✿✾❀✿✾❀✿✾❀✿✾❀✿✾❀✿✾❀✿✾
Ye Tingtong stayed at Shen Jin's place like this.
Shen Jin only stayed overnight on the first night and never came back after that. Only the housekeeper came regularly to cook and clean.
Ye Tingtong had no reason to stay there indefinitely. Once he recovered enough, he went back to school. Before he left, he sent Shen Jin two messages.
"I'm going back to school! Thank you for taking care of me these past few days."
"Cat bowing emoji"
As usual, Shen Jin did not reply.
Yu Huanhuan, fearing that Ye Tingtong might have another accident, picked him up straight from Shen Jin's place.
As the end of the semester approached, there weren't many classes on campus, so Ye Tingtong didn't need to stay there. Moreover, his roommate was an outsider to the situation and could easily be taken advantage of, so it was better to stay with her.
As soon as Ye Tingtong came out, he saw a red supercar at the entrance of the community, flashy and cool.
He immediately jogged up to it, "Huanhuan!"
"How many times have I told you not to call me 'sister'? It makes me sound old," Yu Huanhuan said, though her expression was very pleased, with a smile on her lips. "Hop in, kid."
As the car started, Yu Huanhuan glanced at the receding buildings in the rearview mirror, "I didn't expect Shen Jin to have a place in Prince Bay."
Such properties were never on the market; they were all snatched up through internal channels. Only someone as loaded as Shen Jin could own a large flat in such a prime location.
"Is it very expensive here?" Ye Tingtong looked at the vast, clear green lake beside him, feeling a bit sorry. "Shen Jin hardly ever stays in this house. What a waste."
The house felt lifeless. Once, he tried to save some electricity for Shen Jin, but as soon as he turned off the air conditioner, he ended up catching a cold that night, and his throat was still hoarse.
Yu Huanhuan stopped at a red light, unbothered, "He probably has even pricier ones, or maybe he just stays at the company as a workaholic. Who knows!"
Ye Tingtong totally agreed with the last part.
The light turned green, and the car started moving. Suddenly, Ye Tingtong heard a light jingling sound.
Only then did he notice that the car's ornament was a Santa Claus. He turned to look out the window and saw that the shops along the street had also switched to red Christmas themes. Some coffee shops had already set up Christmas trees at their entrances, looking festive and lively.
Ye Tingtong murmured, "Is it almost Christmas?"
He didn't know how long he had been locked up. After Shen Jin rescued him and he got his phone, he hadn't been keeping track of time, only focusing on guarding against the Ye family, afraid of being found.
Yu Huanhuan sensed the confusion in his tone and paused, "Don't worry, the Ye family won't dare make a move anytime soon."
Even though Shen Jin had no ties to Ye Tingtong, the fact that Shen Jin had publicly taken him away meant that the Ye family, no matter how arrogant, had to think twice.
"But is Shen Jin really doing charity?" Yu Huanhuan looked skeptical. "He's already at this level. Does he still have any so-called kindness?"
Shen Jin was the youngest son of the Shen family, with three older brothers above him. By the time Shen Jin was old enough to compete, those three already held a significant amount of shares.
She couldn't imagine how Shen Jin had climbed to his position, only knowing that someone who could do all this was definitely not a kind person.
Yu Huanhuan thought more and more that something was off, "Are you sure you didn't misinterpret his intentions?"
After all, no one could resist Ye Tingtong's face.
Ye Tingtong had no choice but to show her his chat history with Shen Jin on WeChat, "He doesn't even bother to reply to me."
Yu Huanhuan glanced over and saw that all the messages were from Ye Tingtong, ranging from daily updates to playful messages. She was quite intrigued, even forgetting about the green light and getting honked at repeatedly by the cars behind her.
The car started up again, and Yu Huanhuan sighed, accepting the fact, "It seems he really isn't interested in you."
This guy is way harder to deal with than Shen Minghuai.
