Chapter 45

Chapter 45

The next day, Shen Siqin woke up early as usual to exercise and then went next door to buy a pancake for breakfast.

Around ten o'clock, a familiar gray sedan pulled up.

Shen Sijian got out of the car.

At first glance, he saw Shen Siqin's bald head.

Cough, cough, cough.

If not for the slight stubble, it would have been completely bald.

Sijian: "???!!!"

"Brother, you're here?"

Seeing Sijian arrive, Shen Siqin came out from behind the cash register.

Today, his main role was to be cannon fodder.

The less attention he drew, the better.

Shen Siqin didn't wear anything particularly nice; he just put on a simple, drab long-sleeved shirt and pants.

These clothes were bought by Yan Jihan and Shen Sijian when the original owner came over.

Due to an initial miscalculation in size, the clothes were a bit loose and now hung loosely on Shen Siqin, shapeless except for being new.

"You shaved your head? And why are you wearing this? We only bought two wrong-sized clothes for you, and you actually found them. Didn't you say you'd use them as pajamas?" Shen Sijian reached out to tug at Shen Siqin's clothes, his disdain evident.

The clothes had been half-bought, half-gifted, and now he couldn't even remember why he chose this set for his younger brother.

Yan Jihan also got out of the car.

To be fair, Shen Siqin looked oddly relaxed in these clothes.

It softened the sharpness of his newly shaven head.

Not only did it not look bad, but the more she looked, the more handsome he seemed.

However, in the eyes of someone like Shen Sijian, who was more traditional, it looked shapeless, while Yan Jihan appreciated it.

"I think it's fine. We're leaving anyway. Do you want him to change?"

"Just like this. If I dress too well, it'll seem like I'm provoking someone." Shen Siqin shrugged.

"That makes sense," Shen Sijian reluctantly accepted the explanation. "Let's go."

Shen Siqin locked the door and told Uncle Zhang and the others to keep an eye on the convenience store.

Once in the car, Shen Sijian slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering something. "I almost forgot, why did you suddenly shave your head?"

"My hair was getting long, so I shaved it. You always complained about my long hair, Brother. Now that I've cut it short, you ask questions. What's there to ask?" Shen Siqin said seriously from the passenger seat.

Sijian muttered, "Still, you didn't need to shave it so short."

Yan Jihan glanced at her younger brother, sensing there might be more to the story.

Dressed in clean new clothes, Shen Libin, who had transformed from a skinny black monkey into a cute little student, stretched out his mischievous hand to touch his uncle's head.

Hehehe, he had wanted to do this yesterday.

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Shen Siqin dodged quickly.

"Sanlin, touching an elder's head is impolite." Shen Siqin turned around and rubbed Shen Libin's head with lightning speed!

Shen Libin: "Uncle, I just styled my hair nicely!!!"

Yan Jihan: "..."

How childish.

"Don't worry, I brought a small comb. Let me fix it for you." Yan Jihan quickly restrained the wriggling Sanlin.

This child couldn't sit still, and she had already worried that Sanlin might mess up his neatly combed hair, so she brought a comb.

She didn't expect to use it so soon.

With a triumphant turn, Shen Siqin sat back properly.

The car started.

"Mr. Wen takes this graduation banquet very seriously. The venue is the Huangcheng Grand Hotel. They say the head chef is a descendant of the imperial chef. Just enjoy the food. If Wen Changxiang says anything unpleasant, we're at a disadvantage, so let it go and don't get angry."

Sijian drove while giving instructions.

"Okay, I understand."

Shen Siqin didn't find it annoying and responded casually.

He thought to himself: These days, people still promote the imperial chef's descendant. How long have they been using this slogan without changing it?

Upon arriving at the hotel,

Although Shen Siqin wasn't sure if the dishes were made by the imperial chef's descendant, the hotel was indeed impressive.

A four-story building, tall and bright, with a sign as high as a whole building, made of some high-end material, exuding elegance and luxury.

Even though Shen Siqin had seen it all before, he couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Not bad at all.

"I heard Mr. Wen has reserved the second floor of this hotel today," Shen Sijian said to the three of them. "You can go straight in; I'll park the car at the back."

Though he could have someone else park the car for him, Shen Sijian preferred to do it himself.

Yan Jihan nodded at Shen Sijian.

The three of them entered the hotel together.

After registering their names and gift money, they were ushered into the second floor of the hotel.

The welcoming staff led them to the table with their name cards.

Seeing the dozen or so names on the table, Yan Jihan smiled and said, "This table is full of Mr. Wen's business partners and their families. Later, they'll probably be drinking and discussing business, so we can enjoy our meal peacefully."

