7: You'd Better Not Meddle in My Business

Shen Yifei took a pocket watch from his clothes. Time flowed backward, and his thoughts returned to an evening more than ten years ago...

The sky was gloomy. In an old, run-down alley, a dirty boy was huddled, a few dried weeds tangled in his messy hair. He clutched a loaf of bread he had just stolen.

Pedestrians rushed by, hurrying to escape the coming rain, with no time to stop and notice such a small figure.

Rumble!

A flash of lightning split the dark sky, followed by a sudden clap of thunder. The boy's small hand trembled, and the bread slipped from his grasp, rolling to the corner of the street.

He frantically reached for the bread.

"Hey..." a little girl walked over, her voice soft and gentle, her big eyes filled with a hint of concern.

The boy clutched the bread tightly and shot the girl a fierce glare.

The girl pulled a delicate candy box out of her teddy bear backpack and said to the boy, "Do you want some cream cake?"

She looked to be about five or six years old, holding a box of cream cake in transparent packaging with her two chubby little hands, her rosy cheeks blushing with a bit of shyness.

The sky was still overcast and the street was old, but this pretty little girl, who seemed like an angel from a fairy tale, became the only bright spot in the boy's eyes.

He knew where the girl's cream cake came from; it was from a bakery across the street, displayed in the highest and most prominent spot in the window.

"This one is strawberry-flavored, and it's very yummy. Here you go."

The boy looked at the girl's flawless white face and was momentarily lost in a daze. He immediately shook his head, then, as if by some strange impulse, nodded.

With a trembling hand, he accepted the cream cake from the girl. The boy could smell the scent of strawberries wafting from the box.

He hadn't eaten all day. He was so hungry.

The little girl nodded happily, "Come back here next time, and I'll get you another delicious strawberry-flavored one!"

The boy's lips moved slightly. The world in his eyes seemed to stand still, and a warm current flowed through his heart.

Just then, a black car slowly stopped by the curb. The window rolled down, and a chauffeur greeted the little girl.

"Miss, why are you here by yourself again? It's about to rain, hurry and get in the car!"

The little girl smiled foolishly and nodded. Her skirt fluttered in the wind as she ran into the car like a small cloud.

As she ran, however, the girl dropped a pocket watch. The boy reached out, wanting to call out to the little girl, but the car had already driven away.

The boy walked over and picked up the pure gold pocket watch. The background of the watch face was a photo of the little girl, innocent and cute.

For the next few days, the boy waited in that same alley, hoping the little girl would appear again so he could return her lost pocket watch.

But after a month, the boy still hadn't seen the little girl. Instead, he met a grumpy old man.

That grumpy old man was Shen Yifei's master.

Without that girl, without that pocket watch, and without the month-long wait, Shen Yifei might still be wandering the streets or have starved to death long ago.

That girl was Su Muqing. She was the one who changed the course of his life and the first woman who had ever shown him warmth.

Su Muqing probably no longer remembered the incident. Shen Yifei had planned to keep this secret, but a chance encounter led to them crossing paths again.

There was a reason behind this strange engagement. Su Muqing's grandfather and Shen Yifei's master had a close relationship, and they were the ones who had arranged this marriage.

Su Muqing was in a difficult situation, being forced into marriage by a rich young master with a powerful background. Living with Shen Yifei was a plan devised by Su Muqing's grandfather to protect his granddaughter from harm.

Shen Yifei had never thought he would have a flash marriage, but because he wanted to protect this woman, he readily agreed.

A phone ringtone interrupted his thoughts. Shen Yifei picked up his phone and saw a familiar number.

"Junior Sister, what's up?"

"Can't I call you unless something's wrong? Brother Lang (a term of endearment, literally 'Wandering Brother'), have you missed me?" a sweet, bell-like voice rang from the other end of the line.

Shen Yifei sighed, "Junior Sister, I've been so lonely every night. I miss you so much."

"Stop spouting nonsense. How could you be lonely? Don't you have your beautiful fiancée to keep you company? Doesn't she warm your bed every night?"

Listening to the playful voice on the phone, Shen Yifei found it both amusing and speechless.

Although he and Su Muqing were engaged, they hadn't even held hands, let alone slept together.

Their current relationship wasn't like a couple's; they weren't even as close as friends.

"By the way, Brother Lang, aren't you short on money? Should I transfer a few million to you?"

"No, thanks. Your Brother Lang is a real man; I'd be too embarrassed to ask a little woman for money."

"Who's a little woman?"

"Okay, okay, our You'er is a great beauty."

After a few playful exchanges with his junior sister, Shen Yifei hung up the phone.

His mood had slightly improved. Shen Yifei actually wanted to cultivate his relationship with Su Muqing, but he felt a bit helpless.

He hadn't eaten anything in the evening, so Shen Yifei was hungry. As he walked out of the bedroom, he heard laughter coming from the living room.

The laughter belonged to Su Muqing. It was beautiful, and Shen Yifei was surprised. The Iceberg Beauty could actually smile.

He had to admit, Su Muqing looked stunning when she laughed, but she had never shown that expression to him.

Shen Yifei's hearing was different from ordinary people's. Even from a distance, he could tell that the person on the other end of Su Muqing's phone was a man.

"Brother Wenzhi, don't tease me. We haven't been in touch for so many years. How have you been?" Su Muqing asked on the phone.

Hearing the hint of concern in Su Muqing's voice, a surge of anger immediately rose in Shen Yifei's heart.

Although he and Su Muqing had no emotional foundation, he instinctively saw her as his woman. He couldn't stand his woman calling another man "brother" and laughing with him.

After Su Muqing hung up the phone, she glanced at the approaching Shen Yifei and said indifferently, "I'm going out to see an old friend tonight."

Shen Yifei asked with a blank expression, "Who is he to you?"

"What's it to you?" Su Muqing's brows furrowed.

"I'm your fiancé in name. Isn't it fair for me to ask that?" Shen Yifei scoffed.

Su Muqing frowned, "He's a classmate of mine named Zhang Wenzhi. All right, are you done asking?"

"No wonder you call him Brother Wenzhi. So late at night, are you going on a date with your Brother Wenzhi?" Shen Yifei sneered.

Su Muqing was startled for a moment, then the corners of her mouth curled into a playful smile, "Oh, you're jealous? Well, I'm truly flattered. Let me tell you, Shen Yifei, you'd better not meddle in my business. Brother Wenzhi is at least a hundred times better than a man like you!"

Zhang Wenzhi was Su Muqing's college classmate. He had asked her out several times, but she never had the time. This time, she couldn't refuse and was just planning to go to a dinner with him to get it over with.

She hadn't expected Shen Yifei to react so strongly. Su Muqing was already annoyed with Shen Yifei, so she seized the opportunity to deliberately provoke him.

Shen Yifei's lips twitched. He suddenly pressed down on Su Muqing's slender shoulders, sparks flying in his starry eyes.

"Shen Yifei, you... what are you doing? Let me go!" Su Muqing suddenly felt a panic as she saw the domineering and unruly look in his eyes.

"A hundred times better? Woman, I'd like to see how that man you speak of is a hundred times better than me. If he's not, I'll show you how I'll 'tame' you tonight!" Shen Yifei said with a sinister tone.