Later, to preserve the family's reputation, her mother proactively concealed the news.

But the Wen family eventually obtained the information secretly and made those who had bullied her mother pay the price.

Wen Suihan had originally wanted to take his little niece away then.

But Clara was determined to be with Julian, so the two made a wager.

They bet on whether Julian would change his heart.

If she won, the Wen family would inject 10 billion as a dowry.

If she lost, Clara would accept her fate and marry the person the Wen family chose for an arranged marriage.

And now, Clara had undoubtedly lost completely, preparing herself for an arranged marriage.

Wen Suihan withdrew his gaze, looked at her, and handed her a card.

"Open it and take a look."

Although Clara was puzzled, she raised her hand and took it.

Seeing the bank card inside, her breath hitched.

"Uncle, what is this—"

Wen Suihan smiled and touched her hair.

"This card contains the property your grandfather left to your mother, and I will arrange for lawyers to transfer many other real estate assets and shares to you as soon as possible."

"You are giving these to me because I am about to enter into an arranged marriage?"

Wen Suihan's movements froze. He looked at her for a long while before shaking his head helplessly.

"You really thought I was going to send you off for an arranged marriage?"

"Don't worry, the status of our Wen family doesn't need to be consolidated through arranged marriages."

"As for the bet made in the past, I was just afraid you wouldn't be happy."

As he spoke, Wen Suihan paused, his eyes welling up with a hint of heartache.

"Zhizhi, you have suffered all these years. But it’s good that you saw that person's true face early; consider it a lesson learned from trial and error."

For the next month, Clara was very busy.

Wen Suihan was a proponent of staying single and had no children.

Clara was undoubtedly his only heir, so Wen Suihan enrolled her in introductory training classes.

Most of her classmates were wealthy children accustomed to being pampered, and they were used to being dismissive and arrogant toward their instructors.

However, it was only during Shen Kuo's class.

The rich young masters who usually loved to tease teachers were abnormally well-behaved, looking exactly like cats whose necks were being pinched.

Clara looked at the man on the podium wearing a dress shirt and suit trousers.

He was tall and slender, and his features were excessively outstanding.

Lin, the eldest daughter of the Lin family, who was painting her nails nearby, followed her gaze and teased.

"What, you like Mr. Shen too?"

Clara quickly retracted her gaze and waved her hand to explain.

"No, I was just curious about this teacher..."

"You don't know Shen Kuo?"

Lin Yanran stared at her with an expression as if she had seen a ghost.

"You're joking, right?"

Clara nodded slightly and explained.

"I haven't been in Hong Kong for long, so I don't know much about him."

Only then did the shock in Lin Yanran's eyes fade significantly, and she couldn't help but click her tongue.

"That's true, but who in Hong Kong doesn't know the name Shen Kuo? Only someone new like you wouldn't know."

"Among the four great tycoons of Hong Kong, the Shen family's Shen Kuo ranks first."

"Born sitting on half the wealth of Hong Kong, but having the luck of being born into the right family is one thing; his capability is even more top-tier and formidable. Back then, at only twenty, he gave up his status as heir and went alone to Wall Street to make his way."

"What kind of place is Wall Street? It's filled with geniuses; anyone who can make a name for themselves there is a ruthless person. At the time, all of Hong Kong was waiting to watch his joke, but no one expected that in less than a year, Shen Kuo would make a name for himself on Wall Street based on a 100-billion-dollar arbitrage case."

"That such a proud son of heaven can come to lecture us is merely out of gratitude for his mentor's favor; otherwise, someone like us hedonists wouldn't even have the chance to meet him, let alone listen to his lectures."

After hearing this, Clara's heart couldn't help but tremble.

It was not until class ended that day.

The summer weather changes as soon as it pleases; it had been clear skies just moments before.

When Clara reached the ground floor, it was already pouring rain.

Unfortunately, the family chauffeur’s wife was in labor today, and he had taken leave temporarily.

Clara stood under the eaves, looked at the ride-hailing interface where no driver was picking up the order, took a deep breath, and prepared to rush out with her bag held high.

But in the next second, the sound of a car braking suddenly rang out in front of her.

Looking up, a silver-gray Bentley stopped in front of her without warning.

Chapter 17

The car window lowered slowly, revealing Shen Kuo's sharp-featured face.

Clara froze for a second and spoke subconsciously.

"Mr. Shen."

"Get in."

Glancing at the sky that was gradually darkening, she no longer refused, pulled open the door, and sat inside.

The entire ride was very quiet inside the car.

The fresh, woody scent on the man entered her nostrils, carrying a force that was inexplicably reassuring.

Clara fell asleep without realizing it.

When she woke up again, the car was already parked at the entrance of the old Wen family residence.

She hurriedly picked up her phone to check the time; three hours had passed.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Shen, I didn't know I would sleep for so long."

Shen Kuo pressed his thin lips together. When he turned his head and saw her messy hair, his mouth hooked into a slight, imperceptible arc.

"It's fine, I didn't have any plans for tonight anyway."

Clara let out a sigh of relief and picked up her bag to get out of the car.

Unexpectedly, the man got out with her. Seeing the doubt in her eyes,

Shen Kuo paused his steps and explained casually.

"I haven't seen Mr. Wen for a long time. Since I happen to be free today, I'll pay a visit."

Hearing this, Clara had no suspicions.

She walked into the villa with the man, greeted her uncle in a hurry, and went upstairs to rest.

It was not until late at night, hearing the sound of a car engine roaring away downstairs,

That she softened her footsteps, went downstairs, and prepared to find something to eat in the kitchen.

"Zhizhi."

Wen Suihan, sitting on the sofa, suddenly called out to stop her.

"You and that Shen kid... are you very close?"

Clara’s expression was slightly stunned, and she shook her head.

"He is the substitute teacher for my training class; we are not close."

"Not close?"

Wen Suihan suddenly laughed out loud and said lightly.

"Then why is the first thing he said when he opened his mouth that he wants to marry you and take you home?"

This sentence exploded like a thunderclap on flat ground.

Clara froze instantly, and it took her a long while to organize her language.

"How is that possible? There are so many girls in Hong Kong who like him; why would he take a fancy to me? Besides, I have no interaction with him."

Wen Suihan took a sip of tea, a hint of darkness flashing in his eyes.

"That Shen kid grew up under my watch; he’s naturally stubborn in his bones, and I’ve never seen him bow his head to anyone else."

"I don't know what happened today, but after listening to the rumors outside, he thought I was going to arrange a marriage for you, and he actually told me to consider him."

That night, after hearing her uncle's words.

Clara didn't sleep the entire night, and when she went to the training class the next day, she still had two large dark circles under her eyes.

After the class ended, Shen Kuo looked in Clara’s direction and suddenly spoke.

"My class ends here; there will be a new teacher to substitute for you from now on."

The crowd was in an uproar, only Clara stood where she was, having no reaction.

Remembering the look Shen Kuo had given her just now, her heart felt as if it had been lightly brushed by a feather, itchy.

Soon, the people in the classroom had mostly dispersed.

Clara slowly picked up her bag and walked out, but just as she exited, she came face to face with Shen Kuo.

"Mr. Shen..."

His light gray eyes sparked with warmth, and he took the initiative to speak.

"You don't need to call me Mr. Shen anymore; just call me by my name."

Clara felt inexplicably afraid to look at him, so she just lowered her head and nodded stiffly.