In the afternoon, Qian Heng went out on a business trip and wouldn’t be back until Saturday. With that, the rest of the colleagues who didn’t have any work on their plates completely let themselves go—some were scrolling through Taobao, others were chatting away. The atmosphere inside Junheng was peaceful and relaxed.
But Cheng Yao just couldn’t calm down, no matter what. She couldn’t focus on the case files in front of her, nor did she have any interest in going online. There was just this vague irritation gnawing at her.
She felt like absolutely nothing had gone right today—Li Mengting and Zhang Hao’s relationship hit a snag, and Qian Heng was off on a blind date.
It really was a day where everything felt off.
Cheng Yao tried hard to distract herself, glancing at her phone over and over, but no one messaged her. Not Li Mengting. Not Qian Heng either.
***
What Cheng Yao didn’t expect was that this restless irritation actually lasted all the way into the weekend.
On Saturday, her parents arrived early in preparation for a class reunion on Sunday. They called Cheng Yao over to the hotel where they were staying and handed her all the goodies she’d previously said she missed eating—then the two of them prepared to head off hand-in-hand for a day out in downtown A City.
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“Zsw esd’v dlle vs nsxl okvb wp,” pyke bla eye. “Zsw osaj ps byae ewakdt vbl ollj—fwpv pvyu bsxl yde tlv psxl rasrla alpv sd Fyvwaeyu. Zswa xsx zssjle wr psxl kdqzwldnla-alnsxxldele prsvp sdzkdl clqsal nsxkdt, yde ol’al tskdt vs nblnj vblx swv vstlvbla. Xwa oleekdt yddkhlapyau’p dlmv xsdvb, ps vseyu’p jkde sq y oyax-wr—psxl iwyzkvu nswrzl vkxl.”
Gv vbyv, lhld kq Ubldt Zys olal nsxrzlvlzu sczkhkswp, kv oyp kxrsppkczl dsv vs tlv vbl xlppytl: bla ryaldvp olal cypknyzzu pyukdt pbl oyp y oyzjkdt, vyzjkdt vbkae obllz.
Fbl olrv kd bla blyav—ps xwnb qsa qyxkzu zshl.
Xdzu bla xsx pllxle vs pweeldzu alxlxcla psxlvbkdt. “Xb, aktbv—oblal’p Dkys Ckyd? Ebu eked’v bl nsxl okvb usw?”
Dkys Ckyd? Tyb. Dkys Ckyd’p sqq sd y czkde eyvl vseyu!
Mbswtb bla blyav oyp qwzz sq rlvvu nsxrzykdvp, Ubldt Zys jlrv y nyzx qynl yde alrzkle, “Tl’p sd y cwpkdlpp vakr.”
Tla xsx’p lulp zkv wr. “Xb, bl qswde y fsc? Rd obyv qklze? Eblal’p bl vayhlzkdt qsa osaj? Tl’p pwnb y byaeosajkdt uswdt xyd!”
Ubldt Zys, kd yd ynv sq prkvlqwz alhldtl, pyke czydezu, “Xb, bl oldv vs y nsdpvawnvksd pkvl kd Psdttwyd vs bywz caknjp. Mbl rasflnv’p watldv shla vblal, ps vbl bswazu oytl qsa caknj-bywzkdt kp ralvvu bktb.”
“……”
And so, Cheng Yao went home by herself.
Being alone wasn’t so bad—she could finally get some rest. But for whatever reason, her brain just wouldn’t quiet down.
Qian Heng was supposed to return from his business trip on Saturday. According to the flight info and the gossip from Sister Zhu in the admin department, he was probably heading straight to his blind date with his suitcase still in tow.
Which meant… she’d likely only see him after the date was over.
Or maybe not even then—who knows? What if the stars aligned, the frog met his green bean, sparks flew, and bam—same night hotel, shotgun marriage, and by tomorrow maybe they’d already have a kid. The three of them could just move into the big villa and live happily ever after.
***
While Cheng Yao was gloomily spending her single-person weekend alone at home, on the other side of town, Qian Heng was also feeling irritable as he dragged his suitcase into the high-end Western restaurant his parents had arranged.
The place was members-only, nestled in the heart of the city where every inch of land cost a fortune. Lavishly decorated, ridiculously luxurious—but honestly, the food was nothing to write home about. Still, the owner was a savvy player and marketing genius. Half a year ago, he somehow hyped this mediocre-tasting restaurant into a trending hotspot in City A. Since then, despite the steep prices, social media foodies kept flooding in to check it off their list. And with the limited reservations and hunger marketing tactics, people only got more curious and desperate to try it.
Qian Heng sat down and checked his watch. It was already 12 minutes past their agreed meeting time of noon.
Just that alone was enough to make him annoyed.
No sense of time. First time meeting and she’s already wasting his precious minutes. Unforgivable.
By the time his date finally arrived—leisurely and unapologetic—Qian Heng’s expression had already soured considerably.
The girl looked about the same age as Cheng Yao, but her makeup was… excessive. Every pore seemed buried under cosmetic camouflage. Her huge eyes were weighed down by thick, fake lashes with that plastic shine, and she was dressed head to toe in expensive designer labels. A waft of overpowering perfume followed her as she walked over.
Why wear that much makeup at such a young age? Qian Heng silently judged. Must be bad skin. Just look at Cheng Yao—does she even wear makeup? Her skin is naturally clear and radiant, practically poreless.
And perfume? This smell was so artificial, so forced—it didn’t feel attractive at all, just overly packaged. It was enough to make his nose revolt. Now take Cheng Yao for example—she doesn’t use any of that stuff, just smells faintly of shampoo when she walks by. Isn’t that nicer?
