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Zhao Mingchuan’s tone was fierce, but his gaze was sharp, sweeping over her from head to toe.
She still had the strength to grimace, so she must not be injured.
Zhao Mingchuan loosened his arm, and Chu Ning, losing her support, sank to the ground with wobbly legs, looking rather pitiful as she tilted her head up: “Hey!”
Zhao Mingchuan was silent for two seconds, then said impatiently: “Every time I come back here, I run into you.”
The implication: he found it particularly annoying.
Chu Ning let him say what he wanted and didn’t talk back.
Zhao Mingchuan was a bit of a chauvinist and happened to fall for this approach. He walked over and, not so gently, pulled her up from the ground.
Chu Ning was three beats slow, only then remembering to ask him: “Are you okay?”
Zhao Mingchuan sneered, “No, I almost died.”
“Bah, bah, bah!” Chu Ning frowned: “Don’t say unlucky things, quickly spit!”
Zhao Mingchuan pressed his lips tightly, truly speechless at her.
Chu Ning glanced at the car behind, wondering who else was there. The window slid down, revealing Zhao Peilin’s face, his eyes as deep as the sea, showing no emotion.
Chen Yue was startled by the commotion outside and belatedly opened the door. Seeing the large group of people, she was stunned.
The matter naturally couldn’t be kept secret.
They had calculated everything, but hadn’t accounted for the two masters, old and young, of the Zhao family suddenly returning home.
Chen Yue, while regretting her foolish actions that evening, hardened her resolve and decided to go along with the plan. She had to take a stance, so she simply told Zhao Peilin about Chu Ning and Feng Ziyang. Anyway, they would know sooner or later.
Zhao Peilin listened, remaining silent for a long time.
Chen Yue, after all, leaned towards her husband’s emotions, so she consciously drew a line, clearly defining boundaries.
She began to lecture Chu Ning:
“Even when you were disobedient as a child, Mom never hit or scolded you. You’ve truly broken Mom’s heart.”
“What’s most important in a family? Honesty, do you understand?”
“Tell Mom and Dad about anything, no matter how big. We’re your family, are we really not going to help you?”
Chen Yue’s choice of words was quite clever. The image of a gentle and loving mother was for Zhao Peilin, and reasoning with Chu Ning made her appear magnanimous, a woman who could take charge of the household.
Chu Ning knew exactly what her mother was up to as soon as she heard it.
And beside her, Zhao Mingchuan let out a cold snort.
Chen Yue immediately stopped speaking, abashed.
Zhao Mingchuan stood up, flicking his sleeve, clearly disapproving. He said, “Every single one of you is a troublemaker.”
These words were harsh and showed no mercy.
Everyone in the room looked at him.
“You.” He spoke to Chu Ning, his eyes disdainful. “You’ve been a mischievous spirit since childhood. The worldly wisdom that other girls only grasp at thirty, you’ve mastered skillfully at twenty. To put it nicely, it’s called cleverness. To speak truthfully, it’s called worldly, and it makes you tiresome.”
Chu Ning glared at him. What girl likes to hear that?
Yet, she couldn’t refute it.
Zhao Mingchuan’s discerning eye was sharp. He then turned to Chen Yue, and out of respect for an elder, he didn’t show a cold face. But his arrogant demeanor was clearly written all over his face.
“Like tree, like fruit.”
Chen Yue’s face instantly turned ugly.
Zhao Mingchuan disliked this woman; she was weak, flattering, as if her entire life was spent trying to please others.
A family member by marriage, not worth remembering.
“You’re capable, are you happy only when you’ve turned this house upside down? One of you is audacious, even daring to jump from a building with such a rotten idea. If you’re going to jump, find a high place and jump properly, jump to your death, don’t come and harm me.”
His words were utterly ruthless.
And what followed was even more merciless.
Zhao Mingchuan changed the subject, looking at Chen Yue: “You, as a mother, truly have talent. You’re idle all day, doing nothing but scrutinizing who your daughter is dating. Heh, the more you fear something, the more you try to control it. No wonder others have opinions.”
What opinions?
That she was looked down upon!
As his words fell, Zhao Peilin was the first to show displeasure, enunciating heavily: “Mingchuan!”
Zhao Mingchuan didn’t believe in anyone’s words. When he got wild, even the King of Heaven couldn’t suppress him.
His eyebrows slanted, without a care in the world. The suppressed anger had finally ignited tonight. He then aimed the flame at Chu Ning, scoffing: “What a prospect!”
Chu Ning didn’t feel embarrassed; she inexplicably felt... relieved?
Zhao Mingchuan carried a faint smell of alcohol, using the alcohol to be overbearing. He didn’t linger, rising to say, “I’m leaving.”
Chen Yue’s face alternated between green and white, stunned.
Passing by Chu Ning, Zhao Mingchuan glanced at her, his tone unpleasant: “Not leaving yet?!”
“Alright!” Chu Ning responded, following closely behind him like a little shadow.
