ATMAWTPM Chapter 1

Chapter 1 [Tipsy, Good Night.]…

It was December in City A, and the temperature had turned cold.

Ye Tingtong stood under a sycamore tree by the roadside. The withered yellow leaves above his head rustled, and the wind blew in gusts, making him pull up his scarf, cover his red ears, and reveal only a pair of round, beautiful eyes, constantly watching the passing vehicles.

He was waiting for the Ye family’s driver to pick him up to attend a party. The party was initiated by Shen Minghuai, and he had to arrive early.

It was rush hour for school and work, and the driver was stuck in traffic, calling to tell him to walk to the side of the road where parking was convenient.

Ye Tingtong waited in the cold wind for more than ten minutes, and the car finally arrived late.

The young man’s skin was fair, and his red ears were particularly conspicuous. When he first got into the car, he sneezed because of the excessive temperature difference, and the tip of his nose was also red. Coupled with that small face half-hidden in the scarf, he looked extremely pitiful.

The driver subconsciously turned up the temperature in the car by two degrees.

After getting in the car, Ye Tingtong not only didn’t complain at all, but also took the initiative to lean forward towards the front seat, raising the scarf around his neck and waving it. “Look, Driver Li, this is Ada’s new design this season. Shen Minghuai bought it for me as soon as it was released.”

The corners of his mouth curved slightly, like a young couple in the throes of love sharing their happiness with others.

Driver Li uncharacteristically didn’t respond, instead picking up his phone and pointing the camera at Ye Tingtong, focusing on the scarf’s logo.

The photo was taken, Ye Tingtong’s face was made delicate and beautiful by the dark scarf, his cheeks flushed, and his downcast eyes looked shy and sweet in the lens.

Both sides were familiar with this process, Ye Tingtong only needed to show off the gift the young master of the Shen family had given him around his neck.

This was his value.

Afterwards, the two chatted for a few words, most of the time it was Ye Tingtong talking.

Driver Li occasionally looked at him in the rearview mirror, hesitant to speak.

Ye Tingtong was flustered by this look, but could only suppress his feelings and pretend he hadn’t noticed.

The car drove to the entrance of the villa and was stopped by security, saying that outside cars were not allowed in.

Driver Li, in the front seat, clearly saw the disdain in the eyes of the security guard opposite.

It wasn’t directed 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 with the man when he felt a pat on his shoulder.

“It’s okay, I’ll just walk for a bit, it’s also convenient for you to turn around here, Driver Li.”

Ye Tingtong was already used to this kind of differential treatment.

His tone was relaxed, except that before getting out of the car, he carefully covered most of his face with his scarf.

Opening the car door, a gust of cold wind poured in, and the driver clearly saw Ye Tingtong shiver, but he still braved the cold wind and obediently said goodbye to him.

The words that Driver Li had been holding back all the way could no longer be suppressed, “Fourth Young Master, I was sending your father to Xin Yue Guan today, so I didn’t have time to pick you up.”

Ye Tingtong’s hand, which was adjusting his scarf, paused.

Driver Li was afraid that he was too naive to understand, and added, “He’s already been to Xin Yue Guan three times this week, and he’s going to see Hu Cheng today.”

Hu Cheng, 45 years old this year, was rich and powerful. The Ye family had mentioned more than once, that Ye Tingtong should dress up and go and make contact with him.

Ye Tingtong was an illegitimate child. In the eyes of the Ye family, he was a chess piece that could be traded at any time.

However, his relationship with Shen Minghuai was still good, and there was a little ambiguity between them, so this matter was put on hold.

After all, the young master of the powerful Shen family was more valuable than Hu Cheng.

But how did these two sides get together again?

The car had left the villa entrance long ago, but Ye Tingtong was still standing there blankly.

He didn’t want to be given to an old man.

After a while of depression, Ye Tingtong patted his frozen face, forcing himself to cheer up.

He had to go find Shen Minghuai.

He was his only lifeline.

The villa was very lively. After looking around, Ye Tingtong finally found his target.

Shen Minghuai was surrounded by people like a moon surrounded by stars. Most of those closest to him were young and beautiful girls. Shen Minghuai didn’t know what he said, but he made them cover their mouths and giggle.

Shen Minghuai was a playboy, but he was so rich and handsome that both men and women were willing to associate with him.

Before long, Shen Minghuai had determined his ambiguous partner for the night and sent the others away. Ye Tingtong seized the opportunity to squeeze in.

“Minghuai, wait, I have something to ask you.”

Pushing through the crowd, Ye Tingtong’s hair was messed up, and his scarf was also loose and about to touch the ground because of the pushing, making him look out of place compared to the well-dressed people around him.

Shen Minghuai saw him in such a flustered state and pulled him over, “What’s the rush? I’m not going to run away.”

