Chapter 28

The twilight faded, nightfall descended, and the city lit up in a burst of neon colors. It was as if a dark canvas had been splashed with layers of vivid hues.

In the residential complex, each window glowed with a unique shade of light.

Cheng Li changed her shoes and hurried downstairs.

When she saw Rong Qi, she glanced at his hands and teased, “Where’s your wine?”

His hands were empty, yet he had brought the wine.

“Let’s drink at my place,” Rong Qi said, tilting his chin slightly toward the direction of his villa.

Cheng Li was momentarily stunned.

Rong Qi explained, “My grandparents have gone back to Wuxi. My grandmother recently recovered from a serious illness and missed home. I arranged for the driver to take them back for a couple of days.”

The elderly always have a deep attachment to their hometown.

The two returned to his small villa, which, as expected, was empty.

Even the housekeeper had accompanied the elderly couple back to their hometown.

By late October, Shanghai had already cooled down. The night breeze carried a refreshing chill, and the air was tranquil, almost poetic.

Cheng Li watched as Rong Qi retrieved some spirits and wine from the liquor cabinet.

“What would you like to drink?” he asked.

Seeing her hesitate, Rong Qi smiled faintly. “A cocktail?”

“You can make cocktails?” Cheng Li asked in surprise.

Rong Qi shook his head. “Never tried, but I can give it a shot.”

“But don’t you need special tools?” Cheng Li, having been to bars, knew that professional bartenders used an elaborate set of equipment.

Rong Qi raised an eyebrow. “We’ll keep it simple.”

Before long, he pulled a bottle of orange juice and a red liquid from the fridge.

Cheng Li leaned in for a closer look. It was pomegranate syrup.

Rong Qi found a sealed bottle, poured in some tequila, added ice cubes and orange juice, then held it up and shook it vigorously. The ice clinked loudly inside the bottle.

Cheng Li stared intently at the bottle.

Rong Qi noticed her gaze and asked, “What kind of look is that?”

“I’m wondering if I should dodge in case you shatter the bottle,” Cheng Li replied seriously.

Rong Qi raised an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t you dodge?”

“Because if you can’t dodge, it wouldn’t be right for me to leave you behind,” Cheng Li said helplessly.

Rong Qi: “…”

“You go ahead and dodge,” Rong Qi said, setting the bottle down on the marble countertop with a clink.

Cheng Li chuckled. “That won’t do. We’re in this together, for better or worse.”

“Sharing the good times, sure,” Rong Qi said, his tone carrying a rare touch of mischief. “Sharing the bad, let’s skip that.”

Hearing the humor in his voice, Cheng Li couldn’t help but laugh along.

She sat on a chair, resting her chin in one hand, watching his movements.

Though Rong Qi wasn’t a professional bartender, he seemed naturally adept, like someone with an innate ability to master anything with ease.

Cheng Li marveled aloud, “Is there anything in this world you can’t do?”

Whether it was during their high school years or now, he always seemed so effortlessly competent.

To her surprise, Rong Qi tilted his head slightly, as if deep in thought, and after a moment, replied lightly, “There is.”

“What?” Cheng Li asked curiously.

Rong Qi glanced at her. “Haven’t thought of it yet.”

Ha.

Haha.

How could someone say something so shameless with such a straight face?

As Cheng Li silently mocked him in her mind, Rong Qi had already opened the sealed bottle. He found a glass and poured pomegranate syrup into the bottom, then added ice cubes.

The red liquid spread across the base of the glass, as vibrant as blood.

Next, he poured the orange juice and tequila mixture slowly into the glass.

The red and yellow layers remained distinct.

Finally, Rong Qi picked up a long silver spoon and gently stirred. The colors blended into a beautiful gradient from yellow to red.

“Tequila Sunrise,” Rong Qi said, placing the glass in front of Cheng Li. “Sunrise.”

Cheng Li picked up the glass and took a small sip.

The flavor was sweet and tangy, with a hint of the tequila’s bite lingering afterward.

“This color is gorgeous,” Cheng Li exclaimed.

