ATMAWTPM Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Sometimes, You Can Be a Little Bolder.

That night, Ye Guodong received a document from an unknown number, with the signature [Shen Group Bidding Proposal].

Ye Guodong called back, but no one answered. He called again, and the number was shown as canceled; it was a dead number.

He printed out the document and hurriedly went to find Ye Chengliang.

“Dad, this should have been sent by that little brat, Ye Tingtong,” Ye Guodong said, his face flushed with excitement. “I didn’t expect him to actually steal the bidding document!”

So what if Shen Jun was powerful? He was still exploited by an idiot like Ye Tingtong. He didn’t know who was hyping up Shen Jun so much; in his opinion, he was nothing special.

However, one thing he was puzzled about was when did Ye Tingtong become so shrewd? He even knew to cancel the number…

He was just about to mention it when Ye Chengliang had already taken the bidding document from his hand. He thought for a moment and decided not to mention it.

Even the seasoned Ye Chengliang couldn’t hide his excitement. He opened the bidding document, but after reading for a few minutes, he felt dizzy and had to stop. “My eyes aren’t good, especially at night. I can’t see the words clearly. You study it carefully and send it to Hu Cheng later.”

Despite the fact that Shen Jun had come to the Ye family with Ye Tingtong last time, he left without even eating.

After several phone calls, Shen Jun had no intention of cooperating with the Ye family. The plan to get the proposal to please Shen Jun was a lie. Now that they knew the Shen Group’s trump card, Shen Group wouldn’t be the only one in the bidding.

The Ye family didn’t have the capital to confront others head-on, but if they joined forces with Hu Cheng, they would have a chance.

The next day, the bidding meeting was held as scheduled, with well-known companies from the city gathered.

Leaving aside the kickbacks from government projects, just being able to get connected with the government made all companies eager. However, they were all clear that this time, they were just there to participate.

None of them could compete with the powerful Shen Group.

This time, the Ye family participated in the bidding with the Hu family, and even Ye Chengliang came to join in the fun.

The Ye family was useless, but Ye Chengliang’s reputation was still there. Even at a bidding meeting where big shots gathered, these people would give him some respect. Shen Jun, on the other hand, didn’t even show his face despite three phone calls seeking cooperation.

As he got older, he cared more about his reputation. Ye Chengliang couldn’t swallow this grievance. He had to personally witness Shen Jun’s disappointment and regret after being defeated.

Before the meeting officially started, the mayor arrived late, greeted everyone, and then took his seat. Obviously, he was going to oversee the proceedings himself, which showed how important he thought the project was.

When it was each company’s turn to present their proposals and prices, Hu Cheng’s subordinate confidently stepped onto the stage with the proposal. But after he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence, and then whispers started.

Ye Chengliang’s eyes were good enough during the day, and with his ears, he immediately realized that there was a huge loophole in this proposal. The workload and quotation were completely mismatched, and this price was simply trying to fleece the government.

The government officials’ faces turned dark. They really hadn’t expected any company to dare to be so blatant in their perfunctory work on the proposal and even have the nerve to take advantage of them.

Even though they didn’t react immediately, Hu Cheng saw the mayor turn his head and say something to the person next to him.

It was not difficult to imagine the content, which was nothing more than putting both of their companies on the government’s blacklist of cooperative partners.

Hu Cheng was so angry that his face turned pale. He gritted his teeth and whispered to the person next to him, “Ye Chengliang, if you dare to join forces with the Shen family to screw me, you can forget about having an easy time!”

If he hadn’t been so obsessed with that little beauty, he wouldn’t have repeatedly gotten involved in the two families’ mess.

In fact, the government’s bidding this time was not within his plan. In terms of experience, he couldn’t compare to the Ye family, and in terms of strength, he couldn’t compete with the Shen Group. But the Ye family had proactively contacted him, saying that Ye Tingtong had gotten insider information, so he had believed them.

If Ye Tingtong betrayed Shen Jun, Shen Jun would definitely not keep him. Then, he would rescue the person and would not only get government cooperation but also get to play with the person, killing two birds with one stone.

However, the Ye family had given him the bidding document too late. He hadn’t had time to calculate the data carefully, and since it wasn’t his company’s main business, he couldn’t see the tricks inside.

