Chapter 1
"Mr. He, will we ever meet again?"
"Encounter in Beijing"
By Shan Hua Dui Jiu
Cheng Jiamo X He Qingzhao
2025.3.17
Falling in love with someone is like creating a faith, serving a god who may fall at any moment.
— Jorge Luis Borges.
-
Cheng Jiamo didn't know if she had fallen in love with someone, but she did have someone in her heart who was more worthy of respect than gods or Buddhas.
Statues of gods and Buddhas are cold and heartless; they will not actually appear to save anyone who is suffering. They are merely a kind of faith in people's hearts, a form of self-comfort when they are in trouble.
However, that person really existed and truly saved her, pulling her out of the abyss.
If it weren't for him, she might have already fallen into the deepest hell and would never have been able to return unharmed.
How should I describe that person?
She couldn't describe it, but whenever she thought of him, an image flashed through her mind—pear blossoms reflected in the spring waters of Jiangnan.
Because her first impression of him was so good, even after many years of breaking up and getting back together, and eventually becoming strangers, she still remembered the thrill she felt when she first met him.
It was near the end of the hot season, and the sun was shining brightly as if in its final burst of energy.
She stood in the shade of the trees, shading her eyes with her hand, and saw him standing under the Bodhi tree, worshipping Buddha, amidst the thousands of people.
Because they were far apart, she couldn't see his face clearly at first. She only saw that he was wearing a white suit, tall and slender, with an extraordinary air about him. He casually stood under the tree and exuded the air of a noble young man.
It wasn't until he got closer that she could see his face clearly. In that instant, her memory was exceptionally good, and all the poems and verses she had learned or read in extracurricular books that described a man's beauty and temperament came rushing back to her.
Phrases like "face like jade, sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes," "elegant demeanor, soaring like clouds," "unparalleled in beauty, one in a million," and "a gentleman as beautiful as jade, unmatched in the world" are used to describe such figures.
At that time, she did not know his true identity, only that he was not simple, after all, even members of the royal family treated him with great courtesy.
She saw him again when she was struggling in the abyss.
"Run! I'll let you run!"
A slap landed on her face. The angry middle-aged man was surprisingly strong, and the slap immediately swelled up half of her face.
"If you fucking dare to run again, I'll chop off your legs! It just so happens that the big boss in Luowan likes legless girls."
After venting his anger, Yu Shijie left. He had to go to the casino to oversee things that afternoon and didn't have time to bother Cheng Jiamo anymore.
Before leaving, he threatened viciously: "Go and do your summer job obediently, and you can continue your studies in two months. Otherwise, I'll cut off your legs right now and send you to Luowan."
The gangster boss in Luowan is in his forties and has a peculiar fetish: he likes girls who are only half-naked, with their legs cut off below the knees, and they are all underage girls, around fifteen or sixteen years old.
Cheng Jiamo will be sixteen years old in two months, which is the right age.
She knew Yu Shijie wasn't joking; if she didn't listen to him, he really would cut off her legs and hand her over to that perverted bigwig in Luowan.
However, she couldn't follow Yu Shijie's wishes. The "summer job" Yu Shijie mentioned wasn't a real job, but rather that she should be a temporary wife to a European man in his thirties, which was essentially a rented wife.
"Wife rental" is a legal service in Thailand. As long as the renter can afford it, they can rent a woman to be their wife. If they don't want her anymore, they can return her at any time, just like renting a car or a house. The rented woman is treated no differently than a commodity.
Cheng Jiamo did not want to be reduced to a commodity; she was a person, a Chinese.
She had wanted to go back to China for a long time, but because her mother was here and she was still young and not yet an adult, she had to endure it and live here.
But now she doesn't want to endure it anymore; she wants to go back to China, back to her own country.
So she tried to escape, but failed and was caught by Yu Shijie, who beat her severely.
Yu Shijie was the third man her mother married. The year she started junior high school, he brought her mother to Thailand to do business. The following year, he also brought her to Thailand and sent her to a private school with a large Chinese population. That school had many children of overseas Chinese or wealthy Chinese businessmen.
She later learned that Yu Shijie sent her to a private Chinese school so that she could hook up with a rich second-generation heir and be used as a cash cow.
