Chapter 30

Cheng Yanran knew that in this kind of system, connections and background were very important.

But when he thought about how hard Zhou Zhou had worked for so long and now had to start over, he felt even more upset than if he were the one being treated unfairly.

He felt like he wasn’t strong enough.

If he were stronger, at least he could help by saying something for her.

Now, seeing her like this, he couldn’t help at all, not even ask more questions because he felt shy.

He opened his mouth but felt he didn’t have the right to talk about this.

Chi Yao seemed to understand what he was thinking.

“She doesn’t care,” she said. “When she decided to come back, she already thought it through. Those things are just on the surface. Family is what she cares about the most.”

“Yeah.” In his mind, he was thinking about how to get back a big project from a large company he had just turned down. He didn’t care about the money. He just wanted to build connections first.

“Do you know about her sister’s situation?”

“Yes,” Cheng Yanran nodded and whispered.

Zhou Zhou had a hard life; he always understood that. That’s why he tried his best to take care of her.

Chi Yao then asked, “Mr. Cheng, do you like Xiao Chuan?”

Cheng Yanran asked back, “Xiao Chuan? Is that her nickname?”

“No, it’s a cute name I gave her. Hurry, tell me, do you like her?”

“Isn’t that obvious?” Cheng Yanran smiled.

“When did it start? You were classmates in high school, right?”

“She doesn’t know how I feel yet. Why are you asking?”

Even though Chi Yao was her best friend, he still hoped the words he kept in his heart for more than ten years could one day be spoken openly to Zhou Zhou — not through someone else.

“You’re pretty good, but Xiao Chuan is better. So, I won’t speak up for you. Good luck, Mr. Cheng.”

“She’s really great. I know I’m not good enough for her, but I still want to try. Thanks for your encouragement. I’ll work hard.” He paused, then joked, “Can you call me by my name? We’re not just business friends.”

“Okay.”

They were both engineering students, so they had many things to talk about. They chatted casually all the way back.

Xixi Villa was a rich neighborhood. Only registered cars could enter.

The black Mercedes kept driving until it stopped steadily in front of the villa Chi Yao pointed out.

Cheng Yanran got out first and took the things from the trunk to Chi Yao.

He watched her go inside the villa before driving away.

Zhou Zhou told him to make sure she got home safely, so he wanted to see her enter.

Before leaving, he checked his phone. It had only been about twenty minutes since they separated. Zhou Zhou probably hadn’t reached home yet, so he didn’t send her a message.

While backing out, he saw a tall young man coming to meet Chi Yao. But it was too dark, and the streetlights weren’t bright enough to see clearly. He guessed it was Wei Chengyuan but wasn’t sure.

He sighed quietly in his heart about Wei Chengyuan and Chi Yao.

Feelings are personal — others can’t say much about them.

When he got home, he saw Cheng Anzhi and Liu Chuanxiu still in the living room, drinking tea and chatting.

“It’s already 10:30. Why aren’t you guys asleep yet?” He went to the kitchen and poured a cup of hot water. Seeing bananas on the fruit plate, he peeled one to eat.

“Your uncle and his family just left. Son, why are you back again?” Liu Chuanxiu asked, surprised.

Before, Cheng Yanran came home once every month or two. But recently, he came back more often.

Cheng Anzhi understood why but just smiled without saying anything.

“If you want to come back, just come back. What did your uncle’s family come for?” Cheng Yanran answered casually.

“Your brother is getting married.”

“Huh? He’s younger than me by a few years, right?” Cheng Yanran asked, stopping eating the fruit.

“He’s three years younger than you, only 27. The girl is even younger, only 23, and she’s pregnant, so no choice,” Liu Chuanxiu said, frustrated. “You only care about work every day. When will you get married? Nan Hua is younger than you and already has a child.”

Cheng Yanran said, “What’s there to compare?”

“Are you busy recently? How’s the company now?” Cheng Anzhi was going upstairs to sleep but saw his son was back and stopped to chat with a smile.

“Not bad. Busy for sure. We have so many projects we have to wait in line.”

“Being busy is good. How’s the money?”

“Okay, the funding is enough.”

Cheng Anzhi was an experienced businessman. Though he didn’t understand the high-tech things his son worked on, he knew many business rules and tricks. Cheng Yanran liked talking about company stuff with his father.

“Good, that’s good. Even though you do tech, you can’t totally ignore operations, understand? You need to know the money matters too, so no one can hide things from you.”

“I understand.”

Seeing the two men chatting, Liu Chuanxiu, who didn’t understand much, made a pot of hot water and went upstairs to sleep.

After his wife left, Cheng Anzhi asked, “You came back so late. Were you working overtime or taking a girl home?”

Cheng Yanran didn’t want to hide it but couldn’t explain clearly, so he said vaguely, “Worked until after nine. Just met once. She’s busy too.”

“What does the girl do? Old He said she’s very graceful. Is she a teacher? What subject?”

Cheng Anzhi wasn’t nosy. He just saw his son was 30 and hadn’t moved on. Now that he showed interest, he wanted to help.

His younger brother already had a grandson, so Cheng Anzhi was a bit jealous.

“She works at the city government.”

“Oh, that’s impressive,” Cheng Anzhi said, surprised.

He wasn’t worried his son would be tricked but thought about how to help him win the girl’s heart.

“That’s a tough job. Serving leaders is not easier than your job as deputy general manager.”

He had been in business a long time and knew politics was the hardest part.

“Yeah, not easy,” Cheng Yanran agreed.

“Is this time for real?”

“Yes, it’s real. I really like her. Always have.”

Cheng Anzhi saw his son’s face become serious, as if remembering something. He pointed to the piano by the living room.

“When you were in high school, you used to play a song every day called ‘Autumn Whisper.’ Even after you grew up, you still played it sometimes, right?”

Looking at his father’s kind, curious eyes, Cheng Yanran smiled shyly and admitted, “You remember that? It was for her. I liked her back then in school. And I still like her now.”

Cheng Anzhi was shocked.

He didn’t expect there was such a romantic guy in the family.

After the shock, he understood.

Indeed, someone who rarely falls in love, when they do, it’s earth-shaking.

Good kid.

Liking someone for over ten years — that’s a real man.

He reached out and patted his son’s head hard.

“You’re so dumb. What’s the use of loving someone in secret? Waiting for the country to give you a medal? How did I get a son like you?”