"You've been with Jian Mubai for so many years, you can't possibly not know he has a girlfriend, right?"
Han Yunuo's words had caused Shen Keqin to suffer from insomnia for several consecutive nights.
Did Jian Mubai have a girlfriend? How come she didn't know?
But if he didn't, why would Han Yunuo say that?
Was it purely to provoke her?
Why would she want to provoke her with that?
After tossing and turning for many nights, Shen Keqin, feeling restless, decided that a long pain was worse than a short one, and began to observe Jian Mubai discreetly.
Jian Mubai was a person who held himself to extremely high standards. He woke up punctually at six every morning, exercised by running, and then prepared things for her to use at school.
Sometimes, when he wasn't sure what to eat for breakfast, he would personally cook various kinds of pancakes that even the household maids wouldn't know how to make, effectively controlling Shen Keqin's appetite.
Logically speaking, if a person were in love, there would be no way to hide even the slightest clue.
At the very least, there would be secrets on their phone.
Shen Keqin certainly wouldn't go snooping through Jian Mubai's phone. She just noticed that his phone rarely rang; it seemed like no one contacted him besides the Shen family.
If someone were dating with this attitude, they'd be dumped in an instant.
Moreover, if a person were in love, they would subconsciously pay more attention to their appearance. Yet, Jian Mubai still wore black, white, and gray, and his hairstyle remained unchanged year-round.
After her observations yielded no results, Shen Keqin decided to ask Jian Mubai directly.
So, in the car on the way home from school, she looked at Jian Mubai, who was driving beside her, hesitated for a while, and then asked, "Um... you're already twenty-six. People your age already have children. When... when are you planning to get married?"
The car suddenly braked. Shen Keqin was startled. She instinctively looked up and realized it was a green light.
The next second, she heard Jian Mubai's cool and indifferent voice, "No rush."
"How can marriage not be something to be rushed? Don't your parents urge you?"
Jian Mubai was silent for a few seconds, his grip on the steering wheel tightening.
However, at that moment, Shen Keqin was so focused on her question that she didn't notice Jian Mubai's emotions.
"They don't."
"Oh... well, even if your parents don't, you should consider it yourself. By the way, I've never seen you date anyone. Are you secretly dating a girlfriend behind my back?"
Jian Mubai turned to look at Shen Keqin deeply. Shen Keqin's heart trembled at his gaze, and her eyes instinctively darted away.
Soon, the light turned red, and the car slowed down.
Jian Mubai said indifferently, "No."
Upon hearing this, Shen Keqin felt a surge of secret joy. She didn't know why she was happy, but she just was.
Her spirits immediately lifted.
"Hey, what kind of girl do you like? I know quite a few unmarried girls. I can help you look for one."
After that, Jian Mubai remained silent.
Only Shen Keqin's rambling voice could be heard.
"You're so reserved, you can't possibly find another quiet person like yourself. Two quiet people, and then another little quiet person emerges – that would be too much. You absolutely must find someone lively, cheerful, and talkative to complement you."
"Logically speaking, since you've been my bodyguard for so many years, as long as you don't gamble, you should have saved quite a bit of money. If someone looks down on you just because you're a bodyguard, don't worry, I'll support you."
"Though, speaking of which, shouldn't you buy a house first? Although I think it's fine for you to get married at the Shen family home, your wife might not like living at my place."
"No, what if your future wife doesn't let you be my bodyguard anymore? Would you listen to her then?"
Not long after, Shen Keqin fell into her own cycle of anxiety and distress again.
Jian Mubai let out a soft sigh, "Sit properly, don't move around."
"I..."
"I won't get married until you do."
Hearing this, all of Shen Keqin's unhappiness vanished. In just a few minutes, her emotions had fluctuated dramatically.
She smiled, "You said it yourself, don't go back on your word."
Jian Mubai nodded.
From Shen Keqin's perspective, she could only see his exquisite and handsome profile. Immersed in joy, she had no idea how serious and earnest his expression was when he said those words.
To Shen Keqin, it was just a statement.
But to Jian Mubai, it was a promise.
Snapping back from her memories, Shen Keqin's complexion was quite grim.
At that time, she had truly believed that Jian Mubai had no girlfriend and no one he liked.
Now she knew he liked Lin Zhuyin. Of course, they lived under the same roof, so there was no need for phone calls.
They had been childhood sweethearts; their appearances should be deeply imprinted in their minds. Even without dressing up, they knew each other was the best.
No wonder Sister-in-law had refused to have children all these years. It turned out the person she liked wasn't Eldest Brother, but Jian Mubai.
Heh...
If she was suffering and in pain now, Eldest Brother must be even more devastated.
But she didn't dare to comfort Eldest Brother, fearing she would see the grief and despair in his eyes.
Seeing Shen Keqin's expression, Han Yunuo felt incredibly smug. In the past, she was always the one being trampled by Shen Keqin. Now, she finally had a chance for revenge.
"Shen Keqin, I didn't expect you to misjudge things for once. But you can't be entirely blamed. After all, he protected you since you were twelve years old. He hid for so many years that even your parents and Eldest Brother didn't see their true intentions, let alone you."
Han Yunuo took a drink and raised an eyebrow at Shen Keqin. "I'm more curious, how do you plan to deal with him after he deceived you like this?"
Shen Keqin shot Han Yunuo a cold glance. "None of your business! I don't want to see you. Disappear from my sight immediately, or don't blame me for being impolite."
"Hahahaha..."
Han Yunuo not only didn't leave, but she also burst into laughter. "I see you're reluctant to deal with him, aren't you? Shen Keqin, stop pretending. You've long been smitten with Jian Mubai. You..."
"Bang..."
Before Han Yunuo could finish speaking, Shen Keqin swung a wine bottle and smashed it on her head.
Although Shen Keqin had a temper, she rarely resorted to physical violence.
No one expected her to suddenly lash out.
"Ah..."
Han Yunuo let out a scream and covered her head with her hand. She felt her palm getting wet. When she opened her hand, she saw it was red.
She immediately became furious. "Shen Keqin, you dare to hit me!"
"If you don't want to get hit, then get lost. Stop trying to make your presence known in front of me. Dad gets sick to his stomach just seeing you."
"Ah... I'll kill you!"
Han Yunuo, having been hit in front of so many people, lost both face and dignity. She angrily lunged at Shen Keqin.
Guan Mingxu immediately shielded Shen Keqin. Han Yunuo said angrily, "Guan Mingxu, get out of the way!"
Guan Mingxu frowned. "You're the one who came looking for trouble. Why did you provoke Qinqin? Leave immediately, and let's pretend today's events never happened."
"I've been busted open by her, and you expect me to pretend nothing happened?"
Saying that, Han Yunuo glared furiously at Shen Keqin. "Shen Keqin, if you've got guts, come out and fight me one-on-one. Hiding behind someone after hitting them, what kind of hero is that?"
She then sneered, "You used to hide behind Jian Mubai all the time. Now that Jian Mubai is gone, you're relying on Guan Mingxu again. Relying on men all the time will only lead to you getting hurt by men. Don't you understand such a simple truth? Or perhaps, after being protected by Jian Mubai for so long, you've forgotten how to fight?"
"You..."
Just as Guan Mingxu was about to speak, Shen Keqin pushed him aside. "Fine, I'll let you see today if I know how to fight."