Chapter 28: Beyond the Agreement’s Scope…

Chapter 28: Beyond the Agreement's Scope...

Shen Minghuai's face darkened as he refused to take the lucky money Ye Tingtong offered him.

What’s this about? Did Ye Tingtong really consider himself his elder? Had everything he said before been ignored?

His face flushed with anger, and seeing Ye Tingtong still holding out the envelope, he shoved his hand away angrily, "I don't need it!"

Ye Tingtong’s hand was slapped away roughly, and if he hadn't been holding on tightly, the red envelope would have flown out of his grasp.

"Shen Minghuai, what’s your problem?" Ye Tingtong was speechless. He’d never seen someone upset about getting money before.

Shen Minghuai remained silent.

Shen Jin shot him a cold look, then lifted Ye Tingtong's hand, "Did he hurt you?"

Ye Tingtong was busy tucking the corner of the pink banknote back into the envelope when he was caught off guard by Shen Jin's question. He hesitated, "No."

He hadn't expected Shen Jin's concern to be here.

Judging by his tone, if Ye Tingtong had said yes, Shen Jin would’ve scolded Shen Minghuai.

The two faced off, with Shen Jin naturally holding the upper hand in both seniority and demeanor.

Shen Jin acknowledged, "If he doesn’t want it, there’s no need to give it to him. This red envelope wasn’t for him to begin with."

"What?" Ye Tingtong was instantly distracted, "Then who is it for?"

He’d already greeted nearly all the kids there, so logically, he couldn't have missed anyone.

Ye Tingtong tilted his head, his eyes clouded with confusion, even glancing back at the scene, trying to recount.

Shen Jin reached over and turned his head back, "Don’t bother. This red envelope is yours."

His eyes softened with a gentle smile, "Happy New Year."

No other words, just a simple wish for Ye Tingtong’s happiness.

Ye Tingtong looked at the person before him, his heart swelled like a rising tide, full and a bit sour, but mostly filled with a sense of fulfillment and an uncontrollable joy buried deep within.

No wonder Shen Jin had told him beforehand to hand out the red envelopes one by one, and why the last one felt unusually heavy, almost three times the usual amount.

He’d thought he was just imagining it.

Shen Jin's hand still rested on his face, and Ye Tingtong could feel the roughness and warmth of his fingertips. He looked down and nuzzled his cheek into Shen Jin’s hand, "Thank you, Shen Jin."

For the first time, Ye Tingtong felt what it was like to be cared for and favored.

His emotions soared like a balloon slipping its string, rising uncontrollably to the highest point.

Shen Jin looked at Ye Tingtong's radiant smile and the faint dimple on his right cheek. His index finger, which should have been lowered, lightly tapped the dimple, "You're welcome."

Shen Minghuai stood less than a meter away, but they acted as if he weren’t there, completely absorbed in each other. Ye Tingtong's smile was especially glaring, making Shen Minghuai feel an impulse to rush over and tear them apart immediately.

Ye Tingtong often smiled at him like this—sweet, shy—but never like this, genuinely happy from the heart.

He suddenly hated how clearly he could see the change in Ye Tingtong, otherwise, he wouldn't feel so miserable.

"Uncle," Shen Minghuai looked deeply at Shen Jin, "Let's talk."

Leaving the crowd behind, the two made their way 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 Jin.

Shen Jin declined, "Ye Tingtong can't stand the smell of smoke."

Once, he was working late at home and couldn't resist smoking one in the study. Ye Tingtong happened to come in to bring him a glass of warm milk and sneezed several times as soon as he entered.

He was never much of a smoker, and after that, he quit almost entirely.

Shen Minghuai twitched the corner of his mouth, "Tong never bothers me about smoking; she says it's my choice."

He stashed the pack away and took a long drag, the smoke blurring his expression.

"Uncle, I've always respected you," Shen Minghuai seemed to suddenly calm down, "Even though you clash with my parents and keep me at arm's length, I've always looked up to you since I was a child, wanting to be as capable as you."

"I know you have no feelings for Tong, to you, Tong is just a tool," Shen Minghuai said word by word, "I can use the 1% stake my mother gave me to buy Tong back from you."

His parents hold a combined 5% stake, and he is their only son. He will work diligently in the Shen Group in the future, and his parents will surely give him a portion of their shares.

If Yao Mingzhu found out, she'd probably tan his hide, but the past half month of darkness has made Shen Minghuai deeply realize that without Ye Tingtong, he might as well be dead.

Shen Minghuai wore a confident expression; he didn't think Shen Jin would give up such a windfall of shares for Ye Tingtong.

