Chapter 278: As Long As You Are Happy

"Did she," Sheng Yu paused, his fingers clenching, and said in a low voice, "ask about anything else?"

The landlady replied, "No."

She answered crisply, without a moment's hesitation, as if representing Zhu Yuan's attitude.

But that girl really hadn't asked about anything; what kind of answer was this young gentleman hoping to hear?

After a moment of thought, she asked tentatively, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, you did very well."

Sheng Yu hung up the phone.

Clearly, yesterday he had seen her interacting so intimately with that man surnamed Pei; he had restrained himself, once again choosing not to rush into that small courtyard in a way that hurt himself. Later, when she returned to her room, he saw the man surnamed Pei lying on a rocking chair in the yard, and he didn't leave until midnight.

His heart was easily left bloodied and mangled by her.

Yet, the moment he heard she wanted to eat the soybean paste noodles he made, he immediately convinced himself again.

Sheng Yu gave a self-deprecating laugh; there was truly no one else who would debase themselves like he did.

But he just couldn't help wanting to go see her; even just a glimpse from afar could slightly fill the void in his heart.

He missed her too much.

He wanted to hold her, kiss her, and hear her call him Yu Ge, in that soft tone, that coquettish tone, that tone of feigned anger.

How could what he heard and held in his dreams compare to seeing her with his own eyes?

Sheng Yu looked at a cartoon gray wolf figurine on his desk.

It was bought by Zhu Yuan.

The edges of the figurine had been rubbed smooth by someone's touch.

The documents at his hand hadn't been flipped for a long while, and it wasn't until Situ came in to report on work that he withdrew his gaze.

Situ vaguely sensed that Sheng Yu's aura was not quite right, and this feeling was likely related to Miss Zhu.

Not wanting to run into this scene, he was just about to come back later to report, but Sheng Yu lifted his eyes and swept a glance at him, "Where are you going?"

"I'll come back in a moment." Situ turned to leave.

Seeing that look of hesitation on his face—unlike Enzo, who was glib and knew how to say something nice to stall—Sheng Yu sighed silently and said, "I am not in a bad mood."

Situ frowned slightly; that was a bit like saying "there is no silver buried here."

Sheng Yu glanced at the documents he was holding, "Is there official business?"

He nodded, walked over, and handed a document to him.

"Sheng Hongwei was indeed in Licheng that day, but he did not take public transportation; he drove a private car. We pulled the road surveillance, and he only arrived just as we were about to leave Licheng."

Sheng Yu flipped through the document Situ handed over, "It seems he has a collaboration with that person."

He really hadn't expected that his so-called relatives were actually making moves right under his nose.

Situ nodded, "Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that he went to Licheng and was secretly shot? He colluded with that person and did many things to harm the Sheng Group; no wonder he didn't dare to admit it."

And the document in Sheng Yu's hand was precisely about Sheng Hongwei's overseas assets.

Sheng Yu flipped through page after page.

The funds were so massive that they weren't just taken from the Sheng Group.

So that was what that person wanted.

Sheng Yu sneered.

No wonder his grandfather said those words on his deathbed; it seemed the old man had also sensed something, but he had left a way out for the other party, hoping the other party would come to their senses.

It was just a pity that that person hadn't understood his grandfather's intentions at all.

But now was not the time to expose his true colors.

"What is Sheng Hongyao doing?" Sheng Yu threw the document onto the desk, coldness spreading in his eyes.

Situ said, "Since being discharged, he has spent his days at the old mansion teasing birds and feeding fish, putting on an appearance of cultivating his character."

Ning Huaiqing brought Youyou to the new villa, and Sheng Hongyao went over that very evening.

He brought many expensive toys for Youyou.

At first, Youyou was still very afraid of him, but later, unable to resist the attraction of the toys, he gradually let down his guard under Sheng Hongyao's coaxing.

Watching the scene of Sheng Hongyao patiently accompanying Youyou to assemble the toys, Ning Huaiqing felt a complex mix of emotions.

No wonder they say affection skips a generation; Sheng Hongyao and Sheng Yu could fight each other to the death, yet Sheng Hongyao was so doting toward Youyou—if one were to tell others, they probably wouldn't believe it.

"Are you Grandpa?" Youyou held the toy truck, tilted his little head, and looked at Sheng Hongyao with his big, dark, glistening eyes.

Sheng Hongyao's broad palm covered his head, ruffling his soft hair, without saying whether he was or wasn't, "Does Youyou like this place?"

Youyou nodded vigorously, "I like it!"

He turned to look at Ning Huaiqing and grinned at her.

Ning Huaiqing smiled gently, and in a blink, she saw Sheng Hongyao looking at her as well.

Sheng Hongyao rested one hand on Youyou's shoulder while the other rested casually on the armrest of the sofa, his gaze fixed directly on Ning Huaiqing, making her feel somewhat flustered.

"Uncle Sheng, would you like some tea?" She found a topic to break the awkwardness from just a moment ago.

Sheng Hongyao's fingers tapped lightly on the sofa armrest, "Do you know how to make tea?"

Ning Huaiqing nodded, "My tea-making skills are decent."

Although she had been abroad for the past few years and didn't make tea there, she had learned well from the tea ceremony classes her parents had arranged for her in the past.

Youyou sat on the carpet playing with his toys.

Sheng Hongyao stood up and walked toward the tea table, sitting opposite Ning Huaiqing, watching her slow and elegant tea-making movements; one look told him she had been trained.

"Uncle Sheng, please have a taste." Ning Huaiqing handed him a cup of tea.

Sheng Hongyao took the teacup, took a sip, and praised, "Not bad."

Ning Huaiqing pursed her lips and smiled, "As long as you like it."

She fiddled with the tea set, and Sheng Hongyao's gaze rested leisurely on her face; before Zhu Yuan appeared in Kyoto City, Ning Huaiqing was the greatest beauty in Kyoto City, with a gentle and water-like appearance, suitable for a household, a woman very fit to be taken home as a wife.

Sheng Hongyao picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his gaze slid down from her face.

She was indeed very beautiful.

The next evening, Sheng Hongyao came over, and Ning Huaiqing hurriedly instructed the nanny to prepare two extra dishes.

Perhaps she was being too sensitive; apart from that day at her original residence when Sheng Hongyao held her hand, he had never again done anything to make her feel offended, acting like a kind elder, doting on Youyou and showing concern for her.

Both times he came over, he would ask what she was still lacking and then have people go procure it.

There were no other boundary-crossing behaviors.

If Sheng Yu refused to acknowledge Youyou, would Youyou still be able to have a legitimate status if Sheng Hongyao acknowledged him as his grandson?

As time passed, she found it increasingly unbearable for Youyou to live with the status of an illegitimate child.

Thinking this, Ning Huaiqing's attitude toward Sheng Hongyao softened, and during the meal, she took the initiative to pick food for him and serve him soup.

Sheng Hongyao also picked food for her bowl, "You eat too."

The nanny nearby saw this scene and felt it was somewhat strange, yet she could not say what was wrong with it.