Ever since graduating from university, it had been a long time since Cheng Jiaming experienced such nervousness.
Early in the morning, he had already changed into his clothes, his whole spirit glowing. For today’s meeting with the parents, he even specially dyed his hair back to black. He already had a bright, sunny appearance, his smile naturally made people feel goodwill, and now he stood there eagerly, watching Father and Mother Cheng come downstairs, like a lively little poplar tree full of energy.
“Dad, Mom,” he urged, “if we don’t leave now, we’ll be late!”
Father Cheng shot him a cold glance and said nothing.
Mother Cheng was also irritated by how cheap he looked right now. She withdrew her gaze so she wouldn’t have to see it, and instructed a servant, “Is breakfast prepared?”
“It’s ready, madam,” the servant replied.
“Then bring it out,” she said.
Only then did Cheng Jiaming realize something wasn’t right, and he frowned. “Mom, we really should leave.”
They had agreed to meet the Ye family at eight. It was already close to seven-thirty. If Father and Mother Cheng took their time eating and then went to Huating Hotel, they would absolutely be late.
“Mom, we can eat over there. I’ll order your favorite beauty-and-health porridge for you.”
No one paid him any mind.
Mother Cheng took Father Cheng’s arm and unhurriedly sat down in the dining room. The servant respectfully presented the steaming vegetable porridge. She extended her well-maintained fingertips and gently stirred it, saying, “What’s the rush? He’s right there, do you think he’s going to run away?”
Cheng Jiaming grew anxious and looked toward his father.
Father Cheng didn’t even lift his eyelids and had already begun drinking his porridge.
They had already investigated the Ye family thoroughly: the chairman was still unconscious, the heavy burden had fallen onto Ye Ran who had an arts background, stockholders were busy selling off shares, and shareholders were full of complaints.
Even though their reputation had inexplicably improved recently, Father Cheng still didn’t take the Ye family seriously. A fallen house like that yet it was enough to make Cheng Jiaming go three days without food or drink to rebel against the family? The more he thought about it, the colder his eyes grew.
He gave a cold snort through his nose. Mother Cheng spoke at just the right moment, fixing her gaze on the youngest son she’d always doted on. Hiding the coldness in her eyes, she slowly asked, “Jiaming, Mom will ask you one last time. Are you really going to get engaged to a man?”
Hearing this, Cheng Jiaming’s lips spread into a brilliant smile, his eyes filled with affection. “Mom, I’m serious.”
He was completely immersed in love, to the point that he didn’t even notice how much colder his parents’ expressions had grown. “Senior is really, really good. Once you meet him, you’ll definitely like him… I thought there was no way in my life that I could ever be with him. Who would’ve thought something would happen to the Ye family… My small amount of shares was nothing. If Ye family’s clothing products weren’t of solid quality, they wouldn’t have even needed me.”
Hearing him downgrade Cheng Corporation’s shares as “small money,” Mother Cheng nearly couldn’t catch her breath from anger. The fact that Cheng Jiaming had sold shares behind their backs, if eldest brother Cheng Jialang hadn’t discovered it first, those shares might have ended up in the hands of several major shareholders.
And the money he got out of it wasn’t even for himself, it was for an outsider… and a man. How could Mother Cheng not feel chilled to the bone?
The son she had raised for so many years so obedient and filial had, in one moment of stubbornness, stabbed her heart raw.
She couldn’t truly be angry at Cheng Jiaming. She only kept repeating Ye Ran’s name in her mind, hating him so much she couldn’t sleep at night.
Today, they were going in name to discuss engagement matters. In reality, it was to give the Ye family a show of force. Ideally, that Ye Ran would recognize the difficulty and obediently withdraw from the engagement with their Jiaming.
If she really had to take matters into her own hands, then however the Ye family had managed to climb up, she could make them fall just as hard.
Madam Cheng, still fuming, dragged things out in the dining room for nearly an hour before finally leaving the house with a dejected Cheng Jiaming in tow.