When Ye Chengliang heard Hu Cheng’s vicious questioning, his heart also turned cold. He turned to his son and asked, “Ye Guodong, didn’t I tell you to check the proposal before giving it to President Hu! What are you doing?”

Seeing the blame pointed at him, Ye Guodong looked guilty, “Dad, it was too late yesterday, I was a bit sleepy, so I didn’t look closely…”

Ye Chengliang’s heart was pounding with anger. If Ye Guodong hadn’t helped him catch his breath, he might have passed out.

He shouldn’t have entrusted such an important matter to such a useless person!

However, no one had expected that Ye Tingtong, who had always been submissive and at the mercy of others, would dare to give them an almost perfect fake proposal, turning the tables on them.

The bidding meeting ended, and the Shen Group successfully won the bid. There was applause, and the media rushed forward to interview.

Some people even asked Shen Jun, “The Shen Group’s proposal and the Hu Group’s proposal seem to have some similarities. Do you have anything to say about this?”

Shen Jun’s face was calm, “That’s a question for them.”

The media smelled something amiss, and the microphones turned to the Hu and Ye families, who had been ignored. They instantly became the focus.

Ye Chengliang couldn’t bear to lose face. He dragged Ye Guodong away.

However, after avoiding the media, Hu Cheng stopped them. “Your Ye family must give me an explanation today.”

He hadn’t gotten the reward, but he’d gotten his hands dirty. There was no reason for him to take this lying down.

Ye Guodong was also annoyed, “Didn’t you see that we were also scammed? If you want to blame someone, blame that little bastard, Ye Tingtong, who dared to scheme against me.”

It seemed he hadn’t taught him enough of a lesson before; this kid had even started playing the two-faced game.

“I’ll get him out another day and let you vent your anger on him.”

As soon as Ye Guodong made this promise, a cold voice came from behind him, “Get who out?”

Just by the sound of it, you could feel the bone-chilling coldness.

Behind Shen Jun were three staff members, one of whom was tall and burly and wearing sunglasses. Clearly, he was a bodyguard type of person.

Ye Guodong had never attended many formal occasions. If it weren’t for Ye Tingtong marrying Shen Jun, Ye Chengliang wouldn’t have focused on his son.

Now, even though he was much older than the other person, the moment they met, Ye Guodong’s aura was completely suppressed, and he immediately shut up.

Ye Chengliang hadn’t expected his son to be so useless. He had no choice but to step up himself.

He looked at the imposing Shen Jun and said with a dark face, “Did you know about this all along?”

Shen Jun was noncommittal, “Today was just an appetizer. If you get close to the people you shouldn’t, it won’t be as simple as making a fool of yourselves.”

He glanced at the aged Ye Chengliang, “Old Ye, you certainly don’t want to see the Ye family being seized and declared bankrupt by the bank now, with you spending your old age on the streets, a laughingstock for others, right?”

His tone of voice didn’t have any obvious fluctuations, as if he was stating facts. However, the threat and warning in his words were self-evident.

Ye Chengliang gritted his teeth, “You!”

The Ye family was currently just barely holding on. Although a lean camel was bigger than a horse, they could still hold on for a while, especially if no one interfered.

If the Shen family wanted to deal with them, it would be as easy as crushing an ant.

Ye Chengliang tried hard to suppress his unwillingness, “Shen family kid, we are still in-laws. You don’t have to be so ruthless.”

“I once thought so too,” Shen Jun said expressionlessly. “However, I regret it.”

After Ye Tingtong buried himself in his arms and cried for half an hour, he felt that the Ye family deserved to die.

However, compared to giving them a quick end, he preferred the lingering despair of watching Ye Chengliang witness his own creation, the Ye family, slowly collapse.

Their conversation was not concealed from anyone. Those who came here were all shrewd, so it was not difficult for them to see the antagonism between the Shen and Ye families. The balance in their hearts easily tilted towards the Shen family.

Moreover, most of the companies that came here to bid were the Ye family’s competitors. No matter how distant the relationship, from now on, they would keep their distance from the Ye family.

All possible support was cut off. Even for financing and acquisitions, everyone would worry about getting a poisoned apple. The Ye family had no chance to make a comeback.

