Chapter 544: Just Consider It Rent for Those Ten Months

Before long, two steaming bowls of stir-fried rice noodles were placed on the dining table. The mouth-watering aroma made Yin Yezi salivate, and she couldn't wait to pick up a mouthful with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

"Mmm~~" Yin Yezi's eyes lit up, and she praised sincerely, "It's delicious. I feel like your cooking skills are even better than my sister's."

Yin Yezi could cook herself, but she felt she was still a distance away from Chen Shanni.

"That's for sure. Your sister has stolen plenty of techniques from me; it wouldn't be an exaggeration for her to call me Master." Shen Yan raised his eyebrows, his expression not without pride.

Yin Yezi only just learned of this past history. The two had been neighbors for over a year, so they must have often shared meals. She asked curiously, "Did you two agree to buy houses together? Otherwise, how did you happen to buy right next door?"

"Thanks to your mother. When I was buying a house at the sales office, I happened to run into her and your sister. I felt that your mother was already plotting to make me her son-in-law back then, so she deliberately bought the one next to mine."

Yin Yezi scoffed, completely speechless at this shameless guy.

However, the fact that Wei Wenli liked Shen Yan could not be faked.

After spending time together, Yin Yezi had heard Wei Wenli chatter about Shen Yan plenty of times, praising him to the heavens and back. She even said that if she were twenty years younger, she would definitely have chased Shen Yan down. Chen Jun often rolled his eyes at this, sighing that his wife was beyond saving.

As if remembering something, Shen Yan asked with concern, "I think I heard you say you had a fever last night. How are you feeling now?"

"You're lucky you still remember!" Yin Yezi gave him a pretty eye-roll. Shen Yan smiled awkwardly; in that situation at the time, who cared whether she had a fever or not.

Looking at how energetic she was, she was probably fine.

That's right! She had sweated so much at the time, she wouldn't have been able to keep a fever even if she wanted to.

At this moment, Yin Yezi suddenly blurted out, "I don't plan on wasting too much time at university. My dad finished his credits and graduated in two years, and I can do it too, but the school rules say you can only graduate one year early at most.

You have more influence, can you help me put in a word with the school leaders?"

Shen Yan was stunned for a moment, then replied, "Putting in a word is no problem, but there's no need for you to be in such a rush to graduate. University life is still quite wonderful."

Yin Yezi shook her head. University life was indeed wonderful, but after a long time, she felt it was just that. It would be better to graduate early and do something meaningful.

Regarding this, Shen Yan didn't say much more and agreed to speak with the school leaders later.

After breakfast, Yin Yezi asked Shen Yan to drop her off at school on his way.

The two arrived at the elevator entrance.

"Ding!"

The elevator doors opened, and a middle-aged woman walked out.

Their gazes met, and Shen Yan's eyes narrowed slightly.

Having not seen her for over half a year, this woman seemed to have aged a lot. When they first met, Zhong Manshu had exquisite makeup and a plump figure, like a beautiful young woman in her prime.

Now, she was bare-faced, dressed plainly, with several strands of white hair in her black, beautiful locks, and her slightly haggard cheeks could not hide her exhaustion.

Although Shen Yan was wearing a mask, Zhong Manshu recognized him at a glance.

The hands held in front of her began to tremble uncontrollably.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know how to begin.

The two sides passed each other.

One going in, one coming out.

Seeing that Shen Yan didn't say a word and had no intention of acknowledging her, Zhong Manshu's eyes turned red. It was all her own fault; if she hadn't abandoned her son back then, how could mother and son have become like strangers?

Her mind was filled with a thousand thoughts.

Finally, at the very moment the elevator doors were about to close, Zhong Manshu seemed to be pushed by an invisible force and quickly pressed the call button on the panel.

"Xiaoyan!"

With a "ding," the elevator doors slowly opened.

"Something up?" Shen Yan looked at her expressionlessly, his eyes without the slightest ripple, like a bottomless lake.

Yin Yezi looked back and forth between the two in surprise, feeling she had seen this woman somewhere before. Right, she had run into her at the door of their home last time.

Zhong Manshu stared at him, feeling a bit panicked inside, but she tried hard to calm herself down and gave herself a secret boost.

"Xiaoyan, I have a few words I want to say to you."

"Come in. Say it before we reach the 1st floor."

"Okay!" Zhong Manshu's face immediately lit up with joy, and she hurried into the elevator.

"I saw your achievements in the newspaper. The four pieces of software you released are excellent, and the Xiaogu Mobile too. I am very happy you could achieve such great success."

Just after entering the elevator, Zhong Manshu poured out her heart. In front of the son she had abandoned, she didn't even dare to call herself 'Mom'.

Because she knew she didn't have the qualification.

Shen Yan just gave a faint "Mhm" and said, "That shouldn't be all you want to say, right?"

Zhong Manshu rubbed her hands. Watching the numbers on the side of the elevator door count down, she gritted her teeth, bit the bullet, and said, "Can you lend me one hundred thousand yuan?"

"Didn't you say before that your husband opened a clothing factory? You shouldn't be short on money, right?" Shen Yan frowned slightly.

"I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, but the factory went bankrupt after an incident a few months ago. Wei Guang has been bedridden with illness ever since, and we are still short one hundred thousand yuan for the surgery. I know I've let you down, but if I weren't at the end of my rope, I would never have opened my mouth to you."

"I can give you the money, and I don't need you to pay it back. Just consider it repayment for those ten months of rent. You should be clear that I am not what I used to be; negative news spreading is never good. I don't want anyone else to know about our relationship. You should understand what I mean."

Regarding her plight, Shen Yan's feelings were quite complex. This woman had abandoned him for a better life, only to end up in this state.

Perhaps this was retribution.

A debt of birth; having lived in her belly for ten months, giving her one hundred thousand yuan would be like paying rent.

Hearing this, a mist gradually gathered in Zhong Manshu's eyes. Her son was cutting ties with her completely.

It made sense; this past was a stain on the current Shen Yan.

His biological mother living a miserable life while he lived in luxury—even if a mother had a thousand faults, it wouldn't sound good if it got out.

"I know. I have a sense of shame too. I promise I won't bother you again in the future." Zhong Manshu raised her hand to wipe away her tears, promising firmly and readily.

Shen Yan nodded, asked for her bank account number, and transferred the one hundred thousand.

Done!

Watching the back that was gradually moving away, Zhong Manshu sighed deeply. Yesterday's cause, today's effect; the path she chose, she would have to walk even if she had to crawl.

Walking to the entrance of the unit building, the bodyguard Chen Zhen was already waiting there.

After getting into the car, Yin Yezi tentatively asked, "Aunt Zhong seems to be having a very hard time; do you really not intend to do anything about it?"

From Chen Jun, Yin Yezi had roughly learned about Shen Yan's family background.

Through the conversation just now, it was not difficult to guess the true identity of that middle-aged woman.

What surprised Yin Yezi was that Shen Yan's biological mother was actually in Hangzhou, and the two had long known each other, but Shen Yan did not seem to welcome Zhong Manshu.

However, Yin Yezi could understand his feelings; if it were her, she would probably be the same.