Pats Little Shrike's Tail - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The cafe played a gentle melody. Shen Qingyi made a cup of coffee and placed it in front of Shen Hongjun.

There were no customers at noon. Nuonuo was eating with the little girl at a table near the counter, leaving only Shen Qingyi and Shen Hongjun sitting in a corner.

“How’s business lately?” Shen Hongjun took a sip of coffee and commented, “The coffee you make is getting better and better.”

Shen Qingyi showed no expression, just a faint “hmm.”

Shen Hongjun looked up at his daughter and said, “Come home for dinner these next couple of days. You promised me you’d have dinner with the family at least once a month. I’ll ask the maid to cook some of your favorite dishes.”

“Okay,” Shen Qingyi said calmly. “Tomorrow night, I’ll close the shop and come over.”

Shen Hongjun smiled at this. “Great. Your Aunt Tao will be happy to hear that. Is there anything you’d particularly like to eat? We’ll prepare it in advance.”

“No need. I’ll leave after dinner.”

“…Okay.”

Shen Hongjun sipped his coffee and glanced at his younger daughter not far away. He said to Shen Qingyi, “I heard from Jiang Yi that the little bird you’re raising is very cute. I always wanted you to get a pet, but you never did. It’s rare for you to like something.”

Seeing that Shen Qingyi wasn’t speaking, Shen Hongjun continued, as if accustomed to it, “How’s your condition now? I’m still quite worried about you.”

“If there’s nothing else, you can leave,” Shen Qingyi said, not wanting to continue the conversation. She stood up and said to Shen Hongjun, “I have things to do at the shop. I’ll come over myself tomorrow night. You don’t have to send someone to pick me up.”

Shen Hongjun looked at her and nodded slightly. “Yiyi, you know I’m very worried about you. Your mother got sick at your age. I hope you’ll get proper treatment.”

“No need,” Shen Qingyi turned to look at him, and said coldly, “If I die, wouldn’t you finally be free?”

Without waiting for Shen Hongjun to say anything else, Shen Qingyi turned and left.

After an unknown amount of time, there were only a few customers left in the cafe. Nuonuo went upstairs to refill Shen Qingyi’s lemonade and said to her, “Manager, your dad and them have left.”

Shen Qingyi nodded.

Nuonuo looked at Shen Qingyi with a face full of gossip.

She had only known that her boss was a rich second-generation, but she never expected Shen Qingyi’s father to be the Shen Hongjun who was often in the news, the leading local business magnate.

Shen Hongjun wasn’t at the top of the wealthy circle. The reason he was famous, besides being handsome, was because of his beautiful and charming wife. Shen Hongjun’s wife, Tao Wanyue, was a top student from a prestigious university. She had fair skin, a beautiful face, and an elegant demeanor. A street photo of her went viral. Although there was a big age gap between her and Shen Hongjun, they were considered a perfect match.

Nuonuo had always thought Shen Hongjun only had one daughter, but she never expected Shen Qingyi to be his daughter as well.

Was Shen Hongjun a two-time married man with his current beautiful wife?

But how come I’ve never heard of his ex-wife?

Shen Qingyi didn’t need to look to know what Nuonuo looked like. There were only two words in her eyes: [Curiosity].

“I know,” Shen Qingyi said to her. “Go get busy.”

“Hmm… okay.” Nuonuo didn’t dare to say anything else. Her boss had a cold personality, and she relied on this job to make a living. She couldn’t upset her, so she quickly picked up her wooden tray and went downstairs.

Shen Qingyi watched Nuonuo leave, then turned to look at the outdoor balcony. The park in the distance was a sea of gold. She believed that after a few more rains, winter would have officially arrived.

Although Shen Qingyi disliked Shen Hongjun’s family, ever since her mother’s death and Shen Hongjun’s remarriage, Shen Qingyi had always felt that her father had nothing to do with her. And he clearly felt the same way.

To the public, Shen Hongjun only had his perfect family of three. Few people knew about Shen Qingyi’s existence, making her seem like an illegitimate child who couldn’t be shown to the world.

Shen Qingyi occasionally thought back to when she was a child. Shen Hongjun would hold her in his arms. Her mother was still healthy back then. The family of three, though not well-off, was very happy.

But ever since her mother got sick, everything seemed to change.

The thick curtains were always drawn in the dim room. Shen Qingyi would look at the silent woman lying on the bed and want to call out ‘mom,’ but Shen Hongjun would cover her eyes and hold her in his arms.

“Yiyi, your mom is sick. Let’s not disturb her.”

Shen Hongjun was so gentle and young back then. His wide hands gently stroked Shen Qingyi’s head, not letting her see the woman in the dim room.

“When will mom get better?”

“…She will get better.”

Shen Hongjun didn’t answer her question directly. He just said to her, “Everything will be alright.”

But in reality, only he got better. Shen Qingyi was not included.

Shen Hongjun worked harder after his wife died, and his business got better and better. Later, he met his current wife, remarried, and had a well-behaved and healthy child.

Perhaps, this was what Shen Hongjun meant by “Everything will be alright.”

