Stealing ML’s White Moonlight C47

Chapter 47

Luo Yanrong took a deep breath and walked to the front desk. The receptionist quickly greeted her politely, “Hello, how can I assist you?”

“Yes, I’d like to schedule a meeting with President Shen. I have something very important to tell him.”

Another person requesting a meeting with the president? The last one was the young lady, and now who was this?

The receptionist complained internally but, given that the young lady had just fired an employee earlier, she didn’t dare show any expression. She simply smiled and said, “May I have your name? That way, we can inform the President’s office properly.”

“My name is Luo Yanrong. I’m the wife of Hu Zhiyuan, the president of the Hu Group. Just tell him that I have something important to discuss regarding Shen Lihuan. Please ensure he sees me.”

Luo Yanrong folded her hands in front of her stomach and, after some thought, decided to mention Hu Zhiyuan’s name.

Hu Zhiyuan?

The receptionist thought for a moment and quickly matched the name with the president of the Hu Group. Without hesitation, she dialed the President’s office.

After relaying the situation to the chief secretary, the secretary pondered for a moment. Since it concerned the young lady, she didn’t dare make the decision herself and decided it was best to consult the president. She knocked on the office door.

“Come in!”

Shen Jiashu put down the pen in his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. “What’s the matter?”

“President, a lady named Luo Yanrong, who claims to be the wife of Hu Zhiyuan from the Hu Group, has requested a meeting with you. She says she has something important to discuss regarding the young lady.”

“Luo Yanrong?” Shen Jiashu recalled that Hu Zhiyuan’s wife was indeed named that. What could she have to say about Lihuan?

Wait a minute—Hu Zhiyuan and Gu Qingrong were childhood friends. Back when Gu Qingrong wanted to marry him, Hu Zhiyuan even arranged a fight with him over it.

Luo Yanrong was Hu Zhiyuan’s wife—could it be that what she wanted to tell him had to do with Gu Qingrong?

He had investigated Gu Qingrong before but couldn’t find enough evidence to prove that Gao Qiang had been bribed by her. Gu Qingrong didn’t have a job and only managed a charity foundation. If she had indeed bribed Gao Qiang, how had she managed to send messages to him from the imperial capital and cover her tracks so thoroughly?

She must have had someone backing her.

He Xi was a shrewd man. No matter how much he loved Gu Qingrong, he wouldn’t risk offending the Shen family for her. But Hu Zhiyuan was madly in love with Gu Qingrong—if he had taken action against the Shen family for her, it wouldn’t be impossible.

Could this be what Luo Yanrong wanted to tell him? But what did this have to do with Lihuan?

As Shen Jiashu pondered, he said to the secretary, “Send Madam Hu up.”

“Yes, President.” The secretary left the office and instructed the receptionist to bring Luo Yanrong up to the 52nd floor.

At that moment, Shen Lihuan and Assistant Yuan were also taking the elevator to the 52nd floor. As they passed by the secretary’s office, Shen Lihuan glanced at the secretaries. There were both men and women, all over thirty, appearing mature and composed.

Shen Lihuan smirked—her father was quite self-aware. Not a single young and beautiful secretary in sight.

The secretaries greeted Assistant Yuan and then curiously observed Shen Lihuan. They didn’t know who she was, only that she had come up with Assistant Yuan.

Assistant Yuan nodded and introduced her, “This is the young lady. Remember her face. When you see her in the future, be sure to greet her properly.”

The chief secretary immediately took the lead, bowing slightly. “Miss Shen, welcome to the company!”

Shen Lihuan smiled faintly and nodded. “Hello. Keep working. I’m going in to see my father.”

The secretaries wouldn’t dare sit down. They remained standing with polite smiles. Shen Lihuan understood their concerns and entered the president’s office with Assistant Yuan.

“You came up so quickly?” Shen Jiashu looked up in surprise, only to see his daughter standing before him with a bright smile, holding a lunchbox.

“Lihuan, you brought me lunch?” Shen Jiashu set down his pen and stood up, clearly delighted.

“I volunteered. First, because I missed you, and second, because I hadn’t been to Shen Corporation’s headquarters yet. Now that I’m here, I plan to take a good look around.”

As she spoke, Shen Lihuan opened the lunchbox and set out the dishes. There were three layers—one with meat dishes, one with vegetables, and another with sliced fruit. The meal was quite lavish.

“I have a meeting soon, so I will eat later,” Shen Jiashu said, though he still picked up a piece of fruit and ate it.

“Who are you meeting? Should I step out?” Shen Lihuan placed a bowl of chicken soup, which had been simmered for hours, in front of her father. “Since the guest isn’t here yet, you should have a bowl of soup to warm your stomach.”

