ATMAWTPM Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Beyond the Scope of the Agreement…

Shen Minghuai’s face was dark as he didn’t reach out to take the [lucky money] Ye Tingtong was giving him.

What was this? Did Ye Tingtong really think of himself as his elder? Had he not listened to a single word of what he had said before?

His face was alternating between pale and green. Seeing Ye Tingtong still offering the red envelope, he angrily pushed his hand away, “I don’t need it!”

Ye Tingtong’s hand was violently slapped away. If he hadn’t gripped it tightly, the red envelope would have been sent flying.

“Shen Minghuai, what’s your problem?” Ye Tingtong was a bit speechless. It was his first time seeing someone unhappy about receiving money.

Shen Minghuai didn’t say anything.

Shen Jun glanced at him coldly, then lifted Ye Tingtong’s hand, “Did he hit you?”

Ye Tingtong was in the middle of tucking in the corner of the pink banknote that had come loose when he was suddenly taken aback by Shen Jun’s question. “No.”

He hadn’t expected Shen Jun’s focus to be on this.

From his tone, if he said yes, Shen Jun would have disciplined Shen Minghuai.

The two faced each other, and Shen Jun, whether in terms of seniority or aura, was naturally a step above the other.

Shen Jun hummed in acknowledgment, “Since he doesn’t want it, you don’t have to give it. This red envelope wasn’t originally for him anyway.”

“Ah?” Ye Tingtong’s attention was instantly diverted, “Then who is it for?”

He had already greeted almost every child present. Logically, he couldn’t have missed anyone.

Ye Tingtong tilted his head, his beautiful eyes full of confusion and bewilderment. He even tilted his head and looked around again, trying to count them once more.

Shen Jun reached out and turned his head back, “Don’t look anymore, this red envelope is for you.”

A touch of gentle smile appeared in his eyes, “Happy New Year.”

There were no other blessings, only the wish that Ye Tingtong could be happy.

Looking at the person in front of him, Ye Tingtong’s heart felt like rising tide, full to the brim. There was a bit of sourness, but even more than that, there was a sense of being filled and a joy that was hidden deep within his heart, impossible to restrain.

No wonder Shen Jun had told him beforehand to give out the red envelopes one by one. No wonder the last red envelope was particularly heavy, almost three times that of the previous ones.

He had even thought that he was imagining things and feeling it wrong.

Shen Jun’s hand was still on his face. He could feel the roughness and warmth of the other’s fingertip on his cheek. He lowered his gaze, using his face to rub against Shen Jun’s hand, “Thank you, Shen Jun.”

It was the first time Ye Tingtong had experienced what it felt like to be cared for and favored by someone.

His mood was like a kite that had broken free, uncontrollably soaring to the highest sky.

Shen Jun looked at Ye Tingtong’s radiant smile, and the faint dimple that appeared on his right cheek. He lightly tapped on the dimple with his index finger which should have been lowered, “You’re welcome.”

Shen Minghuai was less than a meter away from them, but they acted as if he didn’t exist, showing intimacy without any regard to others. The smile on Ye Tingtong’s face was particularly dazzling, causing Shen Minghuai to feel an urge to rush over and tear the two of them apart.

Ye Tingtong often showed him this kind of smile—sweet, shy—but not a single one of them had been as heartfelt as this one.

He suddenly hated himself for seeing the difference in Ye Tingtong at a glance. Otherwise, he wouldn’t feel so miserable.

“Little uncle.” Shen Minghuai looked deeply at Shen Jun, “Let’s talk.”

Away from the crowd, the two went to the garden of the Shen residence.

Shen Minghuai took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one for himself, and offered one to Shen Jun.

Shen Jun didn’t take it, “Ye Tingtong doesn’t like the smell of smoke.”

Once when he had been working overtime at home, he had couldn’t resist smoking one in his study. Ye Tingtong had come in to bring him hot milk and had sneezed several times the moment he entered the door.

He hadn’t been a heavy smoker to begin with. From that point on, he rarely smoked.

Shen Minghuai curled his lips, “Tongzai never minded when I smoked, saying I could do whatever I liked.”

