CHAPTER 263: SHEN JING, YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO COME WITH SUCH LITTLE COURAGE"_1

That night, at midnight.

Shen Jing rose from the bed, suddenly finding herself alone.

Zhou Luchen hadn’t slept much. After showering, he donned a loose white robe and went to the study to work.

Thinking.

Shen Jing got out of bed, picked up her nightgown to cover her bare skin, and walked barefoot to the French window.

The heavy rain hadn’t stopped; bead-like drops clung to the outer glass.

She raised her hand and gently turned the red prayer beads around her neck. The Sanskrit inscriptions were slightly raised, feeling indescribably comfortable and smooth to the touch.

His girlfriend, she was now. She had no idea what had triggered Zhou Luchen. He was being unreasonable today, not giving her a chance to consider getting back together.

She wondered if she was the first person Zhou Luchen thought of when he received the prayer beads.

It didn’t matter whether they were mystical or not; they were a token of comfort and reassurance from an elder. He had always held the greatest respect for the matriarch of the Beijing Zhou Family.

Those one cares about, by extension, lead one to cherish items gifted by them.

The elder had devoutly wished for his safety, yet he, in turn, gifted them to her.

As for his mercurial moods and aloofness in recent days, no one knew the reason except for himself.

He was a man of deep thoughts, and she couldn’t begin to guess.

If he chose not to bring it up, then it meant he didn’t hold it against her.

Turning around, Shen Jing tiptoed to the study and pushed the door open.

Poking her head in, she looked at the man working diligently at his desk. He wore glasses and had an indescribably reserved and aloof demeanor.

"Zhou Luchen..." she whispered his name, moving stealthily.

Zhou Luchen had already noticed Shen Jing’s presence.

He leaned back in his chair, his tired eyes looking deeply at her through the lenses. "Afraid of waking someone?"

Shen Jing glanced at his computer. Its silver light, visible from the side, didn’t reveal the content.

"Afraid you were in another meeting," she apologized.

Zhou Luchen spoke lazily, "With such little courage, you still dare to come."

"If they knew the President of United Bank returned to Beijing only to indulge in sensual pleasures, it wouldn’t look good," she said, her voice as warm and polite as ever. So polite, in fact, that she would fold her clothes before discarding them.

How to describe it? Obedient to the point of being stifling.

Zhou Luchen turned the laptop so Shen Jing could see it.

The thin LCD screen clearly displayed the red and green trends of the stock market.

Only then did Shen Jing enter the room, shutting the door with her back, then lifting a bare foot to nudge it further, afraid it wasn’t closed properly.

This elicited a snicker from Zhou Luchen.

She walked over and stood still in front of him, a trace of shyness on her face.

She always acted coy in front of him. Zhou Luchen slowly removed the glasses from the bridge of his nose and placed them on the desk.

"Sit down."

Zhou Luchen shifted his long legs, a husky command issuing from his throat.

Following his voice, Shen Jing sat on his lap. Perhaps too curious about him, she couldn’t help but take a book from the desk to read.

Most of the books in his study were foreign language collectibles. Opening one, she found it was in Arabic, a language she, with her limited abilities, unfortunately couldn’t understand.

Zhou Luchen continued working, not paying her much attention. She picked up another book; it was also in Arabic.

Shen Jing’s eyes grew tired.

The book was taken from her, and Zhou Luchen handed her a French one instead.

So, he knew she spoke French. Shen Jing opened the book. "If it’s such a bother, you should come back to the country less often. What if you get sick from exhaustion and your health collapses?"

Was it a hassle? Chartering a private jet wasn’t. But seeing her concerned expression, Zhou Luchen’s brows lifted slightly. "If I fall ill, would you take care of me?"

Shen Jing tilted her head, her lips unintentionally brushing his chin. She didn’t notice and continued, "I’ll take care of you, we’ll infect each other, and then you’ll take care of me. We’ll just do whatever you want, alright?"

As she spoke, her soft breath, like orchids, tickled his skin. He laughed, frowning slightly.

Zhou Luchen leaned towards her, looking into her eyes. "Alright, from now on, you’ll always do as I say."

"Mm."

After her response, she heard Zhou Luchen’s muffled laughter and realized something was amiss.

She felt she’d been talked into a corner by his few words again.

It was clearly he who was asking, he who was pleading. It was clearly she who was teasing him. How did it end up with her having to listen to him?

The book in her hand was thrown onto the table by Shen Jing with a CLATTER. "I’m not doing what you want tonight."

As the two exchanged glances, Zhou Luchen didn’t seem flustered at all. He lazily lifted his eyelids, his face showing an indifferent demeanor. "I’m not in a hurry either."

