STYL - 9

Shen Tang realized that Jiang Chengyu’s words were dripping with affection, as if she were his one and only ultimate destination.

Regardless, she was genuinely surprised—and touched—that he had come to see her in the middle of the night.

“Wait a moment. I’ll change my clothes.”

Shen Tang set her phone aside and slipped into a long dress.

Careful not to wake her grandfather sleeping in the adjacent bedroom, she tiptoed out of the room. The lights on the first three floors of the guesthouses were all off, and except for the sound of the waves, the small fishing village was eerily quiet.

Under the moonlight, Shen Tang hurried across the courtyard. Through the flowerbeds and wooden fence, Jiang Chengyu stood at the entrance, gazing in her direction.

Two cars were parked by the roadside, but the driver hadn’t stepped out.

Shen Tang opened the wooden gate from inside. The gate was more decorative than functional, covered in creeping vines.

Jiang Chengyu rested his hand on the fence, watching her intently. “I thought you’d be excited enough to run straight into my arms.”

The sea breeze tousled Shen Tang’s hair, the loose strands obscuring her view of Jiang Chengyu.

“If it weren’t for this wooden gate, I might’ve actually tackled you.” She combed her fingers through her hair, tucking it behind her ears.

The wind was strong, so she kept her palm pressed against her head to hold her hair in place.

Her lips curled slightly as she locked eyes with him, the lights along the coastline reflecting in her eyes.

Glistening and vibrant, yet achingly cold.

“This take is a fail. Let’s do it again,” she said.

Before Jiang Chengyu could process what she meant, Shen Tang had already retreated into the yard.

She ran toward him.

Against the wind, her long skirt billowed behind her.

Jiang Chengyu finally noticed—she was barefoot.

Afraid the sound of slippers would disturb anyone, she had come out without shoes to open the gate for him.

Jiang Chengyu bent down to catch her, lifting her up.

In the sea breeze, they shared a deep kiss.

As their lips parted, Shen Tang hooked her arm around his neck, catching her breath.

It all felt unreal, like a dream.

Jiang Chengyu gently set her down. “Don’t move too much. There are pebbles here.” He walked toward the car to retrieve his suitcase.

Shen Tang took a few steps back, standing on the steps inside the yard.

The waves roared, white foam rolling before her eyes.

She lightly brushed the leaves of the creeping vines.

Then she looked up at Jiang Chengyu.

Even the most dazzling city lights couldn’t compare to even a fraction of this man’s brilliance.

After giving a few instructions to the driver, Jiang Chengyu watched the two cars drive away. He carried his suitcase over.

To avoid waking the guests staying in the inn, he lifted the suitcase slightly off the ground.

Shen Tang followed behind, locking the gate quietly from the inside.

It felt almost like sneaking around. Jiang Chengyu tiptoed carefully, fearing her grandfather might suddenly wake up and walk out to find him.

Once inside the living room, Shen Tang pointed to the bedroom on the left.

Jiang Chengyu gripped the doorknob, slowly pushing it open.

After locking the bedroom door from the inside, both of them let out a sigh of relief.

Jiang Chengyu placed the suitcase by the window and glanced around the room. Its decor mirrored the style of his villa in Beijing—even the wallpaper was the same.

The self-built house was spacious, comparable to a suite villa.

It had an en-suite bathroom, a walk-in closet, and a sofa with a vanity by the window.

“Did you recently renovate the house?” He deliberately lowered his voice.

“Last year, we redid it.” Shen Tang slipped on some flip-flops. “It’s fine. You can speak normally. The house was soundproofed during renovations.”

Jiang Chengyu brought up the topic of her family. On the drive over, he had noticed that their house was the largest, with the biggest yard. “Why did your family build so many houses?”

Shen Tang: “We had the money.”

“…”

He was momentarily speechless, and Shen Tang chuckled. “The building next door is also ours.”

So, her family owned even more property than he had seen. Jiang Chengyu casually remarked, “Is that where your father stays?”

Regarding her parents, she had once mentioned during a casual online gossip session that after their divorce, they each started new families, and she grew up with her grandfather.

“It’s also rented out for business. My father…” Even calling him “father” felt foreign. “They’re not in Shenzhen. Let’s not talk about this.”

Jiang Chengyu sensed the strained relationship between her and her parents. Since she didn’t want to elaborate, he naturally refrained from asking further.

Earlier, when she had run outside barefoot, Shen Tang had worn flip-flops to wash her feet in the bathroom.

Jiang Chengyu unpacked his daily essentials and pajamas from the suitcase. He removed his suit jacket, draping it over the back of the chair, and tilted his chin slightly as he began unbuttoning his shirt.

