The voluptuous and beautiful nanny, Technician Shen fell for her.

After hearing what Li Lianhua said, Su Nianhe subconsciously shook her head.

"I'm not going." Su Nianhe put the empty soda bottle back on the table, stood up, and was about to leave.

"Let's go see what's wrong." Li Lianhua grabbed her arm, insistent. "You can't get into the compound by yourself right now, but if you come with me, the guards definitely won't stop you. We'll just sneak a peek from outside, we won't go in. Don't you want to see what that female college student looks like?"

Su Nianhe was dragged and pulled towards the courtyard by her.

She had just paid a public phone to call Li Lianhua out to discuss business, just to avoid getting close to the compound, but instead she was dragged there for a "check-up".

The two entered the compound smoothly and stealthily made their way to the green belt outside the wall of the Shen family's villa.

Su Nianhe felt increasingly uneasy. She wasn't there to catch a thief, so what was she doing squatting here?

"Lotus, I'm going back." Su Nianhe turned to leave.

"Hey, don't move, someone's coming out!" Li Lianhua pressed down on her shoulder with her other hand and pushed her down.

The iron gate of the Shen family courtyard was pushed open.

Zhou Xiaoman came out carrying an empty net bag.

With her sharp eyes, she caught a glimpse of a floral print peeking out from behind the green belt as soon as she stepped out the door, along with half of Li Lianhua's head sticking out.

Su Nianhe met Zhou Xiaoman's gaze and felt a pang of awkwardness.

She tugged at Li Lianhua's sleeve, said "I'm leaving first," and turned to run towards the gate of the compound.

Li Lianhua cried out twice, but couldn't stop him; she could only stare helplessly.

Watching the fleeing figure, Zhou Xiaoman didn't head towards her Director Zhou's building; instead, she followed after him.

Su Nianhe ran all the way to the corner outside the courtyard and leaned against the red brick wall to catch her breath.

"Comrade Su." A clear voice rang out from behind.

Su Nianhe turned around and looked at Zhou Xiaoman, who was standing a few steps away.

"Comrade Zhou, is there something you need?" Su Nianhe asked calmly, her hands clasped together in front of her.

Zhou Xiaoman sized her up.

"Yesterday at the Shen family's house, Aunt Liu mentioned you." Zhou Xiaoman's tone was very calm, without Wang Liping's sharp tongue, but rather revealing frankness. "Comrade Su, one cannot be too selfish."

Zhou Xiaoman got straight to the point, her tone as if she were discussing an academic question.

"Uncle Shen was so angry about what happened to you that he ended up in the emergency room. Shen Huai is a tech guy who wants to climb the ladder. His impulsive act is just for the sake of something new."

Su Nianhe listened quietly without interrupting.

"If two people can't keep up and don't have a common language, they'll drift apart one day," Zhou Xiaoman continued, her words clear and distinct. "I frankly admit that I like Shen Huai. We went to university together and have similar experiences. Our parents also share this sentiment. I'm not here to sabotage or bully you. I just hope you'll consider Shen Huai's future and, for his own good, voluntarily step aside."

Su Nianhe picked at the cracks in the brickwork with her fingers.

Before she could speak, a familiar male voice came from the other side of the corner.

"Is your knowledge just for oppressing someone who has no opportunity to learn?"

Shen Huai pushed his bicycle and emerged from the shadows around the corner.

He wasn't wearing a suit today; the top two buttons of his white shirt were undone, and the sleeves were casually rolled up to his elbows. He exuded a relaxed air, but his eyes were extremely cold.

Zhou Xiaoman's face paled slightly, and her previous composure and ease began to crumble.

"Brother Shen Huai," Zhou Xiaoman called out.

"Don't call me brother. My mom only gave birth to me and my brother." Shen Huai parked his bicycle by the roadside, strode over to Su Nianhe, and naturally took her wrist, pulling her behind him.

"Who I'm in sync with, and whether we have common ground, is my own business." Shen Huai looked at Zhou Xiaoman, his words leaving no room for sentimentality. "She doesn't need to be in sync with you; she just needs to be in sync with me. Stay away from her from now on."

Zhou Xiaoman's eyes reddened.

She is a proud person at heart, and her pride couldn't bear being humiliated like this in front of her beloved.