The auntie at home opened the door for him, but Zhao Mingchuan reached back, and without looking, grabbed Chu Ning’s arm, unceremoniously pushing her out.
Chu Ning almost lost her balance and fell. She grabbed wildly, leaving two red marks on his hand.
Zhao Mingchuan’s face turned green, and he roared fiercely: “Are you addicted to faking accidents now, huh?”
Chu Ning scratched her ear, not thinking much of it, and shamelessly forced a smile, “You have thick skin, I’m just removing some dead skin for you. Your skin will become better.”
Zhao Mingchuan regretted it. He should have let her jump herself just now.
Don’t catch her, don’t save her, don’t pity her!
The autumn night wind carried a moist chill, very distinct. The few fallen leaves at their feet swayed further with it.
A moment of wind passed.
Chu Ning looked up, and quietly said, “I’m hungry.”
The emotion in Zhao Mingchuan’s eyes was unclear.
After a moment, he strode towards the Land Rover. He didn’t go to the right-hand driver’s seat, but walked around the left side, pulled open the passenger door without looking, and then got into the driver’s seat.
Authentic Old Beijing Beef Noodles.
Zhao Mingchuan almost went crazy smelling the beef in the shop. “Do you have indigestion from anything other than noodles?”
Chu Ning lowered her head and ate heartily, nodding. “Yes! If I eat anything else, my stomach will get a hole, and food will go in my throat and come out the hole, spilling all over my stomach.”
Zhao Mingchuan’s face darkened. He picked up his chopsticks and tapped her forehead hard.
Chu Ning grimaced in pain. “What’s your problem?”
Zhao Mingchuan reached across the table, looking as if he was about to pinch her. Chu Ning cleverly scooted her chair back, jumped up, and glared at him: “Hmph, can’t catch me.”
The commotion made the other customers in the shop laugh.
Zhao Mingchuan bit his inner jaw, sitting upright, deliberately putting on a cold, domineering CEO facade.
Why? Because it was losing face!
Chu Ning observed his mood and didn’t test his patience, sitting down obediently.
Zhao Mingchuan’s expression softened slightly. He asked, “How’s that company you’ve been working on?”
Chu Ning didn’t hide anything. “It’s going well. After a few more adjustments, it’ll go into production. Although there are relatively few companies that need this kind of product, there aren’t many products in this industry to begin with.”
Zhao Mingchuan didn’t speak.
Chu Ning grinned playfully, “Do you want to invest in our company?”
“Eat your noodles!”
Chu Ning hummed an “oh” and slurped loudly, head bowed.
Zhao Mingchuan squinted slightly. This woman, her eating is truly awful. Has she been starving for days? Can’t she be more refined? But then again, this was how “eating” should be. With appetite, no pretense, just genuine.
Having attended many social events with drinks, he had seen many different masks. With a single word from someone, Zhao Mingchuan could tell what kind of ulterior motive they had. The tricks of toasting and the intricacies of social etiquette all reeked of insincerity.
This cheap noodle meal tonight felt surprisingly comfortable.
Zhao Mingchuan looked at Chu Ning, who was engrossed in her food, and the corner of his mouth curved into an almost imperceptible smile.
Chu Ning happened to look up, catching his smile, and felt a chill. “What are you doing?”
Zhao Mingchuan glared at her again.
Chu Ning blinked, then said casually, “So temperamental, no wonder Sister Xi didn’t want you.”
“You’re asking to die!!” Zhao Mingchuan had his sore spot touched and instantly exploded.
Chu Ning didn’t even bother to lift her eyelids, as if deliberately going against the wind, she quietly said, “That’s how it is. With a temper like yours, any woman would be disgusted.”
Zhao Mingchuan was furious. “Am I lacking women?”
Chu Ning scoffed, picking up a strand of noodles and blowing on it to cool it. She said, “You know what those women are after.”
Zhao Mingchuan remained silent, his face grim.
The woman who, without even needing her full name to be spoken, could make President Zhao’s world collapse, also had the surname Zhao, and her given name was Xi.
Zhao Xi.
She attended the same university as Zhao Mingchuan. One was a sophomore, the other a senior about to go abroad. Zhao Xi possessed exceptional talent and temperament, from a scholarly family. By all accounts, Zhao Mingchuan, with his air of a money-grubbing businessman, seemed utterly unworthy of her.
Zhao Mingchuan fell in love with her at first sight and went to great lengths to pursue her. But once they were together, they were the envy of others. Their eventual breakup was also dramatic.
Zhao Xi initiated the breakup, cleanly and decisively, and then went abroad.
The arrogant Young Master Zhao, accustomed to getting his way, was utterly disoriented. He had felt hatred, been ruthless, and poured his heart out, but he never mentioned having loved.
Why?
Because there was never a “past tense”—
He still loved her.
Only Chu Ning dared to firmly poke at his festering wound. “I saw Sister Xi on Outer Street the other day.”
Zhao Mingchuan froze.