When Shen Tang emerged from washing her feet, she had tied a knot in the hem of her long dress.

She sat on the edge of the bed, propping herself up with one hand behind her, her posture relaxed and carefree. She watched Jiang Chengyu unbutton his shirt. “Why did you rush to Shenzhen from Guangzhou in the middle of the night?”

“The friend’s business trouble was resolved, and there was nothing else keeping me there.” Even though he had already explained via WeChat, Jiang Chengyu repeated himself in person. “It’s just a childhood friend from the same neighborhood.”

“I know.” Shen Tang said. “You mentioned it earlier.”

Jiang Chengyu removed his watch and placed it on the bedside table. “I only have you. You won’t have any reason to be jealous of other women.”

His offhand comment stirred emotions within her.

Shen Tang no longer dwelled on his sudden trip to Guangzhou. “Did you just return to the country today?”

“Yes. I haven’t adjusted to the time difference yet.”

Guessing that accommodations here were limited and knowing he wouldn’t have access to the presidential suite services he usually required, he had brought his own slippers.

After changing into flip-flops, Jiang Chengyu picked up his pajamas and headed to the bathroom.

By the time Jiang Chengyu emerged from his shower, only the bedside lamp on his side was lit. A glass of warm water, a book, and a bottle of melatonin had appeared on the bedside table.

Shen Tang was already lying in bed, wearing an eye mask, flat on her back, leaving most of the blanket for him.

Jiang Chengyu drank half the glass of warm water but skipped the melatonin.

He removed her eye mask. “Are you able to sleep?”

Shen Tang smiled. “This is my bed. Why wouldn’t I be able to sleep?”

Jiang Chengyu kissed her, trailing kisses down her neck.

After being apart for some time, she knew that continuing like this would surely get out of control.

“There’s nothing prepared here.”

She hadn’t expected him to come and hadn’t prepared protection.

Jiang Chengyu’s voice was hoarse. “I still have my mouth and hands.”

Being held and kissed by him stirred her desire.

The bedside lamp was blinding, so she reached for her eye mask and put it on.

Instantly, her vision plunged into darkness.

Her body felt like it was floating on the surface of the sea, giant waves crashing over her as she sank into his lips and tongue.

Calm returned an hour later.

Jiang Chengyu took a quick shower, dimmed the lights to their lowest setting, and leaned against the headboard with the script in hand. His jet lag hadn’t caught up with him yet.

Shen Tang turned to face Jiang Chengyu, her eye mask shielding her from the light. She couldn’t tell that he was reading That Early Summer , the same script she had barely skimmed through two pages of.

Jiang Chengyu freed one hand, resting it on her shoulder. “Why aren’t you sleeping yet?”

“You slept earlier before I came. I’m not very tired.” As she spoke, Shen Tang propped herself up on her elbow.

Jiang Chengyu turned to look at her. “What’s wrong?”

“Let me try changing positions to see if I can fall asleep.” Shen Tang rested her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. “When are you returning to Beijing?”

“For now, I’m not going back. I’ll stay here with you for three to five days.”

Shen Tang nodded. If he planned to stay for three to five days, constantly coming and going from her bedroom would be inconvenient.

“I’ll book you a room at the inn tomorrow. Shen Ge always keeps one room reserved for friends. It’ll be convenient for you to stay there.” She planned to reserve the vacant room the next day.

Jiang Chengyu flipped a page of the script. “Booking works. Since I’m already here, I should meet Grandpa and spend some time chatting with him. I’ll pretend to be a tourist. In the evenings, I’ll still stay here.”

Referring to the building used as an inn, he asked, “Why don’t you and Grandpa live in the front building? You can see the sea right from your window.”

Shen Tang: “I’ve seen it since I was little. It’s not exciting anymore.”

Their house was only a few dozen meters from the beach. She could see the ocean while eating. As a child, she had no playmates. Shen Ge was eight years older, and by the time she became aware, he was already helping with chores around the house.

When bored, she would sit on a small stool at the door, watching the waves and playing with sand.

Back then, there was no soft sandy beach, no tourists. Only rows of fishing boats lined the shore.

Grandpa had one too.

When it was time for school, Grandpa sent her to study in the city.

She was too young then, afraid of being alone in an unfamiliar place, and wanted to attend school in the village. But Grandpa insisted, saying her father had arranged this school for her, and she must attend.

“This way, you’ll have better opportunities in the future.”

She asked Grandpa, “Will Mom and Dad come to visit me after they finish being busy?”

