Chapter 5

It was the first day of middle school, and Shen Chutang was just thirteen, a time when she was prone to temper tantrums.

She acted out, pinching and biting his neck, then finally said with a whimper that she was the last one to leave, burying her face in his arms and shedding tears. Seeing her cry, even the usually calm Shi Chengyu was flustered. He apologized repeatedly, letting the little girl cry and patiently coaxing her.

This led Lin Shulang to believe that Shi Chengyu was a very patient person. It was only later that he learned that some things were exclusive to Miss Shen.

When they arrived at the villa, Lin Shulang introduced himself to Shen Chutang. “Hello, Miss Shen. My name is Lin Shulang. I’m Mr. Shi’s assistant. I’m late for my first day of work, so I apologize.”

Shen Chutang, with her slightly red eyes, smiled, her voice still a little hoarse. “Hello, it’s okay. My name is Shen Chutang.”

Lin Shulang smiled warmly and bowed respectfully. At that moment, the setting sun shone on her, like a dazzling jewel. He knew that this was the precious little one in Shi Chengyu’s heart.

The car slowly stopped in front of the villa, and Lin Shulang got out and opened the door.

Shi Chengyu carried Shen Chutang out. When they entered the villa and went upstairs, he gently woke her up. “Tangtang, we’re home.”

Shen Chutang rubbed her eyes and snuggled against him, unwilling to get down.

“Wash up, then you can sleep.” Shi Chengyu said softly, placing her on the sofa.

Shen Chutang opened her eyes. The lights were bright but not harsh. She stretched lazily and replied, “Okay.”

When she came out after taking a shower, Shi Chengyu was already sitting on the sofa reading a magazine. He was wearing gray pajamas, and a soft carpet was laid out on the floor. Shen Chutang walked over barefoot and habitually lay on his lap.

Her wet hair was gently wiped, and the warm wind from the hairdryer blew through her hair, lifting and tousling it. Even the sound of the hairdryer became hypnotic.

Shi Chengyu picked up the half-awake Shen Chutang and returned to the master bedroom on the top floor. The two villas were not close to each other. When they were younger, they often visited each other. Back then, they stayed in the guest room. Later, the master bedroom on the top floor was remodeled according to Shen Chutang’s preferences, and it became her private bedroom.

After a tiring day, Shen Chutang finally lay down in the soft bed. Shi Chengyu pressed a kiss on her forehead, his voice gentle. “Good night, Tangtang.”

Shen Chutang’s lips curled up. “Good night, Brother Chengyu.”

The lights in the room were extinguished, leaving only a small, warm yellow bedside lamp, casting a warm glow on the girl’s face, making her look beautiful and peaceful.

The door closed softly, night fell, the silver moon hung high, and the moonlight, like a silver ribbon, gently fell on the earth, covering everything with a hazy veil, hazy and tranquil.

*

The next morning, Shen Chutang was, unsurprisingly, woken up by Shi Chengyu. Her eyes were still closed when he pulled her out of bed to eat breakfast.

He seemed to have inherited Aunt Xue’s habit when it came to eating. He never missed a meal, three times a day, and sometimes even had snacks in between.

Halfway through the meal, Shen Sichen came over. He had just finished his morning run and naturally sat down at the dining table. The maid skillfully added a set of cutlery for him.

Shen Chutang looked at the suddenly appearing Shen Sichen with a dazed expression. After a moment of reaction, she called out, “Second Brother,” then asked, “Third Brother didn’t come?”

“He’s busy. He went back to the film crew last night.” Shen Sichen replied while looking at his phone, not forgetting to take a bite of his sandwich.

“Oh.”

Shen Chutang was awake but her mind was still foggy. She did everything slowly and reacted a bit sluggishly. Shi Chengyu would clip something for her, and she would eat it. She looked incredibly obedient.

When her stomach started to protest, Shen Chutang looked at Shi Chengyu with resentment, silently accusing him of his “evil deeds.”

“Alright, alright, no more. Go back to sleep.”

Shi Chengyu smiled helplessly and put down his chopsticks, accompanying her to the elevator upstairs. Shen Chutang leaned lazily against him.

This time, Shen Sichen was smarter. He waited until they left before speaking to himself. “How come she’s always sleepy, like a little pig.”

“Miss Shen is weak, so she sleeps more than ordinary people. She didn’t get enough rest during the exams a while back, so she’s easily tired.” Shu Yi, carrying a plate of fruit, came over and replied with a smile.

Shen Sichen wiped his mouth and laughed. “I know, Shu Yi. I was just saying. Let her have a good rest during the holidays.”

“Let her sleep. I’ll be off. Tell her later that she needs to go back to Grandpa’s place in a few days.”

Shu Yi nodded. “Okay, I got it.”

Shi Chengyu settled Shen Chutang before coming downstairs. Lin Shulang was already waiting at the door. When he saw him, he stepped forward and opened the car door.

The driver for today was someone else. Lin Shulang sat in the passenger seat and reported today’s schedule.

Shi Chengyu pinched his brow. “Don’t schedule any work after five. And the same goes for the future.”

“Yes.”

Lin Shulang replied. He thought that since Miss Shen was on holiday, this period would be free, but it seemed it was still reserved for Miss Shen.

Today was the second day of Shen Chutang’s holiday. Yesterday morning, as soon as she got out of school, she went to Nanshan Mansion. She ate, took a nap, and got ready. Today, she finally got to rest, and she slept until ten o’clock.

She first sent a message to Shi Chengyu, an emoji of a cute little rabbit getting out of bed and stretching.

Shi Chengyu quickly replied, asking her to come downstairs and take a look.

Shen Chutang put on her slippers and eagerly went downstairs. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she saw several clothing brands waiting in the living room.

“Miss Shen, we heard you’re going to the beach. Mr. Shi asked us to send some clothes over.”

Going to the beach was something Shi Chengyu promised her yesterday, a reward for finishing her supplements. The last time they went, they didn’t have enough fun. Yesterday, he suddenly remembered and mentioned it. He didn’t expect arrangements to be made today.

Shen Chutang yawned, her expression a little listless. She was the kind of person who got interested in things quickly and lost interest just as quickly. Many things she only liked for a while, then forgot about them.

She walked over and sat on the sofa, scanning the clothes. Apparently, she wasn’t interested.

“Miss Shen, please take a look and see if you like anything. If you don’t like any of these, just tell us your requirements, and we’ll tailor something for you.” The female manager pushed the clothes rack over and said with a smile.

Shen Chutang took a bite of cantaloupe. “I don’t want red, and I don’t want anything too long or cumbersome.”

Red didn’t go with the beach, and besides, going to the beach was all about playing in the water. Dragging around a wet skirt would be uncomfortable.

The female manager listened and rummaged through the clothes, introducing suitable ones as she found them. It took the entire morning to choose two outfits.

Shen Chutang lay on the sofa and played with her phone for a while. After lunch, she received a call from Shi Chengyu.

He asked if she had eaten, how the clothes were, and if she missed him.

Actually, he knew the answers to all these questions, but he wanted to hear her say it herself.