Cheng Jinlan was now fully awake. She hadn't expected Shi Ran to come, nor had she anticipated Shao Chengze showing up, and she certainly didn’t know her father would be there. Her father had been on a business trip these past few days, and she remembered he was supposed to return tomorrow.
Cheng Shanhe had originally planned to return tomorrow, but things had gone more smoothly than expected, so he moved his return up by a day. He and Cheng Jinlan landed around the same time—one arriving internationally, the other domestically. Fei Zuhui went to pick up her husband, while Xiao Liqi waited with "Daddy Shi" to greet her mother.
Shao Chengze hadn’t anticipated this situation either, but he remained relatively calm and composed. Under Cheng Shanhe’s intimidating gaze, he withdrew his hand from Cheng Jinlan’s waist and also retracted the arm he’d intended to use to hug his daughter.
He first bowed slightly to Fei Zuhui and respectfully addressed her as "Auntie," then turned to Cheng Shanhe with the same deference and called him "Uncle."
Cheng Shanhe gave a barely audible grunt, not even glancing his way. Fei Zuhui, however, smiled at Shao Chengze and asked, "Mr. Shao, were you also away on business?"
Shao Chengze paused briefly before replying, "Not exactly. I did something that upset Jinlan, and I was afraid a phone call wouldn’t clear things up—it might even make things worse. So I flew over immediately to explain in person."
Shi Ran raised an eyebrow. Should he commend his semi-familiar old classmate for his honesty or his audacity? It was as if he was afraid he wouldn’t get beaten up enough later. But this move, seemingly reckless, was actually quite calculated. Though he’d undoubtedly face Cheng Shanhe’s wrath, the smile on Fei Zuhui’s face had visibly warmed.
"Did you manage to explain everything clearly?" Fei Zuhui asked Shao Chengze.
Shao Chengze glanced at Cheng Jinlan. "The explanation was clear, but she’s still upset. I’ll have to keep trying."
Cheng Jinlan remained silent, playing the role of an expressionless prop, afraid that saying anything might disrupt his performance.
Fei Zuhui thought to herself, *No wonder my daughter fell for him. Handsome, quick-witted, and knows exactly how to charm people.* But if he was so good at sweet-talking, where had he been all these years? It had taken six or seven years for him to reappear—it wasn’t as if he’d been stranded on Mars.
Cheng Shanhe stayed silent. With Xiao Liqi around, he tried not to let his displeasure show too obviously.
Cheng Liqi stretched her arms out to Cheng Shanhe. "Grandpa, I missed you so much! You haven’t seen me in so many days, and you didn’t even ask to hug me. Grandpa, were you only thinking about Grandma and not about Xiao Liqi?"
The storm clouds on Cheng Shanhe’s face instantly dissipated, replaced by an expression of utmost warmth. He quickly took the little princess from Shi Ran’s arms. "How could Grandpa not miss my sweetheart? I brought you lots of gifts—all things you love."
Cheng Liqi wrapped her arms around her grandfather’s neck. "I knew Grandpa loves me the most! Grandpa, let’s go home now. I can’t wait to open the presents you brought me!" She raised her little arms, gesturing excitedly.
Cheng Shanhe no longer had the mind to dwell on anything else. Holding his granddaughter, he strode forward. "Alright, let’s go home and open your gifts."
Cheng Liqi didn’t forget to call out to her grandmother. "Grandma, hurry up! Grandpa must have brought lots of gifts for you too."
Fei Zuhui smiled and replied, "Alright, you and Grandpa lead the way." She glanced at Cheng Jinlan. "You don’t look too well. Didn’t get enough rest?"
Cheng Jinlan forced a slight smile. "Work has been… a bit hectic."
Fei Zuhui saw through it but didn’t press. "Then don’t go to the office this afternoon. Have a good rest at home after lunch."
Shi Ran took the suitcase from Cheng Jinlan and offered his arm to Fei Zuhui. "Let’s go home," he said to Cheng Jinlan.
Shao Chengze was left standing alone, suddenly the one no one paid attention to.
Cheng Jinlan hesitated for a moment before taking a step forward. She glanced back at him. Shao Chengze responded with a gentle smile, reassuring her to go ahead. For him, that single glance from her meant more than anything. Moreover, her father had acknowledged his greeting, her mother had spoken to him (despite the formal "Mr. Shao"), and Xiao Liqi had rushed to his defense. He felt his path forward was becoming clearer.
After they’d walked a fair distance, Fei Zuhui stopped and turned back. "Mr. Shao, why don’t you join us? It’s almost lunchtime. Unless someone at home has already prepared a meal for you?"
Shao Chengze was momentarily stunned, then quickly caught up, falling into step beside Cheng Jinlan. "No, my mother’s back in our hometown. I live alone now."
Fei Zuhui nodded. "Then come over for lunch before heading back."
"Thank you, Auntie," Shao Chengze replied, his smile as warm as a spring breeze.