Cheng Jiaming had never dared disobey his parents. Glancing at the time in the car and seeing that it was already nearing nine, he instantly fell into utter despair, sending Ye Ran one apologetic message after another.
But even as the car pulled into the Huating Hotel’s parking lot, Ye Ran still hadn’t replied.
…
On a Saturday morning, the normally quiet Huating Hotel was unusually bustling.
All the banquet hall doors were tightly shut, burgundy carpets extending all the way to the main entrance.
Several flower stands sat at the doorway, filled with lush, fresh blooms and draped with banners.
Mr. Cheng sensed something amiss. He abruptly stopped and asked the attendant standing at the door, “Is there a banquet today?”
Mr. Cheng was a regular at Huating. The attendant maintained a polite smile. “Yes, Mr. Cheng.”
“Who’s hosting it?” How had he not heard a word?
“Chairman Nie of Tianfu Pharmaceuticals,” the attendant answered.
Tianfu Pharmaceuticals, one of the two major pharmaceutical giants in the country.
The Nie family had been a prestigious clan since the late Qing dynasty, thriving to this day, a truly elite household.
…What kind of person would warrant Chairman Nie himself hosting a banquet?
Mr. Cheng’s brows tightened. Ignoring Cheng Jiaming’s anxious glances, he stepped aside to call his trusted aide, ordering him to investigate what this banquet was about.
The Cheng family didn’t even rank in Beijing; every banquet was a rare opportunity for Mr. Cheng to network. He could not afford to miss this.
The aide worked quickly. Five minutes later, he called back. Whatever he said caused Mr. Cheng’s pupils to constrict, his expression visibly shifting into surprise and delight.
Suddenly, he burst out laughing. His face, gloomy all morning, brightened like spring. Saying “Good! Good! Good!” several times in a row, he hurriedly hung up and turned to Madam Cheng. “I’m not going to the Ye family anymore. You handle it.”
“What on earth? Someone important?” she asked.
“Mm. I need to take a look,” Mr. Cheng said, smiling so widely his face could barely contain it. His eyes gleamed with ambition. Seeing Cheng Jiaming hesitating beside him, he impatiently beckoned, “You’re coming with me. Go see the world for once. Stop burying yourself in crowds of men all day.”
That was harsh.
Madam Cheng’s face stiffened. Forcing down her irritation, she silently cursed Ye Ran’s name, then softened her expression and soothed the unwilling Cheng Jiaming: “Jiaming, go with your father. Mom promises you, today, I will settle this matter for you. Okay?”
“Really?” he looked at her.
“Would I lie to you?” Madam Cheng gave him a little push. “Go, quickly.”
Seeing that Cheng Jiaming obediently followed Mr. Cheng into the banquet hall with the tightly closed doors, Madam Cheng finally felt somewhat appeased.
Carrying her pearl handbag, adjusting the gold bracelet on her wrist, she signaled a server. Under the woman’s guidance, she headed toward her destination, Liufang Pavilion.
Huating had several incredibly famous and impossible-to-book private rooms. Originally, Madam Cheng had reserved a small, ordinary room, she had no intention of giving the Ye family any face. But the Ye family, pretending to be more important than they were, suddenly informed them that they had managed to reserve “Liufang Pavilion” and insisted on switching.
If word got out, Madam Cheng would be laughed at for lacking even the connections of a so-called “fallen” Ye family.
The thought still made her upset.
Turning a corner, Liufang Pavilion came into view.
Madam Cheng composed herself, lifted her chin, and motioned for the server to open the door. She stepped inside slowly. Raising her eyes, she expected to see a room full of people but behind the elegant mountain-and-mist screen sat only one woman.
The woman wore an elegant qipao, about the same age as Madam Cheng, but her temperament was gentle and refined. Her hair was styled simply, adorned with a jade hairpiece of exceptional quality—clear and richly green. She carried a natural air of grace and privilege. When she lifted her gaze, her eyes were cold, though her voice was calm and steady as she said:
“Madam Cheng.”
