Chapter 52.2: Qian Heng? Blind date?! I, Cheng Yao, object to this in my real name!

Marriage isn’t always wonderful, but it’s not always terrible either. It’s not a fairy tale. Marriage takes work. You reap what you sow.

“If in your heart you’ve already labeled Zhang Hao a scumbag and treat him with hostility, he’ll pick up on that. And once that dynamic sets in, the relationship will spiral. There’ll be no way back.” Cheng Yao’s tone was calm and steady. “What you need to ask yourself is—do you want things to reach that point? I know pregnancy makes emotions run wild, but you’re a mother now. You have to be responsible—not just for yourself, but for your baby too. You can’t afford to be impulsive or spiteful.”

Just moments ago, Li Mengting had been a mess of emotions, wallowing in self-pity. But now, under Cheng Yao’s clear-headed analysis, she finally sobered up.

Looking at Cheng Yao in her smart business attire, Li Mengting suddenly felt a wave of envy.

In just a few months, Cheng Yao had changed so much. The old her would’ve just sat beside her, equally flustered and at a loss. But now, she was composed, rational, steady.

A pang of inferiority hit Li Mengting. She’d become this weepy, helpless pregnant woman. Meanwhile, Cheng Yao had been working hard all this time, and grown into someone admirable. At that moment, Li Mengting suddenly understood the look of frustration in Zhang Hao’s eyes during their fight.

Zhang Hao really was serious about his work. He kept improving every day. And herself? Ever since graduation, she’d been standing still. Without even realizing it, they’d drifted so far apart. They used to be on the same starting line, but now they weren’t even on the same level anymore. Staying home all this time had shrunk her social circle—and maybe even her world.

For some reason, she suddenly regretted telling Cheng Yao about all this. Compared to the capable, confident woman in front of her, she felt even smaller. Even more ashamed.

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*****

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Curious, she edged closer, only to see that the center of the crowd—surrounded three layers deep—was none other than Bao Rui, looking incredibly smug and mysterious.

“I, Bao Rui, swear on my name—it’s absolutely true! That’s exactly what Qian-par said on the phone!”

Tan Ying gasped, “Who would’ve thought even Qian-par would have a day like this!”

“Bao-lawyer, do you know where Qian-par’s having dinner on Saturday? I’d love to ‘accidentally’ run into him,” someone joked.

Bao Rui shot Wang Lu a look. “You wanna ‘run into him’? You got a death wish or what? I already risked my life eavesdropping just to catch the key info, and now you expect me to catch where he’s meeting too? Might as well send me straight to my grave!”

Cheng Yao, totally confused, finally asked, “What’s going on?”

Tan Ying excitedly grabbed her hand. “Qian-par! This Saturday! He’s going on a blind date!”

Cheng Yao: ????

Bao Rui puffed up with pride. “I was super tired today and went to nap in the meeting room. You know how we just moved that big Junheng promo roll-up banner in there recently? I set up a folding chair behind it and dozed off. Who knew Qian-par would come in to make a phone call! And I just so happened to overhear! His parents set him up with a girl for Saturday and told him if he didn’t go, they’d cut ties with him!”

“Qian-par, of all people, would be fazed by that kind of threat?” Cheng Yao said skeptically, feeling her thoughts had been corrupted by the gossiping crowd. “Also, this doesn’t add up. Why would he use the meeting room instead of his own office to make a call? I question the authenticity of your version.”

“Excellent question!” Bao Rui clapped. “Player Cheng Yao, +10 points!” Hands on his hips, he chuckled, “The A/C in his office broke down, so he had it fixed around noon. Too noisy. That’s why he went to the meeting room. And about cutting ties—sure, Qian-par doesn’t care. But his parents said if he refused again, his mom would hire a bunch of people to post his dating profile all over the matchmaking corner in People’s Park! They already printed a whole booklet of his resume and photos, with his phone number on it! Planning to have single ladies blow up his phone!”

“…Wow.”

No wonder Qian Heng turned out the way he did—his upbringing really explains a lot…

“But wait, didn’t Qian-par just go through a breakup?” Tan Ying mused. “Maybe he’s so disheartened he gave in to an arranged date and potential marriage?” She glanced mysteriously at Cheng Yao. “You might not know this, but this Saturday is Qian-par’s official blind date debut! I suddenly feel like a worried mom watching her kid’s first day of school.”

Bao Rui snorted. “Debut? What is he, some amateur going into the AV industry? If anyone should be worried, it’s the poor girl meeting him.”

“Not necessarily! Qian-par’s been showing signs of falling for someone lately. Sure, that one didn’t work out, but maybe this one’s love at first sight. After all, there’s always someone out there with questionable taste!”

“…”

While Tan Ying and Bao Rui continued to banter, Cheng Yao found herself zoning out.

Qian Heng’s going on a blind date? Qian Heng? Blind date??

She didn’t know why, but a strange sense of betrayal bubbled up in her chest.

She slaved away for Junheng, cooked meals for her boss, and here she was—still single! Why did he get to go on a date?! Who gave him permission to find love?!

I, Cheng Yao, officially object!