“No need to step out. My daughter is so considerate,” Shen Jiashu said, enjoying the concern as he drank the soup. The bowl wasn’t large, so he finished it quickly. The warmth eased the discomfort in his stomach. “Qinglan’s cooking is impeccable. This chicken soup is delicious.”

“If you love Mom’s cooking so much, have another bowl at dinner. She’ll be thrilled,” Shen Lihuan said while flipping through a financial magazine on the sofa.

“Alright, I’ll listen to you,” Shen Jiashu chuckled indulgently.

Less than a minute later, Luo Yanrong entered the office. When she saw Shen Lihuan sitting on the sofa, her eyes flickered. “President Shen, Miss Shen.”

Shen Lihuan set down the magazine and smiled politely at the unfamiliar woman.

“You mentioned you had something important to discuss regarding my daughter. She’s here now, so please speak freely,” Shen Jiashu said as he invited Luo Yanrong to sit, his tone calm and measured.

“Please call me Miss Luo. I’m about to divorce Hu Zhiyuan,” Luo Yanrong stated firmly. After losing all hope in Hu Zhiyuan, she no longer wished to carry the title of ‘Madam Hu.’

“Alright, Miss Luo.” Shen Jiashu neither confirmed nor denied the situation. Divorce was someone else’s family matter, and he would pretend not to know about it.

Hearing that what this woman was saying involved her, Shen Lihuan immediately straightened her posture.

“I accidentally overheard a phone call between Hu Zhiyuan and Gu Qingrong the day before yesterday. Gu Qingrong said that Miss Shen ruined her face and told Hu Zhiyuan to kidnap Miss Shen in exchange for an antidote.”

Luo Yanrong relayed everything she had heard without holding anything back. “Hu Zhiyuan agreed and sent people to follow Miss Shen. I couldn’t ignore this matter in good conscience. No one can guarantee that Miss Shen wouldn’t face something terrible if she were kidnapped. I’m going to be a mother myself—I can’t stand by and watch a child be put in danger.”

That was why she chose to “betray” Hu Zhiyuan.

“Thank you, Miss Luo, for telling us about this. It’s very important to us. If you ever need help in the future, just come to me. I will do everything I can for you.”

Shen Jiashu sincerely thanked Luo Yanrong. Even though he had already suspected that Hu Zhiyuan was targeting his family, hearing that the man was actually planning to kidnap his precious daughter still made his blood boil.

His wife and daughter were his bottom line. He would rather suffer himself than see them harmed in any way.

Hu Zhiyuan and Gu Qingrong, you two sure are bold!

It seemed he had been too merciful. Did the Hu and Gu families really think they could disregard him just because he had been away from the imperial capital for eighteen years?

Did they really believe he no longer had any connections?

“I told you this for my own peace of mind, not for any reward,” Luo Yanrong said, shaking her head. “Now that I’ve said what I needed to, it’s time for me to leave. President Shen, I heard that you and your wife are deeply in love. I truly envy you both. May you grow old together in happiness.”

She herself was not so fortunate.

“Thank you for your blessings, Miss Luo. We will grow old together.” Shen Jiashu answered as if it were only natural.

Luo Yanrong chuckled softly. Gu Qinglan was much luckier than she was. After all, if a woman got married but wasn’t loved by her husband, how could she live a good life? That was what she used to think, but now she understood—only by loving oneself could one truly live well. If a husband didn’t love her, she should simply divorce him and leave.

There were so many men and women in the world, and countless people lived happily single for a lifetime.

From now on, she would love herself and her child.

If she was in a bad mood, she would travel the world. The world was vast, and it would be a shame not to see it.

She would no longer live for Hu Zhiyuan—she would live for herself.

After escorting Luo Yanrong out of the office, Shen Jiashu returned inside, but his anger still hadn’t subsided. With a sharp flick, he lit a cigarette and took a drag.

“Don’t be angry, Dad. Now that we know their plan, their plan won’t succeed.” Shen Lihuan, who disliked the smell of smoke, walked over, snatched the cigarette from his fingers, and stubbed it out in the ashtray.

Shen Jiashu looked at her calm expression and suddenly laughed. “They’re planning to kidnap you, yet you’re even calmer than I am. Looks like I can’t compare to my own daughter.”

He reached out and ruffled her hair. His daughter—he had never seen her panic before. On the contrary, her composure only made him seem even more flustered in comparison.

“Don’t say that, Dad. It’s only natural for you to be anxious. Your precious daughter is facing a kidnapping attempt—if you were as indifferent as I am, I’d start to wonder if you even cared about me.”

Shen Lihuan shot her father a playful glance.