He put the cigarette box back in his pocket and took a deep drag. The smoke swirled around, blurring Shen Minghuai’s expression.

“Little uncle, I have always respected you.” Shen Minghuai seemed to suddenly calm down, “Although you don’t get along with my parents, and you’re indifferent to me, I’ve always seen you as a role model since I was little, and wanted to become as amazing as you.”

“I know you don’t have any feelings for Tongzai, and that to you, Tongzai is just a tool.” Shen Minghuai said, word by word, “I can use the 1% of the shares that my mother gave me to return Tongzai from you.”

His parents had a total of 5% of the shares and he was their only son. Later he would work hard at Shen Corporation, his parents’ shares would definitely be given to him.

If Yao Mingzhu knew, she would probably use a leather belt to beat him to death, but the past dark and hopeless half month had made Shen Minghuai deeply realize that without Ye Tingtong, he might as well be dead.

Shen Minghuai’s expression was confident. He didn’t think Shen Jun would give up the heaven-sent valuable shares for Ye Tingtong.

However, to his disappointment, Shen Jun’s expression did not change.

“1% of the shares is indeed very tempting, but I’m curious about one thing.”

Shen Jun tilted his head towards Shen Minghuai, “That day, on the food street near A University, didn’t you see it?”

As soon as these words were spoken, Shen Minghuai’s expression changed drastically. He moved his mouth, “You noticed me…”

That day, Shen Jun had left the birthday banquet early. He had immediately rushed to A University and saw Shen Jun holding a cake, picking up Ye Tingtong after his exam. He saw the two of them sharing a cake and choosing food at a cheap food stall.

He also saw the two of them walking hand in hand through the crowd.

At that moment, Shen Minghuai felt like a clown who was secretly spying on someone else’s happiness. Jealousy, distortion, unwillingness, negative emotions almost drowned him.

That day, after he went back, he was indulging himself in alcohol every day, trying to numb himself. But in his hallucinations, he often saw Ye Tingtong obediently by his side, smiling sweetly, and thoughtfully bringing him honey water to sober up, saying that he had drunk too much and that it was bad for his health.

But after waking up, his side was empty, with only a mess he left after his drunken rampage.

Shen Jun’s words made Shen Minghuai recall that time of chaos and heartbreak once more. His eyes were red, “Shen Jun, can’t 1% of the shares make you budge?”

“No.” Shen Jun didn’t leave him any room for fantasy, “Shen Minghuai, Ye Tingtong isn’t an item for you and me to trade.”

The cigarette in his finger burned quickly in the wind. The scarlet end burned Shen Minghuai’s index finger, making him feel a stinging pain. He gritted his teeth, “Shen Jun, out of so many people, did you have to take away the person I like?”

Shen Jun looked at his restrained, frustrated appearance, and said lightly, “If you really liked him, Ye Tingtong wouldn’t have fallen into that state before, and he wouldn’t have turned to me.”

“That was because I didn’t understand my own feelings at the time!” Shen Minghuai retorted, clenching his fist, “At that time, I only treated him as a normal friend. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have let you seize the opportunity.”

Shen Jun glanced at him, “This excuse is enough to fool yourself.”

With Shen Minghuai’s status, a normal friend wouldn’t have warranted him to go this far. And if the relationship were just normal friendly interaction, if Shen Minghuai’s attitude had been firmer and he had stood against the Ye family, put Ye Tingtong under his protection, then Ye Tingtong wouldn’t have been controlled and suffered so much later.

In other words, it was Shen Minghuai’s indulgence that had inflated the Ye family’s appetite, which led to the appearance of Hu Cheng.

Shen Minghuai was about to say something, but was interrupted by Shen Jun, “Your little thoughts, Ye Tingtong might not be able to see through, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see through them.”

Shen Jun’s tone was mocking, “You’ve been using an ambiguous relationship to hang the Ye family because you clearly know that you cannot marry Ye Tingtong.”

Ye Tingtong’s experiences when he was young made him unwilling to be a third party. Shen Minghuai could only drag it out using such a method.

