When Shen Yuqing arrived at Song Lejin’s house with an umbrella, he found not only Lin Sui present, but also several friends who had previously gone bar-hopping together.
The group was making quite a ruckus at Song Lejin’s place, as if throwing a party.
Song Lejin sat quietly, watching them play.
Had he known so many people were already here, he wouldn’t have bothered coming.
Handing his umbrella to the approaching servant, Lin Sui immediately called out, “Come sit! We were just waiting for you.”
Shen Yuqing walked over and settled onto the sofa, glancing at the playing cards in their hands before slumping back to rest.
Lin Sui, seated on the carpet, patted his leg impatiently. “Qing-ge, why just sit there? Come join us!”
“Need a break,” Shen Yuqing replied. “Walking here was exhausting.”
Song Lejin chuckled beside him. “The rain these past few days has been troublesome. Next time, I’ll have the driver pick you up.”
Shen Yuqing waved it off as Lin Sui handed him a glass of wine. “Took this from my sister’s cellar. Try it.”
Eyeing the golden liquid, Shen Yuqing asked, “Does your sister know about this?”
Lin Sui had an older sister, two or three years his senior, whom he feared the most.
“Obviously,” Lin Sui scoffed. “You think I’d dare not tell her?”
Only then did Shen Yuqing take the glass and sip. It was indeed excellent rich and aromatic, with strong fruity notes and surprisingly mild alcohol.
He downed the glass in one go. Though the distance between neighborhoods wasn’t far, the walk had still been quite long, leaving him slightly fatigued.
Lately, Shen Yuqing had been feeling unusually tired, as if he couldn’t get enough rest. A few steps, and he’d want to pause.
Maybe he should schedule a check-up at the hospital tomorrow.
He made a mental note of it. Soon, Lin Sui refilled his glass, cautioning, “Slow down. This has a high alcohol content.”
“It’s fine,” Shen Yuqing said, taking another sip. “Tastes great. Ask your sister where she bought it I’d like to get a couple bottles for my collection.”
Lin Sui shook his head. “This is imported from a neighboring planet. Only 300 bottles are produced yearly, so it’s hard to come by. My sister only has a few because she knows the vineyard owner and pulled some strings.”
Shen Yuqing sighed. “Never mind, then.”
“If you really like it,” Lin Sui offered, “I’ll ask her later if she can help you secure a couple.”
“Thanks in advance,” Shen Yuqing said, clinking glasses with him.
A servant brought over some snacks. As Shen Yuqing eyed them, Song Lejin moved closer and said, “If there’s anything you’d like, just let the staff know. Don’t hold back.”
Shen Yuqing nodded. “Got it.”
Song Lejin then asked, “Is Yiyan-ge busy with something?”
Shen Yuqing shot a glance at Lin Sui before Song Lejin added, “Yuqing, don’t misunderstand. I just thought he might be bored staying home all the time. With so many people here today, it’d be a good chance for him to get some fresh air.”
“He’s taking classes at home now no time to come out,” Shen Yuqing replied. “He has scheduled outings too, so it’s not like he’s completely cooped up.”
Though lately, with the rain, he hadn’t been going out much.
Song Lejin smiled. “That’s good. How’s his health been recently?”
“Same as usual,” Shen Yuqing answered dismissively.
Seeing Song Lejin so concerned about Pei Yiyan, Shen Yuqing felt too embarrassed to tell her that her beloved Yiyan-gege had completely forgotten who she was and only remembered after Wu Yi reminded him.
Noticing Shen Yuqing’s reluctance to continue the conversation, Song Lejin also fell silent.
The rain outside grew heavier. Gazing out the car window, Shen Yuqing wondered what Song Wangzhuo might be doing now. Surely, he wouldn’t be working part-time in such heavy rain?
Just as this thought crossed his mind, the doorbell chimed. Lin Sui remarked, “That must be our delivery.”
