Chapter 43: The Kiss
That night, Shen Shuyi finally accepted the fact that he was going to marry an ordinary (albeit very handsome) man.
From nine o’clock in the evening, he sat alone in his walk-in closet, bidding a tearful, heartfelt farewell to all his luxury goods and diamond jewelry—one by one, tenderly, dramatically.
He picked them up, one at a time, and put them back down again.
“Diana, I still remember the first time I met you—it was a rainy night in London. I truly thought you were the most beautiful thing in the world…”
“Iris, among all the diamonds, you’re my favorite, because you were my very first—an eighteen-year-old’s Sri Lankan blue diamond…”
“And Solene, I’ll never forget that day I begged Shen Lu for hours just to go to the auction to meet you. God, the rain poured all night at the old mansion, just like how Dad’s heart must ache having to part with you all today… wuuu…”
Shen Shuyi’s eyes turned into fried eggs—watery, glistening, and full of tears.
He sniffled hard, then burst into loud sobs, until his cries became choked and broken. It was truly a sight to move anyone to tears.
“Has the young master… always been like this?” the maid, Xiaomei, asked timidly outside the door.
Uncle Lin chuckled. “You’ll get used to it. Young master has always had this… lively personality.”
Lively?! Lively?! Uncle Lin, wake up! This isn’t “lively,” this is deranged! Stop spoiling him!
“The young master even gave names to every single diamond?” Xiaomei was stunned. This wasn’t a young master—this was a fairytale princess!
“Yes,” said Uncle Lin. “Every luxury item the young master owns has its own name.”
Xiaomei: “?”
Xiaomei: What is this, the founding of the Luxury Goods Empire? Is he the king of all designer brands?!
“Why?” Xiaomei’s maternal instincts flared. “He’s so adorable!”
For a moment, she forgot she was just a worker and began to look at him like a beloved younger brother.
“Hehe,” Uncle Lin’s “hehe” was purely a “hehe,” no hidden meaning—just slow and calm. “The young master said that way, if one jewel ever goes missing, he’ll know exactly which one was stolen.”
So… it’s an anti-theft system?!
Xiaomei choked up, looking between Uncle Lin and the tearful young master.
“Um, Uncle Lin, should we… tell him that even after he’s married, he can still bring the diamonds with him?”
“No need.”
Xiaomei: “??”
Who is this man? Where’s the doting old butler I know?!
“Don’t you think the young master is quite adorable like this?” Uncle Lin said cheerfully.
You scheming old man!!
After a night of heartbreak, Shen Shuyi woke up with two swollen red eyes.
He tried black coffee and egg masks in the morning, but nothing could save his beauty. (Still, Xiaomei thought rebelliously, he looked like a perfect mix of bunny and cat—so cute.)
For aesthetics’ sake, Shen Shuyi put on sunglasses.
“Master, it’s cloudy today,” Xiaomei hesitated. “Isn’t it a bit strange to wear sunglasses?”
Mrs. Li added, “Yes, Little Shu, you look like a blind man.”
“So what?” Shen Shuyi’s soul was still buried in last night’s closet. He sighed faintly, “If these eyes can no longer admire luxury goods, what’s the difference between being blind and being alive?”
Xiaomei: Young master, please don’t be this negative!!
She was genuinely heartbroken. It was obvious—her young master had sacrificed so much for this marriage.
“Master,” she whispered, “if you really can’t bear this life… maybe don’t get married?”
Shen Shuyi: “….”
He hesitated. “Uh, well… it’s fine. Sorry, what did you just say?”
Total love-brain!!!
Xiaomei wisely shut her mouth.
Today, Shen Shuyi was going to pick out wedding rings—he took it very seriously.
He had chosen his outfit the night before: A light French off-shoulder deconstructed shirt with butterfly-tied cuffs, fitted culotte pants, and polished leather shoes.
Stylists always loved working with him—everything he wore was a visual feast.
The stylist picked out a shell purse to match. Just as she handed it over, Shen Shuyi said calmly, “Not that one.”
“Shuyi, that’s your favorite bag,” the stylist blinked. “You don’t want it?”
“No. I need to learn to live without these things now. Bring me something under 100,000 yuan.”
“…”
Xiaomei whispered, “Master, you don’t… have anything that cheap.”
Shen Shuyi: “!”
Fine. No bag, then.
Sigh. Maybe in the future, even a 100,000-yuan purse will be out of reach.
Might as well use a reusable shopping bag—no need to think like a member of the upper class anymore!
