Chapter 232: High-Level Sparring

After a long separation, the two brothers were there making small talk.

Glancing at He Wenhui beside him, Shen Yan leaned toward Shen Jiaqing and asked in a low voice, "Brother Jiaqing, do you have feelings for this female colleague?"

Shen Jiaqing's cheeks flushed slightly, "I feel she's not bad, I'm planning to get to know her."

"Be cautious when dating. To see a person clearly, you can't just listen to what she says; you have to watch what she does."

Just now, He Wenhui had been flirting with Shen Yan intentionally or otherwise, yet Shen Jiaqing was completely oblivious to it; Shen Yan wasn't sure if He Wenhui had taken a liking to him or if she had ulterior motives.

Regardless, a proper warning was essential.

But it couldn't be too obvious.

This balance was something Shen Yan needed to control.

There is a generation gap every three years; the two were six years apart, which is equivalent to two generation gaps. Plus, Shen Liangping had moved to the Wencheng city center early on, so they hadn't spent much time together during their childhood.

Their relationship could only be described as average, and they rarely interacted.

However, Shen Liangping was a decent person who often came back to visit Grandma Shen and treated Shen Yan with care. Since they were relatives, it was only right and reasonable for Shen Yan to offer a reminder.

Yet, Shen Jiaqing might have been missing a screw in his head; he didn't catch the subtext in Shen Yan's words at all and dismissed it, saying, "You're a student, yet you're lecturing me? I've been out in society for two years, after all; I'm still quite accurate at judging people."

???

Shen Yan was speechless, unable to fathom where this guy's mysterious confidence came from.

It was fortunate that Shen Jiaqing studied computer science and worked in a technical field where everything was based on real ability; otherwise, Shen Yan would have doubted whether this guy could even find a job.

Seeing the two brothers whispering, He Wenhui knew the content was nine times out of ten about her, so she asked with a teasing look on her face, "What are you two talking about? You aren't bad-mouthing me, are you?"

Shen Jiaqing shook his head like a rattle immediately and denied it flatly, "Of course not, we were just discussing some private matters."

Shen Yan intended to test He Wenhui, so he said casually, "I'm just curious, Sister He is so beautiful, there must be countless suitors around her. I wonder if you have a boyfriend yet?"

Hearing this, He Wenhui's heart stirred; she thought Shen Yan was interested in her, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but lift into a beautiful arc.

Haha! My charm is truly irresistible.

She didn't rush to answer, but instead became reserved. First, she elegantly tucked a strand of hair from her temple behind her ear, then spoke: "What's the use of being pretty? What's the use of having many suitors? If I don't meet the person who can make my heart flutter, I'd rather stay single forever."

Shen Jiaqing clenched his fists, wishing he could let out a roar toward the sky.

The goddess had actually never dated! To be able to remain solitary in an environment as full of youth and passion as a university—her strength of character was truly admirable.

At this moment, in Shen Jiaqing's heart, He Wenhui was the embodiment of holiness, pure and noble, making one yearn for her.

Shen Yan, however, felt that He Wenhui was a high-level player. He had only asked if she had a boyfriend, yet she had cleverly thrown out the "stay single forever" line, instantly establishing a pure persona.

As for the truth of her words, only heaven knows.

He said again, "Then what type of boy does Sister He like? The kind with high emotional intelligence who is especially good at coaxing people? Or the honest and steady kind who doesn't use flowery language but treats people with sincerity?"

"I have quite a few single friends; I can introduce you to one if there's a suitable match."

No matter how slow Shen Jiaqing's reaction was, he finally realized that Shen Yan was helping him probe He Wenhui's thoughts indirectly, and he felt incredibly touched.

What is family? This is it!

Hearing Shen Yan say this, He Wenhui couldn't stop the joy in her heart. Since he had asked so bluntly, he was clearly "asking for a friend" while actually meaning himself.

She didn't care about what she liked; money was the ultimate truth.

Of course, when looking for a man, the more outstanding, the better.

After a moment of contemplation, she felt Shen Yan clearly fit the former description better, but she didn't reveal it; instead, she said ambiguously, "I can't really say what type of boy I like specifically; it mostly depends on the feeling."

"Little Brother Shen is quite good, it's just a pity he's four years younger than me..."

Damn! This girl is definitely a high-level player.

Her words were watertight.

In the end, she even deliberately hinted at him. The words were left half-said, leaving room for endless imagination, roughly meaning: "Shen Yan, I have a good impression of you. If you have that intention and don't mind the age gap, you might as well try pursuing me; you might succeed."

At least that was how Shen Yan understood it; whether it was correct or not, who knows.

Shen Jiaqing, on the other hand, was ecstatic. He Wenhui said someone like Shen Yan was very good. In Shen Jiaqing's impression, Shen Yan was the same type as him: honest, steady, not good at flowery language, and the type who treats people with sincerity.

Therefore, his hope of chasing the goddess was great.

Shen Yan knew that ordinary questions wouldn't get him anywhere, so he deliberately led her into a trap: "So Sister He likes my type. I do have many merits, especially high emotional intelligence, a sweet tongue, and I'm especially good at making girls happy."

"However, everything has two sides. This type of person is often very popular with girls, can't settle down, and loves one after another. Age is not a problem in their eyes at all. Sister He, you should be careful."

To He Wenhui, this sounded roughly like: "I've taken a liking to you, age is absolutely not a problem, but I'm a bit of a playboy, and you aren't the only one for me."

Heh! This little brother's cultivation is not shallow.

He Wenhui's mouth curled up, revealing a cunning and charming smile, and she said softly, "As the saying goes, things are valued for their rarity. The more outstanding a boy is, the more he naturally wins a girl's heart."

"It's hard for a man not to have a wandering heart before marriage, but as long as he can restrain himself after marriage and focus on the family, he can still be considered a good man."

As she spoke, her big, watery eyes flashed with wise light, as if she had already seen through all the phenomena of the world.

Although the three women were playing ring toss nearby, their ears were pricked up high, constantly paying attention to Shen Yan's every move.

Yu Youwei was completely confused by the series of conversations.

It was just because Shen Yan's behavior was too abnormal!

She couldn't understand why Shen Yan would say such things about himself—that crap about loving one after another was all nonsense—and why he was chatting so enthusiastically with a strange woman.

Compared to the simple and naive Yu Youwei, the delicate-minded Wu Yueer and Chen Shanni almost laughed out loud.

The situation on the scene was clear at a glance.

Shen Jiaqing liked He Wenhui, but He Wenhui wasn't interested in Shen Jiaqing and had instead taken a liking to Shen Yan; it was just that He Wenhui's previous behavior was a bit frivolous, leaving a bad impression on Shen Yan.

As Shen Jiaqing's cousin, Shen Yan was there helping his cousin figure out He Wenhui's depth. Hindered by the fact that his cousin was right there, some things couldn't be said too directly and could only be hinted at.

Little did he expect He Wenhui to be a high-level player.

The two were probing each other openly and secretly; the brilliance of the confrontation was jaw-dropping.

Yet Shen Jiaqing was still oblivious on the side, his expression shifting from ecstatic to pensive, like he was performing a crosstalk act.

But as the saying goes, for every foot of virtue, the devil rises ten.

He Wenhui ultimately still stepped into the pit Shen Yan had set.

In this round, Shen Yan won completely.