“Like the dawn of a sunrise,” Rong Qi replied.

He then carried the glasses out to the small garden. There was a woven sofa set for leisurely afternoons, which was now perfect for the two of them to sit and drink.

Cheng Li held her “Sunrise” carefully.

“Alright, stop busying yourself,” she said, noticing Rong Qi standing up again, assuming he had more to do.

But Rong Qi merely walked over to a switch and turned it on.

In an instant, the previously dim garden lit up.

Strung along the iron fence of the garden were rows of small bulbs, their warm yellow light twinkling like tiny stars, casting a magical glow.

“Wow,” Cheng Li said, marveling as she sat on the sofa, gazing around in amazement.

When Rong Qi sat down beside her, she looked at the sparkling garden with bright eyes and a smile.

“Now the wine and ears are ready,” Rong Qi said, looking directly at her.

Hearing this, Cheng Li couldn’t help but laugh.

She said, “It’s nothing much, really. You know how elders are—they always love comparing everyone. My dad is the second of his siblings, and you know how it is—the second child is always overlooked.”

“And so am I.”

Even though she was an only child in her family, she ranked second among her grandparents’ grandchildren.

There was the favored eldest grandson above her and the spoiled little cousin below her.

“Once you grow up, they start comparing jobs, then partners.”

At this point, Cheng Li faltered and fell silent.

If not for her impulsive decision to marry on a whim, which defied all expectations, she wouldn’t feel so pressured to keep things from her parents.

Truthfully, she wouldn’t have to worry about finding a good son-in-law.

“Have you ever felt wronged?” Rong Qi asked her gently.

Cheng Li thought for a moment and nodded. “The most vivid memory was one summer vacation. My parents were busy, so they left me at my grandmother’s house. Grandpa gave each of us fifty yuan to spend, but I lost mine halfway. It was such a small thing, really.”

“Grandma said I needed to learn a lesson, to stop being so careless. Not only did she make me follow my cousin and my younger cousin to the supermarket, but she also made me watch them eat. I still remember how happy they looked, and how much I envied them.”

Perhaps to deliberately spite her, her younger cousin even threw some snacks into the trash.

After that incident, Cheng Li never wanted to visit her grandma’s house again.

Fortunately, though Mrs. Ling was strict, she also loved her deeply. She must have sensed something had happened during Cheng Li’s time at her grandma’s, and she never made her go back.

“Thinking about it now, it wasn’t just about the fifty yuan,” Cheng Li said with a slight scrunch of her nose.

Even though so many years had passed, she still found the memory inexplicably ridiculous whenever it came to mind.

It wasn’t until she grew up that Cheng Li understood: it wasn’t about her not being likable. It was simply that her grandmother didn’t like her mother, and by extension, didn’t like her either.

That realization fueled Cheng Li’s determination to excel in her studies, to give Mrs. Ling a sense of pride within their family.

Luckily, Cheng Li’s life progressed smoothly, with few unpleasant experiences—this one being the most prominent exception.

When she finished speaking, she rested her hands on her knees, her chin propped atop her arms. She curled into a small bundle, her long hair cascading like a waterfall down her back. The gentle night breeze tousled her strands, as if an invisible hand was caressing them.

A faint, elusive fragrance lingered in the wind.

She blinked, her dense eyelashes fluttering like tiny fans. Though they adorned her eyes, it felt as though they were brushing against his heart.

Rong Qi swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Whether it was the alcohol or the perfection of the moment, he couldn’t tell, but he found himself slowly lifting his hand and reaching out toward her.

When his palm covered her eyes, Cheng Li felt her heart skip a beat.

Darkness enveloped her, yet she sensed someone drawing near.

When she found herself in a tender embrace, the world around them seemed to dissolve. Even the soft evening breeze was blocked by the cocoon of warmth surrounding them.

Suddenly, a muffled sound filled her ears. At first, she thought it was her own heartbeat, but upon listening closely, she realized it came from the person holding her.

Rong Qi’s heartbeat was racing too.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Just as she thought the embrace might last forever, the sound of a phone ringing shattered the moment.

