Chapter 38

Shi Chengyu was startled. Under Shen Chutang’s gaze, he made a childish wish gesture, then blew out the candles.

At this moment, neither of them knew that they had made the same wish without knowing it.

“Tangtang, I…”

“Brother Chengyu.” Shen Chutang interrupted him. “How many birthdays have we celebrated together?”

“Sixteen.”

Shi Chengyu answered, his gaze fixed on her.

“Sixteen… that’s sixteen years. It’s been a long, long time.” Shen Chutang said softly, then asked him, “Brother Chengyu, don’t you want to know what I wished for last time?”

Last time, on Shi Chengyu’s birthday.

Shi Chengyu put a piece of cut cake in front of her. His heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if he had a premonition. It uncontrollably sped up.

“Tangtang, do you want to tell me?” Shi Chengyu took a bite of the cake, trying to hide the slight tremor in his fingers.

Shen Chutang nodded and said seriously, word for word, “I wished that I wanted to be with Shi Chengyu that day.”

“Forever and ever.”

The fork in Shi Chengyu’s hand fell onto the table with a clear clang. Although he had imagined it, nothing could compare to the impact of hearing Shen Chutang say it out loud, leaving him speechless.

“I like you. It’s not the kind of liking a sister has for a brother.”

“It’s not that I want to be with you as a sister.”

“Brother Chengyu, I just call you that, but I don’t really treat you as a brother.”

“I have brothers. I don’t lack brothers.”

The cake had already melted in his mouth, the milky sweetness spreading in his mouth, all the way to his heart.

Shi Chengyu was surprised, but he felt like it should be this way. His Tangtang should like him.

But he was also apprehensive. He felt that he wasn’t as straightforward and open as Shen Chutang. He was about to say something when he heard Shen Chutang speak again.

“But I’m telling you this, not because I want you to fulfill my wish.” Shen Chutang lowered her head, her ears slightly red. “I want to fulfill my wish myself.”

“Brother Chengyu, I like you, but I don’t want to cause you any trouble. Maybe I’m not ready to be with you now, but I will try my best.”

By this point, Shen Chutang’s cheeks were already flushed, but she didn’t know how gentle Shi Chengyu’s gaze was at this moment.

She didn’t know that in Shi Chengyu’s heart, she didn’t need to do anything. She had already filled his mind.

Shi Chengyu now truly understood. Shen Chutang really thought he didn’t like her. Seeing her say this so foolishly and bravely, his heart felt like it was melting.

“Tangtang.” Shi Chengyu swallowed the sweetness in his mouth and called her softly. “When I said you were still young, it wasn’t because I treated you as a sister.”

“I’ve never treated you as a sister.”

He didn’t want her to know some things. She had forgotten those painful memories. She shouldn’t think about them ever again. He found her and stayed by her side. He just wanted her to be happy and carefree for the rest of her life.

“Tangtang likes me. It’s my honor. It’s just that you’re not old enough yet. You can’t be in love early. Many things aren’t as simple as you think. It’s just…” Shi Chengyu lowered his head. “It’s just that Tangtang will meet many people in the future. Maybe you’ll meet someone better. Tangtang still has a long life ahead of her.”

Shen Chutang wanted to retort, but Shi Chengyu spoke before her. “So, Tangtang, don’t rush to make a decision. Don’t rush to set a course for your life. Let things happen naturally. Some things aren’t appropriate to talk about now. Wait until Tangtang is older. If you still want to like me then, I’ll give Tangtang an answer.”

Shi Chengyu chuckled. His words were three parts truth and seven parts lie.

In this city, who could compare to Shi Chengyu in terms of status or family background? Not to mention the care and companionship he had given Shen Chutang for over a decade. They had become inseparable parts of each other’s lives.

With him by Shen Chutang’s side, there was no one better.

All the knots in her heart were untied. Shen Chutang instantly relaxed. It was good. Shi Chengyu didn’t treat her as his sister. It was good. She still had a chance.

Her thoughts, which had been stuck in a dead end, suddenly became clear. Shi Chengyu had found her again and led her out of the dead end.

If liking someone meant giving up because you met someone better, then it wasn’t liking. Shen Chutang thought to herself.

The cake wasn’t big, and the two of them finished it.

School started in less than a week. After Xie Tong came back in the afternoon, they arranged to go back to Beijing.

When they arrived at the airport, Shi Chengyu held her hand as they boarded the plane. It was the same action as before, but because of what they had talked about, Shen Chutang felt a little different. Her palms felt hot.

Shi Chengyu sent her home. He originally planned to go back to the company to deal with the things he had fallen behind on, but Shen Chutang explicitly forbade him, telling him to stay home and adjust to the time difference.

They didn’t get up until the afternoon. Uncle Shang had just asked someone to prepare dinner when Shen Chutang received a call from Shen Yanheng, saying that someone would come to pick her up for dinner.

Shen Chutang asked him, then she brought Shi Chengyu along.

She thought they were going to a restaurant, but the driver took them directly to Shen Yanheng’s house.

After Shen Yanheng started working, he moved out. This was only the second time Shen Chutang had been to his house, except for a few days when he got married. The house wasn’t as big as the Shen family’s house, and he only had one housekeeper.

The door opened from the inside. Shen Yanheng was wearing home clothes. He didn’t have the same imposing aura he usually had.

“Tangtang, Chengyu, come in.”

Zhao Wenxian also stood up from the sofa. “Tangtang, you’re here.”

Shen Yanheng quickly walked over and helped them sit down. “Just sit down. We’re family. We don’t need to be so formal.”

Shen Chutang and Shi Chengyu exchanged a glance unconsciously. They felt like there was something different about Big Brother, but they couldn’t say what it was.

Zhao Wenxian smiled shyly. “It’s fine.”

“Big Brother, Big Sister-in-law, we’re still standing at the door.” Shen Chutang reminded them.

Zhao Wenxian’s face instantly turned red. “Come in quickly. It’s all your brother’s fault.”

Shi Chengyu handed the things he brought to the housekeeper and followed Shen Chutang in to greet them.

Zhao Wenxian said, “Tangtang, why did you suddenly decide to go out and play? You even went so far. Dad, Mom, and Yanheng were all worried sick.”

Shen Chutang sat next to her. “I just suddenly wanted to go. Big Sister-in-law, so I went out to take a look.”

“It’s good that you had fun.” Zhao Wenxian’s eyes held a hint of envy. She put her hand on her stomach. “I’m a little envious of you. Unlike me, I can’t go anywhere freely.”

Shen Yanheng was busy. When he went out, it was usually for work. The approval process for going abroad was even more complicated.

Shen Chutang said, “Big Sister-in-law, you don’t have to go with Big Brother. You can go alone. You can also go with friends.”

But Zhao Wenxian had never thought about that. She had been obedient and well-behaved all her life. She had followed the rules all her life. Liking Shen Yanheng was probably the bravest and most outrageous thing she had ever done.

Traveling abroad alone, she had never thought about it. But it sounded like a good idea.

She smiled softly. “I could have before, but now, it’s not convenient.