His vision went dark, his heartbeat instantly turning erratic. He wanted nothing more than to interrogate her sternly.
Where are your morals?
Where is your humanity?
And where are your etiquette lessons?!
The old man sat up reflexively. Ignoring everything else, he raised a hand toward the people beside him and shouted with a drastic reaction, "Hurry and fetch the etiquette teacher!!"
His agitated tone sounded exactly like the Jade Emperor in Journey to the West shouting: Hurry and fetch the Buddha.
Shen Yi shuddered. "What?"
Etiquette lessons?
These words deeply pierced her sensitive little heart. Shen Yi took three steps back, jumped away, shook her head, and said slowly:
"I don't want to take classes. Why are you suddenly calling for a teacher?"
"Why? You have the nerve to ask." Old Master Shen questioned, "Could it be that you've become a pervert at only fifteen years old? Shen Yi."
Her grandfather was very tall and had an elegant posture. After standing up, the aura he had cultivated from years of wielding power made him terrifyingly imposing.
Shen Yi bit her lower lip and simply started talking nonsense. "Me, a pervert? How am I a pervert? You're an old man, so of course you don't understand the trends of us young people."
"I am a charming girl myself. This look of mine will definitely captivate billions of young girls in the future. Oh, not just young girls..." She paused, smiled, and said proudly, "But everyone."
Charming girl...
Girl...
Old Master Shen gritted his teeth, his expression turning somewhat ferocious. It had been a long time since he was so provoked that he felt several years younger.
If it weren't for the sake of his pride, he really wanted to yell and directly interrupt this little brat's nonsense.
"I may be old-fashioned, but I am absolutely not crazy. Before you drive me insane, dye your hair back." Old Mr. Shen said ominously, "I don't want to repeat myself, Shen Yi."
He was even calling her by her full name.
He sounded very angry. Even the last two words carried a direct threat and intimidation, exuding the oppressive aura of an old-school mafia patriarch.
"You're scaring me again." Shen Yi first shrank her neck, then reacted, unable to help but stare at him with lifeless eyes. "I grew up being scared."
"Grandpa, scaring me is useless."
The people around her all liked to scare her.
Shen Yi really was raised on frights.
Is there a need for this? You privileged elites?
Intimidation was just a daily routine for her.
"In half a month, we have a family gathering, and many people will be invited."
"You must dye your hair back."
Old Master Shen remained expressionless, emphasizing the severity of the matter.
Shen Yi touched her head. "How about I change it to another color for the family gathering?"
Old Master Shen: "..."
He took a deep, heavy breath and stopped engaging in a pointless verbal dispute with Shen Yi.
He made a video call to Shen Sigui.
He could no longer count on Shen Sihang's unreliable family.
He feared that even if Shen Yi dyed her hair to look like a feather duster, Shen Sihang would still praise his daughter for dyeing it beautifully.
Far away on the other side, Shen Sigui was casually listening to a report in the conference room.
The man had his legs crossed, holding a pen in his hand, ready to critique the group of useless subordinates present.
He suddenly received the call and was stunned for two seconds.
The old man usually didn't look for him unless there was a reason. Seeing a video call from home, he answered it conveniently, thinking some major issue had occurred that required his resolution.
"Hurry up and persuade her."
As a result, as soon as the video connected, it was the old man sounding very heavy, speaking with a strong sense of suffering.
Then, a bright green head popped up on the screen.
Shen Sigui froze for a second.
Then, after seeing clearly what it was.
He couldn't hold back, slapping the table and laughing out loud in the conference room.
His fingertips pressed against his lips, his eyes and brows full of smiles, his voice carrying obvious schadenfreude: "Who is so full of personality? Dyeing their hair into a kiwi."
His fair fingertips tapped the table, his tone as if he were teasing a small animal: "That bright green kid, come, come, come, take a few steps if you're free, let your Uncle Shen Sigui have a look."
Shen Yi realized that this group of people was truly very impolite.
Giving her nicknames every day.
Shen Yi looked up, saw his smiling appearance, felt unconvinced, and actually took two steps angrily to show him.
Walking with the wind, the hair by her ears swaying.
