Luo Shiyi wasn't the type to endure being wronged.
She blinked innocently and asked the butler, "Uncle Zhang, who is this auntie?"
"You're calling me an auntie!?" Zhou Ying's eyes widened, her carefully applied makeup almost warping with anger. "Am I that old, you country bumpkin? You're the one who doesn't understand fashion! You showing up at the Shen family is just an embarrassment!"
Luo Shiyi was about to fire back when she noticed Shen Xiuyi emerging from the villa. Instantly, she switched to her "innocent little flower" persona, looking aggrieved as she complained, "Little Uncle, this auntie is so strange! I didn't do anything to her, but she came over to insult me, saying I shouldn't be here."
Her acting was so convincing that tears seemed to glisten in her eyes.
Zhou Ying, on the other hand, was frozen in place.
Lit-tle Un-cle?
Had she misunderstood something?
Manager Zhang finally seized the opportunity to explain, "Miss Zhou, this is the young miss we've just found, Shen Jiayi, the daughter of the eldest master!"
Zhou Ying turned to stone.
She'd mistaken the niece for a love rival! What should have been a perfect opportunity to win her over had been completely ruined!
Help! Was there still a way to fix this?
Zhou Ying stiffly turned around, forcing an awkward smile. "Yes, I'm an auntie—no! Auntie-in-law. Little Yi, what I said earlier was nonsense. Please don't take it to heart!"
Luo Shiyi, who had been fake-crying to Shen Xiuyi: ?
Did this woman's attitude just flip instantly?
She glanced at Shen Xiuyi, then back at Zhou Ying, utterly confused.
Zhou Ying adjusted her mindset remarkably quickly, folding her umbrella and smiling elegantly and kindly. "Little Yi, since you're Xiuyi's niece, you're my niece too. If you need anything in the future, just tell Auntie, and I'll buy it for you!"
It had to be said, when it came to being flexible, Zhou Ying was in a league of her own.
Luo Shiyi blinked innocently and looked at Shen Xiuyi with childlike curiosity. "Little Uncle, are you married?"
"No."
"Soon, soon!"
Two voices answered simultaneously. Shen Xiuyi frowned, but Zhou Ying acted as if she hadn't noticed, her smile radiant and natural. "We were engaged as children. Marriage is just a matter of time. Right, Brother Xiuyi?"
Her voice was so sweet at the end that it gave Luo Shiyi goosebumps.
As for Shen Xiuyi, who was at the center of it all, his brows furrowed so deeply they could crush a fly.
Zhou Ying was the only daughter of the Zhou family, doted on by everyone. Shen Xiuyi had been close to her elder brother Zhou Wei since childhood and had treated her like a little sister. But somewhere along the line, this little princess had turned into this kind of person.
Shen Xiuyi was endlessly annoyed but couldn't treat her as he would an outsider. His only option was to avoid her as much as possible.
"Miss Zhou, I've told you, we will annul the engagement."
Zhou Ying's face instantly turned pale. She bit her lip and forced a smile. "No, we won't!"
Shen Xiuyi's gaze shifted past her to Luo Shiyi. "Jiayi, come. I'll introduce you to a few old friends."
Zhou Ying quickly followed. "Brother Xiuyi, who are you meeting? I'm coming too!"
When Shen Xiuyi ignored her, she texted her brother and found out that he and Shen Xiuyi were meeting at the Imperial Nightclub that evening. She smiled and waved her phone. "Brother Xiuyi, you're going to the Imperial? What a coincidence, I'm heading that way too!"
Her red Porsche followed the black Bentley all the way to the entrance of a high-end shopping mall.
Zhou Ying got out, puzzled. "Brother Xiuyi, aren't we going to the Imperial? Why are we here?"
Shen Xiuyi ignored Zhou Ying and simply said to Luo Shiyi, "Pick out some clothes you like."
Luo Shiyi blinked and then smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Little Uncle."
Though she had no idea why Shen Xiuyi was suddenly acting this way, getting closer to him would only help her investigation.
So, Luo Shiyi put on a dazzling performance, changing into a dress and then sweetly asking Shen Xiuyi, "Little Uncle, do I look good in this?"
Shen Xiuyi glanced over. The girl wore a soft yellow dress, the waist cinched tightly to accentuate her slim figure.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and he looked away. "It's fine."
Luo Shiyi blinked. "Then I'll try on something else!"
"No need to try." Shen Xiuyi stood up and instructed the店员 (clerk) to pack up all the latest season's new arrivals and send them to the Shen family's old mansion.
Luo Shiyi's lips twitched. So this was how rich people shopped? She'd always thought such scenes only existed in cheesy CEO novels!
Zhou Ying watched enviously, stomping her foot. "Brother Xiuyi, what do you think of that pink dress? Would it look good on me?"
Shen Xiuyi glanced at her, his tone cool. "Pink is delicate. How old are you this year?"
"Pfft!" Luo Shiyi couldn't help but laugh.
She hadn't expected the cold, imposing Shen Xiuyi to have such a sharp tongue!
Shen Xiuyi gave her a faint look. "Keep up."
"Oh, okay." Luo Shiyi obediently followed, matching Shen Xiuyi's long strides.
Zhou Ying gritted her teeth but ultimately held back, following them to the Imperial.
Just as they stepped out of the mall, Shen Xiuyi received a call. After hearing what was said, his expression darkened. "Where are you?"
...
"Wait for me there!"
He hung up and said to Xu Feng, "Xu Feng, head to Champs-Élysées Avenue."
Then he turned to Luo Shiyi. "You…"
"I'll take Niece to the Imperial!" Zhou Ying, who had been listening in, volunteered eagerly. "Brother Xiuyi, you go ahead. I'll take care of Niece!"
Shen Xiuyi frowned. "Are you coming with me or going with her first?"
Luo Shiyi's watch vibrated—her organization needed to contact her. She needed to avoid Shen Xiuyi's gaze to communicate with them. Moreover, if she showed too much interest in Shen Xiuyi's personal affairs, it would seem overly deliberate.
Luo Shiyi quickly made her decision. "Little Uncle, you go ahead. I'll go with Miss Zhou."
Shen Xiuyi gave Zhou Ying a warning look before turning and leaving.
Zhou Ying smiled triumphantly. "Let's go, Niece."
She strutted on her high heels, about to open the passenger seat for Luo Shiyi, but Luo Shiyi had already climbed into the back.
Zhou Ying's smile stiffened for a moment, but she suppressed her annoyance and started the car.
She carefully began, "Little Yi, Auntie really didn't recognize you earlier. I was a bit harsh. You won't hold it against me, will you?"
"No."
Luo Shiyi's attention was fully on the message from her organization, so her reply was敷衍 (perfunctory).
Zhou Ying continued, "Now that you're back in the Shen family, you're part of the elite circle. Dressing too plainly will only make people laugh at you. I'll give you my beauty membership card. You should go for regular treatments. When I was your age, I had at least one treatment a week."
From the vibration pattern, Luo Shiyi extracted the information from her organization: *[Champs-Élysées Avenue, Nan City. The smuggling group has acted again. A batch of firearms was left at the scene.]*
Luo Shiyi thought of Shen Xiuyi—after the call, he had left for Champs-Élysées Avenue.
Her heart sank.
Was Shen Xiuyi really involved in the international smuggling case?