Chapter 42

In the novel, Situ Yi and Shen Xiao had indeed been at odds from the very beginning. Situ Yi disliked Shen Xiao for his unscrupulous and ruthless ways, while Shen Xiao despised Situ Yi for being a hypocrite, all pretense and false righteousness.
Their strength and backgrounds were evenly matched, yet one was the villain and the other the male lead, their fates were sealed from the start.
For Shen Yu to try and prevent this felt like defying destiny. She knew it was difficult, but she still wanted to give it her best shot.
Before Situ Yi could even speak, Shen Xiao took the initiative, his voice cold as he said, "Shen Yu, don’t get too close to certain hypocritical people. You might end up disgusted."
Shen Yu: “…”
Yuan Yue: “…”
Situ Yi let out a light snort and said, "Getting too close to certain malicious individuals isn’t just about feeling disgusted. You might not even know how you end up dead one day."
Shen Yu: “…”
Yuan Yue: “…”
Shen Xiao placed his hand on Shen Yu’s waist, pulling her closer to him and away from Yuan Yue, before adding, "People say Boss Situ is elegant and refined, a true gentleman. It seems his sharp tongue is equally impressive!"
Situ Yi replied, "You flatter me. No matter how impressive, it can’t compare to even one ten-thousandth of Mr. Shen’s abilities. After all, you excel at going back on your word."
Shen Xiao chuckled lightly. "Thank you for the compliment."
Shen Yu: “…”
Yuan Yue: “…”
Today, they learned that "going back on your word" could be considered a compliment!
Situ Yi said, "I’d heard before that Mr. Shen had quite the thick skin. Seeing it today, it’s truly shockingly thick. I’m impressed."
Shen Xiao raised an eyebrow. "Not bad, I suppose. Having a thick skin is still better than being shameless. When a girl isn’t willing, yet someone still insists on forcing themselves on her. Tsk, tsk." After saying this, he glanced at Yuan Yue beside him and gave her a mischievous smile. "Isn’t that right, Miss Yuan?"
Yuan Yue, who had been engrossed in listening to their argument, was suddenly addressed. She looked up and saw Shen Xiao’s roguish smile directed at her. Instantly, her face flushed bright red, and she quickly lowered her head, not daring to look at him again.
Seeing her shy reaction, the previously composed Situ Yi nearly lost his temper. Glaring furiously at Shen Xiao, he snapped, "Shen, this is my woman. Stop flirting recklessly!"
Shen Xiao laughed heartily. "If I can charm someone, that’s my skill. If you can’t keep your own woman in check, that’s hardly my fault."
Shen Yu: “…”
Yuan Yue: “…”
They had never known that two men could be so skilled at bickering. Since it wasn't appropriate to fight in that setting, they had switched to arguing, and they were so engrossed in it that they completely ignored the two women.
Shen Yu frowned deeply, turned to Shen Xiao, and said, "You two can keep arguing here. I'm going to grab something to eat with Yuan Yue first."
Yuan Yue nodded repeatedly. "I'm hungry."
Only then did Situ Yi snap out of his combative mode and say to Yuan Yue, "I'll go eat with you."
Yuan Yue pouted and replied, "You go do your thing. I'll go with Shen Yu. We haven't seen each other in a while and want to catch up."
Situ Yi's expression darkened slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
In the end, Shen Yu made the decision. "Let's all go eat together. After we finish, you two men can go socialize, and we two will find a place to hang out and wait for you to pick us up. We won't go anywhere or wander off. How does that sound?"
And so, the four of them miraculously teamed up for a meal. Although the two men were extremely reluctant and repulsed by the idea, occasionally exchanging a few barbs, the two women simply ignored them.
The banquet was a buffet-style event, so after Shen Yu and Yuan Yue found a table, they told the two men to stay put while they went to get food.
As soon as the women walked away, Shen Xiao and Situ Yi instantly returned to their tense, confrontational state.
"I heard that Situ Boss's current delicate girlfriend was obtained through coercion and shady deals? Quite shocking, really. Weren't you always known as a gentleman? Since when did you develop a habit of snatching women?"
Situ Yi didn't bother defending himself. Instead, he went along with it, saying, "That's what makes it exciting. President Shen, you should try it too."
Shen Xiao instinctively glanced at Shen Yu in the distance before sneering, "A woman snatched like that will either run away in no time or cheat on you sooner or later."
Situ Yi fiddled with the cup in front of him and said, "President Shen speaks with such authority. What, do you have a lot of experience? Experience with being cheated on?"
Shen Xiao wasn't angered. He found a comfortable position, crossed his legs, and said, "I'm ashamed to admit it, but when it comes to playing with women, I'm truly no match for Situ Boss. Compared to women, I prefer playing with money and rivals."
Situ Yi deliberately twisted his words. "It seems President Shen has quite the taste, even enjoys playing with rivals."
Shen Xiao chuckled softly. "You flatter me. But come to think of it, you're now one of my rivals."
Situ Yi: “...”
When it came to arguing, it seemed the pervert was no match for the lunatic...
Shen Yu pulled Yuan Yue over to the long table laden with food, glanced back discreetly at the two men, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw they were indeed sitting obediently in their spots.
Yuan Yue patted her chest and said, "Oh my, that lunatic nearly scared me to death."
Shen Yu picked up a plate and began selecting food. Hearing her words, she couldn’t help but frown and said, “He has a name.”
Yuan Yue froze for a moment, then laughed, “Oh, so you’re already defending him? Do you really see him as your brother now?”
Shen Yu glanced up at her, “What about you? Don’t you treat Situ Yi as one of your own?”
