"You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting? If you hadn't insisted on being with Shen Kezhou back then, why would I have agreed to jointly fund this project? Wasn't it all to give him a helping hand?"
Su Huaiyuan nearly coughed up blood when he heard Su Cimu's words. Who had he done all this for?
This damned brat actually dared to suspect him of selling his own son? Was there no justice left in the world?
Su Cimu rubbed his ears, rattled by Su Huaiyuan's thunderous roar.
"If you didn't, then you didn't. Why are you shouting? I only just got engaged, and you're already being so mean to me. Is a married-off son water thrown out the door?"
Su Cimu shouted right back.
Su Huaiyuan pointed a trembling finger at him, unable to speak for a long time.
"Xiao Ci, is that any way to talk to your dad? He's doing all this for your own good. Apologize." Liang Zhen shot her youngest son, whom she had always doted on, an exasperated glare.
"Sorry, Dad. I shouldn't have said you were selling your son for personal gain." Su Cimu pouted as he apologized to Su Huaiyuan, looking thoroughly unconvinced.
Su Huaiyuan nearly rolled his eyes into the heavens. Unfilial brat!
Shen Yannian felt as though he had watched an entertaining show, and his interest in the Su family only grew.
"Of course, I agreed to get engaged to Xiao Ci because I've admired him for a long time. Otherwise, a business deal alone wouldn't be enough for me to put myself on the line."
Shen Yannian's words were extremely arrogant, but Su Huaiyuan knew he was telling the truth.
Given Shen Yannian's standing, how could he possibly offer up his marriage for a mere ten-billion business deal?
Yet his claim that he had admired Xiao Ci for a long time was also hard to believe.
"I knew you old fox were up to no good. So you've had your eye on me for ages. Getting you to stand in for the engagement really handed you a bargain."
Su Cimu looked as though Shen Yannian had gotten an enormous bargain at his expense, leaving both his father and his brother unable to bear looking at him.
"Second Master Shen, my little brother has been rather spoiled since childhood, but that's our doing. If he causes any trouble in the future and you don't want to deal with it, just let us discipline him." Su Yunchao walked over to Shen Yannian and sighed helplessly.
"Don't worry, Brother-in-law. Now that we're engaged, Xiao Ci is mine. Dealing with any trouble he causes is part of my responsibility."
"That puts my mind at ease, Second Master Shen. As for the joint project between the Su and Shen families, everything can proceed as usual, but the person in charge must be replaced. After what happened, we absolutely won't allow Shen Kezhou to remain in charge of this project." Su Yunchao also took the opportunity to state his demand.
"Naturally. I'm taking over this project personally now. Shen Kezhou won't get anywhere near it," Shen Yannian said with absolute certainty.
"Hey, hey, hey! Do you even see me standing here? This is my engagement banquet. Why are you turning it into negotiations at a business reception?" Su Cimu protested loudly, unhappy that they were all ignoring him.
Only then did Shen Yannian turn his gaze back to him.
"Today's engagement banquet was rather rushed. When we get married, you can have a grand wedding exactly the way you want. You don't need to consider anything else, as long as you like it."
Only after hearing that did Su Cimu give a haughty little dip of his chin.
"That's more like it. All right, Old Su, take my brother and Mom home. I'll go home with my fiancé to see where he lives, and tomorrow I'll bring him home to see our place."
Su Huaiyuan looked at Su Cimu several times, but ultimately said nothing. People always said a daughter's loyalties shifted once she married. As far as he could see, having a son was no different!
After the Su family left, Su Cimu swaggered over and sat down opposite Shen Yannian, then looked at Wan Ke.
"Assistant Wan, Second Master Shen and I are about to work on our relationship. Are you sure you want to stay and watch?" Su Cimu's lips curved as he looked at Wan Ke playfully and asked.
Suddenly singled out, Wan Ke looked utterly bewildered. Before he could react, Shen Yannian spoke.
"Assistant Wan, thank you for your hard work today. Have the documents I asked you to compile ready tonight, and bring them to my residence first thing tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Second Master. I'll head back and get them ready right away. Goodbye, Second Master. Goodbye, Young Master Su."
After saying that, Wan Ke bid them both farewell and left.
"Now it's just the two of us. Shen Yannian, drop the act and lay your cards on the table. What's your motive for getting engaged to me? But let me warn you now: whatever your motive is, it won't work on me. Understand?"
Su Cimu stood up, walked over to Shen Yannian, and braced both hands on the table in front of him, regarding him with an extremely guarded stance.
Shen Yannian chuckled, then looked up and adjusted his glasses. With a light sweep of his arm, Su Cimu lost his support and toppled straight into his arms.
"What are you doing!"
Su Cimu hadn't expected someone who looked so respectable to resort to a sneak attack. How shameless!
Shen Yannian didn't answer his question. Instead, he covered Su Cimu's slender wrist with his palm and gently stroked it.
To Su Cimu, the gesture seemed particularly erotic.
"What exactly are you-"
"Shh. Be good and let me get a proper look at you."
"Be good, my ass! I can't be good for even a second. I'm warning you, you'd better let go of me right now, or you'll end up with a bruised face!"
Su Cimu put on what he thought was a very fierce expression, but to Shen Yannian, he looked fierce in the way a baby animal did. He only found him adorable.
One poke of Shen Yannian's finger deflated Su Cimu's puffed-out cheeks, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
Once Shen Yannian had teased him enough, he let go, but Su Cimu had long since forgotten about trying to break free and actually remained sitting obediently in his lap.
"I had no ulterior motive for getting engaged to you. If I had to name one, it would be that I find you rather interesting, Young Master Su. Being engaged to you probably won't be too boring. I look forward to your guidance from now on."
"Hmph, I've always been interesting. It's not too late for you to realize it now. Anyway, things are already like this between us, and I'm not in the habit of regretting things. Stick with me from now on. I've got your back."
Su Cimu suddenly decided that this human cushion was quite comfortable, so he let himself stay seated on Shen Yannian's lap and made his shameless boast.
Shen Yannian was good-tempered, too. As he listened to Su Cimu spout his grand claims, he didn't undermine him, and there was even an indulgent smile in his eyes.
Seeing that Shen Yannian still hadn't spoken, Su Cimu looked up at him, only to find himself gazing into those deep eyes.
"That smile of yours..."
Shen Yannian thought he was about to compliment his smile or something of the sort, but instead-
"Damn, can you stop smiling like that? You look like such a pervert, like you could devour me at any moment!"
Shen Yannian: ...
Wonderful. He'd found himself a young little fellow, and sure enough, his heart's endurance was being tested at every turn.