“Let’s go. Is Zhao Yuheng here yet?”
Uncle Lin: “He called earlier, said he’s at the gate. I asked Xiao Liu to drive you, young master. Which car would you like today?”
“No need,” Shen Shuyi sighed. “Let Zhao Yuheng call a car for me.”
Ah.
Another sigh.
Marry a man, follow his lead—after this, would he ever sit in a luxury car again? Might as well get used to hardship early.
Maybe next time they could share a rental bike. Two wheels, simple and free!
Of course, Zhao Yuheng would never let that happen.
Shuiwan One’s gate was still 700–800 meters away, so Uncle Lin had Xiao Liu drive him there anyway.
When they arrived, Zhao Yuheng was already waiting under the French plane trees across the street—tall, broad-shouldered, handsome as ever. He wore the American-style work jacket Shen Shuyi had once bought for him, and it suited him perfectly—handsome with a touch of rugged wildness.
Shen Shuyi, who’d been sighing dramatically inside the Rolls-Royce, had just changed his Xiaohongshu status under his anonymous “momo” account to: (sad emoji) “Growing up is realizing I’d rather cry in a BMW than laugh on a bicycle…”
But the moment he saw Zhao Yuheng, his eyes lit up.
He quickly updated his status again: “Hubby looks too handsome today. Forgiven the whole world. ^ ^”
Trying to act composed, he stepped out of the car and casually scanned around. Then frowned. “Where’s the car? You didn’t call one?”
Damn it—he hadn’t meant that literally!
If Zhao Yuheng actually showed up with a two-wheeler, Shen Shuyi would divorce him today.
“I didn’t call a car.”
“Okay, divorce.”
“I drove here… What did you say?”
“Ah?” Shen Shuyi froze.
“I said, I drove here.”
Only then did Shen notice the Porsche beside him. “You can drive?!”
“Since last time,” Zhao Yuheng coughed. “Didn’t I tell you I’d learn?”
Oh my god—he thought Zhao Yuheng was joking!
This man… had terrifying follow-through.
No wonder he could win Shen Shuyi’s heart!
“I want the passenger seat!” Shen Shuyi raised his hand immediately.
Zhao Yuheng’s heart melted. “Okay.”
Sit anywhere you want—even on my head.
Shen Shuyi was like a curious child, poking around once inside. He’d ridden in plenty of Porsches before—but this was his boyfriend’s Porsche!
He took a few sneaky photos and posted them to his social feed. Within seconds, he had over a hundred likes—and two kinds of comments:
“What kind of Porsche could make Young Master Shen stoop so low?! (angry emoji)”
“Is it too late to sell my Ferrari/Bentley/Lambo for a Porsche now? (dog head emoji)”
Ha! They were mocking him for sitting in a “cheap” car!
What did they know, those useless rich heirs?! This car was bought by Zhao Yuheng’s own money—not from his daddy’s wallet!
They should be ashamed!
Shen Shuyi ranted at them all in the comments (no one dared talk back—he was that influential). Then turned to Zhao Yuheng suspiciously.
“Where’d you get the money for this car? You didn’t rob a bank, did you?”
Zhao Yuheng reversed smoothly. “Is that really what you think of me? That I rob banks for fun?”
“…”
“I co-founded an AI project with a friend,” Zhao explained. “We got a patent licensing payment recently.”
Shen Shuyi blinked—wow, the man could actually earn money.
When they first met, Zhao Yuheng had still been a student doing part-time restaurant work. In just a few months, he’d grown so much.
“Which store?” Zhao Yuheng asked.
“Oh.” Shen Shuyi came back to himself. “Right—the rings.”
Sigh.
He was about to be the wife of a proletarian man—so brands like Chaumet, Harry Winston, etc., were just dreams now.
Better start getting used to simple life, Shen Shuyi.
“CR,” he said.
Poor but sentimental—that was the vibe.
It was the brand he found when Googling “What diamond rings can normal people with a 3,000-yuan salary afford?”
He’d never even heard of it before.
“Why not Chaumet?” Zhao Yuheng suddenly asked. “I saw you saved lots of designs in your photo album.”
“?!”
How did he know?!
Shen Shuyi’s heart skipped a beat.
“You peeked at my photos! I locked them!”
“The password wasn’t hard. It’s just your birthday.”
“…”
By now, the Porsche had entered SOHO’s luxury district parking lot.
“But Chaumet is expensive…” he hesitated.
