Chapter 6

When the two brought back a large bag of magnolias, Grandma Xiang was quite surprised. However, upon hearing that they were bought from the elderly flower seller, she said nothing more.

Perhaps only those who have experienced the rain truly understand the need for an umbrella.

Before long, Grandma Xiang began preparing fried vegtable cakes in the kitchen.

Cheng Li felt it would be impolite to sit idly and wait to eat.

She proactively entered the kitchen and offered, “Grandma Xiang, let me help you wash the radishes.”

“No need. You sit down and rest; it’ll be ready soon,” Grandma Xiang replied, her hands moving with a swiftness that belied her age.

When they went to the supermarket earlier, Grandma Xiang had already prepared the batter.

Cheng Li didn’t stand on ceremony and placed the radishes they bought into the kitchen sink for washing.

Grandma Xiang said, “You don’t know how to make these. Why don’t you go chat with Rong Qi instead?”

Chat with him?

The two had nearly fallen out during their last conversation—better not.

“I’ll just watch you cook,” Cheng Li replied with a small laugh. “Or are you worried I’ll steal your recipe?”

Grandma Xiang chuckled, “If you want to learn, I’ll teach you. I’m just afraid you wouldn’t want to. Nowadays, not many young women are willing to step into the kitchen.”

Before long, Grandma Xiang glanced toward the kitchen door and saw Rong Qi outside taking a call.

Lowering her voice, she said, “Li Li, can I ask you for a favor?”

“Of course,” Cheng Li responded immediately.

The elderly woman began, “You know, we’ve just returned to Shanghai and don’t know many people here. Rong Qi is always busy with work and hasn’t even thought about finding a girlfriend. Since you two are classmates and both young, do you know any suitable girls you could introduce to him?”

“He needs to be set up?” Cheng Li was taken aback.

Grandma Xiang sighed softly, “Why not? He’s always working.”

This was the first time Cheng Li had encountered such a situation. Having never played matchmaker before, she could only reply, “I think he’s probably prioritizing work for now and isn’t looking for a girlfriend. Otherwise, with all the people he meets through work, it’s hard to imagine he hasn’t met someone suitable.”

“That’s what I said too! I even suggested that if he meets someone suitable, he should bring her home for me to meet. But he insisted that he wouldn’t get involved with anyone from work—it’s too, you know…”

Cheng Li noticed Grandma Xiang falter and helpfully filled in, “Unprofessional?”

“Exactly,” Grandma Xiang replied with a wry smile, her face etched with worry. “But at his age, he should be thinking about finding someone and settling down. Otherwise, I don’t know if I’ll live long enough to see my great-grandchild.”

Cheng Li comforted her, “Don’t worry, Grandma. Fate has its way of surprising people. Who knows, maybe in a few days, he’ll meet someone he likes and suddenly get married.”

“That would be wonderful,” Grandma Xiang said.

She looked at Cheng Li with a trace of regret.

When chatting with Ling Shuanghua the other day, she learned that Cheng Li already had a boyfriend.

Otherwise, she would have truly wanted Cheng Li as her granddaughter-in-law—beautiful, kind, and a former classmate of Rong Qi, someone they knew well. How perfect that would have been.

What a pity.

Grandma Xiang patted Cheng Li’s hand and sighed, “Li Li, please keep this in mind for me.”

“Sure, Grandma Xiang,” Cheng Li agreed, unable to refuse the elderly woman. However, she added, “But you’ll need to discuss it with him first. If I do introduce someone suitable and he’s unwilling, wouldn’t that be awkward?”

Grandma Xiang, satisfied with her agreement, nodded quickly. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he’s on board.”

“Alright. If he agrees, just give me a call, and I’ll see if I know someone suitable.”

Cheng Li’s promise delighted the old lady immensely.

The radish cakes turned out to be a perfect recreation of the flavors Cheng Li remembered from years ago.

*

The weekend passed quickly, and soon it was back to the grind on Monday.

When Cheng Li arrived at the office, she couldn’t help but notice the hotel building where she had broken up with Xu Jiheng just days before. The unpleasant memory surged again.

She wished she’d chosen a more distant location for the breakup.

Now, every time she looked up near the office, she was reminded of it.

But regrets didn’t come with a remedy.

If she could go back in time, she would stop herself from ever getting involved with Xu Jiheng.

For the next few days, Cheng Li deliberately avoided looking at that building.

It wasn’t until Wednesday morning, after finishing a meeting, that her supervisor, Ren Kuang, called her into his office.