Looking at his flushed face, he pulled off the scarf and threw it aside, speechless, “Still wearing it indoors? Aren’t you hot?”

Ye Tingtong looked at the scarf that had been thrown away like trash with a pained heart.

It was very expensive.

Shen Minghuai misunderstood and raised the corners of his lips, “If you like it, I’ll send you a light-colored one next time. This one doesn’t suit you.”

Ye Tingtong was more suited to bright and cheerful colors.

As they talked, Shen Minghuai’s female companion left with great discernment.

Seeing that there was no one around, Ye Tingtong immediately asked in a low voice, “Did something happen to the Ye family?”

He had been posting to his moments at the appropriate frequency, or had Driver Li take photos to submit, so why did they still want to make a deal with that old man?

The smile on Shen Minghuai’s face faded, and he replied casually, “I’m not sure.”

Ye Tingtong had been with him for so long that he could tell the perfunctoriness in his tone, despite the anxiety in his heart, he simply grabbed the hem of Shen Minghuai’s sleeve, “No matter what, you’ll take care of me, right?”

He looked up, his mouth drooping, his face looking pitiful, “I only have you.”

When he had just turned eighteen and entered college, the Ye family had already recommended the old man Hu Cheng to him. But now that he was halfway through his sophomore year, and things had been stable for so long, it was all because of his relationship with Shen Minghuai.

Shen Minghuai met his eyes for a few seconds and suddenly laughed, “What do you think? What kind of relationship do we have, how could I not take care of you?”

The affirmative answer greatly soothed Ye Tingtong’s emotions. After Shen Minghuai left, he asked the waiter for a cup of hot milk to warm his hands. He had just taken it when someone patted him on the head.

“Baby, you’re too good at coaxing people, aren’t you?”

Ye Tingtong turned around and saw that it was Yu Huanhuan.

The Yu family was a low-tier family in the circle, and coupled with the fact that Yu Huanhuan was not favored, the two got closer because they had similar identities.

“But where is Shen Minghuai?”

Yu Huanhuan understood Ye Tingtong’s situation and was initially worried for him, but she didn’t expect Ye Tingtong to be so good at acting weak.

The way he looked up was stubborn and aggrieved, coupled with that beautiful face, anyone who saw it would have their heart tremble.

If she were Shen Minghuai, she would have definitely hugged him and coaxed him on the spot.

Ye Tingtong pointed in the direction that Shen Minghuai had left, “He went to find his previous female companion.”

He was probably going to go flirt with her in some corner.

Yu Huanhuan tilted her head and indeed saw an intimate figure, “Aren’t you jealous at all?”

Ye Tingtong took a sip of milk, not caring at all, “What is there to be jealous about, we are not lovers.”

He was rushing to curry favor with Shen Minghuai, but Shen Minghuai’s attitude towards him was strange. He once defined their relationship as friends, but after spending a long time in this big melting pot, he could feel that Shen Minghuai’s eyes on him were not pure.

However, if Shen Minghuai was willing to protect him under the guise of a friendly relationship, then he should just follow along.

Seeing his casual attitude, Yu Huanhuan was helpless and annoyed, “I’ve told you so many times, Shen Minghuai is an excellent choice. You need to take advantage of the fact that he still cares about you now and fight more for yourself.”

Ye Tingtong felt a bit aggrieved, “I did try!”

But Shen Minghuai just didn’t accept it.

Yu Huanhuan was at a loss for words, “You fought my ass, your acting, even I feel guilty watching it.”

Ye Tingtong had created a deep-rooted character for himself, but with Shen Minghuai’s experience with countless women, how could he not see that Ye Tingtong was acting?

However, after saying a few words, Yu Huanhuan stopped. Ye Tingtong’s mind was just not sharp, and he didn’t know how to use tricks.

He was even so stupid that he wronged himself to win over a useless driver. If he wasn’t associated with Shen Minghuai, he would have already been eaten clean in this circle.

Just like now, while he was drinking a few sips of milk, at least five people gave him subtle glances, but they ended up in disappointment after inquiring about him.

Yu Huanhuan poked his forehead with her finger, “Don’t eat things that strangers give you, don’t run around, this villa is rarely open to the public, and I’m not familiar with it either.”

Ye Tingtong obediently agreed, and then watched Yu Huanhuan, who had fixed her makeup, fly into the crowd like a butterfly.

Yu Huanhuan was smart and knew how to talk, she had many paths, but he only had Shen Minghuai.

*

As the sky grew darker, the party became more and more extravagant. Everyone saw Shen Minghuai’s interest in his female companion that night, and suggested playing a relay game involving biting paper towels.

Ye Tingtong, as an insignificant passerby, was pulled in to make up the numbers.

