Little Uncle

In April, warm sunlight spilled onto the roadside, and the sea breeze carried a faint briny scent.

Luo Shiyi wore a white dress, her long black hair cascading freely in the wind, strands dyed a pale gold by the brilliant sun. A pastel yellow bucket hat perched on her head, adding a touch of playfulness to her otherwise demure appearance.

Luo Shiyi's expression was troubled.

Lately, Xiao Jiu had been harassed by men, and he hated nothing more than being told he looked feminine. His temper was a powder keg waiting to explode.

Yesterday, after the two of them had gotten into a fight, Luo Shiyi, feeling guilty, had no choice but to take on this mission.

There were suspicions that Fourth Master Shen was involved in an international smuggling case, and the stakes were high. They needed someone to infiltrate the Shen family and gather evidence.

However, Fourth Master Shen wasn't an easy man to approach. Even after a thorough investigation by Team Seven, all they had to go on was half a silhouette. The available information was pitifully scarce.

Coincidentally, the Shen family patriarch had fallen critically ill and hadn't yet drafted a will to divide the family fortune. Third Master Shen, hoping to gain an advantage in the inheritance battle, was looking for the missing granddaughter of the eldest brother, who had disappeared after a car accident. She was currently the only granddaughter of the Shen patriarch.

Finding the real granddaughter would be like searching for a needle in a haystack, but finding someone to impersonate her? Much easier.

Hidden Dragons seized the opportunity and took on the job. On the surface, Luo Shiyi was hired by Third Master Shen Qi to impersonate the patriarch's granddaughter, Shen Jiayi. But in reality, she was to use her position in the Shen family to get close to Shen Xiuyi and extract information about the smuggling operation.

Luo Shiyi chewed gum lazily, idly recalling the information about Shen Xiuyi and the half-back-of-head photo in the file.

The more she looked at it, the more familiar it seemed.

She shook her head, amused at the thought.

It was just a silhouette—how could it feel familiar?

She'd know what Fourth Master Shen looked like once she met him, wouldn't she?

She'd heard that Fourth Master Shen himself would be picking her up today. Shen Xiuyi was said to be far more formidable than his two older brothers.

A black Bentley slowly pulled over by the roadside, and Luo Shiyi immediately perked up.

The car window rolled down, revealing a man who glanced at Luo Shiyi, his eyes scrutinizing her. "Are you Miss Shen Jiayi?"

Luo Shiyi took the opportunity to study him as well.

He wore frameless glasses and had a mild, scholarly appearance—not ugly, but not strikingly handsome either.

Was this really the fearsome Fourth Master Shen of Nan City?

Luo Shiyi wasn't sure whether to feel disappointed or relieved. She nodded, smiling sweetly. "Yes."

A beautiful smile always put people at ease. The man nodded in return and introduced himself. "I'm Xu Feng, Fourth Master's assistant. You can call me Assistant Xu from now on."

Luo Shiyi greeted him politely and naturally moved to the back seat.

But the moment she opened the back door, she froze.

There was already a man sitting in the back. Despite the spacious interior, his long legs made the car seem cramped.

Her gaze traveled from the man's legs, clad in tailored trousers, up to his face...

It was the pervert from yesterday!

The man was half-leaning back, lazily talking on the phone. Noticing her presence, his narrowed eyes flicked toward her.

Just that single glance sent a shiver down Luo Shiyi's spine.

If she'd known Fourth Master Shen was this guy, she'd never have agreed to the mission!

Xu Feng, mistaking her hesitation for nervousness around Fourth Master's imposing presence, smiled and explained, "This is Fourth Master, your uncle."

Luo Shiyi swallowed hard and whispered meekly, "Little Uncle."

Shen Xiuyi's lips curled slightly, and he gave a faint nod.

Luo Shiyi got into the car and pulled the brim of her bucket hat lower.

During the ride, Xu Feng thoughtfully filled her in on various details, and Luo Shiyi gradually relaxed.

The man beside her continued his phone call, seemingly oblivious to her presence, but his powerful aura was impossible to ignore.

Luo Shiyi reassured herself that he wouldn't recognize her. After all, when they'd met yesterday, she'd been a mess of smeared makeup and wild curls. Now, she was a sweet, girl-next-door type.

Yeah, there's no way he'd recognize her!

Encouraged, Luo Shiyi sneaked a glance at the man, only to meet his scrutinizing gaze head-on.

Caught red-handed!

She quickly looked away, focusing on her hands in her lap, the picture of obedience.

Unbeknownst to her, the man's gaze dropped to her hands, clutching her skirt tightly, and a flicker of amusement shone in his eyes.

Finally finishing his call, Shen Xiuyi rubbed his temples, hung up, and turned his attention fully to Luo Shiyi.

Luo Shiyi immediately flashed an innocent, ingratiating smile.

Shen Xiuyi raised a brow. "To the hospital."

Though the words were directed at Xu Feng, his deep eyes remained fixed on Luo Shiyi, not missing a single change in her expression.

"DNA test."

Luo Shiyi froze, then lowered her eyes. "That's fine. I don't want to mistake my family again…"

Her pitiful expression was almost heartbreaking.

Shen Xiuyi made no comment and looked away.

Soon, they arrived at the hospital for the blood test. The results would be ready in three days.

As they were about to leave, Luo Shiyi suddenly stopped, her face red. "Little Uncle, I need to use the restroom."

Shen Xiuyi nodded and followed at a distance, waiting for her outside the door.

Inside the restroom, Luo Shiyi quickly hid in a stall and used a specially designed watch to send a message to headquarters: "Shen Xiuyi took me for a DNA test. He's still suspicious. Find a way to switch the results."

After the watch blinked twice, confirming the message had been received, Luo Shiyi leisurely flushed the toilet, washed her hands, and walked out.

The tall, imposing man stood by the restroom entrance, ignoring the strange looks from passersby as he stared intently at the women's restroom.

Suppressing the odd feeling in her chest, Luo Shiyi looked up at him. "Little Uncle, let's go."

Only then did Shen Xiuyi's gaze focus. He gave a faint "Hmm" and strode ahead, his long legs covering the distance quickly. Luo Shiyi scratched her head and hurried to catch up.

The black Bentley wound its way through the streets before finally stopping at a secluded old mansion.

Shen Xiuyi led her upstairs and pushed open a door on the third floor. "You'll stay here. If you need anything, tell Manager Zhang."

Luo Shiyi looked at the barren room and couldn't help but think it was missing… well, everything.

At that moment, Manager Zhang, who had been following them, broke into a cold sweat. "Fourth Master, the room prepared for the young mistress is…"

Shen Xiuyi shot him a cold glance, and Manager Zhang immediately fell silent, bowing respectfully to Luo Shiyi. "Young mistress, we'll have the room prepared for you at once!"

A flurry of maids quickly got to work. Luo Shiyi stepped out onto the balcony for some air, only to find the man from next door standing there as well.

He had removed his black suit jacket, and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a sliver of his chest—an undeniably alluring sight.

The man held a cigarette between his slender fingers, his gaze dark as it fixed on her.

Luo Shiyi jolted in surprise but quickly put on an ingratiating smile. "Little Uncle!"

Shen Xiuyi glanced at her sideways, let out a soft hum, stubbed out his cigarette, and retreated to his room.

Luo Shiyi scratched her head again. Shen Xiuyi was actually next door? She wondered if the walls were soundproof.

In a flash, she recalled Manager Zhang's unfinished sentence and the completely unprepared room—had Shen Xiuyi personally decided to move her next to him?