Before learning that Shen Jin was returning to China, Shen Chunhan had been restless. He had assumed Shen Jin would remain abroad, and he had tried every means to prevent his return. But to his surprise, Shen Jin suddenly appeared at a board meeting, catching him completely off guard.
Even after Shen Jin’s return, Shen Chunhan refused to give up. Through persistent efforts, he had recently managed to bribe two of Shen Jin’s household staff.
While the two women couldn’t provide any immediately useful information, their fragmented reports—such as the nature of Shen Jin’s relationship with Chu Yi, his departure and return times—seemed insignificant at first. Yet, when pieced together, they might reveal subtle clues about Shen Jin’s movements.
But before these clues could be uncovered, the two maids he had painstakingly bribed were fired. It turned out Shen Jin had known all along.
Upon hearing this news, Shen Chunhan let out a cold laugh. Shen Jin truly was his son—ruthless and merciless.
No matter. Soon he would reclaim all the shares Shen Jin held. Shen Chunhan swirled the wine in his glass. Compared to tea, the stimulating liquor suited him far better. And at just over fifty, he wasn’t old yet.
“Oh, you’re still playing games together? Weren’t you furious about that before?”
Chu Yi was genuinely surprised. He had accompanied Jiang Xu to meet his online friend, only to discover the friend was a guy. Jiang Xu had been livid, dragging Chu Yi away immediately.
Chu Yi had spent ages comforting him afterward.
So, hearing now that Jiang Xu was still gaming with this person, Chu Yi was naturally shocked.
Jiang Xu scratched his head. “He’s really good at the game. Why not play if he’s online?”
Chu Yi: …That sounds a little strange.
That night, Jiang Xu stared at his phone, his anger simmering. *This guy’s a liar,* he thought. *He’s been playing with my feelings, and I’ve been sending him good morning and good night messages every day.*
Just as Jiang Xu was about to delete the friend’s contact, a message popped up: *Wanna play some games?* How dare he message him? And with the same casual tone as always?!
After a moment’s hesitation, Jiang Xu logged in. He decided to play a few rounds, then block the guy for good and never speak to him again.
Once online, Jiang Xu didn’t say a word. The other player seemed to sense his anger and remained silent as well, focusing on the game. They duo-queued several matches and won every single one.
When the game ended, the guy on the other side said, “Let’s play again tomorrow. I’ll wait for you.”
*How dare he ask me out again?!* Jiang Xu thought. *I’ll just block him after tomorrow’s game.*
And so, Jiang Xu’s plan to block him kept getting delayed day after day.
Jiang Xu thought about it. Gender aside, the guy was actually quite handsome. Jiang Xu had a soft spot for good-looking people.
Just like how he had noticed Chu Yi at first glance because of his looks and then actively sought out his friendship. So, considering the guy’s good looks, Jiang Xu decided to let it slide and didn’t delete him.
It seemed like he had never even asked whether the person on the other side was male or female. He didn’t know why he had just naturally assumed his online friend was a girl. That’s why he had been so angry when he found out the truth.
But now, thinking about it, Jiang Xu realized he didn’t really have a reason to be angry. So, he abandoned the idea of blocking Zhou Huaixiao.
The guy’s online name was Zhou Huaixiao, the campus heartthrob from the neighboring university.
Jiang Xu had brought up the topic of Zhou Huaixiao to Chu Yi during dinner, which greatly surprised Chu Yi.
Jiang Xu concluded, “Making friends with him might not be so bad after all.”
Tomorrow was the weekend, and Zhou Huaixiao had offered to treat him to dinner as an apology.
Jiang Xu pulled Chu Yi closer. “Come with me tomorrow.” Chu Yi had accompanied him last time too.
Chu Yi shook his head. “I have plans tomorrow.”
Back at the villa, as soon as they entered, someone greeted Chu Yi warmly: “Welcome back, Mr. Chu.”
Despite Chu Yi accidentally breaking such an expensive piece of porcelain, Mr. Shen hadn’t been angry. Butler Wen had even fired maids, Wang and Li on the spot.
After this incident, no one in the villa dared to underestimate Chu Yi again.
Butler Wen was making pastries, and Chu Yi watched beside him, occasionally helping by handing him ingredients. Uncle Wen worked with remarkable efficiency and precision, making it a pleasure to watch.
“Are you going to the Oceanarium tomorrow?” Butler Wen asked.
Chu Yi nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
He had planned this two days ago. With winter setting in and the outdoor temperatures dropping, he wanted to visit the Oceanarium, where it was always comfortably warm.
