It doesn’t seem like a feeling… it was more like being the surplus!
Zheng Yunyun herself felt she shouldn’t be here—after all, the situation didn’t seem like she had arranged to meet Xu Chenghao, but rather like she was carrying a brightly lit, high-wattage bulb on her head, disturbing others’ date!
Wait a minute…
Suddenly, Zheng Yunyun regained her rationality and turned to look in the direction the two were leaving, her gaze filled with surprise.
So, Xu Chenghao’s claim of liking men wasn’t an excuse to reject the arranged marriage; it was the truth.
Are he and Jing Yicheng in a romantic relationship now? Is it a powerful alliance between the newly prominent Jing Yicheng and Xu Group’s heir, Xu Chenghao?
Biting her lip, Zheng Yunyun suddenly realized the benefit of not acting impulsively back then. After all, Xu Chenghao had a promising future, his achievements were undoubtedly high, and being his friend would undoubtedly be very advantageous for her.
Taking a deep breath to calm her restlessness, Zheng Yunyun smiled at the service personnel beside her and said, “I’ll go with this one.”
The attendant bowed and said, “Okay, miss. Would you like to try on some jewelry with the dress? We’ve got many new styles recently, and they would definitely complement the gown.”
“Sure.”
Seated in front of the mirror, Zheng Yunyun looked at herself and smiled slightly. Although men were not reliable, she could rely on herself!
Meanwhile, on the other side…
Xu Chenghao looked at Jing Yicheng, who had changed his clothes, and felt that something was off: “Aren’t we matching too much like this?”
Jing Yicheng pointed at his outfit: “I’m wearing black, and you’re in navy blue.”
Xu Chenghao tilted his chin to assess him: “But everything from your tie to your lapel pin is the same as mine. Even the cufflinks are the same color.”
Jing Yicheng calmly adjusted his cufflinks: “It’s okay; I don’t mind.”
Xu Chenghao: “……” @#$%&*#
He got up and said, “You don’t mind me, but I mind you. You should change, not me!”
Jing Yicheng reached out and pressed him back onto the couch, pressing his shoulders down to keep him from getting up.
Xu Chenghao raised his head and glared at him: “What’s the rush?”
Jing Yicheng lowered his gaze and looked at him for a few seconds, then earnestly tried to make amends: “You look the best, even better than me.”
Xu Chenghao: “……”
He didn’t know whether to be angry or laugh for a moment, so he raised his hand to push Jing Yicheng’s hand away from his shoulder and said, “A clumsy way to coax someone.”
Jing Yicheng: “You really look great.”
Xu Chenghao deliberately teased him: “If I look the best, aren’t you afraid of being seen as a matching pair with me?”
Jing Yicheng: “I’m willing to be the matching pair!”
“It’s easier said than done. No, change it!” Xu Chenghao said ruthlessly, “I’m displeased with you now, no room for negotiation, hurry up!”
Jing Yicheng: “……”
In the end, they changed the brooch to a pocket square, and the tie was also replaced, but Jing Yicheng stubbornly insisted on keeping the cufflinks, claiming he liked them, which was quite pitiful.
Having tasted the bitterness of speaking without thinking, Jing Yicheng could only silently close his mouth as a lesson and promise himself not to speak thoughtlessly in the future.
After the two of them had finished their fussing and confirmed their outfits with the waiter, they finally remembered the existence of the protagonist, Zheng Yunyun, and returned to the women’s clothing section to find her.
Zheng Yunyun was trying on earrings. The tassel-textured diamond earrings shone brightly, simple yet elegant, perfectly matching her outfit and hairstyle.
Xu Chenghao praised, “Miss Zheng has great taste.”
Zheng Yunyun glanced at Xu Chenghao in the mirror and blushed shyly.
Jing Yicheng remained expressionless.
Afraid that they would wait too long, Zheng Yunyun quickly decided on her accessories and changed back into her clothes.
Xu Chenghao looked at her high heels and offered, “Miss Zheng, you didn’t drive here. Shall I give you a ride home?”
