Chapter 12

Shao Chengze's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't stop. His actions were even more resolute compared to before.

There was no physical contact between them, but his scent rushed at her like the tide, pressing down the anger rising within her. With every step he took closer, the conviction within Cheng Jinlan was chipped away bit by bit. She tried her best to stand her ground, unwilling to lose this confrontation.

His nose was barely an inch from hers, his lips no more than a thumb's width from her own, yet he showed no intention of stopping.

At the final second, Cheng Jinlan turned her head away. His breaths, light then heavy, grazed her neck. Memories buried in the past surged forth like ice floes splitting apart, throwing her heart rhythm into complete disarray. Here in the quiet, empty underground parking garage, there was nowhere to hide it. She could hear it, and so could he.

"Your neck's turned completely red."

The low, hoarse voice entered her ears. Cheng Jinlan was both embarrassed and enraged. She jabbed an elbow into his chest with all her might, still unsatisfied, she kicked out at him too. The sharp point of her stiletto nearly caught his leg. Had she made contact, it definitely would have broken the skin.

Shao Chengze didn't dodge. Instead, he purposefully moved his leg forward to meet her kick, fearing she hadn't lashed out fiercely enough. The white shoe tip scraped along his black trousers before swiftly changing direction and landing back on the ground. Before Cheng Jinlan could even steady herself, she pivoted and walked away.

"You see, the one who never dared was always you." Shao Chengze watched her retreating back, his deep eyes holding a trace of inconspicuous sorrow.

Cheng Jinlan's footsteps didn't falter. She unlocked her car, opened the door, and sat inside. She tossed her bag onto the passenger seat, buckled her seatbelt, started the engine, turned the steering wheel, and the tires scraped jarringly against the ground as she rapidly pulled away. The departing car skidded to a stop at the parking garage's first turn, then reversed back the way it had come.

Cheng Jinlan partially rolled down her window and looked at the man outside. Her brows and eyes held the bleak severity of winter winds, the corners of her lips curving with cold mockery. "Yes, you always dared. What does a liar not dare to do? I hope this is the last time I see Chairman Shao in Lanzhou. If there's a next time, Chairman Shao will learn that our Lanzhou's security force for driving away human scum is first-class, just like our services."

After speaking her piece, Cheng Jinlan stepped on the accelerator. This time, she drove straight out of the parking garage and merged into the endless traffic flowing down the boulevard. Her car stopped at a red light and she called Tang Yicheng.

Tang Yicheng was hunkered down in his car. Hearing the ringtone, he jolted in fright, thinking his boss had caught him peeping. He swore in good conscience that he hadn't meant to peek. It was rare for Madam Boss to get off work early today. Her assistant, on the other hand, had left the office right on her heels. He'd rushed down so quickly that by the time he reached the parking garage, she still hadn't left. She was chatting intimately with a beauty. Fortunately, his parking spot was very far from Madam Boss's reserved space. He'd stooped and slunk to his car like he was pulling some spy maneuver, getting in and pretending to play a handheld game while waiting for Madam Boss's car to leave before he did.

Then he'd witnessed that earlier scene.

His eyesight was too good, his curiosity too heavy, his memory too outstanding. That man was the same one he'd seen at the airport. Judging from their entanglement, there was clearly some karmic bond between them. Before Tang Yicheng could analyze exactly what karmic bond it was, he received a call from his superior. It was still office hours, so he had no choice but to answer.

Tang Yicheng heaved a deep breath and tapped Accept.

"Yicheng, reject any future projects from QiongMiao Capital from now on."

"Oh, okay, Madam Cheng." His boss's tone was still relatively calm. Tang Yicheng relaxed a little, realizing she hadn't caught him peeping, but had work matters to instruct him on.

"Also, help me look into what companies Shao Chengze owns shares in. From now on, add any business involving his companies to Lanzhou's blacklist. Refuse them all categorically."

"Understood, Madam Cheng."

Tang Yicheng was answering by rote. Plus, he felt rather guilty and wanted to end the call quickly. Only after hanging up did it dawn on him. QiongMiao Capital? Shao Chengze? Why did that name sound so familiar?

