Cheng Zhili never expected Fu Laiying to have such a low tolerance for alcohol. Just one bottle of red wine, and he was out like a light. And whether it was because he was drunk or not, he clung to Cheng Zhili in his sleep, occasionally making a sound that was oddly reminiscent of a cat’s purr.
Admittedly, it was kind of cute…
Cheng Zhili would never admit that he was utterly charmed, even as he took the opportunity to explore every inch of the other’s body!
His physique was enviable, but his brain was another matter, frustratingly dense. Yet somehow, this simpleton managed to make Cheng Zhili blush and feel shy.
Cheng Zhili covered his chest, his eyes flickering.
If he was so easily swayed, wouldn’t that make him just as foolish?
With that thought, he petulantly plucked a few strands of Fu Laiying’s hair.
However, the man continued to sleep soundly, even letting out a soft hum and pulling Cheng Zhili closer.
Oh, you fool!
Cheng Zhili’s lips curled into a smile, and he finally stopped his pointless hair-pulling, drifting off to sleep himself.
Before he knew it, the morning had slipped away, and it was the sound of knocking that woke Cheng Zhili.
At that moment, Fu Laiying was still asleep, deeply so.
Gently, Cheng Zhili removed the arm draped around his waist, got out of bed, and opened the door.
As soon as the door opened, Reinhardt greeted him with a teasing smile, “Well, finally…”
“Shh—” Cheng Zhili quickly gestured for him to keep his voice down, stepping out of the bedroom and softly closing the door behind him.
Reinhardt raised an eyebrow, chuckling, “Oh, so you care about your husband now?”
Cheng Zhili rolled his eyes, “I’m just worried he’ll wake up and think we’re up to something.”
“Up to something…” Reinhardt’s mouth twitched, “You really have a way with words, are you trying to annoy me on purpose?”
“Not at all~” Cheng Zhili blinked innocently.
Reinhardt asked, “By the way, did you two… you know, seal the deal?” He sniffed the air, “Why don’t I smell anything post-event?”
“You can tell by smell?” Cheng Zhili was amazed.
“Of course, I’m a demon!” Reinhardt snorted lightly, “Don’t change the subject, what happened? I saw Fu Laiying go in with a bottle of wine, so why didn’t you hit a home run? What were you doing all morning?”
“It’s a sad story…” Cheng Zhili sighed and recounted how Fu Laiying had drunk himself to sleep.
As soon as he finished, Reinhardt burst into laughter, clutching his stomach, “Oh my, oh my! You really shot yourself in the foot! Why bring up Cheng Zhixia? Of course, he had to prove his sincerity!”
Cheng Zhili’s gaze wandered, “Maybe I had a lapse in judgment…”
Reinhardt grinned, “Well, at least now I’m relieved. You two can always continue tonight.”
“Yes, I was thinking the same.” Cheng Zhili nodded.
He had given Fu Laiying’s words some thought and had come to a realization.
—Fu Laiying was very concerned about his health.
Whether it was for the baby’s sake or something else, after he revealed the truth, Fu Laiying didn’t resist. So everything could proceed naturally, it was just a matter of time.
With that in mind, Cheng Zhili stretched and said, “I’m hungry, join me for lunch.”
“What about Fu Laiying?”
“He’s still asleep. Let him rest, so he’ll be refreshed tonight.” Cheng Zhili smirked.
Reinhardt immediately joined in the mischievous grin, “You’re so bad, Cheng’er~”
“Bad boys get the love,” Cheng Zhili winked at him.
The two of them laughed as they headed to the dining room, asking Aunt Chen to prepare lunch.
Cheng Zhili absentmindedly tapped the table, asking, “Yesterday, Cheng Zhixia came to plead for mercy. Do you think he’s at his wit’s end, or does he believe Fu Laiying still has feelings for him and will do whatever he asks?”
“Probably both?” Reinhardt answered casually, then asked curiously, “Why do you ask?”
“I’m worried about a comeback, that the Cheng family might rise again,” Cheng Zhili squinted, pondering, “Can you help me keep an eye on the Cheng family?”
“No way.” Reinhardt rolled his eyes immediately.
“Why not?” Cheng Zhili’s eyes widened.
“I’m a dignified demon, how can I stoop to doing surveillance work meant for small fry?” Reinhardt huffed proudly.
Cheng Zhili was at a loss for words.
Indeed, asking Reinhardt to spy on the Cheng family was overkill, but the problem was he had no one else to rely on…
Gu Wending was busy setting up his company and hiring employees, and he wasn’t suited for surveillance work. As for Su Meng, not only was he Fu Laiying’s man, whom Cheng Zhili couldn’t fully trust, but he also had to protect Gu Wending, leaving no time for anything else. Hiring a private detective was out of the question; Cheng Zhili trusted them even less.
Besides, he thought Reinhardt was convenient. Reinhardt could turn invisible, tracking the Cheng family’s every move without anyone knowing.
But unfortunately, Reinhardt was unwilling…
Cheng Zhili rubbed his temples, a sudden idea sparking.
The Cheng family had a maid named Wang Guihua. Recently, her son was diagnosed with leukemia and urgently needed a large sum of money. Desperate, she went to Zheng Xue for help, only to be coldly refused.
