STYL - 10

Shen Tang had packed an assortment of seafood for Jiang Chengyu, even opting for seafood fried rice.

The restaurant owner, a villager, recognized her immediately and exchanged pleasantries. Noticing how much she ordered, he teased that her appetite had grown since childhood—though she still seemed to be getting thinner.

She laughed it off, skillfully changing the subject.

With the bag of local delicacies in hand, Shen Tang quickened her pace back home, even breaking into a light jog for a stretch.

As she pushed open the living room door, she froze.

Jiang Chengyu was sitting face-to-face with her grandfather on the couch, brewing tea.

When the door opened, both turned to look at her simultaneously.

The atmosphere in the living room felt impossibly delicate, bordering on awkward.

Her mind was a tangled mess, like a jumble of knotted threads, unable to untangle the situation before her.

After gently closing the door, she managed to regain her composure within seconds.

Years of acting hadn’t gone to waste.

“So, you’ve already started drinking tea? Grandpa, let me introduce you—” She smiled, then shot a meaningful glance at Jiang Chengyu.

Jiang Chengyu caught on, seamlessly taking over. “I’ve already introduced myself to Grandpa. I’m your personal bodyguard assigned by the company and also help you rehearse lines.”

“…”

Jiang Chengyu stood up. “Teacher Shen, you keep chatting with Grandpa while I go eat and review my lines.”

Suppressing a laugh, Shen Tang handed him the takeout bag.

As Jiang Chengyu took it, he subtly held her hand for a few seconds, mouthing, “Sorry.”

Sorry for accidentally letting himself meet Grandpa ahead of time.

Once the bedroom door closed, Shen Tang looked at her grandfather, who leaned on his cane and gestured toward his bedroom. He wanted his granddaughter to join him inside—some conversations weren’t meant for the living room, especially not within earshot of Jiang Chengyu.

Shen Tang helped her grandfather to his bedroom and locked the door behind them.

Grandpa visibly relaxed. Earlier, he had felt deeply uncomfortable.

He sat on the edge of the bed, offering the stool to his granddaughter.

“Tangtang, that man… is he really your bodyguard?”

Shen Tang nodded repeatedly. She wasn’t sure what Jiang Chengyu and her grandfather had discussed during her absence. At this moment, saying less meant making fewer mistakes, so she opted for silence.

Holding his cane, Grandpa tapped it lightly on the floor several times, reluctantly accepting the fact that Jiang Chengyu was a bodyguard—but something still didn’t sit right. “A man of such talent… how could he end up as a bodyguard? Standing all day long.”

What made him uneasy earlier was Jiang Chengyu’s respectful stance, insisting it was part of his job and that sitting would feel unnatural.

Only after repeated urging did Jiang Chengyu finally sit down.

Shen Tang: “….”

Her hands fidgeted nervously.

Lying left her feeling unsteady.

Grandpa dragged the cane across the floor. “Tangtang, how long has this bodyguard been with you?”

Pretending to think carefully, Shen Tang replied, “I’ve forgotten. There’s no point keeping track of such trivial details—it’s just a bodyguard, and the company pays for it anyway.”

She sounded completely indifferent.

Grandpa couldn’t help but worry. “If he follows you around everywhere, when will you find time to settle down and start a family?”

“Grandpa—” Shen Tang gave a helpless smile. “Maybe he doesn’t even plan to get married. People like him… we ordinary folk can’t begin to understand what’s going on in their minds.”

Grandpa: “He seems quite responsible to me.”

Shen Tang nodded in agreement. “Yes, his professional skills are impressive.”

What concerned Grandpa most was, “Where does a close-proximity bodyguard sleep at night?”

“… Last night, he stayed at one of the guesthouses nearby. I’ll arrange a room for him at Shen Ge’s place later—it’ll be more convenient for him to protect me.”

She explained further: “I returned so suddenly last time that all the rooms at Shen Ge’s were booked.”

Grandpa said: “Isn’t there always one room at Shen Ge’s that’s kept vacant and not rented out?”

Shen Tang nodded. “I wrapped up filming my last project just a few days ago. I’ve been living in the world of that drama and forgot about this. It only occurred to me after I went to bed last night.”

Her tone was natural. “I’ll mention it to Shen Ge during breakfast.”

As they chatted casually, Shen Tang absentmindedly picked up a pen from her grandfather’s desk to play with. The black leather-bound notebook lay next to the laptop, its red ribbon bookmark peeking out slightly.

Forcing her gaze away, she began twirling the pen.

Grandpa had initially planned to talk for hours, but seeing his granddaughter pick up his fountain pen brought the notebook—a mere foot away—into sharp focus.

