Chapter 4

After being told downstairs that an appointment was needed to see Shang Cheng, Shu Shiyun was not discouraged; instead, he simply sat down on the sofa in the lobby.

His gaze shifted to the receptionist who had just hung up the internal phone. Outwardly calm, he nonetheless felt a flicker of unease deep within.

He wasn’t sure if he was overthinking it, but Shang Cheng had seemed somewhat distant toward him last night, showing no clear affection.

Yet the images from his previous life still faintly lingered in his mind, strengthening his resolve.

With a nervous heart, he waited for five minutes before a familiar figure hurried into the lobby.

Shu Shiyun’s memory was quite good, and he immediately recognized the person as Shang Cheng’s assistant.

Seeing him seated there, the assistant quickly approached with a polite smile.

“Mr. Shu, I’m Director Shang’s assistant. You can call me Xiao He. We met last night at Tianyise.”

Shu Shiyun secretly breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and shook his hand. “Assistant He.”

Assistant He smiled and gestured for him to follow.

“Director Shang is still in a meeting. I’ll take you up first, but you’ll need to wait a moment.”

Shu Shiyun nodded as he followed him into an empty private elevator. “Okay, no problem.”

The elevator ride was very quiet. Assistant He seemed unsure of what to say next and remained silent.

They reached the 22nd floor. At first, Shu Shiyun thought he’d be taken to a reception room, but upon glancing at the doorplate, he realized it was Shang Cheng’s office.

“Please wait here for a moment. Mr. Shang will be back shortly,” Assistant He said respectfully, guiding him to sit on the sofa. “Would you like something to drink?”

Shu Shiyun nodded. “Just hot water, thank you.”

Assistant He agreed and left.

Alone in the spacious office, Shu Shiyun sat on the wide sofa, feeling uneasy and unable to relax.

Shang Cheng’s office was very minimalist, decorated in gray and white with no unnecessary ornaments. Green plants served as simple partitions between the reception and working areas.

Images from his previous life wandering around Shang Cheng’s home floated faintly in his mind. Indeed, the home’s decor had been more comfortable.

The large desk was covered with many files, yet the surface looked neat. A small ornament was gently swaying from inertia. Unable to resist, he stood and fiddled with it, finding the design quite interesting.

Before he could look further, he heard the faint sound of a door opening behind him.

Steady footsteps accompanied a voice.

“There’s a dinner invitation at Mingxiang tonight at eight, with a chance to discuss investment matters.”

Shang Cheng lowered his gaze slightly and said, “Have General Manager An attend on my behalf.”

“Understood.” The female assistant in professional attire was about to say more, but when she saw Shu Shiyun standing by the desk, she stopped mid-step, swallowing her words. “Director Shang, I’ll take my leave now.”

Shang Cheng’s eyes rested on Shu Shiyun, responding with a low hum.

The assistant closed the door. Realizing the awkwardness late, Shu Shiyun hurriedly placed the ornament back in its spot.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine, if you like it, take it with you.” Shang Cheng’s expression remained unchanged as he casually placed the folder on the desk, then looked at him seriously. “Why did you come all of a sudden?”

Their eyes met, and Shu Shiyun’s heart trembled violently. Instinctively, he looked away, his gaze settling on the phone on the desk, which gave him courage.

“You didn’t reply to my messages.”

The tone sounded somewhat urgent, almost accusatory.

Shang Cheng clearly paused, silent for two seconds, but instead of explaining, he simply apologized.

“Sorry.”

Shu Shiyun knew he was deliberately ignoring him, so he wasn’t disappointed and took the opportunity to make a request.

“Then you owe me dinner as an apology.”

He said this with a sly lift of his beautiful, fox-like eyes.

This time, Shang Cheng didn’t hesitate.

“Sorry, I already have plans tonight, I’m afraid…”

“Don’t lie to me.” Shu Shiyun cut him off before he could make excuses. “I heard you turn down other social events. If you don’t want to have dinner with me, just say so—why lie?”

Seeing Shang Cheng’s slight surprise, he felt wronged.

“I’m not going to cling to you. If you don’t want to see me, just send me away.”

With that, Shu Shiyun turned to leave, but before taking a step, his wrist was firmly grabbed.

The tension in his chest suddenly eased. He turned back but deliberately wore an unhappy expression, his face devoid of any smile.

Shang Cheng frowned slightly, patiently explaining, “I really do have plans tonight. I’m not lying.”

Shu Shiyun hadn’t expected him to repeat the same excuse. His face went blank.

“It’s fine, I’ll go home then.”

He tried to pull his hand free, but Shang Cheng added helplessly,

“If you don’t mind others joining, you can come with me. But I recall you saying you don’t like crowded gatherings.”

“When did I—”

Shu Shiyun instinctively wanted to deny it, but suddenly stopped mid-sentence, belatedly realizing something.

Surprise gradually dawned on his face, eyes wide.

“You’ve seen my livestream?”

