Chapter 185: The Person of Father Chen

On a cold winter night, the moonlight cast its clear radiance, interweaving with the dim streetlights to illuminate Hangzhou under the snow, making it appear exceptionally mysterious and beautiful.

Invited to the Chen home to attend Shanni's birthday party.

"Ding-dong!"

The door opened, and what came into view was none other than Chen Shanni, her shoulder-length, pink-brown hair making her look bright and poised; she was dressed very casually, wearing a white and green floral shirt on top, paired with slim-fit white trousers.

Shen Yan presented a gift box and said with a light smile, "Shanni, happy birthday."

A flash of surprise crossed Chen Shanni's eyes; she hadn't expected Shen Yan to give her a gift, and after taking it, she said with a beaming smile, "Thank you!"

Just after entering, Shen Yan saw a middle-aged couple leaning on the sofa, watching television listlessly; the woman was plump and fair, looking as if she had been carved from the same mold as Chen Shanni.

It was none other than Chen's mother, whom Shen Yan had met a few times before.

The middle-aged man was wearing a white shirt paired with suit trousers; while the brand was unrecognizable, the fabric alone revealed it was of significant value, and he wore a Patek Philippe watch on his wrist.

At this moment, the man's resolute face was as calm as an ancient well, showing no emotional fluctuation; the instant their eyes met, Shen Yan noticed the man's gaze become deep and sharp, as if a beast were sizing up its prey.

Apart from them, the room was empty; the girls were likely all gathered in the bedroom.

Shen Yan was slightly taken aback.

He had assumed it was just an ordinary gathering of friends, never expecting the parents to be present; the atmosphere was bound to be awkward.

Besides, why did this man look so familiar?

Chen Shanni spoke up to introduce both sides: "Dad, Mom, this is my classmate, Shen Yan."

"Shen Yan, you've met my mom before; the one next to her is my father."

Shen Yan greeted them with a smile: "Hello, Uncle and Auntie, I am Shen Yan."

Chen Jun nodded slightly in acknowledgment, looking quite serious; Chen's mother had a very deep impression of Shen Yan, and the scene of him clearing four levels in a row at Weilan Zhidu to take home the grand prize was still fresh in her mind.

She thought very highly of this young man and saw through her daughter's little feelings as clearly as fire; she had originally thought that with the two of them spending time together, they might strike a different spark, but alas... in the end, they were not meant to be.

Chen's mother pursed her lips and said gently, "Sit down, little Shen, the dishes will be delivered soon."

To be honest, Shen Yan did not like dealing with these elders, as they were always asking this and that, yet it was hard to refuse them.

Had he known this, he would have rather just grabbed a bite to eat outside.

Glancing at the gift box in his daughter's hand, Chen Jun suddenly spoke up: "What gift did you give Shanni? Would it be convenient to open it and take a look?"

Chen Shanni's expression changed, and she called out, "Dad..."

Shen Yan's expression was unreadable; this plot... could it be that he thought he had some ulterior motives toward Chen Shanni?

He did not feel angry, simply spreading his hands to indicate it was fine.

"Actually, it's just a music box inside, a small gift worth a few dozen yuan; I hope Shanni won't mind."

Hearing this, Chen Jun immediately laughed it off, "I didn't mean anything else; I was just curious about how you young people usually interact. Don't take it to heart, little Shen."

In truth, he had a rough understanding of the friends around his daughter, knowing which ones were pure of heart and which had ulterior motives, much like this Shen Yan before him.

It was reported that Shen Yan had relied on his grandmother since childhood and had a dull personality, but for unknown reasons, he had undergone a complete transformation after graduating from high school.

First, he made his first pot of gold in the emerging e-commerce industry, then bought a lottery ticket to win money for a car and house, and later, from somewhere unknown, he obtained a sum of capital to take over a clothing factory for independent operation, which was currently doing well.

Furthermore, Shen Yan possessed a unique talent for memory and had a very beautiful girlfriend, making him a young man of good character, which was why he allowed the other party to get close to his daughter.

Under normal circumstances, with his net worth, he shouldn't be so concerned about a young man, but watching a poor kid start from scratch and step by step reach new heights, he felt as if he were seeing his former self in Shen Yan.

He was very curious about how far Shen Yan would go.

Shen Yan naturally did not know that Chen Jun understood him so deeply; he didn't care what Chen Jun thought, simply pursing his lips and smiling lightly.

Chen Shanni, however, looked at her father indignantly and said, "Dad, can you not always be like this? This behavior is very disrespectful."

Chen Jun was extremely astonished by his daughter's unusual reaction.

From childhood to adulthood, Chen Shanni had been like a silent gourd, always preferring to stay alone, rejecting making friends from the bottom of her heart, and possessing a shy and introverted personality.

They say like father, like son; the son of a rat will dig holes.

Sometimes Chen Jun even wondered if the child had been swapped at the hospital; otherwise, with his own decisive and vigorous personality, how could he have raised such a child?

He would rather his daughter get angry with him, or be a bit rebellious and mischievous, than see her remain silent.

Such people were usually the least successful.

For so many years, the only time Chen Shanni had gotten upset with him was when she was filling out her college entrance exam preferences; he had wanted Chen Shanni to apply to the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics for business management, or to study abroad, so she could help out at the company after graduation.

Yet Chen Shanni insisted on doing the opposite, determined to go to Hangzhou, saying she wanted to be a lawyer who upholds justice in the future.

What a joke! With Chen Shanni's shy personality, could she even speak in court?

Besides, what was the point of Chen Jun's daughter becoming a lawyer? Was the family lacking lawyers? What they lacked were people who could be his right-hand assistants and were worthy of trust.

But his daughter was as stubborn as a mule, refusing to listen to anything; that angry expression from back then was still fresh in his mind.

In the end, he relented, thinking it might be good for his daughter to go out and gain some experience, as it might help improve her personality.

The results were very gratifying; after entering university, Chen Shanni's changes were visible to the naked eye; not only did she make a few close friends, but her personality also gradually became more outgoing.

The only thing that hadn't changed was that she still didn't care for him as a father.

Now that Chen Shanni had gotten upset with him again for the sake of Shen Yan, it made Chen Jun have to wonder about her intentions.

Could it be that his daughter liked Shen Yan?

If Shen Yan could be his son-in-law, Chen Jun would agree one hundred and twenty percent; although Shen Yan came from a humble background, he was gifted, and with a little polishing, he would definitely be a talent capable of taking on great responsibilities.

It was just that this guy already had a girlfriend, so that was a different matter entirely.