Seeing this message, Shen Yihan finally remembered why he had come to this mall today.
The sudden reappearance of his sister, who had been dead for eleven years, had completely overwhelmed him.
It made him forget all about Li Huanyu.
He frowned slightly.
The fingers of his left hand unconsciously fiddled with the black Buddhist beads on his right wrist.
Jiang Tang knew Shen Yihan well—his furrowed brow paired with the motion of rolling the beads meant he was deep in thought.
She had also heard the notification sound.
Shen Yihan had set a special alert for Li Huanyu.
Since they were sitting side by side, she only needed to tilt her head slightly to see Li Huanyu’s message.
Was the CEO considering how to tell his sister that he had to leave?
This area hadn’t been cleared out, but they could always go shopping somewhere else.
From what she recalled, this was the first time Li Huanyu had ever asked to go shopping with the CEO—a rare opportunity not to be missed.
Lin Mo, the ever-hungry girl, was busy ordering food and hadn’t noticed the subtle exchange.
Once she finished, she asked, "Shen Yihan, what do you want to eat?"
Shen Yihan looked up but didn’t get a chance to speak.
Jiang Tang interjected, "I’ll order for him. The CEO is busy."
"Busy with what?" Lin Mo asked.
Shen Yihan shook his head and typed on his phone:
[The place isn’t cleared today. I have something to attend to, so I can’t go shopping with you. Next time.]
His sister had just returned—there would be time later to explain about Li Huanyu.
Huanyu was so likable; his sister would surely adore her too.
A flicker of shock passed through Jiang Tang’s eyes.
This was the first time the CEO hadn’t dropped everything for Li Huanyu!
Thank goodness! A sis-con! There’s hope!
Inside the chauffeur-driven car, Li Huanyu was equally stunned.
Just moments ago, Shen Yihan had sent her several messages asking if she’d arrived—why the sudden change?
She had already arranged for paparazzi to secretly photograph them.
Once Gu Jingchuan saw the headlines about Shen Yihan renting out the entire mall just to shop with her, he’d be furious!
Not that he wasn’t already regretting things and begging for reconciliation.
But she wasn’t so easily appeased.
She was going to make sure Gu Jingchuan learned his lesson this time!
After a moment’s thought, she replied to Shen Yihan:
[Yihan-ge, are you mad at me? I fell asleep in the car and didn’t see your messages. I didn’t mean to ignore you.]
[/(ᗒᗩᗕ)/]
The special notification tone was already lengthy, and hearing it twice in a row finally caught Lin Mo’s attention. She asked bluntly, "Who’s texting you?"
The hotpot dishes arrived quickly. Shen Yihan busied himself blanching Lin Mo’s favorite tripe, not even glancing at his phone as he replied absentmindedly, "Don’t worry about it. Try this—see if the tripe is crispy enough."
Jiang Tang nearly dropped her chopsticks in disbelief.
She had never seen the CEO cook for someone else, let alone ignore Li Huanyu’s messages!
"Why are you staring? Is there food on my face?" Shen Yihan glanced at Jiang Tang. "Get whatever you want yourself."
Jiang Tang’s lips twitched. "Understood, CEO Shen."
This was also her first time having hotpot with the CEO.
For years, he had been buried in work, treating meals as mere necessities unless it was a formal business dinner.
The steam from the hotpot swirled around the black Buddhist beads on Shen Yihan’s wrist, lending him an unexpected air of warmth.
Jiang Tang had witnessed Starlight Group’s rise from a failing real estate company to the sprawling conglomerate it was today—all in just four years.
Back then, the real estate business had still been under the control of the CEO’s uncle.
With ruthless precision, Shen Yihan had sent his uncle straight to prison without a shred of mercy!
The business world called him the "Black-Faced King of Hell."
Jiang Tang had always thought so too, because he had always been lifeless.
But when facing the woman he liked, he became the complete opposite—extremely excitable.
Only now did she see his tender side.
After waiting over ten minutes without a reply from Shen Yihan,
Li Huanyu’s expression grew increasingly unpleasant.
The paparazzi had even called her assistant to hurry things along.
Shen Yihan was just a pathetic simp—how dare he play hard to get?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Her chest heaved as she turned to her assistant and snapped, "Let’s go! Tell the paparazzi to leave too! Who does he think he is, standing me up like this?"
Still, she sent Shen Yihan another message on WeChat:
[I’m leaving now, Yihan. You’re busy, so I won’t disturb you.]
This time, he replied almost instantly.
[I’m not angry, just dealing with something.]
[Transfer: 100,000 yuan.]
[Sorry, Huanyu. Next time, I’ll make it up to you.]
Seeing these three messages, Li Huanyu scoffed and ignored them.
Ten thousand yuan? Like I’d settle for that!
If she didn’t accept it, Shen Yihan would inevitably send more—it was his usual tactic.
She’d decide whether to forgive him based on how much he groveled!
