The cool beauty forcibly bids for top A: Chapter 66

At four-thirty in the afternoon, at the headquarters building of the Shen Group, the first-floor dome news conference hall rivaled a grand theater in its scale.

Hundreds of media outlets, financial reporters, and paparazzi carrying long lenses and heavy equipment from all over Hong Kong had packed the place to the absolute brim. The noisy sound of camera shutters and the anxious chatter of reporters buzzed across the spacious hall.

This press conference brought together far too many topics capable of paralyzing Hong Kong: the collapse of the century-old marriage alliance, smuggling scandals, the mysterious disappearance of the Shen Group president for several days, the overnight change in leadership at the Fu family, and… the new Fu family president, who, right at the center of this storm, was bucking the trend by injecting a full thirty billion into the Shen Group.

“Click.”

As the side door was pushed open, countless camera flashes aimed squarely at Shen Yanzhou as he entered.

He wore an old-money style, dark gray custom suit with intricate dark patterns. The tailoring hugged his lean yet straight back, his tie was knotted meticulously, and his gaze was cold, exuding the ease and oppression of someone in a position of power.

Stepping into the venue immediately behind him was Fu Sizhou.

Unlike Shen Yanzhou’s restrained and controlled old-money demeanor, Fu Sizhou was tall with long legs, his brows and eyes carrying an untamed, rebellious casualness and wildness.

The two walked onto the stage one after the other and took their seats in the adjacent positions right in the middle of the long table.

“Good afternoon, members of the media. I am Shen Yanzhou, president of the Shen Group.”

Shen Yanzhou crossed his hands, resting them lightly in front of the microphone on the table, his aloof voice carrying through the top-tier sound system to reach the entire room.

The moment his words fell, the crowd of reporters in the front row erupted. Microphones stamped with various station logos practically shoved themselves straight into his face.

“President Shen! How do you respond to allegations that your former fiancé, Fu Shihuan, is involved in smuggling prohibited drugs? Were you taken away by prosecutors for questioning over the past few days?” A reporter from a Hong Kong media outlet notorious for its harsh wording fired the first shot, extremely sharp in speech.

“Mr. Shen, rumors say the Shen family used the marriage alliance as a cover to actually use the Shen Group’s overseas shipping containers as a smuggling channel for Fu Shihuan. Were you aware of this?”

“With Fu Shihuan caught, the Shen Group’s stock price has faced a cliff-like crash over the past few days. President Shen, are you standing here today to prepare for declaring bankruptcy for the Shen Group?”

The Hong Kong media’s questions grew more venomous one after the other.

“Silence.” Shen Yanzhou spat out the two words indifferently. Despite his voice not being loud, the venue gradually grew quiet.

He lifted his silver-gray eyes, looking straight at the reporter who had asked the most arrogant question.

“First, the Shen Group has established itself in Hong Kong for a century, relying on four generations of clean operations and maritime reputation. Regarding Mr. Fu Shihuan’s personal illegal actions, I personally, and the entire Shen Group, were completely unaware beforehand. Nor have I ever received any notice from prosecutors asking for assistance with an investigation.”

“Second, every single transaction and customs clearance for the Shen Group’s container shipping routes undergoes the highest level of international customs review. No one should even think about splashing the dirty water of smuggling onto the Shen Group, and we will never engage in any dirty dealings that touch the bottom line of the law.”

Just by sitting there, the pride and confidence embedded in the bones of an old-money family heir couldn’t be hidden no matter how hard he tried, and his delivery was so overwhelmingly charming that several Omega reporters in the audience couldn’t help blushing.

“As for my personal schedule…” Shen Yanzhou paused, his tone entirely devoid of ripples, “The engagement banquet faced a sudden upheaval, and with my health taking a turn, I recuperated at my private doctor’s place for a few days. What? In your view, has a victim falling ill from severe shock also become a crime?”

