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December in City A turned chilly.
Ye Tingtong stood under a phoenix tree by the roadside, the withered yellow leaves above rustling in the wind. The gusts kept coming, so cold that he pulled his scarf up to cover his reddened ears, leaving only his round, beautiful eyes exposed, constantly watching for passing vehicles.
He was waiting for the Ye family's driver to take him to a gathering initiated by Shen Minghuai, and he needed to arrive early.
It was the peak time for school and work, and the driver was stuck in traffic, calling to tell him to wait by the roadside where parking was easier.
Ye Tingtong waited in the cold wind for over ten minutes before the car finally arrived.
The boy's fair skin made his reddened ears all the more noticeable. When he got into the car, the sudden change in temperature made him sneeze, his nose also red. His small face, half-hidden by the scarf, looked pitiful.
The driver instinctively turned up the heat by two degrees.
Once inside, Ye Tingtong didn't complain at all. Instead, he leaned forward towards the front seat, holding up the scarf around his neck and giving it a little shake. "Driver Li, look, this is the Ada's new season's latest release. Shen Minghuai bought it for me as soon as it came out."
A slight smile formed at the corner of his mouth, like a young couple in love, eager to share their happiness.
Driver Li, unusually, didn't respond, picking up his phone and aiming the camera at Ye Tingtong, focusing on the scarf's logo.
The photo captured Ye Tingtong's face, delicate and beautiful against the dark scarf, his cheeks flushed, his downcast eyes looking shy and sweet in the photo.
This routine was familiar to both of them. Ye Tingtong only needed to show off the gift from the Shen family's young master around his neck.
This was his value.
They exchanged a few words after that, mostly Ye Tingtong doing the talking.
Driver Li occasionally glanced at him in the rearview mirror, hesitating to speak.
Ye Tingtong felt uneasy under that look but could only suppress it and pretend not to notice.
When they reached the villa's entrance, it was stopped by security, who said outside vehicles weren't permitted.
Driver Li, sitting in the front seat, clearly saw the disdain in the security guard's eyes.
It wasn't aimed at him, but at Ye Tingtong.
And before them, a non-Shen family car had clearly entered the villa.
Driver Li was about to argue when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"It's alright, I'll walk a bit. It's easier for you to turn around here, Driver Li."
Ye Tingtong was accustomed to such differential treatment.
He spoke lightly, though before getting out, he carefully covered most of his face with the scarf.
Opening the car door, the cold wind rushed in. The driver clearly saw Ye Tingtong shiver but still faced the cold, lowering his head to obediently say goodbye.
Driver Li, who had been holding back all the way, couldn't contain himself any longer, "Fourth Young Master, today I was taking your father to the Crescent Hall, so I couldn't pick you up on time."
Ye Tingtong's hands, which were adjusting his scarf, paused.
Driver Li, afraid he was too naive to understand, added, "He's been to the Crescent Hall three times this week. Today, he went to see Hu Cheng."
Hu Cheng, 45 years old, wealthy and influential, had been mentioned more than once by the Ye family, urging Ye Tingtong to dress well and make contact with him.
Ye Tingtong was born out of wedlock, and in the eyes of the Ye family, he's just a pawn, ready to be traded at any time.
However, he's on decent terms with Shen Minghuai, and there's even a bit of a spark between them, which has kept things quiet.
After all, the young master of the powerful Shen family is way more valuable than Hu Cheng.
But how did these two end up together again?
The car had left the villa entrance long ago, but Ye Tingtong just stood there, dazed.
He didn't want to be handed off to some old man.
After feeling down for a while, Ye Tingtong patted his frozen face, forcing himself to snap out of it.
He had to go find Shen Minghuai.
Shen Minghuai was his only hope.
The villa was alive with activity, and after circling around, Ye Tingtong finally found his target.
Shen Minghuai was surrounded like a celebrity, mostly by young and beautiful girls. Shen Minghuai cracked a joke that had them giggling behind their hands.
Shen Minghuai was a charmer, but with his wealth and good looks, both men and women were eager to be around him.
It wasn't long before Shen Minghuai picked his date for the night and dismissed the others. Ye Tingtong took the chance to slip in.
"Minghuai, wait, I need to talk to you."
Pushing through the crowd, Ye Tingtong's hair was disheveled, and his scarf was loose and about to touch the ground, looking out of place among the well-dressed crowd.
Seeing him so frazzled, Shen Minghuai pulled him aside, "What's the rush? I'm not running off."