Meanwhile, Lin Mo nearly fainted when she saw Shen Yihan casually transfer 100,000 yuan over nothing.
What couldn’t you do with 100,000 yuan? Wouldn’t buying gold be better?
She took a deep breath.
He’s my brother, my own flesh and blood. I can’t kill him.
"Arigato, simp-kun!" she said with a sweet smile after paying the bill at the hotpot restaurant.
"What does that mean?" Shen Yihan frowned.
Wanting to spare him some dignity in front of his assistant, Lin Mo didn’t explain. She strode ahead, grumbling to herself.
I should’ve borrowed money from the security guard to buy a belt—preferably one from Seven Wolves!
Shen Yihan turned to Jiang Tang. "What did she mean?"
The ever-capable assistant Jiang Tang rubbed his nose. "I’m not entirely sure, but I know the simp likes the beauty, while the beauty likes the hero."
Shen Yihan’s expression darkened. "So?"
Jiang Tang smiled faintly. "So she was probably calling you a simp."
Then, without daring to meet Shen Yihan’s gaze, he hurried after Lin Mo. "Lin Mo, wait for me!"
Shen Yihan: "..."
This is a huge misunderstanding. How could I possibly be a simp?
Lin Mo, operating under the logic that if she didn’t spend her foolish brother’s money, the female lead would,
bought the latest and most expensive phone at the mall.
Then she went on a shopping spree at every luxury brand store.
Only when all three of them were carrying so many shopping bags they could barely move did Lin Mo finally feel slightly better.
Unbeknownst to her, the paparazzi Li Huanyu had called over was about to leave
when he spotted Shen Yihan accompanying another girl. Instantly intrigued, he started snapping photos nonstop.
Shen Yihan had always been a hot topic online—handsome, wealthy,
ruthless in business, yet wearing Buddhist prayer beads, earning him the nickname "Buddha of the Capital’s Elite."
Recently, rumors had been swirling about him and rising starlet Li Huanyu, fueling even more buzz.
Many netizens shipped them together.
The paparazzi had originally been called to capture sweet moments for the fans,
but seasoned insiders knew drama sold better than sugar.
"Buddha of the Capital dumps sweetheart for a new flame"—this bombshell would explode online!
A windfall of fortune had fallen into his lap! Disguised as a mall janitor, the paparazzi was ecstatic.
However, because Shen Yihan stayed close to the girl the whole time, with his assistant nearby,
the paparazzi couldn’t get a clear shot of her face—only side profiles and glimpses of her back.
Even so, when the post went live at 7 PM, it quickly exploded on the trending list.
#Shen Yihan Spotted Shopping with Mysterious Beauty, Spending Millions# TRENDING
#Shen Yihan and Li Huanyu Are Officially Over#
#The Buddhist Prince of Beijing’s Elite Has a New Flame#
Inside a custom gray Rolls-Royce gliding through the city.
Jin Yang glanced at his phone and curled his lip, turning to his boss. "Mr. Xie, Shen Yihan is making headlines again with another scandal. Lately, he’s been acting like a man possessed, completely infatuated with women."
"Should we scale back our investment in Starlight Group? Their quarterly earnings report shows a decline in profits."
He couldn’t fathom what his boss saw in Starlight Group.
Ever since Shen Yihan took the helm, they’d been pouring money into expanding his business empire.
Seated on the right side of the car, the man wore an immaculate white suit, his strikingly beautiful face framed by silver-rimmed glasses.
He looked like an untouchable celestial being—serene, lofty, and untainted by worldly desires.
Yet the tea-colored mole at the tip of his nose, illuminated by the flickering streetlights outside, added a tantalizing hint of sensuality.
Seemingly weary, he removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, his voice languid. "Which actress is it this time?"
Jin Yang shook his head, zooming in on the photo.
"The internet hasn’t identified her. The paparazzi didn’t catch her face, but judging by her silhouette and side profile, she’s a stunner."
Xie Guanyan held his glasses in one hand, his gaze drifting casually to Jin Yang’s phone screen.
The photo showed three people.
The towering figure of Shen Yihan, his beaded bracelet-clad hand clutching five shopping bags.
Beside him stood his assistant, tall and aloof, also weighed down by multiple bags.
But Xie Guanyan’s eyes instantly locked onto the girl between them—her face half-hidden, only a delicate side profile visible.
Her long hair cascaded carelessly over her shoulders, her features so exquisitely refined she resembled a porcelain doll.
Even without any discernible details, the moment he saw her, the world seemed to vanish.
His breath caught. All he could hear was the deafening roar of his own heartbeat.
Thud. Thud. THUD.
Jin Yang’s phone was abruptly snatched from his grasp.
He blinked, turning to his boss—only for his eyes to widen in shock.
Never in his life had he seen Xie Guanyan, that untouchable paragon of restraint, wear such a feverish, possessive gaze.
