The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

As dawn broke through the window on the 30th of the twelfth lunar month, Meng Jiangyu had already changed into a dark gray Zhongshan suit, his collar neatly fastened, and even the cufflinks aligned with the cuff patterns.

After he finished washing up, he quietly pushed open Shen Qingyao's door, and the warm air carrying her faint fragrance wafted towards him.

She was still fast asleep, nestled in her blankets, her long eyelashes casting a small fan-shaped shadow under her eyelids, and the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, as if she were dreaming of something wonderful.

Meng Jiangyu stood by the bed for a while, then bent down to tuck the blanket around her, his fingertips tracing the delicate silk fabric of the blanket, his movements so gentle as if afraid of disturbing her sleep.

When her eyelashes fluttered and she groggily opened her eyes, he said softly, "I forgot to tell you yesterday, but I have to go back to the old house to pay respects to our ancestors today. All the elders in the family are here, so I can't leave. Is there anything you'd like to do while you're home alone?"

Shen Qingyao rubbed her eyes and sat up, her hair sticking up messily like a little fluffy ball that had just woken up, carrying the languid feeling of someone who had just woken up: "I want to get a manicure."

As she spoke, her eyes sparkled, like two stars reflected in water.

Meng Jiangyu chuckled, reached out and ruffled her hair, his fingertips tickling her as they passed through the strands: "Okay, I'll have someone come to our house to do it."

Shen Qingyao was stunned and blinked: "Can you do it at home?" She had always thought that this kind of thing had to be done in a store.

He picked up his phone and dialed Jason's number right in front of her, his tone crisp and decisive, carrying an unquestionable command: "Jason, have the manicurist come to the door before 10 a.m. Also, order food from Wangjinglou for lunch, delivered to your door promptly at 12 p.m. I'll send you the menu in a bit."

After hanging up the phone, he looked at Shen Qingyao's slightly open mouth in surprise, pinched her cheek, and felt his fingertips touch her delicate skin: "Be a good girl and wait, I'll be back as early as possible tonight."

"Okay!" Shen Qingyao stretched and yawned, her pajamas neckline slipping open slightly to reveal her slender collarbone.

"I've made breakfast. It's in the insulated box downstairs. It's your favorite pumpkin and millet porridge, served with pork floss buns. You can eat it right away."

He added another instruction, his gaze sweeping over the medicine box on the bedside table.

"Uh-huh!"

"Sleep a little longer, no rush to get up."

"Mmm!" Shen Qingyao nodded obediently, her eyes not fully open yet, like a cat that hadn't fully woken up.

"Remember to eat breakfast before getting your nails done, and don't forget your medicine either," he added, his tone filled with concern.

Shen Qingyao continued to nod, her fluffy head bobbing like a chick pecking at rice, so cute that it softened his heart.

Meng Jiangyu suddenly felt reluctant to leave. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he whispered, "Give me a kiss."

Shen Qingyao didn't react in time, her nodding motion froze, and the next second, Meng Jiangyu's kiss landed on her. He held the back of her head with one hand, and wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her tightly against him, his breath carrying the cool morning air, yet incredibly hot.

The kiss deepened gradually, carrying an irresistible tenderness.

She was breathless from his kisses, her back pressed against the soft mattress, her long neck arching back in an elegant curve as she reached for the pillow beside her.

The pillow had a round little bear printed on it, but it was now squeezed out of shape, and the bear's ears were all wrinkled up.

Shen Qingyao had some difficulty breathing. She gently pushed against Meng Jiangyu's chest, her fingertips touching the firm muscles under his shirt.

Meng Jiangyu reluctantly released her, his forehead still pressed against hers, his voice hoarse from the kiss: "Be a good girl and wait for me at home."

Shen Qingyao blushed, her eyelashes damp with moisture, and nodded haphazardly.

Meng Jiangyu glanced at her again before turning and leaving Yu Garden.

The wheels crunched softly over the snow in front of the door, gradually fading into the distance.

After Meng Jiangyu left, Shen Qingyao rolled over in bed and buried her face in the pillow he had just used, where his scent still lingered. Her heart felt warm and cozy, like she was carrying a little sun inside.

She drifted off to sleep for a while longer, until sunlight streamed through the curtains and shone on her face, at which point she slowly got up.

When Jason sent someone to contact the beauty salon, the owner almost brought his team over himself when he heard it was Mr. Meng's order.

Being able to climb the social ladder by joining the Meng family is an opportunity that many people crave but cannot obtain.

The doorbell rang before 10 o'clock.

Shen Qingyao, dressed in coral fleece loungewear, was sitting in the dining room eating breakfast. She scooped up pumpkin and millet porridge with a spoon and sipped it slowly, the temperature of the porridge just right to soothe her stomach.

She saw three staff members in matching beige uniforms standing at the entrance, carrying silver-gray toolboxes, and speaking respectfully through the screen on the restaurant wall. She then called out, "Please wait a moment."

