Chapter 7

Shi Chengyu had been busy with the group’s affairs for the past few years and had little knowledge of the social circles. It was only after Old Master Shi spoke that he agreed to this dinner gathering.

They were in the same circle, and they would inevitably meet in the future, perhaps even have business dealings. It was unavoidable to get to know each other.

The food arrived quickly. For the first half of the meal, Shi Chengyu kept serving Shen Chutang dishes. He knew she hadn’t eaten much starch for lunch, so he had the staff bring several more desserts that she usually enjoyed. By the time Shen Chutang was full and started eating dessert, the dinner had reached its second half.

Because she was present, all the drinks were replaced with tea. Everyone toasted with tea instead of alcohol, cup after cup. Perhaps in a good mood, Shi Chengyu accepted them all, except for one person.

Shen Chutang sipped her tea and nibbled on her dessert, her eyes curved in a smile as she watched Shi Chengyu.

“Miss Shen, I apologize. I didn’t know the rules.”

Shen Chutang turned her head at the sound and saw the girl who had reminded her earlier holding a teacup, her face slightly apologetic.

It wasn’t a big deal, and Shen Chutang didn’t take it to heart. She didn’t need to be so formal. “It’s okay.”

She replied, but the girl didn’t leave. Shen Chutang picked up the teacup on the table, but a hand reached out from beside her and pressed it down.

Shi Chengyu held her hand and put the cup down. “Drink less tea, or you won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

He pushed the teacup aside and replaced it with a glass of warm water. Shen Chutang was debating whether to hold the glass and clink it with the girl’s cup when the girl already picked up her teacup and drank it, looking reluctant.

“Sorry, Miss Shen.” She said and turned to leave. Her expression was as if Shen Chutang had bullied her.

Shen Chutang only glanced at her and put the half-eaten dessert back on the plate without picking it up again. She held the cup and took a few sips of warm water.

Shi Chengyu patted her back twice and asked softly, “Are you full? If you’re full, let’s go home.”

Shen Chutang nodded. “I’m so full. Let’s go home for a walk.”

“Okay.” Shi Chengyu smiled and agreed, taking her away from the table.

Lin Shulang had calculated the time and came out of the lounge to wait at the door. When he saw them come out, he quickly went to open the car door.

With the main guests leaving, the private room fell silent. Jiang Younian leaned back in his chair casually, looking at Zhou Qian with amusement. He asked, “Before you came, didn’t your family tell you anything?”

Zhou Qian looked at him with confusion, a look of bewilderment on her face, tinged with a hint of defiance.

Jiang Younian took a sip of tea and scoffed. “Firstly, in this city, at any dinner gathering, if Shi Chengyu is the host, and Shi Chengyu brings Miss Shen, then Miss Shen sits at the head of the table.”

“Secondly, when Miss Shen is eating, you can’t go toast, nor can you disturb her.”

The first rule was an unspoken agreement in the circle. After all, the status of the Shi and Shen families was clear, and they were all good at reading the situation. The second rule was something they had observed and learned over the years.

This person not only broke the rules but broke two of them. And it wasn’t enough to break them, she didn’t even apologize sincerely, she looked defiant.

Jiang Younian said all this not to advise them, but because he thought that next time, no one would be so foolish as to upset Shen Chutang. If Shen Chutang was unhappy, Shi Chengyu would be unhappy, and if Shi Chengyu was unhappy, someone would suffer.

Without looking at Zhou Qian’s expression, Jiang Younian picked up his coat and walked out. He had finished this round, but there was another one with Shen Sichen.

The car stopped a few hundred meters from the villa. Shen Chutang said she wanted to walk, so they walked home from there.

She was wearing a lake blue dress. The temperature had dropped at night, and a gentle breeze blew from time to time. Shi Chengyu took off his suit jacket and put it on her, holding her slightly cold hand.

Shen Chutang wore the oversized suit jacket, walking and jumping along the way, then holding his arm and spinning in circles.

The streetlights on both sides stretched their shadows long and then shortened them.

Shen Chutang skipped and jumped, stepping on her shadow on the ground. She stopped and just smiled at him.

“Brother Chengyu, Xie Tong told me that if you can step on each other’s shadow, you can be together forever.”

Shi Chengyu smiled softly. He had taken off his tie in the car, and the top button of his expensive white shirt was undone, revealing his Adam’s apple.

He walked forward, passing Shen Chutang, and stepped on her shadow.

Shen Chutang turned around, rushed towards him, hugged him, and turned around to step on his shadow.

The two of them laughed and joked all the way back to the villa. Shen Chutang was wearing the suit jacket and was hot and tired, her nose covered in fine beads of sweat.

Shi Chengyu was afraid she would catch a cold, so he quickly told her to go take a shower. Shen Chutang chose the latter between taking medicine for a cold and taking a shower now. After showering, she lay on Shi Chengyu’s lap, waiting for him to dry her hair.

Back in the room, she quickly fell asleep. Shi Chengyu sat by the bed, the light from the bedside lamp cast his shadow on the wall, a blurry, dim blob, not as beautiful as it was under the streetlights.

He lowered his head and gently pressed a kiss on Shen Chutang’s forehead. He had been longing for this, for these precious moments and years, and now he finally had them in his arms. He cherished them and felt a sense of pity for them.

He hoped to be with her for a long, long time.

*

The leisurely days passed for a week. Uncle Wen said that Shen Sujing had returned, and he came to call Shen Chutang back. Shen Chutang was drawing on her tablet when she heard Uncle Wen calling her, and she ran back excitedly.

Since Shen Sujing went to college, the two of them had rarely seen each other. Finally, he had summer vacation, but he went to the film crew again.

As soon as Shen Chutang entered the door, she called out to the upstairs, “Third Brother!”

Aunt Wang brought her a glass of warm water. “Little Miss, Third Master is taking a shower.”

Shen Chutang sat down on the sofa. “Okay, I’ll wait for him.”

Soon, Shen Sujing came down the stairs, holding a towel to dry his hair. Seeing Shen Chutang, he teased, “You still remember to come back? I don’t know where your home is.”

Shen Chutang swung her legs. “Of course this is my home. Why don’t you guys come back more often? I’m so scared alone.”

“Mom and Dad are in Su City. Big Brother moved out after he got married. Second Brother moved to an apartment closer to the company. You went to school, and you don’t even come back during the holidays.”

Shen Chutang complained with dissatisfaction, pretending to be angry as she looked at him.

Shen Sujing threw the towel aside and reached out to rub her head. “Okay, okay, I’m back as soon as I have time.” He said as he sat down. “Has Second Brother been back?”

“Second Brother came back the night of Brother Chengyu’s birthday, and he left the next day. Maybe he’s busy with the company.”

Shen Sujing nodded. “How about you? Are you having fun on your holidays?”

“Of course I am.” Shen Chutang said excitedly, but her expression dimmed in an instant. “It’s just a little boring.”

“Brother! Let’s play games!”

Shen Chutang hugged his arm and shook it. She hadn’t played games for a long time. Before, she didn’t have time because she was preparing for exams. Now that she had time, no one was playing with her. They were all too busy. Xie Tong didn’t like playing, and she was bored alone.

“Okay.” Her sister had a request, and Shen Sujing naturally agreed. “Come on, let’s go upstairs.”