“You really made me wait.”
…
Meanwhile, inside the adjacent Bamboo Hall—
The room buzzed with chatter and the aroma of fine wine.
Banquets were rarely held during the day. As soon as Mr. Cheng stepped in, he spotted several familiar faces, CEOs of top-listed companies in Beijing. Ordinarily, they were nearly impossible to see, yet today they were all gathered here, chatting and laughing with two men.
Surrounding them were other executives, many of whom Mr. Cheng had never even managed to approach for business.
The entire hall was filled with the elite of Beijing. Any one of them would be fawned over at a typical event.
His internal radar for the powerful went off.
Suppressing his excitement, he dragged the distracted Cheng Jiaming forward.
“Dad, can’t we go see the Ye family first—” Cheng Jiaming whispered.
“See what?!” Mr. Cheng snapped, furious at his son’s poor judgment. “The Ye family is nothing. Do you even know who those people are? If we secure a single deal with any of them, we’d have no financial worries for the next half-year! Good thing I never expected anything from you. If your older brother were here, he’d already be making connections before I even spoke!”
A shadow crossed Cheng Jiaming’s eyes. “…Fine. I’ll go with you.”
“You’d better,” Mr. Cheng said sharply. “And mind your manners. If I hadn’t spent all these years securing investments for the Cheng Corporation, you think anyone would call you Young Master Cheng? I never expected you to accomplish anything. As long as you don’t cause trouble, that’s already good enough. But look at you, years of leniency have made you useless!”
He was merciless. Cheng Jiaming’s face flushed with anger, fingers whitening around his wine glass. “I said I’m going!”
“Then sweeten your tone.” Mr. Cheng shot him a final warning. “The engagement is set. Do what you’re supposed to do.”
Once he saw that his son had been thoroughly cowed, Mr. Cheng straightened his clothes and squeezed forward with a bright smile, getting closer and closer to the center of the circle.
“Oh! Isn’t this Chairman Nie?” he suddenly called out loudly, smiling obsequiously as he squeezed into the group. “It’s only been a few months, but Chairman Nie, you look younger than ever!”
Nie Fang looked at him, eyebrows raised. “And you are?”
Overjoyed, Mr. Cheng immediately bowed slightly and said, “I’m the head of Cheng Foods, Cheng Anbang… Ah, here’s my business card! Chairman Nie, if you ever require collaboration in our sector, please feel free to reach out.”
The lively crowd suddenly fell strangely silent.
Several CEOs who had been mid-conversation twitched their ears, glanced at him with interest, then exchanged looks as though something had clicked for them. Their gazes shifted toward a corner.
There, a man leaning against a long table slowly lifted his eyes, looking over with lazy indifference.
Mr. Cheng, oblivious to the shift in atmosphere, continued excitedly, launching into the history of Cheng Foods.
“At Cheng Foods, we guarantee safety and health above all else. We’ve upheld that principle for years, if we do something, we do it to perfection…”
But Cheng Jiaming sensed something off. He cautiously scanned the room.
Looking toward the corner, he suddenly met a gaze.
A man stood in the shadows, tall, straight, his posture relaxed. He lowered his eyes slightly, gazing at Cheng Jiaming. His eyes were dark so dark they seemed bottomless and just one indifferent glance felt like ink swirling with unspoken danger.
Cheng Jiaming felt, inexplicably, as though he’d been stared at by a predator that fed on flesh. His scalp tingled, and he froze like a prey animal spotting its natural enemy.
That casual glance carried a suffocating hostility that triggered an immediate sense of danger.
…Who was that?
His father’s enemy?
The man slowly withdrew his gaze, set down his glass, and under Cheng Jiaming’s nervous stare, he strolled leisurely out of the banquet hall.
Only once the man disappeared did Cheng Jiaming finally release a breath. As he relaxed, he also heard a man in Tang-style clothing within the central circle abruptly ask: “This must be Young Master Cheng?”
