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墨書 Inktalez
Junxi pondered for a moment.
"My relationship with Zhou Xuanyu is purely personal, and I chose Zhongyuan because I need to survive."
Shen Yunchong could tell how evasive her answer was.
Although the woman in front of him was sharing a meal at the same table, she had not let her guard down around him.
That was fine; he had plenty of time. Their future together was long and promising.
"Cough cough cough..."
Minya suddenly erupted into a series of violent coughs, interrupting the conversation between Junxi and Shen Yunchong.
"Oh dear, miss!" The maid from Shen Family Mansion hurried over to Minya.
Junxi immediately stood up as well.
Minya, who had been eating, sprayed rice everywhere with her coughing. She looked at the mess she had created, her expression filled with guilt.
The maid tried to wipe Minya's face, but Minya pushed her away with a frown.
"Minya, are you okay?" Junxi crouched down.
Minya looked at her and suddenly opened her arms, wanting a hug.
Without hesitation, Junxi scooped her up into her embrace.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
The little one in her arms trembled, coughing so vigorously that it seemed like she was trying to expel her very organs.
Junxi was truly afraid that if she didn't hold on tightly enough, Minya would be coughed right out of her embrace.
The nanny listened and let out a gentle sigh.
"Why is this cough so stubborn? She's been taking medicine for so long, yet there's no improvement. If she keeps coughing like this, how can the child endure it?"
As she spoke, the nanny glanced at Shen Yunchong.
Shen Yunchong sat at the dining table. Although he hadn't rushed over to comfort Minya, his brow was tightly furrowed.
As parents, regardless of their nature, seeing their child sick was equally distressing.
"Has the doctor said what the cause is?" Junxi asked.
"Spring is coming soon, and our young lady has seasonal asthma," the nanny replied softly, adding, "It's hereditary."
Junxi nodded.
She gently patted Minya's back. The child had indeed lost quite a bit of weight recently.
"Minya, would you like to drink some water?" Junxi loosened her hold and reached for a cup of water from the tea table.
Minya's face was flushed red from coughing. She pressed against Junxi's arm and nodded slightly.
Junxi brought the cup to Minya's lips. She sipped slowly, pausing occasionally to catch her breath before continuing. Throughout this time, Junxi kept one hand half-embracing Minya while offering her the water.
Shen Yunchong watched from a distance as the two figures on the sofa, one large and one small, both with long hair cascading over their shoulders, radiated an enchanting aura. The scene was so beautiful that it stirred a flicker of emotion in his hardened heart.
It had been too long since he had felt such a sensation, to the point where he almost forgot that he was capable of emotions.
"Sister Junxi, can you stay with me tonight?"
Minya clung to Junxi's neck, leaning on her shoulder in a playful manner. The little girl became even more clingy whenever she fell ill.
Junxi glanced at Shen Yunchong with a hint of hesitation.
"Minya hasn't been eating well or sleeping properly lately. If Teacher Wen is willing to stay... I would be very grateful." Shen Yunchong stood up and walked toward them.
Junxi thought for a moment, neither agreeing nor refusing. She simply picked up Minya and said, "How about I stay with you while you sleep?"
Minya's face lit up with joy.
She leaped from Junxi's arms into Shen Yunchong's embrace.
"Papa, carry me upstairs to sleep. Sister Junxi, you come with us." Though nestled in Shen Yunchong's arms, Minya stubbornly held onto Junxi's hand.
Shen Yunchong shifted his gaze away and continued up the stairs.
Junxi followed the father and daughter.
As they climbed the stairs, Minya rested her head on Shen Yunchong's shoulder, but her eyes remained fixed on Junxi, as if afraid she might disappear.
Minya's room was not large; with the three of them standing there, it felt slightly cramped.
Shen Yunchong placed Minya on the bed, leaned down to kiss his daughter's forehead, and then turned to leave.
In the room, only Junxi and Minya remained.
"Sister Junxi, will you tell me a story today?" Minya blinked her big eyes, looking at Junxi with anticipation.
"What story do you want to hear?" Junxi asked.
In truth, the only fairy tale she could recall completely was the story of Thumbelina. This story was connected to Zhou Xuanyu.
Thinking of Zhou Xuanyu brought a pang of sadness to her heart.
After a busy day, when the night grew quiet, her longing for that man would sneak out, no matter how hard she tried to suppress it.
