He wants to adopt a younger sister, but his aloof wife disagrees.

Su Xiaoruan was so angry she laughed.

Ban her?

This was probably the funniest joke she'd ever heard in her life. Even the Rothschild family wouldn't dare say something like that, so who did this bald old man think he was?

"Then try banning one of them?" Su Xiaoruan shook off Zhou Yu's hand, her eyes sharp.

Just when the two sides were deadlocked and the atmosphere was tense.

The door to the private room was slowly pushed open from the outside.

There was no violent kicking of the door, nor any loud shouting.

The door opened very gently and gracefully.

But the powerful aura that followed instantly froze the air in the private room.

Everyone instinctively looked towards the doorway.

A man and a woman walked in, arm in arm.

Jiang Che changed into a tailored, all-black suit. The perfectly tailored fabric hugged his tall, upright figure, and a dark gray tie was tied around the collar of his white shirt. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, which concealed the sharpness in his eyes, making him look like a refined and elegant scholar, or... a devil who had just stepped down from the negotiating table.

He had one hand in his pocket, walked with ease, and even had a faint smile on his face.

But the oppressive aura emanating from him instantly lowered the temperature in the private room to freezing point.

Shen Qingge took his arm.

She changed into a black velvet gown, draped with a white mink shawl. Her long hair was styled in an updo, revealing her slender neck and a set of priceless pearl jewelry. Her makeup was exquisite and aloof; her red lips were slightly pursed, and her phoenix eyes swept across the private room. Wherever her gaze fell, the greasy middle-aged men unconsciously shrank back.

"It seems we've arrived just in time."

Jiang Che's voice was warm and clear, echoing in the deathly silent private room:

"I heard someone wants to blacklist my sister?"

"As the older brother, I came here specifically to see for myself."

The moment Su Xiaoruan saw Jiang Che, her tense nerves snapped.

All the grievances, anger, and fear turned into tears in an instant.

"elder brother……"

She cried out, not caring about saving face, and ran straight over to Jiang Che, throwing herself into his arms.

Jiang Che reached out a hand and caught her steadily, gently patting her back, but his eyes remained fixed on the bald man, not looking away for a moment.

"Don't be afraid."

Jiang Che gently coaxed the girl in his arms, his tone as tender as if he were soothing a baby:

"I'm here."

The people in the private room were stunned.

The bald man looked at Jiang Che and felt that he looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he was.

But Director Wang, being a school leader, was worldly-wise. He stared at Jiang Che for a few seconds, then suddenly his expression changed drastically, and he jumped up, overturning his chair in the process.

"Mr. Jiang... Mr. Jiang?!"

Director Wang's voice trembled: "You...you've come?"

"President Jiang?" The bald man paused, then asked, "Which President Jiang?"

"Sky Capital... Jiang Che." Director Wang stammered out the name.

boom--!

It was as if a thunderbolt had struck the private room.

The bald man's wine glass fell to the ground with a "clatter" and shattered into pieces.

Zhou Yu was so frightened that his legs went weak and he collapsed into the chair.

Sky Capital? Jiang Che?

That legendary business tycoon who controls hundreds of billions in assets and wields absolute power in Jianghai City?!

He... he's Su Xiaoruan's brother?!

"So everyone knows me."

Jiang Che helped Su Xiaoruan slowly take off her glasses, took out a handkerchief from her pocket, and gently wiped the lenses.

His movements were slow and elegant, but in the eyes of the crowd, it looked like Death sharpening his knife.

"Since we know each other, things will be easier."

Jiang Che put his glasses back on and his gaze fell on the bald man who was now pale with fright:

"You just said you wanted to ban 'Little Soft'?"

"Which company do you work for? What's your name?"

The bald man was now drenched in sweat and unable to speak: "I...I...President Jiang...it's a misunderstanding...it's all a misunderstanding..."

"Misunderstand?"

Jiang Che chuckled softly and turned to look at Shen Qingge:

"Qingge, it seems our deterrent power in Jianghai City isn't strong enough. Someone actually dares to say such things to my face."

Shen Qingge coldly looked at everyone in the room, her voice as cold as ice:

"I've already had Han Xiao investigate. This is General Manager Liu of 'Hongda Entertainment,' which is basically a shell company that started with online live streaming. As for this student Zhou..."

