Chapter 715: Good Girls and Bad Girls!
"Brother Shen, are your injuries healed?"
The moment Shen Anyu stepped out of his room, a delicate figure rushed toward him, her eyes wide with concern.
"I'm all better now. Thank you for worrying about me," Shen Anyu said, offering He Yiyi a warm smile.
"That's wonderful! Yiyi was so worried last night." He Yiyi had clearly not slept well. A deep fatigue was etched on her features, but the moment she confirmed Shen Anyu was well, her brow unfurled, and her expression filled with pure joy.
Yesterday had been a nightmare for her. Seeing Shen Anyu vomit blood, watching his face drain of all color, feeling his body temperature plummet—He Yiyi had been terrified. She had only just fallen head over heels for him, her heart already given away in a whirlwind of intense affection. The thought of anything happening to Shen Anyu was simply unbearable.
Of course, He Yiyi had no idea he had been faking it. She genuinely believed his injuries were severe and had been consumed by worry. She hadn't rested all night, and as soon as dawn broke, she had taken up a vigil in the living room, her gaze fixed anxiously on the door to the room Shen Anyu shared with Ling Qingcheng.
She had even… even heard some strange sounds.
At the thought, a faint blush crept up her pure, lovely face, and a delicate mist seemed to veil her bright eyes.
'Brother Shen is really too much,' she thought, a mix of emotions swirling within her. 'His injuries just healed, and he's already… Isn't he afraid of harming himself?'
Shen Anyu noted He Yiyi's tired and worried expression, feeling a slight pang of guilt. It was only a slight pang, however, and one he knew he could easily remedy. He just needed to compensate her a little more.
After a moment's thought, he said, "Yiyi, take a day off today. Don't go to work."
"Huh?" He Yiyi's bright eyes widened as she looked at him in surprise. 'Ask for a day off?'
Before Shen Anyu could elaborate, she seemed to understand. She nodded obediently. "Mm-hmm, Brother Shen, I'll message my manager for leave right now."
She didn't ask why he wanted her to take the day off. If Shen Anyu asked, she would do it.
'What a good girl,' Shen Anyu thought to himself. 'No wonder her name is Yiyi.' [Translator Note: "Yiyi" (依依) can mean "obedient" or "compliant."]
Seeing her finish sending the leave request, Shen Anyu smiled. "Today, I'll take you shopping. And while we're at it, I'll buy you a house to live in."
"Brother Shen, buy a house? This… I…" He Yiyi was startled. The idea of him buying her a house sent her into a fluster, and she was about to refuse. She wasn't that kind of materialistic girl; she wasn't with Shen Anyu for his money.
"Listen to me," Shen Anyu said, his tone softening but carrying an undercurrent of dominance that permitted no argument.
"…Alright," He Yiyi relented, lightly biting her pink lower lip. She could only agree.
"I know you're a good girl, not a gold-digger. I won't think less of you because of this," Shen Anyu chuckled, amused by her wronged and helpless expression.
Faced with the incredible fortune of being gifted a house, He Yiyi was instead anxious and aggrieved. It was a reaction that left him unsure whether to laugh or cry. Young Master Shen never discriminated against gold-diggers; in fact, he secretly wished every Destined Heroine was one. They were the easiest type to conquer. As long as he kept buying them things, he could raise their favorability without exerting much effort.
Zhou Luyao and Suzuki Natsuki were both prime examples; their favorability had skyrocketed with incredible speed.
[Ding! The Destined Heroine He Yiyi is overjoyed. Plundering +5555 Destiny Value!]
Hearing Shen Anyu praise her as a "good girl" caused He Yiyi's brow to relax completely. The genuine joy that bloomed on her face was far more radiant than her reaction to being offered a house.
But…
Was she a good girl?
"Brother Shen, I'm not a good girl," He Yiyi suddenly choked out. Losing control of her emotions, she buried her face in Shen Anyu's shoulder and began to cry.
Shen Anyu was stunned by her sudden, uncontrollable sobs, but he quickly understood. He gently patted her fragrant shoulder, his voice a low comfort. "Don't cry, don't cry. People will think I'm bullying you. Tell Brother Shen what's wrong."
"I… I did something bad," He Yiyi's sobs subsided under his gentle comfort. She raised her head, her eyes slightly red, and looked at him with extreme trepidation.
Meeting Shen Anyu's encouraging gaze, she hesitated for a moment, bit her lip, and finally spoke. "Brother Shen… Yiyi… because I was comparing myself to a friend… I was envious of her Chanel bag, so I took out a loan to buy one. Later, I couldn't repay it, so I… I took advantage of my position in the Ling Group's finance department and embezzled public funds."
Her voice grew smaller with each word. "Later, when I saw that no one had discovered it, and I'd tasted the benefits… I embezzled again."
"By now… I've done it over a dozen times. I've embezzled more than a million in public funds."
She looked up at him, her face a mask of remorse and terror. "Brother Shen, am I very bad?"
If Shen Anyu despised her for this, she felt she would rather not live. She should have known better than to compare herself to others, should never have taken out that loan for a stupid bag. And she certainly shouldn't have been discovered and threatened by that villain, Ren Zhacheng.
"It's okay," Shen Anyu said with a comforting smile, completely unfazed. "This isn't your fault. It's the fault of a restless society."
Young and beautiful girls, cast into this materialistic world, could so easily fall into the abyss. There were too many temptations, and far too many bad people eyeing them like prey. Those who fell into prostitution or became mistresses were everywhere. Shen Anyu had seen plenty in his previous life, though none of them possessed He Yiyi's exquisite beauty; they were all terribly ordinary.
Unlike those other girls, He Yiyi was more beautiful, and far luckier. She wouldn't end up in such a miserable plight.
"I'll handle this for you," he said smoothly. "From now on, if you like something, just tell Brother Shen. I'll buy it all for you."
He leaned in, his smile beaming. "Brother Shen has nothing but money. My family's assets are quite substantial."
"Brother Shen, you're so good to Yiyi… How can Yiyi ever repay you?"
He Yiyi was deeply touched, her bright eyes shimmering with an affectionate light as she gazed at him. The single biggest problem that had plagued her, a dark cloud hanging over her very existence, could be dismissed with a casual remark from Shen Anyu.
And she absolutely believed he could solve it. Her Brother Shen was the young master of Yanxia's Shen Clan. Last night at the Hilton banquet, she had watched as renowned dignitaries and powerful tycoons all bowed their heads before him. That scene had utterly shaken her to her core.
The power of a top-tier aristocratic family was on full display, right before her very eyes.
"How to repay me?" Shen Anyu's smile turned mischievous as he leaned in and whispered into her ear. "You know how."
A deep blush suffused He Yiyi's face. In a voice barely audible, she murmured, "Okay… Yiyi will obey Brother Shen."
"Hmph!"
Just then, a cold snort cut through the air.
Ling Qingcheng had walked out of the room. Seeing the intimate scene, her expression soured instantly, and her beautiful eyes glared daggers at Shen Anyu.
He Yiyi panicked. She quickly pulled away from Shen Anyu's shoulder and stammered, "President Ling, you… please don't be jealous. Brother Shen and I didn't do anything, right, we didn't do anything."
"Who's jealous? I'm not jealous at all!" Ling Qingcheng's face flushed with anger as she shot back, her denial sounding anything but convincing.
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