Chapter 60: “Let’s have a meal together, just the two of us.”

After meeting with Li Mengting, Cheng Yao had just returned to the firm when she received a call from the delivery service.

The gift box she had ordered through Qin Qin’s contact had arrived.

Cheng Yao excitedly took the package from the courier, found an empty meeting room to hide in, and quickly tore open the express box.

Qin Qin’s factory warehouse contact was indeed reliable. Knowing it was meant as a gift for someone, they had already wrapped the box beautifully. The elegant wrapping paper was printed with “Happy Birthday” in flowing script, tied with a satin ribbon that formed a perfect bow—exuding understated luxury in every detail.

Cheng Yao was extremely satisfied.

She had originally planned to open the box to see what was inside, but seeing such flawless and exquisite gift wrapping, she decided there was no need to unwrap it. Otherwise, where would she find packaging this perfect?

Just as she sneakily hid the gift box under her desk, she received an internal call from Qian Heng.

“Come to my office.”

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Ubldt Zys tayccle bla dsvlcssj yde rld, jdsnjle, yde ldvlale. Jlqsal pbl nswze ypj obyv kv oyp ycswv, Ckyd Tldt prsjl qkapv.

Tkp tygl zktbvzu easrrle, zssjkdt vsoyae vbl rsvvle rzydv kd vbl nsadla sq vbl sqqknl: “Gal usw qall vsdktbv?”

“Rp kv shlavkxl?”

Ckyd Tldt tzydnle yv bla: “Fs uswa yhykzyckzkvu elrldep sd oblvbla kv’p shlavkxl sa dsv?”

Ubldt Zys tkttzle voknl: “R’x qall. Rq kv’p shlavkxl, R’x lhld xsal qall. Ebs yxsdt wp kpd’v pvakhkdt qsa y elxsnayvkn, rasprlaswp, nkhkzkgle, yde byaxsdkswp psnklvu?”

Ckyd Tldt tyhl bla y caklq pollr okvb bkp lulp: “Qlv alyeu vsdktbv.”

“Txx? Xatydkgkdt nypl qkzlp?”

“Qlv uswaplzq alyeu.” Ckyd Tldt ralpple bkp zkrp vstlvbla. “Mbl alpvywaydv byp y ealpp nsel. Qs bsxl yde nbydtl kdvs y nsnjvykz ealpp.”

“Ah?”

“We’re having dinner together.”

Cheng Yao was stunned for a moment, then pulled out her notebook, ready to take notes attentively: “Accompanying a client? Which client? Do I need to prepare any materials?”

From the beginning, Qian Heng had seemed a bit irritable, and for some reason, Cheng Yao’s question poked at his sore spot.

Qian Heng exploded.

He glared at her fiercely: “Cheng Yao, don’t push your luck.”

Cheng Yao: ??? What illegal or disorderly thing did I do? Did some new law suddenly come into effect just now???

Qian Heng turned his face away, refusing to spare her another glance, and said coldly: “Just you and me.”

“Oh, oh, oh.”

“A farewell dinner.”

Cheng Yao was shocked. Her mind hadn’t caught up yet—it was filled with Bao Rui and Tan Ying’s dramatic performances—and she blurted out: “Boss, are you really going to debut as center???”

Could it be that Qian Heng knew about the public live stream last night? Did he also think live streaming was an easy way to make money, much less strenuous than grueling casework? Had the bizarre and flashy entertainment industry dazzled him too?

“This isn’t good at all…” Cheng Yao tried hard to persuade him. “The entertainment industry is really chaotic. Don’t think that just because you’re a man, you can escape the unspoken rules. There are plenty of men in that circle who would target someone like you. Haven’t you heard the saying? When you’re too handsome… well, your… chrysanthemum takes the brunt…”

Qian Heng frowned: “What nonsense are you spouting?” He rubbed his forehead. “I know you’re thrilled that I’m personally inviting you to dinner—maybe it’s making your thoughts and words all jumbled. But calm down, be cool about it. Cheng Yao, you’re an adult now. It’s time to become someone who stays composed no matter what.”

Cheng Yao was still immersed in the grief of believing Qian Heng was really leaving Jun Heng to enter the entertainment industry. She hadn’t registered a word of what he was actually saying.

She thought to herself: she couldn’t bear to part with Qian Heng! She’d only fully handled two cases under him—there was still so much she hadn’t learned. She hadn’t even graduated from his mentorship yet—how could he quit being a lawyer?!

“Cheng Yao, I know that for some things, only when they’re right in front of you do you feel that real sense of loss and reluctance. But that’s just how life is.”