Thus, Ye Tingtong stayed at Yu Huanhuan's place. He only went back to school for mandatory classes he couldn't miss, but he didn't stay in the dorm. He told his roommates he was living off-campus because of a serious illness, and they didn't question it.
One day, after class, he went back to the dorm with his roommates to grab some clothes. As he reached his spot, he spotted a gilded invitation on his desk.
"Minghuai was worried you might miss it!" Yu Hui put down his textbook and explained to Ye Tingtong, "He's getting engaged on December 25th, which is the day after tomorrow—Christmas Day."
"He also said you've been avoiding him, so he asked us to make sure you come if we see you."
Ye Tingtong just said 'oh' and casually tossed the invitation into his bag.
He'd gotten a message from Shen Minghuai on WeChat a few days earlier, asking him to come to the engagement party and saying he had something important to tell him.
Ye Tingtong didn't know what he wanted to say. All he knew was that when he was kidnapped by the Ye family, everyone he knew had reached out to him. Even his two roommates, who'd been fooled by Ye Guodong, would check on him. Only Shen Minghuai had gone silent.
In fact, when he was mentally drained from Ye Guodong's torment, he'd desperately hoped Shen Minghuai would figure out he'd been kidnapped and come rescue him from the Ye family. But no, there wasn't even a single message from him.
After all, Shen Minghuai knew his situation better than anyone.
Later, while recovering at Shen Jin's place, he let everyone know he was safe.
Everyone except Shen Minghuai.
When Yu Huanhuan returned home, she saw Ye Tingtong staring at the invitation in a daze.
She tossed her bag onto the sofa, "Is this Shen Minghuai's engagement party? He invited you, right?"
"Yeah," Ye Tingtong said, "But I don't want to go."
"Don't be stubborn," Yu Huanhuan picked up the invitation with her fingertips, "You have to go to this engagement party."
Ye Tingtong was puzzled, "Recently, you've had the driver pick me up whenever I go out, and you've had my roommates accompany me at school. Why are you suggesting I go to such a crowded engagement party now?"
"You're really dense," Yu Huanhuan tapped Ye Tingtong's head with the invitation, "Why do you think the Ye family hasn't dared to make a move recently? It's because they think you've already connected with Shen Jin, and he's secretly protecting you."
"If you don't dare to attend Shen Minghuai's engagement party now, what will they think?"
Ye Tingtong seemed to understand but not fully, "So I have to keep pretending to be under Shen Jin's protection?"
"Exactly," Yu Huanhuan carefully placed the invitation back in his hand, "Shen Jin will definitely attend this engagement party. You need to interact with him in front of as many people as possible, so the Ye family can see."
Although Shen Jin hasn't shown more interest in Ye Tingtong, he doesn't mind Ye Tingtong getting closer.
Ye Tingtong always listens to her. He put the invitation in his bag, paused, and asked, "Huanhuan, do you have a way to get to the engagement party? If not, I can ask Shen Minghuai."
The Shen family is marrying into the Liang family, so the guests will surely be prominent figures. Yu Huanhuan could make many connections at such an event.
Yu Huanhuan laughed and ruffled his hair, "Then I'll owe it to you!"
✿
On the day of the engagement party, Ye Tingtong attended with Yu Huanhuan.
The engagement party was held at the Shen family's old residence. Before entering, Ye Tingtong thought he was visiting a scenic spot.
The architecture was ancient and grand, without the extravagant decorations and lighting of modern hotels. The winding paths led to secluded courtyards, with every detail exuding a strong sense of craftsmanship.
Even if Ye Tingtong wasn't well-traveled, he knew this place was something else.
As the waiter led him and Yu Huanhuan towards the main hall, Ye Tingtong whispered, "I remember coming here a year ago, I think Shen Minghuai was bringing something to his grandmother."
He waited elsewhere back then and hadn't gone too deep inside.