“But President Shen!” The editor-in-chief of another financial publication stood up, pushing up his glasses, “Even if you sever ties with Fu Shihuan, it is undeniable that the Shen Group’s core business has gradually shrunk in recent years, and this scandal has only added insult to injury. Having lost the maritime shipping resources originally tied to the Fu family alliance, where does the future of the Shen Group lie? What are you going to use to stabilize the shareholders’ hearts?”

“Hong Kong’s rainy season always arrives in a rush, doesn’t it?” Shen Yanzhou slowly began.

“Over the past few days, the Shen Group has indeed weathered a storm. In this ever-changing world of vanity and power, some watch the fire from across the river while others kick a man when he’s down, and naturally, some are in a rush to wash their hands of us and watch this century-old building collapse.” He swept his gaze across the audience, spotting partners who wanted to help him alongside those rushing to distance themselves.

“Yet I suppose some of you have forgotten why the Shen family is called an old-money family: it is because over the past century, we have witnessed waves far more violent than this.”

“Regarding Fu Shihuan, I express my deepest regrets. However, the yardstick of the law allows no personal sentiments to overstep. The Shen Group’s cargo ships are clean, and my hands are clean. The spine of the Shen Group has never needed to rely on stepping into someone else’s shadow to stand tall.”

With that, Shen Yanzhou calmly opened the documents before him, and the massive LED screen behind him lit up, displaying a grand and intricate maritime territory map.

“Starting next month, the Shen Group will officially launch a wholly-owned acquisition plan for six major deep-water ports in Southeast Asia, comprehensively upgrading our existing intelligent logistics systems. Our goal is to build the Shen Group’s very own trans-Pacific super logistics hub within the next five years.”

Shen Yanzhou’s voice rang clear: “The Shen Group’s past half-century may have progressed a bit slowly, but the Shen family is not a tree whose worth can be measured by a few days of stock trading halts. The roots of the Shen Group run deep; the Shen Group of the past could stand firm through wind and rain, and the Shen Group of the future will only stand higher.”

These words were phrased brilliantly, yet how could those sharp-nosed Hong Kong media vultures, desperate to stir up chaos, easily let go of such a fat piece of meat?

An entertainment reporter suddenly stood up and shouted a question, “President Shen, there are rumors circulating outside that your methods are formidable. Some even say you used unspeakable means to successively seduce both Fu brothers, managing to secure these thirty billion from the Fu family’s new head just days after your fiancé got into trouble. How do you respond to this?!”

Shen Yanzhou’s eyelashes trembled slightly. He adjusted the microphone and prepared to speak, but someone beside him beat him to it.

“I advise you to be a little kinder when wielding a pen like a knife.” Fu Sizhou, who had been leaning casually against the back of his chair, slowly leaned forward, his deep, wild black eyes locked fiercely onto the gossip reporter who had just spoken, malice undisguised within his gaze.

“Since when has a century-old family with the foundation of the Shen Group ever needed to attach itself to our Fu family?”

“Besides, didn’t you get things backward?”

Fu Sizhou tilted his head slightly, his gaze unhesitatingly and blatantly landing on Shen Yanzhou’s cool profile.

“Someone like Mr. Shen needs to seduce me?”

Fu Sizhou chuckled, “Shouldn’t it be me shamelessly racking my brains to seduce him?”

Shen Yanzhou sat in place, his eyes widening slightly, though he pretended nothing was happening and deliberately refused to look at him.

The reporters looked at each other, their gazes shifting back and forth between Shen Yanzhou and Fu Sizhou. What President Fu said wasn’t wrong either; after all, once the news of Fu Shihuan’s troubles and the Shen family’s crisis spread through elite circles, countless people had been waiting for this high-altitude flower to fall and throw himself at someone’s mercy.

“President Fu.” Another financial editor immediately followed up, “Yet the Shen Group is already at the bottom among the four major elite families. For you to blindly pour thirty billion into it right off the bat, aren’t you worried about the risks? Will the shareholders agree?”

“The person I am investing in is Mr. Shen.” Fu Sizhou replied.

Underneath the table, his large, scorching hand reached out in the hidden shadows with a blend of force and gentleness, quite tyrannically wrapping around Shen Yanzhou’s slightly chilly fingertips.