His heart leapt into his throat.

“Tangtang, go back to your room. Hurry up and rehearse your lines. I’ll go see what dishes Shen Ge’s family has prepared.”

Feeling guilty, Grandpa urged her to leave.

Shen Tang set the fountain pen down and returned to her room.

Jiang Chengyu was eating the seafood fried rice, glancing up as she entered—alone. “Did I mess anything up?”

“No.” Shen Tang sat cross-legged on the wool rug in front of the coffee table.

“It tastes just like the seafood fried rice I usually eat,” he remarked.

“I know the owner—I asked their chef to prepare it according to your taste.”

Jiang Chengyu looked at her. “You know what kind of seafood fried rice I like?”

“Yes.” Shen Tang didn’t elaborate, resting her chin in her hand as she watched him.

Grateful for the delicious meal, Jiang Chengyu refrained from asking where she had disappeared to for over an hour.

“I’ll head downtown tomorrow morning and return in the afternoon. Yan Heyu and Fu Chenglin are coming to Shenzhen—we’re meeting to discuss a collaboration.” He informed her in advance.

Shen Tang knew both Yan Heyu and Fu Chenglin. Fu Chenglin was another childhood friend of Jiang Chengyu’s. The three had grown up together and co-founded an investment company.

She plucked a shrimp from Jiang Chengyu’s lunch box and popped it into her mouth. “So, if you’re heading downtown tomorrow, that means you’ll spend one less day with me?”

Jiang Chengyu: “I’ll make it up to you with two extra days.”

That sounded fair enough.

Jiang Chengyu saved the last shrimp in the lunch box for her and mentioned the piano in the living room. The instrument was old, custom-imported.

It turned out her earlier claim about being wealthy wasn’t a joke.

“Did you enjoy playing the piano when you were younger?”

“Yes. If I hadn’t been so determined to enter the entertainment industry, I might have become a piano virtuoso performing worldwide. Who knows? If I hadn’t pursued acting, I’d probably be working in securities analysis after graduation. Maybe I’d have met you through work—you’d have been captivated by my intelligence and charm. But alas, once you dive into the sea of suffering, there’s no shore to return to.” Her words carried a playful ambiguity, leaving him unsure whether to take them seriously.

Jiang Chengyu finished eating and began tidying up the coffee table.

Shen Tang helped, tossing the takeout boxes into the outdoor trash bin.

Just moments ago, she had mentioned graduating from university. After three years, he decided to ask again: “Which school did you graduate from?”

Shen Tang looked up at him. “Are you asking about middle school or high school?”

Rendered speechless, Jiang Chengyu chuckled softly.

Grabbing a bottle of water, he leaned against the windowsill, digesting his meal.

Shen Tang emerged from the bathroom, drying her hands methodically with a towel. “Why didn’t you ask which school I graduated from before?” She dried each fingertip one by one, occasionally glancing up at him, turning the question back on him. “I once asked if applying to top business schools was difficult, but you didn’t seem interested in my education.”

Jiang Chengyu tilted his head back to drink some water, swallowing before responding: “I asked once, and you said you didn’t get into a good university.”

He hadn’t pressed further, fearing it might come across as boasting about his own credentials.

Shen Tang had no recollection of this exchange but decided to satisfy part of his curiosity: “From elementary to middle school, I attended an international school downtown. For high school, I went to the UK. As for university…”

She met his gaze. “Let me think about it.”

The latter half of her sentence sounded particularly unreliable.

Jiang Chengyu wasn’t sure whether to believe her next words or simply take them as a joke.

“I can’t remember,” she laughed. “My memory isn’t great—I’ve forgotten which university I applied to.”

“…”

Jiang Chengyu knew she rarely told the truth.

Perhaps her university wasn’t prestigious, and she preferred not to mention it.

That’s what he thought.

________________________________________

At 4:45 AM the next morning, Jiang Chengyu woke up freezing. Only the corner of the blanket covered his feet; the rest was entirely wrapped around Shen Tang, who was sound asleep under the covers.

No matter how wide the blanket, she always managed to hog it all.

He found the air conditioner remote and adjusted the temperature higher.

Life in the fishing village followed a regular rhythm. They had gone to bed before 10 PM the previous night, and though woken by the cold, he wasn’t sleepy anymore. Jiang Chengyu decided to take a hot shower.

At 5:30 AM, the driver arrived to pick him up. He was meeting Yan Heyu and Fu Chenglin downtown.

Worried he might oversleep, Jiang Chengyu had set his phone alarm for 5:00 AM, which rang promptly.

