Chapter 2: Living Together with a Wet Mermaid – Catching Her and Raising Her Well
Song Qingran followed quietly behind Cheng Wang, trying to sort out her chaotic thoughts and constantly trying to predict the future in her mind, but she couldn't come up with a result, which made her feel a little frustrated.
Cheng Wang was too mysterious, too unfamiliar, and extremely unstable to her.
He rarely appears in public, and everything about him seems to have been deliberately erased, with only occasional rumors circulating within the industry.
Song Qingran only knew that Cheng Wang was designated as the heir of the Cheng family from birth, and was raised by Old Master Cheng himself. He followed Old Master Cheng around from a young age and became familiar with the world of fame and fortune.
While the second-generation rich kids were still indulging in eating, drinking, having fun, and going to school, he was already chatting and laughing with big shots in tea rooms with ease.
He's such a privileged young man, he shouldn't be easy to fool. I'd better tell the truth, Song Qingran thought to herself.
She pinched her palm and looked down at Cheng Wang. He happened to look up and meet her gaze. Black hair, black eyes, long eyebrows, pale skin, thin lips, and the prominent Adam's apple when he tilted his head back were all visible in her eyes. The strong visual impact made Song Qingran's mind go blank for a moment.
I couldn't help but think to myself, this person is really good-looking, like a spirited and unruly noble young man from a comic book who has broken through the dimensional barrier.
"Where's the car?"
He asked casually, his posture clearly that of a subordinate looking up at someone, and the wildness that naturally flowed from his brows made him truly the ruler.
Song Qingran snapped out of her daze, a faint pink blush spreading across her earlobes. Only then did she realize that the two of them had unknowingly gotten off the elevator and arrived at the basement.
"Over there."
She tilted her head and pointed in a direction, leading him to her car.
Just as she was thinking about how to get the man into the car, he stood up on his own, pulled out a finely crafted black wooden cane from the left side of the wheelchair, and lifted the wheelchair with one hand to the trunk. His movements were relaxed and leisurely, as if his leg injury had no effect on him at all.
Song Qingran hurriedly stepped forward, opened the trunk, and reached out to take the wheelchair. As soon as she touched it, she felt a considerable weight. Then, her hand was gently patted, like a feather brushing against her skin, which tickled her. She quickly withdrew her hand and stood there stunned.
"Go drive the car."
With his back to her, Cheng Wang spoke in a languid voice as he placed the wheelchair in and stabilized it.
The sensation on the back of her hand seemed to still be there. Song Qingran lowered her eyes, wiped her hand with the corner of her clothes, and silently walked to the passenger seat and started the car.
The September temperature was still hot, so she turned the air conditioning to the lowest setting. Soon after, another person sat in the passenger seat, and the car shook slightly because of his movements.
Song Qingran's passenger seat has always been Xu Qingru's exclusive spot, with her favorite strawberry pillow on it. The space is also quite cramped, not suitable for a tall man who is over 1.9 meters tall.
After getting on the bus, Cheng Wang adjusted his position, placed the strawberry-shaped cushion on his long legs, and quietly calmed his slightly disordered breathing.
Gripping the steering wheel tightly and looking ahead, Song Qingran finally felt a long-lost sense of ease in her own territory.
The man in the remaining light, holding a strawberry-shaped pillow, was quite a contrast. He lacked the arrogance and sharpness of someone born into privilege and seemed much more approachable.
Song Qingran hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Honey, where are we going?"
She pronounced "husband" awkwardly, which startled him. He then lifted his eyelids and said casually, "Let's go back to the bridal chamber."
After getting their marriage certificate, Song Qingran felt that the wedding room was too big and too quiet, so she bought a small two-bedroom apartment in the city center. The wedding room was left vacant and covered in dust, and it would take at least a week to clean it before she could move in.
In her heart, he was just an arranged marriage partner, and they should each live their own lives. She didn't want to take him to her private space, but the two of them had just come out of the hotel and had an unpleasant little incident. If she sent him back to the hotel, it would be like pulling a tiger's whisker from its mouth.
Thinking this, Song Qingran turned the steering wheel and drove back to her residential area. During the drive, she kept an eye on the man's expression, thinking about how to explain what happened at the hotel. She felt that his reaction was too calm from beginning to end.
That's true, he has his own ideal woman, so he probably doesn't care who she goes in and out of hotels with, but she still needs to explain.
She opened her lips, wanting to break the silence, but the man's words interrupted her first.
