Tang Yan suddenly lifted her gaze to look at him, speaking in a daze: “You think I was picking food for you to make a deal with you?”
Sheng Yanyu looked back at her with a cold expression. His silence undoubtedly made his stance clear.
Tang Yan pressed her lips together, somewhat displeased. Even though she had been reborn and wanted to treat Sheng Yanyu well, the willful temperament he had indulged in her before wasn’t something she could change overnight.
Feeling sulky, she buried her head in her food.
After finishing a bowl of rice, her pent-up mood finally eased a little.
She looked up at Sheng Yanyu again, only to find him staring at her the whole time, his bowl of food untouched.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” Tang Yan frowned and asked, “Is it something you don’t like? What do you like to eat? Should I have Sister Zhang make something else?”
Sheng Yanyu stared at her, and finally broke the strange peace between them: “You haven’t lost your memory, have you?”
If this kind of coexistence could last a lifetime, Sheng Yanyu wouldn’t want to expose it. If she hadn’t shown the slightest sign of abnormality in front of him, he wouldn’t have called it out.
But just now, she had recoiled, lowering her head, unwilling to engage with him, her expression downcast—she must have been thinking of Shen Ze!
That was why she reacted that way!
Tang Yan shook her head. “No.”
Hearing her answer, Sheng Yanyu lowered his gaze slightly, his long lashes concealing the flicker of mockery in his eyes.
Just as he thought.
The hopes that had risen in his heart vanished completely in that instant.
“So? Doing these deliberate things—for what? For Shen Ze?” Sheng Yanyu’s voice deepened. He didn’t look at her, only staring coldly at the food before him: “What are you trying to plead for Shen Ze again?”
“I admit I had poor judgment before and misjudged someone, but I swear to you, Shen Ze and I no longer have any relationship.” Tang Yan raised her right hand as if taking an oath, her eyes fixed steadily on Sheng Yanyu as she vowed earnestly: “If I’m lying to you, I’ll die—”
“Stop it!” Sheng Yanyu cut off her curse.
Whether those words were true or a deception, he didn’t want her to say them!
He would never joke about her life!
“Sheng Yanyu, I really am not lying to you.” Tang Yan looked at him with pleading eyes and said softly: “Will you believe me?”
Sheng Yanyu lifted his gaze to her. After a long moment, he nodded. “Alright.”
Seeing the smile that instantly bloomed on the girl’s face—radiant and beautiful—Sheng Yanyu knew that even if the outcome would still disappoint him in the end, he wouldn’t mind.
After lunch, Sheng Yanyu didn’t stay long. The company was too busy; he needed to return to handle matters.
Before leaving, Sheng Yanyu expected Tang Yan to make some request. Instead, she walked him all the way to the door and watched him get into the car and drive away without ever speaking up.
Through the rearview mirror, he saw the girl still standing at the doorway, waving vigorously to bid him farewell. Sheng Yanyu’s heart stirred slightly.
At that moment, a flicker of hope rose within him once again.
Watching the distant figure eventually disappear from sight, Sheng Yanyu snapped back to attention. He picked up his phone, found a number, and dialed.
When the call connected, Sheng Yanyu asked in a cold voice: “What is she doing?”
“Miss Tang looks very happy. She’s heading upstairs to her room,” reported the subordinate on the other end.
“Any signs of anything unusual?” Sheng Yanyu continued, his voice unconsciously growing heavier.
“Nothing for now. She looks about the same as when she was seeing you off just now.”
After a moment, Sheng Yanyu only coldly instructed his subordinate on the phone, “Keep watching. Report to me immediately if anything happens.”
Hanging up the phone, Sheng Yanyu turned to look out the window, his gaze deep and dark, like an abyss with no visible bottom.
For an entire week, Tang Yan had been behaving very calmly—no longer throwing tantrums about leaving or attempting to sneak away as she had before.
In the mornings, she would get up and have breakfast with him. At noon, she would have the servants deliver lunch to him. And no matter how late dinner was, she would wait for him to eat together.
These days made Sheng Yanyu feel almost dazed—more unreal than any dream he had ever had, yet filling his heart with an indescribable joy.
“President Sheng, there’s a charity gala at eight tonight.” Seeing that it was almost time to leave work, the assistant felt he should remind Sheng Yanyu, who was clearly eager to rush home.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Sheng Yanyu’s expression darkened slightly. “Cancel it.”
“It’s hosted by Elder Qin. What do you think?” The assistant carefully observed Sheng Yanyu’s expression.
“Got it. You may leave now.” Sheng Yanyu waved his hand impatiently, his lips pressed tightly together, clearly in a bad mood.
The assistant let out a silent sigh of relief and quickly exited the office.
After a long pause, Sheng Yanyu picked up his phone and dialed the number he knew by heart. The call connected quickly, and a girl’s light, sweet voice came through: “Sheng Yanyu, are you back yet?”
The coldness in Sheng Yanyu’s brow softened the instant he heard Tang Yan’s voice, and the hard lines of his face grew gentler.
He could even picture her joyful, delighted expression from the sound of her voice alone.
In a daze, he almost felt as though the girl had been waiting all day for him to come home.
“Sheng Yanyu, I want to eat cake. Can you buy me a slice of matcha cake on your way back?”
“Tang Yan…”
“Hmm? What’s wrong? Are you already home?” Tang Yan sounded a little disappointed. “Never mind then. I’ll have some tomorrow.”
“I have something to do tonight. I might be back very late. You don’t need to wait for me.”
“Oh… alright then.” Tang Yan couldn’t help but sigh. “Be careful, and don’t drink too much. Drinking too much is bad for your health. You—”
“Can you come with me?” Sheng Yanyu couldn’t help but interrupt her.
The moment the words left his mouth, Sheng Yanyu froze. His grip on the phone tightened involuntarily, instinctively afraid she would refuse.
“It’s a charity gala, and I don’t have a date. Can you come with me? If you can’t, then forget it.”
“Of course I can!” Tang Yan answered excitedly. “Do I need to prepare anything?”
Tang Yan’s response surprised Sheng Yanyu while also stirring a hint of pleasure in his heart.
“You don’t need to prepare anything. I’ll send someone to pick you up in a bit.” Sheng Yanyu suppressed the excitement stirring within him.
After the call ended, Tang Yan couldn’t help but smile happily.
In her previous life, Sheng Yanyu had been wary of her and would never have allowed her to take a single step outside the villa. This time, he had taken the initiative to invite her to attend a banquet together—this proved that her recent efforts were paying off.
Not long after the call ended, a stylist arrived with an evening gown.
An hour later, Tang Yan was driven to Sheng Yanyu’s company.
She had only just arrived when Sheng Yanyu came down from upstairs.
Opening the car door and getting in, he looked at Tang Yan seated in the back wearing a light blue evening gown, and a flash of admiration flickered in his eyes.
The dress fit perfectly, showcasing the girl’s delicate and well-proportioned figure to perfection. Her long hair was gently pinned up, carrying a playful yet tender charm, while the elegant and refined makeup added threefold beauty to her already stunning face—so lovely that it was hard to look away.
However, the strapless design of the dress made Sheng Yanyu furrow his brow slightly.
Who picked this? Too much skin was exposed!
Sheng Yanyu suddenly regretted not choosing her dress himself!
From now on, no strapless dresses would be allowed for her again!