Chapter 32: Hold the Sugar.

Chapter 32: Hold the Sugar.

Shen Jin's words left Ye Tingtong unusually restless, and the next day when he met Yu Huanhuan, the dark circles under his eyes made her laugh uncontrollably.

The two had already planned to meet, mainly because Ye Tingtong wanted to take Snowball out for some fun, and Yu Huanhuan happened to be free, so she wanted to brag a little.

But unexpectedly, Shen Jin's mention of jealousy kept him awake all night.

Fortunately, Shen Jin didn't say anything more, leaving him ample space.

Shen Jin was always like this, very tactful, yet steadily advancing, as if guiding him to recognize his own feelings.

Ye Tingtong fed Snowball a newly bought freeze-dried snack and hesitated, "Could Shen Jin be jealous because I bought too many things for Snowball and nothing for him?"

The two were at a pet-friendly bubble tea shop, and Yu Huanhuan, who was taking pretty pictures of Cream, couldn't help but roll her eyes, "If you think Shen Jin being jealous of a pet is more convincing, I have nothing to say."

Ye Tingtong pursed his lips, "But why would someone like Shen Jin like me?"

Ye Tingtong lowered his head, only revealing half of his face, but it was still stunningly beautiful. If the person who made Ye Tingtong feel this way was Shen Minghuai, Yu Huanhuan would have answered without hesitation, "It must be because of that face!"

After all, beauty was their biggest advantage.

But the other person was Shen Jin, who had countless beauties vying for his attention in the business world, yet he showed astonishing patience and indulgence only towards Ye Tingtong.

"Silly," Yu Huanhuan placed Snowball in his arms, "What's done is done, now you can live a new life, why dwell on it?"

Gaining confidence was difficult, but Shen Jin was already trying, and even Yu Huanhuan could feel it.

Such an unreachable figure was doing his best to smooth the way for Ye Tingtong, yet Ye Tingtong hesitated to move forward.

However, these things were clear to an outsider like her, but Ye Tingtong might not be able to discern them.

Snowball, seeing Ye Tingtong deep in thought, nudged his clothes with its nose and meowed curiously.

Just as Ye Tingtong was about to speak, his phone rang.

Yu Huanhuan, feeling the previous topic was a bit heavy, teased, "It's not Shen Minghuai, is it? Be careful, your Shen boss might get jealous again."

Ye Tingtong glanced at the message sender and shook his head, "I've already blocked all of Shen Minghuai's contacts."

From the day Shen Jin said Shen Minghuai made him feel a sense of crisis, he had done so.

Whether Shen Minghuai had given up or for other reasons, there had been no further news.

"That's right," Yu Huanhuan thought of something, "He's been busy attending various social events with his father and the Shen family matriarch, networking. It seems he's really planning to establish himself."

Ye Tingtong had been busy with his own affairs lately and probably hadn't even checked his social media much, but she had heard a lot of rumors.

It was said that Shen Minghuai, in order to win back his old love, had a falling out with the current CEO of Shen Group, his own uncle Shen Jin, and was determined to compete for the family business.

But everyone saw it as a joke, and no one thought Shen Minghuai could outdo Shen Jin.

Yu Huanhuan didn't tell Ye Tingtong these things to avoid adding to his worries and instead asked with a smile, "If it's not Shen Minghuai, is it your new crush?"

"What!" Ye Tingtong frowned, "Huanhuan, don't talk nonsense."

That sleepless night, he thought carefully about Zhao Cheng's attitude towards him during the day, which was indeed overly enthusiastic. He had never seen someone so openly express affection, and he had thought Zhao Cheng was just naturally warm-hearted. But after Shen Jin's words, he became wary.

However, due to his relationship with Yu Hui and the fact that Zhao Cheng had helped him, he had no reason to delete or block him. Instead, he sent him an 88 yuan digital red envelope, and since then, he usually replied to messages half an hour later.

Over time, his enthusiasm will naturally fade.

Yu Huanhuan raised an eyebrow as she listened to his explanation, "You’re so quick to cut off others, but with Shen Jin, you’re dragging your feet."

She coughed, her tone suddenly serious, "Shen Jin’s bluntness is pretty annoying. If you’re not into it, just brush him off like you do with those other suitors."

"Does Shen Jin keep texting you too?" Yu Huanhuan pretended to grab his phone, "Hold on, I’ll block him for you."

Ye Tingtong panicked, grabbing his phone back quickly, his voice rising, "No! Shen Jin’s different!"

