Shen Yelan ate for another minute. Then she looked up at Shen Chengwei. "Dad, can I have some money?"
The moment those words came out, Shen Chengwei frowned immediately.
"Why? Are you unhappy with what you already have? Or do you think that just because you've come back to a rich family, you can start wasting money? Let me make something clear, Shen Yelan. I will not raise a spoiled brat as my daughter."
Shen Wanwan lowered her head slightly, hiding the satisfaction in her eyes.
Do you see this, Shen Yelan? This is the difference between you and me. I don't even have to ask and I get millions every month. Meanwhile, you don't even get a penny, even when you beg for it.
Beside her, Shen Yucheng frowned slightly. For some reason, hearing his father speak like that made him uncomfortable. It was just money. Why did it sound like Shen Yelan had committed some terrible crime by asking?
Shen Yelan mentally scoffed at Shen Chengwei's words but did not show it on her face. "It's not like that, Dad. I looked into Dexing High School and found out that it is a boarding school. So I thought I should buy some dorm supplies before joining."
She said it like getting into Dexing was already decided. Which, honestly, was.
To go to Dexing, one needed to have money which Shen Chengwei did not lack. The placement exam was just to figure out which grade they'd put her in.
Only after Shen Yelan mentioned that Shen Chengwei remembered the school dorm situation. Actually, one of the reasons he chose that school was exactly because it was boarding, even though it cost him a lot. He just could not tolerate seeing this girl's face every day.
"Fine," he said grudgingly. He reluctantly took out a couple of bills from his wallet and handed it to the nearby maid who then gave them to Shen Yelan.
Shen Yelan stared at the money in her hand and internally sneered. It wasn't even enough to buy a decent school bag. Still, she did not complain and put a smile on her face.
"Thank you, Dad."
Anyways, getting money was not her goal in the first place. She just needed an excuse to leave the estate without raising any suspicion.
But that does not mean she would let Shen Chengwei humiliate her like this and get away with it. Under the table, her fingers moved across her phone screen without looking down. After a few taps, she slid the phone back into her pocket and continued eating.
Once the meal was finished, the maids had cleared everything away while the family moved to the gazebo in the garden for evening tea.
Normally, Shen Yelan would go straight back to her room after eating, but today, she decided to go along with them. Last time, she was stopped by a maid from entering the garden. Now, she could finally look around.
The moment Feng Xin noticed her following behind, surprise flashed briefly across her face. Shen Wanwan also paused slightly. They just glanced at each other with a knowing look and smiled to themselves. It was quite obvious that Shen Yelan was trying to fit in and be a part of this family.
How laughable.
But they didn't say it out loud. Instead, they just pretended she wasn't there and went back to their conversation. Shen Yelan didn't mind. She found a spot by the window and watched the garden outside get darker as the evening settled in. She must say, the garden in the estate was really beautiful. She had heard that Feng Xin really loved flowers and had them imported from all over the world.
Sometimes in between, Shen Chengwei's phone rang. He was laughing at something Shen Yucheng had said from his school trip and hit the speaker button without thinking much about it.
"Speak."
"Boss, there's a problem with the riverside resort project."
The smile on Shen Chengwei's face slowly disappeared. He put the tea cup down.
"What kind of problem?"
"During excavation, the workers discovered large amounts of clay soil underneath. The engineers are saying construction may not be possible on this land. The news has already leaked somehow and has been picked up by two media outlets. The investors are already making calls."
The air around them changed.
Feng Xin and Shen Wanwan looked at Shen Chengwei worriedly. Even Feng Yucheng got serious.
Because both of them knew exactly what this project meant.
It was the biggest project the company had taken on in years. They had spent an entire year just looking for the perfect location. The land alone had cost hundreds of millions. Because of this project, the Shen family's status had risen higher than it had ever been before. Shen Chengwei had even predicted that once the resort was finished, their family might finally break into the circle of top families in the city.
So how could such a huge problem suddenly appear now?
Shen Chengwei was not a careless man. He had checked this project from every angle before committing to it.
"When did this happen?"
"About half an hour ago."
Shen Chengwei's eyes narrowed slowly. He wasn't stupid. He knew someone was messing with him. Things like this didn't just happen in thirty minutes unless someone had been waiting for the right moment to strike. After all, he had a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled in less than two weeks to officially begin the construction.
"Find out who is behind this," he said, standing up, " And call the investors. Let them know that we will soon give them an explanation."
"Yes, sir."
He ended the call.
"Dad, will everything be okay?" Shen Wanwan asked him.
Shen Chengwei looked at her, and his expression softened. He reached over and patted her head gently. "Don't worry. Your dad will handle it."
"Umm," Shen Wanwan nodded obediently, but the worry was visible in her eyes.
Shen Chengwei turned around and left.
At this moment, none of them noticed Shen Yelan leisurely sipping tea with a smile on her face.
It was a good tea.