Chapter 21: Good people deserve good outcomes…

Chapter 21: Good people deserve good outcomes...

He slept dreamlessly, and in the morning, Ye Tingtong woke up slowly, his hand reaching out from under the blanket, sensing something was off.

It felt a bit warm.

He looked up and saw the air conditioner running, the display showing 25℃.

Ye Tingtong rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn’t mistaken, and he was puzzled.

He clearly remembered that after sending messages to Shen Jin yesterday, he had turned off the AC in the house. Now, the indoor temperature had stabilized at a constant level, clearly the AC had been on for a while.

Had he sleepwalked? Or was the house haunted?

Actually, half of what he told Shen Jin last night was true and half was false. Sometimes he really felt it was quite cold here, a bone-chilling cold.

Could what he said yesterday have upset something?

The more he thought about it, the more scared he got. He was sure he didn’t sleepwalk, and Shen Jin's appliances were all top brands, less likely to malfunction than he was to sleepwalk.

Ye Tingtong's heart raced faster the more he thought, and he raised his arm, noticing goosebumps. He swallowed hard and quickly messaged Shen Jin.

"Ye Tingtong: I have a question, did you buy this house at a discount?"

"Ye Tingtong: Something feels off, like there’s a ghost..."

He vaguely remembered that last night, something seemed to be watching him in the bedroom, the gaze lasting just the right amount of time.

Ye Tingtong had been scared by his mother with ghost stories many times as a child, and he had a deep fear of them. Now, alone in this eerie environment, his heart was pounding in his throat.

To make matters worse, he faintly heard some noise in the living room, like the clinking of dishes.

At this hour, the housekeeper hadn’t arrived yet, and Shen Jin was very private. The housekeeper didn’t know the password and needed him to open the door every time.

Ye Tingtong's bedroom door was open, the sound was faint but constant. He pursed his lips, got out of bed, tiptoed to the door, and peeked out cautiously.

Then, he saw a tall figure sitting at the dining table, with long and strong arms casually resting on the table, sipping soy milk leisurely, holding a phone, clearly looking at something.

Ye Tingtong widened his eyes, first looking at the [ghost's] face several times, then his gaze moved down. Sunlight streamed through the living room window, casting a distinct shadow on the ground.

It really was Shen Jin!

Shen Jin had just digested Ye Tingtong's accusation that he was a [ghost], looked up, and saw a messy mop of hair peeking out from the bedroom, followed by half of Ye Tingtong's face.

Ye Tingtong was clearly very surprised to see him, checking several times, and even hesitantly glanced at the shadow on the ground.

Shen Jin: "."

He was about to speak when his eyes suddenly stopped.

Ye Tingtong was very restless in his sleep, his pajama collar crooked, revealing a small part of his shoulder and neck, with smooth and rounded lines, his skin strikingly pale. Because he was thin, his collarbone was clearly visible, becoming more pronounced with each breath.

Shen Jin put down his cup, "Come eat after you wash up."

He glanced at the pale feet on the carpet, "Put on your shoes."

Hearing the familiar voice, Ye Tingtong completely confirmed the identity of the person in front of him and quickly ran back to the bedroom.

When he came out again, Ye Tingtong was fully dressed, his hair back to its usual neatness. The sprain on his foot had healed well, and he no longer hopped around but limped over slowly, sitting on the stool and lowering his head to nibble on a bun, his cheeks puffed out, looking very well-behaved.

After finishing eating, Ye Tingtong wiped his mouth and looked at the figure preparing to head to the study. He gathered the courage to ask, "You’re not going to the office today?"

Usually, unless something special came up, he wouldn’t see Shen Jin until the next morning.

"Today is Saturday," Shen Jin glanced back at him, "Besides, didn’t you say the house lacks human presence, and you can’t sleep well every night, suffering from insomnia?"

This made Ye Tingtong’s ears burn with embarrassment. He remembered how he’d conked out at eleven last night and stammered for a while before saying, "I ate too much yesterday, I didn’t mean to fall asleep."

He gets drowsy when he overeats, and Shen Jin didn’t respond to him, so he waited and eventually fell asleep.

Luckily, Shen Jin didn’t hold it against him. "Things are slow at the office lately. I’ll be working from home these two days."

Hearing this, Ye Tingtong’s eyes immediately lit up. "Can we ask the cook to make yesterday’s pork rib soup again today? It’s best when it’s fresh!"

Shen Jin gave a nod, and Ye Tingtong happily went to contact the cook.

They shared the same space but barely spoke. If Yu Huanhuan were around, she’d probably think Ye Tingtong was clueless for not making a move, but Ye Tingtong felt it was fine.

As long as Shen Jin was nearby, he felt very at ease, and his efficiency in reviewing improved.

However, the living room light was too harsh, making his eyes hurt. Closing the curtains made it too dim, and he missed the sunlight.

He usually studied in the bedroom, but now that Shen Jin was here, he wanted to be in the living room. Firstly, it was closer to Shen Jin, so he could communicate directly if needed. Secondly, the table in the living room was larger. He’d been brushing up on advanced math lately, and the small table in the bedroom couldn’t hold all his materials.