Cheng Jinlan was momentarily dazed. She couldn’t quite grasp her mother’s current stance, but with things having progressed this far, she could only take it one step at a time.
They took two cars. Cheng Liqi rode with her grandparents, driven by the family chauffeur. Shao Chengze, Cheng Jinlan, and Shi Ran took the other car, with Shi Ran at the wheel and Shao Chengze in the passenger seat.
Cheng Liqi pressed her face against the window, watching as her father followed her mother and "Daddy Shi" into the second car. She turned to her grandfather in the front seat and whispered into her grandmother’s ear, "Grandma, does Grandpa not like… Shao Chengze?"
Fei Zuhui smoothed her hair and whispered back, "Not at all. Grandpa just wants to test him, like an exam. If he passes, he can be with Mommy. Think of fairy tales—princes always face trials before they can be with the princess."
Cheng Liqi nodded. That made sense.
Fei Zuhui continued softly, "If he works hard and passes Grandpa’s tests, he’ll learn to cherish your mother even more and love her better."
Cheng Liqi’s eyes sparkled. "Grandpa is so smart."
Fei Zuhui chuckled quietly. "Actually, it was Grandma’s idea."
"Grandpa is smart, but Grandma is even smarter!" Cheng Liqi exclaimed.
Fei Zuhui laughed. "But Xiao Liqi can’t secretly help Daddy, okay?"
Cheng Liqi shook her head earnestly. "I won’t! Cheating is wrong, no matter if you’re a kid or a grown-up."
Fei Zuhui pinched her cheek affectionately. "Such a good girl."
Cheng Shanhe listened to the conversation in the backseat, a faint smile playing on his lips. His eyes, weathered by time, held both clarity and calculation.
The second car was quiet but not entirely silent. Shao Chengze and Shi Ran exchanged a few polite, distant words about their recent lives before lapsing into silence. Cheng Jinlan’s mind was tense at first, and she managed to muster some energy to chat with Shi Ran to lighten the mood. But eventually, her eyelids grew too heavy, and she leaned against the window, drifting off to sleep.
Both men in the front glanced at the rearview mirror simultaneously. Shi Ran turned up the air conditioning, while Shao Chengze took off his suit jacket and draped it over Cheng Jinlan.
Cheng Jinlan wasn’t deeply asleep but was still drowsy. The familiar scent of his cologne made her momentarily forget where she was. "Shao Chengze," she murmured.
"I’m here," he replied softly, gently patting her arm. "Sleep."
Cheng Jinlan grasped the hand on her arm, unconsciously squeezing it as if confirming whose it was. Once satisfied, her slender fingers interlaced with his, and she fell into a peaceful sleep.
Shao Chengze twisted his body into an awkward position to face backward, his grin stretching ear to ear—right in Shi Ran’s line of sight. Though Shi Ran found that smile irritating, he had no grounds to object. He simply pressed the accelerator a little harder.
At a red light, Cheng Jinlan shifted slightly, her eyelids fluttering. Shao Chengze thought she was waking up, but instead, she tightened her grip on his hand and mumbled, "Shi Ran."
Shao Chengze’s smile froze. His face cycled through a kaleidoscope of emotions before settling into an unreadable expression.
Shi Ran struggled to suppress the laughter bubbling in his throat. He cleared his throat and replied, "I’m here. Sleep. We’re almost home."
Cheng Jinlan gave a soft "Mm" and drifted off again.
Shao Chengze’s face darkened like the bottom of a decade-unscrubbed pot.
Cheng Jinlan dreamed of her high school’s long hallway, bathed in the golden light of sunset. In the dream, she turned her head and saw a tall boy sitting by the window, engrossed in a book. His profile was handsome yet aloof, still carrying traces of youthful innocence. *So this is what he looked like in high school.*
She called out to Shi Ran, who was waiting for her ahead, telling him to hold off on dinner—she wanted to greet a certain boy first.
When the car arrived at Cheng Manor, Cheng Jinlan slowly woke up. She remembered her dream but not what she’d said aloud in her sleep. The nap had refreshed her somewhat, though she still felt the lingering exhaustion.
She didn’t notice Shao Chengze’s ashen expression or Shi Ran’s amused gaze. As soon as Cheng Shanhe stepped out of the car and summoned Shao Chengze to the study, Cheng Jinlan moved to stand beside him. "Dad," she asked, "can I come too?"
Cheng Shanhe hesitated briefly. "Wait until I’ve spoken with him first. Then you can join."
Cheng Liqi tugged at her mother’s hand and subtly pulled at her father’s sleeve, blinking up at him. *Grandpa’s giving you a test, Daddy. Do your best!*
Shao Chengze gently patted his daughter’s head and gave Cheng Jinlan a long, meaningful look. Cheng Jinlan found his gaze oddly melancholic but chalked it up to her grogginess.
She whispered quickly, "Don’t use the same sweet talk on my dad, or you’ll regret it when he hits you."