Shen Qingge's gaze fell on Zhou Yu, her eyes filled with disgust:

"Zhou's Trading mainly deals in imported wine. They are currently applying for entry into a shopping mall under the Shen Group."

At this point, Shen Qingge paused, a cruel smile curling at the corner of her lips:

"Notify the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Commerce tomorrow morning."

"Hongda Entertainment is suspected of tax evasion and unfair competition. We have submitted the materials to the tax bureau."

"As for Zhou's trading..."

"Permanently blacklist them. And notify all partners that anyone who dares to do business with the Zhou family is going against the Shen Group."

"No! Mr. Shen! Mr. Shen, please spare me!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu completely broke down. If his father knew that he had ruined the family business because of a single meal, he would definitely break his legs!

He knelt down with a thud, sobbing uncontrollably, "Su! Xiao Ruan! I know I was wrong! I really didn't know you were President Jiang's sister! Please, please plead for me!"

Su Xiaoruan lifted her head from Jiang Che's embrace.

She looked at the boy on the ground, making a complete fool of himself, and then at the steady, mountain-like man beside her.

The grievances I felt had long since vanished.

She wiped away her tears and said coldly:

"Weren't you so arrogant just now? Now you know to beg for mercy?"

"It's too late."

Jiang Che did not give these people another chance to speak.

He put his arm around Su Xiaoruan's shoulder and said to Shen Qingge:

"The air here is too stuffy, let's go."

"Mm." Shen Qingge nodded and took Jiang Che's other arm.

The three turned and left.

As Jiang Che reached the door, he suddenly stopped.

He turned around and glanced at Director Wang, who was now slumped on the ground:

"Director Wang, right?"

"As a teacher, instead of nurturing students, you're just a pimp. It's a disgrace to Jianghai University to have a teacher like you."

"I will call the principal myself tomorrow."

"You should write your own resignation letter. Be respectable."

After saying that, Jiang Che walked out of the private room without looking back.

All that remained was a room full of despairing people and a mess on the floor.

……

On the way home.

The atmosphere was very quiet.

Su Xiaoruan sat in the back seat, head down, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes, without saying a word.

Jiang Che glanced at her through the rearview mirror as he drove.

"Still crying?" Jiang Che asked gently.

"No..." Su Xiaoruan sniffed, her voice muffled, "I just feel pretty useless. I'm already a freshman in college, but when something like this happens, all I can do is cry, and I still have to rely on my older brothers and sisters to save the day."

"Silly girl."

Shen Qingge, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around and reached out to take her hand:

"It's not that you're useless. It's a matter of experience. You're still young and haven't seen the wickedness of people's hearts. In the future, if you encounter something like this, call us immediately. Don't try to tough it out on your own."

"But..." Su Xiaoruan raised her head, her eyes red, "I want to become stronger. I want to be like my sister, able to scare them so badly they wet themselves with just a few words."

"You will."

Jiang Che's voice came from the front:

"Everyone's path to growth is different. Your sister fought her way up in the business world, while you shine on the stage."

"Little Softie, don't rush to grow up."

"As long as your brother is still here, you can still be that little girl who cries when she's wronged and laughs when she's happy."

"As for those storms that want to hurt you..."

Jiang Che gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes resolute:

"I'll stand guard outside for you."

Su Xiaoruan watched Jiang Che's retreating figure.

The light and shadow of the streetlights mingled on him.

In that instant, the love in her heart was so intense that it almost overflowed.

"elder brother……"

"You're so good to me, how could I not like you?"

"But I also know that this kindness is for my younger sister."

Su Xiaoruan closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair.

Outside the car window, the rain started falling again.

Fine raindrops pattered against the glass, blurring the city's neon lights.

That night, some people couldn't sleep because they had lost their business.

Some people feel both warm and heartbroken because they are being protected.

For Jiang Che, it was just an ordinary night.

Protecting his family is his instinct, and also the meaning of his existence.

...

...

In November, the autumn colors of Jianghai City were already deep.

