Shen Zhongxun simply held her in his arms and coughed softly twice. Lin Chu could not push him away, so she blushed and said with a pounding heart, “Xiangyang went there on official business. Let me go first!”
Shen Zhongxun turned around and still held Lin Chu in his arms.
Lin Chu was small-framed and slender, so she felt light in his arms and had a faint fragrance. Shen Zhongxun used some force to adjust Lin Chu’s sitting posture, making her sit up from half-sitting to fully sitting. Her thighs were warm and intimate, making Shen Zhongxun’s face slightly flush. He felt an electric shock when he touched her, a tingling and numb sensation, but he could not let go.
Shen Zhongxun asked, “Why are you two so close? Were you together just now?”
Lin Chu pursed her lips, her nose filled with the strong smell of jealousy. Her heart pounded like a drum, and she could not help but blurt out, “You’re jealous!”
Shen Zhongxun’s expression stiffened for a moment, but he immediately regained his composure. “Yes, I’m jealous!”
His answer was so frank that Lin Chu did not know how to respond. She leaned awkwardly against Shen Zhongxun’s chest, unsure whether to lift her hips or not. “My mom told me to ask him about his remarriage. Actually, I haven’t been in contact with him for many years. We haven’t seen each other since he went abroad. But we were very close when we were kids. Don’t overthink it!”
After listening to her soft-spoken explanation and seeing her face flushed red Shen Zhongxun felt much better. He also felt that she was soft and yielding, and although she had no flesh he could still feel some flesh.
He gently kissed her again, and Lin Chu trembled slightly before obediently letting him kiss her twice. He said, “Don’t blame me for being petty, but I don’t approve of you being so close to him. He’s an adult, and you’re all grown up now, not a child anymore.”
Lin Chu leaned against his shoulders, her eyes slightly darting away, looking somewhat guilty.
In their youth everyone has a crush. That person can be a good student or a bad student, but they must be a popular figure in school, always attracting gossip among the girls as they walk through the campus with their schoolbag.
A close friend from junior high asked Lin Chu if she had a crush on anyone. Lin Chu searched the entire campus but could not find anyone she liked. Lin Chu was quite a popular figure. She was beautiful and academically excellent. She had improved her interpersonal relationships in junior high, and was always surrounded by two or three close friends who centered their attention around her, calling out her name wherever they went. Having received so much admiration since entering the class, how could she easily fall for anyone? After much deliberation she realized that only Xiangyang met her requirements.
Children’s affections are usually unreliable, but as she talked about it she began to believe it herself. She secretly buried this affection in her heart for six or seven years, until she herself was unsure whether it was real or fake affection. She only knew that she cried sadly when Xiangyang got married, and she regretted it deeply when Xiangyang returned to China and missed her. She secretly told one of her best friends that she had written a story about her childhood sweethearts with Xiangyang. Xiangyang had even seen her naked. But Xiangyang grew up too fast, and Lin Chu had never seen his naked bottom. This was her beautiful unrequited love, which gradually faded away after she went to university.
Shen Zhongxun was incredibly perceptive. His ability to read people’s minds sometimes made even himself hate it. He tightened his grip, pinching Lin Chu’s waist and arm until it ached. His voice was low and deep, like a heavy object falling to the ground in the dark, muffled in the oppressive atmosphere. “You like him?”
Lin Chu vehemently denied it. “No!” She would rather die than admit to something so shameful, but when she saw Shen Zhongxun staring at her like a sharp blade, with silent questioning and distrust in the depths of his eyes, she felt extremely guilty and flustered. She quickly raised her hand, covered his face, and turned his head away. Although she did not use any force she could clearly hear the sound of a slap. Lin Chu was stunned.
Shen Zhongxun’s face darkened. After a long while he finally let go of Lin Chu’s hand, moved her off his lap, coughed a few times, covered his mouth, and got up to walk to the bathroom.
Lin Chu stood there helplessly, calling out, “Shen Zhongxun!” She called twice, but Shen Zhongxun ignored her. Only suppressed coughs came from the bathroom. Lin Chu felt a strange mix of emotions. She thought about how Shen Zhongxun had silently retrieved the surveillance footage to avenge her, and her heart was inexplicably touched.
Putting himself in her shoes Shen Zhongxun treated her exceptionally well. Despite his busy schedule he still made time for “dates” with Lin Chu, maintaining a serious demeanor while showering her with tenderness and care. Lin Chu was not heartless. How could she not admit defeat?
When Shen Zhongxun came out of the bathroom Lin Chu was no longer on the sofa. The room was silent. He panicked and called out, “Lin Chu!”
A crisp voice came from the kitchen. “Hey!”
Shen Zhongxun hurried to the kitchen and saw Lin Chu holding a fruit knife, swiftly slicing a small watermelon in half, with a plate of juicy grapes already laid out beside it.
Lin Chu smiled and said, “Take the grapes out first. By the way, have you taken any cold medicine?”