Mr. Cheng, mid-sentence, didn’t mind the interruption. He immediately pushed Cheng Jiaming forward like he was selling goods. “Yes, yes, this is my second son. Graduated from Beijing University. Useless child, majored in the arts.”
The man in Tang attire remained expressionless, but the surrounding CEOs exchanged subtle looks, watching Mr. Cheng like spectators at a show.
“My son has held several exhibitions since studying art. He’s made a small name for himself in the art circle. I don’t expect much from him, just that he stays honest.”
“Is that so?” the Tang-attired man said, voice deep and steady. “My child also studied art. Won the national gold award two years ago.”
Cheng Jiaming frowned slightly, muttering internally—
…What’s there to brag about? His senior had won a gold award too and made the papers and the news.
Mr. Cheng pinched his waist hard, smiling as he praised, “Your child must be extraordinarily talented. A gold award, well, that’s something my son will never achieve in his lifetime. Might I know your child’s name? If I ever come across one of his paintings, I’d gladly buy it to adorn my home.”
But under Mr. Cheng’s eager gaze, the Tang-attired man looked away, clinked glasses with Nie Fang, and said as though he hadn’t heard a word: “I’ll be going.”
…
What followed was a complete collapse.
Mr. Cheng watched in stunned silence as the man turned and left. Then the CEOs who had previously been willing to socialize with the Cheng family also departed one by one, none offering even the slightest explanation.
He tried desperately to gather information, but everyone in the hall avoided the topic with uncanny coordination.
Growing panicked and furious, he saw Cheng Jiaming shrinking beside him, and the thought of the Ye family still waiting in the private room only stoked his fury further. Face dark, burning with suppressed rage, he marched Cheng Jiaming straight toward Liufang Pavilion.
Two servers stood guard outside.
Seeing them approach, they politely opened the door.
Mr. Cheng entered without expression, his cold gaze sweeping past the decorative screen in the center. Striding inside, he announced loudly:
“We had to discuss a last-minute business deal, so we’re late. I hope none of you will hold it against us.”
Cheng Jiaming swept past him first, calling anxiously: “Senior, my dad and I—”
He walked around the screen, and whatever he saw made his body abruptly freeze. Father Cheng, who was already irritated just looking at him, let out a cold laugh, simply bypassing him altogether. Lifting his eyelids with a yin-yang tone, he said: “You’re Ye Ran, right? Regarding the investment our Cheng Corporation is giving the Ye family, there are still some details that need discussing…”
He lifted his head, and suddenly his gaze went blank. In that moment of stillness, he not only saw Mother Cheng’s pale, panicked face, but also saw a face he had just seen minutes ago.
Shen Hanqing was seated calmly beside Mother Shen, gently holding her hand, soothing her expressionless anger.
And a face even more familiar to Father Cheng than Shen Hanqing’s was also seated at the main seat.
The man’s long legs were lazily crossed, his sleeves casually rolled to the elbows, revealing pale, well-built forearms.
His arm rested on the chair’s armrest, hanging naturally, fingertips still holding a lit cigarette. The tip glowed red, smoke curling upward, veiling the upper half of his face and revealing only a smooth, elegant jawline.
Sensing Father Cheng’s stare, the man slowly lifted his gaze. Behind the smoke, his eyes were dark and heavy, like ink that couldn’t be dissolved, cold and chilling.
…
A loud boom.
All color drained from Father Cheng’s face. His lips trembled as he stammered in shock: “…President… President Shen?”
Shen Shi?
How could it be Shen Shi?!
Shen Shi had no reaction. He merely flicked off the ash calmly. In the moment his gaze lowered, the veins bulged across the back of his hand, his grip nearly denting the chair’s armrest.
…The Cheng family.
Suppressing the sudden surge of hostility in his chest, he looked expressionless, composed as he always appeared, wearing the calm façade as he watched the pale-faced Father Cheng take his seat.
