Chapter 70 The Shy Rose Blooms Quietly

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Zhou Jiayan dejectedly picked up her spoon and stirred the wonton soup. “He’s sent me over thirty messages since he got up this morning. Do you think he’s gone mad?”

Meng Qiaoyuan sat down across from her, beginning to enjoy her own bowl of wontons. “Mm. Jiang Zao has already found a way to handle it. Just be patient for a couple of days. I switched shifts with a colleague this afternoon—I'm going to drop by Li Mingyi’s place.”

Zhou Jiayan leaned over and asked, “What’s the plan? Can I know?”

Meng Qiaoyuan smiled. “You’ll have to ask Jiang Zao yourself. I’m just the errand-runner. She’s the strategist among us, her schemes are her own patent.”

Zhou Jiayan pouted. “Alright, I knew you wouldn’t spill. I guess I’ll just wait until you need my help.”

Meng Qiaoyuan picked out the shrimp from her own bowl and placed them in Zhou Jiayan’s. “Want to come with me this afternoon?”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

…

Zhou Jiayan had never imagined she’d make her public debut in such a way...

After switching shifts, Meng Qiaoyuan brought Zhou Jiayan with her to the convenience store across from Li Mingyi’s bar. They spent the entire afternoon watching customers come and go through the glass.

Someone must have recognized Zhou Jiayan’s profile and tipped off Li Mingyi about her presence near the bar.

As dusk fell, the moment Zhou Jiayan, arm in arm with Meng Qiaoyuan, stepped into the bar, she was startled by a burst of confetti cannons exploding overhead.

“Zhou Jiayan! I’ve liked you for years! Please be my girlfriend!”

Li Mingyi knelt before her on one knee, holding a huge bouquet of roses.

The once lively, boisterous bar fell instantly silent. Apart from the whistling wind outside, nothing could be heard. Every patron froze, gazing toward the single spot where all the light converged.

The rest of the lights dimmed; only the spotlights remained, bathing Zhou Jiayan and Li Mingyi in a radiant glow.

Zhou Jiayan looked helplessly at Meng Qiaoyuan beside her.

Meng Qiaoyuan was just as stunned and embarrassed.

A massive bouquet of roses—she couldn’t accept, but rejecting it seemed impossible too.

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While still hesitating, a hand emerged from the corner and snatched the bouquet away.

Following the arm upward, Zhou Jiayan’s eyes sparkled with astonishment.

Shen Mushi! What was he doing here?

Shen Mushi held a DJ’s microphone in his other hand, which he switched on as he turned to face Meng Qiaoyuan.

“I asked Boss Li to set all this up tonight because I wanted to sincerely apologize to Miss Meng. I’m truly sorry—for my arrogance, my hypocrisy, and for all the trouble I caused you. I deeply apologize and hope you won’t hold it against me. Please allow me a chance to make things right. From now on, I’ll reflect on myself and treat others with respect. If you’re willing, I welcome your guidance and correction at any time.”

Meng Qiaoyuan gazed at Shen Mushi under the lights—high-profile, dazzling, his whole being radiant.

So, this kind of unexpected “surprise” wasn’t just awkward or mortifying—it could also be brilliant enough to dazzle the eyes.

Zhou Jiayan hurriedly nudged Meng Qiaoyuan forward half a step. In a daze, Meng Qiaoyuan accepted the ostentatious bouquet.

The crowd erupted in cheers. The lighting crew brought up the rest of the lights, the DJ launched into a festive set, and the bar returned to its usual raucousness.

Shen Mushi handed the mic to a staff member, exhaling deeply. He turned and met Li Mingyi’s shocked gaze. “Let’s find a quiet place to talk.”

Li Mingyi didn’t dare provoke him; he nodded and led Shen Mushi upstairs to the office.

Meng Qiaoyuan and Zhou Jiayan exchanged a glance, quietly trailing behind them up the stairs.

Noticing their shadows, Shen Mushi didn’t object. He left the door to Li Mingyi’s office ajar, letting the eavesdroppers listen as they pleased.

Li Mingyi awkwardly offered a seat. “Dr. Shen, please, sit.”

Shen Mushi waved him off, hands in his pockets. “It won’t take long—I’ll be brief.”

Li Mingyi could only nod. “Go ahead.”

Shen Mushi spoke. “Zhou Jiayan and I are distant relatives. I watched her grow up; she’s called me ‘big brother’ for over twenty years. I believe that gives me the right to confront her harasser.”

Li Mingyi bristled. “Dr. Shen, I wouldn’t call it harassment. I’m pursuing her openly, and she hasn’t refused.”

Shen Mushi pulled out his phone, bringing up Li Mingyi’s social media feed and showing it to him. “Then why, pray tell, am I not on the list of people who can see your posts?”

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Li Mingyi replied awkwardly, “Maybe I clicked the wrong button by mistake. I’ll add you back.”

Shen Mushi pocketed his phone. “No need for your little tricks. I’ve already checked. You’ve blocked all the elders and anyone with the power or reason to stand up for Zhou Jiayan. I know exactly what you’re playing at. What bargaining chips I hold—you have no idea.”

Li Mingyi forced a laugh. “My Chinese isn’t very good, Dr. Shen. No need to speak in riddles.”

Shen Mushi raised an eyebrow. “Your bank loans aren’t small, are they? Is anyone pressuring you? And do your parents know about this?”

A flash of menace appeared in Li Mingyi’s eyes. “What are you getting at?”

Shen Mushi was undaunted, meeting his gaze. “During an emergency consult, I recognized a university student with a head injury. He looks quite a bit like you. Coincidentally, his surname is Li.”

Li Mingyi’s fists clenched involuntarily. He dared not probe further, afraid to truly anger Shen Mushi. After all, Shen Mushi was the only one in the Shen family to grow up by the old master’s side. Although the family wasn’t under his control now, their political legacy was formidable, and Shen Mushi himself was a top-tier doctor with boundless prospects.

Seeing Li Mingyi fall silent, Shen Mushi adjusted his jacket and turned to leave.

At the doorway, he saw Meng Qiaoyuan still cradling that extravagant bouquet. He snatched it from her hands and tossed it onto the office floor.

Once the three of them had exited the bar, Li Mingyi finally managed to breathe again.

In his anger, Shen Mushi was the spitting image of Zhou Lichuan—cold and forbidding, his very gaze enough to make others tremble.

Shen Mushi strode ahead, head bent over his phone.

Zhou Jiayan, like a little shadow, followed behind him and Meng Qiaoyuan, asking, “Brother Mushi, why are you here?”

Shen Mushi put away his phone, grabbed Zhou Jiayan by the collar, and tossed her into the back seat. “Jiang Zao called me. She asked me to look into something for her.”

Zhou Jiayan leaned out the car window, asking, “Then how did you know I’d be here today?”

Shen Mushi opened the passenger door for Meng Qiaoyuan, circled around, and got into the driver’s seat. “A colleague mentioned Dr. Meng switched shifts this afternoon. It wasn’t hard to guess. You two spent all afternoon keeping watch over there, didn’t you?”

Zhou Jiayan nodded eagerly. “That’s right! Qiaoyuan wouldn’t tell me what we were doing—she just kept me there staring, and I had no idea what we were even looking at.”