There was only one week left before school started. During this period, neither Cheng Di nor Father Zhai made an appearance, allowing the two of them to enjoy a span of peaceful days.
Since Cheng Luo had received her first month’s salary, she made a suggestion.
“Tonight is my treat. You can pick any place you want.”
Zhai Qing rested her chin on her hand and looked at her.
“Any place at all?”
Cheng Luo immediately felt a twinge of regret, imagining that Zhai Qing usually did not eat anything cheap. However, for the sake of her pride, she steeled herself and said, “Any place!”
Zhai Qing playfully twirled the fountain pen in her hand.
“I want to eat barbecue.”
Cheng Luo let out a breath of relief and gave an “OK” gesture.
However, that barbecue meal never happened. Just as they stepped out of the company, a black car pulled up in front of them, and a bodyguard in a black suit stepped out.
“Miss, the Chairman has reserved a table at a restaurant.”
The moment Zhai Qing saw the car, she pulled Cheng Luo behind her. Recognizing the man as one of her father’s staff, she said coldly, “I already have plans with someone else. Tell him to speak up earlier next time.”
Zhai Qing tried to lead Cheng Luo toward the garage, but the bodyguard blocked their path.
“Miss, it is better if you go. The Chairman has also invited Miss Cheng Luo’s parents.”
Zhai Qing’s expression changed instantly. “What on earth is he trying to do!”
“I do not know, Miss. You should go and see for yourselves.”
Cheng Luo looked at her worriedly. “Maybe we should just go. Why would my parents be invited?”
Zhai Qing patted the back of her hand to reassure her, and the two of them got into the car.
A waiter led them to a private room. When the door opened, the people inside were chatting harmoniously.
“Dad, Mom, why are you here?” Cheng Luo asked, her face full of confusion.
Father Cheng dropped his usual sternness and said with a smile, “You are in a relationship but did not tell the family. If it were not for Brother Ji, we still would not know.”
Ji Feng, who was Zhai Qing’s father, smiled and raised his wine glass. “They are young people. In the end, it still takes us elders to take charge.”
Zhai Qing’s eyebrows knitted into a tight knot. “What exactly are you taking charge of?”
Father Zhai said as if it were a matter of course, “Your marriage, naturally.”
“This is our own business. You do not need to worry about it.”
“Little sister, that is not how it works.”
Cheng Di, who had been silent until now, spoke up with shameless arrogance to correct her. “Even though your family is very rich, my sister is innocent. She cannot just date you indefinitely without a title or status.”
Cheng Luo was disgusted by his words. She looked up at her parents, but neither of them would meet her eyes. She could not help but speak out.
“Dad, Mom, this is not appropriate. I am still in school.”
“What is inappropriate about it? It is better to settle things early so your father and I can rest easy.”
Seeing Cheng Luo’s eyes reddening, Zhai Qing was no longer in a hurry to leave. She pulled Cheng Luo down to sit, crossed her legs, and tilted her chin up, looking even more overbearing than she did during board meetings.
“Speak. What is your real objective?”
Father Zhai was infuriated by her attitude. “Zhai Qing, do you act like this outside too? Show some respect to your elders!”
Cheng Di stepped in as a peacemaker. “Oh, Uncle, do not be so angry. This way they look even more like a match: one strong, one soft. It is just right.”
Cheng Luo turned her head sharply upon hearing his words and said, word for word, “My. Business. Does. Not. Need. Your. Concern.”
“Hey, how can you talk like that? Your brother is doing this for your own good!”
Mother Cheng was interrupted before she could finish. Cheng Luo reached out to wipe the moisture from the corners of her eyes.
“Just say it. How much money did you take?”
“I guessed right.”
Hearing this, Zhai Qing finally understood Cheng Luo’s situation at home. Her eyes widened with anger.
“Fine. Since they will not speak, I will ask someone else,” Zhai Qing turned her spear toward Father Zhai. “How much did you give them?”
“One hundred thousand.”
Cheng Luo almost wanted to laugh. For a mere one hundred thousand, she had been sold. Her brother’s apartment in the city center was worth dozens of times more than that.
She covered her face, not wanting to look at the people in front of her, and fell into complete silence.
“I will give you one million. From now on, you are never to contact Cheng Luo again. Consider it a buyout of your relationship.”
Zhai Qing dropped a depth charge into the calm water.
Cheng Luo’s parents exploded instantly.
“How can you do that!”
“That is no way to handle things!”
“I agree, but on one condition.”
Cheng Di told his parents to stay calm.
“You two must get married. The kind with a marriage certificate. We can only rest easy if we see Cheng Luo has a good place to belong.”
Cheng Di’s words cleared Father Zhai’s mind. He was not here to watch another family’s drama. “Yes, get the certificate immediately. Then I can be at peace too.”
Zhai Qing looked down at Cheng Luo, who remained silent throughout. She had not even lifted her head, looking as though she were listening to someone else’s story.
Zhai Qing reached out a hand and touched Cheng Luo’s cold hand. Cheng Luo flinched as if burned, but just as Zhai Qing was about to pull back, a hand tightly intertwined with hers.