The scarlet point on his fingertip flickered. The pain from the burn gradually disappeared. Shen Minghuai didn’t say a word for a while.

Shen Jun glanced towards the main hall. Ye Tingtong was surrounded by several children. His feigned coldness had not scared off the children. Instead, they were pestering him to play together, even successfully bribing Ye Tingtong with the snacks and candies they had.

Such a Ye Tingtong made Shen Jun feel a deep sense of disgust toward Shen Minghuai.

Shen Minghuai had almost ruined him.

Shen Jun looked at Shen Minghuai, whose face was pale after being exposed. He frowned: “Shen Minghuai, are you still scheming something else?”

Shen Minghuai’s heart skipped a beat. He tried hard to maintain his composure, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Shen Jun’s expression suddenly became extremely cold.

Shen Minghuai was young after all. He had only asked and the answer had been coaxed out.

After learning about Ye Tingtong’s situation, Shen Jun had a question: Shen Minghuai obviously cared about Ye Tingtong. Even if Yao Mingzhu stopped him, it wouldn’t have been hard to protect Ye Tingtong from the Ye family’s harassment and bullying.

Then why did Shen Minghuai allow the Ye family to exploit Ye Tingtong?

Before Shen Minghuai could react, Shen Jun suddenly raised his hand and punched him hard, the fist was forceful, striking him right on his face.

Shen Minghuai tasted blood in his mouth. He hadn’t expected the always refined Shen Jun to attack him in the Shen residence. He was just about to retaliate, when Shen Jun struck him in the stomach again.

He was caught off guard, and the pain made his whole body hunch over, his face contorted. He couldn’t even say a complete sentence.

To avoid detection, Shen Minghuai had chosen a secluded corner. This had led to no one noticing this one-sided beating.

Shen Jun grabbed his collar, pinning him against the wall, his voice cold and stern, “You actually dared to think that!”

Shen Minghuai’s actions had only one purpose—to make Ye Tingtong yield to him through the Ye family’s pressure. To make Ye Tingtong realize that as long as he lowered his position and followed him, there would be a way out.

It was rare for Shen Minghuai to see Shen Jun lose his temper. He curled his lips into a mocking smile, “Little uncle, what are you acting so righteous for? If you were in my shoes, would you be any better than me?”

No one could control Shen Jun, of course he had freedom.

Shen Jun threw him away like a piece of trash, “I’m not a piece of trash like you.”

Shen Minghuai staggered and fell to the ground. His messy suit was covered in dirt from the garden. He was a mess, but he didn’t care. He sat on the ground, laughing at Shen Jun, “I’m trash now, but I’m young. After the New Year, I’ll go to Shen Corporation as an intern. Tongzai is the most soft-hearted. When I have power, it’s not certain who Tongzai will choose.”

Shen Jun looked down at the person on the ground and said in a cold voice, “Then you can try.”

*

Ye Tingtong didn’t know what happened between the two of them. It was just that when he was having the New Year’s Eve dinner, he found that Shen Minghuai had changed his clothes and the right side of his face was swollen. It was no exaggeration to say that his face was disfigured.

However, everyone at the table had normal expressions, so Ye Tingtong suppressed the doubts in his heart.

He just secretly glanced at Shen Jun next to him. Shen Jun received his gaze and gave him a bowl of chicken soup that was a bit farther away. “Eat well.”

When he brought the bowl over, Ye Tingtong clearly saw that the knuckles on Shen Jun’s right hand were red, and some parts had even broken the skin.

Everything was explained.

He lowered his head, looking at the fresh and rich chicken soup in front of him, and said nothing.

Because it was New Year’s Eve dinner, there was no lack of drinking. Ye Tingtong was sitting next to Shen Jun, and was toasted by several people who didn’t know his seniority.

Ye Tingtong knew that he would be knocked out with just one cup of alcohol. He waved his hand in refusal, “I’m sorry, I can’t drink much.”

The Shen family always served good wine, which had a high alcohol content. He didn’t dare touch it at all, afraid of losing control of himself after drinking and being made fun of.

