HBWMA -Chapter 253 With Dad’s Support, Go Win Her Over

In the end, the “dark room” competition was scheduled for the weekend, three days later.

As the three of them walked out of the main hall, their emotions were a complicated mix.

The path back to the courtyard was the same, yet it was rare for the three of them to walk together like this—silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

As they passed by the lakeside pavilion, Shen Qian and Shen Yuan stepped out from inside. This was the only route back to the rear courtyard, and it was clear the two had been lying in wait.

Shen Qingyu felt a trace of irritation. He cast Shen Yuan a faint glance and reluctantly greeted him, “Uncle.”

Shen Lanxi’s expression remained indifferent. “Uncle. Second Uncle.”

Shen Guiling, ever the most courteous, smiled lightly. “Dad, Second Uncle.”

Shen Qian nodded, his gaze sweeping across the three of them. Just as he was about to speak, Shen Lanxi beat him to it. “I have something to do. I’ll take my leave first.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned and headed toward the corridor.

Suppressing his displeasure, Shen Qian turned to Shen Guiling with a smile. “A-Ling, care to take a walk with your father?”

Shen Guiling nodded.

Shen Yuan started, “Qingyu, I also—”

Before he could finish, Shen Qingyu rolled his eyes at Shen Guiling, shoved his hands into his pockets, and walked ahead. Shen Yuan’s expression stiffened, his fists clenching, but in the end, he could only follow behind.

As Shen Lanxi passed through the hanging-flower gate, he suddenly stopped. Turning around, he looked silently through the carved wooden window lattice at the two pairs of father and son standing under the moonlight.

Gao Zhi followed his gaze. “Young Master, are you missing Sir?”

Shen Lanxi turned his eyes to him, saying nothing.

Gao Zhi lowered his head and silently put on his sunglasses.

After a moment of silence, Shen Lanxi stepped forward and continued toward Shen Garden.

On the road home, there was only him—and his shadow.

Shen Qian personally pushed Shen Guiling into Bamboo Garden. As he closed the courtyard gate, the warmth on his face faded slightly. “A-Ling, how is your leg?”

Shen Guiling supported himself on the wheelchair and stood up. He managed to hold himself steady for a full half-minute before sitting back down.

“I’ve made you worry, Dad. It’s actually much better now—I’ve just been using the wheelchair for convenience. Don’t worry, Grandpa has come up with a completely fair test. Even with my leg injury, it won’t affect the outcome.”

A trace of surprise flashed in Shen Qian’s eyes.

He had only asked one question, yet Shen Guiling had perfectly addressed all his concerns. The more time he spent with this son, the more satisfied he became. No wonder the old master had taken a new view of him after just three months in Shen Garden.

Shen Qian patted Shen Guiling’s shoulder. “A-Ling, are you confident about securing the accompanying spot?”

Shen Guiling shook his head, looking slightly ashamed. “I can’t say I’m 100% certain. Shen Lanxi is a formidable opponent. But please rest assured, Dad—I’ll give it my all.”

Shen Lanxi had always been the most outstanding among the three, and Shen Qian had no doubts about that. After a moment’s thought, he patted his shoulder twice more. “Do your best.”

A subtle flicker passed through Shen Guiling’s eyes as he glanced at Shen Qian without drawing attention.

Shen Qian met his gaze. “I heard you’ve been leaving Yu Sheng aside, and she’s quite unhappy about it. What’s this? Do you already have another plan? Taken a liking to the Su family’s daughter?”

Shen Guiling suppressed the sharpness in his eyes, meeting the question head-on. “President Yu intends to use the new policy to win over the rising elite faction. Whether he succeeds depends on whether they accept the olive branch. A new round of presidential elections is about to begin. What you want, Dad, is the president’s daughter—not just the Yu family’s daughter. So…”

Shen Qian’s eyes filled with approval. “Go on.”

Shen Guiling continued, guiding the conversation step by step. “So I think it’s time to change the bait—and the hook. The pond is so large; we can’t just fish for one catch, can we?”

Shen Qian nodded, though a hint of hesitation lingered in his gaze. “If that’s the case, what about the Su family’s young lady?”

Shen Guiling replied, “Su Miao is still young. Old Master Su values her highly and will surely keep her close for a few more years. We might as well leave her aside for now.”

Shen Qian still felt something was off. “But what if, while you’re leaving her aside, someone else hooks her first?”

