"That's right, what you said is very true. You understand your position thoroughly. I am very pleased with that, but..."
As he spoke, Sheng Chenjin leaned down to look into Shi Xinxin's eyes, their distance a mere ten centimeters. "Do you know who I am?"
Indeed, Sheng Chenjin had finally admitted it. His acknowledgment of the vast difference in their social statuses meant he was admitting to everything he had done before.
Shi Xinxin let out a cold snort. "So? You admit my insignificance and now you want to flaunt your superiority? You're the famous chairman of an international conglomerate, the Sheng Shao whom everyone desires to win over, aren't you?"
Sheng Chenjin wasn't angered by Shi Xinxin's words. He spoke calmly, "You've only told half the story. That is merely my public persona. In the eyes of the world, that's who I am. But in our world, it's not like that."
Shi Xinxin expected him to reveal the identities of debtor and creditor. Instead, to her surprise, Sheng Chenjin looked at her with his uniquely charming voice and said, "In our world, I am simply a man who wishes to claim you as his own."
The moment Sheng Chenjin finished speaking, lightning flashed and thunder boomed outside the cave, startling Shi Xinxin. Sheng Chenjin, however, remained unfazed.
"See? This is my true identity before you. Even heaven is indignant on my behalf, to be so misunderstood." Sheng Chenjin withdrew his hand and leisurely returned to his original position.
Shi Xinxin felt a touch of awkwardness. If it weren't for the dim light in the cave, anyone could have seen the blush on her face, a color akin to the firelight on the cave walls.
Yet, upon closer thought, if Sheng Chenjin had always maintained a cold demeanor, would so many people be drawn to him?
If it were merely about money, there were plenty of playboys for the socialites to choose from. Why did they all dote on Sheng Chenjin? It must be his skill in charming women.
The line, "a man who wishes to claim you as his own," was indeed a clever tactic. She had almost fallen for it.
"Is it with such sweet talk that Young Master Sheng makes all those socialites and noblewomen lose their senses over you?"
Sheng Chenjin chuckled weakly. This little editor truly only saw what was in front of her. "I don't know how to explain it to you. Ye Yun's incident that day had nothing to do with me. I was framed. But I am curious about one thing."
He looked at Shi Xinxin. "Don't you find it strange that I could sleep soundly, as if nothing happened, while you two were arguing in the room?"
His question immediately brought Shi Xinxin back to that day. When Ye Yun had been so aggressive in the room, she had looked at Sheng Chenjin countless times. He had remained lying in bed, his expressionless face appearing as if he were asleep. But given Ye Yun's volume at the time, he should have been disturbed. Yet, there wasn't a trace of annoyance on Sheng Chenjin's face.
If he were pretending to sleep, there would be no need. If Sheng Chenjin had truly orchestrated such a scheme with Ye Yun to mock Shi Xinxin, he could have easily gotten up at that moment and exposed her identity, which would have been far more hurtful than Ye Yun's words.
There would have been no need to assign roles of the "bad cop" and "good cop," allowing Ye Yun to play out the entire scene alone. Still, Shi Xinxin remained somewhat uncertain, as Sheng Chenjin had only revealed half the story, without making a full confession.
"So, you weren't pretending to sleep that day?" Shi Xinxin asked cautiously.
Sheng Chenjin smiled. "That's precisely why I'm here today. I came to let you guess whether I was faking sleep or if I was actually drugged that day."
In the darkness of the cave, Shi Xinxin glanced at Sheng Chenjin. Who would be so absurd, venturing into a disaster zone on such a miserable day, just to play a guessing game with someone?
All logic and deduction pointed to Sheng Chenjin not pretending to sleep that day, but rather being drugged. His presence here was proof enough.
Even if he had been pretending before, the fact that Sheng Chenjin had braved such danger to specifically find her in this situation touched Shi Xinxin deeply.
However, Sheng Chenjin's refusal to give a definitive answer kept her on edge. Even if they both knew the truth, a clear statement was still needed for confirmation.
But Sheng Chenjin's persistent silence was maddening.
"I'm sorry, but I don't like playing these guessing games with you."
"And I don't like you calling me Sheng Shao."
The moment Shi Xinxin finished speaking, Sheng Chenjin immediately responded. He detested the title "Sheng Shao," a name bestowed upon him by those clever socialites who thought he would like it.
In reality, Sheng Chenjin found it extremely irritating, and he was surprised Shi Xinxin used the same appellation. After saying this, Sheng Chenjin let out a soft sigh.
Shi Xinxin had a point. This back-and-forth guessing game was indeed tiresome. But the words were on the tip of his tongue, yet he couldn't bring himself to say them. "Did she not understand what I meant by 'claiming you as my own'? Must I say it aloud? How can this be achieved?"
Meanwhile, Shi Xinxin looked at him with a frustrated expression. "You've only said half of it. Is it that difficult to say the rest?"
If he had come all this way specifically to find her, braving such immense risks, wasn't it worth him saying that one sentence? What kind of chairman was he?
She couldn't possibly be the one to chase after him and ask him directly, thus becoming the "phoenix woman" aiming to climb into the chairman's life.
And he didn't like her calling him Sheng Shao. Weren't those other women calling him so intimately? Although Shi Xinxin thought this, she understood very well that Sheng Chenjin was not the playboy others perceived him to be.
"If I told you that I was also being set up that day, would you believe me?"
"Ah?" Shi Xinxin, who had been blaming Sheng Chenjin, was taken aback by his sudden statement. "What do you mean?"
"When I went to get drinks that day, I ran into that woman. She spilled a drink on my pants. While I was in the restroom cleaning it, she drugged my wine."
Shi Xinxin listened as if hearing a story, not fully grasping the gravity of the situation. In Sheng Chenjin's eyes, anyone who dared to drug him deserved to die.
"That drug was very potent. According to the normal way of drinking champagne, I would have ingested only a small amount of it. But that day..."