Chapter 34 Like a Plated Masterpiece.

Chapter 34 Like a Plated Masterpiece.

Shen Jin's voice was low, yet every word reached Ye Tingtong's ears with perfect clarity.

Shen Jin said he liked him.

They were so close that Shen Jin's breath brushed Ye Tingtong's face—gentle, unavoidable, like the fleeting softness at the corner of his lips. It still made his heart race.

Ye Tingtong’s lips felt dry after talking so much. He licked his lips, lowered his head, and his nose grazed Shen Jin's chin. The unexpected touch made his heart beat even faster.

Ye Tingtong whispered, "Say it again."

Shen Jin reached out, tilted Ye Tingtong’s chin up, and said, "I like you."

He could say it as many times as needed.

Moonlight streamed through the window, casting enough light for them to see each other clearly. Shen Jin could see Ye Tingtong’s wide eyes, brimming with surprise and shyness.

Shen Jin never hesitated to be the first to express his feelings. His earlier words had been gentle probes, easing Ye Tingtong into accepting him.

Tonight’s confession, in fact, wasn’t planned.

But Ye Tingtong had grown up isolated, receiving little love or kindness. Even Ye Guodong, his biological father, who’d done terrible things, could hurt him.

Fortunately, Shen Jin’s affection made a real difference.

Ye Tingtong’s cheeks burned, and he longed to hide under the covers, but Shen Jin’s grip on his chin left him nowhere to go.

Sometimes, Shen Jin was really domineering. Ye Tingtong could only let his flushed face be exposed under Shen Jin's gaze, nervously blinking his eyes like a butterfly fluttering its wings.

"Did you hear me?" Shen Jin pressed his forehead against his, his voice carrying obvious laughter, "Want me to say it again?"

Ye Tingtong lowered his eyes and whispered, "I heard it."

This wasn’t something to shout from the rooftops, and he didn’t need Shen Jin’s affection to feed his ego. He just needed to be sure of Shen Jin's feelings.

Ye Tingtong was easily content.

"So," Shen Jin said, pinching the soft flesh under Ye Tingtong’s chin, "nothing to say?"

Ye Tingtong obediently tilted his head up with his force, mumbling, "I had something to say earlier, but all this got in the way."

Shen Jin paused, released him, and said seriously, "Go on, I’m listening."

Though no longer held, Ye Tingtong kept his head up, his expression open and clear. "Stop sending me money every month. I’ll return the 100,000 you sent the other day."

Shen Jin's eyes flickered, "Reason."

Ye Tingtong organized his words, "I’m not giving back everything, just last month’s payment. When we agreed to marry, I thought it was okay to keep that money."

That money could be used for his tuition and living expenses for the next few years.

After saying this, he paused, "But last month’s money isn’t okay. And neither is any future money."

Zhao Cheng was right—if it’s a mistake, fix it now.

Ye Tingtong's voice became smaller and smaller as he spoke, and the last sentence was almost a whisper, but Shen Jin still heard it clearly.

Although Ye Tingtong was being subtle, Shen Jin immediately caught the underlying message—"Last month, we weren’t in a deal, and we won’t be in the future either."

That once barren and frail little tree was truly growing. Well-nourished and watered, it had grown branches and leaves, now casting a small shadow.

Shen Jin laughed, "Got it."

Ye Tingtong saw the news about the Ye family’s asset liquidation when he finished his part-time shift at the milk tea shop. The owner paid his wages and even gave him a bonus in a red envelope.

*

As he checked his bank balance, a browser pop-up suddenly appeared: "A City’s long-standing Ye Group declares bankruptcy. Many executives sentenced to 5-20 years in prison for illegal operations."

Ye Tingtong skimmed it and moved on.

"Tingtong, grab the dessert you made before you go," the shop owner waved a packed bag at him, "Didn’t you want to take it home for your family?"

Besides Ye Tingtong, there were a few other part-time college students in the shop. They’d been making desserts with the pastry chef during the New Year, with the shop covering the costs.

Ye Tingtong had made the signature tiramisu, choosing the Menglong Chocolate flavor.

"Thanks, boss!" Ye Tingtong took the bag, smiling with his eyes curved, "Hope Forest Bear keeps thriving! I’ll come by often in the future!"

The shop owner waved goodbye, "Bring friends, and I’ll hook you up with 20% off!"

Smiling, Ye Tingtong grabbed a shared bike and rode directly to the Shen Group building.

Shen Jin had kitted him out—hat, scarf, and gloves—so biking in winter wasn’t a problem.

Last time, he came bundled up for a delivery, and Shen Jin recognized him instantly, even taking him into the office in front of many people, which likely caused a buzz at Shen Group.

This time, he still wore his hat, and the receptionist hesitated, glancing at him, unsure if it was him.

Ye Tingtong didn’t want to trouble her, so he pulled down his scarf and said, "I’m here for Shen Jin."

The private elevator took him straight up. Shen Jin was in a meeting, so Ye Tingtong waited in the office.

He set the dessert on Shen Jin’s desk, adjusting it so Shen Jin would spot it right away.

After setting it down, he was about to go sit on the sofa but then remembered something and turned back to look at Shen Jin’s office chair.

