Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
When Xu Chaomu stepped into the living room, only Shen Chi was sitting at the table, eating. His expression revealed no concern, and he ate at his leisure.
Xu Chaomu placed her backpack on the sofa and sat down next to him.
âSo you still know which way the living room door opens,â Shen Chi said indifferently without even lifting his head.
ââ¦â Xu Chaomuâs lips twitched; this man really held grudges.
Her small hand climbed onto Shen Chiâs neck as she chuckled, âBig Brother
Four, see, Iâm back, arenât I? I didnât stay out all night; I am still very obedient.â
âGet your paw off,â Shen Chi said with a bland tone that always carried an air of unquestionable authority.
âOh.â Xu Chaomu obediently retracted her hand.
This man was always so stingy that even a touch from her was unacceptable.
Hmph, there would come a day when she would not only touch him but pounce on him and strip him bare! She would see how arrogant he was, how domineering!
âStarting tomorrow, your allowance will be confiscated, â Shen Chi declared without even glancing at Xu Chaomu.
âNo way!â Xu Chaomu protested. âWhat will I do when I want to buy something without any pocket money?â
âLet Butler Ling buy it for you!â
Could she really have Butler Ling buy âNot suitable for childrenâ magazines? R-rated movies? Everyone knew that Butler Ling was loyal to Shen Chi first and foremost. If it came to that, Shen Chi would probably hang her up and have her punished!
âYou can keep the pocket money,â Xu Chaomu always had a certain âpride.â âI can earn it myself.â
âEarn it?â Shen Chi chuckled as if he had heard a delightful joke. âHow will you earn it?â
âItâs none of your business how I earn it; mind your own business.â
Xu Chaomu muttered softly, clearly dissatisfied, like a lamb that had been pinned down by a big bad wolf, only able to scratch at him with her little paws. Although it was futile, at least it proved she had resisted.
âIâm not allowed to control you now, Xu Chaomu? Are you planning to be completely lawless?â
âIâm eighteen, not eight! No one in the Shen Family cares about me except you, and I donât want you to either!â Xu Chaomu stood in front of Shen Chi, gritting her teeth.
No sooner had Xu Chaomuâs voice fallen than Liu Rumei entered from outside the living room.
âOh, whatâs going on here? Having a fight? Whoâs made our Chaomu unhappy? Donât frown; a girl doesnât look good with a frown,â Liu Rumei said with a smile as she approached.
She arrived just in time to see Xu Chaomuâs face full of indignation. She draped an arm around Xu Chaomuâs shoulders and looked at Shen Chi.
Xu Chaomu pushed away Liu Rumeiâs hand, and her brow instantly smoothed, her smile blooming brightly.
âOh, itâs Miss Liu. Iâm having a whisper with my Big Brother Four. Donât you know to knock before entering?â
Xu Chaomuâs smile was as radiant as a sunflower, so she took the opportunity to move behind Shen Chiâs chair, wrapping her arms around his neck. âRight, Big Brother Four, where were we just now in our conversation?â âHmm,â Shen Chi grunted in response.
âLetâs continue then. Oh, right, I was telling you, weâve had several new intern teachers come to our school recently, they are so pretty!â
Xu Chaomu, seizing a rare opportunity to cling to Shen Chi a bit longer, had no intention of letting go.
She lowered her head and leaned close to Shen Chiâs ear, âBig Brother Four, could you help me look at a few problems later? I canât solve them.â
âSure,â Shen Chi replied, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, a rare hint of indulgence in his eyes.
Xu Chaomu had never seen Shen Chi be so gentle before. Although she knew he was putting on an act for show, she was enjoying it, too!
Liu Rumei, feeling completely ignored, trembled with anger and found an excuse to leave, âItâs getting late; you should rest soon. But Chaomu, youâre not that young anymore. Even though you are like siblings, when a young man and woman share the same space, you should still be cautious to some extent.â n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âBig Brother Four, she said we should be more careful,â Xu Chaomu leaned closer to whisper in Shen Chiâs ear, pulling him even tighter with her small hand.
âDo you think we need to be more careful?â Shen Chi asked deliberately.
âI think thereâs no need!â
âWell, then thatâs settled,â Shen Chiâs lips curled up slightly.
This gentleness, this partiality, this indulgence left Xu Chaomu feeling cherished and amazed.
Liu Rumei left the living room in frustration, giving them one last look and huffing coldly as she went.
However, as soon as Liu Rumeiâs back was turned, the warmth in Shen Chiâs eyes disappeared.
âBe sensible and take your hand off!â he said lightly.
âUsing me and then kicking me aside once youâre done, why are you so annoying?â
Xu Chaomu let go and sat down beside him, grumbling unhappily as she picked up her chopsticks to start on dinner.
She glanced at Shen Chi out of the corner of her eye. He was completely calm, not even looking at her, just elegantly enjoying his meal. It seemed as though it wouldnât matter to him even if she didnât come home at night.
For some reason, Xu Chaomu felt a pang in her heart, an uncomfortable sensation she had never felt before.
âI havenât asked you yet, where did you go tonight?â Shen Chi asked casually, his face betraying little emotion.
âWhat else? On a date,â Xu Chaomu replied without looking at him, focusing on her meal.
Shen Chiâs hand, which held chopsticks, paused, and two sharp gazes suddenly swept over.
âWith whom?â
Xu Chaomu shivered, feeling as if she had suddenly returned to the depths of winter. Why were Shen Chiâs eyes so cold?
âWho else? A handsome and caring young man, of course!â Xu Chaomu up a mouthful of rice.
The dishes tonight were quite good, and many were her favorites.
With a âsnap,â Shen Chi put down his chopsticks.
Xu Chaomu jerked, and a fishball slipped from her grasp, falling onto the table!
âDonât think I wonât harshly deal with you. If something like this happens again, Iâll break your legs!â Shen Chiâs voice seemed to come from Hell, devilishly cold and terrifying.
âYou canât support me for a lifetime. Dating is about securing my future. Better to find a good match while Iâm young; otherwise, when Iâm old and no longer attractive, nobody will want me,â Xu Chaomu retorted with a pout, yelling without any real intent.
âWhat, Shen Chi canât support you for a lifetime?â
Xu Chaomu was taken aback. What, what did he mean by that?
Perhaps he was showing off how wealthy he was?
âEat your food!â
As Xu Chaomu remained puzzled, Shen Chi picked up another fishball and placed it in her bowl.
After a while, Shen Chi finished his meal, picked up the jacket hanging on the rack, and headed upstairs.
He paused halfway, âYou said you had questions earlier, you can come and ask me.â
Having said that, he continued to his own room.
Uh⦠that was just to sound convincing in order to deceive Liu Rumei, right? There were plenty of questions Xu Chaomu didnât understand. But she really didnât believe Shen Chi could answer all of them.
So after dinner, she deliberately picked out several particularly challenging sequence problems to give him.
âBig Brother Four, I donât understand these problems; please explain them to me!â
Shen Chi was sitting in front of the computer, working on the keyboard, his forehead furrowed as he analyzed the recent profit and loss of the group. Just as he was calculating a crucial figure, Xu Chaomu pushed the door open and entered.
He put aside his work and closed the laptop.
âWhich one?â He walked over, and Xu Chaomu didnât blink once, her eyes fixed on him..