On the plane, Zhu Tong told Shao Ming many things about Zhu Shoushan. Zhu Tong didn’t hold much resentment towards Zhu Shoushan for using him as a tool for business marriage. Although he was angry at the time, he quickly came to terms with it afterward.
He felt that the situation had partly been his fault.
He had stubbornly refused his grandfather’s help due to a decision he made as a child. He didn’t realize in time that he had become a burden to his father, an unwanted responsibility.
If he hadn’t rejected his grandfather’s help, their lives would have been completely different. Even if he still couldn’t have survived, Xiao Xin wouldn’t have experienced such a miserable fate later on.
On the plane, Shao Ming just listened quietly, his grip on Zhu Tong’s hand tightening unconsciously.
After getting off the plane, they were picked up by someone arranged by Zhu Tong’s grandfather and taken back to the Cheng family residence.
The car drove through a silver iron gate, past a meticulously designed garden, and finally stopped at the entrance of a mansion.
A maid opened the door and respectfully greeted, “Young Master.”
Zhu Tong: “…”
This was another aspect that made Zhu Tong feel uncomfortable.
He paused, sighed, and asked, “Has Xiao Xin come back yet?”
The maid replied, “Young Lady Xin still has art class at school. She won’t be back for a few days.”
“…”
Zhu Tong felt that since he transferred schools, Xiao Xin seemed to have become busier, with even fewer holidays.
He then looked at Shao Ming and said, “We’ll go to her school to find her later.”
Shao Ming smiled and nodded, “Okay.”
Only then did the maid turn her attention to the person standing next to Zhu Tong, surprised that the young master had brought a friend home.
Noticing her gaze, Shao Ming smiled back.
Zhu Tong glanced at Shao Ming and felt that he seemed a bit different after getting off the plane.
He still wore a smile as usual, but there was no hint of his usual casual demeanor, showing a deliberate seriousness instead.
Was he still nervous?
Zhu Tong smiled, took his hand, and said, “Let’s go.”
He was a bit nervous too, but seeing Shao Ming more nervous than him, he felt a sense of responsibility and didn’t want Shao Ming to feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable.
The two walked into the mansion hand in hand, leaving the maid astonished.
Wasn’t the young master someone who disliked contact with others?
When they started working here, the butler’s first rule was that no matter what, they must keep a distance of more than one meter from the young master. They were absolutely not allowed to approach without his permission.
Who exactly was the person the young master brought back this time?
In the mansion, Zhu Tong’s grandfather wasn’t in the first-floor living room. The butler said he was upstairs in a video conference and would be down in a while.
Zhu Tong understood. With the year-end approaching, it was a busy time for businesses. It was already very considerate of his grandfather to take time off to come back.
“Speaking of which…” Zhu Tong suddenly said as they sat on the sofa, “I heard that when my mom gave birth to me and Xiao Xin, it was to have us accompany grandpa for her. But over the years, we haven’t had many chances to spend time together with grandpa.”
Shao Ming comforted him, saying, “There will be plenty of opportunities in the future.”
Zhu Tong nodded, “Yeah, I also want to grow up quickly so that I can help grandpa not work so hard. Will you help me?”
“…”
Only Zhu Tong could say something like that so freely.
Shao Ming chuckled softly, “Okay.”
But he thought to himself, ‘I might not be of much help.’
Besides knowing that today he was going to meet Zhu Tong’s grandfather, Shao Ming knew almost nothing about him. He did know his surname was Cheng, something he learned from Zhu Tong on the plane when Zhu Tong mentioned his mother’s name.
Zhu Tong’s mother was named Cheng Lan.
Cheng.
Shao Ming knew little about businesses outside of A City, and he had always maintained a respectful distance regarding Zhu Tong’s family matters.
The unknown naturally made him nervous.
Waiting was torturous, especially when it felt like waiting for judgment.
They didn’t find anything to pass the time, and Zhu Tong kept the conversation going, trying to distract them.
Finally, at dinner time, there was some movement upstairs.
Cheng Qingsong, nearing seventy, was still robust. His hair was a light brown, his beard white, and his face bore the lines of time but exuded more authority than weariness.
Just standing at the top of the stairs, his presence seemed to lower the temperature in the entire first-floor living room.
Both young men stood up simultaneously.
Zhu Tong called out, “Grandpa.”
Shao Ming, however, was frozen.
He looked at the elderly man descending the stairs, his pupils contracting. Even though he had mentally prepared himself, he was still stunned.
He knew Zhu Tong’s family was prominent.
He knew how influential Uncle Liu was in A City.
He had tried to imagine the high status of Zhu Tong’s grandfather.
But seeing the old man in person shattered all his expectations.
There was a long silence beside him, and Zhu Tong glanced over to see clear shock in Shao Ming’s usually unreadable eyes.
Realizing what he had overlooked, Zhu Tong was stunned.
He had forgotten to tell Shao Ming the crucial details about his grandfather’s identity.
“Um…”
Just as he was about to explain, Shao Ming spoke first, “Cheng-lao xiansheng1“老先生”; idk the equivalent in English… Lao is old/elder (depending on the placement – before the name is more casual, after the name is for calling an elder) and xiansheng is sir/gentleman. Using them separately is already respectful; combined, doubly so..”
“……”
Cheng Qingsong, the wealthiest man in China and ranked seventh on the Forbes’ World Billionaires List last year.
The Forbes List is a ranking published by a business magazine in the United States, covering various fields. To be on this list means being one of the world’s most influential billionaires.
Cheng Qingsong was a name known to almost anyone interested in money across the country.
Shao Ming didn’t know how to feel when he saw Cheng Qingsong.