She didn't do as Yu Shijie wished, and instead studied diligently every day, pretending not to know about his despicable behavior.
Yu Shijie didn't make it clear, but seeing that she didn't understand, he often found various reasons to scold her, saying that she was as stupid as a pig, only knew how to study, didn't even know how to make friends, and would only be a dull and useless person when she entered society. He also called her a burden, saying that she had no sense, only knew how to eat for free, and didn't know how to help ease the burden on her family.
Yu Shijie lost money in business this year and is now heavily in debt. He's even giving up on the pretense and is going to rent her out to make money.
Her mother knew about this, but did not object, and tacitly approved of Yu Shijie's actions.
The moment her mother gave her tacit approval, she was already prepared to leave Taekyong.
Run! Run for your life!
Lightning flashed and thunder roared, and torrential rain poured down. The sky was so dark it looked like it was about to collapse.
She ran wildly, desperately running in the rain. The rain and mist blurred her vision, and she couldn't see the road ahead. She stumbled and staggered as she ran.
Thunder, rain, car horns, and the shouts of Yu Shijie chasing after the European men and his thugs—all sorts of noise flooded into my ears, like an electric drill drilling inside them.
Cheng Jiamo's head was buzzing, and her ears hurt so much that her eardrums felt like they were about to burst.
It hurts so much, I'm so tired, she can't hold on much longer.
Was it a dream?
Was it a nightmare?
If it's a dream, why am I still not waking up even though it hurts so much?
Thump—
She finally couldn't hold on any longer and fell to the ground.
A pair of black leather shoes came into view and stopped in front of her.
She stiffly raised her head, as if gazing at the light of day from the depths of an abyss.
"gentlemen."
She was dripping with blood and water, looking at him with a mixture of embarrassment and fear.
However, her strong will to survive prompted her to reach out and grab the man's suit trouser leg, as if she had grasped a lifeline.
"Sir, help me..."
She was speaking Chinese; at that moment, she instinctively used her mother tongue.
A large black umbrella was placed over her head. The man bent down and pulled her up with his long, pale hand.
"Don't be afraid." His voice was deep and gentle, carrying a powerful, comforting quality.
He took her to his residence, an English-style manor.
Everyone at the manor called him Mr. He, and she followed suit.
“Mr. He, I want to go back to China. Can you help me?” She knelt in front of him, looking at him with hopeful eyes. “I will definitely repay you and repay your kindness in the future.”
She had no money on her, and her ID card and passport had all been confiscated by Yu Shijie. If she wanted to go back, she could only ask for help from this man called "Mr. He," otherwise she would have no way to return.
But she had to go back, she absolutely had to go back; she didn't want to rot away in this damp, sweltering, decaying place.
He Qingzhao helped her up: "You should take good care of yourself first. Once you're better, I'll have someone take you home." He added, "Don't kneel down to anyone again. Every stroke of a Chinese person's brush represents their backbone; they don't kneel down easily."
His words struck her heart like a heavy hammer.
Cheng Jiamo was shocked. She wanted to explain that she didn't kneel down to just anyone because he had saved her. His kindness to her was immense, and kneeling in front of him was not shameful.
If it weren't for his help, she wouldn't even dare to imagine how terrible it would be if Yu Shijie caught her and took her back.
But when she met his icy gaze, she pursed her lips and ultimately offered no explanation.
She then stayed at his estate to recuperate, but for half a month after that day, she did not see him again.
Just when she thought he had forgotten about her, he returned to the manor and told her that everything was arranged and he could send her home the next day.
go home……
Upon hearing the words "go home," she choked up, tears welled up in her eyes, and she bowed deeply to him.
"Thank you, Mr. He, thank you so much."
He Qingzhao smiled calmly: "You're welcome."
Cheng Jiamo was stunned by his smile and blurted out, almost without thinking, "Mr. He, will we ever meet again?"
He Qingzhao was taken aback, then stopped smiling and said in a low voice, "Go back and study hard. If you can get into Peking University, we will have a chance to meet again."
Although Cheng Jiamo knew perfectly well that he was just making a casual remark, or perhaps it was a kind of well-intentioned encouragement, she still kept it in mind.
