Chapter 6

Shi Chengyu was always worried that she would be bored at home alone, but she wasn’t alone.  Dozens of servants were at her beck and call, and people kept sending over food and toys.  Not to mention, she had plenty to do.

After her afternoon nap, Shu Yi told her what Shen Sichen had said before leaving that morning.  She spent the afternoon looking at jewelry.  At 5:30 PM, the villa’s gate opened, and Shen Chutang dashed out.

“Brother Chengyu!”

Shi Chengyu had just gotten out of the car.  He scooped her into his arms and held her up.  “Why are you running so fast?  Don’t you worry about falling?”

Shen Chutang hung on him like a koala.  “You’re back.”

She couldn’t wait to see him after hearing he was back.

Shi Chengyu carried her inside, chuckling softly.  “Don’t run next time.  If you fall, you’ll cry again.”

Shen Chutang leaned on his shoulder.  “I won’t fall.  Brother Chengyu will catch me.  It’s just that I’m tired, so I need a hug.”

Shi Chengyu rubbed her head.  “Still, no running.”

Then he asked, “Were you bored today?”

Shen Chutang quickly shook her head.  “Not at all.  I was tired.  I feel more tired than going to school.”

“Then I won’t let them come tomorrow.”

Dinner was already laid out on the table.  Shi Chengyu gently placed her in a chair.  “Tomorrow night, you’ll accompany Brother Chengyu to dinner.  I’ll have Shulang pick you up then.”

Shen Chutang swung her legs in the chair.  “What about you?”

She was supposed to accompany him to dinner, but why was she going alone?

“I have a meeting.  I’m afraid you’ll get impatient, sweetheart.” Shi Chengyu smiled and rubbed her head.  “Let Shulang pick you up first.  I’ll be there soon.”

Shen Chutang tilted her head and pondered for a moment.  “Okay, if you want me to go, I’ll reluctantly accompany you.”

“Good.  Thank you for being so generous, Tangtang.”

Shi Chengyu smiled back at her and put food on her plate.

The next day, as promised, there were no more people coming and going at the house.  Shen Chutang had a leisurely day with her regular schedule.  As evening approached, Lin Shulang arrived at the villa half an hour early.

Shen Chutang dawdled for a while, changed clothes, and got into the car.  She didn’t forget to send a message to Shi Chengyu.

“Miss Shen, Mr. Shi is in a meeting now.  He might not have time to check his phone.” Lin Shulang explained in a timely manner.

Shen Chutang exclaimed, “Oh.  Will it bother him?”

Before she could retract the message, Shi Chengyu had already replied, telling her to be good and saying he would be there soon.

It took about 20 minutes to get from the villa to Yaxuan, but it was faster from the company.  That’s why Shi Chengyu had Lin Shulang pick her up early.

Yaxuan was a Suzhou-style restaurant.  Shen Chutang had been to the Suzhou region once before and had fallen in love with the cuisine there.  Yaxuan opened shortly after she returned from Suzhou and was one of her favorite restaurants.

Yaxuan only served a limited number of guests, only those who could get a VIP card.  However, Shen Chutang was practically a little owner, so there were no such restrictions for her.

Lin Shulang opened the car door for her.  As soon as she got out, Manager Wang came over.  “Miss Shen, what would you like to eat today?”

Shen Chutang smiled and waved her hand.  “Brother Chengyu is treating us today.  There are other guests.”

“Oh, okay.  I’ll take you in then.”

Manager Wang extended his hand, gesturing for her to go first.  “There are many guests today.  The Spring Arrival Hall.”

Yaxuan only had private rooms for dining.  After entering, there was a square courtyard with a fish pond filled with goldfish.  There were some flowers and plants planted around it, as well as a few small tables for tea.  Dining took place in the private rooms.

Shen Chutang crossed a small bridge.  The goldfish in the pond below swam towards her, all plump and fat.