He looked at the other's flushed face, pulled off the scarf, and tossed it aside, he said, exasperated, "Wearing it indoors? Aren't you hot?"
Ye Tingtong glanced sadly at the scarf that had been thrown away like trash.
It cost a fortune.
Misreading his expression, Shen Minghuai smirked, "If you like it, I'll get you a lighter one next time. This one doesn't suit you."
Ye Tingtong looked better in bright, cheerful colors.
As the two began to talk, Shen Minghuai's date tactfully excused herself.
Seeing no one around, Ye Tingtong immediately asked in a low voice, "Is something wrong with the Ye family?"
He'd been posting on social media regularly and having Driver Li take photos to submit. Why were they still thinking of making a deal with that old man?
Shen Minghuai's smile faded, and he replied indifferently, "Not sure."
Having been with him for so long, Ye Tingtong could easily detect the dismissiveness in his tone. Despite his anxiety, he just grabbed Shen Minghuai's sleeve, "No matter what, you'll take care of me, right?"
He looked up, his lips downturned, his expression pitiful, "You're all I have."
When he had just started college, the Ye family had introduced him to Hu Cheng, that old man. But now, halfway through his second year, his peace had been maintained solely because of his relationship with Shen Minghuai.
Shen Minghuai looked at him for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled, "What do you think? What's our relationship? Of course, I'll take care of you."
The reassurance calmed Ye Tingtong's nerves. After Shen Minghuai left, he asked a waiter for a cup of hot milk to warm his hands. Just as he took it, someone patted his head.
"Honey, you're such a smooth talker, huh?"
Ye Tingtong turned around and saw it was Yu Huanhuan.
The Yu family was at the lower end of the social ladder, and since Yu Huanhuan wasn't well-liked in her family, they bonded over their similar situations.
"So, where's Shen Minghuai?"
Yu Huanhuan was aware of Ye Tingtong's situation and had been worried for him, but she didn't expect him to be so good at playing the victim card.
The way he looked up, stubborn but with a hint of vulnerability, paired with his beautiful face, would make anyone's heart skip a beat.
If she were Shen Minghuai, she would've hugged and comforted him right then and there.
Ye Tingtong pointed in the direction Shen Minghuai had left, "He went off to find his ex."
Probably sneaking off to flirt somewhere.
Yu Huanhuan tilted her head and indeed saw a couple intimately walking together, "You're not jealous?"
Ye Tingtong took a sip of milk indifferently, "Why would I be? We're not together."
He was desperate to win Shen Minghuai over, but Shen Minghuai's behavior toward him was odd. He once called them friends, but after being in this mess for so long, he could tell Shen Minghuai's gaze wasn't innocent.
But as long as Shen Minghuai pretended to be his friend and protected him, he'd go along with it.
Yu Huanhuan looked at his casual attitude, feeling frustrated, "I've told you so many times, Shen Minghuai is a great catch. You should use the fact that he still cares about you and fight for yourself."
Ye Tingtong felt wronged, "I tried, okay?"
But Shen Minghuai just wouldn't respond.
Yu Huanhuan was exasperated, "You didn't try. Your acting is so bad, it's embarrassing."
Ye Tingtong had set up a persona of deep affection, but with Shen Minghuai's experience in the field, how could he not see through Ye Tingtong's act.
But after saying a few words, Yu Huanhuan calmed down. Ye Tingtong's mind just wasn't sharp; he didn't know how to use tactics.
He even stooped to win over a useless driver. If it weren't for Shen Minghuai, he would've been eaten alive in this crowd long ago.
Like now, in the brief moment he took a few sips of milk, at least five people shot him curious glances, but after inquiring, they ended up disappointed.
Yu Huanhuan tapped his forehead with her finger, "Don't take food from strangers, and don't wander off. This villa is rarely open to the public, and I'm not familiar with it either."
Ye Tingtong obediently agreed and watched as Yu Huanhuan, with her makeup perfectly done, fluttered into the crowd like a butterfly.
Yu Huanhuan was smart and articulate, with many paths, while he only had Shen Minghuai.
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As the evening deepened, the party became wilder. Everyone noticed Shen Minghuai's interest in his companion for the night and suggested playing a game of passing a tissue with their mouths.
Ye Tingtong, as an insignificant bystander, was pulled in to make up the numbers.
Everyone sat in a circle, and he was seated next to Shen Minghuai. The tissue happened to be passed between Shen Minghuai and the girl, and the small piece of paper had to transition from their lips, inevitably causing them to touch.