With Shen Jun present, those people didn’t dare to openly show their displeasure. Their expressions were just not very good, “We don’t mean anything else. It’s just that you’re newly married with Shen Jun, and we want to congratulate you on your first meeting.”

“Forget it, you can drink as you please, and we will finish our drinks.”

After saying this, several people drank the wine in their glasses.

Ye Tingtong was suddenly pushed to the front. Before he could ask Shen Jun for help, Shen Jun spoke up, his tone slightly cool, “Don’t go looking for trouble.”

The words were short and full of warning. Those people looked at each other, lowered their heads, and didn’t say another word.

Qin Qiong didn’t expect them to be so useless. She glared at them, then coughed. Everyone’s attention was focused on her.

Only then did Qin Qiong speak up, “Shen Jun, it’s fine that you brought someone back, but you’re protecting him when everyone just wants to have a drink with him. Those who know would think that you have registered your marriage with someone, and those who don’t would think that this is the little lover you’ve taken care of, which isn’t suitable to bring to the table.”

Her tone was sharp, heavily degrading Ye Tingtong.

Ye Tingtong was drinking soup. He raised his eyelids after hearing that, and met Qin Qiong’s eyes, then he took another sip of the soup.

There was nothing to care about. He had been humiliated by the security guards before, so what did Qin Qiong count for?

He just treated her words as fart.

In Ye Tingtong’s eyes, Qin Qiong’s importance was probably not even as important as the children he gave red envelopes to.

From the moment Qin Qiong smashed a cup at Shen Jun in public that day, she was destined to not gain Ye Tingtong’s respect.

Qin Qiong was angered by his disregard. She sneered, “What, are you very proud? To make Shen Minghuai and Shen Jun, this pair of uncle and nephew, fight for you, you are really capable.”

“Enough.” Shen Jun’s father slammed the table heavily, “Can’t you have a peaceful meal? All of you, shut up!”

Qin Qiong felt wronged when she saw him lose his temper, “I didn’t say anything wrong.”

Shen’s father glared at her, “Are you the only smart one? It’s the New Year, put away your petty thoughts.”

Even Qin Qiong couldn’t win, and everyone at the table became honest.

Shen Minghuai, who was about to speak, was stepped on by Yao Mingzhu, signaling for him not to cause trouble.

Although Shen Jun was now in charge of Shen Corporation, his father’s authority was still there.

Shen Jun’s father wasn’t enthusiastic towards Ye Tingtong, nor was he harsh. After meeting him, he nodded at him as a greeting, which was also a form of implicit recognition.

Shen Jun had the ability and skills. A marriage with someone from the same social class was a bonus, but it didn’t matter if he didn’t, so Shen’s father didn’t care.

Later, Ye Tingtong was toasted a few more times, but it was all done in courtesy. They all said it was fine if he just drank water. After a few rounds, Ye Tingtong felt embarrassed, so he switched to fruit wine. He drank very little, so he didn’t feel drunk.

After the meal was over, Ye Tingtong secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The butler led him and Shen Jun to the third floor, opened a door, and said to the two, “Young Master, this is the room you will be staying in tonight. Please call me if you need anything.”

Ye Tingtong looked at the bedroom in front of him, and belatedly realized that tonight he would be sleeping with Shen Jun.

Every year, after the New Year’s Eve dinner, everyone in the Shen family would stay overnight in the old residence. It was said to be so that the ancestors could recognize their faces and bless the Shen family with good health and safety in the coming year.

Although his marriage with Shen Jun was fake, in other people’s eyes, they were a legitimate married couple, and a particularly loving one at that. It would be too strange to separate now.

The sigh of relief Ye Tingtong had just released came back up.

After the butler left, Shen Jun looked at Ye Tingtong, who was standing at the door like a wooden stake, “What’s wrong?”

Ye Tingtong looked at him with a sullen expression, “Are we sleeping together tonight?”

Shen Jun looked at the blush on Ye Tingtong’s face due to drinking, and rarely paused.

Ye Tingtong seemed to not have realized that he was drunk. His speech had become particularly direct and honest.

