Falling into the Capital's Radiance - Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Shen Jingni wore a red velvet cocktail dress paired with a matching wool coat, blending naturally into the festive atmosphere.

She carried the color red with ease-bright and bold, yet still adorable. When she smiled, her eyes sparkled so brilliantly that everything and everyone around her seemed to lose their luster.

Seeing Zhao Zonglan approach, she stood her ground and waited.

He was tall with long legs, reaching her in just a few strides.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

She gave him a reproachful glare. “I was so out of it from sleeping.”

Zhao Zonglan noticed she was dressed lightly, not even wearing a scarf. Her snowy-white neck was exposed to the cold air; as the wind blew, she shrunk her neck and huddled closer to him.

“Cold?” Zhao Zonglan took her hand.

As expected, it was freezing.

He frowned and ordered someone to fetch a heavy down jacket for her.

“I’m not cold, and I don’t want to wear a down jacket.”

She had dressed this way specifically to take beautiful photos today.

Fairies were resistant to the cold.

Zhao Zonglan didn’t know about her little vanity, nor did he care to ask. He only knew she was a sickly little thing, so he didn’t indulge her.

“If you won’t wear the down jacket, then wear my coat.”

His coat?

Shen Jingni shook her head in refusal.

His overcoat was long and wide. It looked good on him, but if she wore it… it would ruin her fairy image.

Ultimately, she lost to the capitalist and compromised. “I’ll wear the down jacket then.”

However, Shen Jingni didn’t want the capitalist to win too easily.

Leaning against him, she slipped both her icy hands into his coat, pressing them against his waist and abdomen to warm them through his neat vest and shirt.

Zhao Zonglan felt she was becoming increasingly bold.

He looked down with a slight furrow in his brow, meeting those bright eyes of hers. Under the lights, they seemed to ripple with emotion.

“Just help me warm my hands.”

She looked utterly innocent, like a naive child.

Zhao Zonglan pressed his lips into a thin line and simply let her hold him like that.

Many people present witnessed this scene.

No one dared to disturb them, except for Sixth Miss Zhao.

“This must be Miss Shen.”

She walked over slowly, a hint of a smile in her voice. “Just as Third Cousin said, she really is as beautiful as a fairy.”

Seeing someone come over to speak with her, Shen Jingni hastily withdrew from Zhao Zonglan’s embrace and looked at the newcomer in confusion. “And you are?”

“Hello, I am Zhao Yueling.”

Zhao Yueling?

Shen Jingni had some recollection of the name-the Sixth Miss of the Zhao Family, Zhao Zonglan’s sister.

“He-hello, I’m Shen Jingni.”

For some reason, she felt a bit nervous.

Perhaps it was because this was the first member of the Zhao Family she had met who shared a close blood relation with Zhao Zonglan.

The Zhao Family was prestigious and renowned; it was inevitable that she would feel some psychological pressure.

Zhao Yueling found her apprehensive expression quite cute.

She leaned in a bit closer. “Want to come over for a few drinks? I’ll introduce you to a few-”

“Zhao Yueling.”

Zhao Zonglan interrupted her with a cold voice and a dark expression.

Zhao Yueling raised an eyebrow and immediately fell silent.

Fifth Brother’s possessiveness was truly intense.

Shen Jingni stole a glance at Zhao Zonglan and realized that when he had a cold face, he was truly intimidating.

He even scared his own family.

Out of politeness, she spoke in a soft, gentle voice, “I’m terribly sorry, but my stomach isn’t well. I can’t drink any alcohol lately.”

Before Zhao Yueling could respond, Rong Zaiyi’s gentle voice drifted over.

“I actually know a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner who is exceptionally skilled at treating gastrointestinal issues. They are in Yangzhou. If Miss Shen needs it, I can have someone invite the doctor over.”

Shen Jingni had noticed Rong Zaiyi earlier.

But from a distance, she hadn’t seen her face clearly. Now that she was closer, she could get a good look at her features.

Her figure and temperament were superb-gentle, elegant, and poised.

One look was enough to tell she was a young lady from a prestigious family, relaxed yet dignified in her conduct.

“Hello, Miss Shen. I am Rong Zaiyi.”

She gracefully extended her hand, a warm smile on her face. “Yue Ling and I wanted to meet you when we arrived this morning, but we heard you were unwell, so we didn’t want to disturb you.”

Shen Jingni suddenly remembered Zhao Zonglan saying this morning that he wanted to take her to meet a few people.

So it was them.

However, this Miss Rong’s gaze was a bit different.

It wasn’t like Zhao Yueling’s pure admiration and curiosity.

