Chapter 65
The news that the chairman of Huanyu Group donated 800 million yuan to his girlfriend's alma mater in the name of love was a bombshell for L University. The L University BBS was in an uproar, and the blurry photo that was secretly taken was once again pushed to the forefront of the storm.
"Is that Shen Hanyang in the photo? Even though it's blurry, you can tell he's very handsome!"
"I saw him in person in the auditorium on graduation day, he was so handsome I'm speechless!"
"I saw it too! That face, how should I put it, it defies all reason and is incredibly alluring!"
"The unfilial descendants upstairs are turning in their graves!"
"I thought she was an academic Daji, but it turns out she's the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl."
"What do you mean, 'gigolo'? Could it get any worse?"
"Spending 800 million to win a smile from a beauty, the Cowherd is about to become a groom!"
As the female protagonist of the incident, no matter how much Yan Qing tried to keep a low profile, the figure of 800 million inevitably drew everyone's attention to her. Even walking down the street, strangers would inexplicably approach her to talk, and some would shout "Goddess, you're awesome!" from afar. Her peaceful days were turned upside down, and she was extremely angry with Shen Hanyang. Finally, disregarding their cold war, she sent him a message:
What's the deal with the donations?
Shen Hanyang replied instantly: "It's a long story, and I can't explain it in words. I humbly request to speak with Her Highness in person."
Yan Qing was both amused and exasperated. After a while, she still couldn't figure out how to reply when a message from the other end left her speechless: "Your subordinate is right outside the school gate, ready to welcome Your Majesty. And I will not leave until I see you."
On the crowded and noisy Wuxing Street, the white Bentley was very eye-catching. Yan Qing practically buried her head and squeezed into the passenger seat.
She was about to ask for an explanation when Shen Hanyang preempted her: "I'm here to admit my mistake. I made a mistake, I'm sorry Xiaobao."
His interruption made Yan Qing forget about the donation, and a deep, unbearable sorrow welled up inside her. She stared at her fingertips and asked softly, "What do you mean? I don't understand. What did you do wrong?"
“You did everything wrong. First, you shouldn’t have had inappropriate contact with other members of the opposite sex. Although there were reasons, that’s not an excuse. Second, regarding the matter mentioned earlier, you shouldn’t have been so clever as to hide it from Xiaobao, causing him sadness and distress. Third—”
The conversation ended there.
Yan Qing couldn't help but ask, "And third?"
Third, Xiao Bao's graduation ceremony was late.
Yan Qing was furious; he was clearly trying to shift the focus.
"What kind of mistake is this?"
“A serious mistake. Graduation is a very important day in Xiaobao’s life. How could I not be there?” Shen Hanyang gently turned her shoulder. “I will spend my whole life making up for this missed day. Xiaobao, don’t be angry with me anymore. You don’t know how I got through these past few days without you.”
Yan Qing lowered his eyes and remained silent. He carefully reached out and touched her forehead. His forehead was clearly hot. Yan Qing asked, "Do you have a fever?"
He shook his head: "I was nervous." He stared intently at her, his eyes welling up with tears, bright and captivating. "I have deeply regretted my actions. Please forgive me and give me another chance. Because... I cannot live without you."
Yan Qing felt as if someone were gently holding her heart and breathed a soft breath, causing her to tremble slightly.
She asked sadly, "But... what about Jiaming?"
What she really wanted to ask was what would happen to Jiaming's mother.
“Give me some time, trust me, I will handle it. But right now, that’s not my priority. My most important thing is to get my precious child, which I almost lost, home and make sure she never gets away again.”
Yan Qing felt she had been tricked, and the matter of Ren Ruiyun was moved on in a daze. But she couldn't bring herself to come to her senses. She didn't want to recall how difficult the past few days had been; the ease and joy of seeing him again after the storm had passed replaced everything else. She desperately wanted to hold on tight and never let go. She could deceive anyone, but she couldn't deceive herself. She loved him.
Their relationship seemed perfect, with everything going smoothly except for Cheng Jiaming. After much questioning, Shen Hanyang said, "We'll meet some people tomorrow, and you'll find out then."
The next day, Shen Hanyang and Yan Qing set off from Binjiang Jiuli at 10:30 a.m. On the way, Yan Qing sensed that the atmosphere was different from usual, as if even the driver was more cautious than usual. Shen Hanyang noticed her nervousness and tightened his grip on her hand slightly.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Yan Qing glanced at him uneasily, but he remained calm and composed, appearing completely confident.
"What are we going to do?"
