Cheng Jinlan leaned back in her chair, fiddling with the teddy bear hanging in the car. The bear swayed back and forth in the air before settling back in its original position.
She didn't speak, and he didn't rush her.
In this stalemate where they could only hear each other's breathing, a sense of peaceful tranquility was born.
Cheng Jinlan blinked and pulled her wandering thoughts back, focusing her gaze on the teddy bear again.
"I don't know whether to say Mr. Shao is shameless or cunning," she said.
Shao Chengze laughed. "You can say both. After all, being shameless is for your sake, and being crafty is also for your sake. I'm in no hurry for an answer. Ms. Cheng can think it over carefully. I'll be away on a business trip, so Ms. Cheng can give me a reply when I get back in a week. It won't be too late."
After Cheng Jinlan hung up the phone and threw it onto the passenger seat, she was about to start the car but stopped. She picked up her phone again and changed the contact name with the profile picture of two dogs to "Jerk Man." Now she felt a little better. Since he liked dogs so much, this name suited him best.
When Cheng Jinchuan arrived at Changlong, it was almost 10 pm, nearly three hours later than the agreed time. It couldn't be said he was late either, because he hadn't agreed to this dinner in the first place. So whether he came or not, and when he came, depended entirely on his mood.
"Well, Mr. Shao is still here," Cheng Jinchuan said breezily as he strode into the private room and sat down on the chair. He glanced at his watch and asked knowingly, "You didn't wait from 7 pm until now, did you?"
Shao Chengze didn't ask the server to step up. He got up and personally poured a cup of tea for Cheng Jinchuan. "I've been here since 6 pm to meet Mr. Cheng for dinner. Arriving an hour early to wait shows sincerity."
Cheng Jinchuan sneered. Sincerity? Even if he had waited here since 6 am this morning, it had nothing to do with sincerity. This was a typical example of the wolf paying New Year's call on the chickens with evil intentions.
Shao Chengze remained calm and told the server to bring out the dishes now.
Cheng Jinchuan crossed his legs arrogantly. "Forget the food. I don't even dare drink a sip of your tea. As the saying goes, 'Bite not the hand that feeds you.' I understand that much at least. Let's not waste time. Mr. Shao, just get to the point about why you asked to see me."
Shao Chengze replied, "Wasn't it Mr. Cheng who said he wanted to talk to me? I thought Mr. Cheng had something to discuss with me."
Cheng Jinchuan was rendered speechless for a moment. "Why do you call me Mr. Cheng?"
Shao Chengze looked at him unhurriedly and answered, "What else should I call you if not Mr. Cheng? Should I call you Brother Chuan instead?"
Cheng Jinchuan sat up straight. The fox finally revealed its tail. He had come today to be recognized as a brother.
He blocked it right away. "I remember we're the same age. I can't be your brother, Mr. Shao."
Shao Chengze pushed back, "The older one by birth month is still a brother. Mr. Cheng's birthday is two months earlier than mine. You can still claim that status as brother."
Cheng Jinchuan frowned. "You even know my birthday?"
He hated it when people investigated him behind his back.
Shao Chengze explained, "I heard Jinlan mention it before. The few times she talked about Mr. Cheng to me, it was evident that in her heart, Mr. Cheng is the best brother in the world."
Cheng Jinchuan fell silent for a moment and extricated himself from the sugar-coated cannonball in time.
"I don't need outsiders to tell me what I am in my sister's heart. Also, stop addressing her so intimately as Jinlan. You don't have that right."
Cheng Jinchuan threw his own words back at him.
Shao Chengze sincerely apologized, "I overstepped. I really don't have that right now."
Cheng Jinchuan gave a cold snort. "It's good you know that," he took out a cigarette to hold in his hand, steering the conversation back to the main point, "Was it you who bought the Hu residence?"
Shao Chengze nodded. "Yes."
"What are you trying to do?"
