Chapter 20

Shao Chengze's eyebrows froze for a moment as he thought of where those words came from.

The morning after getting drunk, the old master had a sudden whim to invite him for morning tea at a local old tea house that he went to at least three times a week. The headache from the hangover made his head feel like splitting, so drinking tea and having some hot soup was actually a pretty good cure for the alcohol.

He thought the old master had called him over just to lecture again about those dog-stirring business tactics, but instead he asked why he was provoking the young Miss of the Cheng family. It was no surprise that the old master knew - the people who occasionally hung around Shao Chengze were, other than Shao Zhangting's people, the old master's sentries.

He gulped down half a cup of hot tea and casually brushed it off, "Anything that displeases you, esteemed elder, I don't mind doing over and over again. As for Second Uncle, whatever I do, he believes it, falling in love is just one thing, and I can lead him by the nose for it. Why wouldn't I take this opportunity?"

He asked, "Were you there at the time?"

Cheng Jinlan was indifferent. "Does that matter?"

He said, "I can explain."

"No need," Cheng Jinlan didn't need to hear an explanation, she just asked him, "Can you say that you've never had such thoughts before, or that you've never taken advantage of me even once?"

Shao Chengze replied, "I can."

But he knew she wouldn't believe him after hearing the words from his own mouth with her own ears. It was impossible for her to trust him again.

Cheng Jinlan gave a mocking laugh. "You think I'd believe you again." She had wanted to directly hang up the call, but still couldn't contain her anger. "Shao Chengze, I knew from the very beginning which Shao family you belonged to."

She knew, yet she had tacitly allowed his overtures.

She had given him a deadline to come clean, but from beginning to end he had never mentioned a word. In the end, it was through someone else's mouth that she learned of this fact. Even when she brought up separating, he was unruffled, simply saying "Ok," and not another word more.

It seemed this was a predetermined ending. He had foreseen it early on, or rather, this ending had been in his plans from the start. If it wasn't for his sister's departure interrupting his plans, the Shao family would have been wrapped around his finger years ago.

She should praise his cunning, using her to pull the wool over the Shao family patriarch's eyes, using her on one hand to anger the old master, and on the other hand to lower Second Uncle Shao's guard, making them think he was just a profligate son only greedy for love, with no interest in competing for power, who didn't know how to delight the old master and just wanted to oppose the old master out of a little grievance, completely controlled by his own emotions. Naturally, they wouldn't think someone so incompetent was worth their effort to plot against.

He had always known how to act. He could fool the Shao family patriarch, he could fool Shao Zhangting father and son, and he could also fool her.

She hadn't wanted to ask these things or say them. Her self-esteem didn't allow it. But what right did he have to keep playing the role of a man passionately in love after using her? It was extremely hypocritical.

Cheng Jinlan hung up the call, still unsatisfied, and blocked his number.

She admitted she was being petty. She rarely ever blocked anyone - he was the first, and she didn't mind him being the second, either.

Early the next morning, Cheng Jinlan told her parents the truth about who Cheng Liqi's father was. She had always been unsure of how to broach the subject before. Strangely, last night's phone call had given her courage. She might as well get it over with since sticking her head out was just asking to get chopped either way.

She explained the past affair in a few words, skipping over Shao Chengze's deception, only saying they had parted because they each felt unsuitable.

After hearing it all, Cheng Shanhe only said one thing: "Liqi's surname is Cheng. She's my Cheng family's most treasured granddaughter. You and her have the Cheng family behind you. As for who her father is, or what his surname is, it's unimportant. You only need to know that if anyone dares bully you, it's the same as opposing the entire Cheng family."

Cheng Jinlan's eyes grew damp. After Cheng Shanhe left, Fei Zuhui sat down in front of her and gave her a scolding look. "I thought you'd never tell us about this in your whole life."

Cheng Jinlan was somewhat startled as she looked at Fei Zuhui. "Mom, you guys knew already?"

When she had been with Shao Chengze, you could say it was a secret affair - no one around her had known, she hadn't introduced him to any of her friends, and Shao Chuan had only found out later.

Fei Zuhui stroked her loose hair hanging by her ear. "When it comes to you, how could your dad not investigate everything clearly? Do you think the chaos in the Shao family all these years, and the obstacles your brother secretly arranged for the Shao family, could have happened without your dad's tacit approval? He facilitated it."

Cheng Jinlan looped her arm around Fei Zuhui's and leaned on her shoulder. To outsiders she could be strong and decisive, but in front of her parents she was still a little girl who wanted to act cute. "I'm sorry, Mom, for worrying you."