"This mansion is where the Shen family's matriarch recuperates," Yu Huanhuan, who had more information, said. "The engagement banquet is held here because the old lady is attending, to spare her the trip."
The Shen family matriarch had been in poor health and hadn't received outsiders for several years. Her presence at the engagement banquet was enough to show the importance the Shen family placed on this marriage alliance.
They split up once they reached the main hall. Before they parted, Yu Huanhuan told him to find Shen Jin, but Ye Tingtong looked around but didn't see him.
Just as he was about to choose a spot with a good view from a higher place, a hand yanked him into a corner.
Ye Tingtong assumed it was someone from the Ye family and fought back hard.
"Don't be afraid, it's me."
It was Shen Minghuai, who he hadn't seen in ages.
Shen Minghuai was dressed in a white suit, and with his handsome face, even in the dim light, it was clear he was the man of the hour.
"I said I would pick you up at the entrance, why'd you ghost me?" Shen Minghuai spoke quickly. "I swung by school a few times, but you weren't there. You have no idea how worried I was."
Ye Tingtong was overwhelmed by the barrage of questions. He yanked his arm free, "Shen Minghuai, I just ask you, did you go to the entrance to pick up Yu Hui and the others?"
Shen Minghuai was momentarily speechless.
"Since you're engaged, don't show favoritism," Ye Tingtong frowned. "I won't follow in my mother's footsteps."
He was born with the label of an illegitimate child, putting up with constant insults. His mother, even worse, had a child out of wedlock, and no matter how many places they moved to, they couldn't escape the pointing fingers.
He could've shamelessly mooched off Shen Minghuai, but he'd never be the other man interfering in someone else's relationship or marriage. That was his bottom line.
Ye Tingtong looked at Shen Minghuai blocking his way, "You know what I mean."
Shen Minghuai tugged at the corner of his mouth, "I know."
Ye Tingtong had made it clear to him long ago that he wouldn't be the other woman.
"Can't we just be friends?" Shen Minghuai's tone carried a hint of pleading and expectation, "Just like before."
Ye Tingtong was silent for a while, "Don't mess with me."
They were never purely friends.
Shen Minghuai was at a loss for words. The two stood in silent confrontation, and Shen Minghuai's phone in his pocket started vibrating, again and again.
"How have you been recently?" Shen Minghuai lowered his head, his expression one of dejection Ye Tingtong had never seen before. "My mother has been watching me closely recently, not allowing me to contact you, and with all the engagement affairs, I couldn't find a way to see you."
It was like he was reminding himself, or emphasizing something, "Tong, I might not necessarily marry Liang Yuting."
Shen Minghuai reluctantly added, "Plenty of business alliances fall through."
Listening to the bitterness in his tone, Ye Tingtong was actually somewhat puzzled.
He and Shen Minghuai rarely had moments like this; usually, he was the one chasing after Shen Minghuai, who occasionally stopped to give him some benefits.
He didn't know when it started, but Shen Minghuai began to care about him.
"Did you lose weight?" Shen Minghuai looked at Ye Tingtong's noticeably less plump cheeks. "Once things settle down, I'll be back at school. If you have any difficulties, just tell me."
He could always be Ye Tingtong's safe haven.
Ye Tingtong was about to say something when he suddenly noticed Liang Yuting hesitating and waiting behind Shen Minghuai.
He paused and said, "I've been doing well recently."
"Your fiancée is waiting for you. I'll leave first."
Without waiting for Shen Minghuai's response, he turned and left.
The engagement banquet had many delicacies Ye Tingtong had never seen before, but he didn't go, afraid of encountering Shen Minghuai with his strange attitude again. He just wandered around the secluded courtyard.
Yu Huanhuan had assured him that the Ye family wouldn't dare stir up trouble at the Shen family's engagement banquet, so he should just chill and enjoy.
As he wandered near the entrance, someone waved him over, "Hey, you, come here."
Ye Tingtong noticed the person in a security uniform. As he approached, he realized it was a familiar face.