But to Shen Minghuai's dismay, Shen Jin's expression remained unchanged.

"1% stake is indeed very tempting, but I'm curious about one thing."

Shen Jin glanced sideways at Shen Minghuai, "That day, near the food stalls at A University, didn’t you notice?"

At these words, Shen Minghuai's face changed drastically, his mouth moved, "You saw me..."

That day, Shen Jin left the birthday party midway, and he immediately borrowed a car to rush to A University, saw Shen Jin carrying a cake to pick up Ye Tingtong after the exam, saw them sharing the same cake, saw them picking food at a cheap snack stall.

He even saw them holding hands as they walked through the crowd.

In that moment, Shen Minghuai felt like a pathetic voyeur, watching their happiness from the shadows, jealousy, distortion, unwillingness, negative emotions almost overwhelmed him.

That day, after he returned, he drowned his sorrows 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 he drank too much and it hurt his body.

But when he sobered up, he was alone, surrounded by the wreckage of his drunken escapades.

Shen Jin's words brought back the chaos and heartbreak of that time again, his eyes reddened, "Shen Jin, can't even 1% stake make you budge?"

"No," Shen Jin said, leaving no room for doubt, "Shen Minghuai, Ye Tingtong is not an item for our transaction."

The cigarette between his fingers burned down quickly in the wind, the red end burning Shen Minghuai's index finger painfully, he gritted his teeth, "Shen Jin, out of all the people, why do you have to take the one I care about?"

Shen Jin looked at his restrained and frantic appearance, and said lightly, "If you truly cared for him, Ye Tingtong wouldn’t have been in such a predicament in the first place, and he wouldn’t have turned to me."

"That's because I didn't understand my feelings at that time!" Shen Minghuai clenched his fists and retorted, "Back then, I only saw him as a casual friend, otherwise, I wouldn't have let you take advantage."

Shen Jin glanced at him, "That kind of excuse only works on yourself."

Given Shen Minghuai's position, ordinary friends wouldn’t go that far, and if the relationship was a normal friendly interaction, if Shen Minghuai had been a bit more determined, stood against the Ye family, and included Ye Tingtong in his circle, Ye Tingtong wouldn't have been controlled and suffered so much later.

In short, Shen Minghuai’s leniency emboldened the Ye family, paving the way for Hu Cheng’s involvement.

Shen Minghuai wanted to say more, but Shen Jin interrupted him, "Your petty schemes might escape Ye Tingtong’s notice, but they don’t fool me."

Shen Jin's tone was laced with sarcasm, "You've been stringing the Ye family along with vague promises because you clearly know you can't marry Ye Tingtong."

Ye Tingtong's childhood made him refuse to be a third wheel, so Shen Minghuai had to keep things dragging on like this.

The red glow at his fingertips flickered, and the burning pain gradually faded. Shen Minghuai stayed quiet for a moment.

Shen Jin glanced toward the main hall, where Ye Tingtong was surrounded by several children. His fake aloofness didn't scare the kids off; instead, they clung to him, playing together, and even successfully bribed him with snacks and candies.

Seeing Ye Tingtong like this filled Shen Jin with deep disgust for Shen Minghuai.

Shen Minghuai had almost destroyed him.

Shen Jin frowned at Shen Minghuai, whose face had gone pale after being called out, "Shen Minghuai, are you still harboring another scheme?"

Shen Minghuai's heart raced, and he struggled to maintain his composure, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Shen Jin's expression went cold.

Shen Minghuai was young; Shen Jin had gotten the truth out of him with just one question.

After learning about Ye Tingtong's situation, Shen Jin had a question: Shen Minghuai clearly cared about Ye Tingtong. Even if Yao Mingzhu tried to stop him, protecting Ye Tingtong from the Ye family's harassment and bullying shouldn't have been difficult.

So why did Shen Minghuai let the Ye family take advantage of Ye Tingtong?

Before Shen Minghuai could react, Shen Jin suddenly swung and punched him hard, the fist landing squarely on his face.

Shen Minghuai tasted blood. He hadn't expected the usually calm Shen Jin to hit him right there in the Shen family. Just as he was about to retaliate, Shen Jin hit him in the stomach.

Caught off guard, Shen Minghuai doubled over, his face contorted, unable to utter a complete sentence.

Shen Minghuai had picked a quiet corner to avoid being noticed, so no one witnessed this one-sided beating.

Shen Jin grabbed his collar and slammed him against the wall, his voice cold and sharp, "You dare to think like that!"

Shen Minghuai had one goal: to use the Ye family's pressure to force Ye Tingtong to compromise, to make Ye Tingtong realize that as long as he lowered himself and followed him, there would be a way out.