So, Shen Jing decided to just give up trying. "Then carry me back to the room. I can’t walk anymore."

With his thin lips slightly pursed, Zhou Luchen let out a snorting laugh, his palm intentionally yet casually caressing her thigh.

Shen Jing’s heart was caught by his meaningful laughter. "What are you laughing at?"

Zhou Luchen held her close. "Kiss me, and I’ll carry you."

Possibly bewitched by his eyes, as deep as the sea, Shen Jing’s fingers hooked onto his collar. As they drew closer, she arched her back slightly and planted a kiss on his cheek with a SMACK.

She laughed lightly.

"Uncle, time to sleep."

Uttered from her mouth, it always carried a hint of forbidden intimacy.

Zhou Luchen drew closer, leaning over her. Her waist bent lower and lower until, just as she was about to go limp, his palm supported her. "Such an uncooperative waist," he taunted.

Shen Jing wasn’t afraid of falling, not at all; Zhou Luchen wouldn’t let her fall.

But she was afraid that the next second he’d toss her onto the sofa.

"Hold me properly, Zhou Luchen."

Zhou Luchen didn’t hold her securely, just casually encircled her with one arm.

Then, she heard only his two slightly scolding words.

"Hold on tight."

The begonia flowering season was nearing its end, and Zhou Xiangqun was about to go on a business trip to another province, so the Zhou Family arranged a simple family dinner that day.

It was only for about a month, but the Old Matriarch was still worried, since Zhou Xiangqun rarely left home for extended periods.

To put it plainly, knowing that Zhou Luchen was staying in Beijing for several days, they found a good reason to have him come back to the West District for a meal.

Having been to the courtyard home twice before, Shen Jing was even more cautious on her third visit. This time, she brought a gift for the Old Matriarch.

It was a small bronze ding-shaped incense burner, personally chosen by Zhou Luchen.

Zhou Luchen couldn’t dissuade Shen Jing; she insisted on bringing a gift, otherwise, she wouldn’t come for the meal.

In the second courtyard, a stage for shadow puppetry had been set up. However, the Old Matriarch’s eyes were tired, so she had dismissed the performers early.

From the moment Shen Jing entered the courtyard home, the Old Matriarch noticed the prayer beads hanging from her necklace. Shen Jing hadn’t hidden them.

Dressed in a pearl-colored qipao, with the necklace hanging at the opening of her half-collar, paired with red carnelian prayer beads, she possessed an indescribable, delicate, and endearing charm.

Zhou Luchen led her by his side. She was composed and unpretentious. Unlike her previous hurried visits, this time she had put in effort and was impeccably dressed.

The Old Matriarch Zhou sat in her rosewood chair, sipping tea with a placid expression, fingering her Buddha Beads while listening to a Monk chant sutras and tap a wooden fish.

"Have a seat."

Two words, uttered serenely and clearly.

After greeting her, Shen Jing nodded and sat in the tea-serving seat beside the Old Matriarch, also listening to the Buddhist scriptures.

Zhou Luchen had something to discuss with Zhou Xiangqun, so he left her with the Old Matriarch. Before leaving, he patted her shoulder and whispered, "Stay here and amuse yourself. I have some business to attend to."

The courtyard home was large; she could easily get lost if she wandered around.

She obediently nodded, "Mhm."

The Old Matriarch Zhou pretended not to see the private interactions of the younger generation, merely gesturing for Sister Fang to pour tea and serve the guest.

Feeling bored, Shen Jing began peeling pine nuts to pass the time. Who she was, how many people were in her family—the Zhou Family knew these details even more clearly than what was recorded in her own family tree.

After a long while, the Old Matriarch finally asked leisurely, "Have you visited Xu Meijun lately?"

Shen Jing paused for two seconds. Considering Xu Meijun was the wife of the eldest Zhou young master’s teacher, or perhaps an old acquaintance of the Zhou Family... she replied, "I have. Her legs are getting worse and worse." As she spoke, she pushed the peeled pine nut kernels in front of the Old Matriarch. "Would you care to try some?"

The Old Matriarch glanced at them briefly, then averted her gaze, closing her eyes and continuing to tell her Buddha Beads. "I don’t care for pine nuts."

Shen Jing could only eat them herself. They had met only three or four times, and with the elder’s strong presence, they hadn’t reached a point where they could talk about anything and everything.

Even when the Old Matriarch did speak, her questions were about Xu Meijun, asking how she was doing.

"She still loves growing radishes, as always."

Their conversation was limited to this.

Sister Fang came over, bent down, and began helping Shen Jing peel pine nuts.