Chapter 42: Who is that younger brother?

In the eyes of everyone, Wen Jinhuai should certainly be considered an untouchable, high-cold flower.

Would a man like him really marry her? To him, she was completely devoid of value, and there wasn't even the slightest foundation of emotional attachment between them.

Wait?

Jiang Mian snapped back to her senses. What on earth was she thinking just now? She couldn't possibly believe that she would actually end up marrying Wen Jinhuai, could she?

She quickly shook her head to clear her mind and proceeded to add several more dishes to the digital ordering menu on her phone.

Shen Xiyao continued eating with great zest; even though Jiang Mian was already full, Shen Xiyao was still fighting the battle valiantly.

"Yaoyao, when you were abroad, were you really not being abused?" She vaguely remembered that the Shen family had arranged for a private chef to accompany her.

The person sitting across from her, currently gnawing on a chicken drumstick, raised her head, flashed a silly grin, and happily went right back to gnawing.

"Not abused at all, I've been living quite luxuriously."

Aside from conducting a few research reports from time to time, the rest of her days were spent eating, drinking, and having fun, or occasionally tagging along to deliver presentations.

Her advisor was a titan in the industry and frequently took her to various universities for academic exchanges, which allowed her to visit quite a few places.

It was just that whenever they went out on field trips, she had to make do with whatever meager food was available.

When Shen Xiyao finally finished eating, Jiang Mian counted the empty plates.

Splendid. In total, they had conquered six plates of vinegar fish, three bowls of chicken soup, four portions of glutinous rice balls, three orders of crystal dumplings, two servings of boiled spicy beef, and three pitchers of orange juice.

Although she herself had contributed a little to that tally, it certainly couldn't compare to the sheer amount Shen Xiyao had devoured.

With a hint of curiosity, she stood up and glanced down at Shen Xiyao's stomach.

"Yaoyao, is your tummy holding up alright?"

The person in question slumped lazily against the sofa, completely abandoning any pretense of being a refined young lady from a prestigious family. She rubbed her round, distended belly and nodded with satisfaction.

"It's holding up wonderfully. I'm completely satisfied, let's come back next year."

Jiang Mian sweatdropped inwardly. Eating this much would definitely make it impossible to sleep tonight. Once she got back to the Shen residence, she'd probably need the family doctor to prescribe some digestive medicine; otherwise, she feared Shen Xiyao's stomach simply wouldn't be able to take it.

Seeing that Shen Xiyao was about to stand up from the sofa, Jiang Mian moved with lightning speed and pressed her back down.

"Sit for a little longer. You've only just finished eating, let it digest just a bit."

If she walked right outside immediately after a massive meal and then had to take a car ride back to the Shen estate, Jiang Mian genuinely worried Shen Xiyao would throw it all up.

Ultimately, the two of them lingered on the sofa, mindlessly scrolling through their phones.

"Sigh, Mianbao, when did your stepsister get engaged to Wen Yan?"

"Just a little while ago." Though she realized she had completely forgotten to mention this to Shen Xiyao.

As Shen Xiyao scrolled through her Moments feed and saw the sweet, everyday posts that Wen Yan had shared with Jiang Zhixuan, she couldn't help but roll her eyes.

What kind of taste did Wen Yan even have?

Back when they were kids, Shen Xiyao had mocked Wen Yan several times, telling him that his brain wasn't wired quite right and that he'd end up paying the price for it when he grew up. It turned out she was spot on.

No wonder that despite sharing the same surname, the gap between him and Wen Jinhuai was so vast.

The mere thought that Wen Yan had once been Jiang Mian's fiancé left Shen Xiyao feeling disgusted. A sudden surge of irritation washed over her, and she reached out to grab Jiang Mian's hand.

"Mianbao, I'm being completely serious now—why don't you just get together with Wen Jinhuai?"

"I simply can't stand seeing that bastard Wen Yan living a good life!"

Jiang Mian blinked, failing to process the statement for a long moment. "Huh?"

"Never mind, let's head home first, or my little brother is going to lose his mind."

With that, Shen Xiyao stood up from the sofa.

In the past ten minutes alone, Shen Yize had already sent her close to sixty messages, every single one of them asking what time she would arrive home.

Was this guy really that idle right now?

She paused to think, then remembered that it was currently summer vacation.