Everyone sat in a circle, and he sat next to Shen Minghuai. The paper towel just happened to be passed between Shen Minghuai and the girl, and the narrow piece of paper had to pass through the edges of their mouths, inevitably touching each other.

The sound of jeering could be heard everywhere, and someone dimmed the lights in the room, making the atmosphere even more secretive and ambiguous.

But Ye Tingtong only felt that it was noisy. Everyone had been drinking, the alcohol was going to their heads, and with the game reaching its climax, no one was controlling their volume.

Ye Tingtong couldn’t help but rub his ears, but remembering Yu Huanhuan’s instructions, he quietly put his hands down and looked at Shen Minghuai.

The whistles were rising and falling, and the mouths of the two next to him were about to stick together.

Ye Tingtong thought for a moment and felt that his current reaction should be sadness, so he lowered his head, pretending to be very dejected.

As soon as he lowered his head, he saw a plate of pistachios in the distance, with only a thin layer left at the bottom.

Ye Tingtong hesitated for a second. In the darkness, he quietly reached out his right hand. Because of the distance, it took a lot of effort to gather all the remaining pistachios in the palm of his hand. Just as he was about to retract his hand, the light above his head suddenly turned on with a “pop”.

His hand trembled, and all the pistachios fell to the ground with a “clatter”.

A cold voice came from the staircase on the second floor of the hall, “You are very noisy.”

Ye Tingtong guiltily pressed down on the pistachio that had bounced the most.

Shen Minghuai, who had been forcibly interrupted, did not look happy. Just as he was about to get angry, he saw who it was, and his arrogance instantly dissipated. He was even so frightened that the paper towel in his mouth fell out. “Uncle?”

Shen Minghuai’s uncle – Shen Jun, was also the current head of the Shen family.

He was dressed in a suit, with a straight posture. Standing at a high place, his cold aura made the people below not dare to meet his eyes.

The scene froze instantly. Ye Tingtong’s noisy classmates next to him shrunk into a ball and didn’t even dare to breathe.

Ye Tingtong quietly stuffed the pistachio into his pocket, thinking: Who is this? So powerful.

Before he could look up, he felt a scrutinizing gaze fall on him.

The hairs all over Ye Tingtong’s body stood on end.

The oppressive feeling almost made him hand over the pistachio in his hand to surrender.

Ye Tingtong quickly came to a conclusion.

He could not afford to provoke this person.

After Shen Minghuai repeatedly promised that there would be no noise, Shen Jun did not pursue the matter and went upstairs again. And Shen Minghuai, afraid of disturbing Shen Jun, quickly dismissed everyone.

This move shocked Ye Tingtong. Shen Minghuai was a complete playboy. The seaside villa was far away. At the beginning of the party, he had declared that he would stay up all night and no one was allowed to leave.

Even if Ye Tingtong was stupid, he could feel this ‘uncle’s’ influence on Shen Minghuai. One word of noise could make Shen Minghuai disband a carefully organized party.

He looked toward the second floor. Before he could think more, Yu Huanhuan called out to him.

While putting on her coat, Yu Huanhuan asked him, “How are you going back today? Are you going to wait for your driver again? Or I can take you back.”

Among the people here, probably only Ye Tingtong didn’t have a driver to pick him up, and she was afraid that Ye Tingtong would wait in the cold wind again.

Ye Tingtong waved his hand and refused, “No need, I asked Minghuai. He said he’d send me off after he was done.”

Yu Huanhuan gave him an approving look and turned to leave.

Usually, Ye Tingtong wouldn’t disturb Shen Minghuai, but what Driver Li said today made him feel a great sense of crisis. At this time, the closer he was to Shen Minghuai, the safer he would be.

But Ye Tingtong sat in the hall, watching fewer and fewer people, and finally they all left, but he didn’t see Shen Minghuai.

“You asked Young Master Shen?” The old butler recalled, “He left over ten minutes ago, after drinking a lot of alcohol, and with a beautiful girl.”

Ye Tingtong quickly called him, but all he got was a ringing tone.

Clearly, Shen Minghuai didn’t have time to pay attention to him.

Ye Tingtong stood there blankly.

There was no way to get a taxi in this villa area. It would probably take an hour to walk out.

And in order to increase his bargaining chip, he told the Ye family that Shen Minghuai had offered to send him home and that he didn’t need a driver today…

Ye Tingtong looked at the pitch-black sky outside, and for a moment, he felt a bit lost.

Just then, footsteps came from the staircase behind him. Ye Tingtong’s eyes lit up, and he quickly turned around, “I thought you really left me behin—”

After seeing who it was, his voice stopped abruptly.

It wasn’t Shen Minghuai.

