My Gorgeous Wife Relies on Her Beauty to Commit Crimes - Chapter 20.1

The elevator descended. Shen Jin lowered her head to kiss Xie Jing, her eyelashes casting shadows over eyes devoid of desire cool and detached, save for the occasional glint that sent shivers down one’s spine.

Xie Jing remained unaware. She rose on her toes, encircling Shen Jin’s neck with her arms.

Shen Jin gripped her waist with one hand, as if trying to meld her into her embrace.

The elevator chimed. “First floor.”

Shen Jin released her. Xie Jing stepped back, her amber-like eyes glistening with moisture. Instinctively, she licked her lips. Shen Jin chuckled softly. “We’re here.”

“How did you get here?” Shen Jin asked, tilting her head down.

Xie Jing pouted unconsciously, her lips a vivid hue, beautifully flushed from the kiss like blooming roses painted across them. She huffed lightly. “Use me and toss me aside? Auntie Shen, how cruel.”

Shen Jin’s hand lingered at her waist, pulling her closer. “I still have work. Should I call you a car?”

Xie Jing turned her head, her pearly teeth sinking into the plush flesh of her lower lip. “I drove here,” she said, glancing back at Shen Jin. “Borrowed one from your garage.”

Shen Jin arched a brow. “Where’s it parked? I’ll walk you.”

It was peak office hours, and the underground garage was eerily quiet, the only sound the scrape of heels against concrete, each word echoing faintly into the distance.

Shen Jin followed behind Xie Jing, lost in thought, until Xie Jing stopped before a black car. Shen Jin smirked. “Why not take a nicer one?”

Xue Jing shot her a look. “I’m not the best driver. What if I scratch it? Couldn’t afford the repairs, what would I even use to pay you back?”

A grin tugged at Shen Jin’s lips as she pulled Xie Jing back into her arms, pressing another kiss to her mouth. “Then I’d have no choice but to keep you here as collateral.”

“Trading a car for a person? Not a bad deal.”

“No thanks.” Xie Jing wriggled free, slipping into the driver’s seat. Rolling down the window, she called out, “I’m off, then.”

Shen Jin waved as Xie Jing drove out of sight.

The moment she disappeared, Shen Jin’s smile faded. She narrowed her eyes at the direction Xie Jing had gone, sliding her hands into her pockets before turning back with slow, measured steps.

Xie Jing’s timing was uncanny. As a middlewoman, she clung to Shen Tuo while simultaneously provoking Shen Jin. At first, Shen Jin had assumed she was just another hanger-on trying to get close to Shen Tuo, someone who could be bought off easily. But now, it was clear Xie Jing’s motives weren’t pure. She was subtly stoking the tension between Shen Jin and Shen Tuo.

If her goal remained unclear, then if she wanted love, Shen Jin would give her love.

Shen Jin brushed a finger over her lips, her gaze sharp as a blade, devoid of warmth.

In the business world, the name “Boss Shen” was legendary. She hadn’t climbed to her position solely through Old Guan’s support, it took ruthlessness.

The corporate battlefield was no different from war. If you didn’t tear into others like a wolf, you’d be devoured instead.

Shen Jin stepped back into the elevator, heading to her office. Flipping open her calendar, she eyed the red circle marking tomorrow’s date and dialed her prepared stock trader.

“Tomorrow’s the day Luo Jia’s subsidiary goes public. I’m giving you ten million buy in bulk, but don’t let them catch on. Understood?”

The trader answered cautiously. “I’ll spread it across multiple accounts.”

“Good.” Shen Jin’s lips curled. “Let’s teach them a lesson.”

“You can count on me, Boss.”

Shen Jin hung up the phone, then after a moment’s thought, called Luo Demin, Luo Hong’s father. Using the discussion of the engagement with the Luo family as an excuse, she exchanged pleasantries with Luo Demin before getting to the main point: “I heard your subsidiary company is going public. Such an important matter, and President Luo didn’t even mention it to me. I would’ve sent a congratulatory flower basket.”

“These are just trivial matters,” Luo Demin chuckled. “Boss Shen is swamped with work, no need to trouble yourself over such small things.”

“We’ve been partners for many years. If not for the Luo family supplying raw materials to Shen Corporation all these years, we wouldn’t have grown so rapidly. This small gesture is the least I can do.”

