Chapter 52: Shen Xun

"Alright." Ms. Nian patted her daughter's cheek, "You like her that much?"

"Mom, you don't know, she's so amazing."

"Because she pointed out the problems in your paper for you?"

"When I finished revising and went back, the old man was stunned; he said he thought I'd have to toil for a long time and redo the experiment."

The mother and daughter sat in the car, and Ke Zhongying explained, "It's not just that. I just think she worked so hard to get out of the Fuli Yuan, come to this huge A City, with no friends, no family, only a teacher. She must have endured a lot of suffering. Even though she isn't doing work related to her major and was forced by my brother that guy to become a secretary, I still think she's amazing."

"Mom, I've never left you and dad, never left my brother; when I'm not in A City it's only for travel."

"Sister Jiang Lai lives so hard on her own, that's impressive." Ke Zhongying smiled, "Of course, anyone who works hard at life is impressive."

Ms. Nian looked satisfied.

"Actually I wanted her to be my sister‑in‑law, but my brother either stays silent or, when he does speak, it's like a long thorn—so annoying, it makes it hard for him to marry."

Ms. Nian smiled, "Then coax Jiang Lai more, see if she'll, for your sake, reluctantly agree to marry your brother."

The mother and daughter laughed heartily.

At the Ke Clan entrance, they were met by a surprised Jiang Lai.

"Aunt." Jiang Lai assumed Ke Zhongying was by herself, kept flirting on the phone, and only then agreed.

"Get in the car, Jiang Lai." Ms. Nian smiled gently.

Jiang Lai seemed a bit uneasy, "Alright, Aunt."

Ms. Nian's car was low‑key, but the license plate wasn't at all; the security guard at the Ke building entrance saw it and immediately reported to Assistant Zhou.

Assistant Zhou: "President Ke, Ms. Nian and the young lady have arrived."

Ke Zhongyu was slightly stunned. Why did his mother suddenly come over?

He was about to stand, his bottom already off the chair.

Assistant Zhou: "Ms. Nian and the young lady finished picking up Secretary Jiang, and left again…"

Ke Zhongyu: "..."

Neither sitting nor standing feels right.

……

Eden Garden Restaurant.

Located on the top floor of the Riverside Building, with a green‑plant dome, garden balcony, and lilting violin music, stepping inside gives a feeling of merging with nature.

Jiang Lai today wore a green coat again, which matched the whole setting perfectly.

The restaurant owner Ellie saw them, came over personally, and looked at the unfamiliar faces.

"Who is this?"

"My daughter's and son's friend." Ms. Nian introduced, "Jiang Lai, this is Ellie; just like you call Zhongyu and Zhongying 'Ellie Aunt', you can call her Ellie Aunt as well."

Jiang Lai: "Aunt Ellie."

"What a quiet, beautiful girl." Ellie said enthusiastically, "Come over here, I'll keep a spot for you, it's quiet, not many people come by. I originally didn't want to reserve the table next to you, but it would be hard to offend President Shen of Star Universe Technology."

Hearing Shen Xun's name, Jiang Lai's body froze.

Ke Zhongying immediately asked, "Shen Xun?"

"Yes, their whole family is coming, five people in total."

Four members of the Shen family, the other person—Jiang Lai could figure out just by her toes.

She fluttered her eyelashes but said nothing.

Ke Zhongying couldn't sit still: "His dad, his mom, his sister, and one 'him', who's the other person?"

"President Shen's wife." Aunt Ellie, sitting beside Ms. Nian, said, "I asked how to address her, and she said to call her Mrs. Shen."

Jiang Lai took a sip of warm water.

Ms. Nian asked her daughter, "Is it the one who stood next to President Shen at the cocktail party?"

As soon as the words fell, the Shen family arrived.

Seated at Jiang Lai's left‑rear diagonal, Shen Xi's surprised voice quickly came, "Wow, Sister Shutong, how did you know this place?"

Eden Garden opened without any grand opening banquet or any promotion; it mainly serves wealthy clients, who don't watch ads and don't need grand banquets.

Anyone who can find this place must have some status.

Lin Shutong smiled, "Make more friends in the future, and you'll know."

"Sister Shutong, you're still the best." Shen Xi wanted to cling to Lin Shutong, but she quickly sat back in her seat, "The seat next to Sister Shutong is my brother's; I won't compete with my brother."

Mother Shen smiled, "I'll say you're sensible."

"I'm the most sensible, okay?" Shen Xi pouted, "Has my brother arrived?"

Lin Shutong: "He just messaged me, he's heading up the elevator."

"Oh~ Why does my brother only message Sister Shutong and not us?" Shen Xi teased.

Lin Shutong's cheeks flushed slightly, "Xiao Xi, stop messing around."

The words fell.

From behind came a waiter's voice, "President Shen, this way, please."

"Alright." Shen Xun took off his coat and draped it over his arm, loosened his tie a bit, and as he got closer realized that besides Lin Shutong, his parents and sister were also there.

His steps faltered slightly.

He always felt the scene was a bit odd.

The whole family was present, but Jiang Lai was missing.

"Ah Xun, over here." Lin Shutong looked at him and raised a hand.

Shen Xun stepped forward again, went to the side of the table, and his gaze was involuntarily drawn to a figure's back on the right front.

Long dark‑brown hair draped, with a faint glimpse of a profile.

They didn't recognize.

Their gaze, however, lingered on them.

Lin Shutong, who noticed, turned to look.

Ellie said, "Is that President Shen of Star Universe Technology? Why keep looking this way?"

Jiang Lai's spine stiffened slightly—could it be that they were looking at her? Yet she had appeared at their company before, and they hadn't recognized her.

It probably wasn't looking at her.

Shen Xun noticed Ms. Nian, took off his coat, and told his family, "I'll go over and say hello; she's the chairman's wife of the Ke Clan, Ms. Nian."

Shen's father nodded, "Go ahead."

Lin Shutong stood up, "Shen Xun, I'll go with you."

Shen Xun pursed his lips, originally intending to say no, but Lin Shutong's hand was already looped around his arm.

He had to go together.

Mother Shen asked, "The chairman's wife of the Ke Group? Which one of the two is it?"

Shen's father said, "Of course it's the gentle and dignified one, the one who could be a high‑society daughter‑in‑law; it can't be the other one beside her."

Mother Shen nodded, "Right, for our Shen Family as well; the one who could become a Shen Family daughter‑in‑law must, of course, be someone like Lin Shutong, who comes from a scholarly family."

Their voices weren't loud, yet both Lin Shutong and Shen Xun, who hadn't walked over yet, heard them.

Lin Shutong curled his lips.

The two arrived at the innermost spot, standing right beside Jiang Lai.

"Ms. Nian, hello, I am from Star Universe Technology…" Shen Xun's voice faltered; his peripheral glance caught Jiang Lai seated there.

In an instant, he withdrew his arm from Lin Shutong's grasp, even forgetting that he hadn't finished introducing his name.

"Jiang Lai?" he called, surprised.

Ms. Nian and Ellie turned to look; Jiang Lai looked up, "Hmm, what a coincidence."

Just three words, and that was it.

Shen Xun felt an inexplicable panic in his heart.

Lin Shutong, with a surprised expression, asked, "Jiang Lai, why are you here?"

She couldn't believe that Eldest Miss Ke would bring Jiang Lai to meet her own mother.

Or perhaps, President Ke brought her?

Did President Ke really set his sights on a country bumpkin?

The two had different thoughts.