Yu Huanhuan said with a knowing look, "How is he different?"

If Ye Tingtong didn’t catch on that Yu Huanhuan was teasing him, he’d be a real idiot. "He’s just… different."

Shen Jin is just Shen Jin—there’s no one else like him.

The phone chimed again—this time, it was a text alerting him to a bank transfer.

It was the end of the month, and the usual 100,000 yuan had been deposited into his account.

Shen Jin had already sent him 300,000 yuan, but the initial excitement was gone—now he just wanted to run away.

Even though he’d always loved money, dreaming of saving up for a small house, finding a regular job, and living his own life.

But now, this big deposit made it clear that his marriage to Shen Jin was just a contract—no real feelings involved. Shen Jin could end the contract anytime and leave him behind.

Ye Tingtong felt like he’d hit a wall; he sniffled, "Huanhuan, I just don’t know what to do…"

Yu Huanhuan, of course, saw the transfer and understood its significance. He sighed, "You’re such a fool—why are you so stubborn?"

"Even if it’s a marriage of convenience, so what? Your goal has always been to keep things steady and make this marriage work, right? Why are you just assuming Shen Jin won’t like you and preparing for the worst?"

Even though living in the moment is a luxury for them, she still wished Ye Tingtong would think more about himself.

"What you should do is try to get along with him—no matter what he thinks in the end, just do what you want, got it?"

Ye Tingtong knew this, but somehow, his mindset had shifted from exploiting Shen Jin to hoping Shen Jin would be okay and not dragged down by him.

And not to fall for someone as useless as him.

Ye Tingtong couldn’t shake the pressure and pessimistic thoughts he’d put on himself.

After saying goodbye to Yu Huanhuan, Ye Tingtong was picked up by Shen Jin’s driver. In the car, the driver kept looking in the rearview mirror, his unusual behavior catching Ye Tingtong's attention, "What's wrong?"

The driver replied, "Someone is following us."

At the next traffic light, the driver sped up and shook them off.

After returning home, Ye Tingtong mentioned this to Shen Jin, asking, "Is it someone from the Ye family?"

Shen Jin first called the driver to confirm the details. After hanging up, he replied, "Not sure, but we need to be careful recently."

The Ye family was also at the end of their rope. He thought they would retaliate against him, but they first targeted Ye Tingtong.

Shen Jin thought for a moment, "If possible, try to stay home this week."

Since the Ye family wanted to fight back, he didn’t mind crushing them within a week, and the security measures at Tai Zi Bay were sufficient to ensure Ye Tingtong's safety.

But after he finished speaking, Ye Tingtong's expression was somewhat hesitant.

"What's wrong?"

"I promised the owner of the dessert shop to help out for a few more days starting from the sixth day of the New Year."

Because the payment offered was quite generous, Ye Tingtong agreed immediately.

Ye Tingtong gritted his teeth, "If it's dangerous, I'll just turn it down."

He knows what's important.

Seeing his pained expression, Shen Jin changed his tone, "It's not that serious. Just have the driver pick you up and drop you off, and don't go wandering around."

At worst, he could just hire a few more bodyguards to keep an eye on him.

Ye Tingtong was thrilled and eagerly grabbed the hem of Shen Jin's clothes, "Really? Then I'll report for work the day after tomorrow!"

The tug on his clothes was very noticeable. Shen Jin looked down, and Ye Tingtong froze for a moment, his fingers instinctively started to let go, but then, remembering something, he suddenly tightened his grip again, not caring that he was crumpling the other's clothes.

Seeing his awkward and fumbling reaction, Shen Jin patted his head, "Go ahead if you want, it's fine."

After all, he’s got everything covered.

Only then did Ye Tingtong act like it was natural to let go, and then leaned down to pick up the ice cream, "After I go to work, you better behave at home. I'll set out snacks for you, but if you gobble them all up at once, no one’s going to refill them for you."

"You gotta ration them, got it?"

Ye Tingtong seriously lectured the cat, and the cat actually responded, reaching out a paw to pat his face, as if to promise.

Shen Jin looked at the man and the cat in front of him, no longer bothered that Ye Tingtong hadn’t directly responded to him.

After all, he has plenty of time.

*

After the New Year, the dessert shop was packed, with more dine-in customers than usual, plus deliveries, keeping everyone swamped, with only a short break before closing.

His coworkers still looked out for Ye Tingtong, giving him easier tasks when they could, but because of his looks, customers kept striking up conversations with him, and just describing the products left him parched.