Tang Yicheng slapped his thigh. He remembered now. Wasn't Shao Chengze the new appointed chairman of the Shao family? Could it be...was that man him?

No way. Definitely not. The second young missus of the Cheng family and the new chairman of the Shao family?!!!

Impossible. It had to be impossible.

Tang Yicheng swiftly typed "Shao Chengze" into the search bar, but didn't manage to find a single photo online, not even a side profile or back view that he could use as reference.

Tang Yicheng pondered a moment. His ex-girlfriend had transferred over to Shao's company recently. Should he...should he not...take this heaven-sent chance to contact her? After deleting and revising over and over, he finally organized the wording. Doing another five minutes of mental prep, he hit Send, only to discover he'd been...blocked!!!

In that instant, Tang Yicheng lost all interest in gossiping about his superior's affairs or finding out what Shao Chengze looked like. The only thing he wanted to know was why he'd been blocked. They'd agreed to remain friends after their breakup!

After finishing her evening piano homework, Cheng Liqi ran to the door when she heard her mother's car pulling into the driveway. She stood on the front steps, waiting for her mom to get out of the car.

Seeing her, the chill in Cheng Jinlan's eyes completely melted away, her face relaxing into a warm smile. "Why in such a hurry? You even ran out to greet me."

"No I didn't. I just missed you so I came out to meet you." Cheng Liqi spread her little arms wide, like a baby bird waiting for its mother to return home.

Cheng Jinlan bent down and picked her up. "Let me see just how much my little Liqi missed me. We only said goodbye this morning."

Cheng Liqi clasped her arms around her mother's neck. "Big uncle said that not seeing someone for a day feels like being apart for three autumns. Three autumns is a really long time."

A sweet mouth meant she definitely had some important business. Carrying the cunning little imp inside, Cheng Jinlan said, "It feels to Mom like we've been apart for four autumns."

Cheng Liqi responded, "Mom, I was wrong earlier. Now it feels to me like we've been apart for five autumns."

She had to miss her mom even more than her mom missed her.

Cheng Jinlan laughed aloud. "Since little Liqi misses Mom so much, whatever wish you have today, Mom will grant it. How's that sound?"

"Really?!" Cheng Liqi's voice went up a notch.

"Of course it's true."

Fei Zuhui chimed in from the side, "Mom's going to be an Arabian genie today."

Cheng Liqi clapped happily. "Mom, can you get Yun Qi's mom to come work at your hotel? Her cakes are super pretty and super yummy."

Cheng Jinlan hadn't expected this to be what she wanted to say. She had met Yun Qi's mother a few times before. A beautiful, gentle woman who spoke in soft, lilting tones. Cheng Liqi was very fond of her and had brought her up several times. As far as Cheng Jinlan knew, she was a full-time housewife.

Cheng Jinlan asked, "Did Yun Qi say she wanted her mother to come work at Lanzhou?"

"No," Cheng Liqi said in a small voice. "Mom, Yun Qi's dad is mean to her mom. He often bullies her. I was thinking if Yun Qi's mom went to work at your hotel, wouldn't her dad not be able to bully her anymore?"

The reason Cheng Liqi had this idea was because once when she went over to Yun Qi's house to play, Yun Qi's father had come home drunk and yelled at Yun Qi's mother for spending money recklessly and buying useless things. In Cheng Liqi's mindset, if Yun Qi's mom had a job like her own mother's, able to earn her own money, then she wouldn't have to put up with Yun Qi's father's bullying anymore. She could buy whatever she wanted and do whatever she pleased.

Cheng Jinlan stroked her soft hair. She couldn't explain it clearly to a child that they shouldn't make decisions on others' behalf based solely on their own ideas and wishes. Nor could she crush this desire to help her friend.

"Little Liqi, how about this? I'll give Yun Qi's mother a call tomorrow and ask how she feels first. Like you said, the cakes Yun Qi's mom makes are pretty and tasty. If she wants to open her own shop, then she couldn't come work at Lanzhou, right?"