"Go see Jiaming's grandmother, who is also Cheng Yu's mother. Jiaming is going back to the Cheng family."
Yan Qing was greatly surprised: "Didn't you say that Cheng Yu was an illegitimate child and not accepted by the Cheng family?"
"Things have changed. The Cheng family now wants the child."
Yan Qing remained silent.
Shen Hanyang brushed a stray lock of hair from beside her ear: "What? What are you worried about?"
Yan Qing initially felt she shouldn't voice her opinion on this matter, but the thought of Cheng Jiaming made it impossible for her to remain silent. "And Jiaming himself, is he willing to go back?"
Shen Hanyang did not answer the question immediately, which gave Yan Qing a bad feeling.
"It takes time to adapt; you have to get used to it eventually," he said.
The car stopped in front of a secluded private club. A waiter led them to a private room on the side of the courtyard, where five people were already waiting. Yan Qing recognized the Bai family of three, but there were two unfamiliar faces: an elderly woman and a middle-aged woman.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Shen Hanyang nodded slightly to the person opposite him, then pulled out a chair for Yan Qing and sat down next to her.
Bai Shaolin and Madam Bai greeted Yan Qing familiarly, while an elegantly dressed old woman glanced at Yan Qing and asked, "And this is...?"
Madam Bai chimed in, "Oh no, no, this is Han Yang's girlfriend, Yan Qing. Little Yan, this is your Aunt Zou."
Yan Qing stood up and bowed slightly to the other person: "Hello, Aunt Zou."
The elderly woman surnamed Zou nodded, but her expression wasn't much more amiable: "Sit down." Her gaze shifted, fixing on Shen Hanyang: "Where are they? When will they arrive?"
Shen Hanyang glanced at his watch: "Jiaming is already on his way. As for..."
The woman raised her hand: "The child is enough; I don't care about anyone else."
The middle-aged woman, who had been silent all along, spoke up: "Mommy, where's the big red envelope you prepared? Don't forget to take it out when Jiaming comes later."
The woman glanced at her and said coldly in her difficult-to-understand Cantonese, "No need to remind me."
Yan Qing observed that the mother and daughter looked four or five parts alike, but their expressions were completely different. The mother was serious and aloof, while the daughter was much more kind and approachable.
At the table, Shen Hanyang occasionally spoke in hushed tones with Old Master Bai, while Madam Bai and the old woman's daughter huddled together. Bai Shaolin, meanwhile, looked around aimlessly, remaining silent like Yan Qing and the old woman.
Not long after, Cheng Jiaming arrived.
Shen Hanyang glanced behind him and asked the driver who brought the person in, "Did you come alone?"
"Yes," the driver reported.
After the driver left, Cheng Jiaming looked at the large group of people in a daze, somewhat confused about the situation. He moved closer to Shen Hanyang, and instead of saying "Old..." he changed his words to "Dad."
Shen Hanyang patted his head: "Jiaming, come here and get acquainted. This is your grandmother, and over there is your aunt."
Cheng Jiaming looked across at the old woman and, upon meeting her stern gaze, timidly shrank back.
Shen Hanyang pulled him to the front, his words full of comfort: "Jiaming, good boy, say hello to Grandma and Auntie."
Before coming, Cheng Jiaming roughly knew the purpose of his trip, but he was still somewhat confused. His concept of a grandmother was very vague. In his memory, the title "grandmother" referred to He Xuanxin. However, he had only met He Xuanxin less than five times, and he had never really felt any affection from her. Grandmother seemed to be just a dispensable symbol. Now, a grandmother had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and with such a grand gesture, leaving him somewhat at a loss.
The old woman snorted and said to her daughter beside her in the local dialect, "Look at him, so dull-witted. I told you this morning, everyone in the Cheng family is smart, we've never seen anyone like him..."
"Mommy—" The daughter gave her a gentle but firm look, stopping her mother from speaking. She waved to Cheng Jiaming warmly, "Hello Jiaming, I'm Aunt Cheng Can."
Cheng Can's smile was like a spring breeze, slightly easing Cheng Jiaming's nervousness. He greeted Cheng Can with a mixture of restraint and shyness: "Hello, Aunt Cheng Can."
“Jiaming is such a good boy,” Cheng Can said to his mother. “Mommy, isn’t Jiaming so smart and polite?”
The woman had a cold, expressionless face, like a clay sculpture, and wouldn't give a single kind word.
Cheng Can's voice softened a bit: "Jiaming, say hello to Grandma, Grandma has a big red packet pie!"
Cheng Jiaming, who didn't understand the dialect, asked blankly, "What strongman? Is he stronger than Lord Tsuchikage?"