She had trained herself to remain unfazed in any situation during the apocalypse. There was no choice—zombies were everywhere. If she screamed in fear, the zombies would only get more excited and swarm to devour her.

The bigger one’s reaction, the more excited the zombies got. They could sense living beings even through thick doors, tracking the scent of human blood and flesh.

“Dad, since Hu Zhiyuan wants to have me kidnapped, why don’t we turn the tables on them?”

Shen Lihuan speared a piece of mango with her fork and popped it into her mouth. “I only go between school and home, so they don’t have an opportunity to grab me. Why don’t I take a trip to the outskirts after school today? That way, they’ll have an easier time making their move. Then, just as they try to kidnap me, you can show up like a deity descending from the heavens with a group of bodyguards to heroically rescue your poor daughter.”

She batted her eyes at him. “Dad, what do you think of my plan?”

“It’s a good plan, but what if Hu Zhiyuan’s men bring guns? If they get desperate…”

Shen Jiashu was cautious.

Shen Lihuan fell silent for a moment. She had supernatural abilities—bullets couldn’t harm her.

In the apocalypse, guns were only effective in the early days. As zombies and ability users evolved, guns became practically useless. They couldn’t even kill powerful zombies, let alone supernatural beings.

But she couldn’t exactly tell her father that bullets couldn’t hurt her.

“You can’t catch a wolf without sacrificing a lamb. Our family’s cars are all modified—bullets can’t penetrate them. As long as I stay inside, they won’t be able to get me.”

Shen Lihuan didn’t want to drag things out. In two days, she and Changqing were supposed to attend a jade auction. If this issue wasn’t resolved by then, Changqing might get caught up in her troubles.

“Alright, we’ll follow your plan. But don’t tell your mother about this—it’ll only make her worry.”

Shen Jiashu thought for a long time before finally agreeing.

“I know, my lips are sealed.” Shen Lihuan made a zipping motion across her mouth.

But as they say, plans never keep up with changes.

That afternoon, after school, You Changqing invited Shen Lihuan out for a meal. Normally, she would have agreed without hesitation, but today, she needed to lure out Hu Zhiyuan’s men. You Changqing couldn’t be involved, so she had to find an excuse to refuse.

It was the first time You Changqing had been rejected. She pouted in grievance. “Why can’t you eat with me?”

“Be good. There’s something at home I have to take care of today, so I need to go back early. How about I have lunch with you tomorrow instead?”

Shen Lihuan cupped her face and coaxed her gently.

You Changqing was reluctant to let go, snuggling into Shen Lihuan’s embrace and rubbing against her neck like a small animal. “Lihuan~”

She dragged out her voice in a coquettish tone—she just wanted Lihuan to coax her a little more. After all, if Lihuan truly had something urgent to do and couldn’t accompany her for a meal, she wasn’t someone unreasonable and naturally wouldn’t make things difficult for her.

“Be good, ah. I really do have something to take care of. Tomorrow, I promise to have lunch with you, even if there’s a heavy snowfall or hailstorm.”

Shen Lihuan hugged her slender waist, coaxing her. “Changqing is so pretty. If you pout, it won’t look good at all.”

Only after getting her fill of acting spoiled did You Changqing finally pull away from Shen Lihuan’s embrace. She pouted slightly and said, “Alright, go ahead. But tomorrow, you have to have lunch with me. The food at that restaurant is amazing.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll definitely go with you.” Shen Lihuan ruffled her black hair before finally saying goodbye and getting into her car.

Watching the silver sedan carrying Shen Lihuan slowly drive away, You Changqing suddenly remembered—Lihuan’s bracelet was still with her! She immediately got into her own car and told the driver to follow.

“Miss, we’re heading to the outskirts now. Please sit tight.” The bodyguard driving the car spoke in a low voice.

“Alright.” Shen Lihuan nodded and placed her schoolbag beside her.

The sedan sped toward the outskirts, and soon, three black sedans followed closely behind. The driver and the bodyguard in the front passenger seat exchanged glances—they understood the situation.

Meanwhile, You Changqing watched as Shen Lihuan’s silver sedan took a route away from the Shen family home and toward the outskirts instead. She furrowed her brows in confusion. Hadn’t Lihuan said she had urgent matters at home? Why wasn’t she going back, but heading to the outskirts instead?

Why would she lie to her?

Or… was she in danger?!

You Changqing hurriedly called Shen Lihuan. When Lihuan picked up, her voice was as warm as usual, without any hint of anything unusual. But when You Changqing asked if she had reached home yet, she actually said she was almost there.

After hanging up, You Changqing slammed her fist onto the seat cushion. Liar! She said she was going home, but instead, she was heading to the outskirts.

Why? What was she going to do out there?