Shen Jin stepped out for water and spotted Ye Tingtong pacing around the dining table with a stack of books. He had only drunk half his water, and Ye Tingtong was still pacing.

Shen Jin watched the little whirlwind in the living room with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "What are you doing?"

After Ye Tingtong explained, Shen Jin simply said, "Use the study."

On the long table in the study, Shen Jin moved a stack of folders to the side, making a large space. When Ye Tingtong limped over with a chair, Shen Jin had already started working.

He quietly set the chair by the table and dove into his studies.

The study was perfectly situated. He could stretch out and soak up the sunlight on his feet. Moreover, the sunlight filtered through the window was warm and not glaring, very comfortable.

Unbeknownst to Ye Tingtong, his legs were sprawled out too much. Shen Jin glanced down and caught a glimpse of his toes poking out of his shoes.

Ye Tingtong was wearing thick carpet socks, so even if they were exposed, they wouldn’t get cold under the sun, so Shen Jin didn’t mind.

The study was silent except for Shen Jin’s keyboard clatter and Ye Tingtong’s pen scratching on paper.

But the writing sounds were sporadic, with long pauses in between.

After about five minutes, there was no movement beside him. Shen Jin looked up and saw Ye Tingtong frowning, the tip of his pen poking his chin, leaving a round red mark when he moved it away.

Ye Tingtong must’ve hit a real snag, completely unaware of Shen Jin’s gaze, unconsciously biting his lip, the pink lips forming a rounded curve.

At this moment, Ye Tingtong’s phone rang. He sighed in relief, quickly looking away from his workbook to grab the phone.

When he saw the caller ID, Ye Tingtong’s face grew serious. He was about to get up to answer the call outside when he heard Shen Jin say, "You can answer it here."

His tone was flat, giving nothing away.

But Ye Tingtong sensitively detected something was off. The atmosphere had been fine just now, why was Shen Jin giving him a cold look again?

"It’s not Shen Minghuai," Ye Tingtong turned the phone screen towards Shen Jin, "It’s Sister Huanhuan. I asked her yesterday to look into the driver who used to take me around. She must have some results."

Shen Jin’s expression froze, his fingers on the keyboard moved slightly, typing a few words, "Hmm."

Ye Tingtong wasn’t sure if he’d guessed right. He couldn’t figure out what the big boss was thinking.

After the call connected, Yu Huanhuan got straight to the point, "You guessed right. Driver Li was indeed fired by the Ye family. Not only fired, but they also publicly accused Driver Li of having bad morals and leaking employer’s privacy, so no one would dare hire him again."

"Rumor has it the Ye family didn’t even pay him for that month."

Ye Tingtong’s face went blank for a moment. "Was it because of the message Driver Li sent me at Shen Minghuai’s engagement party?"

Back then, he and Shen Jin weren’t married yet, and the Ye family had been trying to capture him back. He was struggling to stay hidden, and Driver Li had warned him at a crucial moment that there were people from the Ye family outside the Shen family’s old residence, telling him to be careful.

If it hadn’t been for Driver Li’s heads-up, he might not have taken the risk of drugging Shen Jin that day, but instead left the engagement party early to find a place to hide.

That would’ve been exactly what the Ye family wanted.

Yu Huanhuan sighed at his subdued tone. "Yes, Driver Li’s betrayal was discovered by the Ye family."

Even though the Ye family was in the wrong, Driver Li’s actions were clearly unprofessional in their line of work, and no one dared to hire him.

"Now he’s driving for Didi to make ends meet."

Ye Tingtong lowered his eyes, his hand holding the pen absentmindedly drawing circles on the draft paper, creating a mess of black lines.

"Sister Huanhuan, do you know anyone who could help? Driver Li is very honest. He’s driven for four or five people at once, drives very steadily, and has never had a traffic violation."

"I figured you’d say that," Yu Huanhuan predicted. "I’ve already reached out to several young ladies from well-known families, telling them to let me know if they need a driver."

But this is going to be tough to pull off, as their circle values privacy the most, and drivers know their schedules. If they betray, who would dare to use them?

But Yu Huanhuan didn’t mention these to Ye Tingtong, changing the topic instead. "Didn’t you mention that Shen Jin hasn’t been home for days?"

She twirled the hair on her shoulder, teasing, "Did the trick I taught you yesterday to win him over work? If not, I can draft a message for you. You can send it as is; he won’t notice."

Shen Jin stopped typing.

Ye Tingtong widened his eyes and hurriedly spoke, "Sister Huanhuan, Boss Shen is next to me!"

Yu Huanhuan yanked her hair so hard a few strands came out.

There was a moment of silence on the phone, then Ye Tingtong heard the beeping sound of the call being hung up.

Yu Huanhuan shamelessly bailed on him!

Ye Tingtong awkwardly put down the phone. "Well, let me explain."

Shen Jin’s gaze moved from Ye Tingtong’s toes tightly gripping the floor, looking up to meet his eyes, signaling him to continue.