“Mr. Shen’s capabilities are obvious to the entire city of Hong Kong.”

“With him here, what risks do I need to consider?”

As Fu Sizhou spoke, he slightly turned his head, locking his gaze fixedly onto Shen Yanzhou’s profile without missing a beat.

Shen Yanzhou clearly felt the astonishing heat radiating from the man’s palm. Desperately maintaining his composure and poise as a superior, he lowered his eyelashes slightly, choosing not to turn his head to look back.

The incredible warmth of the man’s palm pressed against the back of his hand, yet against all odds, he did not pull away his fingers intertwined with the man’s.

The reporters in the audience had no intention of stopping, pressing on relentlessly.

“President Fu, does that mean you and President Shen share a deep personal friendship?”

“President Shen, President Shen, how do you respond to this!”

Facing the frenzied media below, Fu Sizhou squeezed Shen Yanzhou’s finger bones under the table before releasing his grip and standing up.

“I am not as idle as you people; I still have to return to the Fu Group to handle business immediately.”

“In my view, today’s press conference can end right here.”

Since the investor had spoken up, Shen Yanzhou smoothly nodded in agreement:

“Today’s Q and A session ends here. Everyone, you may leave.”

The PR team immediately stepped forward to maintain order, and surrounded by dozens of bodyguards in black, the two withdrew from the noisy press conference hall through the VIP corridor, walking all the way to the quiet underground parking garage.

Shen Yanzhou kept one hand in his suit pocket, his cool gaze landing on Fu Sizhou.

Regardless of everything, Fu Sizhou had unhesitatingly defended him on stage today, throwing down thirty billion in hard cash to back up the Shen Group. Moreover… those two red marriage certificates, still carrying residual warmth, were resting quietly right inside the breast pocket of the man standing before him.

Though they hadn’t held a wedding banquet, legally speaking, today was the first day they had obtained their marriage license, making them official partners.

Watching Fu Sizhou prepare to get into the car, Shen Yanzhou’s Adam’s apple rolled ever so slightly.

“Fu Sizhou.”

Shen Yanzhou called out to stop him, his voice carrying a trace of an undetectable, green probing nature: “Tonight… would you like to go grab dinner nearby together?”

For someone who had always been accustomed to flying solo and pouring all his energy into work, this was the absolute most proactive invitation he could possibly manage.

Fu Sizhou’s hand resting on the car door paused slightly.

He turned around, his gaze locking directly onto Shen Yanzhou’s pretty, cool face. The malice and arrogance in his eyes completely faded at this moment. Just when Shen Yanzhou thought he would agree without hesitation, Fu Sizhou curved the corners of his lips slightly and shook his head.

“No.”

Fu Sizhou leaned in slightly, moving close to Shen Yanzhou’s ear, and whispered in a low, husky voice audible only to the two of them:

“I’m pressed for time today.”

“What’s the matter?” Shen Yanzhou blurted out.

“Something very important. See you at home,” Fu Sizhou replied.

The neon lights of Hong Kong outside the car window flew backward in a blur. Ever since the afternoon press conference ended, his personal phone stored in his suit pocket hadn’t stopped buzzing for a single moment.

[Old Master: When you have time, come over to the Shen family estate. The two of us grandfather and grandson need a good chat.]

[Shen Xici: Brother, are you free tonight? Would it be convenient to come out and meet for a chat?]

[Board of Directors: President Shen is as decisive and strategic as ever. Having President Shen helm the Shen Group is a blessing for our entire group; this afternoon’s speech was truly wonderful!]

[Huo Ting: Heard the news about the press conference. Snatching life from the jaws of death, congratulations.]

[Shen Xiuoming: Brother! I heard your engagement with Fu Shihuan is canceled? I told you long ago he wasn’t any good! Um, brother, when are you transferring me back to Hong Kong… I’m out here in Africa getting baked by the sun every day.] (Attached: photo with local residents.)

Shen Yanzhou’s mind, however, was not on the messages sent by these people.

