Translator: 549690339
Butler Ling knew that Xu Chaomu was a kind-hearted girl; once she said sheâd stay, she certainly wouldnât leave.
Nevertheless, Xu Chaomu still cautiously asked, âButler, at noon⦠who else will be eating together?â
Butler Ling chuckled, âNo one else, just our own Shen family people.â
âWhat about⦠my fourth brother and sister-in-law?â
âYour fourth brother might not come back. Miss Bai, on the other hand, is here. Your fourth brother is quite busy, but Iâll give him a call later and let him know,â Butler Ling said.
âNo, no, no, donât call him, Butler. Iâll leave after lunch. If I delay his important matters, I canât afford it.
Butler Ling glanced at Xu Chaomu and sighed.
The one who had sent her to board at school was none other than the young master, and Xu Chaomu probably held some resentment in her heart.
Xu Chaomu ran âclomp clomp clompâ up the stairs to her room.
Her room was the same as before, but dust-free, clean and tidy, as if still lived in, yet it lacked the liveliness of the past.
When she used to live here, she liked to have her stuffed animals and pillows all over the floor, but now they were neatly arranged.
Her room wasnât large, but it was very cozy; Xu Chaomu hugged her quilt and rubbed it.
âI miss you so much, little white rabbit, Grey Wolf, big-faced catâ¦â
She checked all her plush toys one by one.
After holding them and reluctantly kissing them a few times, Xu Chaomu then went to organize her clothes in the wardrobe.
The clothes were all still there; she chose a few she needed.
Perhaps hearing some noise, Bai Man, who was reading a script in her room, walked out.
Seeing Xu Chaomuâs room door open, she leisurely stood in the doorway.
She had not yet changed her clothes, merely wearing a silk nightgown, her long hair draped over her shoulders, looking lazy and sexy.
Midway through, Xu Chaomu saw Bai Man.
âMorning, sister-in-law,â Xu Chaomu looked up to greet her before continuing to focus on her clothes.
This address of âsister-in-lawâ gratified Bai Man inside.
Having been boarding at school for so many days, she noticed that Xu Chaomu seemed to have become much more obedient.
She used to greet her without any warmth, but now she had learned to greet proactively.
âAre you back to get some clothes?â Bai Man asked indifferently.
âMm.â âTake a few more with you, the temperature has dropped a bit recently.â
âMm.â
Xu Chaomu kept her head down, organizing her clothes and soon had almost finished.
She didnât have many clothes to begin with, so it was easy to pick a few to wear.
Once she packed her clothes into her backpack, Xu Chaomu then planned to walk outside.
âSister-in-law, are you not filming today?â
âNo, I felt a bit under the weather today, so I didnât go to the set. You just happened to come back, letâs have lunch together later. Although Iâm not sure if you are willing to eat with me.â
Xu Chaomu gave a slight smile, âI promised Butler Ling, Iâll stay for a while later.â
âThatâs great, itâs been many days since I last saw you. Have you also not seen your fourth brother for many days?â
Xu Chaomu wasnât foolish; she could hear the insinuations in Bai Manâs words.
So, she pouted, âYeah, itâs been many days since I last saw him. But I donât want to see him either, since heâs the one who sent me to board at school.â
Bai Man laughed, âYou should talk back to him less in the future. Thatâs just his temper. But itâs fine, once we are engaged, weâll move out, and then you wonât have to be angry with him anymore.â âOut of sight, out of mind.â
Xu Chaomu deliberately sighed.
She made that comment for Bai Man to hear, hinting that the sooner they moved out, the better. That way, at least she could often visit the Shen family and eat the dishes Butler Ling made.
Still, why did her heart skip a beat again, ahâ¦
Bai Manâs smile stiffened slightly after hearing Xu Chaomuâs words.
Xu Chaomu walked out with her backpack and locked her room door as she left.
âSister-in-law, you once told me in the mall that you wanted me to be your bridesmaid, does that still count?â
âDidnât you say itâs not customary to have a younger sister serve as a bridesmaid?â Bai Man crossed her arms.
She couldnât quite read Xu Chaomu anymore, wondering how a few days of boarding at school had seemingly changed her so much.
âI was teasing you.â
âSo⦠are you sincere about wanting to be a bridesmaid?â
âYes, yes, bridesmaids also look pretty, and Iâve never worn a bridesmaid dress before. Sister-in-law, can you help me pick out a dress too when you select your wedding gown?â
âNo problem at all, but youâ¦â
Xu Chaomu said, âSister-in-law, donât worry, I wonât cause any trouble. How could I, when your fourth brother took me in for eight years? Now that I see him getting married, I still have some conscience. I wonât mess things up.â Bai Man was half-convinced.
What Xu Chaomu said was genuinely heartfelt. In this lifetime, she couldnât marry him; so let her be a bridesmaid once, to quietly watch him get engaged and married.
Itâs said that the groom is the most handsome man at a wedding. Her fourth brother was already handsome; he would definitely be more so on his wedding day.
As a bridesmaid, she could watch him from a close range.
Seeing him happy was also good.
She silently thought: Better to drift apart and forget each other in the vastness than to hold each other in shallower waters.
Better to forget each other in the vastness.
When noon came, Butler Ling indeed prepared a big table full of delicious food, many of which were Chaomuâs favorites. Especially the fresh shrimp and egg dumpling soup; she hadnât forgotten that it was Xu Chaomuâs favorite. She always remembered how the young master instructed her that Xu Chaomu disliked ginger. So, she never used it in her cooking.
âButler Ling, I love you so much. Itâs been so long since Iâve had such a sumptuous lunch!â Xu Chaomu exclaimed with a smile.
âIf you donât eat well at school, you can come home, and Iâll make you something tasty. Eat up, donât starve,â Butler Ling said with a beaming smile.
Bai Man didnât say much; Xu Chaomuâs attitude towards her today was quite decent, so she refrained from mocking her.
âOkay!â Xu Chaomu picked up her chopsticks.
The long table was laden with food, its aroma wafting through the air.
Creamy shrimp balls, chicken juice with Matsutake mushrooms, fish-flavored shredded pork⦠Xu Chaomuâs eyes sparkled with delight.
Perhaps she was really hungry or it had been too long since she had enjoyed such delectable dishes, but she ate with savory appetite.
Just as she was halfway through and about to pick up a shrimp ball, the door to the living room opened.
Accompanied by a gust of cold wind that poured in, Xu Chaomu looked up, her hand trembling.
Why had he come backâ¦
It was quite cold outside, but the living room was very warm.
Shen Chi glanced at Xu Chaomu and Bai Man, took off his black leather gloves and handed his coat to Butler Ling.
âFourth Master, how come youâre back? I did not receive your call,â Butler Ling said as he took his coat, hanging it on the rack.
âNo matter how busy, one has to come home for meals,â Shen Chi said indifferently.
Bai Man got up and approached, âIs it very cold outside? Are you still busy this afternoon?â
âNot much left for the afternoon.
âThen eat more later before heading to the corporation; the house is quite warm,â Bai Man said with a slight smile.
âMm,â Shen Chi grunted in reply..