Chapter 4

Jinlan Cheng wasn’t the one who was angry, she was delighted, which made Jinchuan Cheng turn to look at her several times, and finally couldn’t help asking, “Why are you so happy?”

Jinlan Cheng was scrolling her phone, didn’t even lift her head to reply to him, “Why can’t I be happy?”

Someone was injured internally and needed to call 120 to get to the emergency room, how could she not be happy.

Jinchuan Cheng pinched the frowned eyebrows into the shape of the Chinese character “chuan”, wanted to say something, but eventually didn’t say anything, just made up his mind to block that guy in a small alley and give him a good beating.

When Jinlan Cheng got home, Liqi Cheng had already taken a bath and was video calling with Ran Shi. Ran Shi was in the deep mountains and old forests, with poor signal. Saturday night was the fixed time for the weekly video call between the elder and the youngster.

Liqi Cheng called Ran Shi "Shi Dad", not "Dad". There was an extra surname to distinguish it. Jinlan Cheng didn't specifically explain to Liqi Cheng, but Liqi Cheng already understood the difference. She knew Ran Shi wasn't her dad. It wasn't because she didn't have the Shi surname. It was because every time Shi Dad came back, he never stayed overnight at home. Parents were supposed to sleep together, just like little uncle and little auntie.

Liqi Cheng was sharing her little secret with Shi Dad. Seeing her mom come in, she first shushed Shi Dad quietly and asked him to keep it secret for her. Then she turned her head and called out in her crisp voice, "Mom!"

Jinlan Cheng ruffled her hair and greeted the person on the screen. She told them to keep talking while she went to remove her make-up, so as not to disturb their secret sharing time.

Liqi Cheng and Ran Shi had already talked about most of it. They just did a hook-and-loop gesture one more time to reconfirm that Shi Dad wouldn't tell anyone else about her and Chuqi Shen's secret plan. Ran Shi promised to keep it in confidence. Liqi Cheng blew him a big flying kiss, then ran off with her phone to find her mom.

Jinlan Cheng leaned her phone against the jars of creams. She chatted casually with Ran Shi about recent developments.

"ChengZe Shao came back?" Ran Shi asked.

Jinlan Cheng's hand removing makeup paused. "Your news is quite well-informed."

Just as Ran Shi was about to say something, Jinlan Cheng met his eyes. "Are you planning to stay holed up in that godforsaken place forever without coming back?"

Ran Shi knew she was in a bad mood, but didn't point it out. He just asked, "Do you need me to come back? If you do, I'll book tickets right now."

He asked earnestly, from his eyes to his tone. At this moment, Jinlan Cheng's churning irritation that had been pent up since yesterday reached its peak. She covered her stinging eyes with a cotton pad, also concealing her loss of composure. She said to Ran Shi, "No need. Just focus on your research."

Things between them didn't need a third party to intervene, besides, there would be no more things happening between them. That night, Jinlan went to sleep in Liqi Cheng's bed. Liqi Cheng hadn't slept with her mom for a long time and was very excited. She held her mom's fingers and chatted away, jumping from one topic to another. Jinlan Cheng smelled the sweet fruity scent from her daughter's hair. The ups and downs in her heart gradually settled down. Mother and daughter both had a good sleep. The next morning when Jinlan Cheng woke up, she felt her skin was a few degrees more moisturized than usual.

However, her good complexion dissipated entirely when she heard the report from Yicheng Tang. Yisheng Auction House held auctions once per season. It had been held in Lanzhou for five years. This spring it was scheduled for early May, less than two weeks from now. Today morning, there was news from Yisheng side that they wanted to cancel the booked venue, not just for this season, but all future ones. The penalty for contract breach would be as much as they demanded, not a cent less. The person in charge spoke very politely, also euphemistically. The collaboration with Lanzhou had always been very pleasant. Changing venues last minute was the top boss's decision. As a small fry, he could only obey orders.