She still remembered Grandpa’s silent expression. He lied to her, saying, “Your father will definitely come to visit you.”

That phrase—”Your father will definitely come to visit you”—became her dream throughout elementary school.

By middle school, she had woken up to reality. Her parents weren’t busy—they didn’t want her.

Shen Tang snapped out of her thoughts and said to Jiang Chengyu, “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Jiang Chengyu wrapped his arms around her back.

Shen Tang didn’t know when she fell asleep. The sound of Jiang Chengyu flipping pages of the script gradually faded into the distance.

At 5 AM, Jiang Chengyu was finally sleepy.

Having read halfway through the script, he turned off the lights and went to sleep.

The seaside was already bustling with activity, filled with young people waiting for sunrise.

Grandpa was accustomed to rising early. As dawn approached, he rode his electric tricycle around the village, as he did every day.

Shen Ge’s inn had already opened its doors early. “Grandpa, are you going out for a walk again today?”

Grandpa: “Since I can’t sleep anyway, who knows when Tangtang will wake up.”

He rode out a short distance before turning back to remind Shen Ge, “Tangtang doesn’t eat much. Don’t bother adding extra dishes for lunch. Whatever you have will do. She’s not picky.”

Shen Ge nodded.

They had been running the inn for many years. Since Shen Tang didn’t charge rent, they took care of Grandpa’s meals. Whenever she returned, she ate with them.

________________________________________

Shen Tang and Jiang Chengyu slept until 10:30 AM. On the first day of vacation, they were both in high spirits, feeling relaxed and happy.

Shen Tang noticed the script flipped over on the bedside table. The book she had prepared for Jiang Chengyu the previous night showed no signs of being read.

“Why do you suddenly enjoy reading scripts?”

The last time in Beijing, he had meticulously read through the script for Sheng Xiao , which she was scheduled to film the following month.

Jiang Chengyu sidestepped her question. “This script is good. When does filming start?”

A few days ago, when she had firmly rejected Sister Li, she had hesitated for a moment this time, recalling her grandfather’s notebook.

“I haven’t decided to take this project yet.”

She changed into a dress for going out. “I’ll go buy breakfast for you. Stay here and don’t leave the room.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Shen Tang locked the bedroom door and pocketed the key.

The door to her grandfather’s bedroom was wide open. The living room was empty, and the electric tricycle was parked in the yard.

When Shen Tang stepped into the yard, she saw her grandfather. She quickened her pace.

Grandpa was sitting by the roadside near the gate, staring vacantly at the children playing on the beach.

He reminded her of herself as a child, sitting at the doorway, gazing at the endless sea, hoping her parents would come to visit. Sometimes, she would sit there for hours on end.

“Grandpa.”

“You’re awake.” Grandpa turned his head, wrinkles on his face spreading into a smile.

Shen Tang crouched halfway, leaning on her grandfather’s knees. “Grandpa, what are you looking at?”

“Just watching the commotion.” Grandpa chuckled. “When you’re old, you have nothing to do all day, and you can’t even handle small tasks anymore. Each day passes, and there’s less time left.”

“Grandpa…”

“Alright, alright. Let’s not talk about this.”

Shen Tang hated hearing these words, but her grandfather, advanced in age, couldn’t help but lament how little time he had left, worrying about her.

She clenched her fingers tightly, struggling internally.

“Grandpa, I might be filming in Shenzhen next May. After my audition next month, I’ll know if I got the role. If I do, you’ll be able to visit me often on set.” That way, he’d get to see Chen Nanjin.

Hearing that his granddaughter might film in Shenzhen, Grandpa agreed enthusiastically. But before he could fully rejoice, he worried, “Would my presence embarrass you?”

“What are you talking about, Grandpa!”

Seeing his granddaughter upset, Grandpa quickly assured her, “I’ll definitely visit you. I want to see how our Tangtang films.”

“Grandpa, let’s go inside. It’s sunny out here.” Shen Tang stood up. “I’ll take a walk and buy some seafood to eat.”

In a quiet spot, Shen Tang called Sister Li.

“I’ll audition.”

Sister Li was startled, then broke into a delighted smile. “Have you reconsidered?”

Shen Tang didn’t respond.

It wasn’t that she had reconsidered—it was impossible for her to truly reconcile.

But she wanted to create an opportunity for her grandfather to see his son before the end of his life.

“Then I’ll contact Director Zhou for you. Rest well at home these next few days.”

After hanging up, Shen Tang wandered to the beach. She pulled her hat low to cover her face, removed her flip-flops, and waded into the water.

An indescribable sadness welled up inside her.

