Chapter 107: You Certainly Protect Her Tightly

Shen Yanhui acted as if he did not see it.

He merely turned his head and said to Gu Yan, "Have someone repair it next time."

His voice was not loud, but in the quiet hall, everyone heard it clearly.

Gu Yan curled the corners of her lips: "This is a three-hundred-year-old ancestral home; you say repair it, so you repair it?"

"My house," he said, "I repair it if I want to."

Shen Zongheng sat in the first seat on the left and let out a scoff upon hearing this: "Yanhui, the old master is still here; isn't it a bit early to say such things?"

Shen Yanhui ignored him.

He put his arm around Gu Yan and walked inside, not even pausing his steps as he passed in front of Shen Zongheng.

Gu Yan could feel a gaze landing on her, cast from the seat at the head of the room, carrying scrutiny and pressure.

She looked up, inadvertently meeting the other person's eyes for a second, and her hand subconsciously tightened its grip on Shen Yanhui's sleeve.

Shen Yanhui's steps faltered.

He lowered his head to look at her: "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She shook her head.

He did not speak, only pulled her a little closer to his side.

That gaze followed her again; the old master of the Shen family was still watching her.

This time, the gaze slowly moved down from her face, swept over her attire and her posture, and finally landed on the hands she and Shen Yanhui had clasped together.

His brows furrowed slightly.

Gu Yan suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable.

It was not fear, but a sense of discomfort at being evaluated, at being placed on a scale to be weighed.

Shen Yanhui led her to the old master.

The other man's appraisal became increasingly direct.

"Is this the youngest daughter of the Gu Family?"

Shen Yanhui did not take the bait.

He merely lowered his eyes and said to Gu Yan, "This is Grandfather."

Gu Yan met the old master's gaze and curved her eyes: "Hello, Grandfather."

Although she did not like his gaze, she had to go through the motions; otherwise, wouldn't she be losing face for their Gu Family?

"From the Gu Family, is your father Gu Fanglin?"

"Yes."

"Hmm." He nodded, though his gaze still did not move away, "Gu Fanglin's daughter... she certainly has a good appearance."

This sounded like a compliment.

But it was just short of saying she was a vixen, having bewitched his grandson so thoroughly that he had lost his soul and dared to defy even him.

Gu Yan smiled and accepted this "compliment": "Thank you, Grandfather Shen. My own grandfather also often praises me for being pretty; I've inherited all the best traits from my parents."

The old master of the Shen family let out a cold, insincere hum.

Shen Yanhui stepped forward half a pace, just enough to block the old master's line of sight.

"Grandfather," he said, "you had people invite me here; what is the matter?"

The old master of the Shen family's gaze circled around his side, still wanting to look at Gu Yan.

Shen Yanhui did not allow it.

He just stood there, blocking Gu Yan behind him.

The old master of the Shen family finally withdrew his gaze; he leaned back into his chair, looked at Shen Yanhui, and was silent for a few seconds: "You certainly protect her tightly."

"It is her first time here," Shen Yanhui said, "she is shy."

Behind him, Gu Yan could not help but curl the corners of her lips.

Since when was she shy?

But since he said so, she would reluctantly accept it.

Shen Zongheng spoke up from the side: "Yanhui, the old master hasn't even said anything yet, and you're already protecting her like this. What, is Miss Gu made of paper, too fragile to be looked at?"

Shen Yanhui turned his head to look at him, his gaze very faint.

"Third Uncle," he said, "when I walked in just now, I seemed to hear you complaining to the people next to you about this year's dividends."

Shen Zongheng's expression changed slightly.

"So," Shen Yanhui's tone remained unchanged, "since you haven't even sorted out your own affairs, there is no need to trouble yourself with mine."

Shen Zongheng opened his mouth but could not get a word out.

Shen Yanhui had already turned back, lowering his eyes to look at Gu Yan. The young girl stood at his side, posture straight, but her feet had already quietly shifted their center of gravity.

Standing in high heels for too long was a bit tiring.

Thinking she was being subtle, she leaned most of her weight onto Shen Yanhui.

"Tired?" He lowered his head to whisper in her ear.

Gu Yan did not try to be brave and nodded honestly: "My legs are sore."

"Then sit for a while." Shen Yanhui hooked his lips slightly and led her toward the main seat on the right.

He pressed Gu Yan down into that chair, standing at her side himself with a hand resting on the back of her chair.

The whole hall was in an uproar.

Shen Zongheng stood up abruptly: "Shen Yanhui! You've lost your mind! That is the seat of the head of the family!"

Gu Yan sat in the century-old armchair and blinked.

She looked at the old master's livid face, then at the shocked expressions throughout the hall, and finally looked up at the man beside her.

He was looking down at her.

"Uncomfortable?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head, "it's just a bit high."

This chair was a head taller than all the others; sitting on it, one could overlook the entire hall.

Shen Yanhui curled the corners of his lips.

"That's perfect," he said, "let them all see clearly."

The expressions on the faces of the people in the hall were extremely colorful.

Old Master Shen's hand gripping his cane trembled; he stared at Shen Yanhui, complex emotions surging in the depths of his cloudy eyes.

"Yanhui," he said in a deep voice, "what are you doing?"

"She is tired from standing," Shen Yanhui said indifferently.

"The position of the family head—is that something an outsider can just sit in at will? Shen Yanhui, do you still have this family in your eyes?!" Shen Zongheng was even more agitated than the Old Master, his brows knitted as he accused him.

Shen Yanhui finally looked at him, his gaze very faint: "Third Uncle, do you need me to read out the accounts of those companies under your control?"

Shen Zongheng stiffened.

"Maoyuan Industrial, where did that three hundred million payment from last December go?"

Shen Zongheng's face turned white.

Maoyuan was a company he operated privately; the things he did—misappropriation of funds, transfer of benefits, issuing false invoices... any one of them pulled out would be enough for him to go inside for a few years.

"And that payment from the year before last—"

"Enough!" Shen Zongheng interrupted him, his voice hollow, "You, you don't make baseless accusations!"

Shen Yanhui did not look at him again.

He looked down and said to Gu Yan: "Third Uncle seems a bit agitated."

Gu Yan nodded: "I can see that."

"What do you think?"

"I think..." she tilted her head, "his voice is too loud."

Shen Yanhui curled the corners of his lips.

He raised his hand and made a gesture to Chang Su.

Chang Su stepped forward and placed a stack of documents on the tea table beside Shen Zongheng. The cover was strikingly printed with a few words: Maoyuan Industrial Audit Report.

Shen Zongheng's face completely lost all color.

"Third Uncle," Shen Yanhui's voice was faint, "will you leave on your own, or shall I have someone escort you?"

Shen Zongheng opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but could not get it out.

Two bodyguards stepped forward silently, hoisting him up from the left and right.

Shen Zongheng cursed, then hurriedly begged Old Master Shen for help: "Shen Yanhui! You—Dad! Look at him—"

Old Master Shen's face was livid, but in the end, he did not speak.

Shen Yanhui raised his eyes, swept them across the hall, and spoke indifferently: "Everyone, my grandfather and I still have some private matters to discuss."

He paused.

"Please."

An indisputable order to leave.

The elders of the collateral branches exchanged glances and rose one after another. Some wanted to say something, but upon meeting Shen Yanhui's gaze, they swallowed it back down.

In a moment, only three people remained in Chengze Hall.

The great doors slowly closed.

Old Master Shen sat in the armchair on the left, his cane thumping against the floor with a dull sound.

He looked at Shen Yanhui, his eyes filled with deep anger: "Do you know why I called you here today?"