Chapter 277 - 256: As long as you like it, childishness is fine too.

Words : 1199 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 277: 256: As long as you like it, childishness is fine too. Yu Zhi was amused by the gesture. She took out a tissue from the cardboard box and placed it gently atop his hand: "Childish or not?" Her laughter was like a bloom of countless flowers bursting on the tip of Wen Renche’s heart, an unearthly kind of beauty. "As long as..." you like it, childish is fine. His voice was so soft, so light that Yu Zhi couldn’t quite catch the words before their lingering tenderness dissipated into the wind. She was about to ask, but her peripheral vision caught sight of the tipsy redness on the skin of his hand, shifting her attention once more. Yu Zhi sighed: "Don’t do this next time." If, at that moment, he needed a warm and secure embrace, she’d have offered it. Wen Renche poured another cup of fruit tea and tucked it into her hands, his eyes smiling as thick lashes faintly brushed over the teardrop mole at the corner of his eye. "Got it." Taking advantage of the girl’s distraction, he pinched her soft, pale cheek playfully, his eyes sparkling with fragments of light. The phone resting on the table suddenly vibrated. Wen Renche glanced casually at the screen. Upon seeing one specific message pop up, he asked blandly, "Is Shi Wei busy today?" Yu Zhi nodded: "He went back to the old house." Every so often, Shi Beiming insisted his children return home; it had become an unwritten rule. She tapped the message open, revealing a line of endearing, sticky text in small black characters: "Zhizhi, I miss you so much." Yu Zhi bit lightly on her lip. As she began typing a reply, another "kiss" sticker popped up. She responded with a "hug" emoji: "We’ll see each other very soon." "Ah-Shi, let’s go eat." Wen Renche hadn’t peeked at her phone, but from her subtle expressions, he could more or less guess who had messaged her. Deliberately speaking aloud, his intent was to redirect her thoughts back to himself. "Okay." Yu Zhi sent another message to Shi Wei. Turning off her phone, she reached for the backpack placed to the side but found someone acting faster than her. Wen Renche casually slung the backpack over his shoulder. Paired with his black overcoat, it suited him well. He loosely draped an arm around the girl’s shoulder and, stepping through fragmented reflections cast by the chandelier, joyfully pushed open the door. ** The tranquil and serene courtyard. Steam wafted gently from the main house, its orange glow spilling over the dining table, casting elongated shadows onto the wooden door. The light clinking of bowls and chopsticks was akin to a bubbling brook. A table was laden with scrumptious dishes, flawless in both presentation and taste. The atmosphere, while not exactly warm, could at least be called harmonious. But such harmony didn’t last long before it was broken by a bothersome voice: "Big Brother, has Xing Ye landed another big deal lately?" Shi Wei, head down, fiddled with his phone: "No." His tone was indifferent, carrying a hint of annoyance at being disturbed. Even within his own home, his presence exuded icy detachment. From beginning to end, he kept others at an arm’s length. Shi Yaoyu, while placing some food into her bowl, cast a sideways glance at his phone: "I thought you had something important going on to ignore even meal times." Her undisguised sarcasm generated a brief silence in the room. Shi Wei slowly lifted his gaze, his eyes dark and unfathomable. Just as he finished replying to the young lady’s message, he set his phone down heavily onto the table, scoffing lightly: "Since when does a bastard child meddle in my affairs?" With that, even Shi Yin—the one sitting quietly like an invisible presence—couldn’t help but turn his head in shock. He remembered years ago, in a fit of anger, he had called Shi Yaoyu a bastard child, only to be punished by Shi Beiming, made to stand in the freezing wind for a whole day. Back then, Shi Wei had even warned him against hurting the relationship between their father and himself over someone inconsequential. But now... "Shi Wei!" Shi Yaoyu slammed her hand on the table. Her delicate face paled and flushed alternately, her gaze sharp as blades, the hatred pouring from her eyes unchecked and furious. "What’s all this noise for?" Shi Beiming scolded. His brows furrowed as if he’d suddenly lost his appetite, unwilling even to hold his chopsticks: "Can’t you all calm down for once?" Every single gathering ended in quarrels or disputes. Not once had they let him enjoy a peaceful meal. "Dad, didn’t you hear that?!" Shi Yaoyu’s eyes reddened as she accused, feeling that he was partial beyond reason: "He insulted me first!" Shi Beiming pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked at Shi Wei disapprovingly: "Little Wei, it’s been so many years, and you still can’t accept her?" The ’her’ in his words encompassed not only Shi Yaoyu but also the woman who had long since become his wife. Shi Wei’s gaze was ice cold as he met his father’s eyes, his posture relaxed as he crossed his legs and rested his sharp-boned hand casually to the side: "I’ve never acknowledged them." Therefore, acceptance was out of the question. His arrogance, his blatant disregard for others, felt like a venomous thorn piercing into Shi Yaoyu’s every nerve. If not for the lingering grip of reason, she might have already hurled the porcelain bowl beside her fiercely at his figure. "Little Wei, Yaoyu is my child too." Shi Beiming leaned back against his chair in exhaustion, his exasperation evident: "You disappoint me." "Disappointment? Ha." Shi Wei laughed practically in mockery, the serene disdain in his fine features unmistakable: "I thought I’d make you despair." "Shi Wei, is this how you talk to Dad?" Shi Yaoyu didn’t miss the chance to perform. She sidled up to Shi Beiming, gently tending to his mood, as if afraid he would grow more upset. Seeing this, the smile in Shi Wei’s eyes only deepened: "Looks like someone has been a Shi Family ’Miss’ for so long they’ve forgotten their roots." Roots, roots, always those damn roots. He knew too well how to hit her weakest spot, unrelentingly exposing the identity she had loathed since childhood. Shi Yaoyu clenched her fists so tightly her palms turned pale. Meeting his abyssal black gaze, even her fingertips quivered unconsciously. Whether from fury or fear, she wasn’t sure. "Enough." Shi Beiming restrained his buried anger. Remembering the purpose of calling them back today, he chose to temporarily set this unpleasantness aside. He patted Shi Yaoyu’s hand, motioning for her to return to her seat, then picked up his chopsticks: "It’s winter—the food cools quickly." Shi Wei raised a brow, an amused glimmer fleeting through his obsidian-like eyes. He said no more. In a rather cheery mood, he picked up a piece of corn. After chewing a couple of bites, he found it unappetizing and placed it aside. The taste hadn’t changed—but without the young lady by his side, even delicious food had become flavorless.

Chapter 277 - 256: As long as you like it, childishness is fine too.

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