She put down her spoon, wiped her mouth, and hurried to open the door.

"Hello! Thank you for coming all this way in this cold weather."

She stepped aside to let them in, pointing to the tea break area in the entryway, "There's hot tea prepared inside, would you like to rest for a bit?"

The lead nail technician quickly waved her hand, smiling warmly, "You're too kind, miss! Where would you like to have your nails done?"

"Let's just sit in the living room, the light is good there." Shen Qingyao pointed to the sofa in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Okay, please wait a moment!" The staff member quickly opened the toolbox, where the tools were neatly arranged.

Disinfecting cotton pads were folded into small squares according to size, the sanding strips were graded by coarseness, the cuticle scissors had a gleaming silver blade, and even the nail polish bottle was wrapped in burgundy velvet to prevent it from being bumped or knocked over.

Shen Qingyao watched as they laid out a waterproof mat on the coffee table, then took a moment to go to the bedroom, poured out two capsules from the medicine box, and swallowed them with warm water.

When I came out, the staff had already prepared everything. A black leather armrest was placed in front of the sofa, and a small ultraviolet disinfection lamp was placed next to it.

"What kind of manicure would you like to do today?" the nail technician asked softly, taking out a color swatch book.

"Caramel milk tea cat-eye, let's do almond nails." Shen Qingyao chose the design.

The staff immediately took out three bottles of cat-eye nail polish from a velvet cloth, gently twirling them in the sunlight. The bottles refracted tiny sparkles, and the fine glitter within the polish shimmered like crushed diamonds. "These three are all caramel shades, just with different densities of glitter. Which one do you prefer?"

Shen Qingyao chose the middle bottle with fine gold shimmer, and the staff began to carefully process it.

First, wipe your nails with an alcohol swab. The swab is slightly cool and damp, and the movement is as light as a feather brushing against them.

I chose the finest 600-grit nail file. When I filed over the nail surface, I could barely feel anything; I just felt the edges of my nails become smooth.

"Your nails are rather thin, so we can't use a coarse nail file. We should also try to push up the cuticles and cut them as little as possible." The nail technician said as she gently pushed up the cuticles around her nails with the rounded end of an orange stick, her technique was a hundred times more delicate.

Applying the base coat, coloring, and creating the cat-eye effect—every step was done extremely slowly, with the staff breathing very softly, afraid of disturbing the tranquility.

As she was doing this, her phone vibrated on the coffee table. It was a message from Meng Jiangyu: "Yaoyao, are you done with your manicure?"

Since typing wasn't convenient for Shen Qingyao, she sent a voice message, her voice soft and sweet: "It's working on it!"

"Have you had breakfast yet?" His message followed immediately.

"I've eaten; the pumpkin porridge was delicious."

"Where's the medicine?"

"I've already eaten, I just ate."

"I should be finished around 3 or 4 pm here, I'll call you then."

"OK."

The nail salon staff couldn't help but steal a glance at each other while listening to the conversation.

This little girl looks quite young, but Mr. Meng spoils her like a rare treasure. It's truly infuriating to compare yourself to others.

"Miss, the construction will be finished soon. Please check if the curve is suitable." The nail technician handed over a small mirror.

Shen Qingyao looked at herself in the mirror. Her nails were full, rounded, and had a natural curve. "They look great."

After the final top coat dried completely, the staff gently wiped her nails and cuticles with a soft cloth soaked in nourishing solution: "Okay, do you like it? If there's anything you're not satisfied with, we'll redo it immediately."

Shen Qingyao raised her hand, the caramel milk tea color gleaming gently in the sunlight, the fine gold shimmering like crushed starlight, reflecting tiny rays of light as she moved her hand, making her fingertips appear even whiter and more slender.

She was about to thank him when her phone vibrated again. It was a message from Meng Jiangyu: "Is it done? Send me a photo."

She took a picture of her nails and sent it to the camera. The background was the living room's floor-to-ceiling windows and the snow scene outside. In contrast, the color of her nails appeared even more gentle.

I quickly received a reply: "It looks good, it suits you very well."

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, warming my fingertips and filling my heart with sweetness.

I was finishing up my hand treatment when the doorbell rang again.

Shen Qingyao looked at the staff who were packing up their tools and gestured for them to open the door: "Thank you for your help."

A deliveryman from Wangjinglou pushed in a silver insulated food cart, which was spotless.

"Ms. Shen, this is the lunch Mr. Meng ordered: braised pork, squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and stir-fried seasonal vegetables. It's all made to your liking, with less sugar and less spice."

Looking at the exquisite plating in the food cart, Shen Qingyao suddenly remembered that when she was watching TV last night, she casually mentioned to Meng Jiangyu that "Wangjinglou's squirrel mandarin fish is the crispiest." She didn't expect him to remember it so quickly.

"Okay, thank you. Just put it on the dining table for me."

"Okay." The delivery person quickly set out the food and then respectfully left.