Shao Chengze replied, "Since I don't have the right, I naturally tried to find ways to earn that right."
Damn, Cheng Jinchuan cursed inwardly. Should he say Shao had thick skin, or should he say Shao knew how to play tricks?
"You're quite gutsy. Aren't you afraid of getting beaten up?"
Shao Chengze said, "If getting beaten up once could resolve this predicament, things would actually become simpler."
Cheng Jinchuan was so angry he had to laugh. This guy really was impervious to coaxing or threats, wasn't he?
"Let's set aside those business disputes for now. You should know why our families ended up at odds with each other in the first place."
"I know."
"Then you should also know that my sister would never set foot in the Shao house. My father definitely won't approve of you. You can't get past that hurdle."
"That's why I bought the Hu residence."
"Hm?"
"I can enter the Cheng house."
Cheng Jinchuan choked on the smoke and coughed heavily a few times. He accepted the tea cup Shao Chengze handed over and took a sip to recover before confirming again, "Do you know what you're saying?"
"What I mean is, I'll be glad to become the Cheng family's son-in-law who marries into the bride's family."
Shao Chengze enunciated very clearly. He said this to Cheng Jinchuan, but more so hoping Cheng Jinchuan would convey it to Elder Cheng. That night, the old man simply refused to listen to him and shut the door in his face. First, he had to open up a path through Cheng Jinchuan before he could stand in front of the old man to negotiate.
Cheng Jinchuan suppressed the urge to cough again and put on a stern expression. "Forget about being a son-in-law marrying into the bride's family. If you have even the slightest connection with our Cheng family, do you think your board of directors will tolerate you? Can you still remain as the Shao president? Don't feed me this crap that doesn't make any sense."
Shao Chengze handed over a name card.
Cheng Jinchuan didn't take it, just glanced at it briefly before quirking a brow almost imperceptibly. "The person behind Qiong Miao is you?"
He naturally knew about Qiong Miao. It had rapidly risen in the Asia Pacific region in recent years. The multiple startups it invested in were moderate successes, to put it conservatively. Some said Qiong Miao was able to establish a foothold in just a few short years due to the discerning and ruthless investment foresight of its mysterious boss.
Indeed, from what Cheng Jinchuan knew, quite a few startups weren't highly regarded by industry insiders initially. No one expected they would have so much potential later on. Numerous veteran tycoons in the industry regretted missing out.
Cheng Jinchuan hadn't expected Qiong Miao to be his.
Shao Chengze placed the name card on the table and looked straight into Cheng Jinchuan's eyes. "I'll try my best not to be a son-in-law who eats soft rice."
The way he said it, it seemed he had long planned to become the Cheng family's son-in-law.
After coming in, this was the first time Cheng Jinchuan looked at him properly. His gaze changed from initial anger to interest. To be honest, he didn't know much about Shao Chengze, and he had no interest in getting to know him either. What good could come out of their Shao family? Just because they had some family background, they thought they could reach the heavens. They didn't have much capability, only underhanded means left.
How interesting. Was there something wrong with the Shao family genes? Or was he simply not of Shao descent? For the Shao family to produce such an interesting person, their ancestral grave must have sprouted green smoke.
But Cheng Jinchuan quickly hid his interest and said coldly, "You're thinking too much. No matter if it's becoming a son-in-law or whatever kind of son-in-law, my sister will never agree. You seem to not understand her well. She hates eating regurgitated food the most. So move out as soon as possible, otherwise, be careful of getting dragged into a dark alley one night and beaten up."
After acting tough and threatening the man, Cheng Jinchuan turned around and called Cheng Jinlan as soon as he stepped out, "Hey, sister, Shao Chengze said he wants to marry into our family."
The reason Cheng Jinchuan attended this dinner with Shao Chengze tonight was to intimidate him and probe his bottom line. His sister didn't return home on her birthday night. He knew her well. The only person who could make her stay out all night was none other than this Shao Chengze.
