After the emperor read her mind, the salted fish concubine effortlessly won the title of empress.

Chapter 461 Extra Chapter

After Shen Shixi went to bed, her mother went to the art studio to see her daughter's paintings. There were four handsome men, one big and three small, and one beautiful woman. There were only two faces in each painting. One of the small handsome men's faces was her daughter's, and the rest of the faces were the big handsome men's.

She was a little confused. These people were all dressed in ancient costumes. Could it be that her daughter wasn't heartbroken, but was instead composing some kind of romance story?

Oh dear, she couldn't figure it out, and she was too lazy to think about it anymore. Oh well, she'd just go to Mount Putuo tomorrow to burn more incense and donate more money for incense offerings, hoping that her daughter's wishes would be fulfilled!

Shen Shixi received a call from her friend, "Mengmeng, I'm here!"

"Xixi, are you free tomorrow night?" Ning Meng asked. "Meng Jiaxing said he's having a party at Old Town Time tomorrow. He heard you're back and asked if you're going. He asked me to invite you!"

Shen Shixi was in low spirits. Ning Meng talked for a long time, saying that she wanted to go too, and that she would go with her so she would have company. "Oh, by the way, do you remember our high school heartthrob? The one named Li Yanshen? I heard he's coming this time too."

"I don't remember!" Shen Shixi said. "Wasn't the school heartthrob named Lin Qianyu?"

"That was later. The school heartthrob who gave the speech under the national flag when we were in the first year of high school was named Li Yanshen. After only a few days of schooling, he was told that he had won a gold medal in the International Mathematical Olympiad and was directly admitted to the university with preferential admission."

Shen Shixi said, "I don't remember, I have no recollection of it."

"I have his picture, do you want to see it?"

"I don't need to watch it, I can watch it tomorrow night."

"Yeah, if she's your type, would you pursue her?"

"Don't pursue her. You've remembered her for so many years, go for it!"

"I'd like to, but isn't the current Marriage Law based on monogamy? I can't marry two men at the same time, can I?"

Shen Shixi laughed, knowing that she and her boyfriend had a deep relationship. She teased her a bit, arranged to meet the next day, and Ning Meng would come to pick her up. Then she hung up the phone.

It wasn't until the next day that they learned Meng Jiaxing was hosting a welcome party for Li Yanshen. The two had interacted when they were abroad, but Meng Jiaxing had returned to China earlier, while Li Yanshen had only returned that day.

The purpose of the welcome dinner was also to bring Li Yanshen into their circle.

Before anyone arrived, Meng Jiaxing introduced the family to everyone: "The Li family originally lived in England. Shen Ge studied in China before going to university. His grandfather took him out and sent him to a military academy for a few years of training."

He wasn't interested in economics at all, but then the Li family suddenly wanted him to take over; they invited him back before, and he said he'd wait a few years, but a few days ago he suddenly called me wanting to come back.

Just then, they heard that the person had arrived, and Meng Jiaxing went down to greet them personally.

Shen Shixi overheard people saying, "Who is it that has such a big reputation? Has anyone heard of them?"

"The Li family in London is very powerful, but most people don't know about them. I've heard a thing or two about this guy; he's a ruthless character. I heard that as soon as he came to power, he purged a lot of people. He holds all the power in the Li family. What do you guys think?"

Putting aside other things, the Li family in London is a place where only the top circles hear about such things. Shen Shixi heard her father mention it once, and the competition for the position of heir is comparable to the struggle for succession among princes in ancient times.

The Li family of London, of Chinese descent, is a long-established financial family with investments spanning various industries worldwide. They are primarily active in regions outside of China.

As they were talking, they heard footsteps and everyone stopped talking.

Zhou Bingchuan came over to talk to Shen Shixi, "Shixi, it's been a long time since I've seen you. How have you been?"

Ning Meng nudged Shen Shixi with a teasing look, but Shen Shixi had no interest in the boy in front of him. He just smiled and nodded as a greeting.

Shen Shixi is in the same circle as them, yet not in theirs. Not only is her family wealthy, but her father and brother are also very well-connected. They can bring back equipment and technology that are restricted to China by foreign countries, including data on some advanced weapons, which others cannot obtain.