The onlookers were all cheering, and someone dimmed the room's lights, making the atmosphere even more charged and suggestive.
But Ye Tingtong just found it noisy. Everyone had been drinking, and with the alcohol kicking in and the game reaching its climax, no one was controlling their volume.
Ye Tingtong couldn't help but rub his ears from the noise, but remembering Yu Huanhuan's advice, he quietly put his hand down and looked at Shen Minghuai.
Whistles filled the air, and the two people beside him were almost kissing.
Ye Tingtong pondered for a moment, feeling that his current reaction should be one of sadness, so he lowered his head, pretending to be really upset.
As he looked down, he spotted a plate of pistachios across the room, with only a thin layer left at the bottom.
Ye Tingtong hesitated for a second, then stealthily extended his right hand in the darkness. Due to the distance, he had a hard time gathering the remaining pistachios in his palm. Just as he was about to retract his hand, the lights suddenly came on.
His hand trembled, and the pistachios scattered all over the floor.
A cold, distant voice rang out from the staircase on the second floor of the hall, "You're making too much noise."
Ye Tingtong guiltily stopped the bouncing pistachio.
Shen Minghuai, who had been abruptly interrupted, looked really annoyed. He was about to lose his temper, but upon seeing who it was, his anger instantly dissipated, and he even dropped the paper ball he was chewing on in shock, "Uncle?"
Shen Minghuai's uncle—Shen Jin, the head of the Shen family.
He was dressed in a tailored suit, standing tall and commanding at the elevated position. His cold, intimidating presence made everyone below avoid meeting his gaze.
The room fell silent instantly. The classmate who had been the most rowdy beside Ye Tingtong huddled up, not daring to breathe loudly.
Ye Tingtong quietly stuffed the pistachios into his pocket, thinking, 'Who is this guy? He's so intimidating.'
Before he could even look up, he felt a scrutinizing gaze fall upon him.
Ye Tingtong got goosebumps.
The pressure almost made him give up the pistachios in his hand as a gesture of surrender.
Ye Tingtong quickly concluded.
This was someone he shouldn't mess with.
After Shen Minghuai repeatedly promised not to make any more noise, Shen Jin let it go and went back upstairs. Fearing he might disturb Shen Jin, Shen Minghuai quickly dispersed the crowd.
This move shocked Ye Tingtong. Shen Minghuai was a real partygoer. The beach villa was far away, and before the event started, he had said they'd party all night and no one was allowed to leave.
Even if Ye Tingtong was slow, he could sense the influence this 'uncle' had over Shen Minghuai. Just one complaint about the noise had made Shen Minghuai call off the party.
He glanced in the direction of the second floor, but before he could develop any further thoughts, Yu Huanhuan called out to him.
Yu Huanhuan, while putting her coat on, asked him, "How are you getting back today? Are you waiting for your driver? Should I give you a ride?"
Among the people here, Ye Tingtong was probably the only one without a driver. She was worried he might end up waiting in the cold wind again.
Ye Tingtong waved it off, "No need, I asked Minghuai, and he said he'd give me a ride when he's done."
Yu Huanhuan gave him an approving look and then left.
Normally, Ye Tingtong wouldn't disturb Shen Minghuai, but today, what Driver Li had said had given him a strong sense of crisis. At this moment, the closer he was to Shen Minghuai, the safer he felt.
But as Ye Tingtong sat in the hall, watching the crowd thin out until everyone was gone, he still hadn't seen Shen Minghuai.
"You're asking about Young Master Shen?" the old butler recalled, "He left more than ten minutes ago, quite drunk, and with a beautiful girl."
Ye Tingtong quickly called him, but all he got was a busy signal.
Clearly, Shen Minghuai had no time for him.
Ye Tingtong stood there, dumbfounded.
You couldn't catch a cab in this gated community, and walking would probably take an hour to get out.
To strengthen his position, he had told the Ye family that Shen Minghuai had offered to take him home, so he didn't need a driver today...
Ye Tingtong glanced at the pitch-black sky outside, feeling a bit lost.
At that moment, he heard footsteps coming from the stairs behind him. Ye Tingtong's eyes lit up, and he quickly turned around, "I thought you really left—"
He trailed off when he saw who it was.
It wasn't Shen Minghuai.
Shen Jin clearly saw the light in Ye Tingtong's eyes dim. He stood alone in the middle of the cluttered hall, like an abandoned puppy.
