Whenever she had the time, Tang Shen would return to Guangzhou to see her mother and visit Starlight Primary School. Returning to the school one day, she ran right into Teacher Zhao, who had hosted her previously. A young and spirited individual despite being assigned to this rural school, Teacher Zhao remained deeply passionate about education, chatting enthusiastically with Tang Shen about the happenings among the children. Mid-conversation, Tang Shen caught sight of a large cardboard box off to the side.
Pointing at it, Teacher Zhao said, “That Mr. Wen from last time came and dropped off another batch.”
There were fever reducers, digestive medicines, and bruise liniment bearing Cheng Yongtang’s name, along with some alcohol, cotton swabs, thermometers, and band-aids. Anything of slight value had been unsealed.
It’s him, she thought to herself.
Teacher Zhao added that she also wanted to thank Ms. Cheng for donating the new desks and chairs.
“Wasn’t it Cheng Yongtang?” Tang Shen asked.
Shaking her head, Teacher Zhao explained that it was a personal donation, not a corporate one.
Tang Shen had once overheard Cheng Baoyi making a phone call about donating supplies to Starlight Primary School. Knowing Baoyi kept her promises, Tang Shen had assumed it was merely part of Cheng Yongtang’s PR campaign, never imagining it would be a personal endeavor. On the drive back to Macao, she searched online but found no related press releases whatsoever. Putting her phone away, she saw Guia Hill drawing closer.
Under the hazy sky, windows of the house stood open, and faint voices drifted out from within, sounding as though many people were speaking at once. Yet the words remained indistinguishable—like voices muffled underwater while the speakers stood safely above the surface.
Entering through the back door, Tang Shen passed the courtyard and noticed Sister Huan squatting by the flower bed pruning hydrangeas. As Sister Huan spotted her, her pruning shears paused briefly, and she quickly lifted her eyes to glance toward the front.
Standing right beside Tang Shen was Cheng Keqi.
With his elbow resting against the doorframe, he looked as though he had been about to push the door open and enter before freezing in place. Tang Shen rarely crossed paths with him. Up close this time, she realized that compared to Cheng Baoxin, he bore a much stronger resemblance to Cheng Baoyi.
Just as Tang Shen waited for Cheng Keqi to go in, he glanced back and placed a finger over his lips.
She understood immediately: this wasn’t the right time to go in.
The two of them stood side by side by the doorway, looking precisely like actors hiding in the wings of a theater backstage. The previous act hadn’t concluded yet, and it wasn’t time for them to take the stage.
Cheng Kewei’s voice drifted over.
Peering inside, Tang Shen saw Cheng Kewei bending down to hand something over.
“…”
The Cheng family had planted roots in Macao early on, securing an advantageous position from the very start. Near the iconic Ruins of St. Paul’s, a must-visit spot for tourists, sat two Cheng Yongtang retail stores. Like a pair of eyes, these two shops observed the endless stream of crowds passing through the Macao Peninsula—shifting from Portuguese colonials to Hong Kong visitors, and eventually to mainland individual travelers.
Among Cheng Yongtang’s numerous branches scattered across Macao, only these two were registered under the secondary household’s name. That arrangement had been set in stone back when the old patriarch was still alive.
Yet the old patriarch was gone, and so were both sons. Whether those rules still applied depended entirely on who was calling the shots.
Tan Meiqi’s figure flashed past the window. Unlike her previous emotional outbursts, she looked as though she had long anticipated this: these two stores were like a fat piece of meat, bound to be targeted by the primary household sooner or later. Knowing full well she was the prey, the hunter’s intended target had rehearsed evasion tactics countless times over.
Slowly, she began, “…”
The eldest daughter had been seated nearby the entire time. Before Cheng Kewei could speak, she chimed in eagerly, “…”
The remark lacked any shred of decency. Cheng Kewei glanced at the eldest daughter. Though she had no idea what she had said wrong, she harbored a certain wariness toward this younger brother, and the smile on her face stiffened.
Outside, Cheng Keqi stood by the doorway, pulling his hand away from the doorframe and sliding it into his trouser pocket. His suede Zegna shoes tapped lightly against the ground. Not a trace of impatience could be found on his face, while the corners of his mouth carried a faint, amused smile.
Unable to stop herself from studying him, Tang Shen thought: Why struggle so bitterly? Being a carefree, wealthy idler like this isn’t a bad way to live. But she immediately dismissed the thought.
The moment a person showed weakness, they became easy prey.
Cheng Baoyi’s voice surfaced, only to be instantly swallowed up.
Cheng Kewei’s silhouette shifted past the window. “…”
With that final remark, he walked away. Left without a backbone, the gathering drifted to an inconclusive end.
The group dispersed in discord.
Tan Meiqi appeared to be weeping, and Cheng Baoyi stepped forward to comfort her. Tan Meiqi muttered her recurring phrase: wait until Kejia comes of age. Standing outside against the door, Tang Shen felt the afternoon sun warm her back. Whatever Cheng Baoyi might be feeling, Tang Shen couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of injustice on her behalf.
Inexplicably, Tang Shen was reminded of the times she used to make children run laps. Occasionally, midway through, a child would run out of steam, standing stranded on the playground to watch the others run.
When Tang Shen asked why they didn’t keep running, the child replied, “Even if I run, I won’t win first place anyway.”
Cheng Baoyi was that exact kind of pacer.
The voices inside gradually died down. When things wrapped up, everyone maintained a veneer of civility, hiding behind high-sounding phrases like let’s consider it carefully, we’re all family, and let’s talk it over properly… Footsteps echoed as everyone retreated to their respective rooms. With the play over, the domestic staff took the stage; a heavy hand shoved a chair, its legs scraping sharply across the hardwood floor.