News of the Shen Group’s successful bid spread quickly, and Ye Tingtong also saw the news on the financial website. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“I finally managed to get you out for a meal, and you’re still worrying about your husband?” Yu Huanhuan said, sipping her milk tea through a straw. “Shen Jun will easily handle the bidding meeting. You just focus on your final exams.”

If his little brain held that much information, it would crash.

Ye Tingtong’s expression was a bit gloomy. “The Ye family wanted me to steal Shen Jun’s bidding document before. Although I didn’t do it, I’m still worried that something might go wrong.”

“Huh?” Yu Huanhuan was puzzled when she heard this, “You’re still in contact with the Ye family? I’m telling you, other than sharing the same surname, you have absolutely nothing to do with them. Stay close to Shen Jun, okay?”

She was still worried, “I know you are soft-hearted, but you need to have basic judgment. They have treated you so badly. Not using your pillow talk to get Shen Jun to destroy them is already a great act of kindness. If they show up in front of you again, you can just start yelling at them.”

Ye Tingtong obediently nodded, “I know.”

He had never planned to help the Ye family, but after all, his grandfather was still there. He thought they could maintain a superficial harmony. However, after crying bitterly, he realized that the blood ties were worthless.

At this moment, Ye Tingtong’s phone rang. He picked it up, glanced at it, and hung up.

“This is the fourth time, right?” Yu Huanhuan looked at his constantly ringing phone and asked, “Who is it?”

Ye Tingtong pouted, “It’s Shen Minghuai, always asking me to hang out.”

He felt he had made things very clear with Shen Minghuai, but Shen Minghuai seemed not to understand. Last time, he had hurt his foot, and now that his foot was healed, Shen Minghuai was bothering him again.

Ye Tingtong felt a throbbing pain in his ankle when he saw the name on the caller ID.

Yu Huanhuan thoughtfully said, “Now that it’s the end of the year, there are indeed many activities. It has snowed in many places, and the snow scenery is very beautiful.”

“That’s none of my business,” Ye Tingtong said with disinterest. “I won’t go out with Shen Minghuai again.”

He vaguely sensed Shen Jun’s care about his relationship with Shen Minghuai. Even to avoid suspicion, he would no longer pay attention to Shen Minghuai.

The two chatted for a few minutes. Whether it was because of the Ye family or Shen Minghuai, Ye Tingtong was in a low mood and looked out the window at the passersby in a daze.

Yu Huanhuan suddenly asked, “When is your next exam?”

Ye Tingtong replied, “Next Wednesday.”

Yu Huanhuan snapped her fingers, “That’s still a long time. I think you need to go out and relax.”

Before, Ye Tingtong went out with her or Shen Minghuai every day, but now, he was always cooped up in his room studying, which was not good.

Ye Tingtong honestly said, “Isn’t this relaxing now?”

Yu Huanhuan rolled her eyes, “This is at most just taking in some oxygen.”

She reached out to Ye Tingtong, “Give me your phone.”

Ye Tingtong obediently handed it over.

Yu Huanhuan looked at his contacts and thought it would take some effort. But she didn’t expect that the first one was Shen Jun, and it was marked as a priority with a star.

She glanced at the person in front of her meaningfully. Then, with a smile, she dialed Shen Jun’s number in front of Ye Tingtong.

Ye Tingtong immediately wanted to grab the phone, “Sister Huanhuan! Shen is very busy today!”

Yu Huanhuan held the phone up high so he couldn’t reach it, “If he’s busy, he’ll hang up for sure. What are you panicking about?”

After two beeps, the call was connected.

Ye Tingtong froze in his attempt to grab the phone. Yu Huanhuan immediately winked at him. Ye Tingtong only said softly, “Um, it’s me.”

Shen Jun was in the car, preparing to attend a dinner with government officials. Upon hearing this, he asked, “Yes, what’s the matter?”

Listening to Shen Jun’s low and magnetic voice, Ye Tingtong stammered, “No… it’s nothing.”

He didn’t know what Yu Huanhuan was up to.

Shen Jun’s tone was normal, “I’ll be home very late today. Don’t wait for me. Eat on your own.”

Ye Tingtong stirred the milk tea in front of him and said “Oh.”

Today, Shen Jun wouldn’t be able to taste the steamed pork with rice flour that the aunt had made.

Shen Jun heard the faint sound of voices around Ye Tingtong and asked, “Are you outside?”

