Chapter 50: Seemingly Tender Yet Unfeeling to Everyone

He let out a soft "tsk," hesitated for a few seconds before taking a handkerchief, and handed it to her.

She was probably terrified, plus she had just been thrust into a completely unfamiliar living environment where she felt she was walking on thin ice. Her fingertips trembled visibly as she reached for the handkerchief.

Shen Zhou glanced at her fingertips: white, delicate, tender.

From head to toe, she exuded an air of utter pitifulness.

In this circle, she was nothing more than a sheep entering a pack of wolves.

Too weary to listen to her sobs any longer, he turned to leave.

The little goody-two-shoes followed behind him, only to stop in her tracks, looking lost and helpless when he shot her a glare.

Quite cute, actually.

Yet, upon seeing her again later, she had become rigidly proper, as if she were a commodity manufactured on an assembly line by the Tang family.

Utterly boring.

Brought back to the present, Song Qianqian's fingertips were still wrapped around his wrist.

Shen Zhou tugged at his collar and pulled her abruptly into his arms.

A flash of excitement crossed Song Qianqian's eyes. "Brother Zhou?"

He pushed open an empty private room nearby, grabbed the back of her neck, and pressed her straight against the door panel.

Having been with him for so long, Song Qianqian naturally knew that he thoroughly enjoyed wild and thrilling encounters.

Probably because that dull, worn-out wife of his back home was too rigid and refused to play along with him.

Whether in bed or out of it, Shen Zhou loved being in absolute control.

After being tossed around relentlessly for four hours, it was already past midnight when things finally came to an end.

Shen Zhou lit a cigarette, his peripheral vision falling on her. "Get up yourself."

She swallowed hard, her legs trembling as she stood up. She watched him exhale a ring of smoke, drape his suit jacket over his elbow, and transform once again into the epitome of polished depravity.

"Brother Zhou..."

"It's late. Head back."

Song Qianqian breathed a sigh of relief. This meant he still wanted her around; otherwise, he would have already dismissed her with a bank card.

A warm, eager ambition flared in her chest, and the corners of her lips curved upward.

She would successfully take the top spot sooner or later.

By now, the alcohol had completely worn off, and as Shen Zhou got into the car, he impatiently ripped off his tie.

Upon returning to Shuiyue Bay, he found Tang Yuan asleep on the living room sofa.

He grabbed a blanket from nearby, tossed it casually over her, and headed upstairs.

Early the next morning, Shen Zhou received a phone call from his younger sister, Shen Ruan, whose voice was filled with panic.

"Brother, you need to come back. Mom and Dad are fighting."

Shen Zhou raised a hand to massage his temples. He had been run ragged all week dealing with matters related to the kidney donor.

His parents' relationship had never hit a snag before; why would they suddenly be at each other's throats?

After freshening up, he called for Tang Yuan to accompany him to the Shen family residence.

When Shen Ruan saw him arrive, her eyes lit up with joy, only for her expression to turn to one of disdain the moment her gaze shifted to Tang Yuan.

"Why did you bring her along too?"

Shen Zhou looked toward the living room. Shards of a broken teacup littered the floor, indicating just how fierce the quarrel had been this time.

He went upstairs and, just as he reached the study door, he heard Yao Mei's voice.

"Don't think I don't know! You must have gone to see that bitch's child! If Xiaozhou finds out about this, your image as a stern and upright father will be completely ruined. Shen Qianchi, I've stayed by your side for all these years, yet you're still pining after that bitch! I won't let you off—I'll never let you off!"

Shen Zhou's hand, poised to knock on the door, froze in mid-air.

Shen Qianchi's voice was icy cold, suppressing deep fury. "Stop making a scene! What nonsense are you spouting in front of the children?!"

"Nonsense? I saw that child with my own eyes! Oh, and that year I tried to deal with him, the one who secretly interfered and blocked me was you, wasn't it? If you dare deny it, I'll have someone run that bastard over and kill him tomorrow!"

*Smack!*

The sharp sound of a slap echoed through the entire room.

In all of Shen Zhou's memories, he had never heard his parents erupt into such a violent argument. They had always shared a wonderful relationship, hailed as a model couple in high society.

Yao Mei's crying rang out from inside.

Shen Zhou gave the door a knock, and the crying stopped instantly. Yao Mei hurriedly wiped away her tears.

The study door was pushed open. Shen Zhou looked at his father sitting in the chair and his mother standing nearby.

The atmosphere crackling between them was taut and hostile. Yao Mei raised her head and took a deep breath. "Xiaozhou, when did you get here?"

Shen Zhou suddenly let out a soft, dry laugh. "Dad, did you manage to spawn an illegitimate child somewhere?"

"You insolent wretch!"

Shen Qianchi hurled a teacup straight at them. It struck Shen Zhou squarely on the forehead, and fresh blood instantly began to trickle down.

Yao Mei shrieked, throwing herself protectively in front of Shen Zhou. "Have you lost your mind?!"

Regaining his composure slightly, Shen Qianchi furrowed his brow. "Call the doctor in to take a look."

Tang Yuan had remained downstairs the whole time, enduring Shen Ruan's snide remarks before she finally saw the Shen family's private doctor arrive.

When Shen Zhou came down from upstairs, his forehead was covered in blood.

She was somewhat taken aback. Could the argument really have been that fierce?

Terrified to tears, Shen Ruan immediately called the elderly patriarch of the Shen family.

While his wound was being bandaged, Shen Zhou kept his eyes closed, his expression entirely devoid of emotion.

In truth, there were times when Tang Yuan felt she could never truly understand this man.

Shen Zhou seemed both gentle and thoroughly detached toward everyone.

Yao Mei kept weeping softly nearby, yet stubbornly refused to utter another word.

This was the first time Tang Yuan had encountered such an atmosphere in the two years since she had married into the Shen family.

By the time Shen Qianchi came downstairs, Shen Zhou's forehead had already been neatly bandaged.

The Shen family patriarch had three sons and a daughter, and the rivalry among the three brothers was fierce. As the eldest son, Shen Qianchi possessed formidable abilities, and the Shen Zhou he had cultivated was a veritable wolf in the business world.

Yet Shen Qianchi himself was an exceptionally cold man.

Unlike Shen Zhou, who used gentleness as a camouflage, Shen Qianchi's coldness and severity were etched deep into his bones.

In the two years since marrying into the family, Tang Yuan had barely seen him a handful of times.

Even Yao Mei, his wife, had always treated him with awe and deference. But today, with the masks completely torn off, it was clear a momentous crisis had erupted.

Shen Qianchi placed a file folder on the coffee table. "The Suukuai Shipping route—go and sort it out. Handle it well, and that route will belong to you from now on."

The three sons of the Shen patriarch each held roughly equal power, and their struggles were brutal.

As the newly appointed successor of the Shen family, Shen Zhou walked a tightrope surrounded by hidden dangers. While he currently held the greatest managerial authority, he was constantly kept in check by his two uncles and had survived over a hundred assassination attempts of varying scales since childhood.

Do not be fooled by the kindly facade of the old patriarch; he tacitly allowed all of this to happen. Only the wolf that emerged victorious from the bloody melee within the pack was truly fit to survive in this dog-eat-dog circle.

In a great aristocratic family, blood ties were worth the least; interest alliances were what truly mattered. Sometimes, the latter proved infinitely more reliable.