Originally, Zheng Yunyun’s plan was to choose her clothes, have dinner, and then be escorted home by a gentleman. But those plans changed quickly. Zheng Yunyun noticed Jing Yicheng’s increasingly impatient look and quickly smiled, “Thank you, Mr. Xu, for your kind offer, but my driver will be here soon. I also want to visit a friend’s store, so you two can go ahead.”
Xu Chenghao said, “Alright, Miss Zheng, see you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.”
After saying goodbye to Zheng Yunyun, Xu Chenghao unlocked the car and sat in the driver’s seat. As he waited for Jing Yicheng to get in, he glanced at the street outside and asked, “Should we eat out?”
“No,” Jing Yicheng refused firmly, fastening his seatbelt and then gesturing, “Let’s go home.”
Xu Chenghao was unwilling. “Why can’t we eat out?”
Jing Yicheng replied, “The food at home is the best.”
Xu Chenghao opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Jing Yicheng turned to him and said earnestly, “Nothing compares to it!”
Xu Chenghao’s argument was instantly silenced. He stared at Jing Yicheng in frustration. Jing Yicheng also returned his gaze without backing down.
The two of them locked eyes in the dimly lit car for a moment. In the end, Xu Chenghao gave in, sighed, and sat up straight to drive back home. Well, if it’s home, it’s home. Since Jing Yicheng wasn’t at the company anymore, he would go out to eat with Li Nian every day from now on!
Jing Yicheng watched Xu Chenghao’s expression of disappointment and couldn’t help but curl the corner of his mouth. In a good mood, he leaned back in the passenger seat, waiting to have dinner at home.
He wasn’t intentionally going against Xu Chenghao. But compared to the elegant and quiet restaurants outside, he preferred the warmth of Xu Chenghao’s home-cooked meals. It wasn’t that the food was exceptionally delicious, but it carried a sense of comfort that touched his heart.
He loved, even cherished, this feeling.
At the same time, he understood that this emotion existed solely due to Xu Chenghao’s presence. He recognized that being by Xu Chenghao’s side granted him the vibrant and spirited “good morning,” the genuine worries and concerns, the reassuring feeling that eased his sleep, and the side of Xu Chenghao that was exclusively shared with him. All of this stemmed from his place beside Xu Chenghao.
So he wants to firmly hold onto this position, and even more importantly, protect Xu Chenghao from being taken away by anyone.
He must guard the treasure he discovered first, so no one can touch it!
Jing Yicheng rubbed the calluses on his thumb, and his eyes turned cold. Sometimes Ruan Chenxuan’s “get out of jail free card1 “get out of jail free card” is often used metaphorically to refer to a means or strategy that allows someone to avoid or escape a difficult or problematic situation without facing the usual consequences or penalties. It originates from the board game Monopoly, where players can draw a “Get Out of Jail Free” card to avoid paying a fine or spending time in jail when landing on certain spaces.” was indeed useful, but over time, he doubted its endless patience. When the time came, as long as Zhang Yun opened his mouth…
“What are you thinking? Get out of the car!” Xu Chenghao suddenly interrupted his thoughts and also helped him unfasten his seatbelt. “We’ve arrived home.”
Jing Yicheng quickly withdrew his dangerous thoughts, pretending as if nothing had happened. He calmly got out of the car and followed Xu Chenghao home for dinner.
Auntie had already prepared dinner. She left after telling them. Xu Chenghao and Jing Yicheng chatted while eating slowly.
Xu Chenghao asked, “Are you staying here right after dinner, or are you planning to climb out the window later?”
Jing Yicheng replied, “I’m staying right after dinner. There’s no need to go back; he knows I’m still here.”
Xu Chenghao looked at him while biting his chopsticks and hesitated. He asked, “Can I ask who it is? If it’s not convenient to say, it’s okay.”
“There’s nothing inconvenient,” Jing Yicheng briefly described, “He’s someone sent by my boss. He wanted me to take on a job, but I refused, so he’s sticking around, hoping I’ll agree eventually.”
Xu Chenghao exclaimed in surprise and asked, “Why didn’t you agree? Now that the project is over, you should have the time, right?”