When Shen Jin brought up the past, Luo Demin couldn’t help but reminisce: “Back then, if Xie Pan hadn’t introduced me to your factory, I wouldn’t have even known about the Shen family. Your mother, Guan Yuehua, was truly formidable. At the time, I thought the Shen family was some obscure small factory, who’d have imagined they’d swallow up the Xie family overnight and become a Fortune Global 500 company? What a pity about her.”

Shen Jin froze.

This wasn’t what she knew.

When she first joined the company, she’d learned that the Shen Corporation headquarters was built on the former site of the Xie family’s old factory. But back then, Shen Fu had claimed it wasn’t a hostile takeover, the Xie family had come begging for Shen’s help, and only then did Shen take over their factory and employees.

Shen Jin clenched her fists, the hairs on her neck standing on end as she felt she’d brushed against the truth in that instant.

She stayed silent, letting Luo Demin continue his recollections.

Luo Demin was old, and old people loved reminiscing, their tongues loosened with nostalgia.

“Xie Pan was still a professor at the Fashion Design Institute back then. The man had real talent. That batch of goods your Shen family couldn’t sell? He just adjusted the production line and helped design the clothing, and suddenly that unsellable stock became red-hot.”

“Those were the days, ‘Southern Xie, Northern Shen.’ The two of you dominated all of Zhuoyang City. But Xie Pan was too conservative, no ambition to speak of. Just wanted to cling to his little plot of land. Made his money and still dreamed of returning to teach. Hah, talk about staying true to your roots! He’d stepped down from the lectern in the first place, and his wife Xu An was a teacher too stunningly beautiful. Heard old Shen Xingteng’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw Xu An. Your mother stewed in jealousy for ages.”

“Ah, but that’s all ancient history.” Luo Demin seemed to realize he’d said too much and quickly changed the subject: “When’s your Shen Tuo coming over? My Luo Hong hasn’t been running around lately, just waiting for that boy.”

Shen Jin lowered her eyes. “End of the month. Shen Tuo wants to spend some time with his great-grandfather first.”

“Fair enough. That boy’s gallivanting all year round. Old Guan’s getting on in years, he ought to keep him company.”

Luo Demin had no objections. After all, if Shen Tuo married Luo Hong, he’d become the Luo family’s son-in-law. Outsiders might not know, but how could he be unaware of the Shen family’s dynamics? Old Guan held the largest share of Shen Corporation’s stock. If Shen Tuo curried favor with him, it’d benefit Luo Hong which meant it’d benefit the Luo family.

He chuckled amiably. “Well, Boss Shen must be busy. I won’t keep you.”

“President Luo, you’re too formal. I’m the one who disturbed you.”

After hanging up, Shen Jin gripped her phone for a long time before finally setting it down.

She hadn’t expected the truth to unravel so abruptly.

If her suspicions were correct then Xie Jing hadn’t come for her alone, but for the entire Shen Corporation.

Chen Song was still investigating, and Shen Jin couldn’t verify whether her suspicions were correct. She put down her phone and recalled fragments of the past.

Those beautiful memories were like flowers reflected in a mirror or the moon cast upon water illusory. It wasn’t that Shen Jin didn’t trust her adoptive father, but after Shen Xingteng became successful, he kept many people outside the family. Guan Yuehua often quarreled with him over it, and in the end, Shen Xingteng even stopped coming home. It wasn’t until Guan Yuehua fell ill that he seemed to have a change of heart, at the very least, news of his affairs no longer reached her ears.

Shen Jin sighed.

Lowering her gaze, she spotted the invitation on the desk and sent a message to Lan Yiqing.

[Got the invitation.]

Lan Yiqing didn’t reply immediately. Shen Jin refocused and continued reviewing documents. Only after finishing two files did she receive Lan Yiqing’s text.

[So? Did I give the big boss enough face?]

Shen Jin shook her head helplessly. [Too much face. I’m almost overwhelmed by the honor.]

[Since it’s a pleasant surprise, why not bring your girlfriend along? Could be good for bonding.]

Shen Jin froze for a moment before replying. [What girlfriend?]

Lan Yiqing scoffed. [Didn’t someone develop a little crush? Still haven’t sealed the deal? Need me to teach you a few tricks?]

A faint, resigned smile tugged at Shen Jin’s lips. [What could a single dog like you possibly teach me?]

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