The continuous drizzle showed no sign of stopping, shrouding the entire city in a hazy, damp mist. The plane trees lining the streets had almost all lost their leaves, leaving only bare branches shivering in the cold wind. The temperature plummeted, catching everyone off guard and bringing the arrival of winter unexpectedly.

At six o'clock in the morning, before the sky was fully bright, a warm yellow light was already lit in the kitchen of the main building of the Qingche Manor.

A rich, overpowering aroma filled the air. It was the unique scent of hairy crabs, mixed with the fragrance of lard, scallions, ginger, and Shaoxing wine, slowly permeating the warm room.

Jiang Che was wearing a simple white loungewear T-shirt with a dark blue apron tied around his neck. He stood in front of the central island counter, his expression focused as if he were performing a delicate surgery.

Before him were thirty freshly steamed Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs. Each one had a green back and white belly, golden claws and yellow hair, and was now steamed until it was a bright red, radiating an enticing heat.

Today, he's going to make a very time-consuming dish called "Crab Roe Noodles".

This dish is all about purity. It contains no crab meat, only crab roe and crab fat.

Jiang Che's slender fingers held the specialized crab-eating tools with practiced elegance. He cut open the crab legs, removed the crab meat (to be used later), lifted the crab shell, and carefully scraped off the golden crab roe and creamy crab paste with a small spoon.

This is an extremely patient-testing process. Thirty crabs can only yield two small bowls of the finest essence.

But he did it calmly and patiently. The rain pattered softly outside the window, and the indoor light was warm and tranquil. He enjoyed the process of preparing food for his family.

After some time, the sound of slippers scraping against the floor came from the stairs.

"elder brother……"

With messy curly hair and a pink teddy bear in her arms, Su Xiaoruan squinted as she floated into the kitchen.

She was wearing a fluffy, creamy-white onesie with two bunny ears on the hood that swayed as she moved. Having just woken up, her cheeks were rosy, and there was even a hint of suspicious glistening at the corner of her mouth.

"It smells so good..."

Su Xiaoruan snuggled up to Jiang Che, sniffing like a puppy: "What kind of divine scent is this? It smells even better than my perfume!"

"woke up?"

Jiang Che stopped what he was doing, turned to look at her, and said with a smile in his eyes, "Go wash your face and brush your teeth. We'll be eating soon."

"This is... crab roe noodles?!"

Su Xiaoruan's eyes widened instantly at the bowl of golden, glistening crab roe, her drowsiness vanishing completely: "My god! So much crab roe! Brother, you're so extravagant! How much does this bowl cost?"

"We're eating at home, why are we talking about money?"

Jiang Che removed the last bit of crab roe and began rendering the oil.

Melt the lard in a pot, add scallions and ginger and fry until fragrant, then remove the residue. Then pour in the crab roe and crab paste and simmer over low heat.

"Sizzle—"

Golden oil bubbles churned, and the aroma exploded instantly.

Jiang Che poured in Shaoxing wine to remove the fishy smell, added a little bit of balsamic vinegar to enhance the flavor, and finally sprinkled in some salt and pepper.

A pot of golden, glistening, and fragrant crab roe oil is ready.

Meanwhile, the water in the pot next to him had already boiled. Jiang Che grabbed a handful of handmade thin noodles and threw them in. The noodles rolled around in the boiling water, only needing to be cooked for two minutes, then scooped out, rinsed with cold water, drained, and placed in a white porcelain bowl.

"Take it out."

Jiang Che poured a generous spoonful of crab roe oil over the noodles. The golden sauce instantly coated the white noodles, creating a visually stunning and mouthwatering sight.

"Yes, sir!"

Su Xiaoruan carefully held the bowl as if it were some rare treasure, and walked towards the restaurant, turning back every few steps.

Just then, the sound of a door opening came from the entryway.

A gust of cold wind, mixed with the dampness of rain, rushed in.

Shen Qingge is back.

She worked overtime at the company all night to handle the follow-up matters of the merger and acquisition case, and only managed to doze off for a short while in the office break room in the early hours of the morning. She rushed back to change clothes early this morning.

"Sis! You're back!"

Su Xiaoruan put down her bowl and excitedly ran over to greet him: "Come and eat noodles! I made super delicious crab roe noodles!"

Shen Qingge was changing her shoes.

