The Mind-Read Heiress: From Impostor to Family Favorite

Chapter 31: Chapter 30: Do you like me? Chapter 31: Chapter 30: Do you like me? [Woohoo, so touched, Big Brother must have noticed I love baked potatoes. Maybe I’ll make him a little cake some other day, you know, to return the favor.]

Shen Jingxiu, who barely ate anything he grilled, had already decided not to grill anymore.

But it seemed that grilling potato slices could earn him a small cake.

A good deal.

So he decided to grill some more without making it obvious.

Shen Yuan also put a few skewers of beef onto Su Yang’s plate: “Yanyan, eat more if you like it.”

Seeing Wenyan and Shen Jinghe take turns talking and others passing barbecue to Wenyan, Shen Zhirou clenched her fists tightly on her lap.

At that moment, Su Yang handed her a skewer of grilled mushrooms: “Zhirou, try this, it’s really tasty too.”

Shen Yuan also gave her a few skewers of beef.

Only then did Shen Zhirou smile and say, “Thank you, Mom and Dad. You should try the chicken wings I grilled too. Big Brother, Second Brother, Yanyan, come on, everyone have a taste.”

Wenyan, who didn’t hold grudges against food, took a bite of the wing section, and it was quite good indeed.

Actually, it would be nice if the family got along harmoniously like this, but Shen Zhirou was two-faced and wanted too much.

There was nothing wrong with a person wanting a lot, but the problem was that she built these desires on the foundation of hurting others.

At two in the afternoon, the barbecue finally ended.

The happiest from the meal were undoubtedly the Shen Yuan and Su Yang’s couple.

Because this time Shen Jinghe left without even finishing half his meal and didn’t mock or ridicule Shen Yuan, the relationship between the father and son didn’t seem to grow closer, but it had eased somewhat.

In this regard, the couple were quite thankful to Wenyan.

So when Wenyan offered to drive Shen Jinghe back, they were happy to accept. They could have arranged for the family driver to take Shen Jinghe home.

The car quickly left the Shen family villa.

With the weather being sunny and the breeze gentle, Wenyan’s convertible was open-topped.

Shen Jinghe silently took out a pair of sunglasses and put them on, his lips curving up in a cool manner.

“I’ve realized you’re trying to please me.”

Caught off guard by this sudden statement, Wenyan almost hung a question mark over her head.

She managed to glance at Shen Jinghe: “Why would you say that, Second Young Master?”

Shen Jinghe gave her a look: “Can you stop calling me that?”

Wenyan chuckled: “Hehe, then what’s behind your words, Second Brother?”

Shen Jinghe: “……”

“Is it because I took the initiative to offer you a ride home?”

“Is it not?”

“But Second Brother, have you forgotten what I said before? My apartment isn’t far from yours, I just also need to make a trip back.”

Shen Jinghe: “Aren’t you very good at flattering? Why have you stopped?”

“Hehe, sincerity is the ultimate weapon. Since I am so sincere, could you have a chat with me, Second Brother?”

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Let’s talk about our sister, Miss Shen Zhirou.”

“What about her?”

“What do you think of her as a person?”

“What do you mean? Didn’t you say ‘a harmonious family leads to prosperity’? What, after just two days of trying to please her, you’ve given up and don’t want to continue?”

“Second Brother, I know you’re quick on the uptake, but could you not spin your wheels so fast, please? It was me asking you, and now it feels like you’re interrogating me. Come on, tell me, what is Zhirou like in your eyes?”

“She was quite cute when we were kids. But now, she’s a very proper person, or rather, a very measured person. Every word, every gesture, every smile, she seems to have her own standard. There might be some fluctuation, but she never exceeds that limit, nor falls below it. Unlike you, with your emotions on your sleeve, acting crazy like you’ve just run out of a mental institution.”

Wenyan: “……”

[Shen Jinghe, I thank you for warming up all seasons.]

Shen Jinghe smirked, “Do you have any other questions?”

Wenyan: “…If you think she is restrained, has she never crossed the line with you?”

“Never.”

“Then do you think she likes you?”

“Like? I wouldn’t say so. When she was younger, she was fonder of Shen Jingxiu and Shen Jingchuan.”

“But I never noticed her being particularly fond of big brother.”

“I told you, that was when we were kids. We haven’t been together all the time, can you guarantee that the friends you were inseparable from as a child are still your best friends after a decade of no contact?”

“Alright.”

Wenyan frowned: [Today when we were barbecuing, the way Shen Zhirou was sneaking glances at Shen Jinghe was definitely not innocent. Has she really never had any private contact with Shen Jinghe? It seems Shen Jinghe knows nothing.]

Shen Jinghe: Could she be sick in the head? He and Shen Zhirou are biological siblings. But her, a wild little sister picked up from an orphanage halfway through!

Shen Jinghe gave Wenyan a glare: “After all your questions, it’s my turn to ask you, do you like me?”

“Like! Of course, I like! If not now, then when?”

“Could you forget that I treasure every single work of big brother since his debut? Could big brother have forgotten? This fondness transcends the boundaries of men and women, siblings, and any language, it is selfless, boundless, even if I lost my memory, just one glimpse of you, even just a photo, could instantly awaken it…”

“Shut up, I get it.”

“No, you don’t get it! Do you know why dinosaurs went extinct?”

“…Because their forelimbs were too short to applaud my perfection, they all died of sadness.”

“No way! How did you know?”

“Because I have 5G internet.”

Wenyan: “……” Thoroughly outdone.

–

After sending Shen Jinghe back to his place, Wenyan immediately returned to her own apartment.

Once the door closed and she lay on the sofa, she started searching for hidden cameras on a shopping app.

What popped up, however, was a bold line stating ‘It’s against the law to disclose personal information of citizens and invade personal privacy, with serious societal harm.’

Seeing this, Wenyan understood.

Okay, it’s clear that I can’t buy mini cameras through normal channels, and I don’t have any underhanded connections.

Illegal activities are off the table, so she settled for the next best thing and searched for a local online store, paid extra for express delivery, and bought several mini recording devices.

After receiving the recording devices she immediately returned to the Shen Family mansion.

That night, Wenyan deliberately created an opportunity to be alone with Shen Zhirou.

Over these last two days, Wenyan could clearly feel Shen Zhirou’s hatred.

She had already hidden the recording device in her pocket, waiting for Shen Zhirou to show her true colors and speak maliciously again.

Yet, to her surprise, even when they were alone, Shen Zhirou didn’t make those harsh comments again.

This made Wenyan suspect whether Shen Zhirou had seen through her plan.

If that was the case, things would be difficult.

However, it wouldn’t be strange if she had, because Shen Zhirou was not a fool; after all, she had played the original owner for a fool years ago.

Moreover, she could present herself flawlessly in front of the whole family.

Unable to get to Shen Zhirou, Wenyan thought of the man she met at the supermarket and whose number she had gotten.

She checked the time – just past nine, not too late. So she dialed that number.