As for the reason, Yicheng Tang didn't listen to those mealy-mouthed excuses. He only asked his subordinates to check where the venue had been switched to. As expected, it was a club under Shao's company. This was already the second client in this month that had shifted to Shao's side.

It wasn't a big deal, Lanzhou wouldn't miss a customer like Yisheng either. But switching to Shao's side made things somewhat intriguing. So after reporting everything, Yicheng Tang mentioned this to the boss.

Jinlan Cheng took off her glasses and flung them onto the desk. She had mild myopia and habitually wore glasses when looking at the computer screen.

The metal frame collided with the black office desk, making a crisp sound. Yicheng Tang automatically stood up straight. Whenever the boss tossed her glasses, it meant her patience was nearing its end. And it was rare for Boss Cheng to toss her glasses. The last time was when the hotel kitchen manager was caught red-handed sexually harassing a server. Boss Cheng directly sent the man along with the evidence to the police station.

"Blacklist Yisheng." Jinlan Cheng was expressionless, concise and to the point.

Yicheng Tang nodded obediently. Seeing that the boss had nothing more to say, he was about to turn around to leave. When he reached the door, he heard her voice again from behind. Yicheng Tang looked back.

"Forget it." Jinlan Cheng spoke. Her words contained some ennui. She slowly pulled out a tissue to wipe her lenses. "We're in the service industry. Our doors are open to customers. What blacklists. Get me two invitations to their auction from Yisheng later. They ditched us and chose someone else. That someone must have advantages we don't have. We'll go take a look at Shao's venue then, see where they are better than us, so we can learn something too."

Yicheng Tang stared blankly for a moment, then asked a really silly question. "Are...are you sure?"

It wasn't actually silly. The discord between the Cheng and Shao families was common knowledge.

For such influential families, even if they really disliked each other, they would still put on an act of smiling faintly, nodding slightly, and exchanging brief pleasantries when running into each other. Though their minds might be full of curses that encompassed eight generations of ancestors.

But not these two families. Let alone bumping into each other, even if their heads knocked together, their eyes wouldn't even lift. And the Shao family had their ironclad three family precepts. Over the years, the two families had never set foot on each other's turf, yet also never erupted into outright conflict. It was somewhat like two wells not disturbing the river water between them.

Jinlan Cheng threw the tissue into the trash can. In her mind's eye, she saw bone-thin knuckles clutching a tissue smudged with lipstick, like a crushed rose.

She shifted her gaze and looked at Yicheng Tang. "Sure. Why not? They've come knocking on our door. We have no reason to shrink back."

If Yicheng Tang wasn't mistaken, he detected a bone-chilling murderous aura in her words. He felt like they weren't going to attend some auction, but to dig up the Shao family ancestral grave.

He'd never done something like this before. Yicheng Tang thought he'd better search online for suitable tools and place an order in advance, to be fully prepared.

Jinlan Cheng didn't know about the jumbled thoughts in Yicheng Tang's mind. Her phone vibrated. It was a message from Ran Shi saying he would arrive on Saturday afternoon.

Jinlan Cheng replied, [There's really no need to make a special trip back.]

Ran Shi said, [It's not a special trip. I miss little Liqi. There's also something at school that needs me to go back for.]

Jinlan Cheng was about to ask if she should have Jinchuan Cheng pick him up, but was afraid Jinchuan Cheng would say things he shouldn't, hurting his feelings.

She deleted and modified the line several times, and finally changed it to: [Send me your flight info. I'll go to the airport to pick you up with Liqi.] Naturally Liqi was elated to know Shi Dad was coming back. She had last seen him on Children's Day last year. She started selecting what to wear to the airport days in advance, only deciding at last minute on a white bubble skirt. Chuqi Shen said she looked even prettier than Snow White in it. Her shoes were the silver leather flats Shi Dad had bought for her. She had her mom braid her hair into pretty little braids and wore her favorite butterfly hair clip. Liqi Cheng spun in front of the mirror a few times, very satisfied with today's look. She went to her mom's dressing room next door to pick out a long white dress for her too. Jinlan Cheng didn't object to her daughter's clothing choice for her. She simply braided her hair into a fishtail braid identical to her daughter's.

