Chapter 1
In a dimly lit VVIP room at the most exclusive club in S City, a private party was at its peak. In it are all well-known bosses in the city’s elite circle with age ranging from twenty-five to forty, single and married alike. However, all the single ones have a lady or two slinking to each of their side. Whereas, at the center was an extremely handsome man in his early thirties, with a tall forehead, chiseled jaws and well-defined features as if they were sculpted, his brows sharp like swords complementing his round phoenix eyes, straight and tall nose with a high bridge, thin lips and chin with cleft that added a more masculine appeal to his looks.
Though seated in a single sofa with legs crossed, his lean figure exuded an extremely masculine aura, his posture even highlighted his long, straight and strong legs. Though he looked lean in his suit, his shoulders were broad and his waist was narrow. And as he sipped his drink, his arm holding the drink looked even more defined.
All the ladies in the room, though sitting with their respective dates can’t help but cast him covetous glances. His whole countenance held an unmatched level of masculinity oozing with unparalleled sex appeal.
The dim lights and smoke from the cigars around him gave him an ethereal visage. This man is the recently notorious playboy of S City and the known top business magnate in the city as well. Although he is not yet the CEO of the Shen Group, he is the top candidate to take over the family business. On top of this, although he only holds the President position, he is already the CEO of his own company, the SJ Corporation, which he started from scratch fifteen years ago, to its current size that is rumored to be almost twice that of the Shen Group. It is to be said that it was only expanded domestically five years ago after it grew as huge as the Shen Group internationally.
As he was conversing with one of the few men in the room without a woman clinging to him, his phone lit up with the incoming call from his assistant.
He lazily eyed it before he picked it up with his big hand that has long and slim fingers with well-defined joints.
He answered in his usual cold and detached voice which matched his aloof and cold demeanor, “Yes?”
”Eldest Young Master, it’s about Ms. Bai…” his assistant politely spoke but was interrupted.
“I’m no longer available. You know what to do.” His tone was impatient without any fluctuations in his expression.
“Understood, Eldest Young Master.”
As soon as the call ended, his friend on his side chuckled before he spoke.
“That’s quite longer than the last. Was it three weeks?” the man who spoke is also handsome, though it pales in comparison to the man called Eldest Master Shen, he held a certain nobility as well, as he elegantly sipped his drink after speaking.
Shen Jingchuan just looked at him passively still with his expressionless face, and continued to sip his drink.
Feeling bored, he stood up gave his few friends a curt nod and turned to leave, moving in with leopard-like grace, exuding confidence and masculinity.
As he was approaching the door, one of the girls, who can be considered as the prettiest among all the women in the room, suddenly tripped as she was walking towards a group of girls in one of the corners. She was expecting that the handsome man would catch her, however, a loud thud was heard when she inelegantly fell on the floor. She pitifully looked up to the man who is now standing three feet away from her with obvious disgust in his eyes. He quietly sidestepped and left the room.
The men who noticed just shook their heads. Such blatant act is quite a common occurrence whenever they go out with Master Shen. However, what these women didn’t know was that although he is known to be such a playboy, he had always been discreet and never gets entangled with women like her, nor does he date multiple women at the same time.
After he got his car from the club valet, he drove straight to his penthouse. However, as he was getting out of his car, a shadow suddenly jumped out of a corner and it hugged him from the back suddenly.
Smelling the familiar strong scent of a floral and fruity fragrance, his headache worsened. He pried the hands holding him in disdain and quickly distanced himself five feet away.
“Jingchuan…” the woman said with a sob. His sharp and cold gaze made her halt when she attempted to approach him.
With brows furrowed, he looked at the woman coldly with his lips pursed in a thin line. It took a full minute of a stare down before he spoke in a cold and disdainful tone.
“Ms. Bai, don’t make your life difficult.” There was an obvious threat on his tone.
“But Jingchuan…” her voice was pleading and desperate, as was her whole expression.
Still unruffled, his face even grew colder as he spoke.
“I will not repeat what I said two weeks ago.” Then he turned around and started walking towards the elevator.
“Jingchuan!” the woman still does not want to give up.
He stopped without looking back.
“If you want to stay in S City, stop.” Threat was evident in his voice. Then he started walking again while he took out his phone and dialed Assistant Xu’s number.
