Chapter 10

Shi Chengyu picked up the cookie, holding it in his palm, his fingers gently caressing it.

The villa was quiet.  After a long silence, Shi Chengyu’s voice, tinged with a hint of melancholy, rang out, “Go to Wuhua Mountain Villa.”

“Uncle Shang.”

“Replace all the sofas and carpets.”

Shi Chengyu gave the order without expression and walked outside.  Lin Shulang stepped forward, bowing and opening the car door.

The journey was silent.  Shi Chengyu just stared at the cookie in his hand, lost in thought.

The black Maybach stopped at the foot of Wuhua Mountain.  The window was tapped by a guard.  “Hello, this is a private villa.  No unauthorized entry.”

Lin Shulang nodded to the guard.  “We are friends of Master Shen, the third son.  We are here to visit Mr. Shen.  Please inform him.  Tell him Mr. Shi has arrived.”

The man in the back seat couldn’t be seen, but the imposing aura emanating from him was impossible to ignore.  The guard saluted, returned to the security room, and made a phone call.  After a while, the gate rose, allowing them to pass.

The car drove up the mountain.  The mountain road was quiet, with dim lights illuminating the sides.

Shen Sujing heard the butler say that a Mr. Shi was coming and guessed it was Shi Chengyu.  He waited at the entrance of the villa.

“Brother Chengyu.”

Shi Chengyu got out of the car and scanned the area.  “Where’s Tangtang?”

“Tangtang is playing in the back mountain.  Someone is with her.”

Shen Sujing led him inside.  “This little girl, I don’t know what’s gotten into her today.  She ran out as soon as she got home.”

He had just arrived home and hadn’t even changed his shoes when he got back into the car.

Shi Chengyu didn’t say anything.  He followed Shen Sujing to the second floor to visit Mr. Shen.

Shen Boyu was watching the news in the living room.  He saw Shen Sujing bringing someone in and thought it was his second son.  He looked closely and realized it was a stranger.

“Hello, Mr. Shen.  I’m Shi Chengyu.  I’m here on short notice.  I apologize for disturbing you.” Shi Chengyu smiled warmly and extended his hand.

Shen Boyu looked him over.  He stopped waving his fan and extended his hand to shake his.  “From the Shi family?”

He had heard about Shi Chengyu, something to do with Tangtang, or maybe it was something to do with those people in Beijing.  He didn’t expect to meet him here for the first time.

“Yes.” Shi Chengyu replied.

“Alright, there’s nothing for me to talk to you about, an old man like me.  You two go play.”

Shen Boyu waved his fan.  He couldn’t figure out why he came to find the third son so late, but he had long since stopped caring about those things in Beijing.  He was content to live a carefree life in the villa.

Shen Boyu didn’t understand, but Shen Sujing knew he was here for Tangtang.  He took him to the back mountain.

From afar, Shi Chengyu saw the little figure sitting by the stream.  She was wearing a white, frilled, floral blouse and loose blue denim shorts.  Her arms and legs were exposed.  She was holding a large watermelon and sitting on a rock by the stream, her cheeks stuffed full.

Shi Chengyu watched for a while, then walked over.  He took off his suit jacket and draped it over Shen Chutang.  “Tangtang.”

The familiar, crisp scent instantly enveloped Shen Chutang.  She turned her head to look.  Shi Chengyu was squatting beside her.  “Brother Chengyu?”

“Why did you come here?”

She had already eaten most of the watermelon in her arms.  Shi Chengyu took the watermelon and handed it to a servant nearby.  Then he pulled her feet out of the stream.

The stream was naturally cold, and she didn’t know how long she had been soaking in it.  Shi Chengyu held her feet, feeling like he was holding ice.  “Where are your shoes?”

Shen Chutang smiled sheepishly.  “They were washed away.”

Shi Chengyu was helpless.  The little girl was unhappy.  He didn’t even dare to sigh, let alone scold her.

Shi Chengyu picked her up and said softly, “You didn’t eat dinner, and you ate so much cold watermelon.  The stream is so cold.  Why were you soaking in it for so long?”

It didn’t sound like a scolding, more like a helpless complaint.

Shen Chutang snorted softly, hugging his neck.  She wanted to bite him in anger, but she held back.  “I didn’t want to eat dinner.  The watermelon is delicious.  I wanted to soak for a long time.”

Shi Chengyu patted her back.  He couldn’t do anything with her.  He could only sigh and call out, “Good Tangtang.”

“Brother Chengyu didn’t eat dinner.  Will you eat some with me?”

Shen Chutang turned her head to the other side.  “Aren’t you going to eat with your friend?”

“What friend?” Shi Chengyu asked in confusion.

“The pretty sister who came to the house today.  She’s waiting for you at home.” Shen Chutang didn’t notice the sourness in her tone.  She didn’t know that this emotion was called jealousy.

Shi Chengyu stroked her back.  “I don’t know her.”

Shen Chutang didn’t believe him, of course.  She turned her head to the other side, her hair brushing against Shi Chengyu’s jaw.

“She said she’s your good friend.  She even called you Chengyu.”

Only people who were very close could call him by his name.  And she knew Shi Chengyu before him.

Shen Chutang’s voice was filled with disappointment, like a bucket of cold water thrown on Shi Chengyu.  He hugged her tighter, one hand stroking her head.  “Tangtang, that’s her.  I’ve never spoken to her.  I don’t even know what she looks like.”

“If Tangtang is unhappy, you can tell Brother Chengyu.  You left without saying a word.  Brother Chengyu will be sad.”

He gently stroked the back of her neck.  Shen Chutang raised her head and rubbed against his neck.  “Brother Chengyu, I’m sorry.”

His heart softened instantly.  Shi Chengyu lowered his head and kissed the top of her head.  “Brother Chengyu doesn’t want you to apologize, sweetheart.  I’m just worried about you.”

Shi Chengyu would rather she get angry than see her lost and alone.

“Brother Chengyu, I’m a little unhappy.” Shen Chutang leaned on his shoulder and mumbled.

“A little?” Shi Chengyu asked.

Shen Chutang didn’t answer.  She bit his neck.  “I don’t like her.”

“Okay.” Shi Chengyu comforted her.  “We won’t see her again.”

“I don’t like other women coming to your house either.” Shen Chutang added, raising her head again.

Shi Chengyu chuckled.  He looked into her eyes.  “That’s your home too.”

“There won’t be a next time.”

Shen Chutang’s sadness subsided a bit.  She obediently leaned on his shoulder.  Soon, they were back in the villa.  Shi Chengyu carried her back to her room and found socks for her to put on.

“What do you want to eat?  Shall I make it for you?”

The servant brought over new slippers.  Shen Chutang held his arm and put them on.  “Auntie made dumplings tonight.  Let’s eat dumplings.”

“Okay.” Shi Chengyu agreed with a smile.  He watched her skip downstairs and grabbed her wrist.

Two large bowls of dumplings were placed on the solid wood table in the dining room.  They were topped with green chives.  Shen Chutang scooped up a dumpling with a spoon and blew on it.

“It’s not as good as Yaxuan’s.” Shen Chutang commented after taking a bite.

Shi Chengyu smiled faintly.  “I’ll have someone send some from Yaxuan tomorrow morning.”

The dumplings were large.  Shi Chengyu served her six, and she finished them all.  After eating, they strolled around the yard.