Shen Minghuai hardly ever saw Shen Jin lose it. He smirked, his smile mocking, "Uncle, why are you acting all high and mighty? If you were in my position, would you be any better?"

No one could control Shen Jin; he did as he pleased.

Shen Jin threw him aside like trash, "I'm not as useless as you."

Shen Minghuai stumbled and fell to the ground, his disheveled suit now stained with dirt from the garden, looking utterly wretched. But he didn't care anymore. Sitting on the ground, he laughed at Shen Jin, "I might be useless now, but I’m still young. After the New Year, I'll start my internship at the Shen Group. Tong is soft-hearted. Once I have the resources, who she picks is still up in the air."

Shen Jin looked down at the man on the ground, his voice icy, "Go ahead and try."

*

Ye Tingtong had no idea what had happened between the two. At the New Year's Eve dinner, he noticed Shen Minghuai had changed his outfit, and the right side of his face was swollen, almost disfigured.

But everyone at the table acted like nothing was wrong, so Ye Tingtong suppressed his doubts.

Still, he stole a glance at Shen Jin beside him. Shen Jin caught his gaze and served him a bowl of chicken soup that was placed further away, "Eat well."

As he handed the bowl over, Ye Tingtong clearly saw that the knuckles on Shen Jin's right hand were red, some areas even broken.

Everything made sense now.

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

Since it was New Year's Eve, drinking was inevitable. Ye Tingtong, sitting next to Shen Jin, was also toasted by a few people who couldn’t quite place him in the family.

Ye Tingtong knew he couldn’t hold his liquor, so he waved it off, "Sorry, I can't really drink."

The Shen family served top-shelf liquor, and he wasn’t about to risk it, afraid he'd make a fool of himself.

With Shen Jin there, they didn’t dare push too hard, but their faces soured, "We didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just that you and Shen Jin just tied the knot, and it's our first time meeting you. We just wanted to toast you."

"Whatever, suit yourself. We'll finish ours."

After saying that, they downed the wine in their glasses.

Ye Tingtong was put on the spot right then. Before he could turn to Shen Jin, Shen Jin spoke up, his tone clipped, leaving no room for argument, "Don’t start anything."

The people exchanged glances, lowered their heads, and didn’t say another word.

Qin Qiong was annoyed they’d backed down so easily. She shot them a glare, cleared her throat, and all eyes turned to her.

That’s when Qin Qiong piped up, "Shen Jin, you brought him here, fine. Everyone just wanted to raise a glass with him, but you’re shielding him. People in the know might think you’re married, but outsiders might think he’s your sugar baby, so beneath you."

Her words were sharp and harsh, thoroughly belittling Ye Tingtong.

Ye Tingtong was sipping soup when he heard this. He lifted his eyelids and met Qin Qiong's gaze. Then, he took another sip.

There was nothing to care about. He had been humiliated by security guards before; Qin Qiong's words were nothing.

He might as well treat her like hot air.

To Ye Tingtong, Qin Qiong mattered less than the kids he’d handed red envelopes to.

From the moment Qin Qiong publicly threw a cup at Shen Jin, she was destined not to earn Ye Tingtong's respect.

Qin Qiong was fuming at his indifference and sneered, "What, are you proud? Making Shen Minghuai and Shen Jin, uncle and nephew, fight over you. You’ve got some nerve."

"Enough!" Shen Jin's father slammed the table heavily, "Can't we have a peaceful meal? Everyone, shut up!"

Qin Qiong, seeing his anger, felt somewhat wronged, "I didn't say anything wrong."

Shen Jin's father glanced at her, "Are you the only smart one? It's the New Year, keep your petty thoughts to yourself."

Even Qin Qiong didn't get her way, and everyone at the table quieted down.

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

Although Shen Jin was now in charge of the Shen Group, his father still held considerable authority.

Shen Jin's father was neither warm nor harsh towards Ye Tingtong. After meeting him, he nodded slightly, which was both a greeting and a tacit acknowledgment.

Shen Jin was capable and resourceful. A marriage of equal social standing would be the icing on the cake, but it wasn't essential. Shen Jin's father didn’t mind.

Later, Ye Tingtong was offered drinks several more times, but it was all out of courtesy. They all said he could just drink water if he wanted. After a few rounds, Ye Tingtong felt a bit embarrassed and switched to fruit wine. He drank little and didn't feel drunk.

When the meal finally ended, Ye Tingtong quietly let out a sigh of relief.

The butler led him and Shen Jin to the third floor, opened a door, and said to them, "Young master, this is the room where you'll rest tonight. If you need anything, just call me."