Ye Tingtong: "..."

"I wrote that message myself yesterday," Ye Tingtong finally blurted out after a long pause. "Sister Huanhuan was just talking nonsense."

He blushed as he said it.

Shen Jin looked at his red ear tips, a hint of a smile quickly flashing in his eyes. He skipped the topic. "Who is Driver Li?"

"He’s the driver who usually picks me up," Ye Tingtong briefly told Shen Jin the story. "Driver Li has no issues with his character. He just felt sorry for me."

Ye Tingtong thought that kind-hearted people shouldn’t be left without good karma.

Shen Jin looked at Ye Tingtong’s helpless and frustrated expression, paused, and asked, "You’re going to such lengths to help him. Is it because of that message?"

Ye Tingtong gave a nod.

Previously, he and Driver Li had a mutually beneficial arrangement. He accommodated Driver Li by waiting in the cold wind at a convenient roadside spot, while Driver Li occasionally provided him with some information about the Ye family.

The Ye family would overlook such trivial information even if they discovered it.

However, that particular message was different. At that time, Ye Tingtong had already fallen out with the Ye family. He couldn’t provide any favors to Driver Li, who remained employed by the Ye family, yet the latter still tipped him off, saying there was an ambush outside.

It was an additional favor that demanded repayment.

Shen Jin observed Ye Tingtong’s serious expression and remained silent.

Ye Tingtong had always been this way.

At the civil affairs bureau, he bought candies for the staff in response to their routine concern. Having been taken in by the Ye family’s patriarch as a child, he still remembered it, and even returned to the Ye family, filled with unhappy memories, for the sake of the patriarch’s face.

Because Yu Huanhuan treated him well, he ensured she received the greatest benefits. When they obtained their marriage certificate, Shen Jin proposed keeping it confidential for the time being, and Ye Tingtong’s response was, “Can I tell Yu Huanhuan? She’s my best friend.”

After that, he consistently sought to introduce Yu Huanhuan to him.

In fact, Ye Tingtong felt the same way about Shen Jin. It could have been the assistance at Crescent Hall or the black umbrella that protected him from the rain, that made Ye Tingtong simply send the drunk Shen Jin home. Despite being in a desperate situation and having the drug ready, he refrained from acting due to an inexplicable sense of compassion.

Ye Tingtong was too soft-hearted. In a ruthless society where the strong dominate the weak, he was fated to be victimized.

“I disagree with your approach. If that driver truly cared for you, you wouldn’t have been captured by the Ye family last time,” Shen Jin said in a calm tone. “Now, you should focus on living your life well and avoid meddling in others’ business.”

These words caused Ye Tingtong’s face to pale slightly, and he stuttered, “I just wanted to repay his kindness.”

Shen Jin neither agreed nor disagreed and dropped the subject of Driver Li. “Don’t forget to go to the hospital on Monday to get your cast removed. I’m busy, so you’ll go alone. I’ll arrange for someone to pick you up.”

Ye Tingtong bowed his head and murmured, “Okay.”

Early Monday morning, Ye Tingtong ate the breakfast prepared by the auntie and hobbled to the community entrance to wait for the car.

He was accustomed to leaving early. The winter wind was biting, and Ye Tingtong raised his collar to shield his neck and chin.

The security guard at the booth greeted him, “Heading out this early?”

Ye Tingtong pointed to the cast on his leg, “Going to the hospital to remove the cast.”

The young security guard moved to offer him a chair, but Ye Tingtong declined, “No need, the car will be here shortly.”

The guard returned the chair, asking, “Why isn’t Mr. Shen with you?”

Nearly every time they came or went from Prince Bay, they were together, and their marital status was no secret. The guard assumed they were deeply in love.

At the question, Ye Tingtong averted his gaze, concealing his emotions, “I can manage this small task alone. He’s quite busy.”

After Shen Jin’s reprimand, he was indeed hurt, but he understood that Shen Jin had his own way of handling things. Living this way might be simpler.

Yet, he couldn’t ignore Driver Li, who had been kind to him. Without such people, he might never have survived.

Besides, Shen Jin had always accompanied him to the hospital in the past. It was likely just that Shen Jin was too occupied on Monday.

Ye Tingtong buried his face deeply in the collar of his down jacket, retreating into himself.

Shen Jin wasn’t obligated to accompany him. It was just that he always harbored some unrealistic hopes.

He couldn’t take Shen Jin’s kindness for granted. Shen Jin was such a gentle, steady, and strong person. He could rely on him, but he couldn’t become dependent.

At that moment, a familiar car drove over. Ye Tingtong patted his face, driving away the chaotic thoughts in his mind.

The driver got out of the car from the driver’s seat and opened the rear door. Ye Tingtong took a few steps and suddenly realized something was off. He looked at the familiar, unpretentious face in front of him and exclaimed in shock, “Driver Li?”

“Young master, we meet again,” Driver Li scratched his head sheepishly. “Mr. Shen said I’ll be your personal driver from now on.”

He smiled warmly, “Please take care of me.”