"Silly girl, what do you have to be sorry for? No matter who you fall for, falling in love itself isn't wrong, nor are the feelings it brings you wrong. As for the results it leads to, do you regret having Liqi?"

"Of course not!" Cheng Jinlan hurriedly sat up straight and looked steadily at Fei Zuhui. Her gaze was firm.

"That's right. You have a lovely daughter, and we have a precious granddaughter. As for everything else, I won't judge that Shao Chengze, falling in and out of love is natural, and a past parting should teach you to view matters of the heart more cautiously in the future. That's a good thing, and shouldn't keep you stuck in the past. I wanted to talk to you about this long ago - you should go out and date, meet some nice boys, eat meals together, go on dates. If you don't like older ones try younger ones, don't just keep going around the hotel."

Fei Zuhui had originally looked favorably on Shao Chuan. The two had been close since childhood. In the last stretch of Shao Chuan's mother's life, she had constantly worried over his future marriage. His father passed early, and she had single-handedly raised him, so his marriage and having children was her greatest wish. But the cancer cells had spread too quickly, leaving no time at all. She definitely wouldn't live to see grandchildren. Cheng Jinlan had helped fulfill her dying wish, letting her close her eyes in peace.

At first Fei Zuhui had felt they were messing around, but later thought it wouldn't be bad if the act became real. She had watched Shao Chuan grow up and knew him inside and out. His conduct, looks, everything was top-notch, and Cheng Liqi liked him, too. But over these years there had been no progress between the two, and she didn't hold out hope any longer.

"I know, Mom. I'm hungry, let's go eat." Cheng Jinlan hugged Fei Zuhui as they walked out of the study. She knew her mom had been restraining herself from urging her over the years. Today she finally had a chance, and Cheng Jinlan couldn't let her keep going or she'd never stop.

"I'm serious about this. There are advantages to younger ages - Sister Chun's younger sister has a son your age who graduated from the same school as you. He's a lawyer, four years younger than you. I've seen pictures, he looks really good. Do you want to meet him?"

Cheng Jinlan exaggerated her reaction. "Four years younger?! Mom, you really dare to think of it. Three years age difference is already a generation gap, and four more years! Are you trying to find me a boyfriend or a little boy to play with? Let me make this clear first: I don't like little puppies or wolf cubs. Even if you want to introduce someone, they should at least be the same age!" Cheng Liqi was standing at the top of the stairs and happened to overhear this sentence. She looked up and asked, "Mommy, what do white little puppies and little wolf cubs look like?"

Cheng Jinchuan couldn't help himself from enlightening his niece. Cheng Jinlan had already shot him a piercing glare. "Cheng Jinchuan, shut your mouth!"

Cheng Liqi said to her mommy, "Grandma said big uncle knows everything except how to shut up."

Cheng Jinchuan laughed heartily. "Little Liqi, let uncle teach you another idiom: there's no one who knows a child better than their mother. It means that of everyone under heaven, mothers rank first in understanding their children."

Cheng Liqi asked, "Then who understands daughters the best?"

Cheng Jinchuan pinched her little nose. "Still the mother, of course."

Cheng Liqi agreed. "Mommy always knows what I like to eat the most."

At her current age she had learned to generalize and draw connections. "Uncle, 'there's no one who knows a child better than their mother' has the same meaning as what you said before about grandma knowing what fart you let out as soon as you lift your butt, right?"

At this point Fei Zuhui couldn't hold back either, and went to hit her son for saying such things in front of a child and teaching her bad habits.

The solemn confession that morning ended with Cheng Jinchuan scrambling to flee like dogs and chickens.

When Cheng Jinlan reached the office door, Tang Yicheng was standing outside waiting for her. She noticed his expression was a bit strange, almost like...constipation.

She asked, "Did something happen?"

Tang Yicheng reported in a low voice, eyes constantly glancing toward the conference room. "Boss Cheng, President Zhou from Changyun is here. He's in the conference room right now."

As soon as Cheng Jinlan heard, her footsteps changed direction. "Why did President Zhou come at this time? Did he say what it was about?"

Changyun was one of Lanzhou's major clients. They held all receptions for Changyun's A-level clients at Lanzhou. But for work matters, they were usually handled by the staff below. There was no need for Zhou An to come personally, especially this early in the morning. Tang Yicheng followed behind Cheng Jinlan, gritting his teeth to quickly add, "President Shao from Qingmiao Capital also came with him."