“It’s not,” Zhao Yuheng said softly.
Money could always be earned again—but the person’s happiness mattered more.
“Shen Shuyi deserves the best,” Zhao Yuheng said, looking straight at him.
“…”
This cheap fiancé—had he secretly enrolled in a crash course for romantic lines?!
In the end, they bought the wedding ring from Chaumet.
When Shen Shuyi arrived, the store manager personally came out to greet him—his name held more power in Hong Kong’s SOHO luxury district than a black card.
He was immediately escorted into the VIP lounge.
Zhao Yuheng, meanwhile, couldn’t tell one ring from another—they all looked like circles with rocks stuck on.
But Shen Shuyi took his time, seriously comparing prices and designs.
The manager was baffled—why was the notorious big spender suddenly so frugal? And then he bought… a moderately priced ring. Not the most expensive one.
The manager was shook. Tomorrow, the sun might rise in the west.
Still, everyone treated him with utmost respect—after all, in their business, reputation meant everything.
After choosing the ring, they went for dinner.
Throughout the meal, Shen Shuyi kept sneaking peeks at the ring—like he couldn’t get enough of it.
When he slipped it on, his heart fluttered—it felt like he really was someone’s spouse now. His face flushed.
He barely ate, distracted the whole time. Zhao Yuheng thought he had no appetite and kept coaxing him to eat.
By six p.m., Zhao Yuheng drove him back to Shuiwan One.
As they were about to part, Shen Shuyi—feeling he’d adjusted well to his new “commoner life”—leaned over and gave Zhao a light kiss on the cheek.
Soft, fleeting, like cotton candy—yet it almost caused disaster.
Zhao Yuheng hadn’t expected it. His hands jerked, the steering wheel swerved, and the Porsche nearly hit a tree.
Shen Shuyi froze, clutching his seatbelt in horror.
“You okay?” Zhao checked immediately.
“Y-yeah,” Shen nodded, shaken.
God, his driving’s terrible!
A few hours ago, Shen SHuyi thought he could put up with this man. Now he wanted a divorce again.
This household wouldn’t survive without Xiao Liu, clearly.
Zhao Yuheng didn’t notice his thoughts—his Adam’s apple bobbed, his back stiff, his heart hammering wildly.
Every cell in his body felt electrified, tingling all over.
“You…” Zhao Yuheng swallowed. “You just kissed me?”
Shen Shuyi blinked. Is that why he almost crashed the car?
“Yeah. Why?”
What, he couldn’t kiss him? They were getting married soon! There’d be far more intimate things than a kiss!
“Nothing,” Zhao Yuheng exhaled deeply. “Just… it was sudden. I wasn’t ready.”
If only he’d do it again…
Zhao Yuheng’s thoughts tangled.
Shen Shuyi looked calm, unbothered—like it was nothing earth-shattering. That composure only confused Zhao Yuheng more.
Remembering that Shen Shuyi had grown up in America, he felt oddly disappointed. Maybe, to him, it was just a polite gesture—like shaking hands in China.
“When other men drive you home, do you kiss them too?” Zhao Yuheng asked, jealousy flaring uncontrollably.
“Am I insane?” Shen Shuyi frowned.
“So… you don’t?”
“Of course not!” Shen Shuyi snapped. “Do I look that frivolous to you?”
Please. He only did that because they were about to get married!
He was simply practicing being a good wife early!
Zhao Yuheng looked away, silent.
“?” Shen Shuyi narrowed his eyes.
“You should go home now,” Zhao Yuheng said quickly, pure survival instinct. “Uncle Lin will worry.”
Shen Shuyi didn’t rush. He rolled up his sleeves. Before heading back to Shallow Bay, maybe he should punch Zhao Yuheng first— What the hell was going on in that head of his?!
He took a step forward—but before he could swing, Zhao Yuheng caught his wrist.
The next moment, Zhao Yuheng turned his head sharply, leaned in, and pressed a light kiss—right at the corner of Shen Shuyi’s lips.
It was sudden. Only the dim streetlight bore witness.
Shen Shuyi’s eyes widened slightly. The warmth vanished in an instant, leaving only the faint clean scent of soap lingering in the air—fresh and pure, like him.
“Shen Shuyi,” Zhao Yuheng murmured. “See you tomorrow.”
Shen Shuyi’s throat went dry. “…Oh. Okay.”
And in that moment, for the first time— he truly felt it.
He and Zhao Yuheng were really… getting married.
