Chapter 14: Then Does Shu Shu Like Me?

Fish: 【Good morning.】

【Mm. No stomach problems. I take good care of my health.】

Song Yan leaned against the pool table and noticed the utterly worthless grin plastered across Shi Zhiyu’s face.

He clicked his tongue twice.

“Come on, Zhiyu. Is your little girlfriend really that amazing?”

“The moment you see her messages, your smile practically reaches your ears.”

“What does she even look like?”

“Is the girl on your lock screen her?”

Shi Zhiyu casually replied with a simple:

“Mm.”

Song Yan hadn’t expected his guess to be correct.

He knew it.

Other than Tang Shu, no one could affect Shi Zhiyu’s emotions like this.

But was that photo real?

Could it be some random picture from the internet?

Thinking so, he asked directly,

“Is it real? You can’t even see her face. Could it be because she’s ugly, so she refuses to show it?”

Shi Zhiyu lifted his eyes and shot him a look.

“My mom took that picture. She didn’t send it to me. Understand?”

Song Yan was even more shocked.

“Aunt Qiao took it? Tang Shu was at your house?”

Shi Zhiyu nodded, tapping his fingers against his knee.

“Mm. She even slept in my room.”

Song Yan’s entire worldview shattered.

So all those assumptions he’d made about Tang Shu being some rough, bearded dude—

Completely wrong.

If even the future mother-in-law had personally verified her identity, what else could be wrong?

Still unwilling to give up, he asked,

“Did Auntie tell you that?”

“What if someone found out about the girl you’ve liked for over ten years and is pretending to be her to scam you?”

Shi Zhiyu rolled his eyes.

“I don’t talk to idiots.”

He tossed the cue stick into Song Yan’s arms.

“I’m leaving. Going home to cultivate my mind and body.”

Song Yan twitched his lips.

His reasoning wasn’t entirely wrong!

He was only worried his friend might get deceived.

Shi Residence

Tang Shu opened the door.

The next second, a heavy weight suddenly pounced on her.

Warm, wet saliva immediately covered her face.

Only then did she realize it was a large Samoyed.

Its tail wagged furiously as it stuck out its tongue and repeatedly licked her.

Tang Shu rubbed its head.

Then she heard a voice from outside.

“Yuanyuan, get down. Don’t scare the girl.”

Only then did Yuanyuan move away from Tang Shu.

Standing up, Tang Shu looked toward the doorway.

An elderly woman stood there.

The moment Old Madam Shi saw Tang Shu’s face, her previously dim eyes brightened.

Walking forward, she grabbed Tang Shu’s hand.

“You must be Shu Shu. How wonderful. Such a good child. I’m Shi Zhiyu’s grandmother.”

Tang Shu smiled politely.

“Hello, Grandma.”

Old Madam Shi patted her hand affectionately.

“Good, good. Shu Shu is the best.”

As she spoke, she slipped a jade bracelet from her wrist onto Tang Shu’s.

“This is Grandma’s little gift for our first meeting.”

Tang Shu immediately tried to refuse.

“Grandma, I can’t accept this. It’s too valuable.”

Old Madam Shi pressed down her hand.

“It’s not valuable at all. Later, Grandma will transfer some spending money to you. Look how skinny you are.”

Tang Shu couldn’t help laughing.

Why was everyone trying to make her eat more?

She already ate quite a lot.

Meanwhile, Yuanyuan circled around her, wagging its tail and rubbing affectionately against her legs.

Old Madam Shi explained patiently,

“His name is Yuanyuan. Xiao Yu raised him. After Zhiyu went abroad, he left the dog with me so I’d have some company.”

Tang Shu lowered her gaze and gently stroked the fluffy white fur.

Her heart instantly softened.

With smiling eyes, she said,

“Yuanyuan, why are you so adorable?”

As if understanding the praise, Yuanyuan immediately wagged his giant tail.

He happily spun around her twice.

Then he lifted his head and barked twice.

His dark eyes sparkled with affection and joy.