Shen Zhongxun said softly, “I’ve already eaten.” He picked up the plate, then could not help but look at Lin Chu’s smiling face and sighed inwardly.
Lin Chu watched him eat fruit for a while, then picked up a grape and popped it into his mouth. After spitting out the astringent peel he said, “You said you had someone you liked in college. What kind of person was it? How many did you like?”
Shen Zhongxun was taken aback, swallowed the watermelon, thought for a moment, and answered seriously, “It can’t be called liking, but I had a crush on her. She was someone in the student council, very…” He thought for a suitable adjective. “a strong woman!”
Lin Chu asked again, “Why didn’t you get together with her? Didn’t she like you?”
Shen Zhongxun answered seriously again. “This feeling of affection is not strong enough for me to sacrifice my study and work time to have a meaningless relationship.”
Lin Chu filtered through his answers and then questioned him carefully for a while.
Regardless of her purpose Shen Zhongxun answered truthfully without concealment or embellishment. After a long while he saw Lin Chu sitting upright and speaking as seriously as he did. “You see, everyone goes through such a period, and it’s normal to have someone you like.”
Shen Zhongxun raised an eyebrow, took out a tissue to wipe his hands, and leaned back on the sofa to listen quietly.
“So I really liked Xiangyang when I was little.” She emphasized, “It was when I was little, just when I was little, so please don’t ask anymore, and don’t be jealous. I’m embarrassed, and I really don’t want to bring it up!”
Shen Zhongxun remained expressionless. After sitting for a while he noticed Lin Chu glancing at him cautiously several times. He chuckled softly, threw away the tissue, and grabbed Lin Chu.
The air conditioning was not on, but a cool breeze blew through the room, causing the temperature to rise steadily. The only sounds in the quiet living room came from the sofa: rhythmic, continuous sounds of entanglement and muffled breathing.
In the past, when watching movies, Lin Chu really could not understand why couples had to kiss. What could they gain from such a meaningless thing?
As it turned out, not only did she not have enough breath during the kiss, but her whole body also felt tingly and numb. She was very uncomfortable, but Shen Zhongxun was unwilling to let go of her, as if there was a treasure hidden in her mouth, and he kept probing.
Lin Chu could not help but climb onto his neck, letting out a muffled groan that she did not even realize she was making.
Shen Zhongxun repeatedly reminded himself that a gentleman’s conduct should be guided by propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame, and that men and women should be distinct, and that he should not do anything improper. His usually proud self-control completely collapsed when he was with the soft and gentle Lin Chu.
Although they had kissed occasionally since they started dating they had never embraced so passionately and tenderly as they were today. Shen Zhongxun was truly ill, so delirious that he was no longer aware of his own actions. He held Lin Chu tightly in his arms, his large hand reaching out to her chest. He felt something swollen and plump, a pleasant sensation, and could not resist squeezing it. This startled Lin Chu, who let out a soft moan. Only when she struggled slightly and went limp did Shen Zhongxun realize what he had touched.
He blurted out in a hoarse voice, “I’m sorry.” As he said sorry his hand moved away a little bit, but then it came back in the blink of an eye, still holding Lin Chu’s small mouth.
Lin Chu was so weak from his kisses that her body slid lower and lower. She grabbed the hand covering her half of her chest, feeling so ashamed that she wanted to die. After a while she finally breathed in some fresh air and realized that her posture was extremely indecent. Her arms were wrapped around Shen Zhongxun’s neck, and she was lying on her back. Her waist felt uncomfortable, and she did not know what was pressing against it.
Shen Zhongxun, panting, casually stroked Lin Chu’s long hair. He could not move Lin Chu away now. The abnormality in his body was too obvious. He could not startle her, so he could only conceal his breathing and calm himself down.
Lin Chu shifted her position and sat up a little higher. Shen Zhongxun held back and did not say anything, keeping her close to prevent her from running away.
Lin Chu’s gaze was fixed on nothing. She was flustered and at a loss for what to do. She pretended to be calm and said, “I have to go home. I need to go back to the city after dinner.”
Shen Zhongxun grunted and pulled the wet hair that was sticking to her cheek away, saying, “Go back and buy a pack of Banlangen. I couldn’t control myself today, so don’t catch a cold!”
Lin Chu was so embarrassed she wanted to bite someone, but she calmly continued, “Okay. Let go first.”
Shen Zhongxun said, “Let me hold you a little longer!”
This “short while” felt rather long. The two of them were pressed tightly together like conjoined twins. Lin Chu did not know what was wrong with him today, but she could not force herself to break free, so she could only let him hold her in his arms. The two chatted softly, and Lin Chu complained in a low voice that he had not told her before uploading the video. Shen Zhongxun chuckled and said, “I didn’t blur it out because I was afraid you’d be angry!”
Lin Chu was not stupid. She secretly analyzed the various rumors circulating online over the past few days, and combined them with the video and anonymous letter. She asked a sharp question. “By the way, who do you think called the police that day?”
