Chapter 25: Hongmen Banquet

Enter the password, unlock, close the door.

The moment his feet stepped into the home.

The nerve in Shen Huai's brain that had been taut all day finally relaxed completely.

Utterly exhausted.

Shen Huai flopped straight down onto the sofa.

"This is only the first day of work; how am I supposed to live with seeing them every time I look up or down from now on?" Shen Huai muttered to himself while lying on the sofa.

Su Meng, Lu Sheng, Lin Yeman, Tong Yue, Liu Shishi, Luo Xiaoya.

Oh, right, almost forgot Li Xinran.

The first day of work.

Encountering seven ex-girlfriends in a row.

Even a TV drama wouldn't dare write such an absurd, melodramatic plot, yet Shen Huai ran into it all by himself.

Moreover, all seven of them are in the same company, seeing each other every time they look up or down.

Especially Tong Yue, who suddenly transformed into his direct supervisor.

She is petty and has a one-track mind.

Now that he has fallen into her hands, Shen Huai pessimistically predicts that his future career life is destined to be miserable and lonely.

If it weren't for the fact that the company, Xingyao, has good prospects, first-class benefits, is full of beauties, and has an attractive base salary.

Shen Huai would really want to quit at any minute.

These ladies, if he can't afford to offend them, can't he at least hide from them? "Buzz—buzz—buzz—"

Suddenly.

The phone in his pocket started vibrating.

Shen Huai picked it up and saw it was his mother, Yang Shuqin.

"Hello?" Shen Huai cleared his throat, trying his best to make his voice sound less exhausted.

"Off work already? How does it feel, being your first day on the job?"

Yang Shuqin's cheerful tone drifted out from the receiver.

Also transmitted into Shen Huai's ears was the faint, rustling sound of mahjong tiles colliding.

"It's fine."

Shen Huai replied concisely.

What happened at work today was too outrageous, and he didn't want Yang Shuqin to know too much, otherwise it would only be more troublesome.

"Just three words?"

Yang Shuqin's tone rose with some dissatisfaction: "You little brat, don't you have anything more to say to me?"

"Mom, aren't you playing cards? You're playing cards and talking on the phone at the same time, aren't you afraid of losing money?" Shen Huai quietly changed the subject.

"Tch, pfft, your mother here is having great luck today! Hey, wait a second, Pong!"

As Yang Shuqin spoke, there was another burst of tile-shuffling sounds.

"Mom, you just focus on your game. I worked all day and I'm exhausted, I'm hanging up." Seeing this, Shen Huai made a move to hang up the phone.

"Wait a minute, don't hang up, don't hang up!"

Yang Shuqin hurriedly held up the phone: "You little brat, your mother hasn't even finished talking yet!"

"Then hurry up and say it, okay? I'm really very tired."

"Fine, fine," Yang Shuqin lowered her tone, then got to the point, "No matter what, you must come back once this week."

"Back where?" Shen Huai frowned.

"Where else could it be? Naturally, back here in Binhai."

Yang Shuqin's tone was rarely serious: "Do you remember what I told you a few days ago? Your father's business partner is bringing his daughter this time; they say she's about your age."

"Originally, we planned for you to meet her on Monday, but you stubborn mule went and found yourself a job. I don't know you? It took a lot of convincing to get your dad to delay it until this weekend."

"Mom!"

Once Shen Huai heard this, he became anxious on the spot.

What era is this? Why do they still like to engage in this kind of commercial marriage.

Isn't this a blatant Hongmen Banquet of a blind date? Besides, he just graduated from college and is in the prime of his life; what kind of blind date is this!

"Mom, can I not go?" Shen Huai was very resistant.

"Of course not."

Yang Shuqin refused flatly, "Although your mother isn't in Jianghai City, don't think I don't know about your messy affairs. I need to find someone to keep you in check before I can be at ease."

"Besides, I've seen the girl's profile. She has both beauty and a career, and more importantly—"

"Stop, I don't want to hear it."

Before Yang Shuqin could finish, Shen Huai immediately interrupted her spellcasting, "Anyway, I said I won't see her, so I won't. No matter what you say, it's useless."

"What, don't tell me you've actually become addicted to being a corporate slave?"