Why get a divorce?
Cheng Wang loosened the collar of his black shirt, suppressing the hint of frivolity that always lingered in the corners of his eyes, and fixed his gaze on her with a deep look.
The wheels emitted a sharp screech as Song Qingran slammed on the brake pedal with her right foot.
As her body was pulled by the immense inertia, and she felt herself about to be thrown out, the man's arm quickly moved across her chest, securing her in the seat. Once she was settled, he withdrew his hand.
Song Qingran slowly turned her head to the side, gazing intently at the man's long, slanted eyebrows. Fang Qingming's mind was once again filled with a tangled mess of thoughts, and under his tense state, his eardrums were buzzing.
He actually listened to those audio clips that she couldn't bear to watch, and he also saw her silly behavior of spamming the screen. She pursed her lips, feeling a little embarrassed.
A car approached from behind and honked at a distance. She tried to calm herself down, restarted the car, and parked it under the shade of a tree by the roadside.
"That was... a joke made while drunk, it doesn't count." For some reason, after she said that, the tension and pressure eased a lot.
Cheng Wang lazily sat back down, his eyebrows relaxed, and gave a soft "hmm". She sensed that he was in a good mood, so she took the initiative to tell him about what happened tonight, only omitting the truth about her taking the photos.
At that time, Song Qingran wanted to reveal that she and Cheng Wang had registered their marriage in order to influence Sheng Chang'an's decision. If he disagreed, she would threaten him and make others think that she had cheated on the Cheng family heir. Although it was despicable, the plan was feasible. However, even the best plans can have flaws.
She never expected to run into Cheng Wang at the hotel, especially in such a situation where she was caught red-handed. It's true that one shouldn't do bad things; his schemes have backfired on her.
After learning the 'truth', Cheng Wang gave her a few straightforward looks, his gaze filled with a deep meaning that Song Qingran could not fathom.
The world suddenly fell into an eerie silence.
She felt uncomfortable under his gaze and shifted her body slightly. Then she heard him say in a casual tone, "From now on, the Cheng family will be your backing. Do whatever you want. If you need funds, you can contact Secretary Zhou."
My phone dinged.
Looking down, she saw Cheng Wang handing her a business card; it belonged to Secretary Zhou.
"Thank you, honey."
Song Qingran pursed her lips, feeling a subtle sense of being hit by a windfall, and also secretly regretting her actions.
If the problem could be solved so easily, why didn't she contact Cheng Wang directly instead of going through such a roundabout way?
But she also blamed Cheng Wang's cold and condescending attitude during their first two meetings, which made her feel that he was not someone to be trifled with or easy to talk to.
An hour later, the car arrived at the residential area where Song Qingran lived. It wasn't a high-end community, but the landscaping was quite nice, and there was a separation of pedestrians and vehicles. The underground parking lot was full, so she parked her car in the open-air parking lot.
The two needed to get off and walk for a while. When going uphill, the wheelchair seemed to run out of power and had to stop after walking for a while. Song Qingran took the initiative to push the wheelchair.
During the ten-minute walk, she encountered several neighbors she was somewhat familiar with. Two of the mothers greeted her and Cheng Wang, then stared at him curiously, their gazes lingering on him for a long time. There was also a friendly aunt from the same building who not only turned back but also took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Cheng Wang.
"Are you Xiao Song's boyfriend? How did your leg get broken? Can it be healed? Auntie has a classmate whose daughter's husband is a doctor. Would you like me to introduce you to him?"
"Is the young man from the local area? What do you do for a living? Do you own a house? What kind of car do you drive? Our Xiao Song is quite well-off, you should cherish her."
Cheng Wang had clearly never encountered such a situation of being interrogated before. His face darkened, and he lowered his eyes, rolled up his sleeves, and restrained himself from losing his temper.
The aunt seemed to be annoyed by his coldness after saying a few words, snorted, and turned to chat with Song Qingran.
"Little Song, don't be so formal with your aunt. Why didn't you say you had a boyfriend? No wonder you weren't interested when I introduced you to potential partners."
"When are you getting married? Let me know when you hold the banquet, I'll bring my grandson to the feast..."
Song Qingran had a bit of a headache and quickly said, "Aunt Zhang, you've misunderstood. This is my brother. He got a little injured and is staying with me for a few days. He'll be leaving soon. I see you've changed your clothes because you're going to dance, right? Hurry up and go, don't waste any time."