Cheng Liqi thought for a bit. "Oh, that makes sense." She giggled a couple times. "Mom is so smart."

Cheng Jinlan patted her little bottom. "There, problem solved. Shall we go wash our hands and eat dinner?"

"Yes!" Cheng Liqi said loudly.

She'd thought the worry was resolved and the kid would be happy, but after lying down in bed at night, Cheng Liqi kept tossing and turning, listening to the bedtime story absentmindedly.

Cheng Jinlan set the storybook aside and gathered her into her arms. "What's wrong? Anything else you want to say to Mom?" Cheng Liqi snuggled into her mother's embrace, slowly coiling and uncoiling strands of her hair around a little finger. "Mom..."

"Mom's here."

Cheng Jinlan waited for her to continue, but after calling "Mom" once, she said no more. Cheng Jinlan poked her shoulder. "Could it be you have some other wish? Mom said whatever you wish for today, she can make it come true."

Cheng Liqi looked into her mother's eyes, her solemn expression tinged with gravity. "Mom, is my dad a bad person?"

The question caught Cheng Jinlan completely off guard.

This was the first time she had asked about her father. Cheng Jinlan had prepared herself psychologically beforehand, even coming up with a set narrative for when that day arrived and she could give a natural response. She had imagined Cheng Liqi would ask what was her father's name, where was he, what did he look like, why doesn't he come see her.

Never had she thought the first question relating to "Dad" would be this.

"Of course he's not a bad person." Cheng Jinlan answered without hesitation.

Cheng Liqi's eyes curved into a smile, the tension on her little face easing somewhat. She asked again, "Did he ever bully Mom? Yelling really loudly and causing you to cry, like Yun Qi's dad?"

"No, he's not that kind of person."

Cheng Jinlan rubbed her little cheek. She had thought her a carefree child, not expecting her tiny heart to harbor so many worries.

Cheng Jinlan's eyes were filled with more smiles. "I knew it."

"You knew what?"

"I knew he wasn't a bad person." Cheng Jinlan's heart trembled. "How did you know?"

Cheng LiQi buried her face in her mother's neck. "It's a secret, I can't tell Mom."

His storytelling was as boring as Grandpa's, but he was as patient as Grandpa. It seemed like no matter what she said, he would eventually agree. Grandpa was the best, best grandpa in the world, so he must also be a very good, very good person.

Cheng Jinlan looked at the black little head and after rolling the words in her mouth for a while, she tentatively asked in a soft voice, "Does little LiQi want to know what Dad looks like?"

Cheng LiQi lifted her head, the flickering big eyes filled with excitement. "When I find him, I'll know what he looks like."

She immediately covered her mouth with both hands. Oops... she accidentally revealed her secret because she was too happy.

Cheng LiQi rolled from her mother's body onto the bed and wrapped herself from head to toe with a small quilt. Her voice came out from inside the quilt, "Mom, I want to sleep now, you should go to bed soon too, we still have to get up early for work tomorrow."

Cheng Jinlan's heart was a mess, but her face remained relatively calm. She patted the cocoon-like bundle and said, "Don't wrap your head with the quilt, you'll suffocate."

A pair of eyes emerged from the quilt. "Mom, I'm sleepy, I want to sleep."

Cheng Jinlan bent down and kissed her. "Little LiQi, you don't have to tell Mom your secret, but you have to promise not to do anything dangerous."

Cheng LiQi nodded. "I'm Mom's good girl, I won't do anything dangerous to make Mom worry."

No matter how uneasy Cheng Jinlan's heart was, seeing her daughter's well-behaved appearance calmed her down a lot. She gently half-closed the door and stood there for a good while before leaving. Her phone vibrated with an incoming call from an unfamiliar number. Cheng Jinlan absentmindedly picked up. Before she could ask who it was, the other party had already spoken.

"Cheng Jinlan, I really want to know what have I lied to you about?"

Cheng Jinlan was shocked. "How did you get my number?"

Shao Chengze said slowly, "You'll have to ask your daughter about that."