Lan City’s Oceanarium was renowned for its vast size and diverse marine life, including rumored mermaid performances.
Chu Yi had never been to the Oceanarium before, so he decided to go tomorrow, figuring it wouldn’t be too crowded in winter.
In the past, he hadn’t had the opportunity to visit many places he’d only heard about. Now, Chu Yi resolved to see and experience all the things he’d missed out on.
“Mr. Shen happens to be free tomorrow,” Butler Wen said. “I’ll have him accompany you.”
“No, no, Mr. Shen must be very busy,” Chu Yi quickly replied. “I can go by myself.”
“He’s not busy,” Butler Wen insisted, always eager to foster a closer relationship between the two men. “He usually stays home on weekends anyway. It’s settled then—you’ll go to the Oceanarium together tomorrow. He’s been working too hard lately; you can help him relax.”
Chu Yi’s eyes widened. “Uncle Wen, shouldn’t we ask Mr. Shen first? What if he has plans?”
Besides, he was certain Shen Jin would never agree to go with him.
Butler Wen encouraged him again. “Just ask! Remember how Mr. Shen helped you practice for the debate competition last time? I think you’re not as afraid of him anymore.”
Chu Yi nodded. “Okay, I’ll ask Mr. Shen when he gets back.”
As they spoke, the small bread rolls Butler Wen had baked were ready. Chu Yi took one; it was crispy, sweet but not cloying, and utterly delicious.
“Uncle Wen, you’re amazing!” Chu Yi exclaimed. “You can make anything!”
Butler Wen loved Chu Yi’s praise, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened with delight.
Just as Butler Wen had predicted, during dinner, Chu Yi mentioned the Oceanarium trip to Shen Jin.
Shen Jin hummed in acknowledgment. When Chu Yi looked at him expectantly, he added, “I’m free tomorrow.”
Chu Yi, clearly surprised that Shen Jin would actually accompany him, beamed. “That’s wonderful! Let’s go to the Oceanarium together tomorrow!”
“Mm,” Shen Jin replied.
As they spoke, Chu Yi was eating crab. The crab’s sharp claw pricked his finger, and he hissed softly, thinking no one had heard him.
Fresh crabs had been delivered that day. Knowing Chu Yi’s fondness for them, Butler Wen had prepared two dishes: steamed crab and spicy crab stir-fry.
Chu Yi loved crabs, whether steamed or spicy.
Eating crabs was always a hassle, especially getting the meat out of the legs.
He watched Uncle Wen and Shen Jin effortlessly extract the meat using crab-eating tools. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get the meat out and ended up pricking himself several times.
Frustrated, Chu Yi abandoned the tools and resorted to gnawing directly on the crab. This was even more troublesome, as he often accidentally bit into the shell, mixing fragments with the meat and ruining its flavor.
Just as Chu Yi finished half a crab, a small dish was pushed in front of him. It contained snow-white crab meat. Had Shen Jin given it to him?
Chu Yi’s face lit up. “Thank you, Mr. Shen.”
Shen Jin replied expressionlessly, “Mm.”
The snow-white crab meat, dipped in seafood sauce, tasted exceptionally fresh.
“Delicious,” Chu Yi murmured.
As soon as he finished the first small dish, another full one was pushed in front of him. Chu Yi’s voice was soft and sweet as he said, “Thank you, Mr. Shen.”
After finishing three small plates of crab meat, Chu Yi stared intently at Shen Jin, like a kitten waiting to be fed.
Shen Jin felt something soft and furry brush against his heart as he looked at Chu Yi. “No more,” he said.
“Why not?” Chu Yi blurted out.
Shen Jin didn’t reply, and Chu Yi silently lowered his lashes.
Afraid tears might suddenly cling to Chu Yi’s lashes, Shen Jin patiently explained, “Crab is cooling. Eating too much isn’t good for you. Try something else.”
Chu Yi’s eyes lit up with delight. “Oh,” he said, realizing Shen Jin wasn’t annoyed by his appetite but concerned about the health effects of eating too much crab. With other delicious options available, he quickly let go of his craving for crab.
*Shen Jin isn’t just a shrimp-peeling expert,*
Chu Yi thought,
*he’s also a crab-peeling master!*
Beside him, Shen Jin noticed Chu Yi’s sudden smile and raised an eyebrow slightly.
*Is eating crab really that enjoyable?*
Butler Wen watched them silently, a warm smile spreading across his face. This time, he didn’t need to say a word; Shen Jin was already proactively peeling crab meat for Chu Yi.