After so many years of affection and months of love, he had already become a part of her very being. To let go would surely cause her to bleed tears first.
But what else could she do besides letting go? If they continued together, how could she face her parents again?
Moreover, she no longer believed that Zhou Xuanyu had any true feelings for her.
In the end, Junxi did not tell Minya a story. She simply lay beside Minya and softly hummed a few nursery rhymes until Minya fell asleep in her embrace.
Even in sickness, a child's world remains pure.
Junxi waited a little longer and seeing that Minya showed no signs of waking up, she quietly slipped out of Minya's room.
Shen Yunchong was still awake. He sat on the sofa in the living room downstairs, staring at the tablet in his hands. The webpage open before him was filled with information about seasonal asthma.
No matter how cold and distant this man appeared, Junxi was certain that he was definitely a good father.
And if a man could be a good father, then he couldn't be all that bad at his core.
"Mr. Shen," Junxi called out softly.
Shen Yunchong heard her and put down the tablet he was holding, looking up at her.
"Is Minya asleep?"
"Yes. She's asleep."
Shen Yunchong gave Junxi a thumbs up. "As expected of Teacher Wen. Minya hasn't fallen asleep this quickly in a long time."
"She just needs someone to be with her."
Shen Yunchong nodded.
"Teacher Wen, aren't you staying tonight?" he suddenly changed the subject.
The way he said it sounded somewhat ambiguous, causing Junxi to pause, unsure of how to respond.
Realizing how inappropriate his words were, Shen Yunchong chuckled.
"Teacher Wen, I didn't mean anything by it. If you don't mind, you can stay and sleep with Minya. Of course, we also have a guest room ready..."
"No, thank you, Mr. Shen. I need to go back," Junxi interrupted Shen Yunchong.
She had just joined Zhongyuan Group not long ago; if people found out she spent the night at the president's house, they wouldn't care what reason or excuse she had for staying. Rumors would surely fly around like arrows aimed directly at her.
Shen Yunchong did not insist on keeping her; he was aware of the boundaries.
To invite her to stay would only make things more awkward.
"Then wait a moment, I'll drive you home," he said.
"No need."
"Teacher Wen, it's getting late. Just let me be a gentleman, okay?" Shen Yunchong smiled at Junxi while putting on his coat.
Junxi thought for a moment and realized she couldn't find a reason to refuse.
She had no choice but to agree.
Shen Yunchong went to the garage to get his car while Junxi waited for him at the door.
In the garden of the Shen Family Mansion, there were trees of varying heights, but not a single flower in sight. Junxi thought that perhaps this was because there was no mistress of the house.
When Shen Yunchong's car approached, Junxi was lost in thought. He didn't honk the horn for fear of waking Minya, so he waited until Junxi noticed him.
"What is Teacher Wen thinking about?" Shen Yunchong asked as he reversed out of the driveway.
"I was wondering why there are no flowers in Mr. Shen's garden."
Junxi asked casually, but Shen Yunchong clearly paused for a moment, the headlights flickering slightly in that instant.
"There’s no reason; I just don’t like flowers," Shen Yunchong replied.
Junxi fell silent.
Many men do not like flowers, as they do not want to spend time and effort taking care of them, which is understandable. However, the tone of Shen Yunchong's voice always made her feel that his dislike for flowers might have another reason.
The Hummer drove into the neighborhood where Junxi lived. Although it was late, many shops were still open on the street.
Perhaps it was rare for him to drive to such places; Shen Yunchong kept glancing at the shops on both sides of the street, as if they held some allure for him.
Due to his indecisiveness, the car slowed down more and more. By the time they reached Junxi's building, she was nearly out of patience.
"Teacher Wen's place is quite surprising," Shen Yunchong remarked as he got out of the car.
Junxi did not know what he meant by "surprising." She didn't take it to heart, as it might just be a wealthy person's consolation to an ordinary person.
"Thank you, Mr. Shen, for bringing me back. Goodbye," Junxi nodded at Shen Yunchong.
"Good night, Teacher Wen," Shen Yunchong smiled.
As Junxi turned to walk inside, she noticed a car parked at the corner of the alley.
She recognized that car all too well; it belonged to Zhou Xuanyu.
Zhou Xuanyu was sitting inside the car. When he felt Junxi's gaze upon him, he opened the door and stepped out.
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