"Sounds good." Shen Siqin scanned the room and quickly found the table at the front, where a name card with Lin Shengjin's name was placed next to Professor Liu's.

Indeed, there was no way they would be at the same table.

"Where are Teacher Lin and the others?" Sanlin had already sat down obediently, looking around curiously.

Although he was mischievous, he behaved well in public.

Shen Siqin pointed to the front and said, "Over there."

"Oh, we're not at the same table." Sanlin sounded a bit disappointed.

"Teacher Lin is closer to Mr. Wen than us, so of course they won't be at the same table," Yan Jihan explained matter-of-factly.

While Shen Sijian, who often interacted with Wen Shouhong, might be closer personally, relationships weren't measured that way.

Business partners are business partners, and family-like teacher-student relationships are different; they can't be compared.

Shen Libin nodded, somewhat understanding.

Adults are so complicated.

Soon, Shen Sijian arrived. The three of them had come relatively early, and no one else was at their table yet.

But a few people had already arrived at the nearby tables, all of Mr. Wen's business partners. As soon as Shen Sijian arrived, they started chatting.

Shen Siqin and the others just needed to sit quietly and let Shen Sijian handle the socializing!

Before long, Wen Shouhong and Wen Changxiang arrived, accompanied by Professor Liu and Lin Shengjin.

Wen Changxiang was wearing a fiery red dress today.

Compared to her previous gentle demeanor, she now exuded a confident and assertive presence.

At her age, even without makeup or elaborate dressing, her confidence made her look stunning.

Especially since today was Wen Changxiang's event, it added to her charm.

Shen Siqin felt a sense of relief.

That's how it should be.

Wen Shouhong welcomed Professor Liu and Lin Shengjin to their seats with an especially friendly smile.

For some reason, Shen Siqin sensed a hint of flattery in Wen Shouhong's smile.

Professor Liu didn't show any displeasure, but he seemed a bit unhappy.

As for Teacher Lin,

Teacher Lin still maintained his aloof demeanor outside.

He looked very reliable.

He carried himself like a young and talented gentleman.

However, Shen Siqin noticed that Teacher Lin's gaze was secretly scanning the surroundings.

Shen Siqin chuckled softly.

Teacher Lin must be looking for me!

Their eyes met.

Shen Siqin's smile widened, and he winked at him.

Lin Shengjin immediately looked away and said to Wen Shouhong, "Senior Brother, Changxiang, you two go greet the guests. I'll take care of things here with the professor."

"Sure, Professor, please sit. I'll get to work." Wen Shouhong breathed a sigh of relief.

Though he was a bit old-fashioned, he genuinely respected his teachers.

Though he didn't regret going into business, he felt a bit guilty when facing the professor who had nurtured him.

Not only did Wen Shouhong feel relieved, but Wen Changxiang did too.

Thinking about how she once used meeting Professor Liu as an excuse to see Shen Siqin, she felt embarrassed.

At the time, she hadn't realized it and even felt hurt by Shen Siqin's words.

But after reflecting, she felt that she wasn't being herself then.

She didn’t understand why having a boyfriend made her seem like a different person.

Now when she saw Professor Liu and Brother Lin, all she felt was awkwardness.

Thinking about this, Wen Changxiang deliberately avoided looking for Shen Siqin’s figure.

Letting him see her in the limelight was enough.

Going up to reclaim some face would only remind her of how foolish she had been then.

It wasn’t worth it.

"Go ahead, go ahead. You do your thing." Professor Liu waved his hand, dismissing him.

For the younger generation’s good times, even if Professor Liu still harbored grievances against Wen Shouhong, he wouldn’t show his displeasure at this moment.

Wen Shouhong and Wen Changxiang exchanged a glance and quickly slipped away!

"Hmph, look how scared they are. Can I eat them?" Professor Liu huffed.

"Mother doesn’t like these occasions, so she didn’t come. With only Master here, looking cold and distant, of course they’re afraid," Lin Shengjin spoke without much formality with Professor Liu.

Professor Liu glared at him, "And you’re talking to me? You weren’t smiling just now either."

He knew very well that those kids at school were afraid of their own little apprentice!

The second shouldn’t criticize the first!

Lin Shengjin: "..."

"Brother Shen, you came. Ah, sit down, no need to stand." Wen Shouhong warmly greeted him.

Wen Changxiang stood beside Wen Shouhong.

Since the tables around them were filled with business partners whom Wen Changxiang didn’t know well, she simply maintained a smile.

However, she made sure not to look at Shen Siqin.

Only her peripheral vision caught glimpses of him, making her smile slightly less noticeable.

If one didn’t look closely, it wouldn’t be apparent.

Once the pleasantries were over, Wen Shouhong led her away.

Throughout the entire time, Wen Changxiang never gave Shen Siqin a single glance.