Cheng Li recognized the familiar ringtone—it was hers.

The sound went on for quite some time, long enough for her to think Rong Qi wouldn’t let go. Then, a low voice spoke near her ear, “Answer your phone.”

When he released her, Cheng Li looked down, fumbling to find her phone.

After searching for a while, a hand appeared beside her, holding it out.

“Thanks,” she murmured, hastily taking it.

“Hello, Ms. Cheng, do you have any interest in purchasing a property? We’re offering fully furnished new apartments…”

Cheng Li glanced at her phone, puzzled. The telemarketer, mistaking her silence for interest, eagerly launched into a detailed pitch about their hot new listings.

Rong Qi, sitting close enough to hear the conversation, calmly interjected, “Sorry, we already have a marital home.”

His voice was steady, and his words carried over the phone.

The agent on the other end, startled but professional, quickly said, “Apologies for disturbing you. Have a great weekend.”

When the call ended, Cheng Li muttered, “Even the real estate market is more competitive than the tech industry.”

At this hour, tech workers like her would already be relaxing with drinks… Wait.

Drinks, yes. But… talking about love?

The thought of those words crossing her mind left her stunned.

She set her phone down quietly and pressed the back of her hand against her cheek.

It had to be the alcohol.

That was why her face felt so warm.

Noticing the half-empty bottle on the table, Cheng Li said softly, “Maybe I should head back. I have work tomorrow.”

“Alright,” Rong Qi replied without hesitation, standing up immediately.

His straightforwardness caught her off guard, leaving her momentarily dazed.

Wasn’t he the one who had just hugged her?

Nevertheless, she obediently got up, and the two walked out of the villa together.

As they made their way toward her home, Rong Qi suddenly stopped and said, “Wait here.”

Without further explanation, he strode toward a nearby convenience store.

Leaning against the wall, Cheng Li pulled out her phone but couldn’t focus on it.

Minutes passed, and when she couldn’t resist anymore, she decided to check what was taking so long.

She turned to see Rong Qi emerging from the store, holding not one, but three large bags.

The largest bags the store carried.

He crossed the street and stopped in front of her, holding up the bags. Cheng Li peeked inside, noticing they were packed with snacks from the store. Blinking in confusion, she asked, “Did you just restock?”

“Every snack they had,” Rong Qi said softly. “All for you. Just for you.”

Cheng Li stared at him, stunned. Her mind blanked, and she couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Let’s go home,” Rong Qi said, lifting the bags again and walking ahead of her.

Cheng Li followed by his side, their shadows stretching far under the streetlights.

*

Regarding finding a son-in-law, Cheng Li initially thought Ms. Ling was just joking.

That was until one day, when she finally got off work on time and returned home.

She considered herself lucky—at least she could make it home every day. Rong Qi, on the other hand, had just gone to Shenzhen a few days ago and then flew to Chengdu yesterday.

While the family of three was having dinner, Ms. Ling suddenly brought it up. “Cheng Li, did you know Yunze is back in the country?”

“Who?” Cheng Li asked on purpose.

“He Yunze, Director He’s son. You were in the same year in high school. You could even call yourselves childhood sweethearts,” Ms. Ling explained.

Cheng Li was speechless. “I didn’t even meet him until middle school. How does that qualify as childhood sweethearts?”

Ms. Ling was about to continue when Cheng Li interjected, “Mom, didn’t you dislike him back then?”

“When did I ever dislike him? Don’t make things up,” Ms. Ling denied firmly.

Cheng Li chuckled. “Every time he came to find me, you always subtly hinted that I shouldn’t interact with him.”

Caught off guard, Ms. Ling responded with slight embarrassment, “That was because you were both too young then. I didn’t want you to stray into early romance and go down the wrong path.”

Yeah, right, Cheng Li thought inwardly, utterly exasperated.

Still, she was certain Ms. Ling’s sudden mention of He Yunze carried an ulterior motive.

Smart people know when to keep quiet, so Cheng Li ate her meal silently, refusing to take the bait.