Her movements were somewhat slow.

Today she wore a dark camel cashmere coat over a black business suit. Her usually sharp and sophisticated attire couldn't hide her exhaustion.

Her face was very pale, not the healthy, cool pale she usually wore, but a sickly, deathly white. Her lips were also bloodless, dry and chapped. Her usually bright and sharp phoenix eyes were now somewhat cloudy, with bloodshot veins in the center, and her gaze was unfocused.

"Mmm...smells so good."

Shen Qingge forced a smile, her voice hoarse as if she had grit in her throat.

She took off her coat and hung it on the hanger. Her body seemed to sway slightly, and she reached out to hold onto the shoe cabinet to steady herself.

"Sis? What's wrong?"

Su Xiaoruan keenly sensed that something was wrong and quickly stepped forward to support her: "You look terrible, are you feeling unwell?"

"It's nothing." Shen Qingge waved her hand, took a deep breath, and tried to clear her head. "I'm just a little tired. I didn't sleep well last night. I'd like to have some water first."

Jiang Che also came out of the kitchen at this moment.

The moment he saw Shen Qingge, his brows furrowed instantly.

He walked over quickly, without saying a word, and directly reached out and touched Shen Qingge's forehead.

Scalding hot.

The temperature was frighteningly high, at least 39 degrees Celsius or higher.

"You call this nothing?"

Jiang Che's voice instantly turned serious, his tone carrying a hint of reproach and barely concealed heartache: "You're burning up like this and you're still forcing yourself? Are you made of iron?"

Shen Qingge leaned weakly against him, feeling the coolness of his large hand on her forehead, and sighed contentedly.

"The office air conditioner probably broke down last night... I caught a bit of a chill..."

"Stop talking."

Without saying a word, Jiang Che bent down, put one hand under her legs and the other hand around her back, and picked her up horizontally.

"Noodles..." Shen Qingge mumbled, pointing to the restaurant, "Xiao Ruan is still waiting..."

"What noodles? Get your illness treated first."

Jiang Che carried her and strode upstairs, saying to Su Xiaoruan without turning his head, "Xiaoruan, you eat first. Don't wait for us."

Su Xiaoruan stood at the top of the stairs, watching her brother carry her sister-in-law up the stairs in a hurry. Looking at her sister-in-law's limp hands, the worry in her heart instantly overwhelmed her appetite.

She glanced at the tempting bowl of crab roe noodles on the table, gritted her teeth, and without touching her chopsticks, turned and ran into the kitchen to boil water.

……

Second floor, master bedroom.

Jiang Che gently placed Shen Qingge on the bed.

At this moment, Shen Qingge was completely delirious with fever. Just now downstairs she was barely holding on, but now, the moment she touched the bed, an overwhelming sense of dizziness and exhaustion instantly engulfed her.

She huddled under the covers, trembling uncontrollably, muttering incoherently, "Cold...so cold..."

Jiang Che felt a pang of heartache, as if he were being pricked by needles, when he saw her so vulnerable.

He quickly turned on the heater and increased the temperature. Then he went to the bathroom, filled a basin with warm water, and took a clean towel.

"Qingge, take off your wet clothes first."

Jiang Che sat on the edge of the bed and helped her sit up to lean against him.

Shen Qingge's business attire was soaked with cold sweat, sticking to her body and feeling sticky and uncomfortable.

Jiang Che gently unbuttoned her suit jacket, then took off her coat and then her shirt.

Shen Qingge closed her eyes and let him do as he pleased.

The moment the shirt was taken off, Jiang Che's eyes darkened.

She was incredibly thin. Her collarbones were deeply sunken, and her ribs were faintly visible. The intense work she had been doing lately had made her already slender figure even thinner. Her skin was almost translucent white, and under the warm yellow light, it radiated a heartbreaking fragility.

Jiang Che took a warm towel and gently wiped her body.

From the forehead, to the neck, then to the back and arms.

The warm steam carried away some of the heat and also the sticky discomfort.

Shen Qingge's trembling subsided slightly.

Jiang Che took out a set of light pink, soft, and breathable cotton pajamas from the closet and helped her change into them.

After doing all that, he took out an electronic thermometer and took her temperature behind her ear.