Jing Yicheng remained silent for a moment and calmly shifted the responsibility onto the other person, “I don’t like his attitude, so I don’t want to cooperate.”
Quite stubborn, but it also matched his capricious and willful personality. Xu Chenghao saw nothing wrong with it and asked, “So how long do you plan to stay at my place?”
Without hesitation, Jing Yicheng replied, “I’ll stay until he leaves.”
Xu Chenghao sighed and said, “If you keep refusing to cooperate, he definitely won’t leave. Aren’t you just both trying to outlast each other? When will this end?”
Jing Yicheng coldly stated, “This is what I hate the most.”
It seemed like he wouldn’t back down. Xu Chenghao sighed in resignation, “Well, then let’s tough it out. As long as you’re happy.”
Anyway, regarding the matter of Jing Yicheng’s Research Institute, Xu Chenghao doesn’t know much except for the little he read from the plot. He doesn’t really understand anything else. The only thing he can do is make a guest room available for Jing Yicheng to stay in, which can be considered his way of encouraging his friend.
As for the rest… he can think about it later. It’s better to prepare for the banquet.
The banquet was scheduled to start at five o’clock in the afternoon the next day. Xu Chenghao needed to do his styling at three o’clock and pick up Zheng Yunyun at four o’clock. Then, they would hurry to the banquet location and attend it together.
It was said that this banquet was the coming-of-age ceremony for Zheng Yunyun’s cousin, Zheng Xiaoxiao, who had just turned eighteen. So, Zheng Yunyun took it quite seriously – a woman’s seriousness probably meant she didn’t want to be outshined by anyone else. Hence, from dressing up to her male companion, everything must be impressive.
Clearly, Zheng Yunyun felt successful – actually being able to have Xu Chenghao as her companion was already a big step towards success. Add that to her prepared makeup and dress, and she was simply shining!
Feeling the envious glances from other women, Zheng Yunyun walked hand in hand with Xu Chenghao, controlling her facial expressions to maintain a smile while feeling immensely proud inside, even laughing heartily.
It was only now that Zheng Yunyun quietly told Xu Chenghao, “To be honest, my relationship with my cousin isn’t very good. She always wants to compare with me in everything, it’s so frustrating.”
Xu Chenghao chuckled, “Why bother with a child?”
Zheng Yunyun said, “If it weren’t for her stealing my ex-boyfriend, I wouldn’t have planned to embarrass her.”
Xu Chenghao paused, “When did that happen?”
Zheng Yunyun calmly said, “Don’t be surprised. Zheng Xiaoxiao had a puppy love and stole my man. Of course, you can take this as my one-sided account, but at the very least, you’re my companion today. Even if you don’t support me, you should remain neutral. If you dare to support her, I’ll be furious!”
Xu Chenghao didn’t quite understand the intricacies of women’s conflicts, so he said, “I’ll stay neutral.”
Zheng Yunyun expected it. “Not supporting her is good enough. Anyway…”
While they were talking, there was suddenly a burst of exclamations at the door, interrupting Zheng Yunyun’s words. Both of them turned to look and saw Ruan Chenxuan entering with a female companion, exchanging greetings with others.
The female companion looked somewhat familiar, like the very famous actress Zhuo Meixue on television. Recently, the tabloids had been speculating about her joining a wealthy family. Because she neither confirmed nor denied it, it created quite a buzz.
It turned out that the wealthy family was Ruan Chenxuan’s.
Before Xu Chenghao could react, Zheng Yunyun suddenly gestured with her eyes in a certain direction and remarked, “The banquet just got livelier.”
Following her gesture, Xu Chenghao looked and saw the male lead’s fiancée, Zhou Qian, standing in the crowd holding a champagne glass, staring coldly at Zhuo Meixue with a fierce expression.
Xu Chenghao commented, “…Indeed, it’s quite lively!”
The author has something to say: What Xu Chenghao doesn’t expect is… the real excitement is yet to come! Hahaha.
T/N: Last month was a busy one for me so I couldn’t update much😔 take this as a consolatory gift. Happy New Month!