He’d just taken a sip of water when the manager called out, "Tingtong, someone is looking for you at the front desk."

Assuming it was a regular, he quickly put on a smile and walked over, but when he saw Zhao Cheng’s face, grinning even wider than his own, his expression faltered slightly.

Zhao Cheng happily greeted him, "My brother told me you’re working part-time here, so I came to check it out! I didn't expect so many people!"

But he didn't want to cause trouble for Ye Tingtong, "Don't mind me, I'm just here out of curiosity, I'll order normally, you go ahead with your work!"

After he finished, Ye Tingtong didn't hesitate and immediately turned to serve other customers, his cold and indifferent attitude making Zhao Cheng awkwardly rub his nose.

Yu Hui received his dejected message and replied.

"Yu Hui: I told you Tong isn't interested in you, yet you insisted on getting the location of the dessert shop from me, I even find you annoying."

Ye Tingtong's cold treatment of Zhao Cheng was obvious, but Zhao Cheng didn't give up.

"Zhao Cheng: Don't pour cold water on me, okay! We've only interacted for a day! What's wrong with me trying, and besides, the person who came to pick him up before should be his brother, right?"

"Yu Hui: I really don't know, I just feel that Tong's attitude towards him is quite special."

Even during the time when Ye Tingtong was closest to Shen Minghuai, he wasn't that attentive.

Zhao Cheng gloomily stuffed his phone into his pocket, and because he knew Zhao Cheng knew Ye Tingtong, a colleague specifically asked Ye Tingtong to deliver Zhao Cheng's second order, "There are fewer people now, chat with your friend as compensation for your lunch break."

Even though he was reluctant, Ye Tingtong couldn’t refuse the precious break time, so he brought the tray over. "Here’s your cappuccino."

Zhao Cheng immediately pulled out the chair opposite him. "Didn’t your manager say you’re on break? Sit for a while."

Ye Tingtong didn’t refuse; his back and legs were killing him, and he desperately needed a rest.

As soon as he touched the chair, Ye Tingtong felt like his butt and back were glued to it.

However, the guy across from him made him feel less tired.

He glanced at his phone.

Just five more minutes, and he’d be good as new!

Zhao Cheng offered his cappuccino to Ye Tingtong. "Want some?"

Ye Tingtong shook his head. "We’re not allowed to eat customers’ food."

Zhao Cheng didn’t seem bothered. "When do you get off work? I know a new scenario at the nearby escape room. Want to go play? If you’re too beat to move, we can just have a simple meal together."

Ye Tingtong, who was rubbing his neck, looked up at him upon hearing this.

It was pretty clear where he was going with this, and Ye Tingtong suddenly became curious. "Why do you like me?"

Zhao Cheng wasn’t expecting such a direct question; his ears turned red despite his tall stature, and he scratched his head. "I can’t really put it into words, I just really like you."

Though his answer was vague, Zhao Cheng’s eyes didn’t waver, making it clear he was serious.

Ye Tingtong felt guilty for using the other’s feelings to sort out his own issues, and he lowered his eyes. "I’m sorry, I can’t return your feelings."

The rejection was blunt.

Zhao Cheng’s face visibly fell. "I figured it was because of the guy who picked you up, right?"

There’s always tension between rivals.

Ye Tingtong didn’t answer directly. "I’ll get you our house special later. Can you answer one more question for me?"

Zhao Cheng sighed and took a sip of his coffee. "Go ahead."

Ye Tingtong straightened up, serious. "How can you be so upfront about your feelings?"

Zhao Cheng was a bit puzzled. "Why not?"

"But we’ve only known each other for a day. We don’t know anything about each other’s backgrounds, families, personalities, or anything else. What if we don’t click?"

"I like you, so I went for it. It just felt right; I didn’t overthink it."

Zhao Cheng looked at Ye Tingtong in his employee uniform, confused, and then remembered the man in designer clothes and luxury cars, suddenly getting it.

He figured Ye Tingtong was just working part-time for the experience.

Zhao Cheng felt a bitter pang in his chest.

Is that person really that good? Making Ye Tingtong so troubled yet still tirelessly seeking answers, wanting to get closer to him.

He wanted to mislead Ye Tingtong maliciously but couldn’t bear to. He gulped down his coffee. "At first, I thought you were from a wealthy family, but I didn’t think too much about it. In a relationship, what matters is the emotional connection, not money. I’m confident I can make you happy, and of course, I hope you can return a little love to me."