Ye Tingtong looked at the bedroom before him and belatedly realized that he would be sleeping with Shen Jin tonight.

Every year after the New Year's Eve dinner, the entire Shen family would stay overnight at the old mansion, supposedly to let the ancestors recognize their faces and bless the Shen family with health and safety in the coming year.

Although he and Shen Jin were in a fake marriage, in the eyes of others, they were a legitimate couple, and an especially affectionate one at that. It would be too strange to sleep in separate rooms now.

Ye Tingtong’s relief was short-lived as his anxiety returned.

After the butler left, Shen Jin looked at Ye Tingtong, who stood at the door like a statue, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Ye Tingtong glanced at him sullenly, "Are we sharing a room tonight?"

Shen Jin, noticing the flush on Ye Tingtong's face from drinking, paused for a moment, which was rare for him.

Ye Tingtong seemed unaware of his own drunkenness, his words becoming surprisingly blunt and honest.

"There's a study here, and it has a bed," Shen Jin said, his voice softening as he looked at Ye Tingtong's nervous expression, "Don’t worry."

Ye Tingtong looked at him in surprise, "Worried about what?"

He pursed his lips, "I’m not scared of you."

Shen Jin, seeing his puzzled yet earnest expression, couldn’t resist ruffling his hair, "Yes, you're not afraid."

"Hey, is your hand okay?" Ye Tingtong pointed to Shen Jin's right hand, which had just been withdrawn, "I saw it earlier, it was red."

"It’s just a scratch," Shen Jin hid his hand behind his back, "It'll heal soon."

Ye Tingtong nodded, "Did you fight with Shen Minghuai because of me?"

"It wasn't a fight," Shen Jin corrected, "I hit him."

Ye Tingtong didn't quite understand the difference, but if Shen Jin said so, then it was so, "Why did you hit him?"

Shen Jin, sure that he was just curious, replied, "He’s needed a lesson for a while now."

Regardless of whether Ye Tingtong and he were in a contractual marriage, Shen Minghuai's identity shouldn't have repeatedly appeared in front of Ye Tingtong, causing constant trouble.

He hadn't dealt with Shen Minghuai before, fearing a situation like today.

Everyone would blame Ye Tingtong, using it as an excuse to cause trouble. He could ensure no one dared to gossip in front of him, but he couldn't stop the chatter around Ye Tingtong.

But today, he still lost his temper.

Ye Tingtong didn't understand Shen Jin's thoughts, but he was certain that Shen Jin had a necessary reason to act, "Whatever, it’s over, as long as you didn’t get hurt."

Shen Minghuai’s face was way more swollen than this little scratch.

Shen Jin didn't expect him to not delve into the reason, only caring about whether there was a loss, and felt somewhat helpless, "Don’t worry about it."

"Can you handle getting ready for bed on your own? I'll go to the study."

Ye Tingtong nodded, "Yeah, I’m fine."

After confirming that Ye Tingtong could move freely, Shen Jin left.

An hour later, Shen Jin received a call from Ye Tingtong in the study. He thought something was wrong, but upon answering, he didn't hear Ye Tingtong's voice, instead, he heard a meow.

"There’s a cat at the door!" Ye Tingtong's voice was filled with obvious excitement, "It has blue eyes, so pretty."

Shen Jin's gaze shifted from the computer, "That’s probably Snowball, a Ragdoll cat. Someone gave it to my mom last year, said it was of show quality, but after the excitement faded, she kind of ignored it."

Every New Year's Eve, the old house gets busy. Snowball, being a clingy cat, roams around when there are more people, and unexpectedly wandered to Ye Tingtong's door.

Ye Tingtong squatted on the ground, watching the cat circle around him and nudge his calf with its head, and laughed, "It’s really strong, keeps nudging me, almost knocked me over a few times."

Shen Jin listened to the cat’s meowing coming from the phone and explained, "Probably because no one plays with it regularly."

Ye Tingtong was momentarily stunned and whispered, "Such a beautiful and sweet cat, and no one wants it?"

When he first saw Snowball, he thought it was a well-loved kitten.

Shen Jin fell silent, lost in thought.

Ye Tingtong reached out, and Snowball nuzzled against him. He picked the cat up, and Snowball didn’t struggle, curling up obediently in his arms, resting its head on his arm, purring softly, its eyes half-closed.

"Actually, I really like kittens. Back in school, I’d feed the stray cats every so often. They were wary but still warmed up to me."

Ye Tingtong, a bit tipsy, was unusually chatty. After listening to him, Shen Jin asked, "Have you ever had a cat?"