Big and fancy, it looked super comfy…

The first time he saw it, he wanted to try it out, but he hadn’t had the courage to say so.

The CEO’s office had one-way glass, so no one outside could see in. After a pause, Ye Tingtong sat down, kicked off, and spun around.

Wow, way smoother than his school chair.

He spun around again, and just as he was in mid-air, the door in front of him was abruptly opened.

"The Junle project seems promising. Should we consider investing more?" Shen Jin was in front, with Yu Mo behind, discussing the meeting they had just attended.

Yu Mo was about to say something when he looked up and saw the spinning chair and Ye Tingtong sitting on it, wide-eyed.

Yu Mo burst out laughing, "Having fun with the spinny chair, huh?"

Shen Jin's face was initially expressionless, perhaps because he was discussing business, his expression even a bit cold. But now, the corners of his mouth slowly turned up, and although he quickly raised his hand to cover it, Ye Tingtong still caught it.

Ye Tingtong's face flushed red with embarrassment. However, since things had already come to this, he could only awkwardly jump off the chair and stammer, "You guys are back..."

Yu Mo couldn't help but burst out laughing, holding his stomach, "Sorry, Tong, we should've knocked before barging in."

Listening to his loud laughter, Ye Tingtong looked down at the gaps between the marble tiles on the floor, wishing he could crack them open and hide.

Shen Jin stepped forward and touched his red, burning ear, "When did you get here?"

Ye Tingtong obediently replied, "Just a bit ago."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Mo popped his head out from behind Shen Jin, "So you started messing around with the swivel chair as soon as you arrived?"

After his teasing, Shen Jin lightly tapped his head with the folder in his hand, "If you don't shut up, forget about the Junle project."

Yu Mo immediately zipped his lips, then went back to sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, casually flipping through the files in his hand.

Seeing him quiet down, Ye Tingtong silently sighed in relief.

Shen Jin placed the documents in his hand on the table and saw the dessert bag on the side, asking, "Is this for me?"

Ye Tingtong's expression faltered slightly, muttering, "Yes, it's our shop's tiramisu, chocolate flavor. You can try it and see how you like it."

The box was opened, revealing a small square cake with a crooked heart shape made of melon seeds on top.

Yu Mo, hearing there was food, craned his neck to look. When he saw the uneven layer of chocolate on the surface, he frowned, "What happened? Did your shop's chef mess it up?"

Tiramisu is a very popular dessert; there's no reason the craftsmanship should be so immature.

Ye Tingtong's face fell instantly. He managed a weak smile, "Maybe it got bumped around on my bike ride. It's fine, I'll just eat it myself—"

Just as he was about to take the dessert away, another hand moved the box back.

Shen Jin looked up, "Did you bring this for me to eat, or for him to see?"

Ye Tingtong was stunned for a moment, then withdrew his hand and honestly replied, "For you."

"Then don't listen to his nonsense. I think it's very special. The chocolate sauce has layers, like an art piece in plating."

Shen Jin's calm tone made his words very convincing.

Yu Mo, hearing Shen Jin's serious nonsense, looked at him with complete astonishment.

Bro, do you even know what you're saying?

Ye Tingtong, ignoring Yu Mo's exaggerated expression, looked at Shen Jin with sparkling eyes, "So, will you try it?"

Shen Jin picked up a fork, took a bite, and thought for a moment, "The texture is rich, no wonder it's your shop's signature. But I'm not a big fan of sweets; this is a bit too sweet for me."

"If the total score is ten, I'd give it an eight."

Yu Mo was shocked again. An eight, for someone as picky as Shen Jin, was an unprecedented high score.

Is this dessert shop that amazing?

Ye Tingtong was also surprised. It seems that if he puts less sugar next time, he can get a perfect score!

For the first time, Ye Tingtong felt so confident. With his baking talent unlocked, if he can't find a job after graduation, he'll give this industry a try.

Upon learning that Shen Jin would be working late today, Ye Tingtong didn't wait any longer and went home first. Before leaving, he even gave Yu Mo a rare big smile, clearly in high spirits.

Yu Mo was puzzled, "What's he so happy about..."

After saying that, he walked to the desk, picked up another fork, and secretly took a bite of the tiramisu. Upon tasting it, he was instantly frozen in shock. Once he finally snapped out of it, he was about to look for a trash can when Shen Jin kicked the trash can under the desk, "Swallow it."

His tone left no room for argument.

Yu Mo bounced on his heels a few times but couldn't resist Shen Jin, so he had no choice but to swallow it. After finishing, he poured himself a large glass of water and gulped it down, "Shen Jin, are you out of your mind!"

He pointed at the overly sweet tiramisu, "You rated this an eight?"

He almost considered investing in that dessert shop, but after one taste, he nearly drowned in sweetness.

Yu Mo then felt something was off, "You hate sweets the most, don't you? You couldn’t have been faking it, trying to poison me."

This is too malicious.

Shen Jin said calmly, "It's Ye Tingtong's first time making it, I think an eight is fair."

Even though Ye Tingtong tried to hide it, his nervous expression gave him away.

His words also had the desired effect.

Yu Mo: "?"

"Wait." Yu Mo was almost in tears, "So you're just pampering your wife?"

Damn!

This lovey-dovey stuff is even sweeter than the dessert I just ate!