“There’s a study room here with a bed too.” Shen Jun looked at his tense expression and softened his voice, “Don’t be afraid.”

Ye Tingtong looked at him in surprise, “What is there to be afraid of?”

He pursed his lips: “I’m not afraid of you.”

Shen Jun looked at his confused and serious expression, and couldn’t help but rub his head, “Yeah, you’re not afraid.”

“Um, is your hand okay?” Ye Tingtong pointed to Shen Jun’s right hand which he had just pulled back, “I saw it before, it was red.”

“It’s just a scratch.” Shen Jun put his hand behind his back, “It’ll be fine soon.”

Ye Tingtong said “oh” once, “Was it because of me that you fought with Shen Minghuai?”

“It wasn’t a fight.” Shen Jun corrected him, “It was me hitting him.”

Ye Tingtong didn’t quite understand what the difference was, but he agreed with whatever Shen Jun said, “Alright, you already hit him, it’s good enough if you didn’t suffer a loss.”

Shen Minghuai’s face was more swollen than his minor injury.

Shen Jun hadn’t expected him to not look into the reason why at all, only caring about whether he suffered a loss. He felt somewhat helpless, “Don’t think too much.”

“Can you wash up and go to sleep by yourself? I’ll go to the study.”

Ye Tingtong nodded, “I can.”

After confirming that he could move freely, Shen Jun left.

An hour later, Shen Jun received a call from Ye Tingtong in the study. He thought something had happened. However, after answering the call, he didn’t hear Ye Tingtong’s voice. Instead, he heard a meow.

“Shen Jun, I found a cat at the door!” Ye Tingtong’s voice was obviously excited, “Its eyes are blue, so pretty.”

Shen Jun’s gaze shifted from the computer, “It should be Xue Gao, a Ragdoll cat. Someone gave it to my mother last year, said it was of show-level pedigree, but my mother stopped caring about it after the novelty wore off.”

Every New Year’s Eve, the old mansion would become lively. Xue Gao was a clingy cat by nature. With more people around, it ran around everywhere. He hadn’t expected it to sneak to Ye Tingtong’s door.

Ye Tingtong squatted on the ground, watching the cat that was constantly circling around him and rubbing his legs. He laughed and said, “It’s so strong, it keeps rubbing against me, and almost knocked me over a few times.”

Shen Jun listened to the cat’s cooing meow coming from the phone and explained, “It must be that no one plays with it on weekdays.”

Ye Tingtong paused for a moment, and said softly, “Such a pretty cat with a good temperament, does no one like it?”

When he had first seen Xue Gao, he thought it was a very well-cared-for kitten.

Shen Jun didn’t know what he was thinking, but he remained silent for a while.

Ye Tingtong reached out, and Xue Gao rubbed up against him on its own accord. He held the cat in his arms. Xue Gao didn’t struggle, and obediently nestled down, resting its head on his arm and purring with its eyes closed.

“Actually, I really like kittens. I would feed the stray cats at school every now and then. They were very cautious, but they were very affectionate with me.”

Ye Tingtong, who had drunk alcohol, was particularly talkative. After Shen Jun listened to him, he asked, “Have you ever owned a cat?”

Ye Tingtong shook his head, then slowly realized that Shen Jun couldn’t see him, so he said, “No, I’ve never owned a cat since I was young.”

“But I’ve always wanted to raise one.” Ye Tingtong looked at the hazy night outside the window and was lost in past memories, “Before I went to the Ye family, I lived with my mother. The rental house was dark and damp. In the depths of the night, I could often hear the sound of rats running around.”

When he was a child, during his rebellious period, his mother would scare him with rats, saying that if he cried, the rats would come over and bite his mouth. If his hands and feet stretched out of bed while sleeping, the rats would also come over and eat the flesh on his hands and feet little by little.

This made Ye Tingtong have a deep fear of rats since he was a child.

“Sometimes I was really scared at night, so I would crawl up from the floor and look for my mother. But my mother would always say that I was cowardly and useless.” Ye Tingtong’s voice lowered.