The boy standing behind Father Cheng didn’t say a word. His gaze searched around the room as if looking for someone, eventually returning in disappointment.
Shen Shi’s deep, shadowed stare fixed on him for a moment. Then he withdrew his gaze, his lowered eyelashes casting a thin shadow across his face. Leisurely, he took a slow drag of his cigarette, his posture calm, but the rising smoke faintly veiled his scrutinizing, cutting gaze.
No responsibility. Emotions written all over his face. Unsteady posture. Shifty eyes.
Not a single advantage.
Except for a still-young face.
…How could someone like that ever deserve his Ye Ran.
He treated the Cheng family as if they were invisible. In his ears was Father Cheng’s stammering voice, his attitude flipping a full 180 degrees.
“President Shen, Mr. Shen, Madam Shen… this, this is all a misunderstanding, I… my wife and I had planned to arrive early, but there was a small incident on the way. When we got to the hotel, we heard that you had come from the south, President Shen, so to show our respect, my wife and I split up. Our whole family values Ye Ran very much. The engagement…”
His brain worked quickly. Within just a few sentences, his pale face suddenly flushed red, his eyes lighting up with realization.
So Ye Ran actually had such close ties with the Shen family of Haicheng?!
Their Cheng family had really picked up a treasure!
He never expected that this useless son Cheng Jiaming actually had such sharp eyes bringing home a golden child.
If they really married into the Ye family, wouldn’t the Cheng family also become connected to the Shen family?
Who wouldn’t want to board the Shen family’s giant ship? Who would’ve thought the first to board would actually be the Chengs!
Father Cheng grew more enthusiastic, wishing he could finalize the children’s marriage right on the spot. “Ye Ran is a wonderful child. Our whole family is very fond of him especially Jiaming’s mother. When she heard she would meet Ye Ran today, everything she wore was newly bought days ago, just to show her liking for him!”
“And Jiaming!” Father Cheng said joyfully, grinning so wide his teeth disappeared. “I heard Jiaming has been pursuing Ye Ran for years. Ah, our whole family knows. His mother and I both fully support it. We only hope Ye Ran can become our son-in-law!”
“Yes, yes… I really like that child Ye Ran.”
Mother Cheng forced a smile onto her stiff face. Her hand clutching the pearl purse was drenched in cold sweat. Her face was white, the lipstick unable to hide the trembling of her lips. Out of the corner of her eye, across from her, Mother Shen slowly sipped her tea, silent.
A blank whiteness washed across her vision, her nerves stretched to breaking. Bearing a misery she had never tasted, groveling, she forced herself to speak humbly: “If the two children end up together, it’s fate… Our Jiaming is truly devoted to Ye Ran. As his mother, I naturally—”
A clink.
The ceramic cup touched the table.
The air instantly froze. Mother Cheng’s eyelids twitched as Mother Shen said: “Mrs. Cheng, that’s not what you said earlier.”
Mother Cheng trembled all over. She bit down hard, saw the sudden darkness in Father Cheng’s gaze, and forced down the urge to curse her son for not explaining who Ye Ran was beforehand. Humbling herself, she said: “It was all a misunderstanding earlier… The accident on the road made me a bit irritable, I—”
“Is that so?” Mother Shen interrupted again. Looking at the family who had arrived three hours late, her eyes were full of deep anger and disappointment. “I think the fate between Ye Ran and your son is very shallow.”
Father Cheng’s smile stiffened. Sensing danger, he immediately tried to fix it:
“How shallow could it be, Madam Shen? Feelings need nurturing. If we set the engagement first, won’t the fate deepen?”
Mother Shen: “It’s already so late today. What’s there to talk about?”
Father Cheng had dug himself into a pit. Anxious, he said urgently: “Madam Shen, we agree to any conditions you propose. The engagement arrangements can be handled entirely by your side. That way… that way there should be enough time, right?”
