She Had to Do It Herself

This was Luo Shiyi's first appearance at a high-society banquet in Nan City, so hardly anyone recognized her. Seeing her being harassed, most of the attendees chose to watch the scene unfold rather than step in to help.

Additionally, the dress Luo Shiyi was wearing was custom-made, so Che Hong couldn't identify the brand. This led him to assume that Luo Shiyi must be some minor socialite from an unremarkable background.

"Little sister, I'm just offering you a drink. Don't be so cold," Che Hong said with a sly grin as he approached, holding out a glass of wine. His cronies followed suit, wearing similar smirks. They closed in on Luo Shiyi as if daring her to refuse, ready to force the issue if necessary.

Seeing this, Luo Shiyi's lips curled into a slow smile. "Sure, it's just a drink, right?" she said, taking the glass from Che Hong's hand.

Che Hong thought she had given in and was about to celebrate, but his expression turned to shock as Luo Shiyi poured the wine over his head. "You b****! What the hell are you doing?!" he roared.

Luo Shiyi blinked innocently. "Big brother, didn't you want to drink? How was it? Did you enjoy it?"

"Damn it! You did that on purpose, didn't you?!" Che Hong's face turned dark with anger. He glanced down at his ruined suit, clearly distressed. "Do you even know how much this suit costs?! It's a limited edition! You couldn't afford to pay for it even if you sold yourself!"

"Is that so?"

A cold, mocking voice rang out from the entrance, and the atmosphere in the room instantly chilled. The tall, imposing figure of Shen Xiuyi appeared at the doorway. Che Hong's legs nearly gave out, and he almost collapsed on the spot.

"Waaah, Uncle…" Luo Shiyi's face instantly changed, transforming into a pitiful expression. She darted toward Shen Xiuyi in her high heels, clutching the hem of his suit jacket. She looked up at him with teary eyes. "He bullied me… He forced me to drink and even said he'd sell me… I'm so scared, waaah…"

Shen Xiuyi's icy gaze shifted to Che Hong, who felt his knees buckle completely. He never imagined that the girl he had been casually flirting with was Shen Xiuyi's niece. If he had known, he wouldn't have dared even if he had a hundred lives to spare!

"It's a misunderstanding… It's all a misunderstanding…" Che Hong stammered weakly, unsure how to extricate himself from the situation.

Shen Xiuyi let out a cold laugh. "Kidnapping and trafficking women and children is a serious crime. Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, it's best to let the police handle it, don't you think?"

When Shen Xiuyi's gaze landed on him, Che Hong couldn't hold himself up anymore and dropped to his knees. "I wouldn't dare… I wouldn't dare…"

"This gentleman's clothes are dirty. Take him downstairs to change," Shen Xiuyi said indifferently, his tone calm but commanding.

The bodyguards nodded and stepped forward, each grabbing one of Che Hong's arms and dragging him away from the scene.

The room fell into an uneasy silence. Shen Xiuyi broke it with a composed yet authoritative voice. "This is Shen Jiayi, the long-lost daughter of my eldest brother."

The crowd erupted into polite laughter and compliments. "So it's Miss Jiayi! No wonder she's so beautiful."

"Yes, yes, she definitely has the Shen family's elegance."

The flattery poured in, and Luo Shiyi was instantly elevated to the center of attention.

Luo Shiyi maintained her gracious smile, gracefully accepting the compliments while skillfully returning the praise. She handled the social interactions with ease, leaving no room for awkwardness. This irritated the upper-class young ladies who had hoped to see her falter.

Luo Shiyi paid no attention to their thoughts. She moved through the banquet hall like a dazzling peacock, exchanging business cards and engaging in brief conversations.

Shen Xiuyi watched her for a moment, satisfied with how effortlessly she navigated the social scene, before shifting his gaze toward Zhou Wei and Zhou Ying.

That glance, though seemingly casual, sent a chill down Zhou Wei's spine. Feeling guilty, he rubbed his nose and slowly approached Shen Xiuyi. "Brother, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Next time, I'll definitely step in right away!"

Before Shen Xiuyi could even speak, Zhou Wei was already groveling.

Zhou Ying couldn't bear to watch. She turned her face away momentarily, then stepped forward and said in a cutesy voice, "Brother Xiuyi, we were just about to help when you arrived."

"Yes, yes, we were planning to step in," Zhou Wei added, seizing the opportunity to defend himself.

Shen Xiuyi, however, wasn't so easily fooled. Without even looking at Zhou Wei, he said coldly, "Go apologize yourself."

Zhou Wei's face fell. He had already endured Luo Shiyi's mischievous antics before and could only imagine the torment awaiting him when he went to apologize.

"Please, brother, don't make me do it…" Zhou Wei pleaded.

Shen Xiuyi ignored him, leaving Zhou Wei no choice but to muster his courage and head over to Luo Shiyi to beg for forgiveness.

Zhou Ying watched her brother's retreating figure, then turned to Shen Xiuyi with a pout. "Brother Xiuyi, do I need to apologize too?"

Her voice dripped with resentment as she glared at him.

Shen Xiuyi remained unmoved. "That's up to you," he said indifferently, before walking away.

Zhou Ying stood there, staring at Shen Xiuyi's retreating back for a while, then stomped her foot in frustration and chased after him. "Brother Xiuyi, wait for me!"

Luo Shiyi, hearing the overly sweet voice, couldn't help but shiver. Zhou Ying was always like this—no wonder Shen Xiuyi kept his distance. If it were her, she wouldn't be able to stand it either.

Before long, Zhou Wei arrived to apologize. Luo Shiyi, seeing him come to her voluntarily, naturally didn't miss the chance to "punish" him. Once again, Zhou Wei ended up losing a significant sum of money. He looked at Luo Shiyi with tears in his eyes, unable to voice his grievances.

Luo Shiyi blinked innocently. "Thank you, Uncle Zhou. You're so generous."

Zhou Wei forced a smile. "It's the least I can do."

As he spoke, he glanced in Shen Xiuyi's direction and caught a fleeting glimpse of indulgence in his eyes. Zhou Wei felt a shiver run down his spine.

Damn it, Shen Xiuyi was definitely toxic—and not just a little bit!

Ignoring Zhou Wei's inner turmoil, Luo Shiyi glanced at the watch on her wrist, then turned around, subtly blocking the curious gazes of others.

She had received a message from 221, informing her that the key to Shen Xiuyi's room couldn't be obtained without her personally intervening. The key was on Shen Xiuyi's person.

Damn it!

Luo Shiyi cursed silently in her heart. When she turned around, her gaze inadvertently landed on Shen Xiuyi's suit pocket. "Uncle, let me toast you," she said sweetly.

Shen Xiuyi raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you promise not to drink anymore?"

Luo Shiyi: "…"

"Cough, cough. Today's a special occasion, so I'll just have a tiny bit," she said, gesturing with her fingers to emphasize how little she meant.

Shen Xiuyi's heart softened at her playful demeanor, and the sternness in his expression eased slightly. "Just one glass."

"Mhm, mhm!"

Luo Shiyi nodded eagerly, but a glint of mischief flashed in her eyes as she lowered her head.

She hadn't actually planned to drink, after all.

As she walked over to clink glasses with Shen Xiuyi, Luo Shiyi pretended to trip and stumbled toward him. As expected, she fell into his arms.

The moment Luo Shiyi's soft, fragrant body collided with his, Shen Xiuyi's entire frame stiffened.