Chapter 80: A Gathering at the New Home

After buying the ingredients and just entering the Danqingyuan Residential Complex, Shen Yan saw Lin Yang and his group standing by the fountain in the center of the complex from afar.

A group of residents, both old and young, were gathered around them, and many were holding up their phones to film.

It turned out that Danta was playing on a skateboard as if it were in its element; its three legs were planted firmly on the board, its left hind leg kicked the ground nimbly a few times, and then it leaped onto the skateboard with a lithe posture, its little bottom wiggling rhythmically, and its turning and kicking movements were as smooth as flowing water, all done in one go.

What was even more impressive was that Danta was also spinning around on the skateboard with a look of triumph, its eyes like those of a proud peacock, occasionally sweeping over the audience wantonly, as if announcing to the world: "Aren't I amazing!"

The onlookers exclaimed in amazement one after another.

"Wow! Danta is so amazing!"

"Damn! I can hardly believe my eyes."

"Honey, I want a dog like this."

"Mom, will you buy me a skateboard? I want to play with Danta."

"Dad, shall we take this Danta home?"

Shen Nainai was smiling so hard at the side that her eyes narrowed into slits, her smile like a blooming chrysanthemum.

She had never dreamed that the little dog she had picked up on a whim would be so clever and sensible, not only understanding human nature but also keenly grasping human speech, and under Shen Yan's careful training, it had learned all sorts of commands.

Every time Danta executed a command accurately, an indescribable sense of emotion would well up in Shen Nainai's heart, a sense of accomplishment like raising a child, which made her love for Danta grow even deeper.

Noticing Shen Yan's arrival, Lin Yang couldn't help but sigh: "Old Shen, I feel like a loser; I can't even compare to a dog."

"Lao Lin, this realization of yours, how should I put it, is spot on!" Shen Yan grinned and chuckled.

"Pfft!" Wu Yueer and the others couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.

Wu Yueer gave Shen Yan a thumbs up, praising his sharp retort, and Shen Yan said it was because he was infected by her; when playing games, Wu Yueer always had frequent witty remarks, such as "scatter some rice and even a chicken's positioning would be better than yours," or "not destroying the defense tower, is it because the demolition compensation hasn't arrived yet?"

Influenced by her, Shen Yan inevitably picked up a few bad habits.

Wu Yueer giggled, looking quite proud of herself.

Lin Yang immediately protested, "Damn! I was just joking, okay? If I really practiced skateboarding, I could show off all kinds of fancy moves in minutes, leaving Danta behind by more than ten streets."

Shen Yan gave two "hehe"s and then greeted everyone: "Don't just stand there, come inside and sit for a while."

As he spoke, Shen Yan looked at the silent Yu Youwei to the side; Yu Youwei was wearing a white T-shirt, layered with a khaki work jacket, and blue straight-leg shorts on her lower body, revealing a pair of straight and well-proportioned legs, with a pair of white sneakers on her feet.

Her egg-roll-style long hair hung vertically in front of her, and what was surprising was that she had, for the first time ever, applied lipstick.

As their eyes met, seven parts sorrow, two parts joy, and one part annoyance—inexplicably, Shen Yan read these emotions in her eyes.

Shen Yan smiled faintly and said nothing, turning his head to ask Zhu Baoping to go to the supermarket to buy two cases of beer, then beckoned the group to walk toward his home; along the way, Tang Song remarked that the complex environment was nice, with security guards on duty and a landscape full of flowers that was a feast for the eyes, adding that once he earned money, he would buy a place like this in Hangzhou.

Wu Yueer teased him, saying that he would have to work hard then, so as not to let Yuan Mingqing wait until she was old and withered; Yuan Mingqing's face flushed slightly, and an unspeakable joy welled up in her heart.

Because she had once said she wanted to put down roots in Hangzhou, and she hadn't expected Tang Song to remember it all along and use it as his goal to strive for.

This feeling of being valued was truly good.