Liqi Cheng trotted to her mom's jewelry cabinet and rummaged through it, but couldn't find a single hair clip. It seemed like her mom never wore hair clips. Just as Liqi Cheng was about to go to her own little cabinet to get one for her mom, her eyes lit up. She saw a pale purple crystal hair clip deep inside the glass case, with bunches of little purple flowers clustered into a small row, glinting brightly. It was so beautiful!

Liqi Cheng took out the hair clip and ran to Jinlan Cheng. "Mom, this is so pretty! Quick, put it on!"

Jinlan Cheng looked at the hair clip in Liqi Cheng's hand, somewhat stunned. She clearly remembered throwing it away.

Seeing her mom silent, Liqi Cheng simply climbed onto her lap and pinned the hair clip into her mom's hair. She looked at her mom, then herself. Her mom's clothes were the same as hers, their hairstyles were the same, and the hair clips were equally pretty. Anyone could tell with one look that she was her mom's daughter.

Her eyes curved into crescents. "Mom, you're so beautiful."

Jinlan Cheng stroked the corners of her eyes. Her smile was somewhat unreal. "Our little Liqi is more beautiful."

Hearing what she wanted to hear, Liqi Cheng raised her little chin haughtily. "Of course I'm pretty. Because I'm Mom's daughter."

The corners of Jinlan Cheng's lips quirked up as she finally smiled fully, kissing her chin. "Let's go. Your Shi Dad is almost here."

She wanted to take off the hair clip while Liqi Cheng wasn't looking, but Liqi Cheng's eyes were too sharp. Seeing her mom's movement, she didn't say anything else, just shook her mom's arm coquettishly. "Mom, I really like you wearing this hair clip."

In the end, Jinlan Cheng was unable to remove the hair clip. Liqi Cheng had gotten what she wanted. Her little calves swung back and forth on the seat. She wanted Shi Dad to see how pretty Mom looked with the hair clip on. Shi Dad would definitely find Mom especially beautiful too.

Ran Shi was arriving at the regular exit. His flight was delayed, so more and more people gathered at the arrival gate. Afraid that her mom would get tired holding her, Liqi Cheng climbed down from her mom's arms and landed on the floor. She held one of her mom's hands, and held up high the handmade "Welcome" sign she had made with the other, waiting for Shi Dad to emerge.

Seeing such a cute, beautiful little girl, everyone automatically made way for the mother and daughter. Jinlan Cheng declined politely, bowing slightly to thank them. Behind her mom, Liqi Cheng also thanked each person who gave way to her, plus a sweet smile. Everyone's anxious waiting for loved ones and friends was soothed by such a sweet smile.

"Little Liqi!"

A person emerged from the exit, carrying a huge hiking backpack. His hair was almost to his shoulders, and the beard obscured half his face. If they didn't know better, they'd think he was some wild man who had run out from somewhere. Only his deep-set eyes were bright and vivid, shining like stars that had been quenched in light.

Liqi Cheng let go of her mom's hand and ran over, calling "Shi Dad!"

Jinlan Cheng hurriedly followed behind her, afraid she might fall.

Ran Shi first picked up Liqi Cheng, then reached to pull Jinlan Cheng into an embrace too.

Jinlan Cheng didn't resist his hug, but also didn't struggle free. She tugged his grass-like hair. "Did you go do research or wilderness survival?"

To onlookers, this scene looked like a wife and daughter coming to welcome the husband returning home from a long trip - a heartwarming picture of familial intimacy.

ChengZe Shao walked over, surrounded by people. Seeing the three hugging not far away, he halted his steps. His eyes narrowed.

His gaze was gloomy, just like the ancient green turtle king emerging from an abyssal millennium-old pond, as YuanZhong Zhou would say.