“The fish here have gotten even fatter.” Shen Chutang was delighted.  She picked up a box of fish food next to her and sprinkled some into the pond.

“Yes, guests passing by like to feed them.  They eat many meals a day.”

Shen Chutang clapped her hands.  “No wonder.”

The Spring Arrival Hall was Yaxuan’s largest private room.  Shen Chutang had guessed that there would be many people, but she was still startled when she saw more than a dozen people already inside.  She only recognized Jiang Younian.  Shen Chutang smiled and nodded at him.

Manager Wang didn’t come in.  He went to the door to greet Shi Chengyu.  Lin Shulang led her to her seat and left the private room.

Everyone looked at her as she entered.  They were all surprised for a moment.  This girl looked young, but she was truly beautiful.  However, she sat directly at the main seat.  Wasn’t that a bit inappropriate?

Those who knew the inside story already had a faint idea.  After taking a couple of glances, they looked away, wearing a gentle smile.

“Little sister, you’re sitting in the wrong place.  That’s not a seat you can sit on.” Zhou Qian thought she didn’t know the rules and reminded her.

Shen Chutang was adjusting her skirt and looked up at the speaker when she heard this, her eyes filled with confusion.

Everyone around them looked at the two of them with various expressions.

“That’s the main seat.” Zhou Qian explained again, a hint of ridicule on her face.  She must have come from some small family, not knowing even the basic rules.

Shen Chutang understood.  She hadn’t paid attention to these things before.  This seat must have been reserved for Shi Chengyu today.

Shen Chutang stood up, smiled, and nodded at her.  She was about to move to the side.

The door to the private room opened at that moment.  Everyone’s eyes turned towards the entrance, including Shen Chutang.  She straightened up, her back no longer bent.  The sound of chairs moving rang out one after another.

Shi Chengyu strode in, walked directly to Shen Chutang’s side, put his arm around her shoulders, and guided her back to her original seat.  He said softly, “This is the main seat.”

He knew this was the main seat, so he made her sit here.  His voice wasn’t loud or soft.  Everyone in the quiet private room could hear it.

Shi Chengyu bent down to fix her skirt before sitting down.  He said to everyone, “Please, take a seat.  Make yourselves comfortable.”

Shen Chutang was still dazed, wondering what he meant.  Did he want her to treat everyone to dinner?

Her little thoughts were written all over her face.  Shi Chengyu found it amusing.  He wanted to touch her head, but she had her hair tied up today, so he gave up.  He picked up a handkerchief that the waiter had brought over and wiped her hands.  “What do you want to eat?  Do you want the squirrel mandarin fish again?”

Shen Chutang loved fish.  She had fish for lunch.  The servants at home said she had eaten half a fish by herself, and she only stopped when she was full.

Shen Chutang shook her head.  She had just eaten it at noon.  How could she eat it twice in one day?

“If you guys don’t order, I will.” Jiang Younian was sitting opposite the main seat.  Shen Chutang knew her.  She was close to her Second Brother and had a good relationship with Shi Chengyu.

Jiang Younian livened up the atmosphere.  He picked up the menu.  He was much more aware of the hierarchy than some people.  He asked Shen Chutang, “Little Tangtang, is there anything you want to eat?”

“Brother Younian, you guys can order whatever you want.  I’m not picky.” Shen Chutang smiled.

Jiang Younian just listened.  If Shen Chutang wasn’t picky about food, then there would be no picky eaters in the world.

However, thankfully, they were at her usual restaurant.  No matter what they ordered, it wouldn’t be wrong.

“Alright, then Chengyu will be paying today.  We have a lot of people today, so let’s order everything on the menu.” Jiang Younian finished speaking and closed the menu, handing it to the waiter who was waiting nearby.

Yaxuan’s menu only had twenty dishes.  They changed it every month, adjusting the dishes according to the season.  They had more than ten people today, so twenty dishes wouldn’t be too much.