Bringing Tang Shen out for this meal was nothing more than an exercise in putting her in her place. Mrs. Cheng went straight to the point: “Kejia is not the kind of child who can be handled casually. No matter how much the old lady likes you, if you can’t manage Kejia, I won’t keep you.” Cheng Baoyi worried that Tang Shen would flare up and walk out on the spot, but the latter nodded with utter density. “I didn’t major in education, but I’ve interacted with plenty of people. Before the crackdown on vice, the urban villages were filled with all sorts of people. The kids at school also came from all walks of life, with sensitive personalities. Kejia is a smart boy, but no matter how smart someone is, they’re still human—human nature is always universal. I have ways to get along with him amicably.”
“I hope you really can. After all, I don’t welcome people with improper intentions. Just like Kejia’s previous teacher, her mind was focused elsewhere. I hope you understand that even though the Cheng family is a gold mine, I hired you to teach my son, not to hunt for a wealthy catch!”
The remark was crude and humiliating. Cheng Baoyi frowned, but Tang Shen listened earnestly, as if taking in words of gold and jade. People of no power or status cared most about respect, and Mrs. Cheng was no exception. Well-versed in human nature, Tang Shen managed to pass the test. In fact, Cheng Baoyi felt that her ability to endure humiliation made her look just like another Wen Yizhuang.
As the meal drew to a close, Mrs. Cheng said, “If anything comes up with Kejia, discuss it directly with Baoyi. If it’s a major matter, be sure to notify me.” Tang Shen nodded in assent.
Mrs. Cheng told her daughter she had to head back to the company. Cheng Baoyi replied, “I have to go back this afternoon, too.” Mrs. Cheng gave her a look: “Kejia has an interview tomorrow, and I expect you to help him prepare.”
“But over at the store…”
“Nothing ever happens at the store; it will run just fine without you. Go back and keep your brother company.”
On the drive back, silence stretched between them for a stretch of the road. Cheng Baoyi drove fast and took turns decisively, clearly venting some inner frustration. Sitting in the passenger seat, Tang Shen turned to look out the window. Macao’s streets were narrow, the old shophouses flanking them closely, while church spires and tree shadows occasionally peeked through the gaps. To a tourist, it truly was a wonderful place.
Cheng Baoyi spoke up suddenly, as if talking to herself: “The store will run fine without me… Ha, she always thinks what I do doesn’t matter.” Even as an adult daughter, in Mommy’s eyes, she still ranked behind her younger brother and behind the “big picture.”
“Mrs. Cheng is having you go back to keep Kejia company, not necessarily because the store doesn’t need you. She feels that Kejia needs you more, and that this is something only you can do well.”
Knowing Tang Shen meant to comfort her, Cheng Baoyi offered no rebuttal.
Once the floodgates opened, Cheng Baoyi began to talk more. Acting as a sounding board, Tang Shen listened patiently, slowly piecing together the contours of this family.
Over in the primary household, there was also an eldest daughter and her husband who split their time between Hong Kong and Macao. Cheng Baoyi said, “Eldest sister is obsessed with high society and is very aggressive about integrating into Hong Kong’s elite circles, which has led to quite a few jokes.” For instance, at a charity event, she outbid others for an expensive necklace to gift someone she wanted to cozy up to, only to end up stealing the spotlight: “The other person’s expression was utterly unsightly.”
Then there were the eldest brother, second brother, and Baoxin. “Mommy doesn’t like them and often tells me to be careful.” Yet Cheng Baoyi didn’t dislike second brother Cheng Keqi at all.
Listening closely, Tang Shen noticed that in Cheng Baoyi’s childhood memories, Wen Yizhuang was merely a blurred shadow. This shadow blended with other indistinct figures, like smudged blocks of color in an oil painting. So she asked, “What about Wen Yizhuang? Is he a relative of yours?” Perhaps he was looked down upon as a poor relation, which was why he was relegated to the servant quarters.
Cheng Baoyi let out a soft, self-deprecating laugh, explaining to Tang Shen, “Back then, Grandpa sponsored some mainland children, carefully selecting four or five of them to bring to the Cheng family to study alongside us, hoping to spur us on to grow.”
Tang Shen understood. “This was dropping a few catfishes into your fishpond to make you swim faster.”
