The two of them were drawing together when someone suddenly knocked on the door.
Shang Chenyan pushed the door open and stood outside. “Come downstairs and eat with us. It’s getting late, and it’ll be troublesome for you to go back and cook now.”
As if on cue, Shi Ying’s stomach growled twice.
Her face instantly turned red, and she reflexively grabbed the sketchbook to cover herself.
A faint smile appeared in Shang Chenyan’s eyes. He walked in and said to the two of them, “Go wash your hands.”
“Oh.”
Shi Ying held Shang Nian’s hand and walked into the bathroom. Warm water flowed over her fingers as she looked at their reflections in the mirror.
One big, one small.
Suddenly, she realized Shang Nian’s eyes looked a lot like hers.
Both of them had round deer-like eyes, and even the shape of their lips was somewhat similar.
Shi Ying frowned slightly.
Could it be that she resembled her mother?
So that was why Shang Nian had clung to her the moment they met today, calling her “Mommy” and refusing to let go.
And why Shang Chenyan had been so kind to her.
Shi Ying stared blankly at the mirror until someone lightly tugged at the hem of her clothes.
Lowering her head, she saw Shang Nian standing obediently beside her with her little hands already wiped dry, looking up at her quietly.
Shi Ying crouched down to meet her gaze. “Nian Nian, do I look a lot like your mommy?”
Shang Nian shook her head.
She wanted to say, You’re not similar. You are Mommy.
But Shi Ying misunderstood the meaning behind her denial and secretly sighed in relief.
She liked this beautiful and well-behaved little girl very much, and she pitied the fact that she still couldn’t speak at five years old. But that didn’t mean she had any interest in playing the role of some melodramatic white moonlight substitute for this father and daughter pair.
She still had important things to do.
Thinking of that, Shi Ying suddenly smacked her forehead.
After getting sidetracked by the two of them, she had nearly forgotten her mission plan.
“Nian Nian, do you happen to have a cousin named Shang Yu?”
Shang Nian nodded.
Shi Ying suddenly felt a little guilty, but she desperately wanted to complete her mission and return home as soon as possible. This time, she only had one month to finish the task. One month in the real world was roughly equivalent to one year here.
Time was tight, and the mission was urgent.
Besides, she was still waiting for that one million yuan to save her from her current troubles.
“Does Shang Nian have his contact information?” Shi Ying coaxed softly, trying to think of a more reasonable excuse for asking.
But before she could come up with one, Shang Nian grabbed her hand and dragged her outside. Then she picked up a phone from the desk, fiddled with it for a few moments, and handed it over.
Displayed clearly on the screen was Shang Yu’s WeChat account.
Shi Ying quickly memorized it and hugged Shang Nian before giving her a kiss. “Nian Nian, you’re amazing.”
Shang Nian blinked. Her cheeks instantly flushed red, and she shyly buried her face back into Shi Ying’s arms.
Could giving Cousin’s contact information make Mommy happy?
After thinking about it, Shang Nian dug out Shang Yu’s email address, phone number, and even home address as well.
Shi Ying: “……”
That really wasn’t necessary.
She had social anxiety. If she could contact someone through WeChat, she would absolutely never make a phone call.
The bedroom door was knocked on once again.
Shang Chenyan looked at the two of them in confusion. “Why aren’t you coming downstairs yet?”
“We’re coming, we’re coming.”
Shi Ying hurriedly put the phone away and carried Shang Nian out while trotting toward the stairs.
Shang Chenyan’s gaze swept across the two similar faces, but he didn’t ask anything. He simply took the child from her arms and walked downstairs ahead of her.
Several home-cooked dishes had already been placed on the dining table downstairs. Shi Ying stretched her neck to peek toward the kitchen but didn’t see the legendary housekeeper anywhere.
Could it be that he made all this himself?
Shang Chenyan pulled out a chair for her. “Sit.”
Shi Ying sat down in complete flustered panic. It was her first time eating with her boss, and she was so nervous she didn’t even know where to put her hands.
Shang Chenyan chuckled softly and sat across from her. “No need to be nervous. Just treat this place like your own home.”
“O-Okay…”
“Want some?” Shang Chenyan poured her a glass of red wine.
