Chapter 24

Shen Gengli rushed back before dinner.  He had finally finished his work.  Except for Shen Yanheng, who was accompanying his wife back to her parents’ home, everyone was there.  There were also guests.  Chen Mushen had cooked a large table of dishes.  The meal was full of joy.

After dinner, it started snowing again.  Shen Chutang was moved by the sight and pulled Shi Chengyu out to play.

Shi Chengyu held her back.  “Tangtang, it’s cold outside.”

“Brother Chengyu, are you cold?” Shen Chutang stopped.  She remembered that when Shi Chengyu came this morning, there was snow on him, and he looked like he was frozen.

“I’m not cold.”

I’m afraid you’ll be cold.

Shi Chengyu’s eyes were deep as he looked at Shen Chutang, who was eager to go out.  Finally, he nodded.  He made sure she had a scarf, hat, and gloves before taking her downstairs.

The snowflakes were large and falling heavily.  Shen Chutang caught them with her hand, watching as they briefly maintained their shape on her glove before turning into a small puddle of water.

She was having fun.  She pulled Shi Chengyu’s hand and spun around, singing as she spun.

The streetlights cast a warm yellow glow.  The falling snow seemed to turn into white petals, landing on her face, bringing a chill.  Shi Chengyu heard Shen Chutang’s singing and saw her smile.  From then on, snowy days were no longer bad memories, but had beautiful moments worth cherishing for a lifetime.

Shi Chengyu chuckled softly, holding Shen Chutang’s hand tightly.  He spun with her.  No one would have guessed that this was the CEO of Shi Corporation.

On the second-floor balcony, Chen Mushen wrapped herself in a shawl and watched the two of them downstairs.  At this moment, they were immersed in their own world, as if no one else could enter.  It was just the two of them.

“Gengli, don’t you think they’re a good match?”

Shen Gengli heard his wife’s voice.  He put down his book, stood up from the sofa, and looked downstairs.  He clicked his tongue.  “Tangtang is so young.”

Chen Mushen said, “She’ll be seventeen after the New Year.  She’ll be eighteen next year.  It’s not uncommon for people to get engaged right after they turn eighteen.”

“No matter how old she is, she’s still a little girl.  She doesn’t understand those things now.” Shen Gengli felt a little uncomfortable thinking about his precious daughter getting married.  No matter how much he admired Shi Chengyu, he couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed now.

“Besides, we don’t know what Chengyu thinks.  We don’t know if Tangtang likes him.”

Don’t they look like they like each other?  Chen Mushen laughed, looking at him a little angrily.  “You’re like this whenever it comes to Tangtang.  You’re afraid someone will steal your precious daughter away.  Your two sons are still single.  You’re not worried about them.”

Shen Gengli said, “Grandchildren have their own blessings.  Tangtang is different.  Tangtang will always be our Shen family’s daughter.  If she doesn’t want to get married, she doesn’t have to.  If she wants to get married, we’ll talk about it later.  It’s best to find someone who can marry into the family.”

As he spoke, Chen Mushen chuckled beside him.  “That’s just your idea.”

“They’ve grown up.  Their lives are their own.”

That’s what they said, but as parents, they couldn’t help but worry.  All they could do was be there for them.

The two downstairs had already come back.  They went back to their rooms and took hot showers.  Shen Chutang, wearing a fluffy nightgown, came to find Shi Chengyu.

Shi Chengyu was picky about where he slept.  He couldn’t sleep every time he changed places.  He couldn’t sleep when he was worried.  He used to take medicine, but Shen Chutang had caught him once, and he stopped taking it.

When Shen Chutang came, she brought a storybook, one she had when she was little.  Shi Chengyu had arrived suddenly, and he had searched for a long time, but this was the only one he could find.

“Lie down.” Shen Chutang said to him in a coaxing voice, like she was talking to a child.  She sat on the cushion on the carpet.