Song Lejin had accidentally spilled wine on her clothes earlier and had gone to change in the bedroom. The Song family servants were all busy preparing dinner in the kitchen, and the living room was too noisy for anyone to hear the doorbell.
“I’ll get it,” Shen Yuqing said, rising to his feet.
As he opened the door, a familiar voice said, “Hello, your delivery is here. Please sign for it, thank you.”
Their eyes met. Shen Yuqing’s lips parted slightly. “Couldn’t you take a break in this downpour?”
The delivery person was none other than Song Wangzhuo, dripping wet from head to toe, water still rolling down his face, his hair completely soaked a testament to how torrential the rain outside must be.
Regaining his composure, Song Wangzhuo handed over the carefully protected food package. “I’m heading up now,” he replied, then added after a pause, “Once the rain stops.”
Shen Yuqing took the delivery. “Go home and take a hot shower. Don’t catch a cold.”
Song Wangzhuo gave a quiet “Mm” before saying, “Please give a five-star rating.”
Shen Yuqing merely tilted his chin. “Got it. Hurry back you’re completely drenched.”
His gaze dropped to Song Wangzhuo’s trouser cuffs. Despite wearing a raincoat, his pants and shoes were inevitably soaked, leaving him looking utterly pitiful.
Song Wangzhuo glanced down as well. “Right. Okay.”
With that, he turned away. Since the eighth floor was just above, he opted to take the stairs rather than wait for the elevator.
Only after Song Wangzhuo’s figure disappeared did Shen Yuqing carry the snacks Lin Sui had ordered back inside.
Setting them on the coffee table, Lin Sui asked, “Who were you chatting with at the door?”
When Shen Yuqing had seen it was Song Wangzhuo outside, he hadn’t opened the door fully, so from inside, only his back was visible, obscuring the person beyond.
This was a small precaution of Shen Yuqing’s if Lin Sui and the others saw Song Wangzhuo, they’d likely insist on dragging him in to “hang out.”
Ignoring the question, Shen Yuqing asked instead, “What did you order that’s so heavy?”
“Fresh lobster just came in season. Ordered a few portions for everyone to try.”
As Lin Sui answered, he directed the others to clear space on the table.
No wonder it was so heavy. Shen Yuqing flexed his wrist Song Wangzhuo’s strength was impressive. He’d carried the package effortlessly, as if it weighed nothing, while to Shen Yuqing it felt like a lead weight.
Only those who’d carried it knew how heavy it truly was!
Remembering the five-star rating, Shen Yuqing said, “Give that delivery guy five stars.”
Lin Sui looked puzzled. “What for?”
Shen Yuqing held out his hand. “Give me your light brain.”
Handing over the unlocked device, Lin Sui muttered, “You’re being weird.”
Shen Yuqing fiddled around for a while before giving Song Wangzhuo a five-star rating. After some thought, he opened the tipping interface and sent him the most expensive gift available.
He handed the neural device back to Lin Sui: “I’ll transfer the money to you.”
Lin Sui had naturally seen everything he had just done. “Such a small amount,” he said. “It’s not worth the hassle for you to transfer, and it’s not worth the hassle for me to receive.”
The cost of those gifts wasn’t even enough for him to buy a bowl of noodles outside.
Still, Shen Yuqing transferred the money to Lin Sui. Whether he gave it was one thing whether Lin Sui accepted it was another.
Song Wangzhuo stepped out of the shower, wrapped only in a towel, a dry one in hand as he rubbed at his dripping hair. After a few careless swipes, he headed to his bedroom and picked up his charging phone.
The rain outside was heavy, and many orders had piled up unclaimed. Song Wangzhuo hesitated for a moment, about to accept them, when he noticed the system had pushed him a new notification ten minutes earlier.
[User Lin has tipped you ten chicken legs. Amounts below 1,000 yuan will be deposited into your account, withdrawable at any time…]*
This was a generous move.
Song Wangzhuo set his phone down. He knew, of course, that the truly generous one wasn’t some “User Lin*” It was his recently well-behaved student, Shen Yuqing.
