AMBTICBPIB Chapter 25

 

Before long, Chu Yi and Shen Jin arrived at the restaurant.

Guided by a waiter, they were led to an elegant private room where three men were already seated.

Shen Jin had been right. Apart from Gu Jin, whom Chu Yi recognized, the other two men were also familiar faces from the club. Though Chu Yi had been crying that day, he still remembered the people present.

The three men showed no surprise at seeing Shen Jin and Chu Yi enter together, having already been informed by Gu Jin that Chu Yi would be joining them.

Gu Jin asked Chu Yi, “Did you two go out for fun?”

Since Gu Jin had taken him to the racing club before, Chu Yi felt even more comfortable around him.

Still buzzing with excitement, Chu Yi replied, “We went to the Oceanarium and spent the whole day there!”

The others turned to Shen Jin in astonishment. Shen Jin, with his refined demeanor, seemed like the last person who would visit an oceanarium, let alone spend an entire day there. But a glance at Shen Jin’s expression confirmed Chu Yi’s words—no wonder Shen Jin was late.

How peculiar, truly peculiar.

Gu Jin glanced at Shen Jin and remarked, “No wonder you were over half an hour late. I knew you wouldn’t be late for no reason.”

Chu Yi froze, momentarily stunned. He had been browsing in a shop, carefully selecting items to buy. Shen Jin was right beside him, but Chu Yi hadn’t noticed any impatience or urging to hurry.

He hadn’t known Shen Jin had made dinner plans with his friends. If he had, he wouldn’t have lingered in the shop, picking through so many items, and he wouldn’t have made Shen Jin late.

The other two men chatted warmly with Chu Yi. They understood that Shen Jin bringing Chu Yi along meant he didn’t dislike him.

But Chu Yi seemed oblivious to this.

When Shen Jin placed a drink in front of Chu Yi, Chu Yi said, “Thank you, Mr. Shen.”

Shen Jin looked at him, hearing the formal address again. Chu Yi remained completely unaware of the issue.

Chu Yi, oceanarium  for the first time, was so excited that he hadn’t noticed himself calling Shen Jin by his name instead of “Mr. Shen” while they were there.

The dishes had been pre-ordered, so the food began arriving as soon as Shen Jin and Chu Yi were seated.

Chu Yi hadn’t felt hungry before, but the aroma of the food instantly triggered his appetite. His stomach let out a long, rumbling growl.

Chu Yi noticed the waiters smiling slightly as they served the dishes, and his face instantly flushed red.

Gu Jin found Chu Yi increasingly endearing. “Shen Jin, what’s wrong with you? Did you starve Chu Yi all day? Look how hungry he is!”

Chu Yi quickly and earnestly explained, “No, no, we did eat! Mr. Shen didn’t starve me.” He had simply been so preoccupied with seeing all the animals at the oceanarium, worried they wouldn’t have enough time, that they had only eaten a quick lunch. After that, Chu Yi had thrown himself wholeheartedly into observing the fish.

Gu Jin knew this, of course; he was just teasing Chu Yi. He hadn’t expected Chu Yi to defend Shen Jin so fiercely.

Chu Yi had changed his mind about coming here with Shen Jin precisely because he had heard the restaurant’s food was exceptionally delicious. Not only was it delicious, but it was also beautifully presented, a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. Moreover, it was a members-only establishment, completely inaccessible to ordinary people.

Now, after tasting the food, he found it lived up to its reputation—utterly delicious, just as good as Uncle Wen’s cooking.

Truly hungry, Chu Yi buried his head and ate silently.

A piece of fish maw appeared on his plate. Chu Yi looked up to see Shen Jin had placed it there. “Thank you, Mr. Shen,” he murmured.

This fish maw was of exceptional quality, having been stewed with abalone for an extended period—a time-consuming dish that made it incredibly delicious. Chu Yi particularly enjoyed it.

However, Shen Jin noticed a pattern: in crowded settings, Chu Yi tended to be a bit shy. When certain dishes were out of reach, he hesitated to rotate the table, instead glancing at them silently.

At that moment, Chu Yi glanced at a dish across the table, thinking it would be rotated his way soon. But after waiting a while, no one moved it.

Just then, Shen Jin rotated the table, bringing the dish within Chu Yi’s reach.

Shen Jin realized that Chu Yi wasn’t a picky eater; he ate everything.