The rental house was very small. At night, he slept on a thin blanket on the floor and would often hear the rustling sound of rats scurrying back and forth, and the terrible squeaking sound, as if they would drill into his ears in the next moment.

He would even see rats in the kitchen during the day. A big, gray one, with a bulging belly, would walk brazenly into the cupboard under the kitchen counter.

When he was a child, Ye Tingtong had always wanted to keep a cat, wanting the cat to protect him. However, his mother didn’t allow it. When he grew up, he realized that he couldn’t even take care of himself, let alone let another small life suffer with him.

Shen Jun listened to the intermittent sounds in his ears. Ye Tingtong would say whatever he thought of, sometimes saying how his mother scolded him, and sometimes saying how his mother’s noodles were delicious, and how she would give him an extra egg.

This was the past of Ye Tingtong that Shen Jun had never known.

Moreover, it was a very unhappy past.

He said in a low voice, “It’s okay, it’s all in the past.”

Ye Tingtong heard the comfort in his words and said with a smile, “Those years were okay too! Although I was often hungry, my mother wasn’t bad to me.”

His mother beat and scolded him only because of too much stress in her life, plus he was purely a burden, so she was just venting her emotions on him. Most of the time, she was normal.

Listening to his optimistic and positive words, Shen Jun didn’t know what to say for a moment.

It was hard to imagine how Ye Tingtong had grown up in such a harsh environment, and under the coercion of the Ye family, how he had managed to keep the bottom line in his heart and not sink into this dirty circle.

His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his voice was slow and clear, “In the future, you can live the life you want.”

Whether it was to study well for exams, or to work in a dessert shop, or to have a cat, no one could restrict him anymore.

Shen Jun’s low voice came through the receiver, somewhat distorted, but the words were firm and powerful, like a promise—

Shen Jun would guarantee Ye Tingtong’s freedom in the future.

Ye Tingtong glanced at the cat sleeping peacefully in his arms. Suddenly, he spoke very softly, “Shen Jun, I often wonder, why are you so good to me?”

“This is already beyond the scope of the agreement.”

It was making his mood go beyond the scope of the agreement as well.

However, before Shen Jun could answer, the last bit of rationality made Ye Tingtong speak again, “It’s okay, I was just asking casually, don’t take it to heart.”

Shen Jun listened to his self-questioning and self-answering and said slowly, “Last time when we were ice fishing on Cang Lu Mountain, I said, you could be bolder.”

Ye Tingtong lowered his head and after a long time, he murmured, “How much bolder is enough…”

“Not much is needed.” Shen Jun said, “You just need to walk steadily forward. Leave the rest to me.”

Ye Tingtong was walking on his own trajectory, and he would always be by his side. As long as Ye Tingtong occasionally tilted a little bit towards him, it would be enough.

The alcohol made Ye Tingtong’s brain slow to react. He seemed to understand Shen Jun’s words, and yet he didn’t really understand them.

Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard a bang outside the window.

Ye Tingtong looked up, and a brilliant firework exploded right outside the window. After that, one after another, and the low, melodious chimes came from Shen’s residence.

12 AM.

They welcomed a new year.

Ye Tingtong looked at the fireworks outside the window and suddenly felt like he had seen them somewhere, “Shen Jun, I’ve seen fireworks with you before.”

“Yes.” Shen Jun stood by the window, looking at the fireworks rising outside, “On the cruise ship, we happened to meet on the terrace.”

Ye Tingtong thought of the scene at that time, and felt like it had been a long time ago. But in reality, it had only been two months.

It should be said that that kind of life where he had to please everyone and be cautious was very far away from him now.

“I made a wish then.”

The fireworks were reflected in Ye Tingtong’s pupils, bright and dazzling.

Shen Jun knew that wish.

The fireworks continued to bloom, bang bang bang, mixing with Ye Tingtong’s heartbeat.

“At that time, I wished to have a good New Year this year.” Ye Tingtong felt that his courage seemed to have grown a little bit. He spoke, his voice quiet and soft, “Now, my wish has been fulfilled.”