She covered one eye with her hand, lowered her head slightly, her expression profound, and asked impatiently:
"Do you like my new look? Uncle."
This gesture was also something Shen Yi learned from manga.
Cool and mysterious.
As for the effect she produced...
In Shen Sigui's later words
Like a one-eyed, good-humored little cat with a cunning face right after sneaking a bite of fish.
Shen Sigui was dying of laughter.
"Hahahaha."
The man leaned on the table, laughing so hard his shoulders shook.
Without this niece, who would make him laugh in the future?
He had originally been depressed after becoming the head of the family. Facing financial reports, power struggles, and mutual deception every day, he felt life had no meaning.
Until these past few years when he discovered that Shen Sihang and Wen Ya's family was in constant uproar every day, always putting on a different show.
Shen Sigui immediately felt
Being alive was quite interesting.
The future was simply full of promise.
He didn't even have time to be emo at night. Every time this family returned to the old mansion, Shen Sigui would rush home on time, afraid of missing any good show.
Seeing the old man looking at him expressionlessly, he forced himself to stop laughing. Shen Sigui adjusted his expression, trying hard to make his tone sound like a normal elder: "...So, can you just dye your hair randomly because you're bored?"
He originally wanted to reprimand her with a what a scandal to put on a show for his father.
But considering this child's highly explosive and volatile personality, he decisively suppressed this irrational thought.
Reprimanding was useless; he needed to change strategies.
"Little Yi," so Shen Sigui switched from his elder mode to his boss mode. His expression faded as he said seriously, "I have a mission for you, oh, and for Iris too. I'll leave it to you two, how about it?"
Shen Yi blinked. "What is it? Let me hear it."
"A bodyguard mission." Shen Sigui put his pen down on the table. The subordinates in the conference room tactfully started packing their things and filed out. The last one to leave even considerately closed the door.
"A client wants to hire personnel to protect a young lady coming from abroad to attend Hejing School."
"It's considered a secret mission, and within the organization, only you and Iris meet the age requirements. I'm assigning the two of you to it, how about that?"
Before Shen Yi could say anything, Old Mr. Shen became displeased first.
His expression was very faint, but his voice carried obvious dissatisfaction: "Shen Sigui, whose child are you trying to dismiss with this kind of mission? Making her be someone's bodyguard?"
Who are you looking down on?
"Don't be anxious," Shen Sigui explained unhurriedly. "This employer's surname is Fernando, of Portuguese descent. He is also a top-notch figure abroad. He has only this one precious daughter, spoiled since childhood, who can even bring a large group of bodyguards into the school."
"With arms, shipping, and mineral businesses spanning three continents under her name, would you feel at ease assigning a bunch of useless bodyguards to a young heiress of her status? Her father paid a hefty price just to secure two assassin slots from the Archive."
"What does her father's peace of mind have to do with our family?" Old Mr. Shen's expression turned sour. He tapped his knuckles on the table twice, producing a dull thud, and instinctively sneered, "What? She is a precious young lady, but ours isn't?"
Just as he finished speaking, he glanced at Shen Yi, who was currently tugging at her own hair, pulling it down while blinking her large eyes and looking utterly unrefined. He lowered his voice and scolded, "Stand straight!"
Shen Sigui chuckled, her tone taking on a rare warmth of seriousness:
"That is exactly why I am asking what Xiaoyi thinks. Her willingness is what matters most."
Frankly speaking, Shen Sigui had no interest in the foreign heiress's commission either.
Shen Sigui rarely managed matters concerning the Archive. She had just happened to stumble upon this file and thought about finding something for her to do at school.
Besides, with Iris around, the two assassins could team up at school. That should finally keep her out of trouble, right?
Shen Yi thought about it for two seconds.
Iris...
Her partner in killing.
For Iris's sake, she looked up and nodded, her curly hair bouncing slightly. "No problem, I can do it."
"Good girl, Xiaoyi. You are the toughest girl in our Shen family." Shen Sigui broke into a bright smile, immediately cheering her on with a gentle wave of her hand:
"Wishing you a pleasant campus life ahead."