“The story begins today…”

Shi Chengyu looked at her.  This wasn’t the first time Shen Chutang had read him a story, but he still felt like he was dreaming.  How could there be such a beautiful thing in the world, and it was happening to him?

Everyone thought that Shen Chutang was clinging to him, calling him over.  But that wasn’t true.  He couldn’t live without Shen Chutang.

Thinking about leaving tomorrow, Shi Chengyu didn’t want to sleep at first, but Shen Chutang’s voice seemed to have magic.  Sleepiness quickly came over him.  The bed was warm, the lights were soft, and Shen Chutang deliberately lowered her voice, her voice soft and gentle.

Everything was just right.  Shi Chengyu closed his eyes and fell asleep peacefully.

Shen Chutang secretly looked up at him.  She read for a while, then quietly got up, turned off the lights, and left.

*

The snow stopped in the middle of the night.  The weather cleared up.  After breakfast, Shi Chengyu’s driver came to pick him up.

Although she was reluctant, Shen Chutang was already happy.  She saw Shi Chengyu off to the car and whispered in his ear that she wouldn’t cry secretly anymore.

Shi Chengyu rubbed her head and told her to go inside quickly.  He had brought a lot of things when he came, and he was taking a lot of things when he left.  The car didn’t leave until he saw Shen Chutang go inside.

“Tangtang is back?” Chen Mushen was sitting on the sofa, knitting yarn.  “What did you tell Chengyu?”

“Secret.” Shen Chutang giggled and sat down next to her, leaning her head on her shoulder.

Chen Mushen teased her.  “You have secrets from Mom now.”  She asked again, “What do you think of Chengyu?”

Shen Chutang raised her head.  “Brother Chengyu is great!”

Looking at her clear eyes, Chen Mushen didn’t ask any more.  “Okay, come look.  Mom is going to knit scarves for you.  Pick a color for Chengyu.”

“Okay.”

Shen Sichen had been relaxing at home for two days.  On the third day, Chen Mushen was already starting to get impatient with him.  She told him to take Shen Chutang and Shen Sujing out to buy New Year’s goods.

Shen Chutang was eager to go.  She had never been to a supermarket before.  She carefully looked at the long shopping list that Chen Mushen had sent, afraid of missing anything.

“Second Brother, I want to eat lollipops.  They’re not on the list.  Can we buy them?” Shen Chutang asked.

Shen Sichen casually steered the wheel.  “Okay, you can buy the entire supermarket if you want.”

That wasn’t necessary.  Shen Chutang just wanted to eat a lollipop.

Shen Sujing pushed the shopping cart, wearing a mask and hat.  Shen Chutang looked at the list and took things, while Shen Sichen followed behind them lazily.

Finally, they reached the checkout.  Shen Chutang took five lollipops and had Shen Sichen pay for them.

They carried their things.  Shen Chutang took the lollipops and put one in each of their pockets.  Shen Sichen, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped.  He handed the things to Shen Sujing and then suddenly ran in a certain direction.

Shen Chutang asked, “Hey?  Where’s Second Brother going?”

Shen Sujing was also a little confused.  “Maybe he saw someone he knows.”

“Where does Second Brother know anyone in Suzhou?”

He had grown up in Beijing and then went abroad.  He had hardly ever been to Suzhou.

Shen Sichen thought he had seen wrong.  He ran to the person and realized he hadn’t.  But then he suddenly regretted running over so rashly.

“You… are you on holiday?”

It was like he hadn’t asked anything.  Shen Sichen instantly regretted it.

“Is there something, Mr. Shen?” Zhou Xingyang looked at him, his voice a little cold.

Shen Sichen frowned slightly.  “Nothing.”  He put his hands in his pockets, but he felt the lollipop that Shen Chutang had put in there earlier.

He took it out without thinking and put it in her hand.  “I’m going home first.”

Zhou Xingyang stared at the lollipop in his palm.  He looked at the man who was walking away and thought he must have been taking some kind of medicine today.