39.5 degrees.

high fever.

"Damn it," Jiang Che cursed under his breath.

He got up and rummaged through the medicine box for fever reducers and cold medicine.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door.

"elder brother……"

Su Xiaoruan walked in carrying a glass of warm water and a box of fever-reducing patches.

She looked at Shen Qingge, who was lying on the bed with a flushed face and rapid breathing, and asked softly, "How are you, sister? Is it serious?"

"high fever."

Jiang Che took the water and fever-reducing patches: "It's good that you brought fever-reducing patches. Go, turn on the humidifier over there, it's too dry in the room."

"Okay! Great!"

Su Xiaoruan quickly ran to turn on the humidifier and drew the curtains tightly shut, leaving only a dim bedside lamp on.

Jiang Che helped Shen Qingge up and gave her fever-reducing medicine.

Shen Qingge felt terrible; her throat was so dry it felt like it was on fire, and even swallowing pills was difficult.

"Sweetie, open your mouth. Just take a sip of water."

Jiang Che patiently coaxed her, bringing the cup to her lips.

Shen Qingge forced down a sip, her brows furrowed tightly, and a single tear even welled up in the corner of her eye.

Jiang Che gently wiped away the tear with his fingertip and placed the fever-reducing patch on her burning forehead.

"Okay, go to sleep. You'll feel better after a good night's sleep and you'll sweat it out."

Jiang Che tucked her in, sat on the edge of the bed, and held one of her hands.

Shen Qingge seemed to feel safe, her brows slowly relaxed, and although her breathing was still a little heavy, it gradually became steady.

Su Xiaoruan stood at the foot of the bed, watching this scene.

She looked at the usually decisive and all-powerful female CEO, now lying on the bed like a fragile porcelain doll.

The usually calm and reserved older brother, however, had eyes full of anxiety and tenderness as he stayed by her side without leaving her side for a moment.

That kind of atmosphere doesn't allow any third person to get in.

Su Xiaoruan felt a pang of sadness, but more than that, she felt moved and relieved.

"So this is what it means to support each other through thick and thin."

"Brother, you really love her."

Su Xiaoruan quietly left the room and gently closed the door.

……

Shen Qingge slept very soundly, but also very restlessly.

In her dream, she seemed to have returned to that cold orphanage, back to those days when she had to wear a mask and fight her way through the marketplace just to survive. Surrounded by wolves and tigers, everyone was eyeing the prey in her hands, everyone wanted to drag her down from her pedestal.

"No...don't..."

She waved her hands wildly, trying to grasp at some straw.

"I am here."

A warm, strong hand caught her flailing hands and held them tightly.

That voice was like a lighthouse piercing through the fog.

"Qingge, don't be afraid. I'm here."

Shen Qingge suddenly opened her eyes.

What came into view was the familiar bedroom ceiling and that familiar figure.

Jiang Che remained seated on the edge of the bed. He seemed to have remained motionless, though his T-shirt was slightly wrinkled and there were faint dark circles under his eyes.

A hint of surprise flashed in Jiang Che's eyes when he saw her wake up.

"woke up?"

He reached out and touched her forehead, then stroked her neck.

He was covered in sweat.

"The fever's gone down." Jiang Che breathed a sigh of relief, his tense nerves finally relaxing. "How are you feeling? Does your head still hurt?"

Shen Qingge blinked, her consciousness slowly returning.

She felt as if her body had been run over by a truck, aching and weak, with no strength left. But the burning dizziness had disappeared.

"Much better..."

When Shen Qingge opened her mouth, she realized that her voice was terribly hoarse.

"Don't speak yet."

Jiang Che picked up the warm honey water that had been sitting next to him, inserted a straw, and handed it to her: "To soothe your throat."

Shen Qingge drank a few sips of water and felt her throat feel better.

She looked at Jiang Che, her eyes slightly moist, revealing a vulnerability and dependence born from the recovery from a serious illness:

"What time is it?"

"Two o'clock in the afternoon." Jiang Che glanced at his watch. "You slept for six hours."

"Two points?!"

Shen Qingge was startled and struggled to sit up: "Oh no... there's a video conference at 3 PM... it's about the handover of the Scent brand..."

"Lie back down."