“Prepare some materials,” Ren Kuang said. “The investment team will be here for a meeting this afternoon.”

The company was in the process of preparing for an A+ round of financing and had engaged several investment firms.

“I’m joining too?” Cheng Li asked, surprised. After all, Yu Cheng had been handling this phase so far.

Ren Kuang explained, “Yu Cheng’s departure will be known soon enough. Fortunately, this meeting is with Zhuo Lian Capital, which was involved in our Series A financing. They’re one of our strongest prospects this round, especially when it comes to negotiating terms.”

Cheng Li’s heart sank. Zhuo Lian Capital was the company where Xu Jiheng worked.

Their relationship had started because of the company’s financing.

Her instinct was to refuse, but Ren emphasized that, as the company’s future chief architect, it was essential for her to participate in strategic decisions. Moreover, he needed her technical expertise to boost investor confidence.

“Alright, I’ll prepare,” Cheng Li agreed.

Avoiding work opportunities just to sidestep a scumbag would be foolish.

Besides, there was no guarantee that Xu Jiheng would be involved in this project.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as she’d hoped. When she saw Xu Jiheng at the office, her disgust rose again.

Still, she maintained her professionalism, ensuring no one noticed her feelings.

After the meeting, Ren Kuang invited the Zhuo Lian Capital team to dinner. The group took the elevator to the underground parking lot together.

In the elevator, Ren Kuang glanced at Xu Jiheng’s wrist and suddenly remarked, “Jiheng, nice watch.”

Standing behind them, Cheng Li instinctively looked at his wrist.

It was a striking silver Rolex.

Ren Kuang, a former classmate and senior of Xu Jiheng, as well as someone who had regarded him as part of their circle due to his past relationship with Cheng Li, spoke with casual familiarity: “You’ve got it all—career success and a great love life. I should be asking you for advice!”

Although Cheng Li wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about watches, she happened to recognize the one on his wrist.

It must have cost at least a hundred thousand yuan.

Ha! Living off a wealthy partner does make a difference.

Xu Jiheng couldn’t help but glance at Cheng Li, his expression betraying clear awkwardness.

As they exited the elevator, Ren Kuang lowered his voice and said to Cheng Li, “We’re all partners here, so you don’t need to be too tense. Everyone knows about your relationship with Jiheng. Just relax.”

Apparently, Ren Kuang had noticed that Cheng Li hadn’t exchanged a single word with Xu Jiheng since leaving the meeting room and assumed she was simply mindful of professional boundaries.

Cheng Li felt like she had swallowed bitter herbs—an anguish she couldn’t voice.

She couldn’t very well confess to Ren Kuang that she and Xu Jiheng had broken up because he cheated on her. She wasn’t about to subject herself to that kind of humiliation.

Dinner was a torturous affair for Cheng Li.

When Xu Jiheng raised his glass to toast her, she couldn’t hold back any longer and excused herself to the restroom.

Was there anything worse than having to collaborate with your ex-boyfriend after breaking up?

Thankfully, the ordeal finally ended around 8 PM.

Since Cheng Li had arrived in the company’s business car, Ren Kuang asked, “Are you taking the company car back, or should Jiheng drive you?”

Just as he finished speaking, a coquettish voice called out, “Jiheng!”

The voice drew everyone’s attention.

A girl in a pink suit, with long hair cascading over her shoulders, approached from the doorway. While her appearance wasn’t stunning, she was dressed fashionably. She walked straight up to Xu Jiheng.

Xu Jiheng visibly tensed the moment he saw Wang Shuyan.

Lowering his voice, he asked, “Why are you here?”

“I heard you’ve been drinking, so I came to pick you up,” Wang Shuyan said with a coy smile, adjusting the collar of his shirt. “Aren’t I sweet?”

Her actions left everyone present utterly stunned.

The employees from Fanhai Zhixing, including Ren Kuang, turned to Cheng Li in unison.

Their confusion was evident: what on earth was going on here?

Wang Shuyan had already hooked her arm around Xu Jiheng’s, her gaze immediately locking onto Cheng Li. Although everyone was standing together, her focus was unmistakable—it was Cheng Li she was addressing.

When their eyes met, Cheng Li clearly saw the unabashed triumph in Wang Shuyan’s expression.

At that moment, Xu Jiheng was nothing more than a trophy, proudly displayed on her arm.

Xu Jiheng hesitated, clearly caught off guard by her sudden arrival.