Gu Jin asked Chu Yi, “Tomorrow’s Sunday. Want to come to the racing club and hang out?”

Before Chu Yi could answer, Shen Jin shot Gu Jin a sharp look.

Gu Jin immediately felt guilty. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! What happened last time was my fault. I shouldn’t have kept Chu Yi away for so long without telling you.”

Chu Yi quietly buried his head in his food, saying nothing. He still remembered how Shen Jin had scolded him for being out of contact for so long that day.

Gu Jin continued, “You’re probably free tomorrow too, right? Why don’t you come with Chu Yi?”

Shen Jin replied casually, “We’ll see.”

His two friends enthusiastically invited Chu Yi to hang out with them as well.

Having explored nearly the entire oceanarium that day, Chu Yi was exhausted. After finishing a bowl of rice, he asked for another, making sure he was completely full.

As he set down his chopsticks, Shen Jin asked, “Are you full?”

Chu Yi nodded. “Yes, I’m full.”

Shen Jin’s gaze drifted downward, noticing a slight bulge in Chu Yi’s stomach. It seemed he really had eaten his fill.

Just as Shen Jin was about to speak, Chen Ye entered with a grave expression. After receiving Shen Jin’s silent permission, he leaned in and whispered something in his ear.

Chu Yi, sitting closest to Shen Jin, couldn’t hear what Chen Ye was saying, but he saw Shen Jin’s face darken, as if something urgent had suddenly occurred.

Chen Ye finished speaking and left.

Shen Jin’s friends also noticed his serious demeanor, realizing he must have something pressing to attend to.

Gu Jin said thoughtfully, “Do you have something you need to take care of? Go ahead and handle it. I’ll make sure Chu Yi gets home safely later.”

He knew this was the peak of Shen Jin’s power struggle with Shen Chunhan, likely involving matters at the Shen Corporation. After all, those stubborn old guard members still hadn’t fully accepted Shen Jin’s authority.

Shen Jin said calmly, “No need,” as if what he had just heard was a trivial matter.

But Chu Yi could tell something was wrong. “Mr. Shen, I can go home by myself later,” he offered.

“We’ll go back together,” Shen Jin replied.

On the way back, Chu Yi noticed Shen Jin’s expression growing even more serious as he spoke on the phone, as if he were dealing with a particularly troublesome issue.

Back at the villa, Shen Jin went upstairs first.

Butler Wen, unaware of what had happened, asked Chu Yi, “How was your oceanarium? Did you see anything interesting?”

Chu Yi’s attention was immediately diverted. He happily told Uncle Wen about his oceanarium, rambling on for several minutes.

“This is for you,” Chu Yi said, pulling a dolphin plushie from his bag and handing it to Uncle Wen.

This was likely the first time Uncle Wen had ever received a plushie. Its adorable design, and more importantly, the fact that Chu Yi had given it to him, made him very fond of it.

Chu Yi then pulled out several refrigerator magnets. “I also bought these cute magnets!”

Uncle Wen examined them—all adorable animals. “They’re so cute! Let’s put a few on the fridge.”

“Okay,” Chu Yi replied.

After sticking a few magnets on the refrigerator, Shen Jin came downstairs, having changed into a new set of clothes, indicating he was about to leave.

Butler Wen, ever perceptive, sensed something significant had occurred. “What’s happened?”

Shen Jin’s voice was devoid of emotion. “Shen Chunhan fell down the stairs and is now in a vegetative state.”

Butler Wen was shocked. “When did this happen?”

“This afternoon. He’s in the hospital now,” Shen Jin replied. The Shen family had kept the news tightly under wraps, so few people knew about it yet.

Butler Wen understood that Shen Chunhan’s sudden vegetative state would inevitably cause turmoil within the Shen Corporation, requiring Shen Jin to handle urgent matters.

“Go,” Butler Wen said.

Shen Jin nodded, glanced at Chu Yi, and hurried out.

Chu Yi watched his hurried figure disappear, his expression filled with concern. Though he didn’t fully understand the situation, the grave expressions on Shen Jin and Uncle Wen’s faces made it clear that something serious had occurred.

For some reason, Shen Jin’s retreating figure seemed both imposing and desolate.

Seeing Chu Yi’s worried expression, Uncle Wen reassured him, “Don’t worry.”