“What time does Ethan usually let you sleep?”

After Ethan Jiang left, Aurel Shen fixed his gaze on the file in his hand. A chilling coldness slowly unfurled in his eyes, like frost creeping over still water.

He sat alone on the sofa for a long time.

Reading the document Ethan had left behind, line by line, over and over again, his brows eventually furrowed into a sharp knot. Then, he summoned Jason Fang.

Jason was in the middle of coordinating the afternoon schedule with other secretaries. Upon receiving the call, he rushed over without delay.

"Mr. Shen?"

"I need you to look into something," Aurel said, handing over the file. His expression was sharp as a blade, and his voice bore a heavy chill. "Do it discreetly. The sooner, the better."

"And one more thing." His gaze narrowed, his voice dropping to a cutting murmur. "The car accident during the storm ten years ago—dig into it again."

Jason glanced at the document in his hand. Before he could inquire about it, Aurel's second order sank in, and he hesitated for a moment before asking instinctively:

"Wasn't the chairperson and his wife's accident already thoroughly investigated?"

It had been deemed a simple accident.

Nothing more.

Aurel replied coldly, "Yes, it was investigated. Investigate it again. Go through every detail we might have overlooked."

Jason opened the folder briefly. As he listened to Aurel's current instructions, his expression turned grave. He asked no further questions and nodded in acknowledgment.

Just as he was about to leave, Aurel suddenly called him back, as if remembering something.

"Until we have definitive results," he said, voice low, "don't tell Elena anything about this."

"Yes, Mr. Shen."

—

The day passed in a blink.

After finishing her project work, Elena Shen walked out of the lab building. The sky was already draped in darkness.

She didn't linger. Leaving campus, she headed straight back to the Shen family's villa.

By the time she arrived, Aurel was already home.

He stood at the doorway, taking a call.

When he saw her enter, he spoke a few more words into the phone before hanging up.

Elena strode into the warmly lit hall, stepping through the shadowed courtyard. Her eyes curved into a smile as she looked toward her brother.

"Have you been home long?"

Aurel's gaze softened, a familiar warmth rising in his eyes. He instinctively ruffled her hair and turned to walk with her into the house.

"Not long. Just ten minutes. Come—let's open your gift."

"Gift?" Elena blinked in surprise, dropping the laptop in her arms and quickening her pace, "What gift?"

Aurel chuckled softly. When she caught up to him, he bent down beside the multi-tiered cake in the center of the hall and picked up an exquisitely wrapped box, handing it to her.

"A birthday present," he said, his voice wrapped in indulgence, watching her face brighten as she hugged the gift close and began peeling back the wrapping like she had so many times over the years. "I was originally planning to return before your birthday this year and spend it with you properly."

"But I ended up wasting a few days in the hospital," he said with a hint of resignation, "Then something urgent came up at the Jinming branch office, so I got delayed again. I could only make it up to you now."

As she opened the box, he asked, "Do you like it?"

Inside lay a brilliant, uncut pink diamond—mesmerizing in its luster.

Elena's eyes widened in astonishment.

"This is… the pink diamond I mentioned last time?"

Aurel nodded. To him, acquiring a gem worth hundreds of millions was as casual as picking out a bouquet of flowers.

"Yes. I happened to come across it at an overseas auction last month. Thought it'd make a perfect gift for your twentieth birthday. Do you like it?"

Elena beamed, unable to tear her eyes away from the diamond. "I love it! A gem of this clarity is perfect for my collection!"

Aurel smiled as well. "Then I'll have it delivered to your vault. And next year, I'll find one with even greater clarity."

The household staff sliced the cake. Aurel picked up a piece and handed it to Elena. "Stop staring at your gift. Eat some cake. Then we'll go have dinner."

Elena carefully closed the box and accepted the cake with a grin, following her brother into the dining room.

After dinner, it wasn't long before Aurel summoned her to the study. He logged into the group's highest-level system permissions and began teaching her, step by step, how to handle the company's core operations.

Ever since she turned eighteen, Aurel had periodically sent her materials to prepare her for taking over the company.

But compared to what he was showing her tonight, those had been mere beginner guides.

Elena propped her chin in her hand, watching the screen filled with arcane data and lines of code, her brows drawn together.

Two hours later, Aurel noticed that she'd been frowning for quite some time. He stopped, leaned back in his chair, and looked at her.

"Is it that you don't understand," he asked, "or are you sleepy?"

Elena glanced at the time in the bottom corner of the screen. Pressing her temples, she bent forward, resting her head on the table, her porcelain cheek half-buried in the crook of her arm. She stifled the urge to yawn.

"I'm tired. It's already 10:30. Let's continue tomorrow, okay?"

Seeing her utterly exhausted, as if ready to collapse into bed at any second, Aurel's gaze lowered slightly as he glanced at the time.

"Already that sleepy?" he said quietly, eyes narrowing. "What time does Ethan usually let you go to sleep?"