Chapter 277: The Old-School Tyrant CEO 21

Shen Xiuyan watched Su Mingyue’s expression shift through a kaleidoscope of emotions. Feeling a bit wronged, he reached out and gave the hem of her skirt a gentle, tentative tug.

“Mingyue… did I do something wrong? Am I making things difficult for you?”

Su Mingyue shot him a dark, sinister glare.

Difficult?

This was beyond difficult!

But seeing the cautious, anxious look in his eyes, Su Mingyue felt like she shouldn’t be angry with him.

After all, she was partly to blame. She hadn’t realized all this time that Shen Xiuyan’s silence was actually a form of tacit consent…

And she called herself his childhood friend?

To think she couldn’t even see through something like this.

The two of them had already wasted too much time; they couldn’t afford to let it drag on any longer.

At this thought, Su Mingyue suddenly perked up, ready to give Shen “Zero EQ” Xiuyan a much-needed lesson.

And so, Teacher Su’s Little Classroom officially began.

Su Mingyue feigned a serious expression and coughed twice. “Ahem. Let me give you a simple explanation. Today is the very first day I’ve learned that I am your girlfriend…”

“Huh?” Shen Xiuyan looked utterly bewildered.

Su Mingyue cut him off before he could speak. “Don’t talk yet, just listen. Teacher Su is going to teach you a lesson. This isn’t how dating works. Before someone becomes your girlfriend, you need to confess first. Do you understand what a confession is?”

“I mean, why on earth did you think she was your girlfriend when she never even agreed to a confession? If you don’t say anything, how is she supposed to know!”

As expected, Shen Xiuyan’s eyes began to swirl like dizzying spirals.

Did he understand, or was he completely lost?

“So, what you’re saying is… you’re not my girlfriend right now?” Shen Xiuyan was dumbfounded. “No way… how can the girlfriend I’ve been dating for seven years just vanish into thin air…”

Su Mingyue pressed a hand to her forehead. “You can have one, but it depends on your performance. Who talks to themselves for seven years and calls it a relationship without showing a single sign? I really couldn’t see how you treated me any differently from anyone else.”

Shen Xiuyan looked aggrieved. “Not differently? I’m so good to you! Look at my attitude toward others, then look at my attitude toward you. Isn’t that the biggest difference? Besides, we’ve lived like this for over twenty years. Why should we change?”

Su Mingyue felt like her little classroom was about to collapse.

She countered, “Then why has your attitude toward me changed over the last few days? It’s only been these past few days that I’ve actually felt like you like me.”

“Assistant Cheng said I shouldn’t be too enthusiastic toward a girlfriend, or she’d think I’m too clingy. That’s why I didn’t dare to stick to you all the time before.”

Shen Xiuyan offered a silent apology to Assistant Cheng. He’d use him as a shield for now and give him a raise later.

“As for lately…” Shen Xiuyan lowered his head shyly. “I just felt like we’re at the age where we should get married. It should be fine to cling to my own wife, right?”

“Is that not allowed either?” Shen Xiuyan looked like a shocked puppy.

Su Mingyue froze. She really hadn’t expected that to be the reason.

She hadn’t realized that in Xiuyan’s mind, they had already progressed all the way to the marriage stage.

The timeline had accelerated so much in just a few hours that Su Mingyue found it hard to keep up.

She sighed. This was the man she liked, after all. He might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but what else could she do?

She’d just have to spoil him.

“Fine, I’ll let that pass. Also, don’t listen to Assistant Cheng anymore. What can a single dog like him teach you? It’s no wonder he’s still single.”

Su Mingyue delivered a ruthless personal attack.

Wasn’t that just terrible advice?

It had caused them to waste so much time.

But fortunately, it wasn’t too late.

Su Mingyue broke into a silly grin.

In a corner unknown to Assistant Cheng, before he could even suck up to the boss’s future wife, he had been thrown under the bus by his boss.

The future lady of the house had now marked him down in her black book.

Shen Xiuyan leaned in excitedly, wagging an invisible tail like a happy dog. “So, do you admit you’re my girlfriend now?”

Su Mingyue tapped his forehead. “I do not. You have to confess first.”

“Mm, as long as you’re not angry. I’ll definitely give you a confession you’ll never forget!” Shen Xiuyan promised with a clenched fist.

Su Mingyue nodded with satisfaction. “Then I’ll be waiting for it.”

The atmosphere between them instantly turned syrupy sweet, many times more intimate than before.

They looked ready to get married on the spot, though neither of them noticed it.

If any outsiders were present, they would have cried out that the display was too much to look at.

*

Shortly after the two left, Uncle Qi found an excuse to slip into a corner and make a phone call.

“Hello, Old Shen? You’re being a bit dishonest, aren’t you? Why didn’t you tell me about such a huge matter sooner? I didn’t have time to prepare!”

Father Shen was confused. “What are you talking about? I don’t follow.”

Uncle Qi sounded disgusted. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. I already know everything, so stop playing dumb. Tell me, why did you keep Xiuyan and Mingyue’s relationship a secret from us? I know your family found a great daughter-in-law, but were you afraid we’d steal her? Look at those boys of mine—there’s no way Mingyue would ever be interested in them!”

Father Shen: “What?”

Uncle Qi: “Xiuyan admitted it himself today, and you’re still pretending!”

“No… I…” Father Shen tried to explain, but he was cut off.

“Alright, I’ve got to go. Someone’s looking for me. Don’t forget to notify me when they get married!”

Father Shen’s mouth moved faster than his brain, and he instinctively agreed. “Of course, of course.”

By the time he snapped out of it, the other side had already hung up.

Father Shen and Mother Shen looked at each other in bewilderment.

Wait, why were they, the parents, the last to know about something this big?

Why wasn’t that unfilial son back yet? This was driving them crazy.

The two elders had been waiting for Shen Xiuyan all day, and now they truly felt like skinning him alive.

Just as Father Shen was cursing his unfilial son for the 1,068th time in his head, Shen Xiuyan finally returned.

As soon as Shen Xiuyan walked through the door, he saw his parents standing there with their arms crossed.

They looked like they were looking for trouble.

Shen Xiuyan jumped. “Whoa, what’s wrong with you two? It’s late at night; why aren’t you sleeping? What are you doing here?”

Mother Shen extended a slender, elegant finger and poked her son hard in the forehead. “You’re asking us what’s wrong? We should be asking you! Speak—what exactly is going on between you and Mingyue?”

Shen Xiuyan shrank back. How had his usually graceful mother turned into such a tigress?

Father Shen gave a cold snort, twisting the knife further. “Don’t you play dead with me! Old Su and Old Qi both called me today. I’m warning you, confess and be treated with leniency, or resist and face the consequences¹. Are we about to have a daughter-in-law or not?”

Shen Xiuyan scratched his head. “Well, you were about to have a daughter-in-law before, but after tonight’s banquet, that might not be the case anymore…”

“What!” Father Shen shot up from his seat.

“Speak! What did you do today, you little brat? It’s only been a few hours and you’ve already made Mingyue dump you? You! Get! Over! There! And! Apologize! Right! Now!!!”

Translator’s Notes