Chapter 241: Chapter 241: More and More Alike
Sheng Tang’s words caused Jiang Baocu’s plan to fail. Thinking there was still Sheng Tang to deal with later, she decided to leave first.
After everyone else left, Sheng Tang and Gu Shiting walked along the street.
There was no wind in the afternoon, the sunlight was warm, and golden rays enveloped them, taking away the chill.
Gu Shiting seemed to be in good spirits: "The day after tomorrow, I’ll come to pick you up. It’s your birthday, and I want to make you a birthday cake. What flavor do you like?"
Sheng Tang’s birthday in the other world was also January 3.
However, this birthday of hers was not publicly known, not even her closest agent was aware of it.
Every time her birthday came around, she would silently keep close to the phone, waiting for her aunt to send her greetings from thousands of miles away.
But this greeting wasn’t guaranteed every year.
Some years, her aunt would forget or remember a few days later.
Whenever a cake was placed in front of her, along with the photos of her grandmother and parents, Sheng Tang would sit there from morning till night. When she got bored, a deep loneliness would take over.
She was incredibly afraid of that bone-deep silence.
Upon mentioning her birthday, her mood inexplicably dropped, but then she remembered that she was no longer alone now.
She had a family, and she had Gu Shiting.
"Come pick me up in the morning, we’ll celebrate at noon. In the afternoon, I need to go home. Grandma will surely make longevity noodles for me." Sheng Tang said.
Gu Shiting agreed.
He gently held Sheng Tang’s hand and put it into his coat pocket.
His palm was very warm and firm, wrapping Sheng Tang in a kind of solid barrier.
Sheng Tang allowed him to lead her along.
Despite the busy street, Gu Shiting’s palm didn’t sweat. It seemed he had already grown accustomed to it.
Sheng Tang felt happy for him.
As more people filled the streets and the area became bustling, Gu Shiting started feeling uneasy.
Sheng Tang noticed and glanced at the car following them not too far behind. She led Gu Shiting to get inside.
Gu Shiting first drove her back home.
Upon returning home, Sheng Tang found her parents and brother had gone out, leaving only her grandmother sitting on the sofa.
"Where are they?"
"They went to the supermarket." Grandma said, then patted the seat beside her, "Tangtang, come sit here."
Sheng Tang obediently sat down.
She thought her grandmother would say something to her. Perhaps it was about Gu Shiting, because her expression was somewhat stern.
But her grandmother didn’t say anything.
She just held Sheng Tang’s hand and lightly sighed, "Tangtang, you’ve grown up, about to have your birthday. After your birthday, you’ll be officially eighteen. What do you want for your birthday?"
Sheng Tang felt the atmosphere was somewhat off.
Her grandmother seemed absorbed in thought, which gave her an inexplicable sense of foreboding.
"I want Grandma to live a long life and always stay with us." Sheng Tang said.
Grandma laughed.
Her wrinkles were filled with deep gentleness. Her palms were soft and warm.
Sheng Tang could always draw familial warmth from her grandmother.
She feared any slight change.
Luckily, her grandmother’s attitude gradually shifted, and her tone became normal.
"...Since you don’t want a gift, what would you like to eat? Grandma will make it for you."
Sheng Tang smiled: "I want to eat fried yellow croaker and white chocolate cake."
Grandma agreed.
In the evening, Sheng Tang went to the gym, and Sheng Zong insisted on going to swim. The siblings went out together.
When only Sheng Sidong, his wife, and Grandma were home, Sheng Sidong sighed unintentionally.
"Last time I went to the Sheng Family villa, Mr. Sheng said Tangtang doesn’t look like the two of us. More people will surely say the same in the future. Especially Mr. Sheng, he remembers Cheng Ruojun." Sheng Sidong felt somewhat helpless.
Today on stage, Sheng Tang wore heavy makeup.
The heavy makeup and lighting highlighted her features well, hiding any slight chubbiness. She looked dazzling.
She looked exactly like Cheng Ruojun.
When she appeared, the three heads of the Sheng Family were astonished. They could foresee that as Sheng Tang lost weight, she would become more beautiful, and eventually, a spitting image of Cheng Ruojun.
Cheng Ruojun was once the belle of the Geological University.
Sheng Sidong then remembered something: "Oh, right..."
Fang Mengying and Grandma both looked at him.