“Sister Huanhuan asked me out for dinner today,” Ye Tingtong truthfully reported his whereabouts. “We went to eat grilled fish and are now chatting in a milk tea shop.”

Shen Jun hummed, “She made the call.”

It was a statement.

When the phone was connected, Ye Tingtong’s tone was surprised and at a loss, clearly not knowing what to say.

Yu Huanhuan had been squinting, hoping to listen to the little couple chatting, but she didn’t expect that she would be exposed so quickly, so she said, “President Shen, long time no see.”

Shen Jun said, “Long time no see. Next time, Tingtong and I will invite you to dinner. I hope Miss Yu will honor us with your presence.”

After saying this, Ye Tingtong felt that Yu Huanhuan had looked at him in surprise.

Seeing his confused expression, she knew that he didn’t understand the meaning behind the words, so she had to continue chatting with Shen Jun, “As long as President Shen asks, I will come whenever you call.”

“I just don’t know if Tongzai is free. I heard his phone ring several times just now, and someone kept inviting him out to play,” Yu Huanhuan said as if she was thinking. “It seems that Shen Minghuai was inviting him. Has Tongzai not been out for a long time?”

Shen Jun paused, then asked Ye Tingtong, “Do you want to go out and play?”

Ye Tingtong panicked and clarified, “No, I rejected all of Shen Minghuai’s invitations!”

Shen Jun hummed, “I’m asking if you want to go out yourself?”

Ye Tingtong confirmed that the other party didn’t suspect anything before he said, “Are you going?”

“I’m going too,” Shen Jun’s tone softened a lot. “I’ve been working overtime on this project for a while now. It’s time to relax.”

Ye Tingtong immediately said, “Then I’ll go too.”

His speech was rapid, as if he was afraid of being left behind.

“Okay, I’ll make the arrangements,” Shen Jun quickly decided. “How about Miss Yu joins us then? I’ll bring one of my friends as well.”

Yu Huanhuan originally didn’t want to disturb their alone time, but Ye Tingtong was looking at her with an expectant expression. She swallowed the words of refusal, “Okay, I’ll follow President Shen’s arrangements.”

The departure time was set for Saturday, and the location was Canglu Mountain in the neighboring city.

After Yu Huanhuan found out where they were going, she said that Shen Jun was really good at choosing a spot. The neighboring city had had a heavy snowfall recently, and the snow scenery in Canglu Mountain was even more spectacular. Whether it was to enjoy the snow or watch the sunrise, it would be very romantic.

Shen Jun invited Yu Mo, and each of them drove a car. Yu Mo took the initiative to invite Yu Huanhuan to join him, and Ye Tingtong naturally sat in the passenger seat of Shen Jun’s car.

Because of what Yu Huanhuan had said before, Ye Tingtong thought they were going to the top of the mountain, but Shen Jun drove for half an hour, took a few detours, and then arrived at their destination.

After getting out of the car, everything was covered in white. There were no forests, but rather a frozen ice surface with two tents set up on it.

“This is Canglu Lake, on the north side of Canglu Mountain,” Shen Jun explained. “We’re ice fishing here today.”

Yu Mo also stepped forward and explained, “This is a private lake and is usually not open to the public. Further ahead, there’s a hotel. The angle is very good, and you can see the sunrise from the ice surface. It’s very beautiful.”

Ye Tingtong nodded, seeming to understand.

He had never participated in outdoor activities before. At most, he had barbecued on the lawn of a high-end hotel. He had never been into the mountains.

There were two tents, naturally dividing them into two groups.

Yu Huanhuan was about to find an excuse to have Ye Tingtong follow Shen Jun, but she saw that although his expression was confused, he was always following closely by Shen Jun’s side, without needing anyone to point it out.

She was very pleased.

Ice holes had already been made in advance around the tents, and chairs and fishing gear were placed next to each one. Ye Tingtong curiously squatted next to one and looked down. He asked uncertainly, “Can you really catch fish?”

The ice surface was very thick. He had been worried about whether it would be dangerous, but when he stepped on it, it felt very solid. Looking at the drilled holes, they were at least 20cm deep.

“There are many fish in this lake,” Shen Jun baited the hook. “And someone threw bait into the holes beforehand, so the fish should already be gathering.”

About ten minutes later, the bobber moved. Shen Jun reeled in the line, and it was a medium-sized crucian carp.

