The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

As dusk settled into the living room, Meng Jiangyu dimmed the lights and turned on a newly released comedy film.

The protagonist on the screen was frantically dealing with a series of farcical blind date situations, which amused Shen Qingyao so much that she would occasionally smile, her eyes sparkling with laughter like crushed starlight.

She nestled in a corner of the sofa, covered with a soft blanket. After looking at the clothes for a while, she suddenly remembered the room full of clothes from the afternoon, and that little bit of unease in her heart quietly resurfaced.

"Meng Jiangyu," she nudged the person next to her, her voice a little soft, "Did I buy too many clothes this afternoon?"

Meng Jiangyu turned to look at her and saw that her brows were slightly furrowed and her eyes were filled with a hint of struggle. He guessed what she was thinking and deliberately teased her, "What's wrong? Do you think it's taking up too much space?"

"No," Shen Qingyao shook her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the edge of the blanket, "I mean... I've taken so many of your clothes all at once, don't you think I..." She paused, but still said the words, "...that I'm a gold digger, just trying to spend your money?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Meng Jiangyu couldn't help but chuckle softly.

His smile made Shen Qingyao even more embarrassed. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she lowered her head, muttering softly, "What are you laughing at... I just feel that we've only just started dating, and this isn't appropriate..."

Meng Jiangyu stopped laughing, reached out and ruffled her hair, his tone a mix of helplessness and seriousness: "Qingyao, how much do you think those clothes are worth?"

Shen Qingyao paused for a moment, then shook her head: "I don't know, but it's definitely not cheap."

"To me," Meng Jiangyu looked into her eyes, his tone as calm as if he were saying the weather was nice, "that money is nothing, not even a fraction of my bank account balance."

Shen Qingyao was stunned. She knew he was rich, but she never imagined he was "rich" to this extent.

"Yaoyao, clothes are consumables and not worth much money. What's truly valuable are things like houses, jewelry, and watches—things that don't depreciate."

Those clothes that felt heavy to her were as light as a feather in his eyes. "Oh, oh!"

"Even if we take a step back and say that," Meng Jiangyu lightly brushed her cheek with his fingertips, a hint of teasing mixed with an undeniable seriousness, "I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

Shen Qingyao suddenly looked up at him, her eyes wide open.

"I'm just glad," his voice lowered, carrying a reassuring certainty, "that I happen to have a lot of money so you can 'make a killing'."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the supporting characters arguing over a few dozen yuan on the screen, a faint sneer playing on his lips: "Only those penniless and useless men are constantly afraid their girlfriends are gold diggers. They can't give their partners what they want, so they can only use words like 'gold digger' and 'materialistic' to cover up their incompetence."

"I'm not that kind of person." Meng Jiangyu looked at her, his eyes clear and bright. "I can give you more than you can imagine. Don't just talk about a few clothes; as long as you like it, as long as I have it, I can give it to you."

His words were like a pebble, stirring up ripples in Shen Qingyao's heart.

She always felt that spending a man's money was something she had to be careful about, especially in a relationship with such a large disparity in their social status, for fear of being gossiped about.

But he spoke of it so frankly, as if she accepted it as a matter of course and he gave it to her with great pleasure.

"But..." she still hesitated, "I feel like I owe you a lot."

"Then you can pay it back slowly." Meng Jiangyu smiled, leaning closer to her, his nose almost touching her forehead. "How about you pay it back over a lifetime?"

A warm breath brushed against his cheek, carrying the crisp scent of cedarwood.

Shen Qingyao's heart skipped a beat as she looked into his eyes, which were so close to hers, reflecting her image clearly and intently.

"But I'm still a student, I don't need to wear such nice clothes."

Is there any necessary connection between the quality of clothes one wears and whether one is a student?

"Words can subdue a gentleman, and fine clothes can intimidate a petty person. Respect the clothes first, then the person; respect the appearance first, then the soul."

She suddenly felt that those concerns that had troubled her for so long didn't seem so important anymore.

Yes, he had every right to say that, and she should have every right to accept that honesty.

Shen Qingyao didn't say anything, but moved closer to him and gently leaned on his shoulder.

The laughter on the screen continued, but the living room was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard.

Meng Jiangyu looked down at the person leaning on his shoulder, his smile so gentle it could melt hearts.

He raised his hand, pulled the blanket closer to her, and hugged her even tighter.

Some things don't need to be said.

He knew her unease, and she understood his feelings.

There's a long road ahead, and he has plenty of time to let her gradually get used to being cherished and pampered, to let her understand that with him, she can accept all the good things without feeling any burden.

Because he can afford it, and he's willing to give it.

