Chapter 294

Shen Yue's answer was within Tang Yi's expectations. He didn't answer Shen Yue's question, but brought up another person instead: "I'm second, then what about Su Yunan?"

While pouring another cup of tea into Tang Yi's empty teacup, Shen Yue responded: "Su Yunan is Huihui's friend. I'm perfectly fine, why would I torment him?"

When she mentioned the word "torment", Shen Yue happened to be handing the tea to Tang Yi.

Tang Yi: ...

While feeling a bit speechless, the earlier stuffiness in Tang Yi's heart somehow cleared up a bit for some reason.

Shen Yue's frankness was quite similar to how she was in his dream.

He took the tea, and quietly sat with Shen Yue for a while.

The sound of pages turning started coming from the side again at some point, blending with the rich tea fragrance permeating the entire living room. A thought gradually emerged in Tang Yi's mind.

He thought, he would just try this once.

Just once would be fine.

He drank all of the tea in his cup in one gulp again. The bitterness brought by the strong tea made one temporarily forget everything in an instant, leaving only the nearly painful taste lingering on the tongue.

"I can be tormented. I'm already used to it."

Shen Yue didn't lift her head and remained unmoved, but still responded sporadically: "Liking being tormented isn't a good thing. Your younger siblings used to think like this too, and now they're scared when they see Fifth Brother."

Tang Yi was reminded by Shen Yue's words and thought of how he was the backbone of the family now, so he couldn't act recklessly for the time being. His index finger and thumb rubbed the raised flower pattern on the teacup. The cup was carved with a vivid crane with a red crown, sacred and noble, elegant and graceful.

Looking at the pattern he was rubbing, he spoke up: "What is this?"

Shen Yue looked over then and saw Tang Yi was asking about the red-crowned crane on the teacup. She responded with an "oh", explaining: "This is a red-crowned crane. Si Chengyou carved it himself. This tea set also has the golden pheasant and oriental stork he carved."

"I see." Tang Yi took a deep breath.

Didn't like the splendor that existed only in fiction.

Si Chengyou was still fond of saying these pleasing words, like in the dream. That silly woman from Building 3, his previous supervisor, the warden of Flightless Bird, had all been fooled by Si Chengyou like this.

But he was different.

What was wrong with splendor that only existed in fiction? Whether real or fake, as long as you could see it, what did it matter?

"May I have a glass of water, please?"

Shen Yue nodded: "Of course."

Only after downing a glass of water did Tang Yi feel the bitter taste in his mouth had dissipated somewhat.

Right at this moment, a third person suddenly appeared in the previously two-person living room - Su Yunan.

Su Yunan had come to help Shen Hui run an errand. Shen Hui was tired from doing experiments, but couldn't fall asleep without the plush dog Shen Yue had made for her beside her.

She was going crazy right now, ceaselessly tormenting people.

Su Yunan could only take advantage of the chaos and hurriedly return to the Shen house to get Shen Hui's dog for her.

Before coming, Su Yunan had already asked Shen Yue. Si Chengyou was busy outside today and not at the Shen house, so he dared to boldly come back. He didn't expect that upon entering the living room, he didn't see Si Chengyou, but saw another person instead - Tang Yi.

Su Yunan didn't really care about Tang Yi originally. Over the years he had lived at the Shen house, he had also seen Tang Yi many times, and his impression of Tang Yi was just of a pitiful person who often came to ask Shen Yichen for parenting advice.

But today, as soon as he stepped into the living room, he sensed something was off.

In his impression, Tang Yi basically had no communication or interaction with Shen Yue, and would even subtly avoid Shen Yue sometimes.

Su Yunan could understand this feeling himself. He also often felt a sense of fear of being seen through when facing Shen Yue, so he was also unwilling to interact with Shen Yue much. Adding on that troublesome Si Chengyou afterwards, he was even more reluctant to have too much contact with Shen Yue.

Coming back to find Shen Yue this time was also a last resort, since Shen Yue was the only one in the Shen family who could find out where Shen Hui's doll was.

Su Yunan had thought Tang Yi was the same as him, but now, why was Tang Yi sitting together with Shen Yue?

Although the distance between them was still relatively safe, it was still overstepping given that it was known Shen Yue and Si Chengyou were engaged.

Various thoughts churned in Su Yunan's mind, and he eventually chose to ignore it.

After all, he was just an outsider at the Shen house. It was best to pretend he hadn't seen some things that he saw.

He stood at the door and coughed twice, seeming to be reminding the two people in the living room that he had arrived.

Upon hearing Su Yunan's voice, Shen Yue immediately got up, picked up the fluffy puppy beside her, and lazily walked over to Su Yunan to hand it to him, also instructing: "Tell Huihui that if she's tired, she should rest properly and not keep thinking about her research findings."

After taking the little dog from Shen Yue, Su Yunan didn't immediately respond to her, but defended Shen Hui instead: "Your birthday is coming up soon. She wants to discover that new substance before your birthday and name it after you."

Shen Yue didn't look surprised at all, as if she had known all along. She responded indifferently: "She's always like this. I'll call her."

Only then did Su Yunan give an "mm" in response. Without saying anything else, he directly said: "Then I'll get going."

"Alright."

Tang Yi took in the interaction between the two.

Thinking of Number 14's attitude towards Shen Yue in the dream, and looking at Su Yunan's estranged manner now, he didn't know why, but Tang Yi found a strange balancing point, yet also became even more imbalanced.

Why only Si Chengyou?

He wanted to try too.

"Do you have plans tonight? I have some things I want to discuss. Could I invite you to dinner?"

Su Yunan, who was still holding the dog plush and hadn't walked far, heard Tang Yi's words and suddenly halted his steps. Recalling the completely different gaze he had inadvertently seen Tang Yi give Shen Yue earlier, a terrible guess took shape in his mind.

Could it be...

Between telling Si Chengyou and pretending he hadn't heard, Su Yunan chose... to flee the scene and tell Shen Hui.