Excitement? He had met someone he never thought he would meet in his lifetime without any preparation.
Panic? He had taken away the only grandson of Cheng Qingsong!
He felt an uncontrollable sense of confusion. His usually sharp mind, capable of handling any situation, suddenly stopped working.
It took all of Shao Ming’s self-control to maintain his composure and not lose it at this moment when he greeted, “Cheng-lao xiansheng.”
Zhu Tong was more at a loss. He wanted to hold Shao Ming’s hand but didn’t dare to in front of his grandfather. He awkwardly introduced, “Grandpa, this is Shao Ming, my… deskmate.”
With the butler and servants around, Zhu Tong felt too embarrassed to say “boyfriend.”
Cheng Qingsong’s dark brown eyes glanced at the two of them before he spoke, “Are you hungry?”
Zhu Tong was taken aback. “Huh?”
“Come over for dinner.”
Cheng Qingsong didn’t even enter the living room, turning directly from the staircase into the dining room.
“…”
“…”
What does this mean?
Zhu Tong couldn’t figure out his grandfather’s attitude. He glanced at the butler, who gave him an encouraging look, which slightly reassured him. He grabbed Shao Ming’s hand and said, “Let’s eat first.”
The warmth of his hand brought Shao Ming a sense of belonging. He turned slowly to look at Zhu Tong.
Zhu Tong looked apologetic, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I just didn’t remember. I’ll explain everything later, okay?”
“……”
Clearly, Shao Ming should have been the one feeling anxious and helpless, yet all the emotions he restrained seemed to be expressed by Zhu Tong. Zhu Tong was visibly distraught, looking at him with guilt and remorse.
He truly hadn’t remembered. For Zhu Tong, no matter how renowned an elderly person might be, in front of him, there was only one identity — his grandfather.
Yet Zhu Tong could accurately sense Shao Ming’s emotions because he cared deeply about him.
Shao Ming’s restless heart gradually calmed down. “Okay, we’ll talk later.”
As they entered the dining room, they didn’t dare hold hands, but Zhu Tong still sat on the same side as Shao Ming, separating Shao Ming’s seat from the head of the table.
Cheng Qingsong watched them sit down without saying anything.
Dinner hadn’t been served yet, and the three of them sat quietly at the dining table, relatively speechless.
In the end, it was Cheng Qingsong who spoke first. “Everyone’s here, don’t you have something to say?”
Zhu Tong hesitated, not expecting his grandfather to be so direct. He glanced at Shao Ming cautiously and said, “Um… I scored over 600 in my final exams.”
A clear hint.
They had agreed on this over the phone before: if Zhu Tong scored over 600, his grandfather would agree to something.
Cheng Qingsong looked at his grandson, who blinked at him expectantly. He felt both relieved by his change and saddened by the fact that he had finally managed to bring him back, only for him to run away again in the blink of an eye.
Feeling a mixture of emotions, he remained composed. “Hmm, that’s quite an improvement. Do you want some reward?”
Zhu Tong hesitated, realizing he didn’t want a reward; he wanted the agreement they had made.
Shao Ming was aware of their “agreement,” and seeing Cheng Qingsong deliberately avoid mentioning it made him feel uneasy.
At this moment, Zhu Tong took hold of his hand and said directly, “We’re together.”
In an instant, the dining room fell silent, with Shao Ming turning to Zhu Tong in astonishment.
Zhu Tong’s gaze towards the head of the table was firm, his grip on Shao Ming’s hand tightening, revealing his inner turmoil.
Shao Ming felt bewildered by Zhu Tong’s sudden announcement. However, he realized that Zhu Tong had summoned the courage to say it.
Behind Cheng Qingsong, a maid was about to approach the dining table with a tray, but she froze upon hearing the bombshell announcement, her eyes widening in surprise.
Sensing someone behind him, Cheng Qingsong glanced back and signaled for the maid to bring the food to the table.
Once the maid returned to the kitchen, he calmly said, “Let’s eat.”
While Cheng Qingsong remained composed, the two young men felt uneasy.
Seeing his grandfather already picking up his utensils, Zhu Tong anxiously said, “I’m in a relationship with Shao Ming.”
Cheng Qingsong remained calm. “I know.”
Zhu Tong nervously cleared his throat.
Cheng Qingsong glanced at both of them, showing no change in his demeanor. “Let’s eat first, and we’ll talk later.”
Although Zhu Tong was reluctant to let it go, Shao Ming sensed something and gently held him back.
The meal was consumed in an uncomfortable silence, and Cheng Qingsong left the table early.
Confused by his grandfather’s behavior, Zhu Tong was about to go upstairs to fetch him when the butler came downstairs to find them.
“Elder Cheng wants this young man to come upstairs for a talk.”
Zhu Tong didn’t say anything and prepared to follow. The butler smiled and said, “He said that the young master doesn’t need to go upstairs.”
Zhu Tong hesitated. He didn’t think his grandfather would give Shao Ming a check, as Shao Ming had suggested, but his grandfather’s behavior was still strange, and he felt uneasy.
“Why does he have to talk to Shao Ming alone?”
“It’s fine,” Shao Ming said, giving Zhu Tong’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll go up by myself.”
Zhu Tong looked at him for a moment, then let go of his hand.
Under the guidance of the butler, Shao Ming went upstairs and stood in front of a room.
Once the butler left, he took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and entered the room, which turned out to be a home theater.
A large screen occupied one entire wall, displaying several photos clearly.
Various “intimate photos” of him and Zhu Tong were displayed on the screen, leaving Shao Ming stunned at the doorway.
The elderly man in the room had his back to the door and didn’t turn around. His voice was calm as he said, “Come in.”
