CHAPTER 8

Breaking down was one thing, but when the sun rose, life still had to go on.

Tears were meant for the late hours of the night.

Chi Shuang, with swollen eyes, got up early in the morning and drove to the restaurant. She had invested a lot of effort into this place—just finding the right location had taken her nearly three months. The restaurant wasn’t inside a mall but by a lake, surrounded by beautiful scenery, fresh air, and unique architecture.

Now, all the necessary paperwork was complete.

The renovations were also finished. All that was left was a thorough cleaning and a brief waiting period before the grand opening.

Chi Shuang knew that for a restaurant to thrive, besides having a prime location, the chef was the most crucial factor. She and her cousin shared the same philosophy—where money needed to be spent, they wouldn’t skimp.

Upon arriving, she and her cousin divided the work and stayed busy for almost the entire morning. Just as they were about to drive off to another restaurant to observe and learn, a stretch limousine pulled up at the entrance.

At that moment, Chi Shuang had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, after the driver stepped out and greeted her politely, two young men in formal attire got out as well, carrying expensive tea sets and a variety of rare tea leaves.

Her cousin, having never seen such a scene before, was dumbfounded.

Chi Shuang quickly stepped forward to stop them.

The two young men and the driver looked troubled but explained tactfully that they were simply following orders. Some of these teas were extremely rare, even in Beijing, and had been flown in overnight from a specific tea plantation.

Chi Shuang: “……”

Her cousin: “!”

Not wanting to make things difficult for them, Chi Shuang could only step outside the restaurant, find a quiet corner, and dial Meng Huaiqian’s number.

She crossed her arms and waited for the call to connect.

Meanwhile, Meng Huaiqian also stepped out of his office, his mind working quickly. He walked into an empty reception room, answering the call while shutting the door behind him. “Hello.”

The moment the call connected, Chi Shuang didn’t bother holding back and raised her voice. “Meng Huaiqian, what is the meaning of this? Take those things back right now!”

Meng Huaiqian’s voice remained calm. “You mentioned yesterday that the restaurant didn’t have any tea. I sent some over for you to try. If you like any, you can consider purchasing them in bulk for the future. Of course, that’s only if you like them and are willing to.”

As if anticipating what she was about to say, he added, “Chi Shuang, I know you don’t want to see me. I admit, at first, I thought taking care of you on Ah Qian’s behalf would be simple—if you needed help, I’d provide it. But now I’ve realized that it’s not that easy. Yes, I should respect all your choices. But Chi Shuang, Ah Qian was my close friend for many years. I truly believe that if I were the one who had died that night, Ah Qian would have helped take care of my parents.”

“You know that Ah Qian lost his parents at a very young age. The only person he truly cared about was you.”

This was the first time Chi Shuang had ever heard Meng Huaiqian speak so much at once.

She listened patiently, without interrupting.

“I believe the one person he worried about most was you. I can never repay what I owe him, but I will do everything I can for him.”

Chi Shuang fell silent.

She suddenly realized something—Meng Huaiqian might seem like a refined gentleman, but in reality, he was incredibly stubborn and arrogant.

He was atoning in his own way.

What she thought, whether she was willing or not, was unimportant to him—she was still the money tree of the department.

Perhaps, her curses even made him feel better. At the core of it, he was seeking emotional validation from her.

Rather than saying he was taking care of her, it would be more accurate to say he needed her.

How ridiculous.

Right now, Meng Huaiqian needed her—desperately.

She had never even considered taking revenge on anyone because she knew that Liang Qian had made his decision willingly. As his girlfriend, what right did she have to retaliate against Meng Huaiqian for that? But the way Meng Huaiqian kept coming back, time and again, acting like some kind of savior in front of her, seeking psychological comfort and solace—now that infuriated her.

Look at him, so cautious around her. Even her cousin had secretly reminded her not to be too harsh on him—after all, he was Aolang’s Meng Huaiqian.

She was supposed to be grateful for his care, wasn’t she?

He could have ignored her completely. The fact that he was even willing to say “sorry” already made him a kind and generous man, didn’t it?

But hadn’t she already driven him away time and time again? Hadn’t she, either calmly or furiously, told him not to appear before her anymore?

Had he listened? No.

He was still intent on fulfilling some grand promise of brotherhood to Liang Qian.

Fine.

Fine!!

Chi Shuang even laughed.

Taking care of her, was that it?

Then she would accept it. She would make sure this esteemed President Meng suffered so much that he’d cry out for help in vain, that he wouldn’t even dare to show his anger at her. She’d push him until he was battered, tormented, and humiliated—until he slunk away in disgrace.

Meng Huaiqian listened to the long silence on the other end of the call.

He even thought she might have already hung up, or that she had lost patience and tossed her phone aside.

“Alright.”

