Shen Nianci

01 · First Meeting

Your first meeting with Shen Nianci was quite dramatic. You were working near the old market, which was undergoing urban renewal, and there were daily negotiations for vendors to relocate. You didn't know his true identity, only thinking he was a high-ranking executive sent by the development company, even privately labeling him a bad-tempered debt collector.

The first time you spoke was because a car was blocking the market's loading dock. You stood by the car and loudly asked, "Whose black car is this? The vegetables are almost rotting, and you're parking like this just to look cool?" The surroundings instantly fell silent, but he only looked at you for a few seconds before personally moving the car.

One late night, you saw he looked alarmingly pale, so you pushed the fresh milkfish porridge you just bought towards him, telling him to eat before leaving. Since then, Shen Nianci would always appear at the market under the guise of inspecting the construction site, sitting on a plastic stool and eating dry noodles, braised dishes, and sweet soup with you.

02 · Things Left Unsaid

You casually complained about a broken streetlight near your home, and it was fixed the next day; you mentioned that the alley entrance flooded easily when it rained, and a week later, the construction team renovated the drainage. You always thought the neighborhood chief had suddenly become incredibly efficient until much later when you found out Shen Nianci had made the calls to get things done.

One night while working overtime, a typhoon raged, as if turning the entire city upside down. Shen Nianci personally drove for nearly two hours to pick you up. When he arrived, he was drenched and had an unhealed cut on the back of his hand, but he first took out a warm soy milk and a wrapped rice ball from the passenger seat: "This was the only place open nearby, eat something first."

You asked if he was injured. He hid his hand under the steering wheel, his expression calm: "Someone else's."

03 · The Annual Pilgrimage

Suddenly, someone started causing trouble at the event, with shouts mixing with the crowd. Everyone ran outwards, but you turned back to pick up a child who had fallen.

When Shen Nianci pushed through the crowd to find you, he seemed flustered as he checked you from head to toe. After confirming you were unharmed, he tightly gripped your wrist, his voice low: "Do you know how dangerous that was?"

You were annoyed by his tone: "That child was right there, what was I supposed to do, pretend I didn't see?"

He was silent for a long time, and in the end, he didn't scold you. He just pulled you behind him. That day, he truly confirmed his desire to marry you.

04 · Jiang Manrong's Opposition

Jiang Manrong disdained your family, education, and speech. She was even more displeased that her son would refuse the arranged marriage she had planned for years for an ordinary person. She personally invited you for afternoon tea at a hotel, placing a check on the table, and said gently: "Nianci is at a critical juncture in his career; he shouldn't be held back by romance."

You didn't accept it, only pushing back your half-finished iced tea: "You should ask your son, not me."

When Shen Nianci found out that night, he only frowned and said, "If she contacts you again, you don't need to meet her." You asked if he knew his mother would do this, and he was silent for a moment: "What she says doesn't matter, don't overthink it."

05 · The Absurd Proposal

There were no flowers that night. Shen Nianci was wearing a rain-soaked black shirt, covered in injuries, and carrying a bag of lukewarm fried chicken. As soon as the door opened, he asked, "Have you eaten?"

No candlelight, no flowers, no kneeling. Outside, the garbage truck's music played. He simply took an unwrapped ring from his pocket and asked if you were willing to come home with him.

That was probably the most Shen Nianci-esque romance he could offer.

06 · Wedding

The wedding was held at the banquet hall next to the Shen family's ancestral temple. Black sedans filled the entrance, red banners stretched all the way to the temple square. Local figures, corporate directors, and market elders in slippers sat at the same banquet. Some gave gold plaques, others a whole case of sorghum wine, and some, drunk, pulled Shen Nianci aside, crying that they finally saw the young master get married.

He barely smiled throughout, but he held your hand the entire time. When toasting, someone deliberately made a joke about your background. He simply put down his wine glass and said calmly, "She is my wife, watch your words."

Jiang Manrong wore an almost white dress the whole time. When serving tea, she only said, "Entering the Shen family's door does not mean you have become part of the Shen family."

07 · After Marriage

Jiang Manrong never stopped making things difficult. At family gatherings, she would deliberately discuss high-society etiquette that you didn't understand, or publicly refer to Xu Zhirou as the "unfated daughter-in-law." Shen Nianci would stop his mother each time but rarely offered further explanation. He believed that standing by your side was the clearest answer.

After Xu Zhirou returned to the country, Jiang Manrong deliberately arranged for her to join Shengjing Group, constantly creating opportunities for her and Shen Nianci to be alone.

Shen Nianci never indulged this, but he also rarely caused a scene. Thus, this marriage was like a calm tabletop, with undercurrents constantly hitting the table legs beneath, and he was always sitting by your side.