ATMAWTPM Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Shen Jun is Mine.

The winter break ended quickly, and Ye Tingtong ushered in the second half of his sophomore year.

Last semester, he passed all his courses, but during his freshman year, he hadn’t focused on his studies and had failed several subjects. Now he had to retake them, so Ye Tingtong’s schedule was very busy.

On Saturdays and Sundays, or when he had fewer classes, Ye Tingtong would go back to Taizi Bay. At other times, he still lived in the dormitory. Shen Minghuai was currently on a semi-leave of absence, and even when he was in the dorm, Ye Tingtong hadn’t seen him many times.

Ye Tingtong had just sent Shen Jun his entire class schedule for the semester when he heard Yu Hui behind him mutter, “Our dorm is almost a three-person dorm now. Is that kid Minghuai trying to drop out?”

Even with Shen Minghuai’s family connections, he couldn’t blatantly skip classes like this. The counselor couldn’t persuade him and had mentioned it to Yu Hui, the dorm leader, several times.

Song Wu, however, didn’t think it was a big deal, “I don’t see him messing around. It seems like he’s started working at the company early. The path a young master takes is probably different from ours, so don’t worry about it.”

Ye Tingtong nodded in agreement.

Even if Shen Minghuai missed all his classes, the Shen family could get him a diploma.

But perhaps the counselor had put too much pressure on Yu Hui, as he still looked worried, “Who can get in touch with him? I send him messages, and he only replies occasionally.”

Song Wu took out his phone, “I’ll try.”

After a while, there was no response. “He’s ignoring me too.”

Before, the four of them in the dorm had a pretty good relationship, but recently Shen Minghuai seemed to have changed. The cheerful smile he used to have was gone, his social circle was completely separate from theirs, and they wouldn’t see him for half a month.

The two of them turned their gaze to Ye Tingtong.

Ye Tingtong pursed his lips, “I blocked him, I don’t have his contact information anymore.”

He wished Shen Minghuai would never come to school.

Yu Hui didn’t press him, “Forget it, but if you happen to see him, tell him to explain it to the counselor himself. What’s the use of always coming to me? I can’t control Shen Minghuai.”

Ye Tingtong nodded, taking it as an agreement.

However, he didn’t expect the opportunity to come so quickly. That evening, Shen Jun’s assistant, Liu Hao, came to pick him up for a charity gala.

“Mr. Shen said you don’t have classes this afternoon, so he asked me to pick you up,” Liu Hao explained as he drove, “There will be an auction before the gala to raise funds for disabled children in mountainous areas. You just need to stay with Mr. Shen. After the auction, there will be the gala dinner, so just eat and drink. There are no other events.”

Those were the exact words Shen Jun had instructed him to say.

In fact, it was not required to bring a male companion to this charity gala, but it was said that the head chef for the gala was a renowned chef from overseas, and the pastry chef’s skills were unparalleled. He suspected that Shen Jun just wanted to bring Ye Tingtong to enjoy the food.

Ye Tingtong was unaware of this and, after confirming there were no other tasks, obediently replied, “Got it.”

Shen Jun’s seat at the auction was in the front, making Ye Tingtong feel a bit nervous.

Shen Jun turned his head that was looking around, “What are you looking at?”

Today, Shen Minghuai had also come with his mother, Yao Mingzhu. The place Ye Tingtong had been looking at the most was Shen Minghuai’s location.

“I saw Shen Minghuai,” Ye Tingtong honestly replied, “The counselor wants him to go back to class. Yu Hui asked me to tell him.”

The clear and organized answer made the darkness in Shen Jun’s eyes silently disappear. “We can talk about it after the auction. Let’s see if there are any items you like.”

Ye Tingtong waved his hands repeatedly, “No, no, I’m not interested in those things right now.”

He used to like using luxury goods to showcase his worth, but he no longer needed to. With that money, he could eat at Forest Bear Dessert Shop for the rest of his life.

“This is for charity, and it’s also a way to show our strength to the outside world,” Shen Jun explained in a low voice, “This is money that should be spent.”

Ye Tingtong nodded as if he understood.

Because the auction had already begun, the two spoke in low voices, their heads close together, almost whispering.

Many people cast ambiguous glances at the pair who were so close to each other.

“Is that Shen Jun’s marriage partner? They seem quite affectionate.”

“Of course. The Ye family has gone bankrupt, and Shen Jun still keeps him by his side, which shows how much he dotes on him.”

“Putting everything else aside, the two are very well-matched in terms of appearance.”

Wherever Shen Jun was, whether in terms of aura or appearance, he would always stand out and become the center of attention. Ye Tingtong, standing beside him, although he didn’t have the imposing presence of someone in power, his appearance was no less striking.

Yao Mingzhu and Shen Minghuai were sitting right next to them, clearly hearing their conversation.

Yao Mingzhu was worried that Shen Minghuai would cause a scene again, but he just had a darker expression and didn’t say a word from beginning to end.

She was immediately somewhat relieved. It seemed that the recent experiences had made Shen Minghuai’s temperament much more stable.

