Chapter Seventy-Four: The Gift Shaotian Brought

At this moment, Chen Hao was already chatting with the man called Shaotian.
“Shaotian, how did you know I was here?” Chen Hao asked in surprise. But almost immediately, he answered his own question, chuckling, “Haha! I get it. My old man has been having someone keep an eye on me, hasn’t he?”
Shaotian, who looked about the same age as Chen Hao, nevertheless carried an air of maturity and composure that didn’t match his years. “Yes, young master,” he replied.
Hearing this address, Chen Hao sighed and rolled his eyes. “Come on, Shaotian, how many times have I told you, stop calling me ‘young master.’ Why do you never listen? That title makes me sound like one of those arrogant rich brats from the old days, bullying the weak and harassing good women.”
“As you wish, young master,” Shaotian answered solemnly.
“Thank you, Shaotian!” Chen Hao said.
“You’re welcome, young master,” Shaotian replied, his face expressionless.
...
Listening to this pointless exchange, the three women were all silently at a loss.
“Ahem!” Gu Mengyan couldn’t help but cough twice. She thought to herself, since this man called Chen Hao ‘young master,’ he must be from the Chen family—perhaps one of Uncle Chen’s men. But she had never seen him before, so perhaps he was someone Uncle Chen had hired while she was away at school these past few years?
“You’re called Shaotian, right? Hello, I’m Gu Mengyan. Um... I wonder if you know who I am?” Gu Mengyan took the initiative to greet him. Although she had left home early, deep down she always considered herself a member of the Chen family, half the future mistress—whether as Chen Hao’s sister or his wife, it was all the same to her. So she naturally took the lead in greeting him.
Upon hearing Gu Mengyan’s words, Shaotian replied politely, “Good day, Miss. I’m Chen Shaotian, a subordinate of the master. You probably haven’t met me before—I was transferred to serve the master after you left home for your studies.”
Clearly, he knew who Gu Mengyan was, and, just like Chen Hao, addressed her directly as ‘Miss.’ It was evident he also regarded her as one of the family.
Then, Shaotian turned to Fan Yirou in the room and nodded. “Miss Fan, greetings. Please allow me to convey the master’s regards. It’s been a while, and he misses you dearly.”
Fan Yirou was a bit surprised—she hadn’t expected this Shaotian to recognize her at a glance, especially since they’d never met. Still, good manners prompted her to nod in return. “Mr. Chen, hello. You know me?”
He nodded matter-of-factly. “Yes, Miss Fan. I make it my business to know the friends of the young master and the miss. It’s a requirement of my job. If this makes you uncomfortable, I apologize.”
Fan Yirou shook her head. “It’s nothing—I understand. You don’t need to worry. Are you here today... to see Chen Hao?”
Shaotian nodded. “Yes. The master knew the young master, Miss, and Miss Fan were coming to Krystal, so he especially sent me along to look after everyone. Should you need anything, just let me know—I will do my best to assist within my abilities.”
“Hmm?” Chen Hao felt puzzled. Although Shaotian’s words seemed perfectly reasonable, he sensed there was more to this visit. Others might not know Shaotian’s true role, but Chen Hao was well aware—Shaotian wasn’t just some household manager under his father.
Shaotian was, in fact, his father’s personal assistant, handling matters of great importance—managing schedules, formulating plans—nothing trivial ever landed on his desk.
Originally, this position belonged to someone else: Shaotian’s father, his father’s most trusted partner for many years. But a few years ago, Shaotian’s father fell ill, and was sent home on paid leave, leaving his son, Chen Shaotian, to step in.
Whether it was Shaotian or his father, both handled the assistant’s role with remarkable competence, and Chen Hao’s father was extremely satisfied with their work. Now, Shaotian had become his father’s most trusted aide, often entrusted with confidential or significant tasks.
Chen Hao himself had dealt with Shaotian a few times, which was how they’d met. Being of similar age, they’d chatted more than a little. Though Shaotian was somewhat rigid and stubborn compared to other young people, he was a decent person—methodical, proper, and highly efficient—so Chen Hao had a good impression of him.
That’s why Chen Hao was certain: Shaotian hadn’t come all the way to Krystal just to play the role of housekeeper. There had to be another reason. But he kept these suspicions to himself, planning to find the right opportunity to talk to Shaotian privately.
For now, Chen Hao didn’t question his explanation, but merely nodded in agreement.