Her tone was lighthearted. “Meng Huaiqian, you really want to take care of me?”

Her change in attitude was so abrupt that Meng Huaiqian was stunned for several seconds, thinking he might have misheard her.

“…Mm.”

“Are you really taking care of me, or just pretending?”

“What?”

“If you’re really taking care of me, then you have to be on call 24/7. Answer my phone whenever I call.”

Meng Huaiqian hesitated for a moment. “Alright.”

“Okay, you said it, President Meng. Maybe Liang Qian never told you before, but I am an extremely, extremely difficult person to take care of.”

Meng Huaiqian’s previously clear and logical thoughts were completely thrown into chaos.

He was utterly caught off guard.

“Doesn’t matter. You’ll find out soon enough.” Chi Shuang let out a cold laugh. “Even if you regret it now, it’s already too late.”

…

When Meng Huaiqian returned to the office, Rong Kun and Cheng Yue had already gone through several rounds of speculation about who had called him.

Seeing him come in, Rong Kun immediately pried, “Was it Uncle Meng? Is he worried about our recent actions?”

“No.” Meng Huaiqian shook his head, his expression calm and serious.

Rong Kun glanced at Cheng Yue, as if to say: See? I told you it wasn’t Old Meng.

Meng Huaiqian was the outlier among the four of them.

While the rest of them had to bow their heads and ask their parents for money, Meng Huaiqian had started his own business early on. Even while studying abroad, he had made a name for himself. People had long predicted that even if he didn’t take over Aolang, he could build another Aolang from scratch.

Which of them hadn’t owed Meng Huaiqian money before?

With his financial independence, Meng Huaiqian never had to look at anyone’s face for approval—including his own parents’.

“Then who was it?” Cheng Yue asked. “If it wasn’t Uncle Meng, was it… the future Mrs. Meng?”

Meng Huaiqian frowned. “Don’t talk nonsense.”

“We were just wondering if you’ve got a girlfriend,” Rong Kun joked. “Looks like you don’t.”

Meng Huaiqian had no intention of entertaining this pointless conversation.

His mind was filled with Chi Shuang’s words.

How had she changed her attitude so quickly?

Was it because sending tea today was inappropriate? Should he have apologized to her in person?

“No wonder.” Cheng Yue chuckled. “To be honest, Huaiqian, have you ever been in a relationship?”

Rong Kun picked up the topic. “Does he even have the time? When we were in school, Old Meng kept a tight leash on him. And now that he’s finally graduated and returned home, he’s taken over Aolang. He’s running at full speed every day—where would he find time for dating?”

The Meng family had strict control over Meng Huaiqian.

Even his marriage was a calculated move, meant to bring the greatest benefit to both the Meng family and Aolang. The women he could interact with were all from the same circle—how could he just date freely?

He simply couldn’t.

Besides, Meng Huaiqian himself had never put his mind to it.

Back in school, he had the best grades. While others struggled under their packed schedules, he handled everything with ease.

At work, he was overloaded with responsibilities.

In his spare time, he either kept to himself or spent time eating and chatting with friends.

Meng Huaiqian held his phone, his expression heavy.

He replayed the conversation in his mind.

Had he said something wrong?

Maybe he should have given her a heads-up before sending the tea?

No, that wasn’t right. He should have asked for her permission first.

“Huaiqian?”

Seeing how engrossed he was, Rong Kun and Cheng Yue exchanged glances and nudged him.

Meng Huaiqian snapped out of his thoughts.

“Don’t be boring,” he said flatly.

Rong Kun shrugged.

Cheng Yue glanced at his watch and suggested, “It’s about time for dinner. Shall we go together?”

A shadow flickered in their hearts.

They used to always be a group of four.

Now, one of them was gone.

Rong Kun forced a smile, trying to keep the mood from turning somber. “Sure, let’s go. We could use some drinks to unwind. We’ve been under too much pressure lately—my neck is acting up.”

Meng Huaiqian also nodded.

The three of them got up and walked toward the door. Just as they reached the elevator, Meng Huaiqian’s phone vibrated a few times—it was a message from Chi Shuang.

[I want to eat Liu Ge’s pan-fried dumplings from the old district, and the beef brisket noodles from Minwu Road. Oh, and I also want to try that handmade milk tea that’s been really popular lately.]

[You. Personally. Deliver it to me.]

Meng Huaiqian lowered his head, looking at the message. He pinched the bridge of his nose, took a step back, and apologized to his two friends. “I have something to do. You guys go ahead, let’s meet another day.”

“What is it?” Rong Kun frowned. “Something important?”

Meng Huaiqian raised his hand to check the time, his tone calm. “Yes, it’s important.”

Since the incident, her appetite hadn’t been great, and she hadn’t been eating much. Whether she was messing with him or not, he had no reason to refuse.