Explosive Romance Scandal

Kevin was a capable leader who spoke excellent Chinese. She explained why she had come, outlined how the matter had been handled, and offered to make amends.

The company had held a disciplinary meeting over the incident. All its employees in the country had attended, either online or in person, and every manager had to submit a written reflection. The employee responsible had been fired, and the group had restarted its professional skills training.

They had approached the matter with humility and sincerity, even taking care to apologize in public.

It would not take long for word to spread through wealthy circles.

Shen Wan had achieved what she wanted. She accepted Ms. Kevin's apology and said the unpleasant incident would not affect their upcoming collaboration.

The conversation flowed pleasantly.

Shen Baili listened patiently to their polite exchanges, while Song Huan stayed beside her boss like a mascot, learning as she went.

Song Huan was amazed. She had never imagined that the stern Ms. Kevin could be so talkative and quick to laugh.

Everyone in the workplace is so savvy. I've learned something new.

The auction soon began. Xie Chengyue bought an emerald necklace for Shen Wan for eighty-six million yuan, then bought an antique painting and calligraphy work for Shen Baili.

Ms. Kevin bought a matching pair of pink-diamond bracelets for Shen Wan and Shen Baili as a gesture of apology.

All in all, the auction brought some unexpected rewards.

Shen Baili also heard the fascinating aftermath from Song Huan.

Unhappy with the decision against her, the employee who had caused the trouble made a scene in the store. Amid the chaos, she punched the deputy manager and shouted about their relationship and all their dealings.

It turned out the deputy manager had pulled strings to hire her. He was then fired too, for abusing his authority.

The group sued them both for harming the company's interests and demanded compensation.

Just when everyone thought the affair was over, the most dramatic part began.

The deputy manager might have looked honest, but he was anything but. He had always claimed to be single, though he was already married. His wife lived back in their hometown, so the lie had gone undiscovered.

Then, a few days earlier, his wife had come to Haicheng on business. Sensing that something was wrong with her husband, she had dropped by the store unannounced—just in time to hear the employee blurt out that she was having an affair with the deputy manager.

His wife had exploded on the spot and beaten both her husband and his mistress. When they were distracted, she snatched his phone, found solid proof of the affair, and promptly filed for divorce. She intended to leave that cheating bastard with nothing.

Song Huan had not meant to say so much, but Shen Baili was such an enthusiastic listener that she could not help telling the story in vivid detail.

After three months on the job, Xiao Wu had arrived at a truth: with men, only their looks and height could be trusted. As for everything else... well.

After the auction, Shen Wan said she wanted French food, so the three of them had dinner at a restaurant before heading home.

The moment they reached the living room, a powerful aroma hit them.

Old Pickled Cabbage Beef Noodles!

Shen Baili would know that smell anywhere.

Boonie Bears was playing loudly on the television.

They walked farther in, and the person hidden behind the sofa finally came into view.

The Xie Family's Second Young Master, who had concealed his identity while making his way through

the entertainment industry

and become a top star, was sitting on the floor in SpongeBob SquarePants pajamas, wolfing down instant noodles.

At the sound of their arrival, he turned around. His lips, red and swollen from the spice, looked especially out of place on his handsome face.

Xie Chengyue: "..."

Shen Wan and Shen Baili: "?"

Was this some new fashion trend?

Explosive Romance Scandal

"Dad?"

Xie Tingsi gulped down Sprite to ease the burn. "Why are you only getting back now?"

Xie Chengyue's tall, sturdy frame blocked Shen Wan and Shen Baili from view.

Xie Chengyue frowned. "Finish what's in your mouth before you speak. Where are your manners?"

Xie Tingsi muttered, "Guess I don't have any."

He spoke too indistinctly for Xie Chengyue to catch it. "What did you say?"

His tone had grown noticeably sharper. Xie Tingsi backed down at once. "I said I've swallowed it."

"You went out?" Only then did Xie Tingsi notice the other two and how they were dressed.

"And you didn't take me? I'm great at socializing."

He waved to Shen Wan and Shen Baili. "Hi!"

Xie Chengyue disliked his flippant manner. "Can't you address them properly?"

Xie Tingsi stiffened. "Aunt Shen," he said reluctantly.

Shen Wan acknowledged him with a quiet, "Mm."

Being a stepmother was hard enough. She was too smart to get involved in a dispute between father and son.

Xie Chengyue's expression eased a little. Then he saw the junk food on the coffee table. "Why didn't you ask the kitchen to make you something?"

The concern came out stiffly, and Xie Tingsi missed it. "What's the point of eating alone?"

That made him sound a little too pitiful, so he changed the subject.

"Hey, kid, why aren't you saying hello?" He had spotted Shen Baili quietly trying to blend into the background.

Shen Baili: "..."

As if she could not see the mischief in his eyes. "Second Brother!" she shouted.

Xie Tingsi had thought she was shy and quiet. Her sudden yell startled him so badly that he flinched.

"Ah. Mm-hmm."

"Little Pear Blossom, you nearly deafened me." Xie Tingsi rubbed his ears in complaint.

Shen Baili blinked. "Sorry, I couldn't control my volume. I didn't mean to."

I didn't mean to. I did it on purpose.

Xie Tingsi said, "Forget it. I'm an adult. I won't hold it against a kid."

Watching him act so flippantly made Xie Chengyue's anger flare.

Seeing that his father was about to erupt, Xie Tingsi bolted faster than a rabbit. "I'm so tired. I'll head upstairs first."

"Good night, everyone."

In the blink of an eye, he had vanished.

Xie Chengyue took a deep breath and calmed himself.

"It's getting late. Let's get some rest too." Shen Wan patted his back soothingly.