After greeting Gu Mengyan and Fan Yirou, Chen Shaotian turned his gaze to Dong Xin. The look he gave her was no longer gentle, but rather like a beast sizing up prey—scanning her from head to toe with a predatory intensity.
Feeling this scrutiny, Dong Xin grew uncomfortable. Gu Mengyan quickly stepped in, introducing Dong Xin and mentioning that they had only met her today, though she omitted anything about the Illusion Corporation.
Still uneasy under his gaze, Dong Xin spoke up, “Mr. Chen, is it? Hello, I’m Dong Xin.”
She left it at that, saying nothing about her background. She wanted to see whether he could discern her origins, to gauge the true power of the Chen family.
If Shaotian knew all about her, then perhaps her every move—since her sudden transfer to the tech department—had been under Chen Hao’s father’s watchful eye.
Though Dong Xin knew little about Chen Hao’s father, the Chen family’s name was legendary. She wanted to know if it was all just reputation, or if their renown was well deserved.
But to her disappointment, after sizing her up, Chen Shaotian’s gaze turned indifferent, as if dismissing her as unworthy of attention—like a puppy losing interest in an old toy.
Shaotian simply nodded, “Miss Dong, hello. I wish you and the others a pleasant journey. If you need anything, you may ask the young master to let me know.”
This guy!
Dong Xin was mildly infuriated. He’d said if she needed anything, to go through the young master—meaning she wasn’t to approach him directly; he wouldn’t bother with her at all. While that wasn’t improper, it was rather blunt and discourteous, wasn’t it?
Even with Gu Mengyan introducing her as a friend and guest, this was his attitude?
Now, besides Chen Hao, Dong Xin found herself resenting another Chen man.
Nonetheless, Dong Xin controlled her temper, gritting her teeth as she managed a stiff “thank you.”

After that, Chen Shaotian paid her no further heed. Instead, he began to unpack a large number of items from the suitcase behind him, neatly arranging them on the table.
Most of these were daily necessities and snacks. As he placed them out, Shaotian explained, “The master asked me to prepare these for you all.
He knew you were coming to Krystal and worried you might not have packed everything, or that the hotel wouldn’t provide what you needed, so he personally wrote a list and asked me to shop for these and bring them to you.”
Chen Hao pursed his lips as he watched Shaotian unpack each item. Not a single thing was for a man—most were cosmetics, little treats, and such, clearly meant for the girls.
The more Chen Hao looked, the more annoyed he became. Damn, his dad was playing favorites again! Clearly, none of this was for him; it was all for his precious daughter and for Fan Yirou, who was so good at winning his father’s favor.
Chen Hao remembered well how, as a child, he was often the victim of pranks orchestrated by Gu Mengyan and Fan Yirou. Whenever he suffered too much, he’d run to his father, tearfully complaining of his blood-and-tear history of torment.
But after listening to his woes, his father would never take his side right away. Instead, he’d call Gu Mengyan and Fan Yirou in to get their version of events.
Of course, the girls would have already agreed on a story; in front of his father, they’d turn the tables and accuse him. In the end, after being harassed by the girls, he’d get a scolding from his father too. No matter what evidence he produced, his father was always convinced that it was his own failure as a big brother that led to their retaliation. Even if the girls were at fault, it was his own doing.
From then on, he was keenly aware of his father’s bias, and never got over it.
Today, he was feeling that bias all over again—because, after rifling through the last item, Chen Hao still hadn’t found a single thing meant for him. Everything was for Gu Mengyan and the others.
Summoning his courage and a last shred of hope, Chen Hao looked earnestly at the deadpan Chen Shaotian. “Shaotian, is this really everything my dad asked you to bring us? There’s nothing else? Nothing for me, for example?”
Upon hearing this, Shaotian’s eyes flickered for the first time and he showed a rare hint of awkwardness.
This took Chen Hao by surprise—he’d never seen Shaotian look like that before. “What is it?”
“Um...” Shaotian hesitated, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small boxed package, which he handed over.
Everyone turned to look at this mysterious item. When they saw what it was, the three girls blushed at once, while Chen Hao’s face turned beet red as he shouted, “What the hell! Is my old man trying to kill me? What is he thinking?”
No wonder everyone reacted that way—on the box Shaotian handed over were several large letters, making everything clear: D-U-R-E-X!