Chapter 30

Late October in Shanghai wasn’t particularly cold.

Yet, when the wind brushed against you, it carried a sense of desolation.

Cheng Li had taken a few steps forward before realizing that Rong Qi was still standing in place, head slightly lowered, seemingly lost in thought. His footsteps hadn’t followed her.

“Rong Qi,” she called softly.

Her clear, gentle voice snapped Rong Qi out of his thoughts.

He looked up and saw her standing before him. The early autumn sunlight wasn’t blinding; it carried a warm yet nostalgic haze. In that moment, the figure before him wasn’t just the 28-year-old Cheng Li.

All these years had passed.

Even though he was no longer the person he used to be, the cautious, restrained feelings in his heart had never disappeared.

“What’s wrong?” Cheng Li asked with concern, assuming his mood was a result of what had just happened at her house.

She softly consoled him, “Don’t worry too much. Actually, Ms. Ling is just like that—sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. Deep down, she’s really tender. If we sweet-talk her a bit, she’ll surely come around.”

Rong Qi looked at her quietly. “I’m fine.”

Seeing him finally speak, Cheng Li let out a breath of relief.

“I’ve never seen you wear a trench coat before,” she said, taking the chance to scrutinize him, pausing deliberately before adding in a drawn-out tone, “It really suits you. Very handsome.”

Rong Qi lifted his gaze, his expression calm and unperturbed.

Cheng Li felt deflated. “Mr. Rong, when someone compliments you, shouldn’t you at least show some reaction?”

Rong Qi gave her a fleeting glance and replied nonchalantly, “If I reacted every time, I’d spend all day saying thank you.”

Cheng Li: “…”

She had encountered confident people before, but never someone this confident.

This man truly had the ability to leave others speechless.

When they reached the neighborhood gate, Cheng Li glanced at the time and turned to ask, “Have you had lunch yet?”

She had no idea where he had come from earlier. But judging from his earlier phone call asking if she had eaten, she assumed he hadn’t either.

Rong Qi, with his eyelids lowered, seemed entirely devoid of energy, as though shrouded in an air of melancholy. His all-black outfit only enhanced the brooding, aesthetic appeal of his appearance.

Cheng Li couldn’t help but steal a few more glances.

She’d seen Rong Qi’s cold and distant side before, but he’d always carried a polished, elite demeanor.

He had never looked this… despondent.

“No,” Rong Qi said, narrowing his eyes slightly. Then, as though reaching the limits of his patience, he turned to her and remarked, “Though I hesitate to say this because it might sound unpleasant.”

Cheng Li, nodding eagerly, gestured for him to continue.

Rong Qi spoke with lazy indifference, “If you keep staring at me like that, I might have to start charging you.”

“As your wife, what’s wrong with looking at you a few times?” Cheng Li wasn’t annoyed and even managed a cheerful retort.

Then, as if struck by a thought, she chuckled. “If you could charge everyone who looks at you, we could probably build a fortune on your face alone.”

Rong Qi: “…”

As she finished her remark, she exhaled deeply, stretching her arms. The bag hanging from her wrist almost brushed against Rong Qi’s shoulder. With a satisfied tone, she sighed, “Even though I got scolded thoroughly by Ms. Ling, at least we don’t have to hide anymore.”

She dropped her arms and was about to ask where they should go for lunch when she noticed something peculiar about the man beside her.

At some point, Rong Qi’s expression had inexplicably softened, like a bristling dog that had suddenly been soothed.

He looked at her, and in a low voice, asked, “You don’t mind them finding out about our marriage anymore?”

“What kind of question is that? When did I ever mind?” Cheng Li asked, genuinely puzzled by his logic.

Rong Qi replied, “Didn’t you say before that we should keep it a secret?”

Feeling wronged, Cheng Li quickly clarified, “I only meant we shouldn’t tell the elders right away since it was such a sudden development. I was worried they wouldn’t take it well.”

She sighed, recalling, “Yesterday, I even tried to ease Ms. Ling into the idea so we could find a good time to bring it up. But then today, she found out. Turns out, I’m not cut out for sneaky plans.”