Shen Jun clearly saw the light in Ye Tingtong’s eyes dim. The other person was standing alone in the middle of the messy hall, like an abandoned puppy.

Shen Jun’s gaze lingered for a second on the top of his round head, and then quickly moved away. He asked, “What’s wrong?”

The old butler reported dutifully, “Young Master forgot his classmate. He doesn’t have a car to go home.”

Ye Tingtong stood there in embarrassment, his head down.

Shen Jun had changed into casual clothes. His gaze just happened to land on the sleeve of the other person’s right hand. There was a unique blue sapphire cufflink, making the man seem cold and aloof, which was in stark contrast to his current disheveled state.

To avoid freezing to death, Ye Tingtong suppressed his shame and mustered up his courage to look up, “Um, could you give me a ride, just to a place where I can get a taxi?”

Shen Jun heard Ye Tingtong’s respectful address, and his expression paused slightly, “I have something to go out for later.”

This subtle refusal made Ye Tingtong’s ears turn red. He quickly picked up the scarf from the sofa next to him and wrapped it around his neck layer by layer, and said in a muffled voice, “Then I won’t trouble you.”

He was used to being rejected, it’s just that before he asked, he inexplicably felt that this man would help him.

Perhaps the other party’s good looks had made him delusional.

Just as Ye Tingtong turned around to leave, he heard the other person speak again.

“It’s almost 1 o’clock, you can stay here for the night.” Shen Jun’s tone was still calm and indifferent, “Butler, prepare a guest room for him.”

After confirming that he had not misheard, Ye Tingtong looked completely stunned.

Shen Jun was letting him stay here?

Before the end of the party, Shen Minghuai had ruthlessly refused to let anyone stay overnight, “My uncle doesn’t like being disturbed.”

Those were Shen Minghuai’s exact words.

Confirming that the other party wasn’t joking, Ye Tingtong sighed in relief and obediently said thank you.

He rarely received kindness from others, especially from people in such high positions.

After Shen Jun finished speaking, he didn’t leave. His gaze fell on the scarf that was wrapped in a ball around Ye Tingtong’s neck.

Ye Tingtong took this opportunity to try and get closer, “Minghuai gave me this, we’re good friends.”

“Mm.” Shen Jun’s tone was indifferent.

Ye Tingtong couldn’t guess what the other person was thinking, so he could only try to find a topic, “Um, I’m really sorry for troubling you today. I’ll leave early tomorrow morning. I promise I won’t disturb you.”

Shen Jun ignored him.

Seeing that the other party wasn’t responding, Ye Tingtong racked his brains and decided to retreat in order to advance, pursing his lips and whispering, “If you really don’t like it, I can also walk for an hour to find a taxi.”

This was hypocritical and pretentious, but what if Shen Jun was into that sort of thing?

Despite the many thoughts running through his mind, Ye Tingtong’s surface was still a picture of careful and obedient compliance.

Shen Jun was unmoved, said “as you like”, and then raised his hand to look at his watch.

This was a sign that the conversation was about to end.

Ye Tingtong quickly changed the subject, “Thank you for your help today, how about we add each other on social media so I can treat you to a meal another day?”

Shen Jun was probably annoyed by his persistence and actually let Ye Tingtong scan his WeChat.

After giving his social media information, Shen Jun left. Ye Tingtong didn’t pester him, and followed the butler into the guest room.

The first thing Ye Tingtong did upon entering the room was take out the pistachios from his pocket and eat them.

He didn’t think that Shen Jun would really give him his private contact information, but it was just to get rid of him, this annoying pest. He would probably refuse the friend request right away.

But it didn’t matter, regardless of whether Shen Jun agreed or not, he would tell the Ye family that he had contact with Shen Jun, and that they even had a pleasant conversation.

After finishing his snack, Ye Tingtong clapped his hands, hummed a song, and took a photo of the dark night scene outside the window. Then, he lay on the bed and opened WeChat to start editing the picture.

This was the highlight of the day.

After a little thought, the caption was written, and he skillfully clicked send.

[Overwhelmed by the hospitality, a little tipsy, the sea view is beautiful, good night.]

Location [Shen Family Seaside Villa]

Before long, he received many likes and envious comments.

With everyone else being sent away, the fact that he was sleeping alone in the seaside villa was enough to prove his special status.

The Ye family would have to consider things carefully.

But just as he was secretly complacent, his phone vibrated.

[Shen Jun has accepted your friend request.]

Ye Tingtong was stunned, and tapped the other party’s profile picture and bio several times to make sure that it was the same [Shen Jun] he had added tonight.

Was this crazy?

Before he could come to his senses, WeChat sent him another message.

[Shen Jun has liked your moment.]

Ye Tingtong was stunned for a second, his face flushed, and he deleted the affected moment with lightning speed.