The cancellation of his engagement with Liang Yuting had made her extremely dissatisfied, but the person involved was unwilling, and she couldn’t tie him up and force him to get married, so the marriage could only be called off.

Fortunately, Shen Minghuai no longer idled around in the entertainment district. He had entered the company and was seriously learning how to do business.

When the auction ended, Shen Jun had won two items, one of which was a piece of warm jade.

It was graceful and as smooth as jade.

He thought it was very suitable for Ye Tingtong.

Assistant Liu Hao went to pay for and collect the items, while Ye Tingtong followed Shen Jun to the location of the gala dinner.

Shen Jun knew that Ye Tingtong didn’t like this kind of social setting. After two or three people came to propose a toast, he let Ye Tingtong go to play on his own.

Ye Tingtong had been keeping in mind the matter Yu Hui had asked him about, and he wanted to find Shen Minghuai quickly to complete his mission. However, Shen Minghuai had disappeared. The waiter said that Shen Minghuai had received a phone call and seemed to have gone to the garden.

Ye Tingtong glanced at the garden and saw a blurry figure in the corner.

He thought about it and said to the waiter, “If I’m not back in five minutes, could you come look for me?”

The waiter knew he was Shen Jun’s companion and nodded in agreement, “Don’t worry, sir, the garden also has surveillance cameras. We will ensure your safety.”

He was still holding the wine glass that he had pretended to take earlier during the toasts. He wanted to hand it to the waiter, but seeing his full tray, he was embarrassed to add to the other person’s burden and went to the garden with his glass.

But before he could find the person, he heard some muffled noises.

“Mr. Hu, please don’t, not here.”

“Help…”

The suppressed cries came from the garden. Ye Tingtong’s heart skipped a beat, and making sure that he wasn’t too far from the hall, he bravely said, “Who’s there? Get out!”

The rustling of fabric and the crying seemed to have been paused. Ye Tingtong took a step back, keeping his distance from the sound, and said sternly, “I heard the sound. If you don’t come out, I’ll call the police.”

He heard someone cry for help.

A person came out from the depths of the not-so-tall bushes. Ye Tingtong was stunned for a moment—

It was Hu Cheng.

The person behind Hu Cheng was also a familiar face, the boy that Hu Cheng had brought with him to New Moon Hall that day.

The boy was currently standing behind Hu Cheng, and it was clear he had just cried. His face was wet, his clothes were disheveled, and his face was full of fear.

Ye Tingtong quickly realized what Hu Cheng was doing, and his stomach churned.

Hu Cheng looked at his disgusted expression and adjusted his clothes, “Who would’ve known it was the unromantic little Tingtong!”

Only someone like Ye Tingtong would do such a thing.

“However, you seem to have misunderstood.” He patted the boy’s shoulder, “Come on, Xiao Yun, explain to him that I didn’t force you.”

Xiao Yun looked at Ye Tingtong and nodded, “Yes, you don’t have to meddle.”

Ye Tingtong paused for a moment, but he didn’t take Xiao Yun’s words to heart. In this situation, the other party was clearly being coerced.

In the dead of winter, Xiao Yun was only wearing a thin shirt and sweater, the collar of his shirt was open, revealing the ambiguous marks and unnatural bruises on his collarbone.

He was still wearing a ring around his neck, with a bow tie in the front, very similar to a dog collar.

Hu Cheng looked at Ye Tingtong, who was still standing in front of them, and smiled, “What, are you still worried? Then why don’t you talk to him yourself?”

Ye Tingtong didn’t go over, instead, he beckoned Xiao Yun, “Come here, I’m here, Hu Cheng doesn’t dare do anything to you.”

He could see that Hu Cheng was afraid of Shen Jun, who was behind him, and didn’t dare to confront him head-on.

Now, he could rescue Xiao Yun.

If possible, he could also ask Shen Jun for help, so that Xiao Yun could return to a normal life.

Having been rained on, Ye Tingtong also wanted to be the first umbrella for others within his ability.

However, perhaps because he had been bullied by Hu Cheng for so long, Xiao Yun shook his head at him and still stood by Hu Cheng’s side.

Hu Cheng had long expected this to happen. He flicked the bell on Xiao Yun’s collar, “So good.”

He looked at Ye Tingtong, whose face was ashen, and said in a slow tone, “Do you know when Xiao Yun started following me? From the time I saw you in the Ye family when you were 17, I had Xiao Yun by my side.”

Hu Cheng reached out and lifted Xiao Yun’s chin, exposing his face to the light, “Look, aren’t his eyes a little like yours? When he cries, his voice is also somewhat similar.”

Ye Tingtong realized what he was saying, and his face changed instantly.

Hu Cheng looked almost greedily at Ye Tingtong’s slightly fuller face, “It was also because I saw you at the auction that I couldn’t help myself. Using him for a little fun isn’t bad either—”

Before he could finish, a glass of red wine came flying and poured directly on his face.

The light-colored suit immediately changed color. Combined with his wet hair and face and the dripping red wine, Hu Cheng looked disheveled and ridiculous.