“Ever since I was little, whatever I did wrong, Ms. Ling would always find out.”

Rong Qi suddenly asked, “How did you ease her into it?”

Cheng Li was about to respond but hesitated, remembering that yesterday’s conversation wasn’t exactly a pleasant memory.

“It’s nothing,” she dismissed and changed the subject. “Let’s go eat. I’m starving. I didn’t even get to eat much of the wontons my dad made earlier.”

She had barely taken two steps forward when she felt a tug at the back of her collar.

Turning around, she saw Rong Qi casually pinching her collar between two fingers.

“Let go,” she demanded.

Rong Qi stared at her coldly. “Finish what you were saying.”

“Huh?”

“You left your sentence hanging,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Was that on purpose?”

Cheng Li wasn’t being intentional.

She gave a half-hearted explanation, “It’s nothing much. Ms. Ling went to visit my grandma’s house and got a bit worked up, so she started thinking about setting me up on a blind date.”

At this point, Cheng Li cautiously glanced at him.

Even though they were only married on paper, having a marriage certificate meant going on a blind date would be inappropriate.

“Of course, I turned it down flatly,” Cheng Li stated firmly.

“And then?” Rong Qi asked.

“And then… I told her I already had someone I liked.”

At the mention of the word “like,” Rong Qi’s eyes flickered, a faint light seeming to ripple in his dark pupils.

Cheng Li noticed the subtle change in his expression and immediately clarified, “Don’t get the wrong idea. I wasn’t trying to claim you as mine. I just wanted to lay some groundwork so Ms. Ling would find it easier to accept our sudden marriage.”

Rong Qi stood there with his hands in his trench coat pockets, appearing casual.

Yet, when she finished speaking, his posture subtly straightened.

He turned his head to look at her. His face, with its sharp lines and thin lips, usually exuded a distant arrogance. But now, there was an unfamiliar intensity to his gaze that made Cheng Li uneasy.

It wasn’t until he spoke in a low voice, “So, like the excuse you gave earlier—about liking me since high school?”

Cheng Li, impressed by his understanding, nodded. “Exactly. Finding an excuse makes things seem less abrupt.”

“Hmm.”

This time, Rong Qi didn’t say anything further. He simply turned and walked ahead.

But Cheng Li couldn’t shake the feeling that his retreating figure carried an odd sense of loneliness.

Almost as if…

She stood there, watching him, and inexplicably recalled the lonely figure leaving by the edge of the school field.

This time, Cheng Li pursed her lips and rushed forward.

When she reached out and grabbed his arm, Rong Qi turned his head, startled, and looked at her.

Cheng Li said, “Um, let’s go eat. You haven’t eaten yet, right?”

Her slightly ingratiating expression fell into his eyes.

Rong Qi looked at her, then suddenly smiled.

Cheng Li felt uneasy under his gaze.

Rong Qi muttered to himself, almost inaudibly, “What was I in such a hurry for?”

Now, he had plenty of time. He could take it slow.

Cheng Li was puzzled. Had hunger driven him mad?

Not even urgent about eating? That’s a problem!

*

After they ate, Rong Qi asked if she needed a ride back to her office.

Cheng Li was about to nod but then shook her head.

She wasn’t in the mood to work now; she might as well use this half-day to relax.

She suspected that Ms. Ling wouldn’t let her off easily this time.

Earlier, during lunch, she had messaged her dad, but there had been no response yet.

She guessed her dad’s phone had probably been confiscated.

Sigh.

“Where do you want to go? I’ll drive you,” Rong Qi offered.

“Drop me off at Yuange’s office. I’ll hang out with her this afternoon,” Cheng Li said.

Rong Qi nodded but, as they reached the entrance to Meng Yuange’s office, he turned to her. “Are you sure you don’t need me to go with you?”

Cheng Li was taken aback but still shook her head.

At times like this, it was better to have the company of a good friend.

Cheng Li placed her hand on the car door handle, ready to step out, when Rong Qi said, “Wait a second.”

She turned back, only to see him pull out a thin wallet from the inner pocket of his coat. The soft lambskin held seven or eight cards inside.

