Chapter 10

Shen Yu found it strange, did Shen Xiao have a hobby of demolishing houses? How many days had it been since he tore down her rented apartment, and now he was starting on his own house? If this continued, would he even have a place to live?
“What’s wrong with this wall?” Shen Yu asked Uncle Li curiously.
Uncle Li glanced back at her and sighed. “The master said to tear down this wall and replace it with a transparent glass wall.”
Shen Yu frowned, puzzled. “Won’t that expose the entire gym to the living room? What’s the point?”
Uncle Li shook his head and sighed again. “The master’s thoughts are beyond my understanding.”
With that, Uncle Li went back to work, leaving Shen Yu squatting nearby, hugging Er Gouzi as they both zoned out. She wondered if exposing the gym to the living room would be aesthetically pleasing. But then again, the aesthetic sense of a lunatic was never the same as that of ordinary people, she would never be able to grasp it.
Uncle Li worked quickly, taking only two days to transform one wall of the gym into a solid glass wall. He also installed a few small wall lamps on the other two walls. The soft glow of the lamps acted like a filter over the gym, making it look upscale and sophisticated.
During the inspection, Shen Xiao was present. He ran his hand over the smooth glass wall and asked Shen Yu, “What do you think?”
Shen Yu, unsuspecting, answered honestly, “Great lighting, excellent view, and it looks stylish, it’s really nice!”
Shen Xiao smiled mysteriously. “As long as you think it’s good, then it’s good.”
Shen Yu: “…”
Why did that sound so strange? It was as if this wall had been built specifically for her.
In the end, the truth came to light the next time she went to the gym to work out.
While running on the treadmill for a while, she happened to glance over and, through the glass wall, saw Shen Xiao sitting leisurely on the sofa in the living room, a cigarette in his mouth and one leg crossed over the other. The sofa happened to face the gym directly, and Shen Xiao’s gaze was fixed intently on her.
His sharp, penetrating stare sent chills down her spine.
At first, she was a bit puzzled, wondering when he had sat down there. She thought about going out to greet him, but as soon as she stepped out the door, she heard Shen Xiao say to Uncle Li beside him, “The way she runs on the treadmill reminds me of a little animal.”
Uncle Li asked, "Like what?"
Shen Xiao replied, "A little hamster running endlessly in a cage."
Shen Yu: “…”
Although she had lost some weight, she still weighed 140 pounds, how was she anything like a little hamster? Wait, no, he was comparing her to a small pet! Was he really treating her like a cat or a dog to tease?
Seeing her come out, Shen Xiao frowned disapprovingly. "Why are you out? You haven’t stretched yet."
So he left work early just to watch her work out? "You were watching me?" she asked incredulously.
Shen Xiao admitted readily, "Yeah."
"Why??"
Shen Xiao grinned like a rogue. "Watching you grimace and bear it is pretty amusing."
Shen Yu: “…”
No wonder he had been standing at the door that day, watching with such relish while she stretched, he was enjoying her discomfort!! So, did this guy really have to build his happiness on others' suffering? All this elaborate setup just to see her grimace?!
Damn it, she was never coming back to the gym to work out again!
Shen Xiao added, "Are you thinking you’ll never come to the gym to work out again?"
Shen Yu: “…”
Was this guy not just a lunatic, but also a mind reader?? How did he know what she was thinking?!
Pursing her lips, she avoided Shen Xiao’s gaze and muttered softly, "I don’t want to be watched!"
Shen Xiao clicked his tongue and said, "Such a big production, and no performance to watch, what a pity." After saying this, he looked at Uncle Li, then at the husky, and quickly made a decision. "Alright then, from now on, when I want to watch, Uncle Li, you go run, and the husky can do the stretching."
Shen Yu: “…”
Uncle Li: …
The husky: ??
This guy was a devil, wasn’t he! Uncle Li was so old, and he wanted him to perform running? And the husky, how was a dog supposed to stretch? Might as well just break its legs!!
Shen Xiao shifted his sitting position, leaning back comfortably against the sofa, and said, "Since no one has any objections, it’s happily decided then!"
What do you mean no objections? There were plenty of objections!
Shen Yu gritted her teeth, fuming, and said angrily, "Don’t bully them, I’ll keep working out!" With that, she turned around in a huff and went back into the gym to stretch.
Watching her bristling back, the amusement in Shen Xiao’s eyes grew even more intense, as if about to overflow. Uncle Li stood to the side and quietly advised, "The young lady is timid, sir, you shouldn’t always bully her."
In an instant, the smiling expression on the sir’s face vanished, replaced by a cold glare as he turned to Uncle Li. "Since when is it your place to lecture me?"
Uncle Li immediately fell silent, sighing helplessly in his heart. It seemed the sir’s bullying of the young lady was far from over.
Shen Yu was seething inside but didn’t dare voice her anger. In the end, she could only take it out on herself. While stretching, she was much harsher than usual, and the pain was more intense than ever, making her want to cry. But the thought of that lunatic outside enjoying her "performance" made her bite her lip and control her expression, eventually working up a sweat from the effort.
After finishing her workout and taking a shower in her room, Shen Yu collapsed on the bed, unmoving. The thought of a pervert downstairs made her not want to go down for dinner at all.
Shen Xiao was truly a textbook villain, threatening and intimidating people came so naturally to him. He knew her weaknesses all too well, so he always hit the mark.
Just moments ago, she had been discussing with Uncle Li why Shen Xiao would buy her a Husky, so small and adorable. But today, she suddenly realized that buying the Husky wasn’t to make her happy; it was to gain more leverage over her. After spending so many days with the puppy, she had already grown attached to it, and she simply couldn’t ignore its well-being.
The more Shen Yu analyzed the situation, the more frustrated she became. Shen Xiao was nothing short of a schemer, and someone as straightforward as her was like an ant in front of him, easily crushed under his foot at any moment!
She couldn’t escape, and she couldn’t win against him. Shen Yu truly felt at a loss about what to do.
Was she destined to be completely under his control, only to end up suffering a tragic fate because of him?
Shen Yu rolled around restlessly on her bed, feeling utterly vexed. She had thought that fate had given her a chance at a new life, only to realize that this opportunity ultimately led to a dead end.
She was really unwilling to accept it!
Just as her thoughts spiraled, Uncle Li knocked on her door. "Miss, dinner is ready. Please come down to eat."
Shen Yu really didn’t want to face Shen Xiao at that moment and replied gloomily, "Uncle Li, you all go ahead and eat. I don’t have much of an appetite."
Uncle Li paused for a moment before saying, "Miss, the young master said that if you don’t come down to eat, Er Gouzi won’t have dinner tonight either."
Shen Yu: “…”
When she went downstairs, she saw Shen Xiao already seated at the dining table, playing on his phone. When he noticed her coming down, he gave her a look, signaling for her to sit properly, and then continued typing on his phone.
Since Shen Xiao hadn’t started eating, Shen Yu didn’t either. She sat stiffly across from him, staring blankly at the dishes until Shen Xiao finally put his phone down.
"Do you know Bai Muqing?" Shen Xiao looked up and asked her.
Shen Yu hesitated for a moment before nodding. "The big celebrity."
Shen Xiao chuckled and said to her, "Be a good girl and eat your dinner. Tomorrow, I’ll bring back a few of her autographed photos for you."
Only then did Shen Yu snap out of her daze and hesitantly ask him, "Are you two dating now?"
Shen Xiao raised an eyebrow, clicked his tongue twice, and said disdainfully, "Only idiots bother with things like dating."
Shen Yu: “…”
So, had he hooked up with that white lotus or not??