Ye Tingtong shook his head, then belatedly realized Shen Jin couldn’t see him and said, "No, I’ve never had a cat growing up."

"But I’ve always wanted one," Ye Tingtong said, gazing at the hazy night, lost in thought. "Before I went to the Ye family, I lived with my mom in a rented place. It was dark and damp, and at night, I’d often hear mice scurrying."

When he was young and rebellious, his mom would scare him with mice, saying that if he kept crying, the mice would come and bite his mouth. If he stuck his arms or legs out of bed, the mice would nibble at them.

This left Ye Tingtong with a deep fear of mice since childhood.

"Sometimes, when I got too scared at night, I’d crawl out of my makeshift bed and go to my mom, but she’d call me a coward and scold me for being weak," Ye Tingtong’s voice grew low.

The rented place was small. Lying on a thin blanket on the floor, he’d often hear mice rustling right by his ears, along with their unpleasant squeaks, as if they were about to crawl into them.

Even during the day, he would see mice in the kitchen—big, gray mice with swollen bellies, unafraid of people, scurrying right past him and disappearing under the cabinets.

As a child, Ye Tingtong always wanted a cat, hoping it would protect him, but his mom wouldn’t allow it. As he grew older, he realized he couldn’t even take care of himself, much less another living thing.

Shen Jin listened to Ye Tingtong’s voice, drifting in and out. Ye Tingtong talked about whatever came to mind, sometimes about his mom scolding him, other times about how his mom’s noodles were delicious and she would add an extra egg for him.

This was a side of Ye Tingtong’s past Shen Jin had never known.

And it was a deeply unhappy one.

He spoke softly, "It’s okay, it’s all in the past."

Ye Tingtong sensed the comfort in his words and smiled, "Those years weren’t all bad! Sure, I went hungry a lot, but my mom wasn’t cruel."

Her scolding and hitting were just her way of coping with life’s pressures, and he was the outlet for her frustrations. Most of the time, things were normal.

Hearing his upbeat tone, Shen Jin was momentarily speechless.

It was hard to imagine how Ye Tingtong survived such a harsh upbringing and, under the Ye family’s pressure, held onto his integrity.

His Adam’s apple moved, and he spoke slowly and clearly, "From now on, you can live the way you want."

Whether it’s studying well, working at a dessert shop, or having a cat, no one can restrict him anymore.

Shen Jin’s deep voice came through the phone, slightly muffled, but his words were firm and resolute, like a promise—

Shen Jin would ensure Ye Tingtong’s freedom in the future.

Ye Tingtong glanced at the peacefully sleeping cat in his arms and suddenly, very softly, said, "Shen Jin, I often wonder, why are you so good to me?"

"This has already gone beyond the scope of our agreement."

And it’s made my feelings go beyond the agreement too.

However, before Shen Jin could answer, Ye Tingtong, clinging to his last shred of reason, spoke again, "It's okay, I was just making conversation, don’t read too much into it."

Hearing his self-questioning, Shen Jin said slowly, "When we were ice fishing at Heron Mountain last time, I said you could be a bit bolder."

Ye Tingtong lowered his head, and after a long while, he murmured, "How bold do I need to be..."

"You don’t have to go overboard," Shen Jin said, "You just need to walk steadily forward, leave the rest to me."

Ye Tingtong was walking his own path, and Shen Jin would always be by his side; just a slight lean towards him from Ye Tingtong would suffice.

The alcohol was fogging up Ye Tingtong's mind. He sort of got what Shen Jin was saying, but not entirely.

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

Ye Tingtong looked up as a spectacular firework burst outside the window, followed by one after another, and the deep, melodious sound of bells also came from the Shen residence.

Midnight.

They rang in the new year.

Ye Tingtong looked at the fireworks outside the window, suddenly struck by a sense of déjà vu, "Shen Jin, I have watched fireworks with you before."

"Yes," Shen Jin stood at the window, watching the rising fireworks outside, "On the cruise ship, we bumped into each other on the deck."

Ye Tingtong recalled the scene at that time, feeling like it had been a long time, but in fact, it was only two months ago.

It should be said, that cautious life of constantly trying to please everyone was now behind him.

"I made a wish at that time."

The fireworks sparkled in Ye Tingtong's eyes, dazzling and bright.

Shen Jin knew that wish.

The fireworks kept exploding, their bangs mingling with the rhythm of Ye Tingtong's heartbeat.

"At that time, I wished for a good year this year," Ye Tingtong felt his courage seemed a bit bigger, he spoke, his voice quiet and soft, "Now, that wish has been fulfilled."