Instead of answering Shen Zhongxun asked, “What do you think?”
Lin Chu blinked. “He has enemies?”
Shen Zhongxun pinched her cheek and praised, “Almost there. Smart!”
Lin Chu did not ask any further questions, only saying that people’s hearts are treacherous and society is complex, and she should keep her ears open to what’s happening outside the window, but focus on doing her own thing.
Despite his illness Shen Zhongxun insisted on taking Lin Chu back to the city.
After dinner he picked Lin Chu up from near her home, handed her a packet of Banlangen granules, and repeatedly told her to take it when she got home. Lin Chu blushed at his reminder and snapped, “I know!” She clearly found him nagging.
Unexpectedly, after arriving at Guanjin Garden Shen Zhongxun gave him other instructions. “I haven’t been in contact with that female classmate since we graduated from university. I didn’t blame you when you were young, but now that you’re older it’s unrealistic to expect you not to contact Xiangyang at all. But you should try to keep your distance from him in the future. If you need to see him, just let me know.”
Lin Chu had not expected that Shen Zhongxun would remember her kissing all afternoon. She awkwardly gave him a perfunctory reply, and it took a long time before Shen Zhongxun finally let her go.
Lying in bed at night, half asleep, Lin Chu was jolted awake and realized something again. She had been kissed by Shen Zhongxun all afternoon.
Lin Chu suppressed a howl and immediately burrowed into the blanket, not caring whether she would get sick from suffocation.
My colleagues have been quite bored lately, and they have been gossiping about others from time to time. Yang Chunbei has not come to the company for a long time, and there are rumors that she has resigned. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but the outcome is unlikely to be good. After all, this is a scandal, and the company’s reputation has also been affected.
During the meeting the leader emphasized issues such as unity and honor. Everyone sincerely remembered the teachings, but in the blink of an eye they disdainfully started gossiping about the hidden issues. In the end the conversation somehow turned to the issue of leadership reshuffling.
“It won’t be long, and I wonder who will ultimately control the group. Rumor has it that Zhou Dazhi is likely to be promoted. It’s really uncertain whether Shen Hongshan will stay or leave. The lawsuit against Huitianbei hasn’t even gone to trial yet, but the bad reputation has already spread!”
Zhou Dazhi was Shen Zhongxun’s superior. When the Huitianbei demolition case occurred he was on a business trip in another province and did not handle the matter much. Therefore the person most responsible was always Shen Hongshan.
The relationship was somewhat complicated. Lin Chu only listened to their discussions and never gossiped when she was on a date with Shen Zhongxun. This was a sensitive line that she could not cross.
The two gradually became aware of their relationship and stopped keeping quiet when they went on dates to watch movies. Shen Zhongxun frankly stated that he had no interest in movies and that he only wanted to spend more time with Lin Chu.
Lin Chu thought for a moment and deliberately chose a war-themed film. Shen Zhongxun was a man after all, and he could not resist this kind of subject matter. When he saw the film he was able to express his feelings.
In the darkness the two kissed passionately in the car. Shen Zhongxun was particularly enthusiastic about this activity, pouring all the passion he had not released while watching the movie onto Lin Chu. Lin’s mother called to probe the progress of Lin Chu and Shen Zhongxun’s relationship. Lin Chu shyly avoided answering. After hanging up Shen Zhongxun embraced and kissed her again. After they were both out of breath Shen Zhongxun discussed with her whether they should make their relationship public. Lin Chu stammered, “It’s too fast. Let’s wait a bit longer.”
Shen Zhongxun expressed all his dissatisfaction in his kiss.
When life is comfortable and easy everyone overlooks the troubles that life brings. But God is not so kind as to treat you well time and time again.
A cool breeze blew that day, and traffic in Nanjiang City inexplicably became smooth. Shen Zhongxun inspected the construction site, Jiang Jin’s health improved, Shi Tingting and Sang Feiyan were busy in the pharmaceutical and insurance industries, Ye Jing went on a two-week business trip to another province with a training institution, and Xue Quan finally resigned, even flirting with Lin Chu before leaving.
Lin Chu wore that thousand-yuan dress for the second time, feeling graceful with every step. A whisper rippled through the office. “Her? She’s beautiful, but she’s cunning. When Xue Quan was around she clung to him. During that inspection tour she even went out of her way to drink with him. Who was she drinking with? That girl who came out of her room! Now she’s got another powerful backer, that Shen guy, the son of President Shen. His family isn’t exactly rich, but they have power. She has good taste. She’s turned a country bumpkin into a phoenix.” She chuckled, covering her mouth. “Look at what she’s wearing. Before she wore cheap clothes from street stalls, maybe a hundred or two yuan at most. That dress she’s wearing now, I saw it in the mall last month. It cost several thousand! I wear clothes costing several thousand casually, but this is the first time she’s worn something like that!”
Lin Chu was happily working and studying, completely unaware that she was about to be thrust into the limelight.

