Chapter 50: Unsolvable Fate

  Cheng Zhiyi watched as Xu Shaoyan's car drove away, the sweetness in her heart rippling out in circles, her mood like a pure white lily flower swaying gently in the moonlight, happiness beyond words.

  Turning around with a smile on her face, she was suddenly startled by Cheng Mama standing behind her: "Ah-----Mom, you scared me to death!"

  "Who is that man?" Mrs. Cheng also had a smile all over her face and curiously asked Cheng Zhiyi as she leaned forward.

  "Which one? Which man?" Cheng Zhiyi asked with a red face and a guilty conscience.

  "It was just that man from earlier...the one who hugged you!"

  Could it be that her mother had seen the intimate moments she and Xu Shaoyan had shared just now? Cheng Zhiyi's face turned even redder, and she quickly escaped back home with her head hung low, pretending not to have heard her mother's words.

  I'm so hungry!

  After entering the house, Cheng Zhiyi suddenly remembered that she hadn't eaten dinner yet, so she hurried to the kitchen to rummage through the refrigerator for something to eat. Her mother also followed her into the kitchen and asked persistently: "Who is that man after all?"

  "Is there anything to eat? I haven't had dinner yet, my stomach is so hungry!" Cheng Zhiyi deliberately rubbed her flat belly and loudly claimed to be hungry. This trick of "surrounding Wei to rescue Zhao" was indeed effective, and Mother Cheng immediately shifted her attention, feeling sorry for her precious daughter, and hurriedly helped Cheng Zhiyi prepare something to eat.

  Soon, a steaming bowl of fried noodles was placed in front of her, and Jing Yi hastily picked up her chopsticks and started devouring the food - huffing and puffing, she was really starving!

  "Slow down, no one is competing with you... Have some soup, be careful not to choke...". Cheng Mama sat beside the dinner table, watching her 'daughter' gobble down food, and couldn't help but nag again, "But - who was that man just now?"

  "Cough, cough..." Cheng Zhiyi almost choked, and suddenly spat out the rice noodles that were about to be swallowed. She couldn't help but cough repeatedly - this is really annoying! I thought Mom would forget after being busy for a while, how come she still remembers to bring it up? All day long, she's been muttering about getting old and forgetting things, why doesn't she forget now?!

  "Mom, are you annoying or what?!" Cheng Zhiyi discontentedly pouted and complained, "Can't I just finish my meal?"

  "You eat and talk, eat and talk......" Mom Cheng said while bringing up the freshly cooked braised pork, "You don't say it's okay, anyway I'll ask Weiwei, she will tell me!"

  His surname is Xu, and his name is Xu Shaoyan. Cheng Zhiyi shook her head helplessly and had to surrender and tell the truth.

  "Is he a local or an outsider? What does he do? How did you two meet? Is he good to you?" Cheng's mother quickly followed up with several questions in a row.

  "Local tyrants! Doing business, family enterprise!" Cheng Zhiyi responded casually, "The eight characters are not even a stroke yet, why ask so many questions?"

  "What do his parents do?" Moms always like to ask so many questions!

  "Tiancheng Group... He is the heir of Tiancheng Group..." With a slight hesitation in her mind, Cheng Zhiyi finally decided to tell the truth. After all, she would have to tell her sooner or later, and besides, her parents' opinions were important!

  "Tiān Chéng Group? So he's Xu Gen's son?! "Chéng Bàba didn't know when he started standing at the restaurant door, and had already secretly listened to their mother-daughter conversation. As soon as he heard that Xǔ Shǎo Yàn was the heir of Tiān Chéng Group, Chéng Bàba was shocked, rushing in with a loud cry, staring at Chéng Zhīyī in disbelief, waiting for her nod of confirmation.

  "Xu, Xu Gen?" Mrs. Cheng also exclaimed in surprise and couldn't speak further.

  "What's Xu Gen? What Xu Gen?" Cheng Zhiyi said in confusion, "It's the president of Tiancheng Group, named Xu Mingxin!"

  "Just call him Xu Gen!" said Cheng Dad firmly. "He was originally called Xu Gen, and later changed his name to Xu Mingxin or something."

  "Dad, do you know him?" Cheng Zhiyi asked curiously - did her dad know Xu Shaoyan's dad? It turned out that she and Xu Shaoyan had such a wonderful connection!

  "It's not just an acquaintance! He and I, as well as your mom, were high school classmates. Back then, we had a great time together, in your words, we were sworn brothers!" Recalling the good old days, Mr. Cheng couldn't help but feel a tinge of melancholy that came with age, and he sighed unknowingly.

  "That... why have you never mentioned it before?" Cheng Zhiyi asked curiously.

  She had never heard her parents mention this matter from childhood to adulthood! It is worth noting that Xu Mingxin is also a public figure, often appearing in the financial section of "Bai Shui Evening News", but how did she never hear her parents mention that they still have such a rich high school classmate?

  "Afterwards, everyone had less contact with each other, and there was nothing good to mention." said Mom Cheng lightly.

  "Yes! We haven't been in touch!" Mr. Cheng said with a nod after glancing at Mrs. Cheng.

  However, his thoughts went back to thirty years ago when they were all young and innocent. He and Xu Mingxin both secretly liked the prettiest girl in their class. They had agreed to wait until college to confess to her, competing fairly. Later, he mustered up the courage to confess to that girl without telling Xu Mingxin...and later that girl became his wife, becoming Cheng Ziyi's mother!

  At that time, because of this matter, he and Xu Mingxin gradually drifted apart, and their relationship became estranged. They were no longer as close as they used to be, inseparable like two shadows. After graduating from high school, Xu Mingxin never appeared in front of him again, even when the high school reunion was held, he never attended!

  It wasn't until one day, when he saw reports about Xu Mingxin, the richest man in F Province and president of Tiancheng Group, on TV and in newspapers, that he realized "Xu Mingxin" was actually "Xu Gen" from back then!

  Who would have thought that after many years, fate would play a trick on them and Xu Mingxin's son would fall in love with their 'daughter'!

  As soon as she heard that "the man just now" was Xu Mingxin's son, Mrs. Cheng couldn't help but feel a little uneasy and worried in her heart. After all, although they didn't have any contact with Xu Mingxin, they had still heard about his "romantic affairs" from their old classmates! Who doesn't know that Xu Mingxin is a philanderer, having both a wife and mistresses, not to mention countless young and beautiful female secretaries?!

  As the saying goes, "like father, like son", who knows if that Xu Shaoyan will also be as promiscuous as his dad? How can she, as a mother, feel at ease marrying her daughter off to such a dissolute young master and into such a wealthy and luxurious family?

  She only hopes that her daughter can find an ordinary husband, marry into a moderately well-off family, be liked by her parents-in-law, loved by her husband, and live a simple, unassuming, but happy life. Having seen too many unhappy marriages, Mrs. Cheng does not crave wealth and nobility, she only hopes that her Ziyu will not mistakenly enter the gates of luxury, become a canary raised in a golden cage, with nothing to call her own, at the mercy of others, tasting all the bitterness!