Rong Qi casually pulled out a white card, which appeared to be his ID.

For a moment, Cheng Li wondered if his ID photo looked good.

The next second, Rong Qi placed the rest of the wallet directly into her hand closest to him.

Cheng Li: “…”

“All right, you can go enjoy yourself now,” Rong Qi said, tilting his chin slightly to signal that she could leave the car.

Cheng Li took a deep breath and asked, “What about these cards…”

“They’re not my entire fortune, but they’re all the cards I use regularly.”

Cheng Li quickly said, “But didn’t you just say at my house earlier that we shouldn’t involve money in our relationship? Let’s keep it pure, okay?”

She mainly didn’t want to complicate things.

It felt weird to take so many of his cards without a reason.

Rong Qi glanced at her and replied, “No.”

Cheng Li: “…”

Why was he so stubborn?

“If people find out I’m not spending money on my wife,” Rong Qi said, lifting his eyelids slightly, “imagine how the media would portray me. You can figure that out, right?”

Cheng Li suddenly remembered a famous entrepreneur who pre-paid ten years’ worth of salary before getting married. The public had criticized him as stingy and miserly.

“You wouldn’t want me to be insulted like that, would you?” Rong Qi asked.

“Of course not,” Cheng Li replied helplessly.

Left with no choice, she stuffed all his cards into her bag and got out of the car.

She had arranged to meet Meng Yuange at the café downstairs from her company.

When Meng Yuange saw her, she carefully looked Cheng Li over and sighed with relief. “Good, you’re still in one piece.”

“Thanks for your kind words,” Cheng Li replied sarcastically.

“Quick, quick, tell me, how did Ms. Ling find out?”

“It’s a long story,” Cheng Li said, not wanting to delve into it.

Before arriving, she had briefly told Meng Yuange over text about Ms. Ling discovering her marriage certificate.

Meng Yuange, sitting across from her with her chin propped in one hand, said, “Don’t worry. I already got the editor-in-chief’s permission to take time off. I’m the golden child at work right now, so this entire afternoon is yours.”

Seeing Cheng Li remain silent, Meng Yuange urged, “Come on, spill the details.”

Cheng Li indeed needed someone to help her figure things out.

When Cheng Li explained how both she and Rong Qi had coincidentally used the same excuse and ended up getting kicked out of the house by Ms. Ling, Meng Yuange burst out laughing. “You two really came up with the exact same excuse?”

“Yeah, and that’s why Ms. Ling was so furious,” Cheng Li replied weakly.

But soon, Meng Yuange said, “Do you really think it’s just an excuse?”

Cheng Li shot her a sidelong glance. “You know what I was like in high school.”

To her, Rong Qi was just an ordinary classmate.

“I’m talking about Rong Qi,” Meng Yuange said.

Cheng Li immediately dismissed the notion. “That’s even more impossible.”

“Why not?” Meng Yuange seemed to recall something. “You have no idea—when I interviewed him last time, the way he spoke about his wife made my heart race. That natural, tender tone of his—anyone could tell he loves her deeply.”

Of course, Meng Yuange only found out later that the wife he mentioned was Cheng Li.

Cheng Li hesitated. “Maybe he’s just a good actor?”

“Or maybe he was telling the truth,” Meng Yuange suggested.

Cheng Li still found it hard to believe. After all, she and Rong Qi had hardly interacted in high school.

At most, due to Grandma Xiang’s influence, they had crossed paths a few times privately.

But those interactions were only a handful of times.

Finally, Cheng Li looked up at Meng Yuange and said, “You should watch fewer romance dramas.”

After finishing their coffee, the two really went shopping and later indulged in a seafood feast.

They tried everything—spicy, sour, sweet, and savory.

It wasn’t until Cheng Dingbo sent a message:
[Mom has gone to bed. You can come home now.]

Cheng Li replied:
[Thank you to the best dad in the whole world.]

Cheng Dingbo:
[You’re welcome, world’s draftiest little cotton jacket.]

Cheng Li: “…”

When she got home, she quietly showered and went straight to bed.

Initially, she thought about messaging Rong Qi to let him know she was home, but before she realized it, she fell asleep.