She walked along the coastline, the number of swimmers dwindling until she reached a deserted area. Then she messaged the editor of the fashion magazine, asking for Chen Nanjin’s number.

Chen Nanjin answered immediately.

“Tangtang?”

Shen Tang wasn’t surprised that Chen Nanjin had her number. A few years ago, he had called her.

She had blocked him immediately.

For over twenty years, he hadn’t cared about her, refusing to acknowledge her existence. Now, feigning remorse moved no one but himself.

“I want to act in That Early Summer .”

Because it was an open casting, she needed to ensure she secured the role.

That way, her grandfather would have the chance to visit her on set.

Chen Nanjin feared he had misheard. “You want to act?”

Shen Tang’s voice was icy. “What, is that a problem?”

“No, of course not. Tangtang, your father…”

Before he could finish, Shen Tang hung up.

Chen Nanjin wanted to call her back to ask when she’d be free to audition—a mere formality—but stopped himself, fearing she might refuse to act if forced to audition.

His excitement upon answering the call, his careful choice of words, and then being abruptly hung up on—all of it was observed by Zhou Mingqian.

Zhou Mingqian had met with Chen Nanjin that day to discuss the progress of That Early Summer . Uninterested in others’ private matters, he sipped his tea.

Chen Nanjin snapped back to reality and looked at Zhou Mingqian. “Shen Tang is my daughter, born to my ex-wife. You’ve probably heard rumors about me. They’re not rumors—they’re true.”

This revelation hit Zhou Mingqian like a thunderclap, nearly causing him to drop his cup.

He feigned calmness. “Shen Tang?”

“Yes.”

Zhou Mingqian took several sips of water to ease the tension. “Am I learning too much?”

Chen Nanjin couldn’t laugh. The whirlwind of emotions inside him felt like towering waves. “Tangtang wants to act in this drama.”

After reading the script, Zhou Mingqian had automatically pictured Shen Tang’s face. He had originally intended to cast her and had already sent the script to her agent.

“Was the protagonist’s personality written based on Shen Tang?”

Chen Nanjin didn’t deny it. He had written it loosely based on her personality but never expected her to take on his project.

Zhou Mingqian was puzzled. “If this drama was made for her, why not just tell her directly?”

Chen Nanjin sighed helplessly. “She wouldn’t accept it. When I called her years ago, she blocked me. The child support and education fund I gave her when she was little—she multiplied it by ten and returned it all to me last year.”

She had even left him a message: We’re even on money. I owe you nothing. Everyone who owes me will one day lose far more than they took.

After much deliberation, Chen Nanjin asked Zhou Mingqian, “When Aunt Fan asks, just say you insisted on casting Shen Tang. It’s an open audition anyway.”

Zhou Mingqian finally understood why Chen Nanjin had revealed such a huge secret to him—to deal with Aunt Fan.

Aunt Fan was Chen Nanjin’s current wife and Chen Yinao’s mother.

“Does Aunt Fan know Shen Tang is your daughter?”

“Yes. I told her before we married.” Chen Nanjin clasped his hands tightly. “Aunt Fan doesn’t want me to get close to Shen Tang. She’s afraid it’ll cause a scandal, affecting Yinao and possibly even ruining her career in the entertainment industry.”

There was a long silence.

“If the media finds out Shen Tang is my daughter, they’ll dig up everything about my ex-wife. Shen Tang’s mother… She has her own peaceful life and doesn’t want to be disturbed by anyone, including Tangtang.”

“So, I never acknowledged Tangtang. I haven’t even visited my father in years.”

If he were in her shoes—with such a selfish father and a heartless mother—what would he do? Zhou Mingqian couldn’t imagine. Regarding Chen Nanjin and Shen Tang’s situation, he was an outsider, unsure how to comment, so he silently sipped his tea.

One cup finished, he poured another.

________________________________________

The surging waves soaked the hem of her dress.

Shen Tang stood in the water for a moment before retracing her steps.

Jiang Chengyu called. “Is the restaurant in your village really that popular? You’ve been queuing for nearly an hour. How much longer?”

Shen Tang: “Not long now. I’ve packed quite a bit of delicious food for you.”

She hurried toward the shore.

She had almost forgotten about the “hidden beauty” waiting for her.

Jiang Chengyu put down his phone and continued reading the script.

After she left, he had showered, and now even his hair was dry, yet she still hadn’t returned.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door.

Thinking it was Shen Tang, Jiang Chengyu rose to open it.

“Tangtang…”

As Grandpa’s voice called out, the bedroom door happened to open from the inside.

Their eyes met, both stunned, staring at each other in disbelief.