“Ning-gululu…”

Ning Xiaoruan saw her struggling in the water and laughed gleefully, not even trying to help her. He took delight in her misfortune and even used a teasing tone to mock her. “Xu Jiaojiao, ah, Xu Jiaojiao, you actually can"t swim!”

“Ning Xiaoruan, don"t make trouble!” Mister Ning saw what had happened and berated him from far away.

Ning Xiaoruan stopped smiling. He was afraid of causing an accident, so he wanted to pull Sheng Jiaoyang up. But, someone went ahead of him.

Sheng Jiaoyang floundered in the water, her head filled with thoughts of killing Ning Xiaoruan. However, after struggling for a while, a sense of panic began to overtake her. The suffocating feeling filled her mind, forcing her to completely forget about Ning Xiaoruan. Just as she was about to lose all strength and sink to the bottom, a strong arm looped around her waist and pulled her up.

After taking a breath of fresh air, Sheng Jiaoyang panted as she coughed uncomfortably. The person who"d saved her turned and swam towards the sh.o.r.e. When they reached the shallow area, she didn"t even have the strength to stand on the sand.

Shen Zhining swiftly picked her up and carried her to the sandy sh.o.r.e.

Sheng Jiaoyang was afraid she"d fall and subconsciously wrapped her arms around Shen Zhining"s neck. The light reflected by the droplets of water on his face through her misty gaze made him seem even more eye-catching.

Ning Xiaoruan, who"d finally realised his joke had gone too far, walked alongside them, his voice nervous as he said, “Sorry, Xu Jiaojiao, I didn"t know that you can"t swim.”

“Ning Xiaoruan, I want to see your market research report by tomorrow morning,” Shen Zhining said coldly.

“Didn"t I still have a week left?” Ning Xiaoruan turned pale with fright.

“Do I make the rules, or do you?”

“Come on, Cousin, you can"t just bully me because I bullied your girlfriend…”

Shen Zhining put Sheng Jiaoyang on a cane chair and glanced at Ning Xiaoruan. “Any complaints?”

“…No.” Ning Xiaoruan looked at him with grievances in his eyes. How could he have forgotten how defensive his cousin was.

Madam Ning also walked over and glanced at Ning Xiaoruan with blame in her eyes. Then, she turned to ask Sheng Jiaoyang, “Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

Sheng Jiaoyang shook her head and returned to the villa early.

Madam Ning glared at Ning Xiaoruan as she watched the girl"s lonely figure walk away before turning to look at Shen Zhining. “Shouldn"t you go take a look? Jiaojiao seemed really scared.”

“It"s fine, she"s not a child.” Shen Zhining didn"t care.

“You"re wrong, coaxing a woman has nothing to do with age. She was wronged, so you have to make her feel better. Don"t let her think that you"re inconsiderate,” Madam Ning said.

Shen Zhining nodded half-heartedly.

“Ning Xiaoruan, you aren"t a child anymore, so how could you play such a joke? Are you also this brainless when you"re working? I really don"t know how you even learned how to read!” Mister Ning scolded Ning Xiaoruan.

Yun Qian also joined in on the action. “Cousin, be careful! You won"t ever get a girlfriend if you treat women like that!”

Ning Xiaoruan bared his teeth at his cousin before being scolded by his father again.

Meanwhile, Sheng Jiaoyang returned to the villa and washed up before nestling in the hanging chair by the window. She swayed on it mindlessly as she stared at the endless ocean, her thoughts unknown.

In the evening, Felix brought over some drawing tools. Sheng Jiaoyang didn"t have an appet.i.te and just took a few bites before returning to her room.

“She"s still mad at me.” Ning Xiaoruan felt a bit worried. “Cousin, help me apologise!”

“I"m not the one that made her mad, why should I help you?” Shen Zhining was indifferent.

“Whoever started the trouble must end it. Xiaoruan, since you did it, you must fix it. Don"t depend on other people,” Madam Ning said.

Ning Xiaoruan was at his wits end and could only ask, “Cousin, what does Jiaojiao like?”

What did she like? Shen Zhining frowned, and in front of the anxiously waiting Ning Xiaoruan, pushed away the responsibility. “Go ask her yourself.”

Therefore, a certain idiot knocked on Sheng Jiaoyang"s door late at night with a gold card in hand.

“Jiaojiao, what do you like? I"ll buy it for you!”

Sheng Jiaoyang stared at Ning Xiaoruan for a few seconds before shouting, “I like your sister!” Then, she slammed the door shut.

Ning Xiaoruan was speechless.

Like my sister? Ning Xiaoruan rubbed his head. All his female cousins were the pearls of the family; even if he worked for two lifetimes, he still wouldn"t be able to afford one.Previous ChapterNext Chapter