"Yue'er, I have a property in the Shanghai residential complex; I'll invite you to be a guest at my home when you're on break," Lin Yang said, lifting his chin, looking quite pleased with himself.

Wu Yueer nodded slightly without saying whether she agreed or not; Lin Yang took it as her tacit consent, and his heart was ecstatic like a blooming flower.

At the same time, his eyes slanted toward Wu Yueer's neckline, then shifted away instantly, wanting to look but not daring to.

Wu Yueer was beautiful to a new height again today; her upper body was a black off-the-shoulder halter long-sleeved T-shirt, revealing her snow-white shoulders and exquisite collarbones, and her lower body was a pair of gray slim-fit trousers; her sexy and hot aura surged out from her body like a fierce flame.

Let alone Lin Yang, even Tang Song and Shen Yan snuck a few glances.

It was truly magnificent!

Among all the people he knew, only Hao Anqi was a cut above.

Arriving at Fifth Unit 802, Shen Yan told everyone not to be restrained and to be as comfortable as they liked, then cut some fruit and placed it on the coffee table in the living room.

None of the group came empty-handed; Yu Youwei presented a lush pothos plant, and the others brought small ornaments to decorate the house.

Shen Yan accepted them gladly and then walked into the kitchen to start working.

The layout of the suite was actually very simple and clear at a glance; to the right of the front door were the dining room and kitchen, to the right were the living room and balcony, and further inside, the master and secondary bedrooms were located on the left and right, with a bathroom between them; additionally, the master bedroom had a separate bathroom and balcony.

The 120-square-meter area was planned as two bedrooms and one living room, which could be said to be quite spacious.

The group toured the inside and outside, and Tang Song asked: "Old Shen, did you add these pieces of furniture and the color TV yourself?"

Shen Yan, while processing ingredients in the kitchen, said: "Yeah, I ran back and forth and put in a lot of effort."

The group exclaimed in admiration; they were all the same age, yet Shen Yan could complete such complicated matters alone and handle everything perfectly.

If it were them, they would surely be like headless flies, at a loss, not even knowing where to start.

Even the usually mature Tang Song was secretly clicking his tongue; he had felt that Shen Yan was different when they first met—calm and composed, carrying an aura of a mature man—but looking at it now, he had far underestimated Shen Yan's capabilities.

He was worthy of being someone who dared to take over a million and squander it everywhere.

Yu Youwei spoke for the first time today, surprised: "Handsome, you actually have a bathtub in your room; this is too enjoyable."

Shen Yan replied that it came with the finished apartment, and it was the same at Chen Shanni's place; Chen Shanni nodded in agreement, and then the group ran to the neighboring Room 801 to take a look.

As the sun set, the evening glow seemed like the red sun shattering on the horizon, splashing up streaks of red clouds; the fountain in the center of the complex bubbled with spray, rippling in circle after circle of waves.

Braised shrimp with loofah, steamed sea bass, braised pork ribs, Kung Pao chicken...

As dish after dish of delicacies were placed on the dining table, the aroma of the food permeated the air; the group sitting on the sofa watching TV began to swallow their saliva incessantly. Lin Yang could not resist the temptation, got up and came to the dining table, and shouted: "Old Shen, is it ready yet? My stomach is growling like a bullfrog."

Shen Yan scooped the stir-fried rice cakes into a bowl and said: "Everyone come over and sit down, get ready to eat."

Hearing this, the group felt as if they had been granted amnesty and quickly gathered around the dining table. Yu Youwei asked in confusion: "Handsome, why don't I see your grandmother?"

"Grandma said that with a group of young people having a meal, everyone would feel restrained if she were here, so she wouldn't join in and told everyone to eat and drink well," Shen Yan replied casually.

Wu Yueer said maybe they should still call Grandma, but Shen Yan shook his head: "No need, she has already eaten by now and is probably dancing square dance in the park."

The group laughed heartily upon hearing this; it wasn't just a day or two that the elderly had been keen on square dancing.