Instead, it was a more complex, subtle scrutiny. Yet, the smile on her face remained impeccable, leaving no room for fault.
Shen Jingni shook hands with her and politely declined her kindness. “I’ve had this problem since I was a child. I’ve seen many doctors, so I just need to be careful in my daily life. There’s no need to go to any trouble.”

Rong Zaiyi merely smiled and said no more.

At that moment, a servant brought over a down jacket and had thoughtfully prepared a scarf.

It was the kind of plush scarf that was integrated with a hat. The brown plush hat even had two antlers on it, making it look both ugly and cute.

Zhao Zonglan tilted his chin, signaling her to put it on.

The jacket was quite standard, so she didn’t have any objections and put it on.

But she didn’t want to wear that ugly hat.

With Rong Zaiyi and Zhao Yueling present, she felt too embarrassed to throw a tantrum. She simply looked at Zhao Zonglan with pleading eyes. “Can I not wear the scarf?”

Zhao Zonglan didn’t say a word.

With a cold expression, he took the hooded scarf from her hands. His tall figure loomed over her as he pulled the hat directly over her head, covering her ears and temples.

Her face looked tiny enveloped by the plush hat, revealing only her bright eyes. Her cheeks puffed out slightly, flushed with a hint of indignant red. She was, perhaps, a bit too cute.

Zhao Zonglan’s lips curled slightly.

Shen Jingni huffed and swatted at his hand.

She gave him a fierce glare.

She hated him so much.

Couldn’t he have dressed her up to look a bit better?

And he was still laughing!

This fairy was very angry.

Rong Zaiyi had almost never seen Zhao Zonglan smile.

No matter where he was, he always maintained a cold, indifferent demeanor-languid, uninterested in anyone, and never caring about others.

At this moment, Rong Zaiyi truly realized that the person who could make him break his rules had appeared.

Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed by something, sour and aching with a bit of pain.

Zhao Yueling glanced at her from the side and let out a silent sigh.

–

Xie Jiqing and Lin Letang’s daughter was nicknamed Tangtang; she was three and a half years old.

Little Tangtang seemed to really like Shen Jingni, clamoring to play with her and following her wherever she went.

Zhao Zonglan had been invited by Song Yanting and the others to go for a drink.

Shen Jingni and Song Yu played with the little girl for a while. They went to the Christmas tree in the central courtyard to take many photos and even exchanged gifts.

Returning to the Moon-Viewing Terrace, Song Yu asked gossipingly, “Did you prepare a Christmas gift for Mr. Zhao?”

“No,” Shen Jingni said while looking at her phone. “Even if I had one, I wouldn’t give it to him.”

He had actually made a fairy wear such an ugly hat and then mocked her.

Unpardonable.

Song Yu found their relationship dynamic very strange.

She couldn’t help but ask, “Are you two together because you actually like each other?”

Their feelings seemed quite shallow.

Shen Jingni kept her eyes down, answering frankly, “It’s just a matter of each getting what we need.”

There was no ‘liking’ to speak of between her and Zhao Zonglan.

Though Song Yu was surprised, this kind of situation wasn’t uncommon in their social circle. It wasn’t exactly rare.

It was just that a relationship without feelings was difficult to sustain in the long run.

Just as Song Yu was about to offer a few words of advice, she saw Wen Shuyi approaching.

She had brewed some stomach-soothing porridge for Shen Jingni. “You haven’t eaten much all day. Have some porridge.”

“Sister Wen is the best,” Shen Jingni said, blowing her a kiss.

Suddenly, Tangtang pointed excitedly at the sky and shouted in a childish voice, “Sister Shen, it’s Santa Claus!”

Shen Jingni looked up.

A clear, rhythmic sound of bells echoed through the air as several reindeer pulled a sleigh across the horizon.

Sitting on the sleigh was a white-bearded Santa Claus.

Thousands of drones were shifting formations in the night sky.

Not only were there reindeer and Santa Claus, but also a massive, glowing Christmas tree, creating a brilliant display of light and shadow.

“Wow, it really is Santa Claus!”

In that moment, Shen Jingni was just like Tangtang, shouting out in excitement.

For a brief time, there was another child on the Moon-Viewing Terrace.

The two ‘children’ watched the sky without blinking, their eyes pure and clear.

They were so happy they were practically jumping for joy.

Zhao Zonglan sat lazily in his chair, his long fingers carelessly stroking his wine glass. His gaze moved past the crowd and the noise, landing on Shen Jingni.

People like them had been steeped in calculations and family power plays since childhood; so-called fairy tales had long been crushed by capital.

Her sense of childlike wonder was, therefore, incredibly precious.

Zhao Zonglan swirled his glass, a faint smile appearing on his handsome face before vanishing instantly.

She really was like a child.