Ye Ning really forgot that there was still a menace like Ye Ning lurking around.
With Ye Manzheng locked up, Ye Ning was finally let out of the cage.
ATM: Baby Yu, has Ye Ning come to find you?
Ye Ning shook her head frantically, and Shu Yu instantly understood what she meant.
LittleFishSwimming: No, Gege, I’m at home painting alone.
Si Yiheng: “…”
He typed another line, expressionless.
ATM: Ye Ning has gone missing, and her parents are searching everywhere. Should I tell them she’s not at your place and have them call the police?
Shu Yu: “!!!”
LittleFishSwimming: Ningning is here with me. Crying cat emoji.
LittleFishSwimming: Gege, don’t call the police.
A faint curve tugged at the corner of Si Yiheng’s lips. She was so easy to fool, so adorable.
But his reply to Shu Yu was businesslike.
ATM: Okay, I won’t let them call the police.
ATM: Stay home with Ye Ning and don’t go causing trouble.
LittleFishSwimming: Got it, got it. Nodding cat emoji.
Having Ye Ning keep Shu Yu company actually put Si Yiheng at ease. But the key issue was that while he was abroad, Song Wenzhao was still back home. Si Yiheng couldn’t be sure what Song Wenzhao was planning.
It was clear Song Wenzhao bore him enmity, and had even played a hand in stirring up his parents’ affairs.
Shu Yu and Ye Ning spent their days eating, drinking, and having fun, but Shu Yu didn’t forget about her work and studies.
She only had a week until her final exams, so she had to buckle down and review.
During the day, Shu Yu played with Ye Ning; at night, she curled up in the study with her books, burning the midnight oil.
In moments of despair over her studying, she wanted to ask: since she was planning to run away anyway, why was she even bothering with exams?
If she ran and never came back, wouldn’t all this review be for nothing?
But Shu Yu didn’t dare gamble on the possibility of disappearing for good.
If she did come back with all her finals failed, she’d either be expelled or, at best, held back a year.
The timing worked out perfectly, though. Finish her exams first, then run away during summer break and play a game of cat and mouse with Si Yiheng.
Haha. That way, she wouldn’t miss a single day of school.
During a review break, Shu Yu said to herself: "Alright, I’ve studied for half an hour. Let’s think about how to complete the last task."
Iron Egg: […]
This was the most focused Shu Yu had ever been while tackling a mission.
Iron Egg: [By the way, I noticed a flaw in our earlier plan.]
Shu Yu perked up, her expression turning serious, as if she were tackling an academic problem. "What flaw?"
Iron Egg: [We didn’t buy protection. If you get pregnant and run, the mission becomes super difficult.]
Shu Yu considered the possibility and suddenly felt that failing the previous mission wasn’t so bad.
No kids meant no matter how badly your life goes, it can’t be that bad.
But if you had a kid, your life would really be over.
She could not end up with a baby at nineteen!
Iron Egg: [Order it now. Si Yiheng isn’t here. Discreet delivery, no awkwardness for you.]
Shu Yu thought Iron Egg had a point.
She opened a shopping app, barely glanced at the options, closed her eyes, and bought the most expensive one.
Once the purchase was confirmed, she checked the address and said, "Now let’s figure out what drug to give Si Yiheng."
Iron Egg: […]
It was obvious Shu Yu really didn’t want to study.
Shu Yu mused: "To be safe, I think we should start with a sleeping pill to knock Si Yiheng into a deep sleep."
The catch was convincing him to drink it.
Still not ready to stick to her review plan, she sat slumped in her chair and continued chatting with Iron Egg, "But in those novels, the kind of drugs that make people drowsy or cloud their minds—those aren’t real, are they?"
The key point: those fantasy drugs in novels probably couldn’t be bought anywhere.
Iron Egg caught on to Shu Yu’s train of thought and said, [I can apply for those drugs from the system, but it’ll take some time.]
They had this kind of stuff, but it had rarely been used and a lot of it had expired.
