Stay Away from Him

Shen Xiuyi had already turned around, leaving Luo Shiyi no time to refuse. She could only put on a soft, harmless smile. "Okay, Little Uncle."

With that, she followed Shen Xiuyi's steps.

But just as she reached the door, someone from inside grabbed her wrist. Remembering the last time, she forced herself not to pull away and allowed Shen Xiuyi to drag her in.

*Bang!*

The door slammed shut, and Luo Shiyi found herself pinned against the door by Shen Xiuyi.

"L-Little Uncle," Luo Shiyi stammered, the unmistakable scent of his presence overwhelming her in the confined space. She pressed a hand against his chest and turned her head slightly. "What… what do you need?"

*Shouldn't you be picking a fight with Shen Jiawen right now? Why are you dragging me into this?*

Shen Xiuyi's deep gaze bore into her without a word, and the atmosphere in the room grew heavier by the second.

This was far more terrifying than being directly questioned!

Luo Shiyi's eyes flickered, then she met Shen Xiuyi's gaze head-on, pouting slightly as she complained, "Little Uncle, it's not appropriate for men and women to be this close. Don't you think this is a bit inappropriate?"

Shen Xiuyi's eyes remained fixed on her bright orbs, his grip on her wrist unchanged. His voice was calm and unhurried. "What's inappropriate? Aren't you my niece? There's no need for such formalities between family."

Luo Shiyi: …

*Screw your "no formalities!"*

*You were definitely taking advantage of me in the car earlier. Don't think I didn't notice!*

The little voice in Luo Shiyi's head gritted its teeth, but before she could speak, there was a knock at the door. Then Shen Jiawen's voice came from outside. "Little niece, when are you done? Your Uncle has some matters to discuss with you as well."

The room's atmosphere plummeted again.

Shen Xiuyi's expression darkened, and his voice turned chilly. "Get lost."

Outside, Shen Jiawen paused at the cold tone, then smiled even wider. He took a step back and called out, "Alright, I'll head back for now. Let's chat when you're free."

With that, the air around Shen Xiuyi grew even more oppressive. Luo Shiyi cursed Shen Jiawen inwardly. *Damn it, is he doing this on purpose? Why bring this up now? Just when I was about to smooth things over, he has to stir the pot? Does he think I don't have enough to deal with?*

"Discussing matters?" Shen Xiuyi's deep eyes locked onto Luo Shiyi, a hint of suspicion in his gaze. "What matters do you have to discuss with him?"

Alarm bells rang in Luo Shiyi's mind, but she kept her tone innocent. "It's nothing much. Uncle came over to talk to me about tomorrow's banquet."

She blushed slightly, adding, "Uncle is really kind to me."

Because of her earlier reaction, Shen Xiuyi was already suspicious. Luo Shiyi didn't dare show any more signs of unease, so her words were a mix of truth and lies. After all, Shen Jiawen had indeed come to talk about the banquet—even if he hadn't gotten around to it.

"Unprovoked kindness is always suspicious."

Shen Xiuyi's words were ambiguous, carrying a hint of mockery. Combined with his sharp features, it gave him an indescribable air of dominance.

Luo Shiyi froze for a few seconds, blinking her eyes. On the surface, she looked utterly innocent, but inside, she was brimming with curiosity.

*Is it starting? Is it starting? A real-life drama of a wealthy family's internal strife?*

Luo Shiyi was all set to listen to some juicy gossip, but Shen Xiuyi stopped mid-sentence. He glanced at her and said, "Don't get too close to him in the future."

"Okay," Luo Shiyi replied. *I don't want to get close to him anyway—I'd rather get close to you.*

Shen Xiuyi studied her expression for a while, his gaze gradually softening. "It's late. Go rest."

"Alright."

Luo Shiyi agreed verbally but couldn't help cursing inwardly. *Who was the one who dragged me out in the middle of the night to talk, disrupting my rest? Now you're telling me to go back? Are you out of your mind?*

Still, the fact that Shen Xiuyi hadn't pressed further was a stroke of luck. Luo Shiyi quietly breathed a sigh of relief, then flashed a sweet smile. "Goodnight, Little Uncle."

Without waiting for Shen Xiuyi to respond, she quickly broke free from his hold, opened the door, and slipped out. Her movements were smooth and seamless.

The graceful figure disappeared in front of him in an instant, and the warmth of her wrist still lingered on his hand. Shen Xiuyi stared at the closed door for a few seconds before letting out a soft chuckle.

Luo Shiyi returned to her room and shut the door behind her, leaning against it as her heartbeat raced.

*That was close. I got careless this time. I won't be so lucky next time—I need to be more careful.*

As she thought this, she suddenly realized something was off.

*Did Shen Xiuyi let me off that easily? Or was his attention diverted by Shen Jiawen, so he missed my odd behavior?*

Thinking back to her earlier actions, Luo Shiyi bit her lip in frustration. *Forget it. I'll find a way to smooth things over next time.*

Assured that no more troublemakers would show up, Luo Shiyi quickly headed to the bathroom. After a shower, she changed into her pajamas and snuggled into the soft blankets.

Her thoughts drifted to when Shen Xiuyi had left midway earlier. *Was it a coincidence that he appeared on Avenue des Champs-Élysées, or was there another reason? If he's really connected to the smuggling ring, how can I get evidence, complete my mission, and make a clean escape?*

Luo Shiyi pondered these questions as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next day, she ran into Shen Jiawen again. It was clear he had something to say to her, but Luo Shiyi knew it would be nonsense, so she ignored his displeased expression and walked over to Shen Xiuyi instead, smiling sweetly. "Good morning, Little Uncle."

Shen Xiuyi's gaze swept over her and Shen Jiawen before giving a slight nod. "Morning."

"Little Uncle, you look so handsome in that outfit today…"

Luo Shiyi began showering Shen Xiuyi with compliments. Though his expression didn't change, his demeanor softened considerably. The two of them started chatting, though it was mostly Luo Shiyi talking while Shen Xiuyi occasionally responded.

Seeing the two of them getting along so well, Shen Jiawen's face turned as black as a pot, his eyes never leaving Luo Shiyi.

Luo Shiyi noticed his gaze but ignored it. She hadn't forgotten her mission—Shen Xiuyi was her target. Right now, building a closer relationship with him was the priority. If Shen Jiawen was unhappy, he'd just have to deal with it.