Later, all her social media accounts used the same nickname – Jingyu.
-
It's raining again, a biting autumn rain, pattering through the trees and striking the leaves.
Cheng Jiamo closed "Nine Books of Dante," rested her chin on her hands, looked out the window, and her lips involuntarily curled into a smile.
Many people dislike rain, but she loves it.
She loves rainy days the most because she has been reborn on rainy days. Rain is both a nightmare and a hope for her.
There was another, deeper reason: she wanted to see him again.
After she returned to China successfully that year, she did not go to Qucheng—her mother's side—nor did she contact any of her mother's relatives. Instead, she returned to Lucheng—her father's side.
Her father passed away when she was very young, and her grandparents had already passed away when she returned home.
She had no one to rely on, so she could only ask her aunt to take her in temporarily.
She studied hard, but her abilities were limited, and she ultimately failed to get into Peking University as she had hoped. However, for the sake of that vague promise, she still applied to a university in northern Beijing.
She has been in Beijing for a year, experiencing countless rainy days, but she has never seen him again.
Indeed, in such a vast city as northern Beijing, amidst the sea of people, it's not so easy to run into someone.
Besides, he was just saying it casually at the time. Maybe he didn't even return to China in the past three years. And even if he did return, he might not be in Beijing. Maybe he was in another city. If that were the case, how could she have met him again?
After three days of continuous autumn rain, the osmanthus flowers on the M University campus were in full bloom. Although they did not have the fierce beauty of "when my flowers bloom, all other flowers wither," they had their own unique sweet and elegant fragrance.
It was the break time, and people were walking back and forth on the tree-lined path between two osmanthus trees.
The autumn wind blows, and the fragrance of flowers fills the air.
Some people praise the sweet fragrance of osmanthus, while others criticize its unpleasant smell and even threaten to uproot all the osmanthus trees.
Roommate Zhang Wenqian pursed her lips and muttered under her breath, "What kind of person is he? Just because he doesn't like something, he wants to destroy it. Does he think he's the only one who matters?"
Cheng Jiamo wanted to say that in a place like Beijing, there are plenty of people who think they are the only ones who matter, but she held back and didn't say it.
She's not good with words and is afraid that if she doesn't explain herself clearly, it might cause unnecessary misunderstandings.
Another roommate, Ding Qiaoqiao, laughed and said, "I remembered a line from Mr. Wang's 'Human World and Plants' about gardenias: 'Go to hell, I just want to be fragrant like this, fragrant to my heart's content, what the hell is it to you!' Hahaha, he wrote about gardenias like a proud and arrogant young lady, so cute."
Zhang Wenqian burst out laughing, revealing a set of clean, even teeth. Her smile was bright and radiant, even more dazzling than the autumn sun in August.
Cheng Jiamo smiled gently and reservedly, her rosy lips slightly pursed, her charming and captivating peach blossom eyes curving into crescents. She was quiet and serene, as fresh and elegant as the osmanthus blossoms in the garden.
After Zhang Wenqian's laughter subsided, Ding Qiaoqiao continued, "I think this phrase also applies to osmanthus. I just want to be fragrant like this, sweetly fragrant, is it any of your business?"
The three of them walked towards the dormitory building, chatting and laughing. When they got downstairs and were about to go up the steps, Cheng Jiamo's phone rang. It was a WeChat notification.
She stopped and took out her phone to check.
Today is the third day. Have you made up your mind yet?
I never force anyone; it's all voluntary.
You can refuse, but regarding your friend's nude loan...
Cheng Jiamo's smile vanished, and she gripped her phone tightly, her knuckles turning white, her palms sweating profusely.
Her chest heaved violently as she forcefully suppressed the urge to breathe.
After Zhang and Ding returned to their dormitory, she didn't go back to her own dormitory. Instead, she took her phone and went behind the short holly bush to make a call.
"I agree, but you have to resolve my friend's issue."
The first sound on the other end of the phone was the grinding of a lighter, followed by a man's slow and deliberate voice.
"As long as you agree, everything is negotiable. You don't have classes after 3 PM, right?"
The fact that he asked this question indicates that he knows her class schedule.
Cheng Jiamo couldn't lie, and she wasn't good at lying, so she could only honestly answer, "No."