Shu Yu, resigned, sighed. "Egg, please apply for it for me. Okay?"
There was no way she’d wait until she actually married Si Yiheng. Shu Yu felt she could never persuade him otherwise.
After discussing everything with Iron Egg, there was nothing left to plan.
Shu Yu made a face and went back to her books. Half an hour into studying, she gave up, picked up Xiao Juzi the cat, and started brushing its fur.
Iron Egg: [Baby Yu, focus on your books.]
Shu Yu waved a hand dismissively. "Egg, don’t bother me. Xiao Juzi needs me."
Iron Egg had no choice: [If you really can’t bring yourself to study, just go to sleep.]
Shu Yu buried the lower half of her face in the cat’s fur, leaving only her bright, watery eyes visible, making her look like an utterly adorable kitten.
"Egg, this is your idea—I didn’t decide to sleep on my own."
Iron Egg’s digital heart melted instantly. [Go to sleep. I’ll supervise your studying again tomorrow.]
Shu Yu showered Iron Egg with praise. "Egg, you’re the best Iron Egg in the world."
Once again, Iron Egg was swept away by her flattery.
Because she’d stayed up late studying, Shu Yu woke up late the next morning. Ye Ning, also a deep sleeper, didn’t stir. The two of them cuddled together, sleeping until noon, oblivious to the world.
Ye Ning woke up first. Still half-asleep, she rubbed Shu Yu’s head. "Baby Yu, time to get up and study. You said you’d be up by eight. It’s already ten."
Shu Yu clung to Ye Ning, reluctant to leave the bed. She mumbled, "Ningning, just a few more minutes. Just a little while."
Ye Ning hugged Shu Yu, who smelled of citrus from her tousled hair, and couldn’t bring herself to let go. Indulging her, she pulled her closer and dozed off again.
ATM: Baby Yu, wake up and study.
ATM: Good girl.
Si Yiheng: …
She probably hadn’t gotten up, as usual.
As a freelancer, Shu Yu was used to waking up naturally, and she’d probably stayed up late last night, making it even harder to get out of bed today.
Her schedule was probably a mess, and she definitely wasn’t eating regularly.
Luckily, this cross-border acquisition was almost over. He could soon return to China and keep an eye on Shu Yu personally.
Three days later,
After a grueling twelve-hour negotiation, the cross-border acquisition drew to a close. Si Yiheng successfully completed the deal at a price lower than anticipated.
Leaving the meeting room, Si Yiheng turned to Assistant Wang and asked, "When is the auction?"
"At 8 p.m., President Si. After you rest for two hours, we can head to the auction venue," Assistant Wang replied.
Si Yiheng inquired, "What’s the plan for returning home?"
Assistant Wang answered, "The flight route has been approved. We’ll be on the private jet within four hours after the auction ends."
Si Yiheng nodded slightly, “Mm.”
Assistant Wang marveled at how Si Yiheng seemed like a machine made of steel, juggling one task after another without ever showing signs of exhaustion.
Even abroad, he remembered to buy Shu Yu a gift. Assistant Wang suspected the auction’s highlight item—a pink diamond necklace—might cost him ten lifetimes’ worth of salary.
To Si Yiheng’s surprise, he ran into an acquaintance at the auction entrance.
He saw Shen Qinghan but had no intention of acknowledging him.
Shen Qinghan, however, seemed determined to provoke him and approached.
Shen Qinghan sneered, "Si Yiheng, you can’t even greet an old buddy anymore?"
Si Yiheng’s gaze was icy. "Move aside."
Instead of stepping back, Shen Qinghan straightened his cuffs and said, "Are you buying a gift for Shu Yu at this auction? Have you two broken up yet?"
"But I guess it won’t be long now."
Si Yiheng’s gaze grew colder by the second. “What do you mean by that?”
Shen Qinghan smiled back at Si Yiheng. “Oh, what I mean is, your love has an expiration date. Maybe it just won’t be renewed.”