Continuously rubbing his fluffy head against her legs.

Standing nearby, Old Madam Shi watched the harmonious scene between girl and dog.

Her eyes were full of loving warmth.

“As expected of the girl Xiao Yu treasures.”

“Even Yuanyuan likes you especially.”

“He only came back this morning, yet he sat quietly outside your room waiting.”

Hearing that, Tang Shu’s cheeks instantly turned pink.

Yuanyuan had probably thought his master had returned.

Instead, he found her—the intruder.

Still, Yuanyuan genuinely liked her.

“Yuanyuan is very well-behaved. I like him a lot.”

Afterward, the two women and the dog went downstairs together.

Old Madam Shi held Tang Shu’s hand tightly, as though afraid she’d disappear at any moment.

Yuanyuan remained glued to Tang Shu’s side the entire time.

After breakfast, they chatted for a while.

Then Tang Shu began her task for the day.

In the garden, Qiao Yaxin had already arranged all the painting supplies.

Tang Shu sat with them, chatting while drawing.

She painted Qiao Yaxin.

She painted Old Madam Shi.

Finally, she even drew a family portrait.

Yuanyuan was included as well.

The only person missing—

Was Shi Zhiyu.

By the time she finished, an entire day had passed.

Unable to refuse their hospitality, Tang Shu stayed for dinner before preparing to leave.

Before she left, Qiao Yaxin stuffed her arms with gifts.

Clothes.

Jewelry.

Two large bags packed full.

Insisting she take them back to the dormitory and use them slowly.

Old Madam Shi added Tang Shu on WeChat and immediately transferred 100,000 yuan to her.

Tang Shu tried to decline.

But they told her—

It was simply payment for today’s work.

They insisted her paintings were worth that much.

In fact, Old Madam Shi thought she was paying too little.

The only reason she was giving smaller amounts first was because she feared Tang Shu wouldn’t accept larger sums.

Once Tang Shu became part of the Shi family, she’d give her an even bigger gift.

Tang Shu truly couldn’t refuse any longer and could only accept.

Quietly, she comforted herself.

She would treat it as payment for a hard day’s work painting.

With that thought, the guilt and unease in her heart gradually disappeared.

The driver took her back to Jiang University.

When she pushed open the dormitory door, it was completely quiet.

None of her roommates had returned yet.

After organizing the things she’d brought back, she washed up and climbed into bed.

Curled up beneath her soft blanket, she opened WeChat and expertly entered her chat with Shi Zhiyu.

Shu Shu Has Candy: 【Brother, look at Yuanyuan. How can a dog be this adorable? He’s so well-behaved!】

She sent over the photos she’d taken of Yuanyuan that day.

Fish: 【Mm. That means he likes you.】

【He’s actually very aloof. He usually ignores people.】

【Only with you did he become friendly right away.】

Shu Shu Has Candy: 【Hahaha, then I’m truly honored~】

【If even Brother’s dog likes me this much, does that mean Brother likes me a lot too?】

Fish: 【Mm. I do.】

Shu Shu Has Candy: 【How much do you like me?】

Fish: 【A lot.】

Tang Shu had only been joking.

But he answered seriously.

She paused for several seconds.

Then another message arrived.

Fish: 【Then does Shu Shu like me?】

Tang Shu’s heart skipped a beat.

What exactly was liking someone?

Did she like him?

Probably not.

After all, she’d only approached him for money.

Only flirted with him on purpose.

Only sent him those ambiguous messages intentionally.

Shu Shu Has Candy: 【I like you a lot~ My favorite is Brother~】

But she was flirting.

Of course she had to answer that she liked him.

As for whether she truly liked him or not—

That wasn’t something she should be thinking about right now.

Far away in America, Shi Zhiyu lay on his bed.

He was smiling so hard his face almost hurt.

He knew it.

His Shu Shu liked him too.

Scrolling through their chat history, he found that every sentence she sent expressed affection for him.

But he loved her even more.

Fish: 【Mm. Got it.】