Tang Yicheng had just confirmed that the Shao Chengze he saw in the parking lot was the head of Qingmiao Capital and the Shao family business empire, and even more importantly, the man who had an entanglement with his boss.

Cheng Jinlan's steps slowed. The formerly mild expression on her face was replaced with coldness, though when the conference room door opened her eyes filled with smiles again. She greeted Zhou An, "Brother An, what brings you here this early?"

Zhou An was the same age as Cheng Jinchuan, childhood friends from the same preschool.

Zhou An smiled as he stood up, half joking and half serious, "Of course I came to bring business opportunities to Boss Cheng."

He introduced the man beside him first. "Shao Chengze." Then he clapped Shao Chengze on the shoulder. "Cheng Jinlan, the general manager of Lanzhou."

Shao Chengze reached out his hand, a standard business etiquette, as if the two were meeting for the first time, "Mr. Cheng, hello, I'm Shao Chengze."

Cheng Jinlan just nodded slightly, did not shake hands, but her smile remained unchanged, "Mr. Shao is good."

Zhou An, seeing the storm brewing between the two, did not say much, and went straight to the point, "Our Changyun and Qiongmiao want to co-host a small summit, tentatively scheduled for early June, and the invited guests are quite important, the reception standards are very high, and the time is also urgent. We want to set it at your Lan Chuan. I wonder if your side can arrange it?"

It wasn't a big deal that he, the old boss, had to come in person to say this. Naturally, it couldn't be declined, let alone anything good to decline.

"No problem, Brother Zhou An, then let Yicheng and June discuss the details later?"

"June is busy with other cases. This time Qiongmiao is the main contact person. Let Old Shao explain the specifics to you. I have to go downstairs first to get some breakfast. I left home too hurriedly this morning and didn't even eat breakfast. I'm starving." After speaking, he didn't look at Cheng Jinlan's reaction, and pulled Tang Yicheng out, "Assistant Tang, I still have to trouble you to take me there."

How could it be easy for him to be pulled over by Shao Chengze so early in the morning to do this kind of thing? Where would he have thought that these two people had past involvement, the Cheng family and the Shao family? He thought the two families wanted to die without seeing each other again.

If Cheng Jinchuan knew that he was working with Shao Chengze, he would have to torment him to peel off a layer of skin before it could be over. If it wasn't for the sake of the new project, where the Shao family gave him three percent of the profit, he wouldn't have done this tactless thing.

Only two people were left in the conference room. Cheng Jinlan threw her bag on the conference table, the metal chain collided with the tabletop, making a crisp sound, demonstrating that the owner's patience had reached its limit.

She asked him, "What exactly do you want to do?"

Going through so much trouble, and bringing Zhou An along, she really didn't know what else they had to talk about.

Shao Chengze wanted to do a lot, but he had to make his position clear first, even though words were the most pale now, at least he had to say it out.

"I know that no matter what I say now, you won't believe it, but in my almost thirty years of life, I've only had that time with you. Before you, and after you, I never thought about taking the initiative to get close to anyone again. I admit that at first I didn't say I was from the Shao family, I did harbor some false hopes. I just didn't want a surname to cut off the possibility between us."

"I never thought about using you, or using our relationship to do anything. Even if I don't like the old master again, and I'm at odds with him again, I would never take my own feelings to spite him and use tricks. He's not worth it, and I'm not that stupid."

"For me, the Shao Group really isn't that important. The reason I wanted to compete with my second uncle at the time was first, my father left a will saying that the Shao Group was founded by my grandmother and the old master together, and it was unreasonable for it to benefit others in the end; second, only by becoming the decision maker of the Shao family, would I have a chance to stand in front of your father and talk about the grievances between our two families, and talk about our future."

"As for that morning, I didn't need to bare my inner feelings to someone I didn't care about at all and have him listen. Because he would never understand. If I provoked a girl, it was only because I liked her and wanted to get her attention, it had nothing to do with gains and losses."

The air condensed into a deathly silence.

Over the years, he was used to giving orders and rarely explaining anything to others, let alone such a long confession. He didn't feel it when he was saying it, only feeling somewhat uncomfortable after finishing speaking. His hand unconsciously stroked the back of the chair.

Cheng Jinlan across from him had a taut face and was expressionless.

It was a reaction that was to be expected.

Shao Chengze was also in no hurry to resolve or facilitate anything. There was too much dust accumulated in the old stories, and it had to be brushed away bit by bit before the sunshine could be seen again.

Some things have to be taken slowly, no rushing.