Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Shen Dongjun had already turned away, unwilling to deal with them any longer. At those words, however, he stopped.

He looked back, his gaze scraping inch by inch over Wen Qiuye like a blade.

After studying her for a moment, he suddenly smiled.

Auntie Xu and the others, who had worked at the Shen residence for years and knew his temperament intimately, immediately realized that someone was about to suffer.

“You want to see the butler?”

Wen Qiuye felt uneasy, but one look at the man beside her restored her nerve. “Of course. I very much want to ask Miss Zhu Yin to her face exactly what she said to my son.”

Shen Dongjun nodded. “Fine. She’s at Anping Old Street in the western district. Go find her.”

Neither of them had expected him to be so accommodating. Even Shen Xin, who had assumed his eldest son would erupt in fury, froze.

.

Zhu Yin was happily munching on a skewer of grilled squid.

Her phone began to vibrate. Shen Dongjun had sent a message saying that Shen Xin and his mistress were coming to find her.

As she opened it, several more messages arrived from Auntie Xu, Xiao Ding, and the others.

Their messages were more detailed. They briefly explained what had happened at the Shen residence and warned her that the two visitors meant trouble.

They all offered the same advice: stop eating, or at least go eat somewhere else. There was no need to meet those two.

Barbara was gnawing on a grilled chicken leg, the specialty of a shop that had been open for twenty years. Its skin was roasted golden and crisp, then brushed with a secret sauce. One bite was delicious enough to make anyone forget their manners. The meat inside was tender and juicy, and Zhu Yin had already eaten three in one sitting.

“Host, are they… mmm… coming to the food street to cause trouble for you?” Barbara mumbled as it ate.

A month ago, it would never have been this relaxed. Its host had given this system magnificent confidence.

Without even raising her head, Zhu Yin said, “Let them come.”

By the time Shen Xin and Wen Qiuye found Zhu Yin, an hour had passed.

Woman and system had already moved to a new battlefield. Before Zhu Yin sat a huge steaming basin of spicy crawfish, its aroma mouthwatering.

Wen Qiuye stood outside the shop and refused to enter. She watched the girl peeling crawfish with a trace of barely restrained arrogance and disdain.

Shen Xin remained in the car.

Other diners filled the shop. Seeing her designer clothes and haughty expression, some snickered and whispered to their companions. Most simply buried themselves in the delicious food and had no time to bother with her.

“Butler Zhu Yin, I have something to say to you.”

Zhu Yin kept her head down over the crawfish and did not want to speak, so Barbara disguised its voice as hers. “I’m eating. I’m busy. Let’s talk another time.”

With her head lowered, no one noticed whether she had really spoken.

Wen Qiuye was furious. She had tolerated Shen Dongjun denying her any respect. But Zhu Yin was only a butler, a servant employed by the Shen family. What right did she have to treat Wen Qiuye this way?

“Zhu Yin!” she said coldly. “Do you no longer want your job with the Shen family?”

“Hey, miss!” After gulping down half a cup of soda, Zhu Yin heard someone beside her call out.

She turned. It was the two young women at the next table.

The round-faced one on the left saw Zhu Yin’s full face, and her eyes lit up. Then she whispered, “Is that lunatic outside looking for you?”

She was smiling, her cheeks flushed from the spicy food, making her look adorable.

Zhu Yin could not help smiling too. “Yes. She isn’t my employer. Besides, today is my day off. No one gets to interrupt me while I’m enjoying good food.”

“Exactly!” The round-faced girl nodded vigorously. “Bosses who bother people on their days off can go to hell! And she isn’t even your boss!”

Hearing the woman outside call Zhu Yin a butler and judging by her clothes, she had assumed Wen Qiuye was some wealthy client.

Wen Qiuye was beside herself with anger. She had stayed outside because she disliked the heavy smells in the shop and did not want them clinging to her. But Zhu Yin neither acknowledged her nor came out. Standing at the entrance beneath the glancing scrutiny of everyone around her was utterly humiliating.

If she had known, she would have brought several bodyguards!

She looked back. Shen Xin was still sitting in the car without stirring. Men were utterly unreliable!

Suppressing her anger, Wen Qiuye walked inside and went straight to Zhu Yin’s table.

Her belly full of rage, she demanded, “Can’t you hear me speaking to you?”

Zhu Yin looked up lazily and instructed her, “Go get me a bottle of coconut milk.”

Wen Qiuye: ?

“Can’t you hear me speaking to you?”

Pfft!

The two girls at the neighboring table burst out laughing.

Only then did Wen Qiuye understand. Hearing the quiet laughter around her, shame turned to fury, and she raised a hand to slap Zhu Yin across the face.

The round-faced girl, who had been watching, jumped to her feet in alarm. “Why are you hitting her?”

Once she saw clearly, she abruptly relaxed. Zhu Yin had caught the hand and pushed Wen Qiuye away.

Diners at several nearby tables stood up.

For one thing, Zhu Yin was young and beautiful. It might be superficial, but an attractive face more readily won people’s goodwill.

For another, Wen Qiuye had stood affectedly outside, refusing to come in because she found the shop distasteful, only to enter and immediately strike someone. Given the contrast, the onlookers were more inclined to side with Zhu Yin.

Wen Qiuye nearly stumbled when Zhu Yin shoved her. Looking at the others, she said sarcastically, “What are you doing? She’s a butler hired by the Shen family. I’m merely disciplining one of our employees. What business is it of yours?”

Oh. That capitalist declaration was even more suffocating.

The round-faced girl could not resist retorting, “You admit she’s your employee, yet from the way you’re acting, anyone would think she was your slave.”

Zhu Yin had not cared much at first, but at these words, she immediately clarified, “Don’t say that! I’m not her employee.” What terrible luck that would be.

Compared with Wen Qiuye and Shen Xin, even Shen Dongjun’s foul temper seemed positively appealing.

She set the record straight. “I work for the Shen family. Ms. Wen here is the mistress my employer’s father keeps outside the family. That is our relationship–which is to say, we have no relationship at all.”

“Oh–”

“So she’s a homewrecker.”

“Look at her, dressed in luxury and acting so aggressive. She probably thinks she’s the lawful wife.”

“Tsk. So this young lady works for the legitimate wife’s child, and this woman still dares call her ‘one of our employees’? Some people really are invincible once they lose all shame.”

Wen Qiuye trembled with fury. Before she could explode, the round-faced girl called out, “I’m recording this! If you dare hit anyone again, I’ll have evidence, and I’ll call the police!”

Wen Qiuye turned and found several phones raised toward her. “…”

Covering her face, she hurried away.

Zhu Yin turned and watched her retreating back.

Thinking she was frightened, the round-faced girl comforted her. “Don’t be afraid. This is modern society. It’s just a job; that doesn’t mean they own you. If that woman causes trouble, expose her!”

Zhu Yin blinked and smiled sweetly. “Thank you, miss.”

She sat down and continued eating crawfish.

At the same time, she idly wondered what that woman had come for. She seemed to want revenge for her son. Hmm, Auntie Xu had said Wen Qiuye believed Zhu Yin was involved in her son’s accident but had no evidence, so she had come to make an unreasonable scene.

Got it! Zhu Yin’s eyes lit up.

Didn’t that woman want to know what had happened to her son?

Why not let her experience it for herself?

She truly was a genius.