Cheng Jinlan was silent for a second. "What?"
"He said he wants to become a son-in-law in our Cheng family. I think it's fine. He's probably the most outstanding one among the Shao family's three generations, right? Otherwise, their old man wouldn't have given him Shao Corporation. If he enters our Cheng house, let me tell you, it will twist his old man's nose crooked. Just imagining that scene makes me want to laugh."
Cheng Jinlan asked, "You met him tonight?"
"Yeah, I got so drunk that night I felt like I forgot something important. It only occurred to me this morning. That night, he came out of your neighbor's place. He even moved in next door to you. If I don't step in to teach him a lesson, he probably thinks no one's left in the Cheng house."
"Brother, you can remember him coming out of the neighbor's place, but you forgot he carried you upstairs princess style," Cheng Jinlan said.
Cheng Jinchuan was stunned. "What?!" In a flash, something struck his brain. "Damn!!"
The call was ended right after.
Cheng Jinlan stroked the phone screen. After a while, she sent a WeChat message: [You said you went on a business trip].
She shouldn't have believed him. When he said he went on a business trip, she thought he really went. There wasn't a single truthful word from his mouth.
Shao Chengze replied very quickly with a video call.
Cheng Jinlan accepted the call and placed the phone on the table.
Shao Chengze appeared on the screen, speaking to the ceiling with a laugh in his voice, "It was my mistake for not reporting my itinerary to you in time or making it clear when exactly I would be away on business. I'm taking a 1am flight and just had dinner with your older brother, and now I've just arrived at the airport. The landing time is..."
Cheng Jinlan cut him off. "You don't need to report your itinerary to me."
"Of course I should, a prospective boyfriend should report his travel plans too. I'll be more considerate next time."
Cheng Jinlan didn't want to go around in circles with him on this topic. She had sent that message on impulse just now, as if she really was checking up on him. She saw Cheng Liqi come out from the bedroom and hand her the phone, "Your dad is on the phone looking for you."
Cheng Liqi had come running out as soon as she heard her dad's voice. She took the phone happily and told her dad everything she had done today at preschool - how many bowls of rice she ate for dinner, how long she played the piano, and more. By the end of the call she had run over to the window, using the curtains as a makeshift castle to enclose herself as she whispered to her dad, "Dad, are you and Mom dating?"
She thought she might have overheard something about a boyfriend just now.
Shao Chengze replied, "I'd say I want to date your mom."
"Ah!" Cheng Liqi threw open the curtains and yelled loudly to her mom, "Mom, Dad said he wants to date you!"
Cheng Jinlan pretended to stay calm as she ate an apple and replied to her daughter, "Mom knows."
Cheng Liqi ran back to her mom's side and whispered, "Mom, do you want to date Dad?"
No matter how soft she kept her voice, the person on the other end of the phone could hear everything crystal clear.
Before Cheng Jinlan could think of how to distract the little princess's attention, Cheng Liqi had already been drawn in by the words on the screen. As she was talking, her hand accidentally tapped the phone screen, minimizing the video call window and revealing the WeChat conversation screen.
Cheng Liqi's eyes went wide as she read the name on the chat screen. "Mom, why is Dad a 'bad man'?"
Cheng Jinlan: ...
"Oh, I get it now!" Cheng Liqi didn't wait for her mom to answer before having a sudden realization, "This must be what they call loving insults! Mom, you and Dad are dating!"
Her grandma sometimes called her grandpa 'stubborn old man', and her big uncle said that was them flirting.
Shao Chengze let out a soft laugh. "Little Liqi is so clever."
Cheng Liqi excitedly pulled her mom's hand and jumped up and down. She had guessed her dad and mom's secret!
"Mom, am I clever or not?"
On the other end of the screen, Shao Chengze unconsciously held his breath.
Cheng Jinlan wiped the sweat beading on the tip of her daughter's nose and replied,
"Yes, clever."