“Yes. The cruelest part was that these children were eliminated one by one at regular intervals. Once they grew used to the good life here, who could bear being sent back to their original lives? The competition was fierce. It wasn’t just a contest of who studied better or had the highest emotional intelligence; it was also about whose Cantonese and English sounded the most standard—the most like ‘us.’ They would compete in secret to see who won the most favor from Grandpa and Grandma. Of course, if any of us disliked them, Grandpa would listen to our opinions. Among all those kids, only a single victor would remain.”
Tang Shen thought: So Wen Yizhuang was that catfish.
“Chinese people have a saying that wealth doesn’t last three generations. Grandpa was terrified of this, so he meticulously designed this house-struggle system to whip us into shape. As the victor of those house struggles, Wen Yizhuang became the military strategist left behind for Cheng Kewei.” At this, Cheng Baoyi gritted her teeth slightly. “With him around, we don’t stand a single chance.”
Tang Shen finally understood why this exceptionally handsome man—whose food, clothing, and living standards were no different from the Cheng family’s—radiated such restrained caution, and why he had scrutinized her so carefully. Because at that dining table, they were the only two who were complete and utter outsiders.
Seeing Cheng Baoyi’s indignant expression, Tang Shen comforted her, “Not necessarily.”
Cheng Baoyi looked at her.
Tang Shen said, “Fish that are used to a comfortable life—how could they ever love a catfish? They would only hate him. Cheng Kewei is no exception.”
On the east and west banks of the Pearl River Estuary—Hong Kong to the east, Macao to the west—the air was similarly heavy with the humid scent of the sea. Yet because of the ocean, everything here felt different from Guangzhou. When Cheng Baoyi took her younger brother out, she gradually began calling Tang Shen along. Kejia sat in the car reading, completely uninterested in everything around him. Tang Shen, however, found it all intensely novel. As the sea breeze billowed into her shirt, she giggled. Having no peers at home, Cheng Baoyi couldn’t help laughing along when she saw her looking so happy. Pressed against the car window, Kejia watched them, feeling the two of them were laughing for no apparent reason.
The Cheng family had a rule that everyone had to dine together every week. This evening’s dinner was held on the second-floor terrace, where the lights of Hengqin could be seen in the distance. Everything felt fresh to Tang Shen; as she walked over, she lingered to look at the view.
Passing by her and seeing her curiosity, Cheng Keqi smiled and said, “The place where the eldest brother lives has an even better view—you can see a golden sea of Macao.” He was proactive and friendly, and Tang Shen responded with a polite smile.
Watching their interaction from the side, Cheng Kejia was no longer a young child and was sensitive to such things, especially after the incident with Miss Wong.
Acting a bit petulant as he sat down beside Tang Shen, he dropped a flat statement: “Don’t bother dreaming. No matter how nice the eldest brother’s place is, he won’t be interested in you. He’s entirely focused on marrying a wealthy heiress to help his career. Miss Wong didn’t succeed back then, either.” Thinking for a moment, he added a biting conclusion: “Second brother won’t like you either. His standards are very high, and it seems he’s never had a girlfriend.”
While Tang Shen might have been dull in other areas, she was sensitive to a child’s mind and understood that he had misinterpreted her smile. Treating him like an adult, she made her stance solemn: “I’m not interested in either your eldest or second brother. But I am very glad that you finally started talking to me voluntarily.”
Annoyed, Cheng Kejia thought to himself that he was acting far too childishly.
Down below, Mrs. Cheng was supporting the old lady as they came out. Glancing from afar at her son talking to Tang Shen, she thought that this girl certainly had some tricks up her sleeve—just a bit too clever for comfort.
Sitting at the head of the table, the old lady looked at her children and grandchildren with a smiling face, appearing every bit the benevolent elder. Having figured out that the old lady favored an approachable persona, Baoxin struck the right balance with a coquettish remark. Behind her, Mrs. Cheng gave her son a gentle push, signaling him to step forward. Kejia stood there without moving an inch.
Tang Shen had intended to take her seat quietly, but raising her eyes, she bumped into Mrs. Cheng’s gaze. Lowering her head, she leaned close to Cheng Kejia and whispered something.
Looking reluctant, Cheng Kejia slowly walked over anyway and, in front of everyone, called Sister Huan over to move the vase of flowers on the table aside. “I’m afraid Grandma’s allergic rhinitis will act up.”