Ye Tingtong looked amazed, “Amazing.”

Although he had never fished before, he knew that fishing required patience. It was not uncommon for people to catch nothing even after a whole day of fishing. But Shen Jun caught one with one cast.

When Yu Mo heard the commotion, he frowned, “Shen Jun, did you cheat? I’ve also cast my line a long time ago. Why isn’t there any movement?”

He suspected that Shen Jun had bribed the ice fishing site to fake it!

Yu Huanhuan smiled and said, “Young Master Yu, you’re too noisy. You scared the fish away. I just saw a fish jump at your hole. Maybe it came over to my side.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she caught one.

Ye Tingtong watched the other side scrambling to catch the fish and was also a little tempted.

Shen Jun put down his fishing rod and helped adjust the position of his chair, “Do you remember the process I went through when I was fishing just now? Do you want to try?”

Only then did Ye Tingtong realize that Shen Jun was demonstrating for him before. He nodded, “I’ll try.”

While he was stringing the bait and casting the hook, Shen Jun was watching him all the time, occasionally giving him some guidance. After busying himself for a while, Ye Tingtong started fishing.

However, he sat for over ten minutes, and the ice hole was very calm. On the other hand, Shen Jun caught another one.

Because he had been sitting for a long time and the temperature on the ice surface was low, Ye Tingtong felt some discomfort in his right foot.

His foot injury had just healed, and he was more sensitive to low temperatures.

Ye Tingtong quietly stomped his right foot. Shen Jun quickly looked over at him. He misunderstood, “Ah, sorry, I forgot. I didn’t mean to make any noise. I won’t move anymore.”

Yu Huanhuan had said that fishing required one to be quiet, otherwise the fish would be scared away. The vibrations on the ice surface were clear, and they had to be very careful.

“I wasn’t talking about that,” Shen Jun glanced at his right foot. “Are you cold? There are heat packs in the tent. You can stick them on your feet or other cold places.”

Ye Tingtong quickly entered the tent and found that it was very warm inside. He took off his shoes and stuck one on his injured ankle. He also stuck some on the soles of both feet and poured two hot water bottles, giving one to Yu Huanhuan.

After sitting in his original position again, Ye Tingtong felt much more comfortable. However, his rod was still motionless, and no fish were visiting. He changed his bait again, but there were still no fish.

Yu Mo and Yu Huanhuan were constantly chatting. Yu Mo was very good at talking, and he made Yu Huanhuan laugh constantly. On the other hand, Ye Tingtong not only had no fish, but also no one to talk to.

Ye Tingtong’s eyes turned, and he lightly moved his chair closer to Shen Jun.

Shen Jun didn’t notice. Ye Tingtong moved it again.

By the time they were almost shoulder-to-shoulder, it was difficult for Shen Jun to ignore it.

Noticing the person’s gaze beside him, Ye Tingtong covered his mouth and coughed, “To get some fish luck.”

After he said that, he remembered something, “Are you cold? I have a hot water bottle, it’s still warm.”

Before Shen Jun could refuse, Ye Tingtong had already put the hot water bottle from his arms onto his leg.

Shen Jun paused, “I don’t need it. My other hand is used to holding the rod.”

This way, he could react immediately after a fish took the bait.

“It’s okay,” Ye Tingtong pointed to his other hand. “That hand can also keep warm. Besides, I can use the other side.”

After he finished speaking, his legs were side-by-side with Shen Jun’s, and the hot water bottle was in the middle. He took off the gloves he had just put on and stuffed them into the soft material on top of the hot water bottle.

In fact, they could have asked the staff to send another hot water bottle, without the need to go to so much trouble. However, looking at Ye Tingtong’s expectant gaze, Shen Jun hesitated for a moment before slowly putting his hand on the other side.

The two sides were connected. Shen Jun’s hand was large and quickly touched Ye Tingtong’s fingers.

Their hands bumped, one cold and hard, the other warm and soft.

Ye Tingtong was also a little surprised. He curled his fingers and retracted them. After a moment, he tentatively reached them out again. “Shen Jun, your hands are so cold.”

After saying that, he reached even further, and their fingers touched.

Ye Tingtong didn’t move. The other hand suddenly pulled his hat over his head. Shen Jun turned his head and caught a glimpse of his reddened ears in his hair. But they were quickly covered by the hat.