She clearly saw that Cheng Luo’s eyes were brimming with tears.
Her lips moved, silently saying to her, “Do not abandon me.”
Zhai Qing’s heart felt as though it were being squeezed. She lifted their intertwined hands to her lips and gave them a light kiss.
“We will get the certificate tomorrow.”
“I hope you all keep your word.”
After saying that, Zhai Qing did not want to stay in that room for another second. She pulled Cheng Luo by the arm and did not stop until they reached the fresh air outside.
Suddenly, her waist was tightened as a stifled sob came from behind her.
Cheng Luo did not know how long she cried. She only knew that the next day, standing at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau, her eyes were still severely swollen.
In the waiting area, Zhai Qing was holding an ice pack against Cheng Luo’s eyes.
Cheng Luo could barely open her eyes, and her voice was still raspy from crying.
“Do you really want to marry me?”
“Why? Do you not want to?”
Was this a question of wanting to or not? Was there love between them?
Cheng Luo asked herself.
“Number 5, please come to the counter to process your application.”
Zhai Qing put down the ice pack. The two of them met each other’s gaze, neither speaking first.
The broadcast repeated the call.
And then, each of them had a little red book.
“Cough. That was fast.”
“Yes, very fast.”
“So, what do we do now?”
“Hmm. How about going back to the office to work?”
In the end, they did not go to work. Zhai Qing sent a check to the Cheng family along with a contract. The check would only become valid once the agreement to sever ties was signed.
As she expected, that check sparked a significant argument within the Cheng family.
However, Cheng Luo knew nothing of this because she was busy picking out an apartment with Zhai Qing.
Yes, because Zhai Qing said the villa was too large and her father knew the address, it was better to move somewhere he did not know.
Cheng Luo had no objections; she was homeless now anyway.
“How about this one? Two bedrooms,” Zhai Qing said as she pushed open a door, only to find it had been turned into a study.
“There is only one bedroom left.”
This city center apartment was only five minutes away from the company and close to Cheng Luo’s school; just two subway stops away. This was why Zhai Qing had chosen it.
She had simply forgotten that when she bought this apartment, she was living alone. Thinking an extra bedroom was unnecessary, she had converted one into a study.
“How about we just stay here? It is convenient for me for school and convenient for you for work.”
Cheng Luo leaned against the doorframe and asked cautiously. For some reason, it really felt like they were starting a life together now.
“That works. As long as you like it.”
Zhai Qing’s face felt a bit warm, perhaps due to the heating.
The moving company arrived that afternoon. The two of them, each wearing an apron, knelt on the floor of their new home to unpack, wearing matching loungewear.
They had bought these when they were shopping for furniture. Cheng Luo chose the color, and Zhai Qing chose the style. Both were very satisfied.
Up close or from a distance, they looked like a couple’s outfit.
That evening, they ordered takeout. The space was small, and the dining table lacked the grandeur of the long table in the villa. They sat facing each other, heads bowed, silently eating the white rice in their bowls because looking up meant seeing their own reflection in the other’s eyes.
Fortunately, there were two bathrooms. As if they had reached a silent agreement, both stayed inside for a long time, not coming out until their skin turned pale.
When they lay in bed, a two meter long bolster was placed in the middle like a divider, as if this meant they were not sleeping in the same bed.
In the darkness, Cheng Luo stared at the ceiling with her eyes open.
“Is this how we will be from now on?”
“This is how we are now.”
Then it went quiet. Suddenly, someone’s arm crossed over the bolster and wrapped around the other person’s waist.
“Is it okay?”
The voice sounded right by her ear. She fidgeted because the breath tickled, but instead, she buried herself into the other’s neck.
A dreamless night.
After waking up, both deliberately avoided mentioning what had happened the night before. They washed up calmly, ate calmly, and walked into the company calmly.
“Good morning, Boss.”
The receptionist looked at her big boss and the boss’s assistant with hesitation.
“Are your coats on backward?”
Zhai Qing looked down. She was wearing white suit pants, but the matching white suit jacket was currently being worn by Cheng Luo.
And she was wearing Cheng Luo’s denim jacket.
Zhai Qing nodded expressionlessly to the receptionist. Then the two of them walked calmly into the elevator and waited calmly for the doors to close.
“Why are you wearing my jacket!”
“Why did you not remind me!”
“I did not know!”
“I did not notice!”
As the elevator doors opened, they hurriedly swapped jackets, blaming each other in the process.
Zhai Qing suddenly realized that Cheng Luo seemed a bit less deferential toward her.
Cheng Luo felt that Zhai Qing seemed a bit more approachable.
Meanwhile, the receptionist, who held a major discovery, did not hesitate to share the gossip in the large company group chat.
[Extra! Extra! Major discovery!]
[Watching!]
[Watching!]
[Watching +10086]
[Boss is suspected of living with her assistant. They even wore each other’s clothes.]
[Did the Boss’s assistant not go on a honeymoon?]
[That new little assistant? I knew something was up between them.]
[Will we get a holiday?]