He could still feel the lingering heat of the man’s breath near the gland on the back of his neck, as well as… those few scorching tears that had dropped onto his skin back in the underground parking garage.

Having floated through the business world for so many years, Shen Yanzhou had seen countless people weeping bitterly and begging pathetically for profit. Yet Fu Sizhou was different; this mad dog, who would send his own eldest brother to prison just to climb to the top, why on earth would he bury his face in the crook of his neck and cry just over two red booklets they had collected?

And back under the spotlight when facing the harassment of the entire Hong Kong media, why had he spoken words that seemed to place absolute trust in him, especially when they weren’t even close?

Yet, since he was willing to throw down thirty billion in real cash and shield him from the media’s mud-slinging, why did he hesitate not for a second to refuse when he, for the very first time in his life, took the initiative to invite him to dinner?

Shen Yanzhou bit his lower lip, muttering inwardly to himself: This mad dog is truly hard to figure out.

Before long, the understated private car smoothly steered into the gates of the mountainside villa.

Shen Yanzhou pushed open the car door, holding his suit jacket, and when he unlocked the front door, he found Fu Sizhou chatting and laughing with the elderly housekeeper under the warm, bright lights of the entire room.

In the spacious living room, Fu Sizhou had already discarded the pure black suit from the press conference, wearing only a thin black T-shirt. Meanwhile, the calico cat princess “Milk Tea,” who famously refused to let anyone hold her except Shen Yanzhou, was currently perched docilely on his broad shoulder, her furry tail lazily sweeping past the man’s neck while she emitted a cozy, contented purring sound.

In his hands, he was holding a stack of Shen Yanzhou’s favorite silk and ultra-soft cashmere loungewear.

The man’s profile, his demeanor, the way he held the clothes with all his fierce edges softened while talking with the old housekeeper…

His little dog had returned.

“Why are you back so early?” Fu Sizhou’s gaze landed on Shen Yanzhou with a smile.

“Why are you in my house?” Shen Yanzhou snapped back to reality and asked in return.

Hearing the voice, Uncle Chen, the veteran housekeeper chatting with Fu Sizhou, turned around. With a head of graying hair and a face lined with wrinkles, he wore an extremely kind smile as he spoke cheerfully:

“Mr. Shen, your husband said he came to pick up your things and move you over.”

“Husband?”

Shen Yanzhou’s breathing skipped a beat. No matter how cold and ruthless he acted in front of outsiders, he was actually quite thin-skinned. Being called “your husband” left and right by the family housekeeper who had watched him grow up made him inevitably feel a bit awkward.

His eyes welled up with an exceptionally captivating layer of moisture due to shyness, and the tips of his initially pale ears burned red at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Shen Yanzhou glared at the tall man with a cat on his shoulder and clothes in his arms. They had clearly agreed just yesterday that the matter of their marriage was to be kept a secret from everyone.

“Fu Sizhou, how does the housekeeper know?”

Uncle Chen, the veteran housekeeper standing nearby, looked at Shen Yanzhou, then glanced at Fu Sizhou, waving his hand with a smile as the expression on his face grew even kinder and more amiable.

“Didn’t Mr. Shen say last night that he wanted to marry him?” Uncle Chen smiled until the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes scrunched up together.

“I didn’t mean to listen in… but I couldn’t exactly pretend I didn’t hear it.”

Could it be that late last night, when he stood on the steps in his pajamas and looked down at Fu Sizhou saying “Let’s get married,” the old housekeeper had heard every single word?

Fu Sizhou looked at him and shrugged, signaling, “I didn’t break our agreement; he overheard it himself.”

“So,” Shen Yanzhou said coolly, “the urgent matter you spoke of was moving.”

Fu Sizhou looked at Shen Yanzhou’s reddened cheeks. All the arrogance and violent edge he displayed in front of the media instantly melted away the moment he faced Shen Yanzhou, replaced entirely by an anxious, insecure nod.

“Mm-hmm.”

“You didn’t want others to know about our marriage, so naturally I couldn’t let anyone else move the things.”