Wang Guihua wasn’t exactly a good person. She felt she had helped Zheng Xue target Cheng Zhili enough, and being turned down for money was like being abandoned after crossing the river. She started stealing watches and jewelry from the Cheng family to sell, eventually getting caught and sent to prison. Her son died shortly after, unable to afford surgery.
Cheng Zhili had no fondness for Wang Guihua.
This old hag had once put sand in his food and deliberately ruined his clothes, doing everything she could to curry favor with Zheng Xue. But her current desperate need for money and her greedy nature could be useful.
However, Cheng Zhili didn’t have Wang Guihua’s contact information, nor did he know if her son had been diagnosed with leukemia yet. What should he do?
He tapped his forehead with his finger, then suddenly smiled.
He realized he was overthinking it.
Even if Fu Laiying knew he was targeting the Cheng family, so what? Fu Laiying had said he no longer liked Cheng Zhixia, so he had no reason to stop Cheng Zhili’s revenge. In that case, why not have Su Meng’s company investigate Wang Guihua? With this thought, Cheng Zhili even felt excited.
He was eager to see Fu Laiying’s reaction when he learned Cheng Zhili was planning to strike against the Cheng family.
It should be interesting, right?
“What are you thinking about, grinning like that?” Reinhardt mocked.
Cheng Zhili snapped back to reality, rolling his eyes at him, “It’s all because someone won’t lend me a hand, forcing me to fend for myself.”
Reinhardt looked up at the ceiling, pretending he hadn’t heard a thing.
Cheng Zhili wasn’t too disappointed, simply eating lunch quietly with him.
After lunch, Cheng Zhili persuaded Reinhardt to use a water mirror to show him the Cheng family’s current situation.
In the water mirror, Cheng Wenbin was desperately seeking connections with Zhao Chao’s help, while Zheng Xue was meeting with the Zheng family.
“Xue, Feng only got caught trying to help you, you have to save him!” The speaker was an elderly woman with sunken eyes and a haggard demeanor, yet dressed in luxury. She was Zheng Xue’s mother, Zheng Guiru. Cheng Zhili remembered his first New Year’s visit to the Zheng family, where he received no blessings or affection, only insults and scorn. Since then, he had refused to visit. The once proud old woman now looked like a withered eggplant, her face wrinkled and devoid of spirit.
“Ah!” Zheng Xue sighed, her eyes reddening, “Mom, I want to save Feng too, but the Fu family insists on strict handling. Even if I wanted to pull some strings, they wouldn’t agree!”
“How did it come to this?” Zheng Guiru was frantic, like an ant on a hot pan, “What kind of spell did that little brat Cheng Zhili cast on the Fu family, that they’re so biased towards him?”
“How would I know?” Zheng Xue was equally frustrated.
She had only sent her brother to teach Cheng Zhili a lesson, but instead, it backfired, landing her own brother in jail! And now, with the Fu family pressing charges, both the Cheng and Zheng families were too overwhelmed to rescue Zheng Feng.
Zheng Guiru’s face was grim.
She wanted to save her precious son but was powerless. Thinking of Cheng Zhili, the root of all their problems, she couldn’t help but curse, “That little brat Cheng Zhili, I always knew he was no good! His mother’s meddling caused your premature birth, giving Zhixia a congenital heart defect. Now he’s stealing Zhixia’s boyfriend and ruining our families! We should never have taken him back to the Cheng family!”
“Wasn’t it because his heart matched Zhixia’s?” Zheng Xue explained, “I thought his mother’s sins should be repaid by him, but who knew we’d end up raising a tiger that would turn on us! It’s too late to say anything now!”
Talking about Cheng Zhili seemed to give them an outlet for their frustrations, and they hurled every imaginable insult at him.
Cheng Zhili listened to their tirade with a blank expression, finding he wasn’t angry at all, perhaps even a bit amused.
The Cheng and Zheng families were at their wit’s end, on the brink of collapse. Why should he be angry?
Reinhardt spoke up, “Cheng Zhixia’s premature birth was because of your mother?”
“It seems so.” Cheng Zhili nodded, explaining, “Zheng Xue used to mention it in front of me. Apparently, she discovered Cheng Wenbin’s affair and went to catch him in the act while heavily pregnant. The shock of seeing my mother and Cheng Wenbin together triggered her labor. There was a traffic jam, and the ambulance couldn’t get through, so they decided to deliver Zhixia in a nearby empty chapel. According to Zheng Xue, a priest even sprinkled holy water on him at birth!”
“A chapel? Holy water?” Reinhardt squinted.
Cheng Zhili realized, “Could that be why Cheng Zhixia became so popular?”
“It fits, but something’s missing,” Reinhardt explained, “Those favored by the gods usually have some connection to them.”
Cheng Zhili thought for a moment, “Cheng Zhixia was born on Easter.”
“No wonder.” Reinhardt understood, “Easter is the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Being born in a chapel on that day and receiving a blessing of holy water naturally made him a Divine Favored, a so-called ‘people’s darling’.”
The Bible records that Jesus was crucified and resurrected three days later, giving rise to Easter. For Jesus, as “God,” this day is special. Cheng Zhixia, born in a chapel on this day and blessed with holy water, naturally received divine favor, becoming a people’s darling.
Cheng Zhili was speechless, only able to lament the whims of fate.
Just then, the bedroom door opened, and Fu Laiying emerged, rubbing his groggy head.