…

Since she had agreed to have dinner with Shen Hongjun’s family tomorrow, Shen Qingyi kept her word. The next day, she closed the shop and drove directly to the Shen family’s villa. As soon as she got out of the car, she saw Jiang Yi waiting in the courtyard to greet her.

The Shen family’s property was huge. With a detached villa and a large courtyard, one would have to walk for more than ten minutes to see a neighbor.

When Jiang Yi saw Shen Qingyi, she walked over enthusiastically and said with a smile, “Yiyi, you’re finally here. Was the traffic bad?”

“It was okay,” Shen Qingyi said truthfully. Not many people drove to the villa, so the traffic was indeed not bad.

“Your Auntie Tao has prepared a lot of delicious food today, just waiting for you to arrive,” Jiang Yi said, leading Shen Qingyi into the house.

As soon as she entered the house, Shen Qingyi heard people talking.

Tao Wanyue’s voice was calm and gentle. She said to someone, “Put that down. You just came back from playing outside and didn’t wash your hands. How can you eat watermelon?”

“My hands aren’t dirty, mom,” Shen Jiao’s clear and sweet voice said with a hint of grievance to Tao Wanyue. “And I’m using a toothpick to eat. I’m not using my hands.”

Tao Wanyue said unhappily, “That’s still not okay. A girl should not be like this. You have no manners.”

At this time, Shen Hongjun chuckled, seemingly picking up Shen Jiao. He said to his wife, “She just didn’t wash her hands. Don’t scold Jiao Jiao. It won’t look good when Yiyi arrives.”

Shen Jiao asked, “When is big sister coming?”

“Soon,” Shen Hongjun replied.

This family of three looked so warm. No matter how Shen Qingyi looked at it, she felt like she was a surplus. Jiang Yi, on the other hand, didn’t feel that way. She chuckled and said to the people in the dining room, “Jiao Jiao, your sister is here to see you~”

Shen Qingyi had no way to continue eavesdropping. She had to follow Jiang Yi out.

Shen Hongjun was indeed holding Shen Jiao. The family of three looked even warmer than she had imagined.

Four people sat together at the dining table. Tao Wanyue had a good family background and a good education, and she was very considerate. Although she was only a few years older than Shen Qingyi, she was polite and thoughtful, acting completely as the lady of the house to take care of Shen Qingyi, the ‘stepdaughter.’

“Yiyi, try this,” Tao Wanyue said with a smile, putting a piece of salmon on Shen Qingyi’s plate. “It was just flown in. It’s very fresh. I’m not much of a cook. Jiang Yi taught me how to make these dishes.”

Shen Qingyi lowered her eyes, looked at the food on her plate, and whispered, “Thank you.”

Shen Jiao sat next to Shen Qingyi. Her pair of shiny black eyes looked at Shen Qingyi, and she also copied her mother, putting a piece of braised pork into Shen Qingyi’s bowl.

“Sister, eat some meat,” Shen Jiao said, looking at Shen Qingyi with a sweet and innocent voice. “The braised pork that Jiang Yi makes is so delicious. It’s sweet.”

Shen Qingyi looked at the eight-year-old Shen Jiao and finally understood why Jiang Yi’s cooking was so sweet.

“Thank you,” Shen Qingyi also thanked her sister and put some food on her plate.

Sometimes, Shen Qingyi felt very conflicted. She clearly disliked Shen Hongjun and resented him for abandoning her, but she still craved the warmth of a family. She also wanted to blend into this family of three where she didn’t belong.

Her rational mind told Shen Qingyi that this was their home, not hers.

Dinner was over quickly. After eating, Shen Qingyi was ready to leave.

Tao Wanyue held Shen Jiao’s hand and stood at the door. She watched Shen Qingyi put on her shoes and asked politely, “Why don’t you stay the night? The room has been prepared for you.”

“No need,” Shen Qingyi looked at her and said, “I have things to do at home.”

Shen Jiao hugged her mother’s leg and looked at Shen Qingyi, who was more than ten years older than her, timidly. She said in a soft and polite voice, “Goodbye, big sister.”

Shen Hongjun was a bit reluctant to see his daughter go. He said to Jiang Yi, “Go to the fridge and get the box of Pacific white shrimp and salmon. Let Yiyi take it home to eat.”

Before Shen Qingyi could refuse, Jiang Yi came out with two boxes of seafood. She said to Shen Qingyi, “I’ll help you put them in the car. This seafood is very fresh. You must eat it soon.”

Shen Qingyi didn’t refuse and went to the garage with Jiang Yi.

“Jiang Yi.”

Shen Qingyi stood by the trunk, watching Jiang Yi help her organize her things. She casually said, “You don’t have to cook for me every day. It must be tough for you to go back and forth every day.”

“Huh?” Jiang Yi turned her head and looked at Shen Qingyi. “I only go to your house to clean on Saturdays. I don’t cook for you every day.”

Shen Qingyi was slightly stunned. She blinked and said, “Didn’t you cook for me and clean the house every day?”

“No,” Jiang Yi also looked at her in surprise. “Mr. Shen only asked me to go to your house to clean every Saturday. He said you don’t like people entering your home, and I always give you a heads-up before I go.”

Jiang Yi saw that Shen Qingyi was also in a daze, so she cautiously asked, “Yiyi, are you… okay?”

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