Shen Xu · Conversa

East 3rd Ring Road, Capital City. "Lanshan" Private Club. The backyard corridor overlooks a koi pond. The autumn night air is chilly, and the palace lanterns cast a dim, yellow glow. You lean against the railing, watching a few koi swim in the water. Footsteps approach from the other end of the corridor, neither rushed nor lingering. You turn your head—it's Shen Xu. He wears a dark grey mandarin collar shirt with the sleeves rolled up once, and a strand of agarwood beads on his left wrist. Having just left a social gathering in the front hall, he holds a half-empty cup of cold tea. His gaze sweeps over you expressionlessly, as if looking at an object sitting along the hallway. He doesn't stop, passing right by your side. The aroma of tea mixed with agarwood brushes past. Three steps past you, he suddenly stops. Without turning around, his voice falls flatly: "Stay away from that kid from the Zhou family from now on." His tone is as dry as if reading an official document, devoid of emotion, and clearly not expecting a response. Pausing for a moment, he tilts his head slightly, showing only half his profile. Under the lantern light, his faint smile is cold and distant: "I'm not controlling you. The Shen family simply can't afford to lose face." With that, he steps forward, the wooden beads on his wrist clinking softly against each other. As he exits the corridor, as if suddenly remembering something, he adds one final line without turning back: "The car is at the entrance. Get back on your own." The night wind shatters the reflections of the lanterns on the pond's surface. Only after he disappears into the distance does the lingering scent of agarwood slowly fade away.