Chapter 33 Open a Bottle of Fine Wine

The moment I answered the call, I felt an unexpected surge of excitement and anticipation.

"Hmm? My dear Miss Jiang is actually not at a bar tonight."

When he heard I was at the gym, he sounded like a proud and relieved father.

"Not normal, Mr. Shen? Don't you know how much money I have left? How could I afford to go to a bar?" I pretended to be angry and snapped back.

Then his teasing voice came through the receiver,"Well, if you move back into the apartment, you could save quite a bit."

Ha, what a calculating man—so unlike the demeanor of a CEO of a listed company.

"Tsk, do I have to save by myself? Can't Mr. Shen be generous and buy me a drink?" I clicked my tongue, hearing Shen Jibai's low chuckle.

"Miss Jiang wants to drink?"

To be honest, my feelings were quite complicated at the moment.

If I were to tally it up, Shen Jibai had "sponsored" me with all kinds of excuses over the years, and the total amount would be no small sum. I had always accepted it gladly and spent it without a second thought.

But now that I was short on money, I found myself hesitant to accept his "generosity." I unconsciously drew a line between us in terms of daily expenses, even insisting on paying for meals myself at times.

This was also one of the reasons I insisted on moving out of Shen Jibai's house.

Feeling that my earlier words might have been inappropriate, as if I were taking advantage of him, I quickly added, "Uh, how about we have a drink together? My treat."

Truthfully, I didn't really want to drink. I just wanted to see him.

Since landing the project, he'd only congratulated me verbally without taking any real action.

I couldn't quite tell how much of his affection for me was genuine and how much was feigned.

But at this moment, he seemed slightly intrigued by my offer. "Then how about you treat me to a bottle of fine wine tonight? Coincidentally, a friend of mine recently opened a French restaurant. The chef is French, and I'll have him reserve a private room. It's a great spot for a date."

A "bottle of fine wine"? Knowing his standards, any bottle of wine he considered "fine" would cost enough to feed me for three years.

Hearing the seriousness in his teasing, I simply turned on the speakerphone and shouted toward Shen Jin, who was lifting weights not far away, "Shen Jin, get ready. Tonight, we're going to have French cuisine with your brother."

The moment Shen Jin heard there was a feast, he didn't care who was paying. His eyes lit up, and he quickly put down the barbell, rushing over to grab the phone.

"Bro! Where is it? Just tell me the place, and we'll be there in no time!"

On the other end of the line, Shen Jibai was clearly taken aback by Shen Jin's sudden appearance. After a brief pause, he cleared his throat tactically.

"Ahem, I'm going on a date with your sister-in-law. Why are you tagging along?"

Sister-in-law? That rolled off his tongue a little too smoothly. The tone he used when saying it was so natural, as if we'd already been family for a long time.

Shen Jin was about to argue, but I quickly interrupted, "Since I'm the one treating, and we're opening a fine bottle of wine, how could my 'brother' be left out?"

Shen Jin smirked in satisfaction and gave me a thumbs-up.

The unspoken message was clear: "Good brother, for life."

"Alright, enough fooling around," Shen Jibai's voice came through the phone, sounding slightly more serious than before. "Since Shen Jin is with you, both of you can come over. Michael and his wife are in town unexpectedly, and I'm hosting a private dinner at home tonight."

Oh, so the reason he hadn't asked me out earlier was that he had social obligations tonight.

Michael was an important business partner of Shen Jibai's—a British gentleman.

I was about to decline, but Shen Jin, ever the opportunist, eagerly agreed and hung up the phone.

I knew Shen Jin too well. There was no way he'd miss out on tonight's opportunity, especially since he'd been eyeing one of his brother's fine wines for a long time.

When the GPS announced we'd arrived, Shen Jibai was already waiting for us in the garden.

By now, the sun had completely set, and the night had quietly fallen. The expansive garden, adorned with countless tiny lights, exuded a unique vitality.

As soon as the car stopped, he walked over and bent down to open my door—a gesture both gentlemanly and intimate.

It seemed like he could handle everything with a calculated ease.

I got out of the car, grumbling about the evening rush hour traffic and asking why, with all his wealth, he chose to live in such a remote area.

Don't rich people order takeout?

"I should also get a new car," I added, unable to resist nitpicking. "This one is too flashy. It's fine when Shen Jin's in the passenger seat, but when I'm driving alone, people keep whistling at me—it's so annoying."

"You're impossible to please," Shen Jin muttered from the side.

Meanwhile, Shen Jibai maintained the same fatherly patience he'd shown on the phone. He gently patted my shoulder and said, "Alright, take a look in the garage later, or we can pick out a new car tomorrow."

Shen Jin stood by, clicking his tongue in exaggerated disapproval. "Tsk, tsk, that's enough. Let me tell you, women shouldn't be spoiled like this. Give her a good scolding every now and then, and she won't be so picky… Ow! Don't hit me on the head! I'm warning you, if you damage my brain, you'll be responsible for me for the rest of my life, Jiang Li…"

Looking up, I noticed a figure standing by the second-floor window—a striking silhouette in a dark wine-red evening gown, her curves accentuated by the light.