A blind date?! Let him go! I hope it all goes south and turns into a complete disaster!

“But I heard another piece of hot gossip!” Bao Rui quickly switched gears, his voice full of excitement. “Sister Zhu from admin told me—this year! Junheng is having a second team-building trip!”

“Whoa! That’s amazing!”

“Oh my god, I take back every bad word I said about Qian-par. I hope his blind date is a raging success and he funds a third team-building too!”

“Eh? Where’s the trip this time?”

At this, Bao Rui looked a bit down. “Japan. Again! Why Japan! Word is, Qian-par even said Universal Studios Osaka is a must-go!”

Cheng Yao blinked, then said, “Didn’t you want to go to Japan? When Qian-par was away on a business trip, he told me he chose Japan for the second team-building because you wanted to go—especially Universal Studios Osaka. He said your performance this year was stellar, and this was a reward for you.”

Bao Rui paused, then suddenly turned bashful. “Seriously?” His expression was full of love and hate. “So I really matter that much to Qian-par. This second trip was a special exception—for me.” He got emotional. “For a moment there, I felt like a femme fatale who influenced the king into making foolish decisions. Only problem is—I’m a man! And I’m already married! Alas!”

“…?”

Bao Rui, what exactly are you really regretting here?

“It’s just—Qian-par must be too swamped with work! He’s totally got it mixed up!” Bao Rui said with a sigh. “I’ve already been to Japan five times with my wife! I’m sick of it! Already did a second round of Universal Studios with her too!” He muttered, “Maybe I should drop a subtle hint to Qian-par that I actually want to go to Thailand. If this trip’s really for me, and the tickets aren’t booked yet, he might be willing to switch! Especially since Thailand’s cheaper! A team-building trip to Phuket or something would save a ton!”

Cheng Yao hadn’t been to Phuket either, but for some reason, she kind of wanted to go see the Japan that Qian Heng had described. A little regret welled up in her—if Bao Rui had already been, then maybe they would change the destination…

Bao Rui was still on a roll. “Honestly, after Qian-par came back from that business trip, he dumped five low-value cases on me—only worth 3 to 4 million each. I was a bit offended at first. But now I get it! There’s a deeper meaning here!”

Tan Ying looked curious. “Only 3–4 million? What kind of cases?”

“All inheritance law cases,” Bao Rui scratched his head. “And weirdly enough, the opposing counsel is the same guy for all five.”

“Who is it?”

“Yao Feng. Never heard of him before. I even asked around to make sure he had no history with Qian-par. For a second, I thought maybe he owed Qian-par five million. But I heard the guy’s kind of shady.”

“In what way?”

Bao Rui stroked his chin. “Qian-par told me I must not lose these five cases. If I do, there goes my year-end bonus. Not only do I have to win—I have to completely crush him. Go all out. It’s okay to offend him. Ideally, I should humiliate the guy and vent all my negative emotions on him…” He paused mid-sentence, then suddenly slapped his thigh. “I get it! I get why Qian-par gave me these cases!”

Cheng Yao instinctively shrank back a little. Her heart was a tangle of warmth and bitterness. So Qian Heng had remembered. That “okay” he said—that’s what it meant.

It might sound childish—like he couldn’t protect her himself, so he sent someone else to settle the score—but Cheng Yao found it deeply comforting.

Back when she was being harassed and Yao Feng brushed her off, she told herself “justice will come eventually.” But now she realized—no amount of that kind of empty comfort could match the sheer satisfaction of Qian Heng’s blunt approach.

It felt amazing.

She had to admit, as a boss, Qian Heng treated her incredibly well. Still, it was strange… she really didn’t want that blind date of his to go well…

Did she… like Qian Heng?

No! Absolutely not! The second that thought popped into her head, Cheng Yao shut it down. Qian Heng?! What kind of death wish would make her dare to have thoughts like that?! Was she tired of living?!

She figured this feeling was normal. After all, if Qian Heng started dating, he’d probably have less time to mentor her one-on-one. He’d likely start keeping more distance from female subordinates, might not even partner with her on cases anymore.

And she still had so much to learn from him!

Just as her mind spiraled into chaos, Tan Ying’s voice brought her back.

“So? Why’d he want you to take those cases?”

“Qian-par must’ve realized that after all these years in practice, handling all these family cases full of drama and backstabbing, my heart’s turned jaded. Too much negativity!” Bao Rui was practically tearful. “He must be worried that if this keeps up, it’ll mess with my mental health. So he gave me these small cases on purpose, and even picked a scummy opposing lawyer just for me—so I wouldn’t have any moral hang-ups about going all out. He wants me to take out all my negativity on them and come out feeling bright and sunny again!”

Cheng Yao didn’t dare speak. She really wanted to tell him: that’s probably not what’s going on here…

But Bao Rui was already deeply moved. He raised a hand and swore solemnly, “Just for this kindness alone! I, Bao Rui, will follow Qian-par for life! I’ll be Qian-par’s personal little sunshine forever! Shining light in all directions for him!”

“……”

Wake up, Bao Rui. Qian Heng probably doesn’t want a personal little sunshine like you.