Yuan Yue frowned in frustration, “That’s not quite the same, is it? Situ Yi is the male lead. No matter how the story develops, he’ll be fine. But Shen Xiao is different. He’s…”
Shen Yu placed a piece of pastry onto her plate, cutting her off, “He’ll be fine too. In this world, he’s my closest family. I won’t let anything happen to him.”
Yuan Yue: “…”
Shen Yu continued, “I want to ask you for a favor. Can you help me?”
Without even asking what it was, Yuan Yue quickly nodded, “As long as it’s something I can do, just tell me.”
Shen Yu picked up another plate and started adding grilled meat to it before saying, “Do you remember a scene in the book about Bai Muqing? It was on New Year’s Eve when she went to the company to find Situ Yi. She originally wanted to see if there was any chance of getting back together, but Situ Yi was firm and completely dashed her hopes. In a fit of anger, she said Shen Xiao wouldn’t let him off, and she’d make Situ Yi realize that even if he didn’t want her, there were other men willing to do anything for her…”
Yuan Yue nodded, “I remember that. She was just venting her anger. At that point, Snake… I mean, your brother, wasn’t yet obsessed with her.”
Shen Yu said, “Right. I was wondering if you could find a way to record what she says.”
Yuan Yue blinked, then her face lit up with excitement, “Wow, that’s a great idea! When your brother hears that and realizes her true nature, he’ll definitely drop her!”
Shen Yu smiled and said, “But I’ll need your help to pull it off.”
Yuan Yue thought for a moment, “No problem, but we’ll need a solid plan. That guy Situ Yi is seriously twisted!”
Shen Yu looked her up and down, “Somehow, I feel like you’re living quite well and comfortably now.”
Yuan Yue sighed, “Aside from Situ Yi’s twisted ways, life here is actually pretty good. Acting is exhausting, but the money is insane, I never even dreamed of making this much before.”
Shen Yu patted her shoulder, “Since we can’t go back anyway, let’s just cherish the life we have now. Situ Yi seems to care about you a lot, so try to find a way to tone down his… eccentricities.”
Yuan Yue asked curiously, “What about your brother’s ‘snake spirit illness’? Can that be fixed?”
Shen Yu: “…”
They really were two peas in a pod, a pair of troubled sisters!
Not wanting to linger too long for fear that the two men left at the table might end up fighting, they quickly finished gathering their food and headed back.
Fortunately, the two men were sitting as far apart as possible, no longer arguing, at most, they were just glaring daggers at each other.
Just as the two women returned with their food and were about to start eating, a man in a sharp suit approached, smiling as he greeted Shen Xiao and Situ Yi, “What brings you two bosses here to eat? Everyone’s been hoping to chat with you.”
The man looked a bit older than Shen Xiao and Situ Yi, probably in his thirties, but his hairstyle and the color of his suit were flashy and youthful, as if he were trying to pull off a “fresh meat” style.
Shen Xiao merely watched him with a cold, aloof expression, while Situ Yi stood up and shook hands with the other man, saying, "President Li, you're as dashing as ever today."
The man addressed as President Li chuckled and shook his head. "Boss Situ, you're just teasing me! My looks are nothing compared to yours, I'd be completely overshadowed."
Situ Yi replied, "President Li, you're too modest."
President Li glanced back at Shen Xiao, who remained seated with an unruffled demeanor, and his smile deepened. "President Shen, do you have some time later? Shall we find a place to chat?"
Shen Xiao gave a noncommittal "Hmm" and said, "We'll see later."
Everyone: ...
After exchanging greetings, President Li turned and left. Once he was out of earshot, Yuan Yue asked Situ Yi, "Is that the next successor of the Li Group? What's his name again?"
Situ Yi said, "Li Yuanhui, 38 years old. He's considered the most promising young successor in the Li family."
Shen Xiao, who had been listening nearby, couldn't help but sneer, "Personally groomed by Old Man Li, can that be called promising? He's just another manipulated puppet."
Situ Yi retorted disdainfully, "If he's a puppet, why are you still seeking cooperation with him? Be careful you don't end up losing more than you gain."
Shen Xiao snorted coldly, "Boss Situ, a word of advice: use your brain more and your lower body less, or you'll become a laughingstock among your peers."
Situ Yi: “...”
As the two were on the verge of arguing again, Shen Yu quickly placed two plates of food in front of Shen Xiao and said, "We'll probably be drinking later, so you should eat something first."
Only then did Shen Xiao retract his sharp edges. He gave her a meaningful look before picking up a fork to spear a piece of meat. After eating one himself, he naturally went to feed Shen Yu.
Shen Yu dodged and glared at him fiercely. How could he be so shameless in such a formal setting? He really deserved a beating!
Situ Yi couldn't stand it and mocked, "Oh, so President Shen knows how to be affectionate."
Shen Xiao shot him a sidelong glance and said coolly, "Of course I have to spoil my own child. It's not something you can envy."
Situ Yi raised an eyebrow, glanced at Yuan Yue, and then said, "I may not have a child, but I have a wife. At most, you can feed someone, but I can do this." With that, he pulled Yuan Yue into his arms, lowered his head, and kissed her lips forcefully.
Yuan Yue: !!
Shen Yu: “…”
Shen Xiao: “…”
Not only did Situ Yi kiss her, but he also made loud, smacking sounds as he sucked twice...
Only then did Yuan Yue push him away, looking flustered and annoyed.
"What are you doing?!" she snapped angrily.
Situ Yi just grinned mischievously at her.
Shen Xiao glanced at Situ Yi's bold actions, then turned to look at the child beside him, who was blushing and sneakily watching Yuan Yue and the others.
He couldn't help but frown, thinking with great perplexity: Do kids actually like this sort of thing too??