Chapter 18
Chapter 18
After thinking for a full day and night, Shen Dongjun realized that keeping Zhu Yin as the Shen family’s butler was the best choice.
He vaguely understood that Zhu Yin had some reason she had to come to the Shen family as a butler. He had previously tried every means to drive her away. Looking back now, nothing could be better than letting her stay quietly in the Shen family and do her job.
If he let her loose and she encountered some dark force in society and picked up its bad habits, someone with her abilities could truly overturn the heavens.
From then on, his attitude toward Zhu Yin softened considerably.
It took Zhu Yin some time to notice what he was thinking.
She found it amusing. “This employer of mine has quite a sense of the greater good.”
Aside from losing his reason whenever Han Qingzi was involved, Shen Dongjun truly had few faults.
Seeing how relaxed she was, Barbara could not resist warning her in advance. “Host, because this is our first mission world, it counts as an internship mission. The difficulty is usually low, and it’s easy to complete.”
It told Zhu Yin that the missions afterward would be regular assignments and far more difficult than this one.
Barbara had not lied to her.
Thanks to that miraculous potion, the two leads aired every past misunderstanding. Once the knots in their hearts were undone, both understood the other’s feelings, and they entered a deeply affectionate stage of romance.
Wen Qiuye had been frightened out of her wits that time and never dared trouble Zhu Yin again.
Everyone else assumed the accident had simply made her timid. Only Wen Qiuye and Wen Zong knew that both had once “seen” those blood-red eyes.
Moreover, whenever they approached the Shen residence or Zhu Yin, or harbored malicious thoughts toward Shen Dongjun, they dreamed of those eyes at night.
After mother and son suffered several nightmares, they agreed that there was something strange about Zhu Yin and never again dared scheme against the Shen residence.
In Zhu Yin’s third year in the mission world, Han Qingzi became pregnant.
The following year, she gave birth to twin little princesses.
By then, Zhu Yin counted as an “old hand” at the Shen residence. Han Qingzi trusted her, and in an unprecedented display, Shen Dongjun even allowed Zhu Yin to hold his daughters–provided he watched with his own eyes, of course.
Zhu Yin did not understand the point. If she truly wanted to do something, could Shen Dongjun stop her?
Four more years passed. When the twins were five, they were kidnapped. The kidnappers were business rivals of the Shen family who had lost an extremely important project and, nursing a grudge, wanted to teach Shen Dongjun a lesson.
The increasingly steady tyrannical CEO Shen nearly went mad with panic.
Butler Zhu Yin, who had spent several peaceful years in near-retirement because the Shen residence was too tranquil: “…” Had it been so many years since she showed her hand that people truly thought she had come to the Shen family merely to eat?
The butler drifted away alone. Less than an hour later, she returned home with one little girl in each arm.
When the police arrived, they found every suspect lying on the ground. None had any visible injuries, but each wore an expression of extreme pain.
It was said that after waking at the station, they sobbed with tears and mucus streaming down their faces, confessed every bad deed they had committed in their lives, and begged the police officers to lock them up for as long as possible.
The police: ??? They did not quite understand, but were happy to oblige.
Holding both daughters, Shen Dongjun personally thanked Zhu Yin, then solemnly thanked her again in private.
He studied the “butler” before him.
Nearly ten years had passed since Zhu Yin arrived at the Shen family. Shen Dongjun had grown from a rather immature young man into a family head whose emotions never showed on his face. Time had lent his features greater depth and his bearing a composed gravity.
Yet Zhu Yin had not changed in the slightest. She still looked as young and lively as the day she arrived, her eyes bright and clear. She did not resemble someone who had been “working” for ten years at all.
Even Han Qingzi once linked arms with her and exclaimed, “How have you not changed at all? Can staying unmarried and childless truly keep someone young forever?”
Zhu Yin touched her own face thoughtfully. “I haven’t changed at all?”
From that day onward, Butler Zhu Yin began to “mature.”
In her tenth year with the Shen family.
The Shen residence became lively again after a long absence.
Apparently, Han Qingzi’s old crush planned to settle abroad and would rarely return. Before leaving, he wanted to meet Han Qingzi one more time.
Han Qingzi went.
Mr. and Mrs. Shen, harmonious and loving for years, had a tremendous fight. That very night, Mrs. Shen packed her luggage and left home. This time, she took not only herself, but also their two excited daughters.
That day, every servant in the Shen family felt ten years younger as they recalled the terror of being ruled by this couple in the past.
Xiao Ding had gone from a handsome, slender young man to a fair and plump master chef. He had won several culinary awards and was respectfully addressed as Master Ding outside the household.
When Master Ding heard Mr. Shen’s icy command–“All of you, search! Dig three feet into every inch of City A if you have to, but find my wife!”–his body trembled on reflex.
He hurriedly turned a pleading gaze on Zhu Yin.
Everyone knew that Butler Zhu Yin had abilities others did not, such as keeping Mr. Shen under control when he occasionally became strange.
Zhu Yin coughed. “Mr. Shen, calm down.”
The tyrannical CEO’s eyes were red as he said coldly, “Are you questioning my orders, Butler?”
“Oh!” Barbara grew excited. “It’s been years since the male lead’s tyrannical-CEO condition acted up. I almost missed it.”
It was indeed nostalgic, though hearing that tone was strangely irritating.
By now, Zhu Yin knew exactly how to treat Shen Dongjun’s tyrannical-CEO condition.
She took the afflicted Mr. Shen to the study. Ignoring his furious expression, she pulled a card from her pocket.