"I'm just stating the facts," Zhou Xiaoman maintained her last shred of dignity. "You're protecting her now, but you'll regret it later when you find you have nothing left to say to each other."

"That's my business, it's none of your concern," Shen Huai said calmly.

Zhou Xiaoman gritted her teeth, turned around, and walked away in her leather shoes.

Shen Huai turned his head and looked at the person hiding behind him.

"You've come all the way to the gate of the compound to check up on things?" His tone immediately changed, all the coldness vanished, replaced by a hint of teasing.

Su Nianhe's face flushed, and she tried to pull her wrist away.

"I don't."

"Oh." Shen Huai didn't let go, pressing his fingertip against her pulse. "Zhou Xiaoman told you to quit, why didn't you say anything?"

Su Nianhe looked up: "I hadn't even had a chance to say anything before you came out."

"What are you going to say?" Shen Huai raised an eyebrow.

"I said I haven't sold all the goods I bought yet, and I'll lose money if I withdraw now," Su Nianhe blurted out.

Shen Huai was so angry he laughed.

He released his grip and ruffled her hair with his large hand.

The force wasn't strong, but it smoothed out all the thorns that Zhou Xiaoman had raised.

He pulled the bicycle that was leaning against the red brick wall over, straddled the crossbeam with his long legs, and braced himself on one foot.

He patted the frame of the car in front of him. "Come here and lean against it for a while."

Su Nianhe was stunned and looked around.

Not far away are the two imposing iron gates of the municipal party committee compound. The lights in the guardhouse are on, and occasionally family members riding bicycles pass by on their way home from get off work.

"This is the entrance to the compound," Su Nianhe said in a low voice, reminding him to be mindful of his surroundings.

"I know." Shen Huai stretched out his long arm, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her close. "Just lean on me."

Caught off guard, Su Nianhe stumbled forward and landed right between his long legs.

The man's inner thigh touched her fabric through his trousers, and the temperature was alarmingly high.

Su Nianhe panicked and tried to back away, but Shen Huai's hand slid down to her lower back and pressed her forward.

"Don't move." Shen Huai rested his chin on the crook of her neck, his voice languid. "Grandpa and Grandma talked to my dad again today."

Su Nianhe's attention was immediately diverted. Ignoring her awkward posture, she looked up and asked, "Uncle Shen agreed?"

Seeing her expectant look, Shen Huai could only shatter her illusions.

"No," Shen Huai said frankly. "It's just that he's a bit too resilient to pressure, and he still disagrees. But it's not to the point of getting so angry that he has to go to the hospital again."

Su Nianhe's eyes, which had been bright, dimmed.

She should have known better; getting into the mayor's house isn't so easy.

"Then why are you so happy?" Su Nianhe said sullenly.

"As long as he doesn't end up in the hospital, I can be with you openly and honestly." Shen Huai pinched her waist lightly with his fingers.

Su Nianhe's body went limp from his grip, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist.

She didn't speak, burying her face in Shen Huai's shirt. The fabric carried the fresh scent of soap and the unique warmth of a man's body.

She was actually a little discouraged. Although Shen Huai had deflected Zhou Xiaoman's words today, it still made her realize the gap between them.

Shen Huai noticed the low spirits of the person in his arms, but instead of offering empty words of comfort, he knew how to help her relax.

"Do you know how Grandma talked to them today?" Shen Huai asked casually, beginning to reveal the details to her.

Su Nianhe shook her head and rubbed her chin against his chest twice.

Shen Huai's chest trembled, and he burst out laughing.

"Grandma slammed her hand on the table in the living room, right in front of my parents," Shen Huai recalled the scene from earlier that day, his tone carrying a hint of schadenfreude. "She said, 'Don't push the young people too hard. You know Xiao Huai's temper; if you push him too far, he's prone to impulsiveness.'"

Su Nianhe looked up, puzzled, and asked, "Why were you so impulsive?"

Shen Huai lowered his head, his nose brushing against her earlobe.

"Grandma said that if Shen Huai acts impulsively and gets pregnant, she'll have someone write a letter of denunciation and submit it to the Municipal Party Committee's Discipline Inspection Department. That would be a matter of conduct."