CHAPTER 124: UNFORESEEN GUESTS

Each moment in her presence made him greedier, and he had to force himself to push down thoughts that would only scare her away.

He wanted her to rely completely on him. To trust him to protect her from anyone, no matter how trivial the threat. But what if the reason she was upset... was him?

Shin stepped closer and held her shoulders. His voice was quiet. "I thought you might be cold, sleeping without your clothes last night. I only wanted to make sure you wouldn’t kick off your blanket. But... I ended up falling asleep."

Yeri stared at him.

"..."

Was he messing with her? Who on earth got cold under a perfectly good blanket?

But the problem was his face was far too serious for her to tell.

Yeri narrowed her eyes at him, struggling between wanting to believe and wanting to strangle him.

"Do you think I’m stupid enough to fall for that excuse?"

Shin didn’t flinch. His gaze was steady, unnervingly calm. "It’s the truth."

"The truth?" Yeri scoffed. "It’s because you were worried I might get cold? What kind of logic is that?"

Shin tilted his head slightly, as if thinking it through. "Perfectly reasonable logic."

"Perfectly unreasonable!" Yeri snapped. "I’m done talking to you. If you ever do something like that again, I don’t care if this is your villa, I will—"

"Marry me today?" Shin interrupted smoothly.

Yeri choked on air. "What?! Where did that come from?!"

"Usually, when a man spends the night with a woman, marriage is the respectable solution," Shin said with maddening calm, as if quoting some ancient family rule. "It would protect your reputation. No one would dare gossip."

Yeri’s face burned crimson. "You—you’re shameless! Don’t twist things around to suit yourself!"

"I’m not twisting anything." He reasoned, his voice low, almost coaxing. "I’m just saying... I don’t mind taking responsibility."

Yeri "..."

Why did she even bother arguing with him? How many times had she tried, only to realize she could never win against his nonsense?

Annoyed, Yeri snatched her phone, intent on leaving, but Shin casually stepped in front of her like a human wall.

"Okay, I was wrong. I was only thinking of myself," he admitted, his voice calm but laced with something uncharacteristically genuine.

He paused, then added with a hint of awkward honesty, "You said last night that as long as it’s not against your morals, you’d do me a favor. How about this, don’t get mad at me anymore?"

Yeri froze. Damn it. She instantly regretted ever saying those words last night.

Still, since he admitted he was wrong, it felt unreasonable to keep holding a grudge.

Besides, it was probably better to use up that favor now rather than later.

Who knew what kind of ridiculous requests he’d cook up in the future?

Taking a deep breath, Yeri finally nodded. "Alright."

Outside the door, Butler Hong had hurried over with a box of rose tea for Yeri. But when he faintly overheard their voices, he paused, smiled knowingly to himself, and walked away without knocking.

---

Outside the villa, Yeri’s family driver was already waiting. He looked like he had just returned from vacation, cheerful, refreshed, and in high spirits. Unlike other rich households, the people here were strict and tight-lipped, but they weren’t arrogant or condescending, which made his job far easier.

But his good mood evaporated the second he saw Shin Keir sliding into the car beside Yeri. He nearly swallowed his tongue but wisely decided to glue his eyes to the road and say nothing.

"How are you getting back?" Yeri asked Shin as the car pulled away.

"Secretary Yun will pick me up. I already messaged him." Shin answered smoothly, then reached out and held her hand with a subtle smile.

Yeri nodded, though she was distracted. A dilemma gnawed at her: Mrs. Neri hadn’t woken up yet, which meant she’d have to come back later. But how on earth was she going to explain all this to her parents?

"Should I pick you up later?" Shin offered casually.

Yeri shook her head. She hadn’t even explained last night to her parents, let alone asked for permission to stay again. There was no way she could promise anything.

Shin didn’t push, though disappointment flickered across his face.

When they arrived at the Zhi manor, a Maybach was already parked outside. One glance was enough for Shin to know it was Secretary Yun.

Yeri greeted the man politely before excusing herself. She would’ve invited Shin and his secretary inside, but she only had a few minutes left before her online class began. Shin, noticing her urgency, declined without hesitation.

As the Maybach pulled away, Secretary Yun adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "Boss, congratulations on your upcoming engagement. The auction house also called, they confirmed the items are ready for delivery within the day."

Shin’s brow arched. "Items?" His usual cold tone returned.

"Yes, the ring and a painting," Yun replied.

Shin remembered, the painting was the one Tristan had bid on for his father.