Shu Shiyun had started posting daily videos online during university. On a whim, he had launched his own clothing brand and streamed fashion sessions for a while, gaining some online fame.

A faint smile appeared in Shang Cheng’s eyes.

“Shiyun, I’m your fan.”

Shu Shiyun’s cheeks flushed. Only now did he recall what Shang Cheng had said when they first met in his previous life.

“Mr. Shu, I’m your fan. I often watch your livestreams and think you’re excellent. Could I have a chance to pursue you?”

Back then, he had thought Shang Cheng had just stumbled across his videos by chance and wanted to get close under the guise of a fan. He never imagined he had really watched his streams.

Thinking of his ruthless rejection and cold rebuff at that time, Shu Shiyun suddenly felt guilty.

For a moment, he was at a loss for words and chose to ignore it selectively, quietly saying, “It’s okay; I know you already.”

His tone softened from embarrassment, and to Shang Cheng, it sounded like a coquettish plea—utterly obedient.

Shang Cheng’s eyes darkened as he slowly smiled.

“Good.”

An hour later, Shu Shiyun got into Shang Cheng’s car and arrived at a highly private leisure venue.

When they entered, the private room was already filled with people, all strangers to Shu Shiyun at first glance.

They seemed about to greet the newcomer but froze upon seeing Shu Shiyun trailing behind Shang Cheng, then expressed surprise.

“This is…”

After a two-second silence, someone coughed and awkwardly asked, but before finishing, another interrupted.

“Don’t pretend; everyone knows perfectly well.”

Hearing this, Shu Shiyun felt inexplicably embarrassed.

He had assumed Shang Cheng’s invitation was just an excuse, but it truly was a gathering of friends.

Those present appeared somewhat older than him but wore expressions ranging from anticipation to sly amusement, with no hostility—only warmth.

“This is Shiyun; you all should know him,” Shang Cheng said simply, then seated Shu Shiyun in a spot thoughtfully reserved.

Feeling a bit uneasy, Shu Shiyun sat down and noticed a man in a floral shirt smiling at him.

“I was wondering why you suddenly had a reserved seat, thought you’d brought someone. Turns out it’s Young Master Shu.”

Among the group of businessmen, this man seemed relatively young and lively, which eased Shu Shiyun’s tension. He nodded in greeting.

“Hello, I’m He Musheng, a childhood friend of Acheng’s. If you ever need help, just say the word.”

Shu Shiyun didn’t falter in this setting, briefly introducing himself and greeting everyone.

As dishes arrived, he stopped engaging in conversation, quietly eating in the corner.

His sudden appearance at Shang Cheng’s private gathering was a bit odd, but luckily, Shang Cheng’s friends were easygoing. Though they talked about their own matters, they didn’t exclude him and occasionally steered the topic toward him without prying into his privacy.

After the meal, Shu Shiyun added several of them on WeChat.

At the door, He Musheng enthusiastically invited him to hang out sometime.

Shu Shiyun had a good impression of him and politely agreed.

Late at night, the temperature outside had dropped significantly. As Shu Shiyun got into the car, he sneezed.

Hearing this, Shang Cheng glanced at him and quietly instructed the driver, “Turn up the heat.”

“Thank you,” Shu Shiyun said, fastening his seatbelt. Feeling the warmth rise in the car, he no longer felt cold. Looking at Shang Cheng, he said, “Sorry about tonight. I misunderstood you. I didn’t expect you really had plans. I must have interrupted your reunion.”

He had overheard the others’ conversation at the table, learning that He Musheng was back in the country and gathering with some friends from the industry.

Shang Cheng’s tone was calm. “It’s okay. They all like you very much.”

Shu Shiyun looked at him and asked, “What about you?”

Shang Cheng paused, obviously understanding the question.

After a few seconds of eye contact, Shu Shiyun didn’t press him and changed the subject.

“Your friends are all very nice. They seem successful in their careers. Except for He Musheng, the others feel a bit distant.”

Shang Cheng frowned, confusion flickering in his deep eyes. “Why?”

Shu Shiyun thought for a moment and offered an answer.

“Maybe because He Musheng looks younger.”

The moment he said it, he realized his words were inappropriate.

Looking up, he saw Shang Cheng’s expression change.

His brows furrowed slightly, displeasure showing on his handsome face.

“I’ve known He Musheng since childhood. He’s the same age as me.”

Shu Shiyun was speechless.

His mind raced as he hastily clarified, “I didn’t mean you’re old. It’s just that he dresses more fashionably and looks younger, so I said that.”

Seeing Shang Cheng’s expression grow even more baffled, he realized his explanation made things worse.

As he scrambled to fix it, the older and less stylish Mr. Shang sighed.

“It’s okay. I am indeed older than you.”

Shu Shiyun felt guilty but curiosity got the better of him.

“How old are you?”

Shang Cheng was silent for a long time before answering helplessly, “I just turned 32.”

Fresh out of university and in the prime of youth, Shu Shiyun blinked a few times, feeling embarrassed as he lowered his head, unwilling to continue the topic.