I'd seen her before at the company—one of Shen Jibai's secretaries.

"Her name is Ming Xiang," Shen Jibai said, noticing my gaze. He held my hand as we walked, introducing her to me.

In comparison, I was dressed in a simple workout outfit with minimal makeup.

I hadn't expected to be invited to a dinner party when I left the house, and I'd just finished exercising. Going back to change would've seemed too deliberate, as if I were trying to curry favor.

If my options were to come across as deliberate or casual, I'd rather choose the latter.

Men like Shen Jibai, who were used to being flattered, sometimes needed their confidence checked.

So I didn't feel the least bit out of place in my workout clothes.

When we entered the reception room, I felt even more at ease. Michael and his wife were casually dressed as well. See? It was just a private dinner—no need to overdo it.

"This is Jiang Li, my girlfriend," Shen Jibai introduced me to the distinguished guests with poise.

As I stepped forward to greet them, I caught a glimpse of Ming Xiang sipping a glass of red wine not far away. She seemed to have been looking in our direction, but when our eyes met, she quickly averted her gaze, pretending not to notice.

When Michael heard Shen Jibai introduce me as his girlfriend, he looked surprised for a few seconds before enthusiastically stepping forward to hug me.

At first, I didn't think much of his reaction.

But as I got to know the British couple better, I realized that fate had already arranged for us to cross paths.

Over dinner, we casually discussed European art, and I learned that their son was a sculptor and painter I had admired for years—a renowned artist in Europe.

I was so excited that I nearly jumped out of my seat, showing them a photo of us together on my phone. I told them how I used to fly from the U.S. to Europe on weekends just to see his exhibitions.

In the photo, their son—tall and lean with a thick beard and a rebellious artist's demeanor—stood next to me, a pale-faced, starstruck girl holding one of his signed works.

Michael's family was already close to Shen Jibai, but this newfound connection deepened our bond instantly.

Throughout the dinner, Ming Xiang remained the picture of professionalism, quietly assisting whenever anyone needed something. Even when she joined the conversation, she maintained just the right balance.

She truly was an experienced and capable secretary.

After a few rounds of drinks, Michael suddenly stood up and solemnly apologized to me.

I was confused.

After some explanation, I finally understood what had happened.

At the start of the evening, they had been greeted by Ming Xiang and mistakenly assumed that she and Shen Jibai were a couple. They thought it was just an unspoken understanding between a boss and his subordinate.

Michael admitted his presumptive judgment and apologized sincerely.

No wonder he had looked so surprised when he first saw me.

And no wonder Shen Jibai had hurriedly brought me here tonight.

He must have realized the misunderstanding but didn't want to clarify it directly, so he chose to prove it with his actions.

Of course, Shen Jin benefited from the situation, tagging along and scoring a bottle of rare vintage wine.

I waved off the apology, assuring them it was just a simple misunderstanding—not worth dwelling on.

During a bathroom break, I ran into Ming Xiang. She greeted me with a bright smile, though her heavy makeup made her expression seem a bit stiff.

I couldn't shake the feeling that she harbored some hostility toward me, though she hid it well enough that I couldn't pinpoint exactly why I felt that way.

"It's been a while, Jiang Li. Do you remember me?" she asked with a smile.

I froze. The last time we'd met was only a week ago at the company.

"Oh, yes… It's only been a little over a week," I replied honestly.

"You know that's not what I meant…" She stared at me intently, as if searching for something.

Could it have been earlier?

Impossible.

Since I turned 14, my life in China had been simple—just school and tutoring.

After school, I'd either go to Shen Jibai's house or my own.

I was certain I'd never interacted with anyone named Ming Xiang.

Could we have known each other before I turned 14?

Seeing my confusion, she quickly reassured me, "It's okay, it's okay. Maybe we were too young back then to remember. It's normal."

She didn't know that I had lost my memory in a car accident at 14.

"Were we… classmates?" I asked cautiously.

"Uh… sort of… more like acquaintances who crossed paths occasionally. But it's all in the past now. Let's start fresh. I'm Ming Xiang, and I've been working as Mr. Shen's assistant for three years."

"Oh… Nice to meet you, Ming Xiang…"

Even as I returned to the dining table, I felt a bit dazed. But my thoughts were quickly swept away by the lively atmosphere at the table.

As the evening progressed, I grew closer to Michael's wife. We even became fast friends and made plans to meet in Europe next time.

She complimented me on my charm, taste, and emotional intelligence.

I, in turn, played the role of the elegant heiress effortlessly—a role I'd perfected over 20 years.

As the dinner drew to a close, the guests began to leave one by one.

Shen Jin, satisfied after finally tasting the coveted wine, got himself tipsy and insisted on staying over to continue drinking with me.

"Li Li! Let's not sleep tonight! Let's drink until morning! Let the old folks go to bed!"

Before I could respond, Shen Jibai's driver stepped in, blocking our conversation. "Young Master, Mr. Shen said I'm to take you home."

Take him home? Just him? What about me?

I watched helplessly as Shen Jin was bundled into the car and driven off…

Now, aside from the servants and the housekeeper, it was just me and the owner of the villa.