“Xu Long, Ms. Bai is at Evergreen Towers.”
Then he ended the call.
The poor golden assistant panicked because the woman was very stubborn and tricked him earlier. Unexpectedly, she stalked his boss at his penthouse. He immediately drove to Evergreen Towers to settle the matter.
After a good shower, Shen Jingchuan, went to his study and started checking his family’s chatgroup. The message exchanges were both merry and humorous. However, a photo caught his eye that made him feel a slight tug in his heart and a little melancholic.
In that photo was of their adopted sister Shen Linyan, smiling happily as she posed with her fiancée whose arms were wrapped around her.
Their family has gone through a complicated phase about five years ago, wherein their long-lost sister was finally found after the impostor was inadvertently exposed by Shen Linyan. Through the whole ordeal, the whole family’s relationship improved and they did not let Shen Linyan separate from them and still wholeheartedly kept her in the family, still as the Second Young Miss.
Although he used to be a distant Eldest Brother to this adopted sister, they grew closer during this time.
However, as he got know her better, positive feelings also sprouted, but he had to suppress it. Though they were not related by blood, he did not want destroy their complete and loving family just to cater to his growing romantic feelings, nor was she inclined to do so too.
Even if he did not tell his father, he still knew, that’s why Master Shen never spoke against his dating scandals all over S City, despite his mother’s nagging, as his behavior puzzled Madam Shen.
However, this year, now thirty-five, he’s still single and still a notorious playboy in S City. Fortunately, it did not eclipse his fame in the business circle, much to his father’s relief but made his mother more worried and anxious.
Lately, Madam Shen had been restless and had been extremely puzzled on her eldest son’s change from five years ago and confronted her husband. After a week-long standoff and cold war between the husband and wife, Master Shen finally relented and explained the situation to Mrs. Shen. Unfortunately, instead of settling the Madam, it made her even more heartbroken and distressed for her eldest son.
After his “talk” with his mother two weeks ago to calm her down, he came up with a decision to settle the matter immediately.
After sending a goodnight message to the family chatgroup, he turned his phone to silent and started working again until he received a message from Xu Long.
[Eldest Young Master, it’s been settled. Also, I sent the profiles of five new candidates on your email. Based on your preference, they seem to be the most suitable.]
He checked his emails and found the profiles sent by Xu Long. His assistant already gone through hundreds of profiles now and this is the latest batch.
As he went read from the first to the fourth profiles, his the crease on his forehead got deeper and deeper. Without much expectation, he opened and read through the last profile and his frown finally eased.
He sent a message to Xu Long before he went to his room to sleep.
[Set the meeting with Wu Lizi tomorrow at 7pm in Bourguignon.]
Meanwhile, about twenty kilometers away from Shen Jingchuan’s penthouse, a bespectacled woman who looks to be just in her early twenties was busy going through her final spreadsheet and it took another ten minutes until she finished her report.
She took off her glasses and massaged her nasal bridge as she felt the fatigue in her eyes.
Remembering something, she checked her messages and saw that her mother replied to her message.
[Zizi, don’t worry. I’m doing okay. My next session is in the next few days. I received the package. Thank you, my daughter.]
She sent a goodnight message. Though smiling, her eyes were sad.
After heaving a deep sigh, she went to her personal email and checked on the profiles sent by the dating site she signed up for a paid subscription. In the last two weeks, she had skimmed through over a hundred profiles sent by the dedicated agent assigned by the site and she still hasn’t found a suitable candidate for a husband.
She let out a frustrated sigh after screening ten candidates again tonight but have not found a single suitable candidate. Though she feels like the process is too slow, she doesn’t want to haste to make waste.
As she was about to close the email window, a new email popped. She became curious after seeing it was from the dating site customer service agent again, since she just received a bunch of profiles today this is a surprise. Her customer service agent seems to be extra enthusiastic today.
She opened the email and received a profile, without a photo, and a meeting request for tomorrow. Though she doesn’t know how he looks like, his specified objective for the match-making piqued her interest as it perfectly aligned to what she really needs.
Relief washed over her, after several weeks of search and ten meet-ups, maybe, this one will work out this time.
She went to her bedroom with a more relaxed expression.
