64. Mr. Cheng's Impulsiveness
"Let's book two rooms. You can stay in my room tonight, okay?" Cheng Boyan asked.
Wen Xueyan nodded.
As dusk deepened, Cheng Boyan stood behind Wen Xueyan in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the hotel suite, his arms around her still slender waist.
"The waiter will bring your meal to your room shortly," he said in a low, gentle voice. "After we finish eating, why don't you take a shower first? You must be tired today."
Wen Xueyan leaned against him, feeling relaxed. This embrace was a rare haven for her these past few days. Every time she leaned against it, it reminded her of white magnolias warmed by the spring sun, stretching peacefully in the gentle breeze.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Cheng Boyan went to open the door.
A waiter pushed in a food cart and set the table. Several light and delicious dishes emitted an enticing aroma.
Cheng Boyan ordered yam and pork rib soup, scrambled eggs with purple cabbage, stir-fried asparagus and shrimp, white fungus, red date and lotus seed soup, and steamed sea bass—all nutritious dishes suitable for pregnant women. He carefully ladled some soup into her bowl: "Drink some soup first to warm your stomach."
Five minutes later, while she was eating, Wen Xueyan's phone rang. When she saw the word "Grandma" flashing on the screen, she frowned.
When I answered the phone, an elderly woman's reproachful voice came through: "Xueyan, your cousin's wedding dowry is still 200,000 yuan short. I told you last time, why hasn't the money been transferred yet? Don't say you don't have the money anymore. I heard you can afford hundreds of thousands for your mother's medical treatment, and you've also helped your cousin Haijing with her schooling. How come you don't have money for your own brother? What's the use of you helping Haijing? He's the only son in the family, you have to take responsibility. Didn't you marry a rich man? You can't just abandon your brother now that you have money, that's heartless!"
Wen Xueyan suppressed the anger surging in her heart, and refrained from lashing out because the other party was an elder.
Grandma persisted, "Your cousin said that if you really can't come up with the money, they'll understand. But they need your help."
Upon hearing the word "understanding," Wen Xueyan sensed something was amiss.
"What kind of help do you need?" Wen Xueyan asked.
"Your cousin has already inquired for you, and you can apply for a loan. Send me your ID information; there are loan companies here that can handle it. You just need to come back and sign the papers. You can then make monthly payments on time, which will allow your brother to get married smoothly. This will ease your financial burden, so you don't have to pay it all at once," Grandma said confidently.
"Why should I pay for my cousin's wedding? And why should I be relieved of the pressure?" Wen Xueyan couldn't help but ask.
"Did we raise you for nothing?" Grandma's voice suddenly rose. "Your brother is the only male in the family. Don't you know how important he is to this family?"
Wen Xueyan closed her eyes.
She understood that these deep-seated differences in values couldn't be resolved with just a few words. She also had a younger cousin who had almost dropped out of school, and her grandmother had completely ignored her.
Wen Xueyan stopped arguing and hung up the phone.
A loan? That's impossible.
Cheng Boyan stood quietly to the side the whole time. Only after she put down her phone did he slowly approach.
Wen Xueyan recounted the whole story.
"You handled it very wisely," he said gently. "Even close relatives shouldn't use kinship to control your life. You shouldn't have to pay for your cousin's dowry in the first place; his family should have a wedding commensurate with their means. And you certainly shouldn't have taken out a loan; if you had, they would have taken even more advantage."
Cheng Boyan gently turned her around, looking into her eyes: "If your mother needs help with her medical treatment, I will certainly do my best to assist her. Even if I can't transfer the money directly, I will find other ways. But I don't want to get involved in your cousin's matter. I think you feel the same way?"
Wen Xueyan met his deep gaze: "Our thoughts are aligned."
Cheng Boyan leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her neck: "After we part tomorrow, I don't know when I'll be able to be this close to you again. Let's continue eating."
Under the soft light, Wen Xueyan's lips shone with a crystal-clear luster, like flower petals glistening with morning dew in early spring.
Cheng Boyan frequently served her food and gently urged her to eat more.
"You need to replenish your nutrition now," he said gently, "for yourself and for the baby."
Cheng Boyan promised not to inquire about the child's father again, and didn't mention it at all today. He inadvertently discovered that Xi Mingyuan hadn't called her once since the afternoon.
At this moment, all he wanted to do was cherish this rare time together.
The warm light in the room cast their shadows on the wall, creating a tranquil scene.
At ten o'clock at night, Cheng Boyan came out after taking a shower, his hair still dripping wet, when his phone vibrated. He glanced at the screen; it was Manager Zhang, who was in charge of the Northern Chemical Machinery Acquisition Project.
"Speak," he said, answering the phone, his voice calm and steady as ever.
"Mr. Cheng, I'm sorry to bother you so late. The negotiations with that chemical machinery manufacturer in the north have run into trouble. They said they're considering the core patented technology of the reactor and are asking for a price increase, 20% higher than we anticipated..."
Cheng Boyan listened quietly, and after the other party finished reporting, he spoke: "You've been led astray by their blackmail. The core value of that patent lies in its corrosion-resistant coating technology, but according to our test report from three months ago, this technology has obvious defects in terms of service life. Immediately adjust the focus of the negotiations, and don't let them lead you by the nose."