Shi Ying instinctively accepted it. “Thank you, President Shang.”
She lowered her head and focused on eating. The moment she took a bite of the beef strips, her eyes narrowed in delight.
“This is so good.”
“If you like it, eat more.” Shang Chenyan used the serving chopsticks to place more food into her bowl. “I’m glad you like it.”
Shi Ying’s eyes darted around curiously. “President Shang, did you make all this yourself?”
“Mm.”
“You can cook too?”
The hand holding his chopsticks paused slightly.
A bright female voice involuntarily echoed through his mind—
“Shang Chenyan, I can’t cook. After we get married, you’ll have to be in charge of cooking.”
“You cook so well. Once we’re married, you have to make food for me every single day.”
His grip on the chopsticks tightened silently. Veins faintly surfaced on the back of his hand as he forced down the bitterness in his chest.
“Mm.”
Shi Ying sensed that his mood suddenly seemed off. She immediately lowered her head and concentrated on eating, not daring to say anything else.
Half an hour later, Shi Ying let out a very unladylike burp and collapsed back in her chair.
A cup of hot tea was pushed in front of her.
Following the movement upward, she met Shang Chenyan’s handsome face.
“It helps digestion.”
“Thank you.”
Shi Ying picked up the cup and took a few sips. It tasted sweet, though she had no idea what it was.
Bracing herself against the table, she stood up. “It’s getting pretty late. I should head home now.”
The moment Shang Nian heard she was leaving, she hurriedly grabbed the corner of her clothes.
Shang Chenyan glanced out the window. “Mm, it is getting pretty late.”
“But this area is difficult to get a taxi in. I’ll have the driver take you home.”
Shang Nian pouted unhappily and glared resentfully at Shang Chenyan.
The man ignored her accusing stare and walked to the window to make a phone call.
Shi Ying couldn’t hear what he was saying, but she noticed the slight frown on his handsome face, as though he was troubled by something.
A few minutes later, he walked back with an apologetic expression. “The driver already got off work at this hour. He said something came up at home, so he can’t make it over right now.”
“Then…”
“I’ll drive you back.”
As he spoke, Shang Chenyan reached for the car keys on the table.
Shi Ying reacted quickly and pressed down on his hand. “President Shang, you drank earlier.”
Shang Chenyan’s reaction seemed slightly slow. “I guess I did…”
Seeing him like this, Shi Ying became even more unwilling to let him drive.
Was he drunk?
A soft, cool little hand rested over the back of his own. Such intimate contact made every inch of Shang Chenyan ache. His blood seemed to roar violently through his veins.
“Then I’ll have to trouble you to stay here for the night.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.
“This villa is pretty secluded, so it’s difficult to call a car. Stay here tonight, and tomorrow morning the driver can take you home. Besides, tomorrow’s Friday. I’ll give you the day off, and you can return to work next week.”
Shi Ying hesitated for a moment, but after thinking it over carefully, staying one night in a luxury villa while getting an extra paid day off really didn’t sound like she was the one losing out.
Besides, Shang Chenyan had a wife and daughter. He obviously wouldn’t have any improper intentions toward her, so she felt perfectly safe staying here.
Shi Ying didn’t act coy for long and nodded. “Then thank you, President Shang.”
Shang Nian stood quietly to the side listening to their conversation. Once she realized Shi Ying wasn’t leaving anymore, she happily rose onto her tiptoes and grabbed her hand.
The two of them ran upstairs again, and even from where he stood, Shang Chenyan could faintly hear the girl’s laughter drifting down.
The tall figure of the man reflected against the glass window. A trace of softness appeared on his usually expressionless face.
He could hear his heart—dead and barren for five years—beginning to beat wildly once more.
This villa had been designed by her and him together five years ago.
Every flower and blade of grass in the yard had been planted by them together.
For five years, he had guarded this place as though protecting the memories they once shared.
But time erased everything.
The flowers she planted would wither.
The traces she left behind would fade away.
Evidence of her existence became less and less, weaker and weaker.
Day after day, he faced the empty villa alone, and little by little, his heart shattered apart as well.
Thankfully, before everything disappeared completely—
she came back.