Chapter 171: Returning the Gift

Jiang Lai returned home to find Ke Zhongying sitting on the carpet, hunched over the coffee table, her eyes nearly pressed against the computer screen, her right hand scrolling the mouse.

She was just about to speak when Mo Yi softly went "Shh."

"The young miss said not to disturb her."

Jiang Lai nodded; when someone is focused, disturbance is the last thing they want.

Mo Yi turned and brought her a steaming cup of honeysuckle tea.

Jiang Lai held the cup, blew on it, and sipped slowly, walking around behind the sofa to quietly watch Ke Zhongying finish scrolling through the manuscript.

"Phew! Finally!" Ke Zhongying let out a long breath, leaned back, and looked up to see Mo Yi smiling and tipping her chin toward the back.

She tilted her head up and looked.

"Sister Jiang Lai, you're back!" Ke Zhongying scrambled up in one motion, pulled her to sit on the sofa, and placed the computer on her lap. "I revised it based on your suggestions. Take a look and check it over."

The computer was close, so Jiang Lai simply took off her glasses and read carefully for a good while.

Finally she nodded and said, "Barring any surprises, once Professor Zhao finishes reviewing it, you can submit it for publication."

"Really?" Ke Zhongying asked with a beaming smile. "I'm that impressive, huh?"

Jiang Lai gave a faint smile.

Mo Yi brought over fruit, and Ke Zhongying ate cheerfully.

"How was tonight's birthday banquet?"

"Everything was fine, except I ran into someone — Gu Zhiyan."

Hearing Gu Zhiyan's name, the fruit in Ke Zhongying's mouth lost its appeal.

"He didn't make things difficult for you, did he?"

Jiang Lai shook her head. "Chongying, I wanted to ask — where do you usually find people for tailing someone?"

"Our family has a security company; we usually get people from there to handle things." Ke Zhongying looked at her. "You want to send someone to keep an eye on Gu Zhiyan? Just say the word to my brother, he'd be more than happy to."

After saying that, she suddenly realized something and added, "Keeping tabs on his rival's every move — my brother would be more than happy to do that."

Jiang Lai said, "I can pay for the labor."

Ke Zhongying: "Then just pay my brother."

Jiang Lai finished contacting Ke Zhongyu on her phone.

The next second, Ke Zhongyu's call came through.

Ke Zhongying caught a glimpse of it and exchanged knowing glances with Mo Yi on the side.

Look at that — eager to death.

He doesn't even call family that often.

"President Ke."

"You want to keep an eye on Gu Zhiyan?" The man's low, magnetic voice sounded in Jiang Lai's ear, unhurried. "Do you think Lin Shutong will go looking for him, or he'll go looking for Lin Shutong?"

Jiang Lai: "Both."

Ke Zhongyu didn't hesitate for a moment: "I'll send people to watch him. Pay the market rate for the fee."

Jiang Lai nodded.

After hanging up, she remembered something.

"Mo Yi, remember to report the grocery money to me."

Mo Yi's eyes darted. "No rush, Miss Jiang. How about settling once a year? Saves the trouble. Don't worry, Miss Jiang — I keep a record of every transaction. I definitely won't skim anything."

Jiang Lai certainly trusted Mo Yi's integrity, but a year seemed too long. She countered, "How about once a quarter?"

Mo Yi thought it over. "Fine."

In her heart, she was muttering: Young Master, oh Young Master, you'd better hurry up. Try to win over Miss Jiang within a quarter, will you!

……

The Shen family.

Old Shen instructed his eldest grandson to hold carefully onto the birthday gift Jiang Lai had given him and deliver it to the Shufang.

Shen Bingrui carried it with utmost care and entered his grandfather's Shufang.

Old Shen sat on the sofa and signaled the family members to each return to their own rooms to rest.

The family's nanny came over and said, "Sir, today a young man surnamed Shen came to visit. He's from Star Universe Technology."

Old Shen's features, which had just relaxed, tightened. With a stern face he asked, "You let him in?"