Jiang Mian smiled faintly, easily able to picture what kind of expression Shen Yize must be wearing right now.

Since childhood, the Shen family had been grooming Shen Yize as their sole successor, except that he had an older sister like Shen Xiyao, who spent her entire childhood dragging him into all sorts of wild adventures.

If Mr. and Mrs. Shen practiced a strict parenting style involving the rod, Shen Xiyao treated Shen Yize almost like a pet monkey from Flower-Fruit Mountain, spoiling him rotten.

Whatever he couldn't get from their parents, Shen Xiyao would always provide.

This was precisely why Shen Yize had adored this older sister ever since he was a toddler; even when Shen Xiyao occasionally scolded or beat him up, he bore no resentment whatsoever.

Jiang Mian had visited the Shen residence quite often in the past and knew the way there by heart.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the villa complex, Shen Xiyao rolled down the car window for facial recognition, and the vehicle successfully glided through the gates.

Shen Yize hadn't seen his older sister in quite a while. Knowing she was about to arrive, he hadn't even bothered to wait inside the house; instead, he had come out to stand right by the roadside.

Being a young man full of vigor, he was wearing a blue and white short-sleeved shirt, and his white utility pants made his legs look exceptionally long.

Jiang Mian parked the car at the entrance of the villa, and Shen Xiyao unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out.

Before Jiang Mian could even walk around to open the trunk, Shen Yize had already bounced over, eager to help with the luggage.

She stepped out of the car, popped the trunk, and the young man bent down to lift the suitcase out.

Shen Xiyao stood off to the side, watching him. Shen Yize was now a head taller than her, fully embodying the look of a youthful male college student, and she had heard he was quite popular at school.

Come to think of it, that made sense—back when she was in school, there hadn't been any shortage of boys chasing after her either.

Before Jiang Mian could say a word, Mrs. Shen walked out of the villa and spotted the three figures standing by the roadside.

"Yaoyao is back! Mianmian, come inside and sit for a bit too. I just brewed a fresh batch of pear water, come and have a taste."

Since Mrs. Shen herself had extended the invitation, it would be impolite to refuse. Jiang Mian smiled, nodded, and followed Shen Xiyao inside.

Shen Yize leaned the suitcase against the entryway and trotted over to hook his arm around Shen Xiyao's other sleeve.

"Sis~ Why didn't you look for me first when you got back?"

As he spoke, he cast a resentful glare in Jiang Mian's direction.

Jiang Mian raised a hand, feeling entirely bewildered.

Little brother, your sister might not want to pay attention to you, but you have no right to glare at me. What does any of this have to do with me?

Finding her arm being shaken annoyingly, Shen Xiyao pulled Jiang Mian over to sit on the sofa and reached out to push Shen Yize's approaching face away.

"Keep a proper distance. You're not a little kid anymore."

"Sis!" Shen Yize felt deeply aggrieved.

Whether he was considered young or old, wasn't he still her precious younger brother?

"Did studying abroad for a few years make you want to throw me, your brother, away? Or do you have some other little brother out there now?"

Shen Xiyao remained silent.

Jiang Mian turned her head sideways. Shen Xiyao's expression was calm, yet a hint of suppressed joy lingered around her brow—she didn't look like someone who was merely evading Shen Yize's question.

Her gaze shifted slightly, meeting Shen Yize's eyes, and both of them instantly read the exact same emotion in each other's expressions.

The next second, the two of them simultaneously reached out to grab one of Shen Xiyao's arms each.

"Sis, who is that other brother?"

"Yaoyao, who is that other brother?"

They spoke in perfect unison.

Shen Xiyao shook off both pairs of hands, raised them to press downward, and glanced left and right at the two overly excited individuals.

"Hold on, neither of you needs to get so worked up."

Mrs. Shen took a seat across from them, picked up a pitcher, and poured a cup of pear water for each person just as she overheard the tail end of their conversation, though she didn't seem overly surprised.

After all, considering Shen Xiyao's age, it was hardly strange for her to start dating.

The Shen family possessed considerable wealth and influence, and their business was currently on a steady upward trajectory, meaning they had no need to sacrifice their daughter in a strategic marriage alliance.

Therefore, regarding matters of the heart, Mrs. Shen had made her stance clear long ago: she just wanted her daughter to be happy.