C17 The Act of Shamelessness Was Shattered

"Keep your distance from me." Shen Juchuan used his hand to gently push Su Xiaoyu away by her forehead.

Normally, Su Xiaoyu would have jumped up in protest, but to conquer the high ground that was Shen Juchuan, she was willing to endure a little dissatisfaction.

Shen Juchuan watched Su Xiaoyu, who was still smiling even after being pushed away, and felt something was off.

"What’s going on?" With a slight push of his toe against the floor, Shen Juchuan's chair slid to the side, increasing the distance between them.

Su Xiaoyu's face fell, and she looked at Shen Juchuan with a plaintive expression. "Isn't it true that I twisted my ankle last night?"

Shen Juchuan was a bit out of sync with her pace, but what she said was true. "Yes, so? Does it still hurt? But I see you're moving around just fine."

Su Xiaoyu's eyelid twitched. What did he mean by "moving around just fine"? Hadn't he noticed her lack of energy since she arrived? But now wasn't the time to dwell on that.

"It hurts, a lot." Su Xiaoyu leaned against the desk, feigning pain. "It's all your fault. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have twisted my ankle."

"What does that have to do with me?" Shen Juchuan distanced himself from the blame. "I was the one who helped you out yesterday."

"Weren't there a lot of women trying to get close to you yesterday?"

"Yeah," Shen Juchuan sighed, frowning with displeasure. "It's a hassle being good-looking."

Su Xiaoyu gritted her teeth, swallowing the words she wanted to say, and looked at Shen Juchuan with a resentful gaze. "That's exactly why someone got jealous seeing us together and decided to trip me. Don't tell me you didn't notice someone deliberately tripping me yesterday."

Listening to Su Xiaoyu's accusatory tone, Shen Juchuan's brow furrowed.

"Exactly." Su Xiaoyu swiftly moved in front of Shen Juchuan. "You've already taken me in."

Shen Juchuan suddenly laughed, a bright and sunny kind of laugh that Su Xiaoyu found hard to describe, but it was definitely easy on the eyes.

"See? You're fine. Your movements are pretty smooth," Shen Juchuan said, raising an eyebrow at Su Xiaoyu.

"Ouch, my foot," Su Xiaoyu's mind went blank for a moment. She was so focused on her goal that she forgot the basics.

Shen Juchuan watched her exaggeratedly lift her foot, amusement clear in his eyes.

"Alright, stop pretending. It's not working," Shen Juchuan said, clearing his throat and speaking seriously.

"When did I pretend?" Su Xiaoyu glared at Shen Juchuan, clearly annoyed.

"The sympathy act doesn't work on me," Shen Juchuan grinned at Su Xiaoyu. "What? Got kicked out? Congratulations, really." He paused, thinking. "If you end up on the streets, remember to call the police. The station offers free meals, so you'll have food and shelter."

"You..." Su Xiaoyu glared at Shen Juchuan with resentment. "Do you have any compassion? You're actually gloating."

"Compassion? What's that?" Shen Juchuan raised an eyebrow at Su Xiaoyu, then his expression suddenly turned serious. "It's work time. Do you want me to mark you absent?"

Su Xiaoyu clenched her fists, glaring at Shen Juchuan.

"Hmm?" Shen Juchuan's voice rose at the end as he looked at her.

Su Xiaoyu quickly composed herself. "Yes, sir."

Watching Su Xiaoyu walk out with her back straight, Shen Juchuan smiled silently. She was still too inexperienced to take him on.

As soon as Su Xiaoyu left the CEO's office, her shoulders slumped. She dragged herself to her desk and sat down, feeling defeated.

She had hoped that if Shen Juchuan took her in, she could solve her housing problem, keep an eye on him, and intervene if he tried to bother her brother. But she hadn't expected Shen Juchuan to be so difficult.

All day, Su Xiaoyu felt like she was in a fog, not wanting to end up on the streets. What to do, what to do, she thought, sitting at her desk, her mind racing with possibilities. Just then, the door to the CEO's office opened.

Shen Juchuan stepped out, surprised to see Su Xiaoyu still there. "Why haven't you left yet?"

Su Xiaoyu glanced at him and huffed, saying nothing.

Raising an eyebrow, Shen Juchuan headed toward the elevator. When it dinged open, he paused and turned back to her. "By the way, just a reminder: no one's allowed to stay in the office overnight."

As the elevator doors closed, Su Xiaoyu glared at them, frustrated, and slumped over her desk. After a moment, she suddenly sat up, quickly gathered her things, and headed for the elevator.

Shen Juchuan started his car and drove toward the exit, planning to unwind at a bar that evening.