"You don't need to worry about these matters; I know how to handle them."
Shen Wan clutched the man's large hand, her delight hard to conceal. "Brother, thank you!"
"Mmm, rest for now."
"Can I go to sleep now? Will you stay until I'm asleep before you leave?"
Shen Qian nodded. Despite his sister's gratitude, his expression remained mostly neutral.
Neither too intense nor too subdued, neither warm nor chilly.
Twenty minutes later, he rose to depart, finding Shen Wan already fast asleep, peacefully and deeply.
It wasn't a pretense; she was truly asleep.
To deceive an enemy, one must first deceive oneself. Any inkling of anxiety or resistance toward Shen Qian that might prevent her from sleeping or an attempt to feign sleep would certainly arouse suspicion. At such times, not only would all previous efforts go to waste, but also the risk of retaliation from Shen Qian would be incurred.
As proud as he was, how could he tolerate being deceived time and time again?
Yet, until that point, Shen Wan had discovered no indications of revealing her true intentions. Consequently, she retained her composure, and with her complete immersion in portraying the "good younger sister", she continued to sleep soundly.
After leaving the hospital room, Shen Qian didn't immediately depart. Instead, he sought out the attending physician to inquire about the situation.
Ten minutes later, holding the bill, he emerged and passed by the front desk of the duty room. He paused in his steps, "My sister borrowed your phone earlier. Thank you."
The duty nurse blushed at the sight of the tall and handsome man before her, "N-No need to thank us, it's what we should do."
Shen Qian nodded and walked away briskly.
After settling the bill, he took the elevator to the basement to retrieve his car. The black Range Rover drove out of the hospital gates and quickly disappeared into the vast night.
...
After attending a childhood friend's wedding banquet today, He Huai was brought to a bar by a group of buddies.
"Today, our buddy Ah Kai has officially stepped into the grave of marriage. Let's all raise a glass to him and wish him... an early death and early rebirth!"
"Li Er, you've got quite the sharp tongue!"
"I actually think he's not wrong. Marriage is like a coffin in the first place. Only fools lie in it willingly. It's narrow and stuffy, so why bother?" He Huai held a tall glass, swaying it around without drinking. The red wine inside had probably already gone to his head.
"You seem to have quite an insight, Second Young Master?"
He Huai was the second child in his family and had an elder sister two years older, so he was referred to as the "Second Young Master".
Everyone followed suit with teasing, clearly making him the center of attention.
This was the advantage and convenience that came with being the heir of Hualing Electronics, the only successor to the group.
He Huai seemed to be naturally accustomed to such adoration. He sipped the red wine with an air of elegance and was about to speak when his phone rang.
He took it out, initially intending to hang up directly. However, upon seeing the caller ID, he changed his mind. He stood up and put down the tall glass. "You guys have fun, I'll take a call."
With that, he left the private room directly.
"What's up? Are you inviting me to play Landlord because you're short of a player?"
"Are you outside?" A serious voice sounded from the opposite end.
"Yeah, my childhood buddy just got married, and we're extending the party here at the bar. Care to join?"
"I'll pass for today. I need your help with something."
He Huai raised an eyebrow, dropping his nonchalant attitude, and became serious. "What's the matter? Just let your bro know, if I can help, I won't refuse!"
After a moment's contemplation, Shen Qian said, "I heard your uncle has connections at the Traffic Bureau. I want to check the surveillance footage of a certain road segment. Is that convenient?"
"Small matter. I'll talk to him later. But what are you looking for in road surveillance footage? Did some brat scratch your car or something?"
"It's not that."
"Then..."
"Just confirming some things. That person better not be lying to me..."