Even though Shen Siqin didn’t need to socialize while sitting with the children, he still noticed Wen Changxiang’s attitude.

He silently gave Wen Changxiang a thumbs-up in his heart.

Still, this kid was acting out of emotion. If the original owner were here, they certainly wouldn’t have just watched quietly.

On such a good day for herself, according to Shen Siqin’s mindset, irrelevant people wouldn’t even be invited.

But for a kid of this age, not acting out a bit would be strange.

Wen Shouhong gently put an arm around his daughter, his expression filled with pride.

"Oh, Miss Wen is different now. We can finally enjoy our meal in peace." Yan Jihan covered her mouth and softly said to Shen Siqin.

Shen Siqin remained silent, merely nodding.

Soon, everyone arrived.

Logically, Wen Shouhong and Wen Changxiang stepped forward to speak first.

Wen Shouhong was quite emotional, thanking Wen Changxiang’s high school teachers and his own mentor for their guidance. He spoke for a full fifteen minutes, and Shen Siqin wondered how he managed to steer the conversation in that direction.

"Flattery," Professor Liu muttered, but despite his words, he was secretly pleased.

He just wouldn’t admit it.

Lin Shengjin shook his head helplessly.

Teachers were always stubborn.

When it was Wen Changxiang’s turn, she was more straightforward.

Wen Changxiang simply said, "Thank you all for attending my college admission banquet. I will work harder in my studies. Please enjoy your meal."

In total, just three sentences.

Father and daughter complemented each other well.

After their speeches, the dishes began to arrive.

The table setting was orderly.

First came various cold dishes.

Spinach with shredded chicken, vermicelli with bean curd, and cucumber salad.

All common cold dishes.

Shen Siqin: "..."

He thought there would be more unique cold dishes.

Indeed, he shouldn’t have expected too much. Shen Siqin secretly glanced at Lin Shengjin.

Lin Shengjin’s expression was blank, as if he was slightly disappointed with the dishes.

Shen Siqin withdrew his gaze and picked up a piece of spinach and shredded chicken.

The seasoning was done well; although it wasn’t outstanding, there were no faults in the taste.

The spinach was refreshing, and the chicken was tender and savory.

Shen Siqin nodded.

It seemed that the chef at this hotel had some genuine skills.

Lin Shengjin took a few simple bites of the cold dishes.

He felt that his palate had become quite picky.

This flavor should be quite good, but now Lin Shengjin always felt something was missing.

Focusing too much on immediate taste can make even cold dishes feel greasy after a while.

However, taking just a couple of bites of each dish isn’t really a flaw.

After the cold dishes were served, various main courses started to arrive one by one.

Steamed fish, spicy crab, Kung Pao chicken, fried meat, stewed chicken... braised pork?

Seeing the braised pork, Lin Shengjin quickly picked up a piece.

Hmm, yesterday he had tasted Shen Siqin’s braised pork.

It was fragrant, soft, and delicious, with every bite filled with meaty aroma.

After eating more, he could even sense a faint scent of lotus leaves.

Ah!

Lin Shengjin took a bite.

Ah! Ah! Ah!

Too fatty! Too fatty! Too fatty!

The meat is so fatty!

Lin Shengjin’s pupils widened as he struggled to swallow the meat in his mouth.

Silently, he picked up his tea and took a sip.

The taste of the tea barely managed to wash away the greasiness in his mouth.

There’s nothing worse than comparing similar things.

Even though the flavors seemed similar, why did the experience feel so different?

Shen Siqin took a couple of bites of the meat.

There were no mistakes in the seasoning choices.

The problem was that it wasn’t cooked long enough, and the spices were a bit excessive.

Moreover, the meat was tied with string instead of rush grass, and it wasn’t covered with lotus leaves during cooking.

The cook probably knew how to make it better but chose convenience and saved time instead.

Shen Siqin lightly shook his head, feeling a bit disappointed.

If it were due to lack of skill, it wouldn’t matter.

Having the skill but not using it properly is another issue.

Feeling bored, Shen Siqin found watching Teacher Lin more interesting.

And he did just that.

Shen Siqin secretly glanced at Teacher Lin.

Then he noticed that in just a few moments, Teacher Lin had wilted.

Like a cat that had lost a fight.

It reminded Shen Siqin of the crying cat meme.

What happened?

Lin Shengjin turned his head, sensing something, with a hint of resentment in his eyes.

It’s easy to get used to luxury, but hard to go back to simplicity.

Shen Siqin: “???”

The author has something to say:

I have a fever that’s making me dizzy and weak. I couldn’t finish writing yesterday. If I can update in the next few days, I will try my best. If I’m really not feeling well, I’ll post a notice beforehand. Thank you for your support.