Sensitive to vibrations, Shen Tang stirred when the phone kept ringing without being silenced. She kicked off the covers and got up.

The bathroom light was on, the glass door slightly ajar, and steam clouded the air.

Rustling sounds came from the walk-in closet—he was inside.

Shen Tang picked up Jiang Chengyu’s phone, dismissing the alarm. A single unread message appeared on the screen from Tian Qinglu: [Are you coming tomorrow?]

The message had been sent at 10:30 PM the previous night.

By that time, she and Jiang Chengyu had already drifted off to sleep after a playful evening.

She didn’t know what Tian Qinglu meant to Jiang Chengyu—whether a friend, business partner, or something else.

Shen Tang turned off the screen and placed the phone back where she found it.

Fully rested, she felt wide awake after being disturbed. Wrapping herself in the blanket, she leaned against the headboard, waiting for Jiang Chengyu to emerge.

Jiang Chengyu stepped out of the closet wearing formal business attire, calmly fastening his cufflinks.

Her voice carried the languidness of someone freshly awakened. “Why are you up so early?”

Jiang Chengyu glanced at her. She was wrapped in the blanket, her bare feet sticking out.

He walked toward the bed. “I woke up cold. It’s almost time to get up anyway, so I figured I’d rise.”

Reaching the bedside, Jiang Chengyu looked down at her as she tilted her head back. “Your bad habit from childhood—hogging the blanket while sleeping. Next time if you’re cold, just pull the blanket over yourself.”

Jiang Chengyu leaned down, bracing his hand beside her. “Pulling the blanket would wake you.”

As he leaned in to kiss her, she stopped him. “Don’t move.”

Shen Tang tugged at his collar, revealing a large purple mark on his neck—a souvenir from her the previous night.

“What’s this?” Jiang Chengyu guessed it was a hickey. “You bit me last night.”

Shen Tang teased: “How do you know it wasn’t someone else?”

“Because it wouldn’t be anyone else.”

Shen Tang buttoned up one more button on his shirt to cover the mark completely.

Jiang Chengyu had endured quite a bit last night without protection. Unable to purchase supplies discreetly in this village—mostly run by villagers—he had suffered in silence.

His phone buzzed.

The driver had arrived and was calling.

Jiang Chengyu kissed her cheek lightly. “Go back to sleep. I’ll be back before dark.”

Grabbing his phone, he turned off the bedside lamp and left.

By 5:30 AM, the sky was already bright, and the morning air carried the scent of the sea.

Tourists gathered on the beach, awaiting sunrise.

Two black sedans pulled up along the roadside outside the gate. The bodyguards saw Jiang Chengyu emerge from the yard and opened the rear car door.

This time, his secretary had accompanied him, walking forward a few steps. “Mr. Jiang, your overseas video conference starts in fifteen minutes.”

Jiang Chengyu nodded. Sensing something, he suddenly turned his head.

Grandpa sat by the fence, gazing blankly at him and the cars.

Just a few meters away, he had clearly heard the secretary call him “Mr. Jiang.”

Jiang Chengyu gestured for the bodyguards and secretary to get into the car. He strode over to his grandfather. “Grandpa, you’re up so early?”

Grandpa saw through the lie but didn’t confront him. “Old age makes it hard to sleep.”

He pointed toward the sea. “As long as the weather’s good, I wait for sunrise here every day.”

Jiang Chengyu crouched halfway, pondering how to explain. He couldn’t bring himself to lie to an elder any longer.

Assuming he wouldn’t return today, Grandpa said, “As long as you don’t mind the place, feel free to visit whenever you have time.”

“I’m not leaving. I’ll stay here for a few days—I’m just heading downtown for a meeting today.” Jiang Chengyu apologized sincerely. “Grandpa, we’ll chat when I return this evening.”

Though unclear why Jiang Chengyu had lied about being a bodyguard, Grandpa accepted there must be a reason. “Hurry up and get in the car. Don’t delay your schedule—you have a meeting, right?”

Jiang Chengyu felt too ashamed to speak. He nodded.

Before leaving, he firmly gripped his grandfather’s rough, weathered hand.

As the car turned the corner, Jiang Chengyu rolled up the window.

Five minutes remained before the meeting. He sent Shen Tang a message: [Grandpa was at the gate—I didn’t expect him to be up so early. When I return this afternoon, I’ll explain everything to him. I’ll tell him I like you, that I’ve been pursuing you all the way from Beijing to here. Next time we’re free, I’ll accompany you back to Haitang Village. By then, I’ll tell him I’ve already won you over.]