Mother Cheng’s face changed drastically. She wanted to speak but suppressed herself.
If the Chengs didn’t oversee the engagement… then who was marrying whom? Wouldn’t that put the initiative entirely in the Ye family’s hands? Would that mean their Cheng family was the one marrying off a son?!
Mother Shen’s gaze flickered slightly. She was long past the age of acting on impulse.
The whole point of changing to this private room today was to elevate Ye Ran’s status and give him backing, letting the Ye family fully manage the engagement would give Ye Ran a grand, dignified position.
Father Cheng’s words hit the mark. She narrowed her eyes, pretending to think, waiting for him to retreat further.
Once she held the initiative, she could settle the rest with the Chengs slowly.
After a long silence, Father Cheng hesitated. He glanced at Cheng Jiaming, struggle and conflict in his eyes. Under Mother Cheng’s urgent pleading, he pretended not to see anything. Sincerely, he said to Mother Shen: “Or… we can have Jiaming marry Ye—”
“—Ye Ran is still young.”
The sudden male voice cut him off.
The room fell silent.
Father Cheng stiffened and looked toward the source of the voice.
In the shadow of the main seat, Shen Shi held his cigarette. He didn’t inhale, just lit it absentmindedly, saying lightly: “The engagement… should wait.”
Father Cheng: “But actually—”
“It’s late,” Shen Shi lifted his eyelids again. His gaze swept over calmly, yet it made Father Cheng fall silent. “You should go.”
Before the engagement even started, the in-laws were directly thrown out of the room.
Unprecedented.
Father Cheng lingered a moment, but in the end, he slunk out with Mother Cheng and Cheng Jiaming.
As they left, Cheng Jiaming felt a gaze fall on his back, cold, assessing, like a lion baring its fangs, calculating how to peel off a layer of his skin alive.
He shuddered, steps instantly quickening.
…
After they left, the room finally returned to calm.
The tea on the table simmered gently over the small flame.
A faint fragrance drifted up.
Silence was eventually broken.
Mother Shen’s suppressed fury finally erupted. She took a deep breath and looked at Shen Shi: “With such a perfect chance just now, you could’ve let their boy marry Ye Ran. If later he regrets it, it’s easier for Ye Ran to leave. Why would you—”
She was furious beyond words, her sentence cut off as she pressed a hand to her chest and took a sip of tea.
Shen Shi paused, extinguished the cigarette, and patiently, just like he advised Ye Ran last night not to come today, said:
“Let’s wait.”
Mother Shen coughed from anger: “Wha… what else is there to wait for!”
What could be worth waiting for?
Shen Shi was a single man. How could he understand that opportunities for marriage don’t come twice.
Seeing her truly upset, Shen Shi calmly refilled her cup with hot tea, patted her back, and said:
“It won’t be long.”
The words were strange.
Father Shen seemed to sense something and frowned at him.
Shen Shi obediently withdrew his hand. Leaning back, he suddenly felt like smoking again. His mood, brutal and suppressed since last night, had inexplicably turned calm and natural.
Even when he mentioned the Cheng family boy again, he was gentle, saying the kid “looked decent.”
This made both Shen parents glance at him in surprise.
Besides Cheng Jiaming, the rest of the Cheng family truly had no redeeming qualities.
Mother Shen clearly disliked a weak, irresponsible man like Cheng Jiaming, but among a group of short ones, the tallest had to do. Pinching her nose, she said: “Good. Use this time to observe him further.”
A man’s personality could have flaws, but character couldn’t.
This was Mother Shen’s bottom line.
Shen Shi listened, the corner of his lips lifting faintly. He looked out the window, his gaze in the shadows dark as a stagnant pool.
“Yes,” he said softly. “Let’s wait.”
…
Wait for him to find a fertile place.
And carefully transplant the little rose he had originally planned to nurture slowly.
Author’s note: Next chapter, watch Cheng Jiaming get hammered—
Behold Old Shen’s methods.