The card was black, made of some unknown material, and gave off a cold, dark gleam.
The moment it appeared, Shen Dongjun felt the air in the study turn sinister and cold. His back trembled with an unknown fear.
Holding the card between pale fingertips, Zhu Yin asked seriously, “Here’s the thing, Boss. If you truly want to dig three feet into the ground to find your wife, I can assist you. It’s just…”
She looked troubled. “The destruction might be rather extensive. Shen Group’s assets may not be enough to cover the damages.”
Shen Dongjun: “…”
His overheated mind seemed to clear in an instant.
The red faded from his eyes. Sitting upright in his office chair, he looked calmly at Zhu Yin. “You did that deliberately.”
His gaze remained fixed on the object in her hand, and his tone was wary. “What is that?”
Zhu Yin waved it with a grin. “Just a little item. It can summon an enormous beast that travels underground. So, Young Master, if you ever truly need to dig three feet into the ground, you can come to me.”
Her years as a butler had not been wasted. She bowed gracefully. “Your loyal butler is at your service.”
Shen Dongjun: “…That won’t be necessary!”
Once his tyrannical-CEO condition vanished, his mind cleared too. He drove off himself to bring back his wife and daughters.
Clutching its round belly, Barbara was badly frightened. “H-Host, is that another possession you saved from your previous job?”
Zhu Yin casually put away the card and smiled. “Yes.”
Barbara shrank back, not daring to ask anything more.
W-what had it ever done to deserve this?
Perhaps Shen Dongjun had been shaken by his butler’s problem-solving methods. He recovered from his tyrannical-CEO condition overnight, and it never recurred.
.
Zhu Yin remained in this world for sixty years.
She stayed with the Shen family, changing from “Zhu Yin” to “Sister Zhu Yin,” then “Auntie Zhu Yin,” and finally “Grandma Zhu Yin.”
The years had transformed the once-young Young Master Shen into Old Mr. Shen.
Old Mr. and Mrs. Shen became the model couple of elite society. The younger generation of every family envied them and hoped to find partners who would love them just as deeply.
Zhu Yin had “retired” alongside Shen Dongjun and his wife more than ten years ago. She now lived in a small lakeside villa Shen Dongjun had given her and spent every day carrying a little bucket around to torment the fish.
One day, while Zhu Yin was teasing the fish as usual, she heard Barbara say, “It’s time.”
Her spirits lifted. She threw down the fishing rod, went inside to change, and visited the neighboring villa.
Shen Dongjun was waiting for her in the garden.
Zhu Yin walked to his side and told him, “You’re going to die.”
Shen Dongjun had already sensed it. He snorted coldly. “You still make everything sound so unpleasant.”
Zhu Yin looked at him in confusion. “I’m only stating a fact.”
She looked back over the past several decades. Shen Dongjun had succeeded in his career and found happiness in love. With a protagonist’s excellent constitution, he had lived in health and peace, free from illness and disaster.
Now he had reached the natural end of his life without suffering at all.
Shen Dongjun wasted no time. “What will happen to you after I die?”
Zhu Yin did not hide it from him. “I’ll leave this place.”
Shen Dongjun breathed a long sigh of relief and relaxed.
Over the decades, he had psychologically “made peace” with Zhu Yin and could interact with her calmly as a friend, but some wariness and caution toward her had always remained.
Only now could he truly look at her with the calm regard he would give a friend.
He carefully studied Zhu Yin, then suddenly asked, “You don’t age at all, do you? And this isn’t what you truly look like now, is it?”
Zhu Yin smiled. Before his eyes, a magnificent miracle unfolded. Dull white hair turned black, and withered skin regained its luster.
Reflected in Shen Dongjun’s aged eyes was a young, lovely face.
Even someone as composed as him could not help being shaken when he witnessed this miraculous “return to youth” with his own eyes.
Zhu Yin smiled at him. “You don’t seem particularly envious. I thought you might beg me to restore your youth.”
Shen Dongjun smiled and shook his head. “You haven’t returned to youth. You only chose to age alongside us so you wouldn’t look different, didn’t you?”
He clearly felt vitality draining from his body. It was not sudden. He had made every preparation years ago. His two daughters had long since married and had families and descendants of their own. They also managed Shen Group well.
His will had been made long ago.
The only thing he still worried about…
He said softly, “Zhu Yin, I have one final request. After I’m gone, make Qingzi forget me.”
He feared his elderly wife would not survive the blow.
Surprise flickered through Zhu Yin’s eyes. She told him, “There’s no need for that trouble. You and your wife were destined to grow old together. She doesn’t need to forget you. She’ll die with you very soon.”
She turned her head. “She’s here.”
The white-haired old lady approached carrying a plate of bright-red fruit. When she saw Zhu Yin, she started. “You…”
She looked at her husband, who was gazing at her sadly.
Han Qingzi did not understand. Shen Dongjun took her hand and had her sit beside him, their fingers interlaced.
Han Qingzi felt uneasy and had many questions. Was this young woman one of Zhu Yin’s relatives? But even relatives could not look exactly alike, could they?
“Don’t ask.” Shen Dongjun leaned against her, savoring the final moments of their lives.
After some thought, Zhu Yin took something from her pocket.
“We’ve been together for decades. Now that we’re parting, let me give you a gift.”
Zhu Yin placed a red thread on the table. “Discuss it between yourselves. If you want to be together in your next lives, tie it around your wrists. Then even if you’re separated by ten thousand miles, you’ll be drawn to each other.”
“Goodbye,” she said softly.