Looks? Figure? Neither were great. No matter how expensive the outfit, it couldn’t save the overall presentation. Cheng Yao just wore a plain work suit and still had that elegant, composed vibe.
“Sorry, Lawyer Qian! I didn’t expect the traffic to be so bad, ended up running a little late. Hope you haven’t been waiting long?”
She blinked those fake-lashed eyes, trying to reel Qian Heng back from his obvious distraction.
Her tone was sugary-sweet—most men in her experience would at least give a polite “Not at all, I just got here too” to keep things pleasant.
But Qian Heng? Not most men.
Nope.
Qian Heng stared at her, stone-faced. “I’ve been waiting a while.” He glanced at his watch. “Fifteen minutes and forty-eight seconds. That’s equivalent to 2,579.99 yuan. Round it up—2,580.”
Then he looked at her directly. “That’s how much your delay cost me. I’ll cover the bill for this meal, but afterward, please transfer that amount to me.”
“……”
Considering Qian Heng’s family background, the girls his parents picked for him to meet were bound to be either rich or powerful—or both. This girl was decent-looking and clearly used to being adored. She was utterly stunned.
She froze, then finally let out a laugh, as if she had just realized something. “Lawyer Qian, you’re so funny! You say it so seriously, I almost believed you.”
“I wasn’t joking.” Qian Heng smiled faintly. “I’m completely serious. You’ve got my number, right? It’s linked to my Alipay. Just transfer it there later—and make sure to add a note, so I know what it’s for.”
“……”
And yet, for some reason, this girl didn’t run off screaming like most would. In fact, she seemed to have a rather unique way of thinking. She smiled again and tossed him a flirty glance.
“I get it now, Lawyer Qian. So if I pay you back today, does that mean you’ll have an excuse to ask me out again to return the favor? This trick—honestly—other guys have worn it out already trying to chase me.”
“……”
For the first time in his life, Qian Heng met his match. No matter how cold or harsh he was, the girl thought he was playing some roundabout flirtation game. Her eyes gleamed like she was in on it.
Back and forth they went. Every move he made, she interpreted as clever courting. No matter what he did, she was convinced this was all part of Qian Heng’s plan to win her over…
Just as Qian Heng was about to lose all hope, a voice came to his rescue—
“Xiao Qian? What are you doing here? Weren’t you off hauling bricks at a Dongguan construction site?”
“……”
***
Mama Cheng and Papa Cheng, reminiscing about their youth, took a stroll down the street before arriving at the trendy Western restaurant they had reserved in advance. They had just started admiring the decor and ambiance when a familiar figure by the window instantly caught their eye.
Eh?! Wasn’t that Qian Heng, the one Cheng Yao said had gone on a “business trip” to Dongguan, sitting there all dolled up like some big shot?
Qian Heng, who was basically being supported by Cheng Yao, suddenly has the money to dine at such a pricey restaurant?!
And who was that dolled-up woman sitting across from him?
So, what—lied to Cheng Yao about going on a work trip, only to sneak off here with some other woman to this couple-friendly restaurant?!
The truth practically screamed out on its own!
Mama Cheng glared daggers at Qian Heng and was about to explode on the spot, but luckily Papa Cheng stopped her.
Even though Papa Cheng was furious too, he at least managed to keep his anger in check. Trying his best to stay calm, he pointed to the woman across from Qian Heng and asked, not wanting to wrongly accuse someone innocent, “Xiao Qian, and this is…?”
The girl, mistaking them for friends or family of Qian Heng due to the “Xiao Qian,” gave them a bright smile and was just about to sweetly introduce herself. “Uncle, Auntie, I’m—”
But before she could finish, Qian Heng cut her off, his tone dead serious: “Uncle, Auntie, this is all my fault. I came out behind Cheng Yao’s back.”
Blind date girl: ????
She didn’t quite understand what that meant, but Mama and Papa Cheng got it instantly.
Mama Cheng exploded on the spot: “Xiao Qian, do you have any conscience?! Our Cheng Yao works herself to the bone to support you—feeds you, clothes you—and this is how you repay her?! You’re cheating behind her back?!”
Papa Cheng looked equally heartbroken: “I can’t believe all you had was a face—handsome on the outside, rotten on the inside! Just like they say, nothing good ever comes out of someone with the surname Qian!”
…
Just moments ago, the girl still hadn’t caught up with the drama unfolding around her. But now, after hearing Mama and Papa Cheng’s tirade, it finally clicked.
So this Qian Heng guy, while going on blind dates, actually already had a girlfriend?! Not just dating—living together! And he was even mooching off her?!
Before the date, she had heard some rumors about Qian Heng—about how he was defiant, didn’t get along with his father Qian Xin, cold-blooded, and a divorce lawyer who’d probably leave you penniless in court. But now it turns out he was also a two-timer?! And worse—after cutting ties with his tycoon dad, he was broke enough to rely on a woman to keep up appearances?!
How was she supposed to tolerate this?!
She was used to being worshipped by rich heirs—not dealing with men like Qian Heng. Even if he were to drop to his knees and beg, even if all those so-called “cold” routines were just tricks to win her over—there was no way she’d go for it!
Without hesitation, the girl stood up, grabbed her wine glass, and flung the entire contents at Qian Heng.
“Scumbag!” she spat, then picked up her bag and stomped away in her sky-high heels without so much as a backward glance.
The whole drama completely ruined Mama and Papa Cheng’s mood too. They no longer had any appetite or interest in dining there. After casting Qian Heng a few more withering glares, they left in a huff.
And so, the messy soap opera came to a close.
Left alone, Qian Heng calmly dabbed at the wine stains on his suit, utterly unfazed by the stares around him. Then, with a rather satisfied look, he raised his own glass of red and downed it in one go.
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