When she woke up, it wasn’t from a natural sleep—it was from sharp pain that jolted her awake.

Reaching out for the bedside lamp, she accidentally tumbled off the bed, landing with a loud “thud.”

Lying on the ground, she gasped for air for what felt like an eternity.

When she tried to get up, she realized the pain was unbearable. Wrapped tightly in a blanket, she could barely move. Her chest felt tight, and a wave of nausea surged, making her feel like she was about to vomit.

It wasn’t clear whether the noise she made was too loud or if one of her parents happened to be awake, but soon there was a knock at her door.

“Cheng Li,” her father’s voice called.

Cheng Li weakly replied, “Dad…”

“What’s wrong?” Cheng Dingbo asked, his voice filled with concern. When he couldn’t wait any longer, he pushed the door open.

He flipped on the light and saw Cheng Li lying on the floor, which made him panic. “What happened to you?”

“I feel like throwing up,” Cheng Li murmured.

Cheng Dingbo rushed over, pulled the blanket off her, and helped her up.

As soon as they reached the bathroom, Cheng Li leaned over the toilet and started vomiting.

Hearing the commotion, Mrs. Ling arrived in her nightgown.

“She needs to go to the hospital,” Cheng Dingbo said, distressed by how sick Cheng Li looked. “What did you eat tonight?”

“Seafood with Yuange,” Cheng Li managed to reply.

“It must be from eating too much seafood. Hold on, I’ll change my clothes and take you to the hospital,” Cheng Dingbo said.

As he left to change, Mrs. Ling glanced at Cheng Li in the bathroom and turned to head into Cheng Li’s bedroom.

Picking up Cheng Li’s phone, she asked, “What’s the password?”

Thinking her mother needed to book a ride, Cheng Li gave her the code.

A moment later, Mrs. Ling made a call and simply said, “Cheng Li is sick.”

“Mom, who are you calling?” Cheng Li asked, her face as pale as paper as she leaned over the toilet.

Mrs. Ling ended the call and didn’t answer.

When Cheng Dingbo returned, dressed and holding an extra coat for Cheng Li, he noticed that Mrs. Ling hadn’t changed. “Aren’t you coming to the hospital?” he asked.

Mrs. Ling didn’t respond, prompting him to complain, “She’s sick, and even if you’re mad, can’t it wait until she’s better?”

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Who could be at the door this late at night?

Surprised, Cheng Dingbo turned to Mrs. Ling. “Did you call an ambulance?”

Mrs. Ling walked over and opened the door to find Rong Qi, panting heavily.

He had run all the way there, luckily staying at the villa nearby that evening.

Stunned, Cheng Dingbo asked, “Why did you call him?”

“She’s his wife. Naturally, it’s his responsibility to take her to the hospital,” Mrs. Ling said calmly.

Rong Qi didn’t even bother changing his shoes as he walked in and said softly, “Uncle, let me take care of her.”

Cheng Dingbo watched in astonishment as Rong Qi effortlessly scooped Cheng Li into his arms.

Mrs. Ling handed Rong Qi the ID and health documents that Cheng Dingbo had prepared. “If anything happens, call us.”

Rong Qi replied, “You two should rest. I’ll take her to the hospital.”

Still worried, Cheng Dingbo followed them to the elevator, only to be stopped by Mrs. Ling.

“You’re really not going?” Cheng Dingbo couldn’t hold back his frustration anymore.

Mrs. Ling cast a glance at the pair. “I want them to understand that marriage isn’t just about getting a certificate and fooling around. Once you’re married, you must take full responsibility for each other. Even if it’s the middle of the night or a storm outside, he has to stay by her side.”

As the elevator doors opened, Rong Qi carried Cheng Li inside.

Groggy and disoriented, Cheng Li only then realized she was in Rong Qi’s arms, with no one else around.

“Where are my parents?” she asked, sounding aggrieved.

Rong Qi looked down at her, his voice warm and comforting. “Your husband is here.”

Author’s Note:
Mrs. Ling: “You’re welcome.
Rong Qi: “Thank you, mother-in-law, for the assist!”