Ye Tingtong felt his ears were burning. Maybe it was too cold and they had been frozen, so he put on his hat.

However, he couldn’t explain the sudden increase in his heartbeat. So he just avoided Shen Jun’s gaze and pretended to concentrate on fishing.

After much effort, Ye Tingtong finally caught a fish after changing the bait five or six times.

It was small and kind of ugly.

He put it in his bucket with some dislike.

Shen Jun couldn’t help but chuckle, “That’s a sleeper goby, commonly known as the old man fish. It has a delicious, tender meat and is more delicious than the ones I caught before.”

“Really?” Ye Tingtong looked at the fish at his feet, his mood changing from gloomy to sunny. He curved his eyes and said, “Then I’ll try to catch a few more~”

After succeeding once, Ye Tingtong truly experienced the joy of fishing.

Before, at various gatherings and parties, the most attractive thing was the food. Ye Tingtong was a marginal figure and could only watch others laugh and play games. Only when someone was missing would they ask him to join. Good things would not fall on him.

Today was the first time that he had truly participated in a fun activity.

Shen Jun had many fish in his bucket. Ye Tingtong was getting bored, so he asked what kind of fish they were. Shen Jun explained them one by one.

Because of the previous incident, Ye Tingtong was afraid of disturbing the fish below. His voice was very soft, almost whispering in Shen Jun’s ear.

Shen Jun followed his lead and lowered his voice to respond.

Yu Mo didn’t catch a single fish. He was just about to check out the results next door when he saw two heads close together. From his angle, it looked like they were kissing.

Yu Mo: “?”

Yu Mo: “!”

He had finally been asked to go fishing with them, and this was how they were playing?

He was about to accuse Shen Jun of being unethical when he took a few steps and realized that the two were just whispering to each other. In the sub-zero weather, Ye Tingtong’s face was rosy, not sure whether from shyness or the cold.

His brother, on the other hand, wasn’t moved at all when a fish took the bait, and his whole mind was focused on Ye Tingtong.

It was simply a waste of good things!

Yu Mo angrily sat back down and threw a round of bait into his ice hole.

Quantitative change would lead to qualitative change. He didn’t believe that he wouldn’t catch anything today!

The entire morning passed. Shen Jun caught 12 fish, Yu Huanhuan caught 5, Ye Tingtong caught 1, and Yu Mo caught 0.

Ye Tingtong hadn’t expected that he wouldn’t be in last place. He looked at Yu Mo hesitantly, “I’m a beginner, so it’s normal not to catch anything. You don’t have to let me win. I don’t mind.”

He was afraid that Yu Mo was worried about his pride and was just playing around, which was affecting his own fishing experience.

Ye Tingtong’s thoughtful words seemed to stab a knife into Yu Mo’s heart.

Yu Huanhuan laughed, “Tongzai, he’s not letting you win. He’s just simply not catching any.”

Yu Mo, who was just about to go along with it, covered his heart and exaggerated, “You guys are too heartless. Later, I’m going to eat all the fish you caught!”

In addition to ice fishing, they could also barbecue here. Various ingredients were prepared in case the guests were really hungry.

Their fish had already been taken care of by the ice fishing staff. Seeing that it would take a while, Ye Tingtong went back to the tent to change the heat packs on his ankles.

When he came out, the grilling was already underway. Yu Huanhuan was very outgoing, and she quickly became familiar with Yu Mo. Since there were only four people, they didn’t call for barbecue assistance.

Ye Tingtong looked at the neatly arranged grilled fish, which was already smoking, and quickly asked, “Where is the one I caught?”

He looked in shock at the one Yu Mo was eating. He wanted to cry but had no tears. Could it have already been eaten?

Yu Mo especially liked teasing him. “That old man fish? It’s in my stomach!”

Ye Tingtong looked distressed, but he couldn’t make Yu Mo spit it out. Just as he was staring blankly at Yu Mo, Shen Jun came over with a row of freshly cleaned fish, “Don’t listen to him. Your fish is here.”

Ye Tingtong looked at the fish, which was obviously ugly and unique, and felt like he had come back to life. He ran to Shen Jun’s side and proactively took over his task, “I’ll grill it.”

He had participated in many gatherings with barbecues. Because he was not valued, he often didn’t get a few pieces of food, so he had developed the ability to do it himself.