Aunt Zhu glanced at her phone and realized she was going to be late. Although she was a little reluctant, she was eventually persuaded to leave. Before leaving, she took a series of photos of the two people's backs and posted them to the square dance group with a gossipy look on her face.
Once inside the elevator, she finally had some peace and quiet. Song Qingran glanced at Cheng Wang and explained guiltily, "The bridal suite hasn't been cleaned yet. This is where I'm staying temporarily. If you don't like it, I can book you a hotel."
Cheng Wang didn't reply, staring intently at Song Qingran's parting red lips, muttering two words, "Brother?"
The man's gaze was burning hot, and Song Qingran felt a scald on her face, then felt offended. She blinked, feigning composure, "Didn't Young Master Cheng say he didn't want to go public and wanted to keep the marriage a secret?"
She's not calling me "husband" anymore; she can't keep up the act anymore?
Cheng Wang's lips curved into a faint smile. He didn't speak, but stared at her face silently, as if trying to see through her skin to the bones and flesh inside, and then to her soul.
Song Qingran was defeated, and she was always afraid of Cheng Wang whenever they met.
She couldn't figure out his personality at all. Just like she couldn't understand why, at their first meeting, amidst a banquet with dozens of girls, he chose her, a woman with a bad reputation and abandoned by her family, for a marriage alliance.
Ding, the elevator is open.
The two entered the room without saying a word.
Cheng Wang glanced around at the interior layout. The 150-square-meter house wasn't large, with two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. It had a simple European-style decor, and apart from the tables, chairs, and benches, there were only a few potted plants on the balcony. It was spacious and clean.
It was already 11 p.m., but the indoor temperature was still very high. Song Qingran turned on the air conditioner, turned her head to look at the man whose forehead was also covered with a thin layer of sweat, and pointed to his left leg in a cast, saying, "Young Master Cheng, do you need a caregiver to help you take a bath?"
"Need not."
Cheng Wang maneuvered his wheelchair to the bathroom.
Song Qingran didn't stop him. She ordered some personal items and clothes for him online, and then went to clean up the room next door. By the time she finished cleaning, the ordered items had arrived.
"Young Master Cheng, there are some clean clothes by the door."
She placed her change of clothes and toiletries by the door and knocked on the bathroom door.
A tall, blurry figure was shrouded in mist through the frosted glass, and the sound of water inside stopped for a moment.
"knew."
The man's hoarse, heavy voice came through, sounding somewhat harsh on the ears.
Song Qingran came out of the room with a change of clothes. The bathroom door was already open, and there were two obvious water marks in the living room, shaped like wheels. He should have gone back to the second bedroom.
She closed the door and went to take a shower. As soon as she entered, she was enveloped by the steamy heat, followed by the refreshing scent of peach-scented shower gel. The sink was clean, except for an extra blue mouthwash cup and toothbrush, placed next to her yellow cup.
A feeling of territory being invaded crept into Song Qingran's heart, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable. She regretted bringing Cheng Wang back. While brushing her teeth, she thought to herself that she needed to decorate the bridal chamber as soon as possible.
After taking a shower, Song Qingran saw that the door to the second bedroom was tightly closed, so she returned to the master bedroom with peace of mind.
The night had been full of twists and turns, and she was exhausted. She buried herself in the soft silk quilt and soon fell into a sweet sleep.
The next day, when I woke up, Cheng Wang was not there.
There was a note on the refrigerator magnet, the handwriting flamboyant and unrestrained, much like his unpredictable nature.
The thought of someone like him, holding a pen and writing with his head down, sticking it on the refrigerator, makes him seem less detached from worldly affairs and more like a down-to-earth, ordinary person.
The note contained two things.
1. I'm busy with work and will be home late.
Two or three days later is Old Madam Jin's birthday, and we are preparing to attend the banquet.
After reading the message he left, Song Qingran was in a great mood. It seemed that Cheng Wang had no intention of continuing their secret marriage.
Her fingertips danced happily on her phone, intending to call Xu Qingru to tell her that things had taken a turn for the better, but Sheng Chang'an called first.
[My dear, the loan will be approved soon. Remember to say a few good words for me to Mr. Cheng. Let's just forget about last night...]
After dealing with Sheng Chang'an's sob story, she discovered that Xu Qingru had already sent her more than a dozen messages on WeChat, saying that Sheng Chang'an had inexplicably agreed to the loan, and that she should deal with the company's affairs first, and they would meet again after that.
