The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

On the third day after the surgery, Shen Qingyao regained full consciousness.

Sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains, casting dappled shadows on the blankets. The ward was so quiet that only the scent of disinfectant and a faint floral fragrance could be smelled.

When Meng Jiangyu pushed the door open, he saw her leaning against the headboard, gazing calmly out the window. Her profile looked particularly pale in the sunlight, yet it exuded a resilience that seemed to have survived a calamity.

"Awake?" He walked over quietly and placed the thermos on the bedside table. "The doctor said you can eat some liquid food today, so I had someone cook some millet porridge."

Shen Qingyao turned her head and saw that the weariness in his eyes had faded a little, but she could still tell that he had been working hard for days.

She moved her lips, her voice still a little hoarse: "Mr. Meng, thank you."

When Shen Qingyao first regained consciousness, she knew that Meng Jiangyu had saved her, and her initial shock turned into gratitude.

"No need to be so polite."

"Have some porridge."

"good!"

Meng Jiangyu rocked the hospital bed, opened the thermos, ladled out a small bowl of porridge, stirred it with a spoon, tested the temperature, and then handed it to her.

Shen Qingyao opened her mouth slightly and took small sips of the drink.

The millet porridge was cooked until soft and sticky, with a faint aroma of rice, soothing my empty stomach.

She could sense that he had been watching over her these past few days. The fresh flowers in the ward were changed frequently, and there was always warm water on the bedside table. Even if she occasionally frowned, he would immediately call the doctor.

"What about school and home..." She hesitated for a moment, but still asked, afraid that her parents would worry.

"I had someone tell the school that you went home early. I also had someone call your family on behalf of the school, saying that the school has academic arrangements and that you can go back after the New Year. Your family didn't suspect anything." Meng Jiangyu's tone was calm, as if everything had been arranged perfectly.

Shen Qingyao felt a warmth in her heart, but also a little uneasy: "You've gone to so much trouble."

"It's no trouble at all." Meng Jiangyu looked at her. "The doctor said you're recovering well, but you need to rest. The hospital is crowded and noisy."

"I've arranged a room for you in Yu Garden. It's quiet there and suitable for recuperating."

Shen Qingyao was stunned. Yu Garden? She had heard of that name before; Lu Ying had mentioned it.

That was Meng Jiangyu's private residence, a top-tier mansion known to everyone in Beijing's elite circles, where no outsiders were ever allowed to set foot.

"This...isn't that inappropriate?" she instinctively refused.

Their relationship was already delicate, and moving into his private residence would only complicate matters further.

"There's nothing inappropriate about it," Meng Jiangyu said firmly. "You need to rest and recuperate now. There are professional medical staff and maids there to take care of you, which is more convenient than here. Once you're better, I'll do whatever you want."

His tone was gentle yet firm, and Shen Qingyao, seeing the determination in his eyes, swallowed back the words of refusal that were on the tip of her tongue.

She really needs a quiet environment right now, and she doesn't have the energy to argue anymore.

Shen Qingyao was puzzled. Why was Meng Jiangyu so attentive to her, someone she had only met once, even going so far as to ask her to move into his house to recuperate? "Mr. Meng, you don't actually want my heart, liver, spleen, stomach, or kidneys, do you? It'd be easier to do it at your house!"

"Miss Shen is truly humorous!" Meng Jiangyu was both amused and exasperated. He had gone to such great lengths, yet he was being treated like a villain. "If I wanted your organs, I could have simply done it without saving you."

"Oh right!" Shen Qingyao said, looking like she was seriously considering something. "Then why are you so good to me?"

Looking at the bewildered little girl, Meng Jiangyu felt a surge of emotion welling up inside him. "The New Year is almost here, and the hospital is short-staffed. You're so weak; I'm afraid you won't receive proper care!"

"But Mr. Meng seems to be excessively kind to me, a complete stranger!"

"Miss Shen, I'm a businesswoman, and I naturally have my own purposes, but I won't harm you!"

"Can……!"

"Ms. Shen, if I were you, I would choose to accept your kindness!"

"Thank you very much, Mr. Meng!"

In the afternoon, Meng Jiangyu arranged for a car to pick up Shen Qingyao and take her to Yu Garden.

As the car drove through the ornate iron gate, Shen Qingyao was still stunned by the sight before her.

The courtyard is deep and secluded, with pavilions and towers scattered in a well-organized manner, and rockeries and waterside pavilions complementing each other. Although it is already winter, one can still see the exquisite elegance of the place.

The servants, dressed in uniform, stood at the door to greet them with practiced ease. When they saw Meng Jiangyu carrying Shen Qingyao out of the car, a hint of surprise flashed in their eyes, but no one dared to ask any questions. They simply bowed their heads respectfully.

This is the first time the gentleman has ever brought any woman back to Yu Garden.

Moreover, judging from the gentleman's cautious manner, it's easy to imagine how much he values ​​this young lady.

Shen Qingyao was assigned to a south-facing bedroom. The room was spacious and bright, elegantly and warmly decorated, with a small garden outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing sunlight to fill the entire room.