Fu Sizhou raised his head and added in a low, husky tone: “Besides, I was afraid that after sleeping on it for a night, you would change your mind.”

He was terrified that once the marriage certificate was obtained and the funds injected, Shen Yanzhou would regret it.

He was terrified that when Shen Yanzhou sobered up, he would abandon him without a moment’s hesitation.

The marriage alliance between Fu Shihuan and Shen Yanzhou was known to everyone in Hong Kong, but their marriage was known to no one except themselves.

That was why he didn’t even have time to eat, rushing back frantically to pack his luggage, because only by moving this person along with his cat and the clothes he wore into the room he had carefully prepared could he feel a tiny sliver of security.

Looking at the man before him whose eyes were filled with apprehension, the irritation Shen Yanzhou felt over having their secret marriage exposed by the housekeeper melted away by more than half.

“Since it’s already come to this, let’s pack up together.”

Upon hearing this, Fu Sizhou shook his head hurriedly.

He tightened his arms slightly, hugging the silk pajamas in his arms even closer, and rejected it at top speed: “No need.”

“This is already the last of it. Everything else has been moved over.”

Shen Yanzhou: “…”

Amidst their silent staring match, the calico cat princess who had been dozing on Fu Sizhou’s shoulder seemed woken up by their conversation. The little creature lazily stretched a long, elongated stretch, letting out a delicate, drawn-out “meow~”.

Then, with a gentle push of her hind legs, she smoothly leaped from Fu Sizhou’s shoulder straight onto Shen Yanzhou’s shoulder.

“Milk Tea” affectionately climbed up along Shen Yanzhou’s collar, her pink little tongue ingratiatingly licking Shen Yanzhou’s cool cheek before aggressively rubbing her furry little head into the crook of his neck while letting out sweet, clingy meows.

The cool, soft cat fur brushed against his skin. Supporting the cat’s soft body with one hand, Shen Yanzhou used his other hand to scratch its chin entirely out of habit.

Fu Sizhou’s Adam’s apple rolled as he took half a step forward, murmuring in a low, raspy voice: “Then shall we go home together, hmm?”

Shen Yanzhou lifted his pretty eyes, giving Fu Sizhou a deep look before turning his head ever so slightly and pivoting away.

“Then what are you standing around for? Why aren’t you moving faster?”

The two mountainside villas originally sat right across from each other, just a few steps away.

The moment they stepped inside, two cheerful figures trotted up to greet them with wagging tails.

Pudding, the well-proportioned local dog, and Strawberry, a fluffy ball of white, soft Pomeranian, clustered closely together as they circled around Shen Yanzhou’s trouser legs twice, lifting their heads to offer an enthusiastic greeting. These two dogs, crossing breed boundaries to smoothly pair up, were practically tangling their tails together at this point.

Seeing this, the calico cat princess who had been riding on Shen Yanzhou’s shoulder let out a “meow” of her own and leaped down gracefully. The cats and dogs sniffed each other before quickly bunching up, running off to the spacious living room rug to chase and play with one another.

The entryway instantly quieted down, leaving only the two of them.

Fu Sizhou very naturally reached out, wrapping Shen Yanzhou’s slightly chilly fingers within his own scorching palm, and lowering his head slightly, he led his hand upstairs.

“I tidied up the room a bit. It looks a bit different from the first time you came over. I think… you’ll like it.”

Shen Yanzhou followed the guidance of his pull, stepping into the room.

This was hardly “tidying up a bit” the entire room had undergone a complete transformation. The minimalist, oppressive black-and-gray style belonging to a top-tier Alpha had been entirely replaced by a vast expanse of warm color tones.

Thick cashmere carpeting lay beneathfoot, soft enough to feel like sinking into it; the bed had been swapped for an ultra-soft, warm white option; and floor lamps casting gentle, soothing light were appropriately placed in the corners. There was no heavy luxury perfume in the air, only the faint, natural scent of raw wood that effortlessly relaxed one’s nerves.

Every single detail hit squarely on Shen Yanzhou’s aesthetic and comfort zones. In this intensely cozy space brimming with a sense of security, his heart loosened bit by bit.