"No, but the man stood at the door for a long time. He only left at nine after I urged him to. However, he left a gift — a purple sandalwood round-back chair. I took it upon myself to keep it." The nanny figured this was the old master's favorite, so keeping it should be fine.

To her surprise, the old master shot her a glare.

The nanny immediately realized something was wrong. A purple sandalwood round-back chair wouldn't offend the old master — it was likely the young man surnamed Shen who had offended him.

She said at once, "I'll contact someone right away to send it back."

Shen Bingrui came out of the Shufang and happened to overhear, so he asked, "Send what?"

The servant explained the situation.

Shen Bingrui scowled and asked, "Shen Xun from Star Universe Technology? He still has the nerve to come?"

Old Shen didn't even glance at the purple sandalwood round-back chair. He looked up and said to the servant, "It's too late. If you're sending it back, do it another day. Isn't Bingrui going out to handle some business? He can drop the item off at President Shen of Star Universe Technology along the way. We will never cooperate with him."

Shen Bingrui knew his grandfather was standing up for Dr. Jiang.

"I know what to do, Grandfather."

The next day.

Shen Bingrui went straight to Star Universe Technology to return the item. The receptionist blocked him from entering, eyes fixed on the large square cardboard box, worried it might contain something flammable or explosive.

Security had even been called over.

Shen Bingrui said to the receptionist, "Contact your President Shen. Tell him my name is Shen Bingrui."

The front desk had the security guard keep watch while calling the CEO's office.

Assistant Qiao wasn't there; the person answering the call was Shen Xun himself.

Hearing Shen Bingrui's name, Shen Xun's eyes lit up, and he immediately had the front desk personally send the person up.

The front desk's attitude did a 180-degree turn, gesturing for the security guard to leave and then respectfully inviting the person upstairs.

Shen Bingrui asked her: "How many years have you been at Star Universe?"

Front desk: "Over two years."

Shen Bingrui: "Do you know whether President Shen has been married?"

"Married? How could that be." The front desk smiled, eyes clear: "Our President Shen is famously a golden bachelor; how could he get married? On the contrary, I've heard President Shen has a sweetheart."

Shen Bingrui smirked and said nothing more.

Star Universe Technology and the Fu family behind it indeed valued Shen Xun highly; the bidding that day was kept completely secret.

With a ding, we arrived.

Shen Xun adjusted his tie, planning to go to the next office to summon Young Master Fu, since Director Fu had brought the Crown Prince here, important matters naturally required the Crown Prince's participation.

He knocked, got no response, gently pushed the door open—Fu Youlin wasn't there.

By then, Shen Bingrui and the workers moving the items had arrived.

Shen Xun had to receive them alone.

When he saw at the office door the items sent back last night, unchanged, appearing before him, his composed smile froze slightly.

"Young Master Shen, please come inside."

"President Shen, just call me by name is fine." Shen Bingrui entered the office; behind him came the sound of Shen Xun closing the door—who was he guarding against?

"President Shen, this is the item you left at our place yesterday; we're returning it to you."

He said it was dropped, which counts as giving face.

Shen Xun knew it was Shen Lao refusing to accept the gift, but was it just refusing gifts, or also refusing the patent matter?

He felt uneasy, pretending not to catch any other meaning, and self-critically said: "I was being cliché; I'm really sorry."

"The gift President Shen sent is actually not bad—an ordinary small purple sandalwood chair that suits my grandfather's taste and is low-key."

After hearing Shen Bingrui's words, Shen Xun felt the patent matter had promise.

But the next second, Shen Bingrui's words plunged him into an icy cellar.

"My grandfather, aside from Cui Lao, most wanted Dr. Jiang to be his student."

"You were able to see my grandfather thanks to Dr. Jiang's recommendation, yet you don't cherish her; we don't believe someone like President Shen would take my grandfather's painstaking work seriously."

Shen Xun stared, stunned, and opened his mouth: "You mean Shen Lao was recommended to me by Jiang Lai?"

He had always thought it was Shutong who got the recommendation through Ji Lao.