"Tell Butler Hong to place the ring in my study. As for the painting, deliver it to my father," Shin instructed.

"Understood." Secretary Yun hesitated, lips twitching as though something else weighed on his mind. He glanced at the rearview mirror a few times before Shin finally cut in.

"What else?"

Yun coughed lightly, buying himself time by reporting the usual company and business matters first. Only at the end did he carefully broach it.

"Also, Boss... about the rumors of you and Calin Ricci. You clarified it on your personal account, but Miss Ricci reposted your statement. Because of that, netizens are now even more convinced the two of you are... involved. The logic is that you both denied it too quickly."

It was a common tactic or psychological warfare. The more a person denied something, the guiltier they looked.

Secretary Yun honestly didn’t know if Calin Ricci was clever or just plain foolish. Surely she wasn’t ignorant of his Boss’s temper?

Shin said nothing. And that silence was worse than any outburst. Secretary Yun’s hands tightened on the wheel. His Boss was always frightening, but when he grew this quiet... it was terrifying.

---

Later that afternoon, Yeri prepared to speak with her parents. She wanted to stay another night at Shin’s villa, but this time she needed permission.

Her father wasn’t home yet, so she went to find her mother in the garden.

"You’re friends with the young madam of the Neri family?" Mother Zhi was clearly taken aback.

"It’s by chance," Yeri said with a small laugh. "Guess that’s the bright side of being a regular patient at the hospital. I first met her there."

Her mother sighed, conflicted. She and her husband had always tried to shield Yeri from scandals and the darker side of high society. But at the same time, sheltering her too much would only leave her naive and dependent.

What would happen once they were gone?

Perhaps... perhaps it was time to loosen their grip a little.

Mother Zhi finally nodded, reassuring her daughter. "I’ll speak to your father."

Just then, a maid hurried over, slightly out of breath. "Madam, sudden guests came, they said they’re from the Nafplions. Master and Madam Nafplion and their son, Leo Nafplion. Should I let them in?"

Mother and daughter exchanged startled looks. Worry clouded Mother Zhi’s face instantly.

She set down her pruning scissors, instructed to let them in and also for a car to wait at the back exit, urging Yeri to slip away quietly.

But Yeri refused. "I don’t want to. Since they’re here, let’s go see what they want."

Her mother hesitated, but Yeri would be more worried leaving her to deal with such people.

Mother Zhi was respected among the social circle, but too gentle to deal with wolves like the Nafplions.

When they entered the living room, the sight that greeted them was unpleasant. Master Nafplion sat with his wife, both wearing condescending smiles. Their son Leo lounged arrogantly beside them.

The maid served tea, but Leo’s lecherous gaze crawled over her, making her skin crawl. She had worked here for over a decade and is now on her early thirties, but this was the first time she felt truly unsafe inside the Zhi household.

"Control yourself," Master Nafplion snapped at his son, irritation flashing. "Don’t you know what people say about you?"

Leo scoffed. What couldn’t be solved with money?

"That’s enough," Madam Nafplion cut in smoothly. "This isn’t the place for such talk."

At that moment, Madam Zhi and Yeri entered.

The Nafplion couple immediately plastered polite smiles onto their faces.

"Yeri, sit beside me," Leo ordered smugly.

Yeri didn’t even glance at him. She walked past as if he were invisible.

Leo misread her cold indifference as playing hard to get, which only fueled his interest. His gaze turned even more shameless. In his mind, no matter how much she pretend, she was still dressing up to attract him.

If Yeri could hear his thoughts, she would’ve gagged on the spot. She wasn’t dressed to impress anyone. A floral dress and ponytail was just her normal, everyday look. But with her beauty, even the simplest clothes made her effortlessly striking.

"My husband isn’t here," Madam Zhi said firmly. "What brought the esteemed Nafplions to our estate so suddenly?"

"Zenia, it’s been too long," Madam Nafplion smiled sweetly. "I’ve been busy with the household and family business. Time passes so quickly, doesn’t it? The children are grown now." She turned her eyes to Yeri. "This must be Yeri. Such a beautiful girl. I heard you already had your debut. What a pity we weren’t informed."

The complaint beneath her smile was clear: they were displeased at not being invited.

She had once opposed the engagement. Even if her son had a terrible reputation, surely some young lady would accept him.

Why insist on the sickly Zhi girl?

But now, seeing Yeri up close, she was reconsidering. As long as this girl was healthy enough to bear children, she might be perfect. Madam Nafplion could already picture her adorable grandson.