Qi Yingjie said, "I'll send someone to pick you up."
Cheng Jiamo quickly declined, "No need, just send me the address, I'll take a bus there myself in a bit."
She regretted it as soon as she said it, because she had rejected him too quickly and decisively.
If she angers Qi Yingjie, and instead of helping her, he kicks her while she's down, then Zhu Yue will be truly finished.
Thinking of this, her heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly tried to remedy the situation: "Mr. Qi..."
Before she could finish speaking, Qi Yingjie interrupted with a smile: "I just wanted to invite you over for a meal and make friends. Why are you so nervous?"
Cheng Jiamo became even more nervous, her heart pounding in her throat, and she stammered.
"No, I'm not nervous."
"If you're not nervous, then you're shy?" Qi Yingjie's tone was slightly flippant.
Cheng Jiamo pursed her lips and remained silent. She was not a quick-witted or eloquent person, and she was even tongue-tied in front of her peers. Facing Qi Yingjie, a cynical rich young master, she seemed even more wooden and had no idea how to respond.
Qi Yingjie's flirtatious words went unanswered, and he immediately lost interest and the desire to tease her further.
Although he likes beautiful women, he doesn't like wooden beauties.
But the thought of this dull and clumsy beauty who had rejected him time and time again made him furious. He then sneered and said in a flirtatious tone, "Little Jasmine, come here quickly, your brother misses you very much."
-
Hongyu Club is the largest and most bustling entertainment venue in the south of the city, located in the prime commercial center of the city.
In a VIP room on the second floor of the club, a group of young men sat sprawled on the sofa, chatting and laughing.
After Qi Yingjie hung up the phone, Shen Zechuan threw the dice in his hand at him and said with a laugh, "Aren't you disgusting? You're really thinking about it. Why don't you say you're thinking about it so much your dick is about to explode?"
Qi Yingjie smiled and leaned to one side, the dice brushing against his shoulder and landing on the sofa.
He picked up the cigarette pack, knocked out a cigarette, and said with a roguish grin, "How do you know I'm not hard?"
Shen Zechuan raised his chin at him, glancing at his crotch: "I'm not blind."
One of them laughed and said, "Brother Jie, take it off, take it off for Brother Chuan to see, let him see clearly whether you're soft or hard?"
Qi Yingjie flicked his cigarette ash and said to the man who was egging him on, "If I take my clothes off, are you going to lick them for me?"
"Ha ha ha ha……"
The crowd laughed even louder, and after the laughter subsided, they started talking about the renovation of the old houses in the west of the city.
Shen Zechuan suggested, "Once He Qingzhao arrives, you can discuss it with him again. At worst, you can give him a little more profit."
Qi Yingjie curled his lip: "Even if we give him eight more points, he might not agree. He Qingzhao looks refined and gentle on the surface, with a humble and indifferent appearance, but in reality, his lust for power is comparable to Emperor Wu of Han. If he gets ruthless, none of us here are his brothers."
As he said this, he tapped the table with the finger holding the cigarette.
"Tang Jingyao and He Qingzhao, those two wolves from the north and south, they're no joke."
Sitting on the single sofa near the entrance, someone who hadn't spoken until now suddenly chimed in: "Tang Jingyao's ruthlessness is on his face, but He Qingzhao's ruthlessness is in his heart."
Qi Yingjie looked at the man and agreed wholeheartedly: "Second Brother Lu is right. That bastard He Qingzhao is kind on the outside but ruthless on the inside. He is the number one civilized scoundrel in Beijing. He eats people and doesn't even spit out the bone fragments."
The person Qi Yingjie called "Second Brother Lu" is Lu Junyan, the second son of Dongguan Jinhong Group, and also the owner of this club.
He stood up from the shadows, glanced at his watch, and said to Qi Yingjie, "Call He Qingzhao and ask if he's still coming."
[Author's Note]
My darlings, I've started a new story! Please support me [shy], please add it to your favorites [cat emoji], and please stay with me through thick and thin!
This is, as always, a classic melodramatic story, with a super sassy male lead! The beginning is still bittersweet and agonizing, but it gets incredibly sweet later on. [cat paw emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com