Rose manor（玫瑰庄园酒店）

Chapter 67 Long Time No See

On the first day of the new year, still in the holiday spirit, Shen Jia Nian managed to sleep until noon, waking up once again in Fu Ji Chen's bedroom, as she had grown accustomed to.

The curtains were drawn, casting a dim light in the room.

Shen Jia Nian rubbed her heavy head and realized her clothes were missing. She had slipped into one of Fu Ji Chen's shirts—a smoky gray one with metallic buttons, finely tailored with impeccable material and fit.

The shirt was long enough to pass as a dress, so she hadn't bothered with pants, her fair legs peeking out from under the covers.

Fu Ji Chen wasn't in the bedroom, and Shen Jia Nian didn't linger. She got up quietly, grabbed a blanket, and headed back to her own room, changing into a casual outfit, feeling much more at ease.

Seems like she got drunk again last night.

Shen Jia Nian raised her hand to her temple, dragging her feet to the bathroom to freshen up.

The mirror reflected her rosy cheeks. Upon closer inspection, there was no sign of the weary, tired look after a night of drinking. On the contrary, she appeared as if she had enjoyed a restful sleep.

Indeed, she had slept well last night.

Not waking up once throughout the night, she had even forgotten her dreams.

Shen Jia Nian brushed her teeth, swaying her arm. The cool chain on her wrist slid back and forth. She noticed a golden bracelet, which seemed like Fu Ji Chen had put on her.

A birthday gift?

Her memories of last night seemed to stop at Fu Ji Chen putting the bracelet on her. She couldn't recall what happened afterward or what they had said to each other.

Shen Jia Nian rinsed her mouth, thinking Fu Ji Chen probably wouldn't take advantage of her when she was drunk.

She tied up her long hair, grabbed her phone, and headed downstairs.

There were fewer servants in the living room, probably gone home for the holiday. Zhou Rong Zhen was still there, though, setting down her sewing kit and asking, "Is Jia Nian up? What do you want for lunch?"

"Where's Fu Ji Chen?" Shen Jia Nian asked.

"Master went to the office early this morning."

Impressed by how busy he was on the first day of the new year, Shen Jia Nian said, "Just get me anything. I'm not very hungry."

She had eaten too much last night, acting like an emotionless eating machine, and she still hadn't digested it all.

Zhou Rong Zhen went to inform the chef while Shen Jia Nian sat on the sofa.

With no one else around in the living room, Zhou Rong Zhen couldn't help but bring up what happened at the dinner table last night. "You, you have some nerve, saying those things to the master."

Shen Jia Nian helped her thread the needle, and upon hearing this, the thread and the needle misaligned, almost pricking her finger.

"What did I say?"

"You don't remember?" Zhou Rong Zhen described the incident in detail, "When you were carving the roast chicken, you cut off two chicken legs, gave me one, and kept one for yourself. The master found it strange and asked what he should eat, and you replied, 'Let him eat chicken butt.'"

Shen Jia Nian's hand trembled as she held the needle, almost poking her finger.

Did she really say that?

She looked at Zhou Rong Zhen with astonishment and a plea for confirmation, hoping she was joking.

However, Zhou Rong Zhen nodded in her direction with a serious expression. "That's what you said. You scared me to death. If the master hadn't held back, I was afraid he would have exploded on the spot. Luckily, he didn't say anything, but his face didn't look good."

Shen Jia Nian covered her forehead, realizing that the alcohol had corroded her brain, leading her to speak without thinking.

She naively thought her memory of last night stopped at Fu Ji Chen putting the bracelet on her, unaware that she was already quite drunk before that.

No wonder her memories were fragmented and disjointed.

Her phone rang, interrupting Shen Jia Nian's thoughts. She regained her composure and answered the call in the alcove.

Bai Chang Xia's tired voice came through, "Jia Nian, what are you doing on holiday?"

Shen Jia Nian absentmindedly ran her fingers over the fresh-cut flowers on the wooden cabinet and said, "Just resting at home."

Bai Chang Xia knew that when she said "home," she meant Fu Ji Chen's residence, the somewhat mysterious Rose Manor in Yicheng.

"How's Auntie's health?" Shen Jia Nian asked with concern.

Bai Chang Xia replied with a yawn, "She's had the surgery and is still recovering. I spent the night by her side at the hospital, awake until dawn. You know, changing beds and sleeping in a different place makes it hard to fall asleep. But today, my sister is coming from out of town, so I should be able to relax a bit."

Bai Chang Xia's family was in the jade business, with several shops in the northern city. Compared to ordinary people, they lived comfortably, not having to worry about the basics, which was enough to support her in pursuing her artistic path.

Compared to real aristocrats, however, they still had a long way to go.

She had an older sister who was six years older and already married. Because she had married far away, living in another city, she rarely came home throughout the year.

"Take care of yourself too and rest when you can," Shen Jia Nian reminded her.

"Yeah, with a nurse looking after her, I'm going out for lunch now. I'll go back home to catch up on some sleep when my sister arrives."

A brand-new black Bentley stopped in front of her. She was startled as she answered the call, not paying attention to the road.

The car window rolled down, revealing Pei Che's face in the back seat, his voice clear, "Long time no see."

"Pei, Pei Che." Bai Chang Xia's breath caught in her throat.

She had learned from the news that Pei Che had returned to the country, taking over the Pei Group and becoming its CEO. She hadn't contacted him proactively because of Shen Jia Nian, but she hadn't expected him to find his way here.

Bai Chang Xia was stunned for a moment.

Shen Jia Nian heard her calling out that name and hesitated for a second before hanging up the phone.

An hour later, Bai Chang Xia called Shen Jia Nian back.

"Pei Che came to see me, and we talked for a long time in the cafe," Bai Chang Xia confessed everything, "After he returned to the country, he used various connections to find you, believing that I must know your whereabouts and tried to get information out of me."

At that moment, Shen Jia Nian had already had lunch and was sitting in the alcove drinking tea.

There was no snow on New Year's Day in the northern city, just cold, dry cold, with temperatures dropping to minus nine degrees Celsius at night, and the north wind felt like a knife.

Pei Che returned home, smelling of various liquors mixed together. The driver who brought him back helped him to the living room and then left.

The crystal chandelier sparkled brightly, and Pei Che sat up on the sofa, shielding his eyes with his arm.

He could at least forget the pain temporarily if he got drunk, but he knew he was sober at the moment.

He confronted his mother, "Why didn't you stop Dad back then? You and Aunt Tongyu are as close as sisters, and you watched Jia Nian grow up. You knew how much I loved Jia Nian, that I wouldn't marry anyone else. Why did it turn out like this?!"

With this shout, Pei Che's eyes were red, blood vessels streaking across his eyeballs, filled with sadness and helplessness.