Shen Jin's gaze lingered on the cowlick at the crown of Ye Tingtong's head for a second before quickly moving away. He asked, "What's the matter?"
The butler dutifully informed him, "The young master forgot about his classmate. He has no way to get home."
Ye Tingtong stood there, head bowed, feeling awkward.
Shen Jin was now in casual attire. His gaze happened to fall on the other's right sleeve, where a distinctive sapphire cufflink adorned it, making the man appear cold and noble, in stark contrast to Ye Tingtong's disheveled state.
To keep from freezing, Ye Tingtong suppressed his embarrassment and mustered the courage to look up, "Uh, could you give me a lift? Just to a place where I can get a taxi."
Shen Jin hesitated slightly at Ye Tingtong's polite tone, "I have something to attend to later."
The gentle rejection made Ye Tingtong's ears burn. He snatched the scarf off the nearby couch and wrapped it around his neck, mumbling, "Then I won't bother you."
Rejection was nothing new to him, but before asking, he had inexplicably felt that this man might help him.
Maybe the guy's handsome face had misled him.
As Ye Tingtong turned to go, the man spoke up again.
"It's nearly 1 a.m. You're welcome to stay the night," Shen Jin's tone remained calm and indifferent. "Butler, prepare a guest room for him."
Making sure he'd heard right, Ye Tingtong was completely floored.
Shen Jin was actually letting him stay?
Earlier, Shen Minghuai had flatly turned down anyone who'd asked to stay over, "My uncle doesn't like to be disturbed."
That's exactly what Shen Minghuai had said.
Convinced the man was serious, Ye Tingtong let out a relieved breath and obediently said thank you.
Kindness, especially from someone so high up, was rare for him.
After speaking, Shen Jin didn't leave. His gaze fell on the scarf Ye Tingtong had bundled around himself.
Jumping at the chance to connect, Ye Tingtong added, "Minghuai gave this to me. We're very good friends."
"Hmm," Shen Jin's tone was indifferent.
Clueless about the man's thoughts, Ye Tingtong scrambled to keep the conversation alive, "Uh, I really caused you trouble today. I'll leave early tomorrow morning and won't disturb you."
Shen Jin didn't respond.
Noticing that Shen Jin wasn't responding, Ye Tingtong thought hard and decided to play it cool, saying softly with a pout, "If you really don't like it, I can walk for an hour to get a taxi."
It was a bit fake and over-the-top, but what if Shen Jin actually fell for it?
Even though his mind was racing, Ye Tingtong kept up his careful, well-behaved act on the surface.
Shen Jin didn't budge, just said, "Suit yourself," and then checked his watch.
It was clear the conversation was winding down.
Ye Tingtong quickly shifted gears, "Thank you for your help today. Can I get your number? I'll treat you to a meal another day."
Shen Jin, probably fed up with the persistence, actually let Ye Tingtong scan his WeChat.
After giving his contact information, Shen Jin left, and Ye Tingtong, not wanting to push his luck, followed the butler to the guest room.
The first thing Ye Tingtong did upon entering the room was to pull out some pistachios from his pocket and munch on them.
He didn't believe Shen Jin would really give him his personal contact information; it was just to get him off his back, and he would surely reject the friend request later.
But it didn't matter. Whether Shen Jin agreed or not, he'd tell the Ye family he was tight with Shen Jin and that they had even had a pleasant conversation.
After polishing off the snack, Ye Tingtong clapped his hands, hummed a tune, snapped a pic of the dark night view outside, then lay on the bed, opened WeChat, and started fine-tuning the photo.
This was the main event of the day.
After some thought, he wrote the caption and skillfully clicked send.
"Couldn't say no to such hospitality, feeling a little buzzed, the ocean view is stunning, good night."
Location: [Shen Family Beach Villa]
Soon, he received many likes and envious comments.
While everyone else got the boot, he alone stayed at the beach villa, which was enough to prove his special status.
The Ye family would have to tread carefully.
But just as he was secretly gloating, his phone vibrated.
"Shen Jin has accepted your friend request."
Ye Tingtong was stunned and clicked on the other party's profile picture and introduction several times, confirming that it was indeed the [Shen Jin] he had added tonight.
Had the big shot lost it?
Before he could recover, WeChat pushed another message.
"Shen Jin liked your Moments."
Ye Tingtong froze for a second, his face flushed, and he quickly deleted that pretentious Moments post.
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