Ye Tingtong smashed the glass on Hu Cheng’s face, angrily saying, “Old man, your stinking mouth is making me nauseous, shut up.”

Xiao Yun’s face turned pale with fright at this scene. He looked at Ye Tingtong in shock, and when his gaze passed him and saw someone, his expression changed, and he gritted his teeth and ran to Ye Tingtong’s side.

Ye Tingtong saw that he was coming to him for help and protected the person behind him, his gaze towards Hu Cheng was fearless and full of anger.

Hu Cheng didn’t expect that this little cat, after going out for a while, his claws would become so sharp.

He looked gloomy and reached out to grab the person, when a voice interjected, “What’s going on? It’s so lively?”

Shen Jun arrived at some point, standing next to Ye Tingtong. He looked at the empty wine glass on the ground, pinched Ye Tingtong’s face, and said gently, “If you don’t like to drink, you can’t spill it. How did you accidentally spill it on someone else?”

“Mr. Hu, he’s just too playful. This suit of yours, just put it on my tab.”

His words were light and casual, downplaying the fact that Ye Tingtong had poured the wine on him.

Hu Cheng was no longer as composed and confident as before, his face flushed with anger. “Shen Jun, do you think you can just dismiss me like this?”

When was it his turn to be humiliated by such a young kid!

Shen Jun looked at his question with a calm gaze, “Otherwise?”

This rhetorical question directly shut Hu Cheng up.

Whether in terms of strength or connections, he could not compete with the person in front of him. The best option was to follow the steps that Shen Jun gave him and leave.

Hu Cheng’s teeth were about to break, but he couldn’t do anything about it, so he could only give the two a hateful look and leave the gala.

After the person left, the anxiety in Ye Tingtong’s heart finally settled. He looked up at the person beside him, “Did I cause you trouble? I told the waiter I was going to the garden, I didn’t run off.”

Shen Jun hummed in response, “I know.”

He didn’t find Ye Tingtong in the hall. When he asked, he learned the specific location.

After being outside in the cold for a while, Ye Tingtong’s face was a little pale. Shen Jun took off his coat and put it on him, “Are you cold?”

Ye Tingtong shook his head. After saying that, he remembered Xiao Yun, who was wearing even less, and immediately said, “You must be freezing outside, let’s go inside first.”

Xiao Yun looked at Shen Jun and timidly said, “Okay.”

The few of them returned to the hall. Ye Tingtong looked at Xiao Yun, who was following closely behind them, and hesitated, “Was I too impulsive?”

Shen Jun handed him a cup of warm milk, “No, you did the right thing.”

Whether it was teaching Hu Cheng a lesson or saving someone, Ye Tingtong’s actions exceeded his expectations.

It was a pleasant surprise.

He glanced at the person who had somewhat similar features to Ye Tingtong. His dark eyes slightly narrowed, but he didn’t say anything.

The two didn’t chat for long before Yu Mo came over and pulled Shen Jun away to discuss business.

Xiao Yun looked thoughtfully at the two tall figures who left together.

Ye Tingtong took Xiao Yun to a quiet place with lots of food and got him some milk and cake, “Take it slow.”

Xiao Yun lowered his eyes, drank some milk, and then rubbed his arms.

Ye Tingtong immediately said, “Are you cold?”

Xiao Yun looked up and glanced at the coat on him, “A little.”

Ye Tingtong noticed his gaze and realized that Shen Jun’s coat was still draped over him. He frowned, “I can’t give this to you. The hall is warm, and you’ll warm up in a bit.”

This was Shen Jun’s coat.

Xiao Yun said softly, “I didn’t mean that, don’t misunderstand.”

Ye Tingtong didn’t respond. The atmosphere between the two became a bit cold.

Earlier, when Ye Tingtong was chatting with Shen Jun, Xiao Yun kept stealing glances at Shen Jun. After Yu Mo arrived, his gaze shifted to the other person, and he had rarely looked at Ye Tingtong, the one who had actually rescued him.

Xiao Yun sensed his unhappiness and took the initiative to start a conversation, “Are you still a student? If I could, I would also like to go to school.”

At this point, Ye Tingtong didn’t have much desire to chat with anyone. He gave a nod and quietly drank his milk.

He would talk to Shen Jun about Xiao Yun’s situation when he returned. He would help if he could.

Xiao Yun said a few more words. His tone paused, and the topic suddenly turned to Shen Jun, “Was that just now, the CEO of Shen Corporation, Shen Jun? He seems to treat you really well.”

There was clear envy in his tone.

Hearing this, the look on Ye Tingtong’s face noticeably softened. “Shen Jun is indeed a very good person.”

Xiao Yun pressed on, asking several questions about Shen Jun. Finally, as if unintentionally, he asked if he could be brought home with them tonight.

Ye Tingtong looked at Xiao Yun’s wounded expression, his earnest and pitiful demeanor. He did not soften his heart and agree, as the other person had expected. He slowly put down his glass of milk.

“Shen Jun is mine.” Ye Tingtong said each word clearly, his voice carrying a strong warning, “You are not allowed to have designs on him.”

volarereads.com read novels