Yu Huanhuan came closer and smiled, wrapping her arms around Ye Tingtong’s neck, “Tongzai’s skills are superb.”

The fish was fragrant and delicious. Yu Mo felt that the fish in his hands suddenly lost its appeal. He asked for a skewer and took a bite. The meat was tender, and the seasoning was just right, comparable to a professional assistant.

He gave Ye Tingtong a thumbs up. “Amazing. I’ll bring you with me next time for barbecue.”

Shen Jun was grilling other things. When he heard this, he glanced at him. “If you want to eat, do it yourself.”

Yu Mo smiled, “You’re already starting to get protective?”

He wanted to continue teasing him, but he was blocked by Ye Tingtong, who stuffed another fish into his mouth.

He gave some to Yu Huanhuan and then took two skewers and walked to Shen Jun’s side. Watching Shen Jun grill meat, he subconsciously wanted to step forward. “I’ll do it.”

Shen Jun didn’t give way. He turned over the lamb skewers below, “It will be ready in half a minute.”

Ye Tingtong was stunned for a moment, then obediently waited on the side.

Shen Jun divided the lamb skewers in half for him and then gave the rest to Yu Huanhuan and Yu Mo.

Ye Tingtong took the lamb skewers and naturally handed the fish wrapped in tin foil to Shen Jun.

Shen Jun took it and opened the tin foil. He was stunned for a moment.

It was the old man fish that Ye Tingtong had caught.

Shen Jun looked at Ye Tingtong and found that the other person was secretly looking at him. When their eyes met, Ye Tingtong quickly lowered his head. He picked up a lamb skewer and put it in his mouth, but was burned. He hissed, his face turning red as he fumbled for water.

So cute.

In the afternoon, the four continued fishing. Yu Mo couldn’t get any fish to bite no matter what he tried. He had made more than a dozen holes, but the harvest was minimal, not even enough to cover Shen Jun’s leftovers.

In fact, not only Yu Mo, but the hook rate in the afternoon was obviously not as high as in the morning. As he waited, Ye Tingtong couldn’t help but yawn.

Yu Huanhuan went to rest at the hotel after fishing for an hour. Seeing that Shen Jun was still enjoying himself, Ye Tingtong stayed to keep him company.

However, both of their rods hadn’t moved for too long. As Ye Tingtong waited, he began to yawn. Because he had applied the heat packs and was wearing a lot of clothes, he wasn’t very cold.

In a daze, Ye Tingtong fell asleep on Shen Jun’s shoulder. Because of gravity, his head slid down bit by bit. Just as it was about to fall, someone steadily supported it and slowly put it into a comfortable position in his arms.

When Yu Mo came over to steal some fish, he saw Ye Tingtong sleeping in Shen Jun’s arms. Ye Tingtong was wearing a hat and mask, buried in Shen Jun’s arms, with no skin exposed.

Meanwhile, Shen Jun’s fishing bobber had moved several times, and a fish jumped up, as if condemning the fisherman for not focusing.

When Shen Jun saw him coming, he said, “You can fish here. There are more fish here.”

Yu Mo raised an eyebrow. “What about you?”

“I’ll take him back to the hotel.”

After all, they were outside. The temperature was low, and if someone fell asleep, their body temperature would drop, making them vulnerable to illness.

Ye Tingtong vaguely heard someone speaking and woke up. He raised his head from Shen Jun’s arms, brushed his hat aside, and revealed a small face that was flushed from sleep, “Are we going back?”

Shen Jun said, “Yes.”

The two sat up. Yu Mo openly occupied Shen Jun’s fishing spot and reminded them, “The staff said there’s a section of the road that’s slippery. They might not have had time to lay out non-slip mats yet. Be careful when you walk.”

As they were about to leave the frozen lake, Ye Tingtong immediately noticed the slippery part of the road.

There was a string of messy footprints on the ground. It was obvious that someone had slipped several times there.

The first person Ye Tingtong thought of was Yu Huanhuan. He called her. “Sister Huanhuan, did you fall?”

Yu Huanhuan was in her hotel room looking at her bruised knee. When she heard this, she immediately denied it, “How could I?”

How could a super beauty like her fall flat on her back in the snow and be carried away by the staff?