Ms. Ling, waiting for her to ask, “Why are you suddenly bringing up He Yunze?” was left disappointed.

Mr. Cheng found this amusing. He placed a chicken wing in Ms. Ling’s bowl. “Looks like she’s not falling for it.”

“Whose side are you on?” Ms. Ling glared at him.

Cheng Li, with a mischievous grin, put another chicken wing into Mr. Cheng’s bowl. “Of course, he’s on my side.”

Mr. Cheng happily accepted the chicken wing from his daughter.

“Actually, I ran into Yunze’s mom today—your Aunt Sun. She mentioned Yunze is back and still single…” Ms. Ling started.

Cheng Li’s scalp tingled.

“Stop, stop, stop,” Cheng Li quickly interrupted. “Could you not try to randomly set me up?”

Ms. Ling frowned. “How is this random? He Yunze graduated from Princeton in the U.S. You’ve known each other since you were kids, and his parents are old friends of ours. Honestly, when it comes to finding a boyfriend, you should go for someone with a solid background like his.”

Cheng Li firmly refused. “No way. There’s absolutely no way between us.”

Ms. Ling’s temper flared. “Then tell me, who is there a way with?”

“Anyway, I already have someone I like,” Cheng Li blurted out.

The table fell silent.

Both Ms. Ling and Mr. Cheng turned to look at her, disbelief written across their faces.

“Stop trying to bluff me with that,” Ms. Ling said, clearly thinking it was an excuse.

Cheng Li, having already said it, decided to double down. “I mean it. So please, stop worrying about me.”

“Fine, bring him home. This time, I’ll take a good look at him myself,” Ms. Ling said firmly.

Cheng Li thought for a moment and decided to seize the opportunity to come clean.

“Alright,” she said. “He’s on a business trip right now, but I’ll bring him home when he’s back.”

*

The next day.

It was another day for a meeting with Zhuo Lian Capital. Just the thought of seeing Xu Jiheng’s face again made Cheng Li’s mood sour from the morning.

She could only hope that after this round of financing, Xu Jiheng would vanish from her life forever.

As the meeting time approached, Cheng Li arrived early in the conference room.

Soon, Han Xiaolin announced that the team from Zhuo Lian Capital had arrived.

When the door to the conference room opened, Cheng Li saw a face she absolutely did not expect—He Yunze.

He was at the forefront, leading the group into the room, with Zhuo Lian Capital’s team, including Xu Jiheng, trailing behind him.

Even Ren Kuang noticed the unexpected change. Was this a sudden switch in the project lead?

“Mr. Ren, hello. I’m He Yunze, the new lead on this financing project,” He Yunze introduced himself, handing Ren Kuang his business card.

Ren Kuang glanced at the card, showing a hint of surprise.

Cheng Li soon received He Yunze’s business card as well, which prominently displayed his title: VP (Vice President).

She knew He Yunze was her age.

In any investment bank, being a VP at twenty-eight was considered remarkably young and promising.

It was worth noting that even at thirty, Xu Jiheng hadn’t reached this position. This likely contributed to his desperation and decision to leave Cheng Li for a wealthier partner.

Cheng Li suddenly found the situation amusing.

Originally, if Xu Jiheng had successfully handled this project, he might have been promoted to VP. But with He Yunze parachuting in, his position was effectively stolen.

Though Cheng Li had never cared much for He Yunze, she had no objections to watching Xu Jiheng lose out.

At that moment, He Yunze turned to explain to Ren Kuang, “Mr. Ren, I understand you might be surprised by the change in leadership mid-project. But please believe that Zhuo Lian Capital is committed to making this financing happen, which is why I’ve been assigned to take over. After all, we hadn’t made much progress in previous negotiations.”

Since securing a partnership with Jiangchi Automobile as a software supplier, Fanhai Intelligent Systems had gained a significant advantage in financing negotiations.

Naturally, they weren’t inclined to make concessions, which had stalled progress with Zhuo Lian Capital under Xu Jiheng’s leadership.

Hence, the change in personnel.