The old woman frowned: "What kind of vulture is that?"
Cheng Can laughed and said, "Haven't you heard of the Japanese manga 'Naruto', Mommy?"
"I'm over seventy years old, do you think I'm still young?" The old woman looked at Cheng Jiaming coldly: "Kid, come here."
Cheng Jiaming stared blankly, unable to understand. Cheng Can reminded him, "Mommy, speak Mandarin."
The old woman said impatiently, "I told you to come here, you little brat—"
Although the old woman was advanced in years, her imposing presence, with her fierce brows and glaring eyes, was quite intimidating, resembling a female Yama. Cheng Jiaming instinctively moved to hide behind Shen Hanyang. This action displeased the old woman, who said to Shen Hanyang, "What does this young brat mean?"
Shen Hanyang's reply was unhurried: "Mrs. Cheng—" He did not use the title "Aunt Zou," "Jiaming is a child, and this is your first meeting. You both need time to adjust. Please consider the actual situation, be patient, and don't rush things." Every word he said was in defense of Cheng Jiaming, and the old woman's expression darkened even more.
Cheng Can quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Yes, yes, Mommy and I were so happy to see Jiaming today. I think Jiaming looks just like his grandpa! Uncle Bai, don't you think so?"
Grandpa Bai looked at Cheng Jiaming and nodded with a smile: "He does indeed have some of Zhaoping's charm."
Cheng Can whispered a few words to the old woman, who snorted and looked away. Cheng Can then magically produced two large red envelopes: "Good Jiaming, these are from Grandma and Auntie, please accept them."
Cheng Jiaming hesitated for a moment, then accepted the red envelope only after being prompted by Shen Hanyang's gaze. "Thank you, Auntie," he said obediently.
Cheng Can took the opportunity to hug him and said softly, "Baby, Auntie likes you so much. How about coming to stay at Auntie's house from now on?"
Cheng Can had a round, baby-faced appearance, and her smile was inherently warm and approachable. When she held Jiaming, she radiated a uniquely feminine warmth. Having lacked maternal love since childhood, Cheng Jiaming was completely defenseless against the affection of a mature woman. He even felt that Ren Ruiyun had never hugged him so intimately. He nodded instinctively, but immediately shook his head like a rattle-drum. "I want to live with my mother."
Cheng Can said happily, "Mom, come along too! Then Mom, Jiaming, Aunt, and Grandma will live in a big garden, with a rooftop oasis and a golf course. Down the mountain is the bay where we can go yachting and sea fishing. I guarantee Jiaming will love it!"
Just as Cheng Can was describing the wonderful scene, the door to the private room opened again, and everyone's eyes fell on Ren Ruiyun, who had arrived late.
Ren Ruiyun spotted Shen Hanyang in the crowd at first glance. She gazed at him intently, her eyes conveying a mixture of reproach and longing, a look that made Yan Qing's heart sink.
Cheng Jiaming ran over and hugged her: "Mom!"
Ren Ruiyun didn't react much, but Shen Hanyang knew that her willingness to come meant she was wavering. His tone was also gentler than usual: "Come in, Ruiyun."
The first to express her disapproval of Ren Ruiyun's arrival was Cheng Zou Meiyi: "You are quite well-mannered, with so many elders waiting for you."
Cheng Can quickly came to Ren Ruiyun's rescue: "Mommy, I think Ruiyun is just busy with something, she's not really in the mood. Ruiyun, come in and sit down."
Ren Ruiyun walked in with a calm expression. There was only one seat left near the door. Ren Ruiyun looked around, then glanced at Yan Qing, and didn't move for a long time.
Yan Qing stood up and said, "You sit with Jia Ming." Then she moved to the doorway herself.
Ren Ruiyun then sat down next to Shen Hanyang.
Old Master Bai spoke up at this moment: "Now that everyone is here, let's get down to business." He nodded to Cheng Zou Meiyi, "I'm a few years older than you, and I'm very grateful to Madam Cheng for thinking of me as the middleman to organize today's meeting. Of course, although it's called a meeting, it's really just a family meeting, having a meal, and chatting. Everyone should relax and not be too formal. Right, Madam Cheng?"
Cheng Zoumei gave a forced, polite smile.
Grandpa Bai continued, “Zhaoping was my business partner and a close friend in life. Before he passed away, he repeatedly told me to take good care of Cancan and Xiao Jiaming. Over the years, Cancan’s abilities have been evident to all. Since taking over the Cheng Group, Cancan has demonstrated an outstanding business acumen and decisiveness, allowing Zhaoping’s business to be inherited and carried forward. He is the rightful successor of the Cheng family. And our Xiao Jiaming, under Hanyang’s careful care, has grown into a healthy, smart, lovely, brave, and sensible young man. With a harmonious family and a prosperous life, Zhaoping would be comforted in heaven.”
