Tian Meimei happily greeted Shen Chi, but he completely ignored her, leaving her feeling awkward. Pressing her lips together, she stood rooted to the spot, looking like a helpless little waif.
Suddenly, a tall figure appeared beside her.
Si Mugu’s face was cold and stern, his gaze icy toward everyone—except for the petite girl now shadowed by his presence. The corner of his lips twitched slightly. "So you’re Shen Chi. I’ve heard of you."
Shen Chi glanced up briefly but didn’t respond.
Xia Miao took a sip of her yogurt, her assessing gaze shifting between Si Mugu and Tian Meimei.
In her somewhat hazy memories of a decade later, she had indeed heard Si Mugu’s name during their school days, but she’d never interacted with him. As for Tian Meimei, she had no recollection of her at all.
Now, because she was dating Shen Chi, she found herself crossing paths with these two people she’d never had any dealings with before.
Si Mugu had met countless people, and even those who disliked him had no choice but to put on a polite front when dealing with him.
In other words, he had never encountered someone who would dismiss him so indifferently.
Si Mugu felt an instinctive dislike for Shen Chi—a dislike rooted in masculine rivalry, especially since he could tell Tian Meimei was quite fond of him.
Si Mugu said, "I hear you’re an excellent student, well-liked by the teachers. You must have some real talent. After graduation, would you consider working for my family’s company?"
Murmurs of envy rose from the onlookers. Si Mugu’s family business was no small enterprise—many dreamed of working there, but only the elite of the elite stood a chance.
Yet Shen Chi, who hadn’t lifted a finger, was being handed such an opportunity. The reason was obvious: he was benefiting from Tian Meimei’s influence.
Tian Meimei stared at Si Mugu in surprise. Didn’t this guy dislike her? Why would he invite Shen Chi to work at the Si family’s company?
Still, this was undeniably a good thing.
Tian Meimei quickly chimed in, "Shen Chi, Si Mugu’s family company is amazing! This is a fantastic opportunity!"
But faced with such an offer, Shen Chi replied bluntly, "I don’t need it."
Tian Meimei froze. She couldn’t understand. Shen Chi’s family wasn’t well-off—after graduation, he’d have to find a job like anyone else. No matter how impressive his academic record, without family connections to pave the way, he’d struggle in the real world.
For most ordinary people, Si Mugu’s offer would be the best possible choice. Otherwise, so many wouldn’t be fawning over him.
Si Mugu hadn’t expected Shen Chi to reject him so decisively. In a way, it made him regard Shen Chi slightly higher.
"Seems Shen Chi is confident he can find something better," Si Mugu remarked, then glanced at the girl beside Shen Chi and added, as if suddenly remembering, "Ah, I almost forgot. Shen Chi’s girlfriend is the young miss of the Xia family. Naturally, he doesn’t need to worry about his future."
He might as well have outright called Shen Chi a gold-digger.
Tian Meimei had already noticed Xia Miao, but now that Si Mugu brought her up, she couldn’t help stealing another glance before pressing her lips together tightly.
Of course, she’d heard of the school beauty.
This was a young lady from a wealthy family, someone whose lifestyle expenses were far from modest. Shen Chi worked tirelessly to earn money, only to spend it all on her.
Tian Meimei felt it was such a waste for Shen Chi.
Xia Miao took Shen Chi’s hand, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled sweetly. "You’re absolutely right. I don’t just settle for anyone. Only the best of the best can catch my eye. The fact that Shen Chi is my boyfriend proves he’s nothing like those mediocre people. Everyone here can see that, right? It’s obvious he’s extraordinary—of course he doesn’t need to worry about finding a job after graduation!"
Xia Miao had not only praised Shen Chi but also managed to compliment herself in the process.
Si Mugu had known of Xia Miao before, but he’d always dismissed her as an unimportant pretty face. Now, as she matched his sharp words with her own, he found himself reevaluating this girl he’d previously looked down on.
Shen Chi clearly had no interest in wasting time with irrelevant people. Interlacing his fingers with Xia Miao’s, he said, "Let’s go."
Xia Miao nodded obediently, letting him lead her away.
Tian Meimei bit her lip, wanting to chase after Shen Chi to say something, but with Xia Miao there, she hesitated.
Noticing Tian Meimei’s lingering gaze fixed on Shen Chi’s retreating figure, Si Mugu’s expression darkened, a trace of hostility flickering in his eyes.
Was she really that hung up on Shen Chi?
As the sun set, its warm golden glow spilled across the streets, stretching the shadows of passersby into long silhouettes. When two people walked side by side, their shadows blurred at the edges, merging as if they’d become one.
Shen Chi had already retied Xia Miao’s hair ribbon. He seemed to have a touch of OCD—adjusting the bow until both sides were perfectly symmetrical, then smoothing out her stray hairs until he was satisfied.
"What do you want for dinner tonight?" Shen Chi asked, taking her hand again. "Stir-fried pork with green peppers, sweet and sour ribs, or braised beef with potatoes?"
Xia Miao replied, "Whatever."
Shen Chi immediately sensed something was off. The moment that curt "whatever" left her lips, a chill ran down his spine.
"Miao, do you want ice cream?"
"Whatever."
"Miao… after dinner, let’s go for a walk together, okay?"
"Whatever."
Shen Chi’s heart pounded nervously. "Miao, I’m sorry."
Xia Miao was about to reflexively say "whatever" again when she realized what he’d said. She looked up at him, exasperated. "What are you apologizing for?"
"I made you angry. I did something wrong."
"Then tell me what you did to make me angry."
Shen Chi fell silent.
He didn’t actually know what he’d done—he’d just picked up on her mood and immediately defaulted to apologizing.
Despite being a young man, Shen Chi displayed none of the laziness or entitlement often associated with youth. His temperament was almost excessively good-natured, which only made Xia Miao feel like the villain for bullying such an honest person.
Seeing him bow his head and apologize so meekly, Xia Miao felt an inexplicable pang of guilt.
She gave his hand a gentle shake. "You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s my problem."
For her to admit fault was a rare sight indeed.
Xia Miao muttered, "I saw that girl acting so familiar with you, and it made me uncomfortable."
Shen Chi asked softly, "Uncomfortable?"
Xia Miao pressed her lips together, then suddenly stomped her foot and turned her face away, huffing. "Fine, I admit it! I was jealous, okay? I’m just childish and immature. Seeing another girl get close to you makes me unhappy!"
