The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

After quickly applying the medicine to her face, Meng Jiangyu picked up the bottle of topical medicine, looked up at her, and said, "Lift up your clothes."

"Huh?" Shen Qingyao's face flushed instantly. "Should we...should we wait for Zhang Ma to come?"

"Aunt Zhang is busy." Meng Jiangyu looked at her with an unquestionable air. "I'll help you wipe it, hurry up."

His gaze was so intense that Shen Qingyao couldn't resist and slowly lifted the hem of her sweater, revealing the skin around her waist and abdomen.

There were several obvious bruises there, the color of which gradually changed from dark purple to yellowish-green, which looked rather shocking.

Meng Jiangyu's eyes darkened. He dipped his fingertips in the ointment and carefully massaged the bruise in circular motions.

His movements were light, yet with just the right amount of force, allowing the ointment to slowly penetrate.

Shen Qingyao bit her lip, not daring to look at him, her eyes fixed on the TV screen, her ears burning red.

The air was filled with the faint herbal scent of ointment, which, mixed with his own scent, made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Fortunately, he was quick and efficient, and finished wiping in no time.

Shen Qingyao immediately put down her clothes and moved to the side like a startled rabbit, creating some distance.

Meng Jiangyu glanced at her reddened ears, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes, and calmly put away the ointment: "All done."

He got up and went to the study to get several thick contracts. He sat down next to her, opened one of them, and started writing something in the notebook next to him as he read.

The living room fell silent instantly, with only the sounds of conversations on the television and the rustling of him turning pages.

Shen Qingyao stole a glance at him. He was focused on the contract, his brows furrowed, his expression serious, completely different from the gentle person who had just applied the medicine.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing him in a golden glow.

His fingers had distinct knuckles, and the way he held the pen exuded a calm and composed aura.

Shen Qingyao suddenly felt very at ease in this scene.

He was busy with his own things, and she was watching her show. They didn't disturb each other, yet they were still within each other's sight.

She looked away and turned back to the television, her unease gradually dissipating.

Perhaps this way of getting along isn't so bad.

The TV drama continued, with Minglan beginning to learn how to manage household affairs. Shen Qingyao watched intently, occasionally hearing him make a phone call beside her. His tone was concise and professional, probably explaining work to his assistant.

Before I knew it, the morning had passed.

When Aunt Zhang came over to ask what she wanted to eat for lunch, Shen Qingyao was surprised to find that time had passed so quickly.

Meng Jiangyu closed the contract and rubbed his temples: "Ask Qingyao what she wants to eat."

"I'm fine with anything," Shen Qingyao quickly replied.

"Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, braised pork, steamed shrimp, and a few lightly stir-fried vegetarian dishes," Meng Jiangyu decided for her. "She likes sweet and sour flavors."

Shen Qingyao was stunned for a moment, not expecting him to remember even this.

Aunt Zhang smiled and agreed, then turned and went to the kitchen.

Seeing her surprised expression, Meng Jiangyu smiled faintly and said, "Watch your show. I'll call you at noon."

He picked up the contract again, but Shen Qingyao had no interest in watching TV.

Looking at his focused profile, she felt a warm feeling filling her heart.

Perhaps, the days spent with him will truly grow warmer and warmer, just like the sunshine after the snow.

In the afternoon, Shen Qingyao leaned back on the sofa and flipped through a magazine. Her gaze inadvertently swept across the living room and she noticed that the usually busy maids were gone, leaving only Zhang Ma shuttling between the kitchen and the dining room.

She closed the book, looked at Meng Jiangyu sitting opposite her working on documents, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Ayu, are all the servants at home... gone?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Meng Jiangyu paused, his hand holding the pen still. He looked up at her, a surprised smile instantly appearing in his eyes, and his tone became lighter: "What did you call me?"

Shen Qingyao blushed slightly at his reaction, only then realizing the form of address she had just blurted out.

Before, I would either call him "Mr. Meng" or get straight to the point. This "Ayu" is the first time it has slipped from my tongue.

"Well... Ah Yu," she said, a little embarrassed, looking away and speaking softly, "don't you like it?"

"I like it." Meng Jiangyu put down his pen, leaned forward slightly, and looked at her intently, his joy barely concealed. "I really like it."

That soft, gentle address was like a feather brushing against his heart, more moving than any flowery language. He had waited so long for that "A-Yu".

Seeing that he was genuinely happy, Shen Qingyao's slight awkwardness dissipated, and she asked the question again: "So the servants have all gone back?"

"Yes, the holiday starts today." Meng Jiangyu nodded and explained, "It's almost Chinese New Year, so let them go home early to be with their families."

Shen Qingyao was somewhat puzzled, "Those wicked capitalists, giving us a holiday on the 28th of the twelfth lunar month isn't early at all!"

"In previous years, the holiday started tomorrow."

"Giving them a day off so late! Their pay must be really high! Otherwise, they definitely wouldn't be happy!"

"More than forty!"

"So many! I want to work at your place too!"

"Home!" Meng Jiangyu liked this name very much. Before, he only considered this place as his house. "Can't you play the long game?"

Shen Qingyao didn't understand what he meant.

"We need a lady of the house, are you coming?"

Shen Qingyao blushed slightly. "I'll think about it!"

He glanced towards the kitchen and added, "Aunt Zhang will be going back this afternoon too."

Shen Qingyao nodded knowingly: "I see."

No wonder the house felt unusually quiet, lacking the usual sounds of servants moving around, and instead possessing the warmth of an ordinary family home.

Just then, Aunt Zhang came out carrying a plate of washed strawberries, smiling as she said, "Sir, Miss Shen, please try these. They were just delivered and are very fresh."

"Aunt Zhang, you should go home early this afternoon. There's nothing to do here," Meng Jiangyu said to her gently.

"Okay, sure," Zhang Ma replied, then added to Shen Qingyao, "If Miss Shen has anything she'd like to eat, just tell the master and he'll make it for you. His cooking skills are actually quite good."

Shen Qingyao looked at Meng Jiangyu in surprise: "You can cook?"

Meng Jiangyu raised an eyebrow, a hint of smugness in his expression: "I know a little."

With a smile, Zhang Ma packed her things, said goodbye to the two of them, and then left Yu Garden with her bag.

In an instant, only the two of them remained in the huge house.

Looking at the empty living room, Shen Qingyao suddenly felt a sense of quietness, but not desolation.

The sunlight fell on her and Meng Jiangyu, and the air was filled with a faint strawberry scent, creating a sense of peaceful tranquility.

Shen Qingyao's fingers suddenly stopped swiping on her phone. On the screen, the red walls of the Forbidden City were covered in white snow, and the corner towers were faintly visible in the snow and mist, as beautiful as a traditional Chinese ink painting.

She looked up at the window and saw that the courtyard of Yu Garden was covered with a thin layer of snow, but compared to the snow-covered palace walls in the video, it lacked a breathtaking beauty.

"Ah Yu, when are you going to finish reading your documents?"

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I was just asking."

"There are never enough documents to read; once you finish one, a new one will come."

"Ah!" Shen Qingyao was somewhat disappointed.

Meng Jiangyu gently pinched her nose. "From now until you get home, my only task is to spend time with you. You can look at these documents later; there's no rush."