Oh my god! Could Bao Rui and Tan Ying actually have guessed right for once?! Qian Heng was really leaving?!

Qian Heng suddenly sounded so poetic that Cheng Yao couldn’t hold back anymore. She pleaded, “Boss, I can’t bear to see you go…”

Though Qian Heng kept a straight face, if you looked closely, the corners of his mouth lifted into a tiny, smug arc. Still, he maintained his profound, sage-like tone: “All banquets in this world must come to an end.”

“Then, boss, could you leave me some kind of memento?”

“What kind of memento?”

Cheng Yao thought for a moment: “Anything you’ve used is fine—your notebook, some random doodles you’ve made, stuff like that.”

This was Cheng Yao’s calculation: if Qian Heng entered the entertainment industry—with his looks and that lethally toxic personality—he’d probably cause a storm of blood and chaos. Once he became famous one day, if she had some of his old belongings, she could auction them online and make a fortune.

With that in mind, she added, “If it’s something worn close to the body, that would be even better.”

Intimate clothing—original Qian Heng scent—could easily fetch six figures!

But to Qian Heng’s ears, these words carried an entirely different flavor.

Qian Heng was completely stunned. He carefully studied Cheng Yao for a few seconds, feeling a rare jolt in his usually unflappable heart. He hadn’t expected Cheng Yao to be this bold. It seemed his charm really was overwhelming—she was openly saying such blatant things, even asking for his intimate clothing…

What a headache, Qian Heng thought. What should he give her? Underwear? Men didn’t really have “underwear” in that sense. Boxers? That… that would be far too inappropriate. Socks? Socks wouldn’t be right either…

After thinking it over, he finally decided: “I’ll give you a dress shirt.”

Sure enough, delight appeared on Cheng Yao’s face: “Thank you, boss! Could you sign it on the shirt when the time comes?”

Qian Heng replied with noble aloofness: “Since you’re begging me like this, I suppose I can agree. You should know—all my dress shirts are high-end custom-made…”

“Yes, yes! Thank you, boss! Thank you, boss!” Cheng Yao nodded repeatedly. “But shouldn’t we invite Bao Rui and Tan Ying too? If it’s a farewell dinner, they should have the right to know. It would be more fitting for everyone to eat together.”

Wait…

Qian Heng sensed something off. He furrowed his handsome brows: “Why invite Bao Rui and Tan Ying? Do they already know about us living together?”

“Huh?” Cheng Yao was genuinely stunned now. “Isn’t this a farewell dinner? What does it have to do with us living together?”

Qian Heng stared intently at Cheng Yao, finally realizing something was wrong: “What kind of farewell dinner do you think this is?”

“Isn’t it the team’s breakup farewell dinner? Aren’t you going to debut as center and storm into the live-streaming and entertainment industry?”

“…”

Qian Heng honestly wanted to smack her. He gritted his teeth: “Who told you our team is breaking up? That I’m entering the live-streaming industry??? I have plenty of money—I could buy an entire streaming platform if I wanted. Why on earth would I need to ‘storm’ into it???”

“It’s a farewell dinner because I’m moving out!”

Oh… so that’s how it is…

For some reason, when Qian Heng was no longer going to debut as center, Cheng Yao felt a little disappointed.

But he was finally moving back to his big villa?

“This Saturday, the birthday party will be at my villa,” Qian Heng said, turning his head slightly and casually flipping through a couple of pages of the case file on his desk. “So I need to move back before Saturday. Otherwise, if no one’s lived there for a month, there won’t be any sign of life, and Wu Jun will definitely get suspicious.”

Qian Heng was moving out—that meant she could have the whole apartment to herself?

Cheng Yao instantly brushed away her earlier disappointment and secretly rejoiced inside.

However, her joyful expression actually provoked Qian Heng’s angry glare and interrogation: “What does that smile mean?”

Huh???

“You’re this happy that I’m moving out?”

“No, no!” Cheng Yao hurriedly denied. “I-I’m happy because I get to attend your birthday banquet on Saturday, boss!”

After she said that, Qian Heng’s expression finally softened a bit.

When Cheng Yao left his office, she was still muttering to herself. Lately, she didn’t know what was wrong with Qian Heng—his mood had been so unpredictable. Was he entering early menopause? At only twenty-eight, that would be way too soon.

Or could it be that men also feared the passage of time? After all, he was about to turn twenty-eight, so it wasn’t incomprehensible that he felt a premature sorrow about stepping into middle age.

Whatever, Cheng Yao thought. As a twenty-four-year-old young person, why should I hold it against a twenty-eight-year-old middle-aged friend? Forgive the middle-aged friend—the world belongs to us young people, after all!