This time, the discussions went relatively smoothly, as He Yunze was willing to compromise, raising the company’s valuation directly to 450 million yuan.

Even though the final offer hadn’t reached Ren Kuang’s ideal valuation, the attitude was at least acceptable.

By the time the meeting ended, it was almost lunchtime.

He Yunze casually suggested, “Why don’t we all have lunch together?”

Ren Kuang nodded in agreement. After all, it was important to build a relationship with the newly assigned lead.

But Cheng Li rejected the idea without hesitation. “Sorry, I have to head to the lab this afternoon, so I’ll skip lunch with you.”

“Really not joining us? I booked your favorite restaurant,” He Yunze said with a deliberate smile, looking directly at her.

Everyone else turned to glance between the two of them.

What was going on?

It was no secret that Xu Jiheng was Cheng Li’s ex-boyfriend.

But who was this guy?

Cheng Li frowned. Here we go again. He Yunze always seemed to know how to force his way in.

He Yunze smiled as he explained, “Cheng Li and I are old classmates. We’ve known each other since middle school, and we even went to high school together.”

“You two are classmates?” Ren Kuang laughed at this revelation. “Well, I’m Cheng Li’s senior from university.”

“Then we’re all on the same team,” He Yunze concluded cheerfully.

Since Ren Kuang had some matters to attend to, he asked them to go ahead to the restaurant first.

As they reached the entrance, Xu Jiheng couldn’t hold back any longer. He glanced at He Yunze and said in a low voice, “Mr. He, so you’ve known Cheng Li for quite a while.”

He Yunze stepped aside to let the other subordinates enter the elevator first. Once the doors closed, he slowly turned to look at Xu Jiheng, his smile faintly mocking. “Of course. Why else would I choose Zhuo Lian Capital out of all the companies in the country that invited me?”

A sinking feeling rose in Xu Jiheng’s chest.

He Yunze’s gaze fixed on him, his tone suddenly sharp with scorn. “Someone like you dares to treat her that way? That’s exactly why I’m here—to take everything from you.”

“You—” Xu Jiheng stammered.

“Even after betraying her, you still won’t get what you want,” He Yunze said coldly, watching as Xu Jiheng’s face turned darker with anger. “How does that feel?”

But soon, Xu Jiheng let out a mirthless laugh. “Do you know she’s already married?”

The smug smile froze on He Yunze’s face.

Married?

To who?

At that moment, Cheng Li exited the office building, talking on the phone.

It was a call from Ms. Ling.

“I’m at work right now,” Cheng Li said.

Ms. Ling snapped, “Even if you’re working on the moon, you need to come home immediately. Right now!”

“Fine,” Cheng Li replied reluctantly, worried something serious had happened.

After hanging up, she noticed the two men standing near the elevator.

She took one look at them and grimaced. Both of them were equally annoying.

Just then, an elevator arrived, already packed with people. Cheng Li squeezed her way in. As He Yunze tried to follow, the elevator alarm sounded.

Helpless, he stepped back out.

Before the doors closed, he called out, “Cheng Li, I need to ask you something.”

Cheng Li glanced at him, and the elevator doors shut without another word.

She hailed a taxi and headed home, feeling uneasy the entire way.

When she arrived, she was about to unlock the door when it opened from the inside.

It was her father, Cheng Dingbo, who had let her in.

Seeing him at home, Cheng Li asked curiously, “Dad, aren’t you supposed to be at work today?”

Cheng Dingbo gave her a complicated look.

Changing her shoes, Cheng Li asked, “What’s going on? Why did mom call me in such a hurry?”

As she turned around, her eyes landed directly on a red booklet spread out on the coffee table.

Her marriage certificate with Rong Qi.

Cheng Li froze, then slowly turned her gaze to the couch, where Ms. Ling sat with an imposing air.

Her mind went blank except for one thought:

It’s over.

Author’s Note:

Rong Qi: Holding the marriage certificate, watching the drama unfold with a smile.

This story focuses solely on rivalry (Cheng Li: Thanks, but no thanks).