Seeing Shen Huai repeatedly pushing back, Yang Shuqin was truly a bit displeased, "You and your father have conflicting values and argue the moment you open your mouths. Haven't I been indulging you for so many years? This is just asking you to come back for a meal and meet someone; is it going to kill you?"

Yang Shuqin's words made Shen Huai fall silent for once.

The words were crude but true.

Because of the long years of living apart, the familial affection between him and his father, Shen Zhiyuan, was actually quite distant.

In Shen Huai's childhood memories, there was almost no presence of his father. Especially after he was able to earn his own living expenses, his connection with Shen Zhiyuan became even more distant.

Without a doubt.

Shen Zhiyuan's sense of smell and sharpness in business were peerless.

But as a father, Shen Huai felt he was a failure.

If not for the sake of his mother, Yang Shuqin, Shen Huai would have long since completely broken ties with Shen Zhiyuan.

In the silence, Yang Shuqin's words still lingered in his ears: "Just meet once, alright? Mom won't force you, if you don't like them, we just won't talk about it, meeting won't cost you a piece of flesh, right?"

Hearing this, Shen Huai sighed deeply.

"Fine, but Mom, remember, I'm only agreeing because of you; I have no intention of doing this myself."

Hearing Shen Huai relent, Yang Shuqin's previously low tone instantly brightened again: "Fine, fine, fine, I know, then I'll have someone buy you a ticket now, first class for Saturday morning! It's settled!"

"No need, I'll—"

"Beep, beep, beep."

Before Shen Huai could finish his sentence, the busy signal from the call being hung up already came from the other end.

"... This mom, why is she always so impatient."

Shen Huai shook his head helplessly, sighed as he hung up the phone, and sank back into the sofa.

The empty living room, a silent atmosphere.

Looking at the gradually darkening sky outside the window.

Shen Huai sank deeply into the sofa, always feeling like something was missing.

He took out his phone, turned on Bluetooth, and connected to the living room's surround sound system.

Immediately after.

Shen Huai opened the music app, randomly tapped "Guess You Like," and then pressed the play button—

"Who still remembers, who said first, love me forever"

"A sentence from before, is the wound of our future"

"Too much time has passed, no one remembers, those tendernesses from the beginning"

"You and I hand in hand, saying we would, walk to the end"

A song, "Remember," drifted out from the speakers in such a low, slow, and melodious way.

Shen Huai was stunned for a moment.

If he remembered correctly, it seemed to be Lu Sheng's favorite song.

This set of audio equipment was entirely imported, the price was extremely high, and the sound quality was also extremely penetrating.

Plus, the volume Shen Huai had set was not low.

If nothing went wrong.

I'm afraid Lu Sheng, just a wall away, also heard him playing this song.

Shen Huai rubbed his forehead, his head aching.

What is up with this big data, even you want to stir up trouble? Shen Huai hurriedly picked up his phone, preparing to change the song.

As a result, just as he stood up, someone suddenly rang the doorbell at the entrance.

Lu Sheng?

Shen Huai subconsciously thought of Lu Sheng.

But on second thought, that's not right.

Such a polite and shy way of ringing the doorbell does not seem like a move Lu Sheng would make.

If it were her, she would definitely be slapping the door with a loud thumping sound.

But if it wasn't Lu Sheng, then who could it be? Shen Huai put on his slippers and walked to the door.

Through the peephole, Shen Huai discovered a woman standing at the door, fully armed.

Sunglasses, mask, and hat were all present, wrapped tightly from head to toe.

Shen Huai's brows furrowed slightly, then he gripped the doorknob and turned it gently—

The instant she saw Shen Huai.

The woman's action of pressing the doorbell stopped in mid-air.

Immediately after, the woman took off her sunglasses at light speed, revealing an expression of disbelief: "I didn't expect, Shen Huai, that you actually live here."

Shen Huai looked at those familiar doe eyes in front of him and froze directly on the spot.

"Li... Li Xinran?"

The corner of Shen Huai's mouth twitched.

How could she know his address? "Who still remembers, when love began to change"

Behind him, the melodious and sorrowful lyrics drifted out slowly.

Looking at Li Xinran's eyes, which were gradually becoming joyful.

Shen Huai only then reacted belatedly—

What a coincidence.

Li Xinran's favorite song was also "Remember."

(End of this chapter)