Last time at the beach villa, this same guard had barred his car, making him walk in the freezing cold.
The guard had a long face, and Ye Tingtong remembered it clearly.
It seemed this engagement banquet was so important that the Shen family had even brought in their security guards.
Before Ye Tingtong could speak, the long-faced guard shoved a package at him, "This is for Young Master Shen. Deliver it now."
Ye Tingtong tossed it back, "Do it yourself."
In the past, to curry favor with Shen Minghuai, he'd voluntarily fetch his packages from the guardhouse, but that didn't mean this guard could boss him around.
The long-faced guard sneered, "Who do you think you are? Acting all high and mighty?"
He'd been a guard in those villa areas for years and knew the ins and outs of everyone there. This Ye Tingtong, anyone could push him around—his status was even lower than the gatekeepers'.
Ye Tingtong didn't waste his breath arguing with someone like that.
Just as he was about to wander off, a few raindrops hit his face, and it looked like it was about to pour.
Ye Tingtong instinctively ducked under the guardhouse eaves, but the moment he stepped there, he was yanked back.
The long-faced guard blocked the way, snapping, "Hurry up and deliver that package. I'll give you an umbrella."
Only then did Ye Tingtong spot a row of shiny new umbrellas inside the guardhouse, likely meant for guests, but now they were being used to pressure him.
As Ye Tingtong was weighing whether to snag an umbrella and ditch the package to pin it on the guard, a car suddenly pulled up.
Ye Tingtong shielded his face from the rain and couldn't make out who was in the car, but he saw the previously cocky long-faced guard snap to attention, opening the car door and holding an umbrella, his demeanor suddenly obsequious.
Ye Tingtong rolled his eyes and seized the moment while the guard was distracted to duck under the eaves.
But the space was too tight, and his arms still got soaked.
As Ye Tingtong wiped the rain off his clothes, the light dimmed, and the raindrops dripping from the eaves stopped.
Ye Tingtong glanced up and locked eyes with a pair of dark, inscrutable ones, "Shen Jin?"
Shen Jin gave a nod, holding the umbrella over him, his gaze flicking to Ye Tingtong's wet sleeve. To keep up appearances, Ye Tingtong had dressed lightly—just a sweater vest and a suit—which did nothing to keep him warm. Now, soaked to the bone, his lips were turning blue from the cold.
Ye Tingtong put his hands behind his back.
His suit was a light color, and after being rained on, it was covered with dark spots, looking awful.
He had chosen his most handsome outfit to show off to Shen Jin, but it was a bust before it even started.
The umbrella was mostly tilted towards Ye Tingtong, and Shen Jin's assistant immediately brought a new umbrella from the security booth to cover Shen Jin's head.
Shen Jin lowered the handle of the umbrella he was holding, "Take it."
Due to the height difference, when Ye Tingtong took the umbrella, it automatically lowered a bit, and his view was now only of Shen Jin's long legs.
Ye Tingtong straightened his arm to lift the umbrella, and just as he got a clear view of Shen Jin's face, the security guard walked over with a flattering smile, "Boss Shen, so you know him. I just invited him to take shelter from the rain."
Hearing this, Ye Tingtong felt a pang of frustration and immediately spoke up, "He's lying! He blocked the entrance and wouldn't let me in, and even asked me to run errands to deliver a package! Last time at the villa, he wouldn't let me drive in, and I had to walk for an hour!"
With someone backing him up, Ye Tingtong spoke rapidly, listing the security guard's offenses like rapid-fire, as if he was ready to throw down if the other dared to argue.
The once arrogant security guard was stunned, "An hour?"
It's less than a 10-minute walk!
Just as the security guard was about to defend himself, Shen Jin cut him off coldly, "Go to the finance department to collect your paycheck. You're fired."
✿❀✿✾❀✿✾❀✿✾❀✿✾❀✿✾❀✿✾