As if there were any such thing as a pollen allergy. Sister Huan had worked in the Cheng family for years and knew the situation inside out. But old Mrs. Cheng showered him with praise, calling him sensible and thoughtful.
The eldest daughter and her husband had arrived shortly before. Seeing this scene, the eldest daughter smiled and remarked to Tang Shen, “I heard a pretty tutor had arrived; it seems it really is true.” Not skilled in social pleasantries, Tang Shen simply smiled without a word. The eldest daughter continued, “Not many young people nowadays are willing to be live-in maids.”
Cheng Baoyi immediately spoke up: “She’s a family tutor, not a maid.”
The eldest daughter covered her mouth with a laugh, but having recently had cosmetic procedures done on her face, the muscles couldn’t support the expression. Tang Shen could only see half of her stiff face covered by a hand wearing a massive diamond ring. Chuckling lightly, she said, “Kejia’s grades are so good, he hardly needs a family tutor.”
Just as Cheng Baoyi was about to defend Tang Shen further, the latter smiled and said, “The conditions Ms. Cheng offered are very good, and I happen to need the money. Since it’s a legal path, it’s a mutual exchange of what we each need.” Spoken so directly, the eldest daughter was left speechless.
Cheng Kewei arrived late, apologizing to the grandmother the moment he entered, claiming company matters had delayed him. Only then did the dinner truly begin. The eldest daughter brought up how she had recently taken to reading foreign romances, picking out interesting snippets to share with everyone. She mentioned a very popular novel where the male protagonist was from a top-tier elite family with wealth rivaling nations, yet because he didn’t have time to “apply” for the VIP lounge, he had to wait in the regular boarding area.
The eldest daughter laughed non-stop, and the Cheng family members around her chuckled softly; even Cheng Baoyi and her younger brother couldn’t help smiling.
Tang Shen initially thought she was just laughing at the author’s lack of common sense, but after listening to a few segments, she understood: she was simply displaying a sense of superiority. Unable to smile, Tang Shen picked up her glass of water and pretended to drink, only to lock eyes with Wen Yizhuang sitting opposite her as she looked up.
At this table, they were the only two who hadn’t laughed.
With the meal finished and the fruit served, the old lady grew drowsy, bringing the gathering to a close. Tang Shen and Wen Yizhuang headed back to their respective rooms. As she walked, she messaged Xingguang Primary School to check on the kids. Out of nowhere, Wen Yizhuang’s voice reminded her from nearby, “Be careful looking at your phone while walking.” His tone was meticulously considerate.
Putting away her phone, Tang Shen looked up. “Got it. Thank you.”
Entering her room, Tang Shen pulled the door shut, changed into her slippers, took off her jacket and draped it over the back of a chair, and picked up her phone to call her mother. The phone rang for quite a while before it was answered.
“Were you asleep? Did I wake you?”
Her mother’s voice was a bit hoarse. “No, no. I was just lying down looking at my phone and dozed off.”
Tang Shen didn’t believe a single word of it.
“Mom, are you feeling unwell?”
“Not at all, just a bit tired today. The weather might be changing, giving me a slight headache. A good sleep will fix it.”
Just as a mother didn’t want her daughter to worry, a daughter only shared a fraction of the truth with her mother. When her mother asked how she was getting along, she said the family treated her exceptionally well—omitting the power play Sister Huan had tried to pull on her arrival, keeping quiet about Cheng Kejia’s constant guardedness, and saying nothing of the eldest daughter’s passive-aggressive barbs at the dinner table.
Mother and daughter reported only good news and concealed the bad. Both knew the other was lying, and both knew the other knew. But this was simply their way of getting along.
“Get some sleep early, Mommy.”
“You get some rest early, too.”
After hanging up, Tang Shen placed her phone on the bedside table and unconsciously reached for the bracelet on her left wrist. Her fingers brushed against emptiness.
The bracelet was something her mother had bought during her senior year of high school. It was a red braided cord threaded with a red cinnabar bead, which the shopkeeper claimed would bring good fortune. Her mother had solemnly taken it to Liurong Temple to have it blessed. Tang Shen didn’t put much stock in it, but because her mother believed, she had worn it ever since.
