Chapter 28

The words were like a bolt from the blue, exploding in Shen Chutang’s mind.

Xie Tong had just revealed the truth. Shen Chutang hesitated, “Not… maybe.”

Shen Chutang didn’t deny it immediately. She couldn’t deny her feelings. Thinking about it now, it seemed like she was more upset seeing him with someone else than being mistaken for siblings.

The fleeting thought that they would be a good match made her feel lost. It seemed like there should be someone standing beside Shi Chengyu, someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him, not a sister.

“Tangtang, you’re jealous.” Xie Tong confidently concluded, her eyes fixed on Shen Chutang.

Shen Chutang looked confused. “Jealous?”

“Yeah.” Xie Tong said seriously, “Think about it. Would you be upset if you saw your Third Brother filming intimate scenes with other girls?”

No, she would just find it funny.

“Then would you be sad if you saw Shen Sichen flirting with other women?”

Even less so, what was there to be sad about?

“Similarly, you wouldn’t be heartbroken if your Big Brother got married.”

Shen Chutang nodded, then heard Xie Tong ask her, “What about Shi Chengyu? What if Shi Chengyu got married?”

Shi Chengyu getting married…

Shen Chutang’s mind instantly filled with images. Her brow furrowed unconsciously, and she felt a little uncomfortable.

“See, that’s jealousy.” Xie Tong clapped her hands, then suddenly leaned in front of Shen Chutang and said seriously, word for word, “Tangtang, you like him.”

“Like?” Shen Chutang asked softly, but her ears turned red. Then her cheeks, her neck…

At the same time, neither of them noticed the figure slowly retreating from the stairs.

Shen Chutang’s skin was usually fair and rosy. Now, it was flushed red, like a cooked shrimp.

“You like him, so you’re happy when you’re with him. You have a possessive feeling about him. You’re unhappy when you see him with other girls.” Xie Tong explained.

Shen Chutang’s cheeks burned. Her mind flashed back to the girl who had been at Shi Chengyu’s house last summer, and the girl who had been with Shi Chengyu yesterday.

Suddenly, all those unspeakable emotions had an answer. It was jealousy, it was possessiveness.

She realized that she liked him. She had liked him before he even knew what liking was.

Xie Tong was still shaking her arm and chattering about something, but Shen Chutang felt like her whole body was about to burn up. Her heart was racing, and her head was a mess. She couldn’t think straight.

Actually, Xie Tong wasn’t surprised at all that Shen Chutang liked Shi Chengyu. Shi Chengyu had a good family background, good looks, and was great to Tangtang.

Not to mention, the house in Lanjiang Court was not just expensive, but you couldn’t even live there if you had money. Shi Chengyu, on the other hand, had a cat house renovated because Shen Chutang liked it. He never seemed to care how much he had put into Shen Chutang. In the few years she had known them, she had seen many times how unique he was to Shen Chutang, or maybe every time.

If she had a childhood sweetheart who was so good to her, she would undoubtedly like him too. It was just that she didn’t expect Shen Chutang to realize it so late. Well, it wasn’t that late.

“Tangtang, your face is so red.” Xie Tong said with a giggle, pinching her red cheeks. They were hot and soft.

Shen Chutang’s temperature, which had just gone down a bit, rose again. “No, you’re talking nonsense.”

Xie Tong let go of her face. “Tangtang, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about liking someone.”

Shen Chutang said, “I don’t. I just need some time to accept it.”

She was still uncomfortable with the sudden change in her feelings. It wasn’t until today that she realized she had never treated Shi Chengyu as a brother.

Because she had a brother, she knew clearly what was different. She had never felt familial love for Shi Chengyu. They had been together since she was born, so she took some things for granted. But that wasn’t right.

Shen Chutang covered her cheeks and scolded, “It’s all your fault, Xie Tong. How am I going to go back like this?”

“Oh, it’s okay. Just go outside and get some fresh air.” Xie Tong pulled her up. “Come on, I’ll go back with you.”

As soon as the evening breeze blew, the heat on her face dissipated a lot.

Xie Tong pulled her hand and walked back slowly. “Let’s get you back quickly. Otherwise, he’ll be late for dinner, and he’ll go and tell your dad.”

They both laughed when they mentioned this. The setting sun shone down, and their laughter was crisp.

“Xie Tong, I’m so glad I have you.”

“Well, of course. We’re the best friends!”

When they reached the door of Shi’s house, Uncle Shang was waiting there. Seeing Shen Chutang come back, he told her to go inside quickly for dinner. Shi Chengyu was waiting for her. He would take Xie Tong back.

Shen Chutang’s flushed face and racing heart had returned to normal, but she still took a deep breath as she approached the door.

“Tangtang is back?” Shi Chengyu was sitting on the sofa waiting for her. The food on the table had just been served, and white steam was rising from it.

“Hmm.” Shen Chutang suddenly felt a little nervous. “Let’s eat, Brother Chengyu.”

The meal was unusually quiet. Shen Chutang usually had a lot to say when she was in a good mood. She would talk about things at school, talk about interesting teachers, but today, she didn’t say a word.

Shi Chengyu was smiling, but he couldn’t hide his worried expression.

He had never felt this way before. He was a little afraid and a little lost. When he heard those words on the stairs, his heart skipped a beat. When he came to his senses, he had already gone downstairs. He sat on the bench outside for a long time before coming back.

Shen Chutang went back to her room after dinner. Now, Shi Chengyu was standing at the door of her room, holding a bowl of bird’s nest. He hesitated for a moment before knocking.

“Come in.”

Shi Chengyu pushed open the door and saw Shen Chutang curled up on the sofa on the balcony, looking out the window. The cold moonlight enveloped her. She looked soft and beautiful.

“Tangtang.” Shi Chengyu called her softly, as if afraid of startling her.

Shen Chutang turned her head. “Brother Chengyu? What’s wrong?”

Shi Chengyu walked over with the bowl. He put it on the table and sat down next to her. “I saw you didn’t eat much tonight, so I had Auntie make some bird’s nest.”

Shen Chutang didn’t refuse. She picked up the spoon and sipped it slowly. Her hair, which had just been dried, was smoothly draped over her shoulders. Shi Chengyu naturally and skillfully took a hair tie and tied it up for her.

Seeing that she had finished half of it, Shi Chengyu finally couldn’t hold back his curiosity. He spoke softly. “What did you and Xie Tong talk about today?”

He tried to make his voice sound natural, but his heart was racing.

Shen Chutang was startled by his sudden question. She choked and coughed a few times. Shi Chengyu quickly patted her back, and the question was forgotten.

Shi Chengyu took a tissue and wiped her hands. He looked at her slightly flushed cheeks. He didn’t know if it was because she had choked or because of something else.

“Nothing.” Shen Chutang answered vaguely. She looked up at Shi Chengyu again and felt that he was acting strange today. So, she asked him, “Brother Chengyu, are you unhappy?”

Shi Chengyu was a little surprised, but then he understood. Tangtang was always attentive. “I’ve been too tired lately.”

Shen Chutang leaned over and hugged him, patting his back with a soft voice. “Good Brother Chengyu, you’re not tired anymore.”

Shi Chengyu chuckled softly, but when he thought that she would do this to someone else in the future, his heart ached with a dense, sour pain. His eyes felt sore.