Including a few years ago, when the Zhou family was sued in the United States for violating the Anti-dumping Act and was to be fined more than 2 billion US dollars, it was Shen's father who helped settle the matter.

Everyone wants to marry Shen Shixi, but Shen Shixi is really picky. Some men she finds attractive are fine for casual flings, but she'll never consider dating or marriage.

She rarely shows up at gatherings in the industry, but no one dares not invite her, mainly because her father is a doting father. You can offend her father, but you can't ignore her.

Zhou Bingchuan said, "Shixi, my grandfather's birthday is in a couple of days. Would you like to come and visit? No need to bring a birthday gift!"

Zhou Bingchuan was also given a task by his mother, who told him to try his best to get along with Shen Shixi. Even if he couldn't marry her, he had to make sure they were close.

"See! If I were to go, how could I not bring a birthday gift? It's not your birthday celebration, it's your grandfather's birthday celebration. How can you make that decision?" Shen Shixi adhered to the principle of avoiding offending anyone as much as possible.

She gets along well with everyone, but in reality, no one can truly enter her heart.

The person came in, and everyone looked towards the door. Shen Shixi glanced over and was completely stunned.

In an instant, she felt as if she had traveled back in time to the moment when she was selected to enter the palace. Li Yuanke sat on the high throne, and she and a group of other young ladies bowed to him.

At that moment, she wanted to smash Li Yuanke's head in.

At this moment, the person who entered was only in his early twenties, with neat short hair, clear and sharp eyebrows and eyes, and a sharp profile. He was wearing a purplish-red shirt with understated luxury diamond cufflinks, black trousers, and a belt that hugged his lean waist, making his already exceptionally long legs appear even longer.

With broad shoulders and a narrow waist, he was exceptionally upright and exuded a cold and ruthless aura, unlike any other second or third-generation rich kids Shen Shixi had ever met.

She didn't know what kind of experiences this person had, similar to Li Yuanke, yet different from him.

Noble and refined, aloof and indifferent.

As she sized him up, his gaze swept across her face as well. His calm gaze stung Shen Shixi, causing her to lower her eyes, feel a sharp pain in her heart, and experience a moment of dizziness.

Unbeknownst to her, the man's gaze lingered on her for several seconds, and seeing her pale face, he frowned.

Meng Jiaxing clapped his hands. "Let me introduce you, Brother Shen. As I've mentioned before, let's welcome him!"

Shen Shixi clapped along.

The man handled the situation very politely, and Meng Jiaxing introduced him to everyone in the circle. When it was Shen Shixi's turn, "Shen Shixi, her father is Shen Congshan. Have you heard of him, Brother Shen?"

"I've heard about it. Last night, your father and I had dinner together and had a very pleasant conversation." Li Yanshen shook hands with Shen Shixi, their hands touching, but they held on for less than a breath before letting go.

Shen Shixi closed her eyes and turned to look at his profile. She was so familiar with Li Yuanke when he was young. She had touched and kissed this profile countless times. She knew every muscle and every line as if it were her own.

Later, after dinner and singing for a while, Shen Shixi seemed dazed. Ning Meng asked her what was wrong and if she was sick.

She shook her head. "It's getting late, I should go back."

Ning Meng was surprised. "It's so early. You're not going to bed this early, are you?"

"Yeah, I'm used to it. I've been focusing on health lately!"

Meng Jiaxing then said, "I'll arrange for someone to take you home!"

"No!"

Zhou Bingchuan said, "Me? I'm going the same way anyway, so I'll give you a ride."

"Really, no need!" Shen Shixi said. "I drove here myself, I'll just hire a designated driver..."

Li Yanshen stepped forward, looked at Shen Shixi, and asked, "Do you mind if I see you off? I have a meeting tonight, so I should go."

He said to Meng Jiaxing, "I'll treat you another day. Thank you for today!"

Shen Shixi hadn't agreed to let him see them off. After saying goodbye to everyone, he took a few steps, then turned back to look at Shen Shixi, "Aren't you coming?"