Chapter 3

Over there, Shen Chutang and Xie Tong had already run into the front hall like two little butterflies. Among the various gowns and suits, her white dress was particularly eye-catching, drawing attention.

Her fair cheeks were slightly flushed from running, inexplicably reminding people of the poem “Haitang jing yu yan zhi tou” (海棠經雨胭脂透). Her eyebrows were curved in a smile, making many people stop and look.

Shen Chutang seemed oblivious, and Xie Tong pulled her towards the dessert table as if they were sealed there.

“Tangtang! This is so good! You have to try it!” Xie Tong whispered, handing a plate to Shen Chutang. “This is good too!”

Shen Chutang was actually already a bit full, but the éclairs on the plate looked so tempting, radiating an alluring aroma. She picked one up and took a bite. The sweet taste instantly made her eyebrows relax.

“Isn’t it delicious! It’s better than what I had abroad.” Xie Tong said happily, taking another bite.

“It’s good, but I can’t eat anymore.” Shen Chutang finished the remaining half of hers, picked up a nearby handkerchief, and wiped her hands.

“Let’s go sit over there.” Shen Chutang suggested, her voice tinged with grievance. She was tired.

Xie Tong, who was happily eating, loaded several pieces of dessert onto her plate, holding the plate in one hand and her arm in the other. “You, you just eat too little. You need to eat more to have energy.”

How could someone not have a desire for delicious food?

It wasn’t that Shen Chutang didn’t have a desire for food, but she had been pampered since she was young. If something didn’t suit her taste, she wouldn’t touch it a second time.

As soon as they reached the sofa, Shen Chutang eagerly sat down, sinking into the soft cushions and letting out a long sigh. “It’s so comfortable to sit down.”

Xie Tong giggled and pinched her cheeks. “Then you sit. I didn’t eat dinner tonight, so I have to eat a lot.”

“Eat, eat, you can eat everything, no one will stop you.” Shen Chutang leaned back against the sofa, listening to Xie Tong praise the food while eating, feeling both amused and helpless.

She was curious, how could someone like to eat so much?

It’s said that people who resonate with each other can become good friends. But they weren’t like that. Xie Tong loved being lively, she liked quiet. Xie Tong was energetic every day, while she preferred to sleep in.

They didn’t have much in common, but they would accompany each other to do things they liked. Gradually, as they spent time together, it was as if some kind of magic drew them together, and they became good friends.

They met in the first year of middle school. Before middle school, Shen Chutang had private tutors at home. She only went to school in middle school. The first time she saw Xie Tong, she felt familiar, as if they had known each other for a long time. They became friends soon after.

Shen Chutang was almost asleep on the sofa when a commotion suddenly came from afar, accompanied by the sound of chairs moving.

Xie Tong had just finished her last piece of dessert. After wiping her hands, she shook Shen Chutang’s arm. “Wake up, Tangtang.”

Shen Chutang opened her eyes and saw that everyone around her had stood up. The banquet was about to begin. Shi Chengyu and Mr. Shi, his father, entered together, accompanied by many people, but Shen Chutang only recognized Shi He Xun and Xue Wanqiu.

She stood up and smoothed her dress.

Xie Tong only then noticed the intricate embroidery on her skirt. It wasn’t noticeable from afar, but up close, she realized the embroidery was exquisite. It was just a simple white dress, but it looked very elegant.

“Which designer made this?” Xie Tong joked, waving her hand around the skirt.

Shen Chutang looked down. “I don’t know. The stylist told me to wear it, so I did.”

“Okay, okay. Even if I knew who made it, I couldn’t afford it.”

Xie Tong pouted, looking at the only white dress in the entire hall. She didn’t doubt that the stylist had made her wear the wrong dress. The only possibility was that Shi Chengyu had done this before.

This banquet was ostensibly Shi Chengyu’s birthday, but it was actually the handover of the entire group’s power.

After today, the head of the Shi Group would truly become Shi Chengyu.

Shi Chengyu began learning about business at the age of ten and started to learn about the Shi family’s industries at fifteen. He started by learning, then gradually took over, and now he had taken control in just seven years.

Shi He Xun had to admit that Shi Chengyu was more talented than him and more suitable for fighting in this business empire.

There were many people eyeing the Shi Group, but Shi Chengyu not only kept it safe but also expanded this business empire.

Two years ago, he even used the entire Shi Group to set up a trap. Everyone thought the Shi Group was going bankrupt, and some even thought the Shi family was going to fall.

But overnight, everything changed. It was someone else who fell, and the Shi Group became an unparalleled leader in the industry. It was also a graduation thesis handed to Shi He Xun, allowing him to hand over the Shi Group to him with peace of mind.

Shi He Xun was both angry and helpless. He admired his courage, which was no less than his own back then, while also scolding him for being too cunning.

The trap was too real, even making Old Master Shi ask him several times to go back and take over the family business.

Even Shen Chutang heard the commotion. She heard that the Shi family was going bankrupt, and she only knew that it would require a lot of money. So she gave all the cards she had received over the years to Shi Chengyu, even the balance in her WeChat account.

She never had to spend money, so those cards had been with her for a long time, and she didn’t know how much money was in them. She just kept stuffing them into Shi Chengyu’s arms.

Shi Chengyu was amused by her and, unusually, didn’t refuse. But after a while, he returned the cards to her.

He said thank you for helping him through the difficult times, but he didn’t have any difficult times to go through. He just used this as an excuse to stuff money into her card.

Shen Chutang’s gaze fell accurately on Shi Chengyu. He stood among the crowd, as if the lights were particularly fond of him, shining on him, making him look like he was glowing.

As if by telepathy, Shi Chengyu looked over, their eyes met, and they both smiled.

Old Master Shi finished speaking, and applause erupted from the audience. Shen Chutang also clapped, smiling sweetly.

Xie Tong suddenly tugged at her arm. “Tangtang, that person, I think I saw him on TV.”

She saw him on her father’s favorite military channel. If she couldn’t find her father now, she really wanted to drag him over to see his idol.

“Which one?” Shen Chutang followed her finger and looked over. When she saw the direction she was pointing, she quickly pulled her hand down.

The group of people were toasting and chatting with Old Master Shi. Shen Chutang was about to scold her quietly when she saw Shi Chengyu beckoning her to come over.

Shen Chutang squeezed her hand. “Just eat your food obediently, don’t talk nonsense, and don’t point at people.”

After saying that, Shen Chutang lifted her skirt and walked through the crowd towards them.

“Hello, Grandpa Shi.” Shen Chutang greeted him sweetly and stood next to Shi Chengyu.

Shi Chengyu naturally put his hand on her shoulder and introduced, “Grandpa, this is Tangtang.”

“What a beautiful little girl, how old are you this year?” Shi Tingyue looked at the delicate little girl in front of him and couldn’t help but praise her.

“Grandpa, I’ll turn sixteen next month.”

“Oh, you’re so beautiful at only sixteen, Grandpa will give you a birthday present when you have your birthday.” Shi Tingyue laughed and patted the little girl’s head.

She’s so cute, no wonder this kid treasures her so much.

“Thank you, Grandpa.”

Shen Chutang agreed readily, smiling playfully, and looked up at Shi Chengyu.

“Grandpa, I’ll take Tangtang to rest first.”

Shi Chengyu rubbed Shen Chutang’s head and pulled her hand to the side.

“Go, go.” Shi Tingyue said. He had heard that the little girl was not in good health. A few years ago, Shi Chengyu asked him to buy many precious herbs and tonics for her, and he had never stopped sending them all these years.