Shen Guiling raised his eyes and smiled. “Dad should have a little confidence in me, right? She’s already bitten my hook—how could she be so easily reeled in by someone else?”

He rarely smiled like this. The slight lift of his eyelids carried a hint of unrestrained charm, making him look both gentle and aloof.

Facing that face of Shen Guiling’s, Shen Qian found himself unable to argue. After thinking it over, he didn’t see anything wrong and nodded. “Since you already have a plan, do as you wish. But remember—don’t go too far.”

The smile in Shen Guiling’s eyes became more genuine. “Don’t worry, Dad.”

“Mm, get some rest.”

Shen Qian originally wanted to say a few more things, but seeing how sensible Shen Guiling was, he felt he might be overthinking it.

Just as he was about to leave, something occurred to him. His expression turned slightly hesitant. “A-Ling, what do you think of Shanshan?”

Shen Guiling’s eyelids lifted slightly, and the smile at the corner of his lips faded a bit. “What do you mean, what do I think?”

Shen Qian said, “People say that girl is crazy, impossible to reason with, and hard to get along with. What do you think?”

Shen Guiling fell silent.

Shen Qian was a little surprised and teased lightly, “Why aren’t you saying anything? Is she really that troublesome?”

Without changing expression, Shen Guiling observed Shen Qian and asked instead, “Why are you suddenly concerned about her?”

Shen Qian replied, “Isn’t it because your grandfather dotes on her too much? That girl has a bizarre personality and isn’t someone you can afford to offend. From what I see, she’s extremely harsh even toward Lanxi and Qingyu.”

Thinking about how Jiang Huashan had actually dared to kick Shen Qingyu in front of Shen Zhuang, Shen Qian couldn’t help but admire her boldness. At the same time, it refreshed his understanding of just how favored she was.

Shen Guiling: “……”

Seeing him stay silent, Shen Qian cleared his throat. “A-Ling, how about you try to win Jiang Huashan over?”

“!” Shen Guiling’s eyes trembled. Of all the emotions he’d shown tonight, this one was the most genuine. He stared at Shen Qian in a daze. “Father, she is my nominal younger sister.”

Shen Qian froze for a moment, then quickly reacted. “What are you thinking? I’m still your father—how could I let you ruin your own future? I mean, you should win her over, take care of her more in the name of an elder brother.”

“Oh.” Shen Guiling lowered his eyes, his reaction lukewarm.

Seeing this, Shen Qian nodded as if he understood. “I know it’s a bit unreasonable to ask you to curry favor with a little girl, but who told her to be the old master’s darling? It’s too late now. If I’d known how much the old master valued her, I would’ve acknowledged her back then. Now she’s been taken advantage of by the third branch for nothing.”

At the mention of Shen Qian possibly acknowledging Jiang Huashan, that earlier discomfort in Shen Guiling intensified.

He took a deep breath. “It’s not that I’m unwilling to share your burden, Dad. It’s just that… she’s hard to serve.”

He deliberately used the word “serve” to emphasize how much of a compromise this would be for him.

Shen Qian said, “She’s just a young girl, maybe a bit difficult. Put in some effort, and she should still be manageable. A-Ling, is there something troubling you?”

Shen Guiling hesitated, unsure how to explain.

Shen Qian suddenly understood. “A-Ling, is it that you look down on her—”

“Dad…” Shen Guiling interrupted, “I’m short on money.”

Shen Qian was taken aback.

Shen Guiling averted his gaze, the tips of his ears turning slightly red. “I’ve used all the pocket money Grandpa gave me for research funding at Meilian High. When I interact with other girls, it’s mostly arranged by Aunt and you, so it doesn’t cost much. But Jiang Huashan… she’s extremely hedonistic, extravagant, vain, and loves to compare…”

That bad?

Shen Qian was momentarily stunned. After all, his son had never spoken ill of anyone since childhood.

But Shen Guiling’s awkward expression didn’t seem fake, which made Shen Qian feel a bit guilty.

Thinking about it, he realized that as a father, he had never really given his son pocket money before.

Times were different now. Shen Qian was placing increasing importance on Shen Guiling. Without hesitation, he took out a black card from his pocket.

“This is my oversight. Take this card—it’ll make things more convenient for you in the future.”

“How much can a little girl spend on vanity? Just make sure you keep her happy.”