His waist was cinched just right, outlining his slender, supple waistline.
The black suit jacket made his pearl-white shirt collar and face appear even whiter, like the finest mutton-fat jade—delicate, warm, and flawless.
It is like a rare treasure, meticulously crafted and displayed in the most magnificent showcase, dazzling and eye-catching.
"... What should I do? I can't bear to take you out to meet people." Shen Xunye couldn't take his eyes off you at all.
He only wanted to keep the person in front of him to himself.
Hide it, hide it in a place where only you can see and touch it.
Conceal this dazzling beauty, which could easily attract covetousness.
"So stingy?" Chi Li took two steps forward, bent down slightly, reached out and stroked Shen Xunye's chin, gently lifting it upwards. "Don't you want to... show off your boyfriend?"
He spoke the word 'boyfriend' so softly and gently, with a slight nasal tone, like a feather lightly scratching the most itchy spot on my heart.
A proud smile played on his lips, as if to say, "I'm so handsome, how could you bear to hide me? Shouldn't you want the whole world to know I'm yours?"
Shen Xunye lowered his eyes, looking at the excessively beautiful face so close to his. The emotions surging in his chest were amplified by those words, burning even more fiercely.
Don't want to show off?
He couldn't wait to announce it to the world immediately.
"Wouldn't that be a bit too smug?" Shen Xunye smiled and casually rubbed his palm against Chi Li's.
Chi Li traced his jawline upwards, cupped his face, tilted her head, and smiled, "So what?"
Shen Xunye smiled happily. "Okay."
11:30 AM.
Shen Xunye and Chi Li got out of a black sedan.
The driver silently drove away, leaving the two standing in front of the magnificent mansion.
The courtyard features a typical Chinese garden layout, with pavilions, waterside terraces, and winding paths leading to secluded spots.
The early arrivals gathered in twos and threes, chatting and laughing in hushed tones, but their eyes were involuntarily drawn to the two people who entered through the door.
There was amazement, scrutiny, curiosity, and examination.
There were also expressions of understanding after recognizing Shen Xunye's identity, along with flattery, and... an undisguised scrutiny and assessment when the gaze fell upon the refined and handsome young man beside him.
"That's... the youngest son of the Shen family's main branch, right? And who's that next to him?"
"Never seen him before. Judging from his demeanor, he's probably the young master of some family."
"Why did I hear it's her boyfriend?"
"Tsk, what kind of boyfriend is he? I bet he's just keeping a mistress on the side."
Whispers, like an undercurrent, flowed beneath the seemingly calm surface of the banquet.
Shen Xunye seemed oblivious to all of this, but when he heard some malicious speculations, he slightly turned his head and spoke to Chi Li beside him in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Stay close to me. Also, with so many people around, don't pay attention to whatever you hear."
Chi Li nodded, his gaze calmly sweeping over the various gazes, some visible and some hidden, in the courtyard.
They walked along the winding, smooth cobblestone path toward the main hall, where the most people were gathered.
" Chi Li-- " The first person to greet her was Shen Wei, who was wearing a fiery red dress and looked at Chi Li with eyes full of surprise. "You were already beautiful enough on TV, but you're even more perfect in person... you look like a porcelain doll."
Chi Li nodded politely to her, "Hello."
"Hello, hello." Shen Wei looked him over from left to right, utterly satisfied. "I'm Shen Xunye's third sister, his biological sister. My name is Shen Wei. You can just call me 'sister' like he does."
Chi Li obediently spoke up, "Sister."
"Eh~" This exclamation really resonated with Shen Wei.
She finally began to understand those girls who liked to tease little boys.
"This..." She pulled a thick red envelope from her pocket and stuffed it into Chi Li's hand, "This is a small gift for you when you visit. It's not much, so please take it."
Shen Xunye's lips twitched twice. "You have the nerve to take it out when there's not much? Add some more."
Chi Li: "..."
This is probably just Shen Wei being modest, right?
You don't even need to touch the thickness of this red envelope to know its value; just by looking at it, you can tell it's not cheap.
"Fine, fine." Shen Wei looked at Shen Xunye, this troublesome guy, opened her handbag, and took out a checkbook and a pen.
"No need—" Chi Li quickly stopped Shen Wei from filling in the numbers. He rolled his eyes and said, "Today shouldn't be considered a formal visit, so... actually, sister doesn't need to prepare a gift."
"It's not formal enough today, is it?" Shen Wei smiled brightly. "But one thing at a time, this is just a small token of my appreciation, please accept it."
After saying that, she quickly wrote a few zeros on the check, tore it off, and stuffed it into Chi Li's hand. "If you refuse, your sister will be sad."
Shen Xunye: "Hoo."
Chi Li had no choice but to accept it. "Um... thank you, sister."
Let him take it; he has no intention of redeeming it anyway.
"Alright, I'm going to socialize for a bit." Shen Wei stepped forward and straightened Chi Li's collar. "You can go with this kid and get to know some people."
Chi Li nodded gently. "Mm."
Shen Xunye eagerly grabbed Chi Li's hand and continued walking inside, saying, "You're meddling a bit too much. My boyfriend is my responsibility."
Shen Wei pouted. "... So smug."
As he walked further in, the number of people greeting him suddenly increased. But they were mostly Shen Xunye's peers, calling him all sorts of different names.
He refused the others' requests to chat and led them directly to the birthday celebrant, Shen Xunye's uncle.
The laughter and conversation suddenly stopped.
All eyes were on them, especially on Chi Li.
Shen Xunye's uncle also looked over, a kind but distant smile on his face, with a subtle, probing look in his eyes.
The other elders looked at them with curiosity, scrutiny, or a hint of disapproval.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
"Uncle, happy birthday." Shen Xunye greeted him politely, presenting the long, rectangular brocade box that had been held by someone with both hands. "This is a small token of my boyfriend's and my affection. We wish you boundless happiness and longevity."
Chi Li added, "Happy birthday, may you live a long and healthy life."
"Young man, you're quite handsome." Uncle Shen nodded with a smile. " Xiao Ye is lucky to have a boyfriend like you."
The other elders either echoed the sentiments or simply nodded slightly.
" Brother Ye!" A sweet, innocent female voice suddenly broke in, her tone naive and unsuspecting. "You really have a boyfriend?"
As soon as the words were spoken, a peach-colored figure, carried by the wind, landed lightly in front of them.
"Should I call her sister-in-law or brother-in-law?"