Yet, in the end, he gently patted her hair.

A surge of anger built in Cheng Li, bubbling like molten lava ready to erupt. She felt as if she was about to explode.

It was clear to everyone what had just happened.

The sympathetic glances from her colleagues were enough to crush her.

Fortunately, Ren Kuang was seasoned enough to intervene. “The car is here. If you’re riding with the driver, go ahead and get in.”

This gave Cheng Li an exit.

Without sparing another glance at the couple, she walked straight out.

Once she got into the car, the rest of her colleagues followed suit.

The atmosphere in the business car was stifling, as silent as the grave.

But the oppressive quiet only made Cheng Li’s fury boil harder in her chest. For the first time, she understood that intense anger could make a person feel as if they were on the verge of combustion.

She turned her gaze to the window, but it did little to distract her.

The city’s nighttime scenery blurred past, while her mind replayed the scene of that woman clinging to Xu Jiheng and flaunting their relationship in her face.

Initially, Cheng Li had wanted to keep their breakup discreet. After all, being metaphorically bitten by a dog didn’t mean she needed to bite back.

Even when the woman appeared, she had held onto a faint hope that Xu Jiheng would preserve her last shred of dignity by quietly leaving with her. At the very least, he could have spared her this humiliation in front of their colleagues.

After all, just a few days ago on Qixi Festival, he had still sent her flowers.

At that time, the whole company believed they were still together.

But when Xu Jiheng reached out and touched that woman’s hair, Cheng Li’s anger swallowed her whole.

So this was why he had told her to “be realistic.”

His version of “realism” was a brutal slap in her face, shattering all her illusions and exposing her self-deception. Xu Jiheng didn’t care in the slightest about people knowing he had betrayed her.

To please his wealthy new girlfriend, he was willing to trample on her pride.

And to think Cheng Li had been going out of her way to save face in front of her family and colleagues.

At that moment, she realized she was the real clown.

Despite being the one cheated on, she had also been the one to lose every last shred of dignity.

Just as Cheng Li’s fury reached its peak, her phone rang.

She glanced at the screen, surprised by the name displayed.

“Hello, is this Lili?” Grandma Xiang’s voice came through.

“It’s me,” Cheng Li replied softly.

Grandma Xiang’s cheerful tone brightened. “Do you remember what we talked about earlier?”

Cheng Li froze.

The elderly woman continued, clearly delighted, “Rong Qi has agreed to consider going on a blind date. So I’ll have to trouble you to look for a suitable girl.”

The joy in Grandma Xiang’s voice was unmistakable, and even though Cheng Li felt like she was about to explode with anger, she still managed to reply softly, “Of course, I will.”

By then, the car had reached a spot near Cheng Li’s home. She ended the call and asked the driver to stop.

One of her colleagues couldn’t resist asking in a cautious tone, “Engineer Cheng, will you be alright walking back on your own?”

From the concerned tone, Cheng Li knew what the other person was worried about.

They were afraid she’d do something reckless out of despair.

“I’m fine. My home is just up ahead. It’s a short walk,” she reassured them.

Seeing her response, they didn’t press further. The driver closed the door and drove off.

Just as Cheng Li lifted her foot to head home, she noticed a black sedan stopping by the roadside opposite her. The car’s sleek and elegant design, combined with the prominent double-M logo on the front, immediately caught her eye.

Beside the car stood a young man.

He was under the streetlight, seemingly in the middle of a phone call.

The soft, warm glow from the overhead light poured down onto him, enveloping him in a gentle halo. Even though he wore a simple, clean black outfit, it accentuated his tall, lean frame with effortless grace.

Cheng Li stood frozen, staring at this young man who seemed to radiate light.

Unbidden, a memory of Meng Yuange’s words surfaced in her mind:

“If you could land a man like Rong Qi, wouldn’t that be a 360-degree knockout compared to Xu Jiheng?”

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, it was like a spark igniting a fuse.

All of her logic and composure erupted in an instant, leaving no trace behind.

Fine! Reality, huh? Two can play this game!

In that moment, almost as if possessed, Cheng Li lifted her foot and walked straight toward him.

When Rong Qi found himself stopped, he was a bit surprised.

But Cheng Li didn’t care anymore.

Looking up at his casually handsome face, she straightened her back and said boldly, “I heard you’re going on a blind date. Why settle for a stranger when you can pick someone familiar? We were high school classmates—what do you think of me?”

Author’s Note:
Rong Qi: This is my lucky day.