Chapter 88: Aftertaste

An Tong remained motionless in the man's arms, their closeness breaking with convention and inevitably making her feel awkward and nervous.

In truth, the embrace was not particularly tight—far from the intimacy of whispers and caresses. Yet for two people so untainted by past entanglements, this was an unprecedented step.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Rong Shen's warm palm continued to gently pat her arm, wordlessly soothing her.

An Tong snapped out of her trance and, meeting the man's smiling, gentle gaze, unconsciously relaxed, letting most of her weight rest against him.

She adjusted her position, held his fingers, and said, "It's not that I didn't want to talk. It's just… I was a bit surprised you could come back so early."

Rong Shen lowered his handsome face, eyeing the girl's upturned lips, his Adam's apple bobbing ever so slightly.

He said nothing more, merely leaned back against the sofa, but his strong arms tightened around her without a word, holding her even more securely.

Outside, the sky was awash with sunset, the afterglow dyeing half the heavens red.

The two of them savored a rare moment of tranquility. Even An An, tired from running about, sprawled out in her little dog bed, sound asleep.

...

When Cheng Feng arrived at the villa and stepped into the living room, he called out, "Sir, that—"

"Keep your voice down." On the sofa ahead, the man sat with his legs crossed, a phone in hand as if handling business. At the sound of Cheng Feng's booming voice, he frowned, looked up, and gave a low warning.

Cheng Feng instantly fell silent, even making an exaggerated gesture of zipping his lips.

Then, like a sentry at the door, he stood by to watch the scene unfold.

Though night had fallen, it wasn't yet seven o'clock… Had Sir already coaxed Little An to sleep?

There on the long sofa, An Tong was nestled in Sir's arms, sleeping soundly, one slender arm draped across the man.

Cheng Feng felt, inexplicably, as if he’d been slain in an instant, standing awkwardly, unsure whether to leave or stay.

A soft rustling sounded as the man, almost tenderly, moved the girl's arm aside.

He then gently lay her on her side on the sofa, his arm around her shoulders.

Finally, as he bent to withdraw his arm, he seemed to press a kiss to Little An's forehead.

Cheng Feng averted his eyes, feeling as if he were being pelted from every direction with dog food.

At this moment, Rong Shen looked down at the ‘sleeping’ An Tong, a smile playing on his thin lips. Glancing behind him, he murmured, "Bring me the coat from the cabinet."

Cheng Feng, catching on belatedly, doubled back to the entryway to fetch the coat, treading lightly as he handed it over.

Rong Shen spread the coat over the girl's body, patted her head, and signaled for Cheng Feng to follow him upstairs.

As their footsteps faded, An Tong, her face half-hidden under the coat, quietly opened her eyes.

Clearly, she’d been awake all along, but with someone else present, she had no choice but to feign sleep.

She clutched the collar of the coat, which was saturated with Rong Shen's scent.

Touching the spot on her forehead that had been kissed, she pulled the coat higher over her face, savoring the moment alone in the living room.

...

Upstairs in the study, Cheng Feng accepted the tea-infused cigarette the man handed him, took a drag, and smacked his lips. "Sir, this tea flavor is pretty strong, but it’s not as good as roasted tobacco."

Rong Shen sat back in his executive chair, lighting a cigarette, his voice muffled. "Coming to see me at this hour—what’s the matter?"

"It’s about Code Master." Cheng Feng’s expression grew serious. "I received a reply this morning. He’s agreed to join us, but his conditions are… extensive."

Cheng Feng relayed all of Code Master’s stipulations and, with a touch of slyness, added, "They say all geniuses have quirks. For someone who writes such sophisticated code, a few extra demands are understandable."

At this point, Cheng Feng was focused solely on bringing Code Master into the fold, having forgotten entirely what he’d once said in the livestream chat.

For example—

[Mashalatu: If Code Master replies to my private message, I’ll purify myself, bathe, and fast for a year.]

Now, not only had Code Master replied, but their eventual meeting was only a matter of time.

This would later prompt Cheng Feng to warn everyone at great personal cost: one should never speak too rashly.

The man listened to Cheng Feng’s explanation, removed the cigarette from his lips, and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Are you certain he’s willing to join?"

"All but certain," Cheng Feng replied eagerly. "Sir, his conditions aren’t unreasonable. If you look at them—"

Rong Shen swiveled his chair toward the window, silent for a moment, then said quietly, "Agree to them."

Delighted, Cheng Feng rubbed his hands together in excitement. "Great! I’ll reply to his email right away."

Just as he turned to go, he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, by the way, the programmer livestream app crashed unexpectedly last night. The interface still isn’t fixed. The official statement said the server was overloaded and they’re working on repairs, but I suspect… it might have something to do with him."

The man exhaled a stream of smoke, lips curling in intrigue. "What makes you think so?"

"Just a hunch." Cheng Feng puffed out his chest. "Think about it—he writes code even our engineers can’t match. If he hadn’t fallen out with the website, he wouldn’t join us so easily. Maybe he’s the one behind the app crash."

"A hunch is hardly proof."

Cheng Feng raised his chin proudly. "It’s not far off. After all, I tipped him over a hundred thousand in the livestream. Sir, who do I talk to about getting reimbursed for that?"

Back then, to recruit top talent for the company, he’d showered Code Master with Maseratis.

For a time, he was the number-one benefactor in the stream, reveling in the thrill of spending freely.

Rong Shen stubbed out his cigarette, his voice slightly hoarse. "Send me an email. Once it’s approved, take the invoice to Finance for reimbursement."

Cheng Feng was stunned, his face falling. "When I recharged through the app… there was no invoice."

The man was silent, his deep black eyes fixed calmly on him.

Cheng Feng understood, nodding with the resignation of a man beyond hope. "I’ll try to find an invoice, then."

...

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

With nothing much to do, An Tong had already finished packing her luggage.

After lunch, on a whim, she called Ling Qi to help her send her suitcases over to Xiangzhang Yue Residence ahead of time.

The afternoon sun had retreated behind the clouds, the wind was bitter, and a wintry desolation filled the air.

Ling Qi drove, occasionally sneaking curious glances at An Tong.

"Ma’am, something good happen recently?"

A move might qualify as a happy occasion, but was it enough to put such a smile on her face?

An Tong drew her gaze away from the street outside, looked sidelong at Ling Qi, and retorted, "No. Why?"

Ling Qi gestured at her cheeks with one hand. "You’ve been grinning to yourself since you got in the car. I thought something wonderful had happened."

An Tong reflexively pressed her lips together, murmuring to herself, "Was I really smiling to myself…?"

"Oh." Ling Qi turned the wheel, her mouth chattering away. "Then it must be an open, honest smile. What’s got you so happy? Care to share with me?"

(End of chapter)