“However, it’s indeed a bit difficult to walk there,” Yu Huanhuan kindly reminded them. “Why don’t you take a detour?”

Ye Tingtong looked at the ice surface in front of him and didn’t think it was that serious. “It should be fine. Sister Huanhuan, I’ll go see you at the hotel when I get back.”

From Yu Huanhuan’s tone, she must have fallen.

After hanging up the phone, Ye Tingtong took a step forward. Just as he stepped onto the area, his feet slipped, and he fell on his butt without warning.

Fortunately, he was wearing thick clothes, so it didn’t hurt at all.

But the fall was too sudden, and Ye Tingtong was stunned. He sat on the ground for a while without reacting.

Shen Jun looked at the person on the ground, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

The smile was so obvious that even Ye Tingtong noticed it. He said with a sullen face, “You’re laughing at me.”

Shen Jun reached out to him, “I’m not laughing.”

Ye Tingtong took his hand to get up. His feet slipped several times, but fortunately, Shen Jun was holding him steady and didn’t let him fall again.

“Your shoes aren’t slip-resistant,” Shen Jun said. “Hold on tight. I’ll take you through.”

However, Ye Tingtong’s sense of balance was really poor. In addition, he was thin, so even when someone was holding him, he was still slipping. When they were almost at the end, he stumbled, and he fell into Shen Jun’s arms.

Shen Jun adjusted his

position to make sure the person was safe.

The slippery sound of the ice surface was getting closer, and he couldn’t help laughing out loud.

He felt that they could open an ice rink here.

The destination was getting further away, Shen Jun glanced around, “Don’t walk on this path anymore, let’s take a detour.”

Go to the left, where the snow is thicker.

Ye Tingtong hummed, but he didn’t know why he kept holding onto Shen Jun without letting go.

Shen Jun didn’t say anything, and in this way, he held him, step by step, steadily towards the hotel.

At this time, the wind began to blow, but it was completely blocked by Shen Jun, Ye Tingtong couldn’t feel it, only faintly hearing the sound of the wind in his ears, mixed with Shen Jun’s steady heartbeat.

“Shen Jun, you’re so warm.”

Shen Jun’s footsteps didn’t stop, “People are warm.”

Ye Tingtong blinked, “No, you’re usually very cold, very cold.”

He doesn’t reply to WeChat, he’s cold when he plays with his phone during revision, and he has no expression on his face when he fishes, even colder than the temperature here.

But a Shen Jun like this, has a hug that is so warm.

Shen Jun didn’t respond.

He’d heard many people say similar things, his mother too, saying that he was born cold and aloof, a cold-blooded animal that couldn’t be warmed up.

“But I’m not afraid,” Ye Tingtong followed Shen Jun, step by step, “I might have been before, but not now.”

Ever since Shen Jun saved him at the New Moon Hall, that bit of fear had dissipated without him knowing.

Just like now, Yu Huanhuan was still a little afraid of Shen Jun, and he could now naturally lean against the person and whisper.

Shen Jun lowered his eyes, looking at the person in his arms, tightly holding him and not letting go, and asked, “Why aren’t you afraid?”

Ye Tingtong knew that Shen Jun was looking at him, but he didn’t dare to raise his head, the voice in his arms was very muffled, “I don’t know.”

Maybe it was because Shen Jun had given him too many favors, causing him to become spoiled.

But, he dared not to be too sure, even now, when Shen Jun was making an ambiguous inquiry, his first reaction was to avoid it.

Ye Tingtong had known from a young age that the choice was never in his hands.

Even now he was a little panicked, did the previously harmonious atmosphere allow him to expose certain things that he shouldn’t be coveting.

When they were about to arrive, Ye Tingtong quickly let go of Shen Jun, almost running towards the shore.

Shen Jun stood there without moving.

Ye Tingtong hesitated for a moment, then turned around, “Are you tired carrying me? Can’t walk?”

Even though he was afraid of falling again, he still took small steps back, reached out his hand towards the person and apologized softly: “Sorry! I’ll take you back.”

Shen Jun looked at the person standing in front of him again, he was silent for a moment, then raised his hand to tidy the person’s wind-blown messy hair, and shielded the person from the cold wind by replacing the hat, “Ye Tingtong, you’re really timid.”

He spoke softly: “Sometimes, you can be a little bolder.”