“You’ve been tired all day, want to take a shower first?” Fu Sizhou asked. Shen Yanzhou nodded.

Washing away the fatigue of the day in the bathroom amidst swirling steam, he dried his hair, changed into his pajamas, and lifted the blanket to climb into bed. The firmness of the mattress was exactly what he was used to; every single detail had been completely pinned down by this mad dog.

Once he finished showering, Fu Sizhou headed into the bathroom to wash up as well.

Listening to the sound of rushing water echoing from the bathroom, Shen Yanzhou unconsciously softened his breathing within the quiet bedroom.

Though they had shared intimacy more than once, those times occurred when their pheromones were completely out of control. Now, with a clear head and his rationality reinstated, this was their first night as newlyweds after obtaining their license and the first time they were truly sharing a bed in every sense of the word.

At this thought, Shen Yanzhou’s heartbeat skipped a beat for no reason. He shifted slightly onto his side, turning his back toward the bathroom, burying half his chin into the soft bedding, and closing his eyes.

Before long, the sound of water stopped.

The bathroom door was pushed open, and the man walked out carrying a wave of damp moisture and mint scent.

Shen Yanzhou felt the mattress beside him sink heavily. The man’s tall physique pressed flush against him from behind with undisguised possessiveness.

Fu Sizhou’s sturdy, powerful arms wrapped around Shen Yanzhou’s lean waist from behind, embedding him completely within his broad chest. Through a single layer of thin silk pajamas, Shen Yanzhou could clearly feel the rolling muscle lines of the man and his wildly beating heart.

“Not asleep?” Fu Sizhou’s low, husky voice rang out.

“Just got into bed.” Shen Yanzhou’s eyelashes fluttered.

Fu Sizhou let out a low chuckle as the bridge of his tall nose buried itself into the crook of Shen Yanzhou’s neck, which still emitted the light fragrance of body wash. Like a beast fixated on its master’s scent, he took a deep breath, and then scorching lips pressed against the vulnerable, sensitive skin of the back of his neck.

“Mh…” A weak, muffled groan spilled from Shen Yanzhou’s throat.

Fu Sizhou’s kisses did not stop; instead, they intensified. Traveling up along Shen Yanzhou’s cool, pale cervical vertebrae little by little, he planted one hot kiss after another, his rough tongue sweeping across the Omega’s most vulnerable nape with phantom-like pressure.

Intimacy initiated from behind blocked one’s field of vision, amplifying all senses infinitely. He could only passively endure the fire-like heat of the man behind him, with nowhere left to retreat.

Fu Sizhou’s kisses gradually spread behind Shen Yanzhou’s ear, his warm, damp lips catching the earlobe that had originally been fair but was now dyed thoroughly red, gently nibbling and sucking.

“Fu… Fu Sizhou…” Shen Yanzhou’s breathing grew chaotic, and he tried to turn his body around.

“Don’t move.”

While his back and ear were being continually teased, Fu Sizhou’s knuckle-defined large hand was far from idle. His rough fingertips slowly drifted upward along the edge of the pajamas, using one hand to flip open the first smooth, round button of the collar.

The man unbuttoned the garment at an unhurried pace, his rough fingertips brushing against sensitive skin in the gaps between opened buttons, igniting trails of unquenchable tiny flames wherever they passed.

As the front of the pajamas gradually gaped open, Shen Yanzhou’s chest heaved violently under the dim lighting. His clear eyes had already clouded over with a layer of mist, and the corners of his eyes flushed with a poignant, alluring red tint.

Fu Sizhou pulled Shen Yanzhou even tighter into his arms from behind. Tilting his head slightly, his tall nose rubbed all the way from Shen Yanzhou’s reddened ear contour down to his cool, pale profile, scorching lips brushing past the corners of his mouth.

Then, burying his face in the crook of Shen Yanzhou’s neck which released a faint rose fragrance, pressing right against his deeply reddened earlobe, he whispered with a voice raspy to the absolute limit and filled with endless craving:

“I want you so badly.”