The melancholy in Shao Chengze’s eyes lessened slightly. He discreetly brushed his fingers against hers before following Cheng Shanhe upstairs.
Shi Ran picked up Cheng Liqi. "Let’s go see what Grandma Qu made for lunch. Maybe we can sneak a bite early."
Cheng Liqi clapped her hands excitedly. "Yes! Grandma Qu said she’d make cream dumplings for me. Hers are the best! I’ll share some with you, Daddy Shi."
With that, the living room was left to Fei Zuhui and Cheng Jinlan. Fei Zuhui took her daughter’s hand and sat on the sofa. "So," she asked softly, "are you two back together?"
Cheng Jinlan hesitated, then nodded. "We’re… giving it another try. Back then, there were too many tangled misunderstandings."
"And now they’re all cleared up?"
"Mostly."
Fei Zuhui caressed her daughter’s cheek. "I’ve always known you never moved on because you were still holding onto something from the past. Now that you’ve opened your heart again—whether to someone new or an old flame—I’m happy for you. If you want to try again, don’t hold back. Even if it doesn’t work out, at least you enjoyed the journey."
She didn’t press for details. At the airport and just now, she’d seen how they interacted. She knew her daughter wouldn’t forgive someone who’d hurt her without good reason. If Cheng Jinlan had made peace with the past, Fei Zuhui wouldn’t pry further. Young love was always fraught with misunderstandings. For them to find their way back after so many years was no small feat.
Cheng Jinlan rested her head on her mother’s shoulder. "Thanks, Mom."
After a pause, she lifted her head. "Mom, besides business, is there something else between our family and the Shao family?"
The exact reason for the rift between the two families had always been unclear to Cheng Jinlan. Her father never spoke of the past. Initially, she’d assumed it was rooted in some business conflict between the older generations, but now she suspected there was more to it.
Fei Zuhui waved a hand. "Don’t worry about the Cheng-Shao feud. Any grudges belong to the older generation, not you. Let your father, your brother, and that Shao Chengze handle it. You just focus on your relationship."
"Okay," Cheng Jinlan said, mimicking Cheng Liqi’s obedient nod.
Fei Zuhui found her daughter’s rare display of docility rather endearing.
"But be prepared—your father won’t make it easy for Shao Chengze. Even if his background check came back clean, your dad won’t go lightly on him. No father looks kindly on the man who hurt his daughter, let alone one who left her with a child. He won’t get off scot-free."
Cheng Jinlan’s cheeks flushed. She sidestepped the implied label and focused on a safer topic. "Dad had him investigated?"
"Of course he did. If Shao Chengze had been dating around all these years while you were stuck in the past, do you think your father would’ve let him step foot in our house? He’d have thrown him out immediately. It’s one thing to move on, but another to come crawling back after breaking your heart—especially with Xiao Liqi in the picture. If that were the case, even I wouldn’t stand for it."
Despite her resolve not to pry, Fei Zuhui couldn’t resist a little gossip. "From the looks of it, he never got over you, and you never got over him. You two really are stubborn—holding out for seven whole years. If not for all that wasted time, he wouldn’t have gotten past me so easily either."
Cheng Jinlan bristled. "It’s not that I couldn’t move on. I just never met the right person."
Fei Zuhui tapped her forehead playfully. "Oh, you. Always so proud. Anyway, your father’s talk will take a while. Go take a hot shower and relax. Those dark circles under your eyes tell me you haven’t slept in days."
Cheng Jinlan fled in embarrassment.
Shao Chengze and Cheng Shanhe spoke in the study for a long time. As Cheng Liqi nibbled on her cream dumplings, she wondered if Grandpa’s test was very hard—Daddy had been at it for so long.
Just as she popped the last dumpling into her mouth, Shao Chengze descended the stairs. Cheng Liqi scampered over and pulled him into a quiet corner. "Daddy, did you pass?"
"Pass what?" Shao Chengze was confused.
"Grandpa’s test! Did you pass?"
Shao Chengze wiped the cream from her lips. "Probably not."
If he had, Cheng Shanhe wouldn’t have refused to let him call him "Uncle" the moment they entered the study. His earlier restraint at the airport was likely due to Xiao Liqi’s presence. Shao Chengze sighed inwardly, grateful for his daughter’s help. Without her, his path would’ve been much harder.
"Where’s Mommy?"
"Mommy’s talking with Daddy Shi."
Shao Chengze’s eyes flickered. He bent down and picked her up. "Xiao Liqi, take Daddy to Mommy, okay?"
Cheng Liqi tilted her head. "Daddy, did Grandpa ask you to bring Mommy to the study?"
"Yes, so we need to hurry."
"Then Daddy has to find Mommy himself. I can’t help." Cheng Liqi wriggled out of his arms. "Daddy, I can’t help you anymore. Grandpa’s tests are for you to pass alone. No cheating."
...
Just moments ago at the airport, Shao Chengze had felt his future brightening. Now, it had suddenly plunged back into darkness.