Turning sideways, Cheng Keqi offered her a smile and said, “You can go in now.” She waited for him to step inside first, but he paused by the doorway for a second or two, looking at her intently.
“Tell Baoyi not to take it to heart,” Cheng Keqi said. “She just needs to focus on doing her own job well.”
A sudden realization struck Tang Shen: in every single storm that hit the Cheng family, he was always the one standing completely aloof. Was he genuinely detached and friendly, or was he simply practicing self-preservation?
“I’m just a family tutor, and focusing on my own job is enough for me. You can say those words to her directly.” She offered a polite, smiling reply.
Inside blazed the brilliant indoor lights, while behind her stretched the small garden. The sound of hydrangeas being pruned drifted over, followed by the soft hiss of a sprinkler. A childhood memory flashed through Cheng Keqi’s mind: back then, he and the other children loved splashing water here and getting yelled at by the adults in unison while laughing uproariously. Thinking back, what era was this now?
Giving a self-deprecating laugh, he remarked, “Things in our family are indeed complicated.”
Cheng Baoxin’s voice suddenly cut in, drawing closer from a distance. “What are you two talking about?” She looked at them both with a smile. Tang Shen said nothing. “Nothing much,” Cheng Keqi replied.
As Tang Shen walked inward, Cheng Baoxin glided up from behind, linking her arm through her brother’s and asking what had just happened. Tang Shen heard Cheng Keqi reply indifferently, “Just the usual stuff.”
It was the weekend, an evening traditionally reserved for a family gathering. However, Sister Hao came over to relay a message: old Mrs. Cheng was feeling slightly unwell, so dinner would be canceled. Naturally, everyone grew anxious and took turns inquiring after her. Stepping in herself, Sister Hao had the Indonesian helper Emily guard the door and turn everyone away.
The domestic staff always ate in the kitchen. While Tang Shen was supposed to dine with the Cheng family on weekends, she usually ate with the rest of the staff on ordinary days.
A clear hierarchy existed even among the domestic workers. Senior in service and dedicated exclusively to attending to the old lady, Sister Hao naturally held a higher status. In recent years, however, Sister Huan had aligned herself with the eldest daughter—and by extension, the primary household and Cheng Kewei. Knowing the old lady would eventually age and pass away while Cheng Kewei was at the height of his power, Sister Huan constantly tried to overshadow Sister Hao, whether overtly or subtly. Meanwhile, Uncle Zhong and the other driver and chef remained indifferent to the household’s power struggles, only pulling rank as employers whenever they dealt with outsiders.
Among this group, the only person Tang Shen felt she could actually talk to was Emily. Simple-minded and obedient, Emily followed whatever instructions her employers gave her, focusing solely on earning and saving money to send back to Indonesia.
Emily was absent today, leaving Tang Shen to eat her meal in silence. Before she had even taken a couple of bites, the sound of footsteps prompted her to look up—and to her rare surprise, Wen Yizhuang had arrived.
Greeting the others, he naturally opened the kitchen cabinet and fished out a pack of instant noodles. Sister Huan immediately dropped her chopsticks and stepped forward with a smile, asking, “Mr. Wen, would you like to sit down and eat with us?”
With a smile, Wen Yizhuang replied, “I already ate outside; I’m just craving a midnight snack.”
Turning around with a beaming smile, Uncle Zhong chimed in that there was always room for more food even if one had already eaten. A warm, harmonious atmosphere filled the room. Sitting with her back to them, Tang Shen understood precisely what was driving this display. The power dynamics were crystal clear by now; failing to align oneself with the primary household at this point meant being utterly lacking in political sense.
This also explained why everyone greeted Wen Yizhuang with smiling faces while barely acknowledging her. It had nothing to do with friendship and everything to do with interests.
Lowering her head, she shoveled large mouthfuls of noodles. Having finished her tasks, Emily returned and sat across from her, repeatedly urging her in an undertone to eat slowly. That Indonesian-accented English was the sole trace of genuine warmth amidst all these calculated interests.
In this world, Tang Shen thought, everything else can be slowed down, but eating cannot. Fall behind by a single bite, and your turn would never come. With her mouth full, she looked up and smiled at Emily.
Within her field of vision, Emily sat close, looking at her with genuine concern. Wen Yizhuang sat farther away, looking straight at her past the shoulders of Uncle Zhong and the others. Raising her eyes, she exchanged a glance with him.
Wen Yizhuang sat beside Tang Shen to eat his instant noodles. Once Sister Huan, Uncle Zhong, and the others finished their meals, they dispersed.
Fearing Wen Yizhuang might overhear, Emily leaned in close to whisper in Tang Shen’s ear, “Did you know? The old lady isn’t actually feeling unwell at all.” “Oh, really?” Tang Shen replied. Deep down, she wasn’t surprised in the least.
The old lady was far too clever to ever play the villain out in the open. Sister Hao was equally shrewd, refusing to act as the heavy who dismissed the Cheng family members. Having zero grasp of intricate Chinese maneuvers, Emily simply passed on every whispered detail she had overheard: Tan Meiqi bringing her teary-eyed son to see the old lady, the eldest daughter and her husband taking turns making visits, and Cheng Baoxin carrying a glass of milk while claiming she wanted to check on Grandma.
The two of them conversed in low tones. “Did they manage to get in?” Tang Shen asked.
Shaking her head, Emily answered honestly, “No. Sister Hao said we absolutely couldn’t disturb Grandma’s rest, so I blocked all of them.”
This was what it meant to be used as someone else’s pawn. Tang Shen silently hoped Emily’s life here would get easier in the future. Emily wanted to say more, but seeing that Tang Shen had finished eating and Wen Yizhuang showed no signs of leaving anytime soon, she had no choice but to save the rest of her gossip for another time.