The room was warm, neither as hot as the air conditioning in the south nor as stuffy as the heating in the north; in short, it was very comfortable.

"You should rest first. If you need anything, just call the maids. They will take care of you." Meng Jiangyu placed her on the bed and tucked the blankets in.

"Mr. Meng," Shen Qingyao called out to him, her expression serious, "I still want to make things clear with you."

Meng Jiangyu stopped and turned to look at her, a knowing glint in his eyes: "Go ahead."

"I'm very grateful to you for saving me this time, and thank you for taking care of me." Shen Qingyao took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound calm. "But I can't keep troubling you. Once I'm almost fully recovered, I'll move back to school, or..."

"Or what?" Meng Jiangyu interrupted her, walking step by step to the bedside, looking down at her with eyes as deep as a lake. "Or do you think that after all this, we can still be like before, just strangers who met by chance?"

Shen Qingyao was taken aback by his question and was speechless for a moment.

"Qingyao," Meng Jiangyu squatted down, took her uninjured hand in his, the warmth of his palm seeping through her skin, and his earnestness was undeniable, "I've remembered you ever since I first saw you at school."

"I was planning to wait until you recovered before telling you, but since you insist on knowing the reason," his voice was deep and gentle, like a feather brushing against my heart, "I'll tell you."

"Shen Qingyao, I like you."

Shen Qingyao's heart skipped a beat, as if she had been struck by something.

"I'm telling you I like you now not because I want anything in return, but because I don't want you to overthink things. You can enjoy everything I give you without any guilt; you deserve it!"

She looked at his face so close to hers, at the undisguised emotions in his eyes, and her mind went blank.

like?

Does he like me?

This realization left her at a loss.

They were from two completely different worlds. He was a powerful capitalist, while she was a student from an ordinary family. There was a world of difference between them.

Moreover, she had just experienced such a terrible thing, and her mind was still shrouded in shadow; she simply had no mind to think about these things.

"Mr. Meng, but our identities..." She tried to pull her hand away, but he held it even tighter.

"I don't care about status, I only know that I like you. I liked you from the first time I saw you. Later, I consciously tried to forget you, but I couldn't. I kept falling into this state of mind and couldn't help but go to see you."

"Mr. Meng, I..."

"You can call me Jiang Yu." He looked at her, his eyes burning. "Yao Yao, I know this is sudden, and I know you might not be able to accept it right now. But I hope you can give me a chance to take care of you, to protect you, okay?"

Shen Qingyao never imagined that she would gain the favor of a big shot like Meng Jiangyu.

"But I'm just a poor student. If you like students, there are plenty of pretty and glamorous girls at school. I'm just an ordinary one."

Looking at the self-conscious girl, Meng Jiangyu said, "Do you think I'm such a vulgar person that I only like pretty vases?"

"I alone love the lotus for its purity, rising from the mud unsullied, and cleansed by the clear ripples without becoming seductive."

Shen Qingyao was in utter turmoil. "It feels so unreal!"

Meng Jiangyu gently pinched Shen Qingyao's cheek. "Does it hurt?"

"Uh-huh!"

"So it's not a dream!"

"But I'm just an ordinary student. I don't come from a wealthy family, I don't have a good-looking appearance, I don't have..."

"What does all this have to do with me liking you?"

"I like you as a person. Whether you are good or bad, beautiful or ugly, I like you. Those external conditions may be a plus for others, but I don't care."

There was shock, confusion, resistance, and a hint of panic that she herself didn't even realize.

She could feel his sincerity and remembered how he rushed over without hesitation, but the gap between them was too great, so great that she felt it was all like an unreal dream.

"I...I don't know." She lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm very confused right now, I need time."

Looking at her reddened eyes and the struggle in them, Meng Jiangyu finally let go.

He knew he couldn't push her too hard; she had just gone through trauma and needed time to recover.

"Okay," he softened his tone, his voice filled with understanding, "I'll give you time. But until you've thought it through, let me continue to take care of you, okay? Just consider it... letting me make up for the regret of not being able to protect you."

Mentioning that incident, Shen Qingyao's body trembled slightly again.

She nodded and did not refuse again.

Meng Jiangyu smiled, reached out and gently touched her hair, his movements incredibly tender: "If you're tired, take a nap. I'll have Zhang Ma make you your favorite light-tasting dinner."

"I have to go to a meeting now, I'll come over and keep you company later!"

"Okay, you go ahead and do your work, I can manage on my own!"

As he turned to leave, Shen Qingyao watched his retreating figure, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

The sunlight outside the window was still bright, but her mind was in turmoil.

Meng Jiangyu's confession was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.

She didn't know how to respond, nor did she know where the future would lead.

Meng Jiangyu leaned against the wall outside the door and raised his hand to press his temples.

He knew this was just the first step, and there was still a long way to go.

But he has patience and confidence.

He would never let her face any storms alone again.

Yu Garden will be her safe haven, and he will be her eternal support.

The maid walked by carrying freshly cut fruit, and seeing the faint smile on the master's lips, she secretly made a mental note of it.

It seems that this Miss Shen is truly destined to become the mistress of Yu Garden.