Chapter 29

Shen Chutang hugged him and comforted him for a while, mimicking the way he used to comfort her.

She had figured it out. Xie Tong was right, there was nothing to be embarrassed about liking someone. She liked Shi Chengyu. Now that she knew, she wouldn’t hide it anymore.

Shi Chengyu went back to his room, silent for a long time. Finally, he took out his phone and sent a message to Lin Shulang.

The next day, they went to school as usual. It was either a coincidence or not, but during morning reading, the homeroom teacher suddenly came in and emphasized the matter of early love.

Xie Tong watched Shen Chutang sneakily smile, and Shen Chutang secretly blushed, squeezing her hand.

She wasn’t in love. She just liked him. Besides, she had decided to become someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Shi Chengyu. Of course, studying was her priority now.

When morning reading ended, Xie Tong heard some news from somewhere. She said that many students who were in early love had been expelled, and several people had left their class. Xie Tong sighed to herself, saying that Shen Chutang was lucky. A University Affiliated High School had never been so strict before. Shen Chutang was so annoyed that she started teasing her again.

By June, Shi Chengyu was no longer so busy. He would pick up Shen Chutang on time every day. But Shen Chutang was busy. After dinner, she would start doing her homework. Before, Shen Chutang would accompany Shi Chengyu to work, but now it was Shi Chengyu who accompanied Shen Chutang to do her homework.

Under the warm light, Shen Chutang lowered her head and immersed herself in the sea of problems. Shi Chengyu would look at her sometimes, sometimes reading a book.

The last final exam ended, and the first summer vacation of high school arrived. A University Affiliated High School organized a study tour to Europe. Shen Chutang and Xie Tong had both been there, so they didn’t sign up.

Xie Tong was leisurely after the vacation. She would sleep until noon every day. But Shen Chutang started to worry. She had been busy preparing for exams recently, and she hadn’t even had time to prepare a birthday present for Shi Chengyu. Now, his birthday was only three days away, and she wasn’t ready.

In Shen Chutang’s opinion, this birthday was different. It was the first birthday she would celebrate with Shi Chengyu after she had realized her feelings for him. Naturally, the gift she gave him couldn’t be the same as before.

She dragged Xie Tong around the mall for two days before finally choosing a custom-made silver tie clip with the letters “SC” engraved on it.

She came to pick it up today. Xie Tong looked at the “SC” and asked curiously, “Tangtang, didn’t you miss a letter?”

Shen Chutang looked at the tie clip and smiled softly. “I didn’t miss any.”

It was just “SC”, the overlapping part of their names.

Dinner was made by Xue Wanqiu. Shen Chutang made a cake. There wasn’t a party this year. It was just a family gathering. Shen Sichen and Shen Sujing also came over.

It had been a while since they had all been together. Shen Sichen, who used to sleep until noon every day, looked cheerful. Shen Sujing looked more mature and stable than before. He had recently filmed a movie abroad and won several awards. He was now a rising star.

Everyone had changed, and Shen Chutang was no different. She was taller than last year, and she looked thinner. She was less childish, her eyebrows and eyes had opened up, and she was even prettier.

It was rare for them all to be together. It seemed like they all had busy lives after they grew up, and they saw each other less often.

After dinner, the cake was brought out and placed on a table in the courtyard. Shen Sichen was still making barbecue over there.

Shen Chutang lit the candles on the cake and borrowed a lighter from Shen Sichen. Two small flames flickered in the breeze. “Make a wish, Brother Chengyu.”

Shi Chengyu smiled at her. “Tangtang makes the wish.”

When Shen Chutang was little, every birthday wish she made would come true. She thought it was fun, and whenever someone had a birthday, she would make a wish too. Everyone thought she was cute and fun, but Shi Chengyu had let Shen Chutang make a wish every year since then.

It seemed like everything had changed, but it seemed like nothing had changed. Shen Chutang smiled faintly, clasped her hands together, and made a wish in her heart.

For the first time, she made a wish so sincerely, entrusting her wish to two small candles. She silently repeated it three times in her heart before opening her eyes and blowing out the candles.

“What did you wish for?” Shi Chengyu asked her.

Shen Chutang glanced at him, then looked at the stars in the sky. “Secret. I won’t tell you.”

Shi Chengyu was slightly stunned, then he laughed and asked her, “Then how will Tangtang’s wish come true?”

Shen Chutang looked back at him. Her curved eyes seemed to sparkle with stars. She said seriously, “It will come true.”

This time, she would make her wish come true herself.

Shi Chengyu was lost in those eyes for a long time before he snapped out of it and laughed.

The group of them played until a little after 11:00 PM before they dispersed. When they got back upstairs, Shen Chutang took out her gift and gave it to Shi Chengyu.

Shi Chengyu was surprised. His voice was a little aggrieved. “I thought Tangtang was too busy and forgot…”

“How could that be!” Shen Chutang glared at him playfully. “I was always the first to give a gift before. This time, I want to be the last one to give it.”

Shi Chengyu rubbed her head and asked, “Why?”

Shen Chutang smiled but didn’t answer. She hugged his neck and whispered in his ear, “Secret.”

She didn’t know that because of these words, Shi Chengyu refused all the birthday gifts he received later. She said she wanted to be the last one, and she was the last one.

The breath on his ear was warm. Shi Chengyu stiffened. It was a secret again, but this time, he didn’t feel annoyed. He vaguely felt that this secret was related to him, and so was her birthday wish today.

He had said before that Shen Chutang would always have a choice with him. He wasn’t lying, but he regretted it. There could only be one choice for Shen Chutang, and there would always be only one choice. He couldn’t bear to let her go to someone else.

Shi Chengyu took her hand and placed it on his waist. He didn’t know if he was sighing or speaking to her. “Tangtang, grow up quickly.”

He had waited too long.

“What?” Shen Chutang didn’t hear him. She asked softly.

Shi Chengyu replied mysteriously, “Secret.”

The two of them laughed at the same time. The moon in the sky wasn’t full, but it was very bright. It turned out that a crescent moon could be just as dazzling and beautiful. A crescent moon didn’t necessarily represent a flaw.

Shen Boyu went to find his old friends in another city this summer. They didn’t have to go to Wuhuashan anymore. Shen Chutang would stay at the Shi family for two days and then at the Shen family for two days. She didn’t like being alone at home, so she would go wherever there were people. She ran back and forth between the two places, enjoying herself.

Shen Sichen had been coming back to Lanjiangting more often recently. He would come back two or three times a week. Every time he came back, he was in a bad mood.

Shen Chutang was looking at the competition problems on the desk in the living room when the villa door was pushed open and slammed shut. She didn’t even need to turn her head to know who was back.

“Second Brother, if you keep doing this, the door will retire.” Shen Chutang didn’t even look up. Her voice was a little helpless.

“If it retires, it retires. Just change it! There’s nothing that can’t be changed!” Shen Sichen’s angry voice rang out. Shen Chutang could hear a hint of defiance in it.