focus on being close to me! If you directed even a fraction of that flattered sweetness toward CEO Shen, it wouldn’t be so nerve-wracking for the rest of us…
He could only brace himself and ask in a businesslike manner, “Miss Xu, are you hungry? The private restaurant we booked is a bit far. It will take about half an hour to get there.”
“No—”
Before the word “hungry” could leave her lips, her stomach, which had been empty since lunch, let out a weak protest. Though the sound was faint and timid—much like the girl herself—it was impossible to miss in the pin-drop silence of the car.
Xu Yinian’s cheeks flushed crimson. She was speechless.
Shen Yi’s brow furrowed slightly. “Do you not eat lunch?”
The tone was one of domineering control, yet the words carried a weight of concern. It reminded Xu Yinian of her mother, whom she hadn’t been in contact with for a long time. Like a child who had made a mistake, she reflexively slipped into the tone she used with her mother, explaining in a soft, coquettish voice, “I-I forgot because of self-study. By the time I remembered, the cafeteria was already… closed.”
This flash of intimacy caused Shen Yi to pause for a moment. When she spoke again, the protective desire triggered by the girl practically overflowed.
“If you can’t even take care of your own basic needs like dressing and eating, I will personally take over the management of your daily life.”
Shen Yi had clearly discovered that beneath Xu Yinian’s introverted, solitary facade lay a nature that needed to be pampered. After all, with a mother who had managed every single aspect of her life, Xu Yinian had long ago become accustomed to being controlled and directed.
Just then, the driver’s expression grew somber. He gestured for Secretary Zhou to look at the in-car navigation.
A moving red dot, flagged as an anomaly, appeared on the screen.
In truth, after the drugging incident at her own hotel, CEO Shen had not only upgraded her anti-eavesdropping and tracking systems to the latest technology still in the laboratory’s R&D phase, but she also had bodyguards following her discreetly whenever she traveled.
Within minutes, Bai Ran’s pursuit had been detected.
Secretary Zhou instantly shifted into work mode. Mindful of Xu Yinian’s presence—both because of the confidential nature of the situation and for fear of scaring her—he didn’t report it aloud, instead sending a message to CEO Shen.
Looking at the counter-tracking coordinates, Shen Yi’s eyes darkened with the decisive, cold lethality that was her trademark. Though the other party was trying to be careful, the technological gap was massive; they had nowhere to hide. Moreover, the pursuer clearly didn’t know the Bentley’s intended destination and could only follow tail-to-tail.
…It’s not a well-planned enemy. It looks like an impulsive move.
Is it because of her?
Shen Yi’s gaze lingered on the daydreaming Xu Yinian, and a suspicion formed.
[Continue on the original route.]
Secretary Zhou was quite surprised to see this instruction. Normally, when dealing with a tail, they would take a detour to lose them or, at the very least, set a trap to counter them. Ignoring it carried a high risk, especially with Xu Yinian present; one slip-up could turn into a scandal.
For someone as cautious as Shen Yi to break protocol like this repeatedly, there could only be one variable.
A thought suddenly struck the secretary. It couldn’t be that… she doesn’t want Miss Xu to go hungry? Is making sure the Little Ancestor eats first more important than anything else?
Despite the internal shock, he silently signaled the driver to continue.
Meanwhile, Shen Yi opened a file that had just been finalized within the last two days. Since someone dared to track her, it seemed there was no longer a need to resolve certain matters privately.
This was the first time Secretary Zhou had arranged a meal for CEO Shen and Xu Yinian. He hadn’t been able to pry any dietary preferences out of the girl previously, other than a dislike for ginger. Consequently, he had put a great deal of effort into the preparations to ensure the Little Ancestor would enjoy the food.
This private restaurant was famous for its mild, refined flavors; even someone as picky as CEO Shen was rarely satisfied elsewhere. She had even acquired the establishment under her own name just for the sake of convenience and privacy.
Fortunately, they weren’t affected by the sudden tracking. Even his employer’s frigid, sharp aura seemed to be intentionally softened.
“After we eat, send her back separately. Lead the tracking car to the apartment. The target will reveal themselves.”