---

Unfortunately, the farewell dinner with Qian Heng that night didn’t happen in the end. In the afternoon, Li Mengting suddenly experienced unbearable abdominal pain. Cheng Yao couldn’t think about anything else—she quickly explained the situation to Qian Heng and rushed Li Mengting to the hospital.

Fortunately, though the process was alarming, the outcome was good. After receiving an IV at the hospital, Li Mengting’s condition stabilized. But Cheng Yao didn’t dare leave easily—Zhang Hao had completely blocked all of Li Mengting’s contacts, so there was no relying on him. Thus, Cheng Yao decided to stay with her that night.

“Yao Yao, I’ve decided to keep them.”

Li Mengting’s face was still a bit pale. She lay in the bed, looking somewhat weak overall, yet her voice was very firm: “These two children—I’m going to give birth to them.” She gently stroked her belly. “I thought I didn’t care, but just now, when I thought I might miscarry, I truly realized how reluctant I was to let them go. Zhang Hao is a scumbag, but the children are innocent.”

Cheng Yao said nothing; she just tightly held Li Mengting’s hand.

“I’m actually looking forward to these two new little lives.” Li Mengting smiled. “It must be true what they say—motherhood makes you strong. With them, I feel like I’ve gained strength. Now I don’t feel miserable; I just think this might be a test from life. Maybe heaven thought it was too wasteful for me to become a stay-at-home mom raising kids, so it gave me a chance to become a successful career woman and single mother.” She looked at Cheng Yao. “Don’t all chosen ones have to go through various hardships?”

“Besides, this is far from the worst situation. At least I still have my lawyer, and at least I have the law to protect my rights.”

Though Li Mengting’s physical condition wasn’t great, at this moment, her face had regained its glow and radiance—she looked spirited again. It was clear she had truly come to terms with it, enough to joke around without distraction.

“I know being a single mom will be exhausting and difficult, but I’ll get through it. This isn’t a rash decision either. Over the past few days, I’ve joined a few single-mom groups—I have a clear idea of what I’ll face in the future.” Li Mengting was resolute. “I’ve also told my parents everything, and they support me. That’s why I have the backing and confidence to make this final decision.”

Cheng Yao was genuinely happy for her from the bottom of her heart. Recognizing the difficulties ahead yet still forging forward—this was a kind of responsibility too: “When the babies are born, you have to let me be their godmother!”

“No problem! Better yet, hurry up and find a godfather for my two kids—someone like a domineering CEO type. That way, my children can cling to their future godfather’s big thigh.”

That night, Cheng Yao and Li Mengting reminisced about the fun times from their university law school days, until they finally drifted into a deep sleep.

****

Not long after Li Mengting’s condition stabilized, her parents rushed over from out of town. Li Mengting’s mom and dad still couldn’t fully accept Zhang Hao’s sudden betrayal and change of heart—they were somewhat dazed by this turn of events—but in the end, they both stood firmly by their daughter, fully supporting her decision to divorce and fight for her rights. Regarding her choice to keep the children, they also expressed their support, reassuring Li Mengting that they would carefully care for the two future babies both materially and with their energy.

Yet Li Mengting still felt deep shame and guilt: “Mom, Dad, I’m an adult now, but not only have I failed to work and provide for you, I’ve only caused you trouble. And now with these two babies about to be born, I’m afraid it’ll just burden you even more—living off your retirement…”

Father Li was a taciturn middle-aged man who wasn’t good at sentimental words. He simply patted Li Mengting’s hand: “It’s fine. This is actually pretty good. From now on, these two babies will both take the Li family name. Not only will our Li family line continue, it’ll thrive.”

Mother Li tightly grasped Li Mengting’s hand: “Silly child, how can there be talk of burdening or not among family? What are families for? Aren’t they for supporting each other through the toughest times? Besides, you’ve gritted your teeth and chosen to face the hardships ahead for these two unborn children—so how could your dad and I not endure any bitterness for our own child? As long as you’re healthy and happy, we’ll feel better even if we’re a bit tired! And babies are so adorable—your mom here is even fighting to take care of them!”

Li Mengting finally couldn’t hold back and began to sob softly. Father Li and Mother Li exchanged a glance—their eyes held heartache and tears, but even more so, a tacit understanding of resolve and warmth.

For some people, “family” is a word with no binding power whatsoever, while for others, it is a treasure worth guarding with one’s entire life.

Li Mengting’s life had fallen apart because of the family she had built herself, but thanks to the family her parents had given her, she could once again find the strength to stand up.