Laughter echoed across the screen. Shen Qingyao leaned against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, the faint scent of cedar lingering around her nose. Suddenly, she felt that these days were as peaceful as an unreal dream.

"What are you thinking about?" Meng Jiangyu asked her, looking down at her.

"It's nothing," Shen Qingyao snuggled closer to him, her voice muffled, "I just feel... it's pretty good."

"Everything will be this good from now on."

The night outside the window grew darker and darker. Yu Garden was quiet, except for the warm yellow light in the living room, which illuminated the two people embracing.

Shen Qingyao gradually became sleepy again, and in her hazy state, she felt him place a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

Perhaps, we don't need to think so much.

Just like now, with him by my side, warm meals, and a comforting hug, that's enough.

As for what the future holds?

Let the future be left to the future.

The comedy on the screen was still playing out its exaggerated scenes when Meng Jiangyu looked down and found that the person in his arms was no longer moving.

Shen Qingyao curled up in his arms, breathing shallowly. Her long eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyelids. She was obviously exhausted and fell asleep while looking at him.

He gently pulled his arm out from under her neck, carefully supporting her back and legs, and lifted her up in his arms.

Shen Qingyao frowned slightly in her sleep, then snuggled into his arms like a frightened kitten, unconsciously rubbing against his chest before finding a more comfortable position and falling into a deep sleep again.

Meng Jiangyu slowed his pace even further, deliberately softening his breathing, for fear of disturbing the tranquility.

He gently placed her on the bed in the bedroom, covered her with the blanket, tucked the corners in, and made sure she was sleeping soundly before turning to leave.

Just as I reached the door, my phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket, the sharp ringtone particularly jarring in the quiet room.

Meng Jiangyu's face instantly darkened. He frantically pulled out his phone and silenced it. At the same time, he turned to look at Shen Qingyao on the bed. Her eyelashes trembled, but she didn't wake up.

He breathed a sigh of relief, but anger rose in his eyes. He glanced at the three words "Xu Mingxuan" flashing on the screen, turned around, and quickly walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.

In the hallway, he pressed the answer button, his voice as cold as ice: "What is it?"

Xu Mingxuan on the other end of the phone was clearly oblivious to his somber mood, and even exclaimed excitedly, "Fifth Brother! Guess what I just heard from Zhou Yanqiu? Li Heng's dad..."

"Get to the point." Meng Jiangyu interrupted him, his impatience almost overflowing. "If there's nothing else, I'll go over there right now and sew your mouth shut."

Xu Mingxuan was startled by his sudden outburst of anger. After a few seconds of stunned silence, he quickly calmed down and said in a much quieter tone, "No, Fifth Brother, this is really important! Li Heng's father asked someone to contact my grandfather. My grandfather asked me to ask you if you could loosen your grip on this matter a little? After all, the Li family has been around in Beijing for quite some time. If we really push them to the brink, it won't look good on them."

Meng Jiangyu leaned against the cold wall, his fingertips turning slightly white from the force he exerted.

He recalled Shen Qingyao's uneasy frown as she slept, and the lingering scars on her body; the coldness in his eyes intensified.

"Relax?" He scoffed, his voice laced with undisguised malice. "When Li Heng attacked Shen Qingyao, why didn't he consider showing her any consideration?"

"No, it's not that I'm going to let him off the hook..." Xu Mingxuan quickly explained, "It's just that my grandfather is pressuring me a lot, and you know how proud he is. I'm caught in the middle, so it's a difficult situation."

"Tell your grandfather to mind his own business." Meng Jiangyu's tone was firm, leaving no room for negotiation. "No one is allowed to interfere in the Li family's affairs. If you dare to mention it again, you can forget about acknowledging me as your fifth brother."

After saying that, he hung up the phone without waiting for Xu Mingxuan's response.

The corridor fell silent again, save for his heavy breathing.

Meng Jiangyu closed his eyes, trying to suppress his anger. That phone call had almost woken Qingyao up.

He walked to the bedroom door, gently pushed it open a crack, and looked through the dim light from the corridor. The person on the bed was still sleeping soundly.

Only then did he feel completely relieved and turned to walk towards the study.

In the bedroom, Shen Qingyao had actually woken up when the phone rang, but she didn't open her eyes.

As she listened to Meng Jiangyu's suppressed anger and the undisguised protectiveness in his tone, her heart felt a gentle, bittersweet sensation, as if something had lightly bumped into it.

She turned over, facing the door, a faint smile playing on her lips. She snuggled closer to the soft bedding and drifted off to sleep again.

This time, my dreams were filled with warmth.