"Looking further ahead, if we ever get married, I’ll work hard to give you the best I can offer."

He cut Ye Tingtong off before he could speak, "I know what you're thinking, but the fact that we can get married shows that those things don't matter to the other person. All I need to do is give my all, and we can be happy together."

Ye Tingtong froze. He'd been too hung up on matching Shen Jin financially, trying to prove he wasn't just in it for Shen Jin's money. But he'd often leaned on Shen Jin's generosity. At the time, he didn't think twice about it, but on those sleepless nights, those thoughts would haunt him, weighing him down.

"What if... we started off on the wrong foot?"

His start with Shen Jin wasn't exactly storybook.

They married for a business deal, and he still gets a regular 'salary' from Shen Jin.

He often wished they'd met naturally, like any other college couple. Even with their status difference, it wouldn't bug him as much.

"Then work on fixing it. If it's not a dealbreaker, you can fix it if you try."

As Zhao Cheng finished, Ye Tingtong's five-minute alarm went off.

Zhao Cheng never thought he'd be giving Ye Tingtong love advice. He was about to say more when he spotted a car outside the shop.

He recognized it.

Zhao Cheng's eyes lit up with a grin, "But hey, don't count me out yet."

"Skip the fancy dessert!" He reached out and ruffled Ye Tingtong's hair, "This'll do as payment. Catch you later."

With that, he left Ye Tingtong gaping.

Meanwhile, in the car outside the milk tea shop.

Yu Mo was roasting Shen Jin, "This is the 'business meeting' spot? Still on?"

"Dude, your wife's slipping away, and you're still on about business? No offense, but your game's outdated. Learn from that college student, make a bold move—"

Before Yu Mo could finish, he was pulled out of the passenger seat, "We'll talk business another day. I have something to do."

Yu Mo, dressed in a flashy and thin suit, was left standing on the street in the cold winter. Passersby looked at him as if he were crazy.

He watched Shen Jin's back as he entered the milk tea shop, fuming, "Shen Jin, you traitor!"

Using him as an excuse to chase someone, then kicking him aside when he's no longer useful.

But he didn't interfere with Shen Jin's pursuit. Shivering in the cold, he sneezed, hailed a taxi, and left cursing.

Ye Tingtong had just put on his work cap and stood up when he heard the door open. He instinctively looked up, "Welco—"

The last word stopped abruptly when he saw the person in front of him, "Shen Jin?"

At this hour, shouldn't Shen Jin be at work in the office?

"Just finished some business and happened to pass by," Shen Jin sat down in the seat Zhao Cheng had occupied earlier, "When do you get off work?"

Hearing this, Ye Tingtong ran back to ask the manager, "Um, can I leave on time today? Something came up."

The manager waved his hand, "Approved."

Ye Tingtong returned to report to Shen Jin, "I get off at five, just two more hours."

Shen Jin nodded, "Get me an Americano."

Ye Tingtong instinctively asked, "Three sugars?"

Because Ye Tingtong loved sweets, he often enjoyed milk tea and coffee with Shen Jin, and Shen Jin also started to get used to adding sugar.

Shen Jin put down the menu and said casually, "No sugar."

Though confused, Ye Tingtong wrote it down as instructed. Just as he was about to leave, Shen Jin pointed at his hat, "It's a little off."

Ye Tingtong adjusted it.

Shen Jin: "It's even more crooked now. Do you want me to help you?"

Ye Tingtong blushed, "This isn’t proper..."

Just like he refused to drink the coffee Zhao Cheng offered him, it was against the rules for staff to interact with personal acquaintances in the store.

However, the manager didn’t seem to mind and hid behind the cabinet with other colleagues to peek.

Ye Tingtong's face turned even redder. He quickly lowered his head, "Please help me, quickly."

Once the hat was finally straight, Ye Tingtong leaned close to his ear, whispering behind his hand, "Are you sure you don't want to add sugar? Our Americano is very bitter."

Even though it was not good to say so, the manager always said that their Americano was authentic this way, so bitter it drove customers away.

Just thinking about it, Ye Tingtong couldn't help but frown.

Afraid of being overheard, Ye Tingtong leaned very close, his breath gently brushing past, completely lacking the distance and sense of propriety he had with Zhao Cheng in the store.

The slight resentment Shen Jin felt slowly faded. He paused and then changed his mind, "Then I'll listen to you."

"Three parts sugar."