If You Could Hear My Heart

“Mr. Shen, I found out that Jiang Zhilan met someone before making her move.”

“Who?”

“Your mother, Mrs. Zhou.”

“My mother does like Bai Man, but she would never act against Chaomu. If she had the guts to do anything, she wouldn’t have brought Chaomu to the Shen Family eight years ago.”

“Yes, except for Jiang Zhilan meeting Mrs. Zhou, I really didn’t find any connection to Mrs. Zhou in this matter.” Xiao Mo reported truthfully.

“What are your thoughts?”

“Mr. Shen, I have some speculations.”

“Let’s hear them.”

Xiao Mo said: “Jiang Zhilan took Miss Xu away, surely for her own daughter’s sake. As for taking Miss Xu to the remote mountains, perhaps she couldn’t bring herself to harm an eighteen-year-old girl. Or, she thought banishing her to the mountains would be the greatest torment for a young lady.”

“Go on.”

“And there are countless women around you, Mr. Shen, but Jiang Zhilan specifically targeted Miss Xu. I guess this has to do with her conversation with Mrs. Zhou.”

“Hmm, well said.”

“I think, no one knows a child better than the mother. Mrs. Zhou must have inadvertently mentioned that you have feelings for Miss Xu during her chat with Jiang Zhilan, and that’s why Jiang took it to heart.”

Shen Chi laughed: “Xiao Mo, I’ve never told you that I have feelings for Xu Chaomu.”

Xiao Mo also laughed: “Mr. Shen, if you had no feelings, why would you go register for a marriage certificate?”

Shen Chi smiled and kept silent.

Now, the person he trusted the most was Xiao Mo. In the past, he also trusted Li Beiting, but Li was biased towards the Bai Family, so many things, he wouldn’t entrust to Li anymore.

“Mr. Shen, you can go to South Africa with peace of mind. I’ll keep the marriage certificate safe for you. When you come back, I’ll hand it to you personally.”

“Hmm.”

“Then, Mr. Shen, I won’t disturb you any longer. You should rest early.”

“Xiao Mo, wait, I have one more question. Regarding what Jiang Zhilan did, do Bai Xuan and Bai Man know about it?”

“They seem to be unaware.”

“Hmm.”

He hung up the phone, and the night grew deeper.

Shen Chi was thirsty, so he went to the kitchen to pour some boiled water. As he entered the kitchen, he saw the dinner he had cooked himself.

He stood there, stunned, unable to snap back to reality for a long time.

The night was indistinct, and the spacious villa was silent.

The next morning, Bai Man called Shen Chi early.

“Shen Chi, where are you? I didn’t see you come home on Saturday, were you working overtime?”

“Hmm, I was working overtime yesterday.”

“What about today? Today’s Sunday, can you accompany me for a media interview? Just for a little while, it’ll be quick.”

“I have to go to the group today, I can’t accompany you.”

“Just take a little bit of time. They’ll just ask a few questions, mainly they want you and me to stand together.”

“Sorry, I’m afraid I can’t agree to that.”

In the past, she always wanted a grand press conference, and he gave it to her, although it was also with the intention of irritating Xu Chaomu.

The Shen Family owed the Bai Family a favor, and he was almost willing to do anything she asked.

In the past, he didn’t think much of it, at least, marrying Bai Man was beneficial for both the Shen Bai families and for him.

However, since that last time Xu Chaomu left the hospital without a word, he finally understood that if Xu Chaomu left him, his heart would ache for a lifetime.

Just like last night, he personally cooked an entire table of dishes, but she wasn’t there.

As for the favor owed to the Bai Family, he would repay it in other ways, but it would definitely not be marriage.

“Shen Chi, do you dislike me now? It’s just a tiny bit of time, just accompany me for a while.”

“Bai Man.” Shen Chi switched to a serious tone, “What would you do if I said I can’t marry you?”

Clearly taken aback on the other end, after a moment, she laughed coquettishly.

“Shen Chi… you’re teasing me again, we’ve already sent out our engagement banquet invitations, please don’t joke with me anymore…”

“I’m not joking with you.”

“Really? Then tell me, who do you plan to marry?”

A cold, unsettling laugh came from the other end.

Heh, Shen Chi, you’re finally laying your cards on the table, aren’t you?

Bai Man always felt that Shen Chi didn’t like her, living every day with an anxious heart. Now, he finally said he wasn’t willing to marry her.

She originally thought that after the engagement and wedding banquets, he wouldn’t back out and she just had to hold on a little longer.

But, unexpectedly, heh…

“Bai Man, I can’t give you love and marriage.”

“Shen Chi, you answer me, who do you like, who do you want to marry? Xu Chaomu, or some other woman?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Shen Chi, you can’t possibly marry her, you’re the president of Shen Group, you’re even more childish than me. Haha, Shen Chi, are you drunk? It’s early in the morning and all you’re saying is nonsense.”

“Bai Man, in fact, you know better than anyone, I’ve met all your demands, I even almost married you, you should know why.”

“Shen Chi, why are you going back on your word? Why don’t you keep pretending? You’re good at playacting, why won’t you marry me?!”

Bai Man’s hysterical voice came through the phone, laced with sobs.

He finally told her the truth, even though she always knew why, but she still deceived herself.

She lied to herself by saying time would change everything, that his kindness to her wasn’t to repay the Shen Family’s debt to the Bai Family, but rather he was slowly falling in love with her.

She had thought that once they were engaged, marriage would firmly bind them together, and they would never part for life.

But, she was always just fooling herself.

“Originally, I was planning to discuss this with Mr. Bai after returning from South Africa.” Shen Chi said indifferently.

“Weren’t we fine before? We went to pick out rings, chatted in bars, you gave me a necklace…”

“Because, I don’t want to deceive myself anymore. Likewise, neither do you. The favor owed to the Bai Family, I will repay it gradually.”

“Shen Chi, I’m telling you, other than marrying me, you have no choice. I won’t allow you to repay it in any other way, I think your father and mother wouldn’t agree either!”

“Even if I’m left all alone, risking everything, I won’t agree to marry you again.”

Shen Chi spoke very decisively, but when facing Bai Man, he reined in his emotions a bit.

“Shen Chi, you’re such a smart man, why didn’t you wait until you came back from South Africa to lay things out with me. Aren’t you afraid my father will pull all the funding and not let you come back?”

“I have thought it through. If Mr. Bai wishes to cooperate with me, I will share the profits from the South Africa project with him fairly. If he pulls all the funding, I won’t have any regrets.”

Pausing, Shen Chi looked out the window at the sky, his expression deep: “At most, the path will be a bit harder, but my conscience will be clear.”

“Shen Chi, heh, it’s not just this project, I’m telling you, you won’t get a single share your father holds! Moreover, the position of president of Shen Group will change hands!”