The expressions on everyone's faces varied as they listened. Cheng Can sighed, Madam Cheng remained indifferent, while Ren Ruiyun's expression was gloomy.
Grandpa Bai paused briefly, then continued, “Zhaoping told me that he has met a good wife and had a wonderful daughter. He has achieved success in both his family and career, and he is very content and grateful. If there is any regret, it is that he couldn't bring Xiao Jiaming back. In fact, not only Zhaoping, but all of us have been waiting for an opportunity to reunite Xiao Jiaming with his grandmother and aunt as soon as possible. This is Zhaoping's wish, and it is also my promise to him. If this promise is not fulfilled, I will not be able to eat or sleep peacefully, and I will not have the face to meet my deceased relatives when I close my eyes in death. Fortunately, this day has finally come. Everyone is sitting here because of Zhaoping and Xiao Jiaming. No matter what happened before, let's put aside our past grievances with a drink and look to tomorrow and the future. I propose that we first drink tea instead of wine to welcome Jiaming home. Jiaming, your grandmother and aunt have high hopes for you, and the Cheng family will do everything in its power to support you. You must work hard and strive for progress, and not let down the love of your whole family.”
Cheng Can and the others raised their glasses at Old Master Bai's suggestion, but Ren Ruijun remained motionless.
Cheng Jiaming clung to Ren Ruiyun like a pendant, asking, "Mom, what did Grandpa mean by that?" He could feel Ren Ruiyun's body tense, even the back of her hands were clenched, and he asked worriedly, "Mom, why aren't you saying anything? Are you angry?"
Ren Ruiyun's face was shrouded in a coldness as she stared at the teacup in front of her without saying a word.
Cheng Zou Meiyi said in a low voice, "Black mouth and black face."
Everyone assumed Ren Ruiyun hadn't heard, or if she had, she'd pretend not to. Unexpectedly, she suddenly picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then deliberately slammed it on the table with a loud clang. "Did anyone notify me before taking Jiaming away?"
Yan Qing was surprised. From the moment she entered, she noticed that Ren Ruiyun seemed like a completely different person today—much more rude and unrestrained.
Grandpa Bai remained as steady as a mountain: "Ruiyun, you've misunderstood. You are Jiaming's mother, and you hold the same, or even greater, importance in our hearts as Jiaming. We informed you of today's meeting in advance, which is enough to show that we respect your opinion."
Madam Bai said, "Yes, bringing Jiaming back will be entirely beneficial to him. You know how much the Cheng family values this precious child. Ruiyun, you are so smart, you must know how to choose the best option for Jiaming."
Ren Ruiyun glanced at the people opposite her, her expression mocking: "Fine, you ask for my opinion. My opinion is—I disagree."
Cheng Zoumei frowned: "What are you talking about?"
Ren Ruiyun repeated the four words: "I do not agree!"
Cheng Can and Madam Bai exchanged glances. Bai Shaolin, who had been keeping his mouth shut and not daring to breathe, was shocked by Ren Ruiyun and spoke up to advise, "Beautiful sister, this is not the time to be stubborn. Be careful!"
"No need to be cautious!" Ren Ruiyun said bluntly, "Jiaming is my son. I'd like to see who can take him away without my permission!"
Yan Qing, who had been observing from the sidelines, looked in Ren Ruiyun's direction once more. This woman, who had been impeccable in the previous encounters, was like ceramic that had been over-fired, now showing visible cracks for the first time. What had happened to her these past few days? She looked more tired, yet more defiant. Clearly, Cheng Zoumeiyi disliked Ren Ruiyun, but Ren Ruiyun refused to yield and repeatedly challenged the old lady's authority. The atmosphere in the private room reached a critical point; a crisis was imminent.
Grandpa Bai said, "No one wants to take Jiaming away. Ruiyun, please think about it calmly. How hard it is for a woman to raise a child alone. Having a large family to support you is good for both you and Jiaming. You are Jiaming's mother. Don't you think about him? Don't you want him to have a brighter future?"
Ren Ruiyun sneered, "I don't need anyone's charity. I can raise my child. My child has a mother and a father. He doesn't need fake love or pity. On the contrary, his father will never stand for anyone who bullies him." She gave Shen Hanyang a meaningful look, "Am I right, Hanyang?"
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