"But Mr. Cheng, wouldn't pointing out the technical flaws so directly cause the negotiations to break down...?"
“Be more assertive. In the chemical machinery industry, technical deficiencies are fatal.” Cheng Boyan’s tone turned stern. “I want to see a new plan before I leave work tomorrow.”
After hanging up the phone, a lingering seriousness remained on his brow. Wen Xueyan leaned closer gently: "Are you very busy? You took seven or eight calls last night. Will coming here today affect your work?"
Cheng Boyan sat on the bed, pulled her into his arms, and his eyes softened instantly: "No matter how important a project is, it's just a business deal." He stroked her long hair: "To me, you are the most precious thing."
As night deepened, only a bedside lamp cast a warm yellow glow in the suite.
Cheng Boyan originally came to the summit simply to see Wen Xueyan. That longing, like fine threads, entwined in his heart, arriving earlier and more profoundly than any physical desire.
At night, he embraced her from behind, the faint fragrance of her hair lingering in his nostrils. His heart, weary from the ups and downs of the business world, was instantly filled with an indescribable peace.
His hands instinctively, with pure affection, gently caressed her arms and waist, as if confirming her real existence.
However, the unusual touch on his fingertips, without the barrier of underwear, revealed the unreserved softness beneath the silk nightgown, like a tiny flame that unexpectedly ignited something dormant within him.
He asked almost instinctively, "You're not wearing anything underneath your nightgown...?"
Wen Xueyan's sleepy, soft explanation, "It's more comfortable to sleep without any constraints at night," sounded like gently fanning a flame that had already begun to ignite.
Cheng Boyan's physiological instincts were awakened almost instantly, surging like a tidal wave, trying to overwhelm his reason.
Unlike during the day in the fitting room, in the darkness, his senses were amplified infinitely. He closed his eyes, reached under the hem of the nightgown, and covered that soft spot with his large hand, feeling the delicate skin and warmth beneath his palm. It seemed as if all the blood in his body was rushing rapidly and intensely in one direction, his muscles involuntarily tensed, and his breathing became hot.
Wen Xueyan turned around, and Cheng Boyan immediately captured her lips in his mouth, feeling her softness and warmth, while gently kneading them with his hands.
That most primal instinct almost overwhelmed his self-control.
Wen Xueyan felt his burning chest and his hardness.
At this moment, Wen Xueyan said, "The doctor who did my prenatal checkup said that I am rather thin and weak, and suggested that I not do it in the first three months... Do you want me to help you in other ways?" Even though she had never tried this before.
Cheng Boyan's body stiffened abruptly.
Yes, how could he forget?
His initial motivation for this trip was simply to remember her. He could not, and absolutely would not, allow himself to be driven by instinct to do anything that might harm her and the baby.
He suppressed that burning impulse that was almost breaking free of control with his willpower.
Cheng Boyan raised his hand and gently stroked her cheek: "No need. What you need most right now is rest."
Then he released her from his embrace and tucked her in: "I'm going to take a cold shower."
Soon, the sound of cold water came; he was using this method to extinguish the instinctive fire that had been ignited by the accident.
That night, Cheng Boyan got up three times.
Every time he came back from the bathroom, his body was still damp and his skin was cold.
When he returned from his third shower, dawn was just breaking. Wen Xueyan reached out and touched his arm: "Bo Yan..."
"Don't talk, sleep a little longer in my arms." Cheng Boyan pulled her closer to him and carefully wrapped her in the blanket.
Outside the window, the morning mist of March gradually dissipated.
*
The afternoon sun shone through the car windows, casting dappled shadows inside the vehicle.
Cheng Boyan made extremely thoughtful arrangements, using vehicles provided by the summit organizers, and the driver was none other than his most trusted private driver, Lao Chen.
Wen Xueyan gazed at the fleeting street scenes outside the window, her thoughts still lingering on last night. Those restrained embraces, those carefully suppressed touches, had all become the softest imprints on her heart.
"Let's just park at the entrance of the residential area," Wen Xueyan said as the familiar street scene came into view.
Cheng Boyan nodded slightly, but as the vehicle slowly pulled over, he keenly noticed her suddenly tense posture.
Cheng Boyan followed Wen Xueyan's gaze and saw a familiar figure standing at the entrance of the residential area—her ex-husband, Song Tiancheng.
"Wait a moment." Cheng Boyan's voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable protectiveness. "Drive into the residential area."
Just as the car turned, Wen Xueyan remembered to check her phone and found a message from Song Tiancheng from an hour ago: "Xueyan, where were you last night? Were you alone in your room?"
Welcome all readers and fans to leave comments and vote! Thank you for your support.
Ah, I want to see more, I love it so much!!
This Song Tiancheng is like a persistent ghost.
Thank you for reading.
Yes, thank you for reading. He's a bit narcissistic and still wants to win Xueyan back.
It's so good! I wish the author could write 10,000 words a day!
Thank you for reading. This comment is so heartwarming!
How could he know that Wen wasn't home or where she lived? This isn't Xi's house; Song can't even enter the complex, can he?
Xueyan and President Xi finally met.
Thank you for reading. The next chapter will explain how he knew.
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