“She’s back in the country, and she’s very beautiful,” Chu Ning said truthfully. “She was driving a white Audi TT, and there was a man in the passenger seat who seemed quite intimate with her.”
She observed President Zhao’s reaction for a while, deeming it safe, and then continued: “She greeted me, and I asked for her number, saying we should keep in touch.”
Zhao Mingchuan’s expression stiffened slightly. He restrained himself for several seconds, then finally couldn’t bear it any longer: “Name your price.”
Chu Ning’s face immediately broke into a smile.
These siblings, at odds like fire and water, born rivals. Yet, they shared such默契 (mòqì - unspoken understanding), that even a single expression could reveal their thoughts to each other.
This was blatant blackmail!
Simply shameless.
The shameless President Ning immediately said, “I need your help. Your network is extensive. Help me find suitable and reliable investors. I have two requirements: first, money.”
Zhao Mingchuan was speechless.
“Second,” Chu Ning looked into his eyes and said, “...sincerity.”
Zhao Mingchuan snorted coldly. “Do you think you’re looking for a partner?”
“I’ve already found my partner,” Chu Ning retorted, answering every question and being quite annoying, “But your partner still doesn’t know whose surname they’ll take.”
Zhao Mingchuan almost flipped the table. “Shut up!”
Chu Ning leaned back lazily. “So, what do you say, do you agree?”
Her cunning and sly fox-like appearance made people’s teeth itch with hatred. For Ying Jing, Chu Ning was also pulling out all the stops. She wasn’t someone who didn’t think things through. She didn’t understand the technology, but she understood operations. She firmly believed that Ying Jing’s success was inevitable. For a project to grow strong, it definitely needed strong capital support. Currently, Mingyao Technology, which had extended an olive branch, was undoubtedly the most suitable, but Tang Yao was too arrogant.
Chu Ning was concerned that working with such a person would limit Ying Jing.
If there were more options, she would feel at ease.
Zhao Mingchuan’s face was cold. He pushed the table and stood up, declaring, “I’ll give you an answer within three days.”
Chu Ning raised an eyebrow, took out her phone, and sent Zhao Xi’s number to Zhao Mingchuan’s WeChat.
________________________________________
The day of wits and struggles finally ended.
Chu Ning returned to her apartment, completely drained. She weakly entered the password to open the door. With a beep and a click, the door cracked open—
Ying Jing stood in the doorway like a wall of flesh, his expression of facing death made Chu Ning laugh.
“Are you on guard duty?” Then her face crumpled, and she threw her arms open, directly pouncing on him, hanging around Ying Jing’s neck, whining and acting spoiled: “I’m so tired, I’m almost out of breath!”
Ying Jing naturally wrapped his arms around her waist, leading her into the room.
“What’s wrong? Your mom didn’t make things difficult for you, did she? Did you argue? Don’t argue, she’s your mom after all, don’t hurt her feelings.”
Chu Ning hugged him, feeling like a lump of soft mud. She kicked off her high heels, the left one flying towards the door, the right one hitting the shoe cabinet door with a thwack.
“Nothing happened to me, I just jumped off a building.”
Ying Jing was startled: “What’s going on?!”
Chu Ning giggled, “Just kidding.” Then she let go of him and went to the bathroom to shower. “I have no strength left, can you help me get my clothes ready? I want to wear that black slip nightgown.”
Standing under the shower, fatigue gradually enveloped her.
Chu Ning was too tired, so she simply squatted on the floor, letting the water pour over her.
Halfway through her shower, the bathroom door was pushed open. Ying Jing poked his head in, his eyes ablaze. “I want to shower with you.”
Chu Ning squatted there, looking up at him, a smile on her lips. “Come here.”
As he approached, she didn’t let him move. She herself knelt, then straightened her back, this height was just right.
Before long, the sounds under the shower curtain were low, unbearable, a mixture of extreme pleasure and crazy torment.
Ying Jing felt that one day he would die at Chu Ning’s hands.
The two became increasingly unashamed, and by the time they finished, it was already past midnight.
Ying Jing held her close, feeling her quiet breaths sweep across his chest. He opened his mouth: “Ning’er...”
“Shhh.” Chu Ning seemed to know what he was going to say. With her eyes closed, she whispered, “Don’t ask.”
My home, my mom, my grievances tonight,
Don’t ask.
These three words made Ying Jing’s eyes well up.
Their fingers were tightly intertwined under the blanket.
Chu Ning disliked the faint raw smell in the air after lovemaking, so every time, she would light an essential oil lamp.
Sometimes it was bergamot, sometimes ylang-ylang.
And tonight, it was sweet orange.
Ying Jing suddenly turned her face, his gaze firm, and said, “Let’s go register tomorrow, okay?”
Chu Ning was startled.
“As long as you agree, my parents are also willing to come meet your parents tomorrow.”
She stubbornly blurted out, “Coming to propose marriage?”
Ying Jing smiled, his eyes reflecting both joy and determination: “Yes, proposing marriage.”
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