Thinking back carefully, it had still been there when she washed her hands before dinner, and seemed to still be on her wrist during the meal. Later, when everyone dispersed, the Indonesian helper Emily and Sister Huan were clearing the tables, and she had lent a hand. At the time, she had faintly heard the eldest daughter murmuring to her husband, “She must be used to things in the countryside,” just as she was handing a cup to Emily.
It must have loosened then.
Without hesitation, Tang Shen turned and headed out. Pushing open the glass door leading to the terrace, she found it had already been tidied up completely—the tables and chairs were removed, and the floor was spotless, as if a massive illusion had vanished. The wall sconces cast a glow over a small patch of the ground, making the glittering nightscape in the distance appear even more bustling and brilliant. Having no heart for the scenery, Tang Shen bent down and searched bit by bit along the path where she had sat and walked in her memory.
“Teacher Tang.”
Tang Shen straightened up and turned around. Someone was standing at the far end of the terrace, beyond the reach of the wall sconce’s light. As he took a step forward, Tang Shen recognized Wen Yizhuang’s face out of the darkness. When on earth had he come out of his room, too?
Wen Yizhuang fished something out of his pocket and held it out right before her eyes. “Are you looking for this?”
It was her red string bracelet. The clasp had fallen off, turning the loop into a single strand. Expressing her thanks, she took it back and draped it over her wrist again. Fastening it with one hand was a bit inconvenient, so she lowered her head to fiddle with it for a moment.
Wen Yizhuang stepped forward. “If you don’t mind, let me help.”
“Sorry to trouble you.”
Her arm was slender and pale, looking like a strip of translucent white jade in the moonlight. Only upon close inspection during the day would one notice she had a habit of exercising, though her frame was small, making her wrist look as though it could be easily encircled. It was very much like her as a person: low-profile, hiding her strength, and unwilling to expose too much of her inner self.
Watching Wen Yizhuang lower his head, his profile illuminated as he carefully fastened the clasp, Tang Shen wondered if he was the same way. Seeing the clasp secured, she thanked him and instinctively brushed a hand over the string.
“Teacher Tang is very observant,” Wen Yizhuang suddenly remarked.
“Hmm?”
“During dinner tonight, you kept paying attention to the old lady, reminding Kejia when it was time to refill Grandma’s water or when to peel an orange for her.”
“Isn’t it only natural for a family tutor to teach a child a bit of filial piety? Speaking of which, Mr. Wen is quite observant yourself.”
“Habit. There are a lot of people in this family; seeing it often, you naturally start paying attention.”
“I’ve only just arrived at the Cheng family not long ago and don’t understand many things. If there’s anything I’ve overlooked, I hope Mr. Wen will bear with me.” She nodded slightly. “After all, we are both outsiders—though you arrived here much earlier than I did.”
The two of them exchanged a glance. In the dim light of the wall sconce, the look wasn’t entirely clear, yet both sides understood instantly: they were of the same kind now—one assisting Cheng Kewei, the other helping Cheng Kejia. In ancient times, what would people like them be called? Strategists?
“Outsiders…” Wen Yizhuang repeated the word. “Teacher Tang sees things very clearly.”
“Huh? How else should I put it?” Tang Shen feigned ignorance, adopting the look of an earnest student seeking instruction.
“Outsiders, boarders, parasites… they’re all the same. But there are always some people who, after staying long enough, start acting like half-owners. In reality, the key has always been in someone else’s hands.”
Tang Shen thought to herself: Was he referring to Sister Huan, Sister Hao, and Emily, or was he warning her? “Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Wen.”
“I was just reminding myself.”
From inside the house, faint sounds of laughter drifted out, indistinct and muffled—it was hard to tell whether they belonged to the eldest daughter or Baoxin, nor whether their happiness was genuine or feigned. Tang Shen spoke directly, “There certainly are a lot of smart people in the Cheng family.”
Facing the direction of Hengqin, she looked out at the night view before her. Wen Yizhuang stood beside her, his face half-lost in shadow as she heard him say, “Yes, and recently, we’ve gained one more.” Across the terrace, for some unknown reason, fireworks suddenly began to bloom in the sky. What special occasion was today? Turning her back to Wen Yizhuang, Tang Shen tilted her head up to quietly admire the night scenery. She watched with such intense focus that she didn’t even notice when he left.