Judging from the words, Xu Qingru probably didn't know that Cheng Wang had returned, otherwise she wouldn't have such an attitude.
For the next two days, Song Qingran stayed home alone, engrossed in drawing comics. One of her comics was about to be published, and some parts needed to be revised. She didn't concern herself with company matters, trusting that her best friend could handle it.
As for Cheng Wang, there was no news of his return to the country from Beicheng, so he was probably still keeping it a secret. He always came back very late and left early in the morning, so she and he had never officially met.
Only when Song Qingran woke up the next day and smelled the gardenia scent of toothpaste in the bathroom did she realize that he had returned.
Time flies by, and tonight we're going to a banquet at the Jin family's house.
Secretary Zhou delivered a gorgeous dress and matching jewelry in advance, along with a stylist.
"Where is Young Master Cheng?" Song Qingran held the dress and looked at it for a long time before turning her head to ask.
"I'll be waiting for you downstairs," Secretary Zhou said with a faint smile.
Song Qingran didn't dare to delay. She went into the room to put on her dress, and then, with the help of two female makeup artists, went to the living room to wait for her hair and makeup to be done.
An hour later, after preparations were complete, Song Qingran arrived at the underground parking lot accompanied by Secretary Chen. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, a car stopped in front of her, and the front and rear windows slowly rolled down.
The driver called her to get in the car, and she nodded with an elegant smile, her gaze casually falling on Cheng Wang in the back seat.
Today he wore a well-tailored grey custom-made suit, without a bow tie, the suit jacket casually open, and one button of his white shirt loosely undone, revealing his beautiful collarbone and full Adam's apple. A few strands of hair fell across his forehead, softening the arrogant and unruly look in his eyes.
As she sized him up, he was also looking back at her through the window.
In my line of sight, the woman was strikingly beautiful, standing alone. When she smiled, her eyes curved like a gentle spring breeze. Her shoulders were smooth and fair, perfectly complementing her blue dress.
The dress is predominantly a rich, deep blue. As the wearer moves, the skirt sways like a mermaid's tail fin, and the diamonds surrounding it reflect light like the rising sun shining on the sea, creating a dreamlike effect.
Cheng Wang personally selected this, and as he looked at her, his eyes shone with satisfaction.
In his memory, every time he saw her, she wore an elegant cheongsam that accentuated her figure, with a gentle and graceful smile. Others would find her innocent, but he only had two words in his mind: fake and inappropriate.
Although the cheongsam was beautiful, she was not a gentle and graceful person.
A glamorous, unrestrained, free-spirited, and boldly designed gown is more suitable for her.
But when the woman got into the car and was in the same small space as him, he caught a glimpse of a large expanse of porcelain-white skin on her back, and couldn't help but frown. His fingertips lightly tapped the phone screen, disrupting his rhythm.
After Song Qingran got into the car, she wanted to find a topic to talk to him and ease the awkwardness, but when she saw his dark circles under his eyes and the impatience between his brows, she swallowed all her words and remained silent the whole way.
As she got out of the car, the man gently pulled her hand, just a light touch, and then withdrew it after achieving his goal.
Song Qingran held the dress and turned halfway around, revealing her smooth and delicate back to Cheng Wang's eyes. His gaze darkened, and he took out a shawl from somewhere and gently draped it over her shoulders.
The man's fingertips accidentally touched her shoulder, and a sensation that was hard to tell whether it was tingling or chilling seeped into her blood. Song Qingran's heart skipped a beat, and she nimbly jumped out of the car, silently moving a little further away from him.
The car drove directly to the inner courtyard of the Jin family, a place that only received close friends. As soon as the two got out of the car, a waiter came to invite Cheng Wang inside for a gathering, almost as if he couldn't wait.
Cheng Wang didn't refuse. His gaze lingered on Song Qingran, and he casually pointed to a waiter, saying, "Take my wife out for a while." Then he turned and left.
It was still daylight, and the banquet had not yet started. Song Qingran followed the waiter to the pavilion by the artificial lake at the Jin family mansion to feed the fish and admire the flowers.
I heard that this place used to be the mansion of a prince in the old days. The Jin family spent a huge sum of money to buy it and use it as a place for Old Madam Jin to live in her old age.
The lakeside pavilion is not far from the teahouse where Cheng Wang is. Looking out from the antique-style second-floor teahouse, you can just see Song Qingran's graceful figure, blending into the lake water. Her skirt shimmers in the sunset, captivating the heart.
"When did you return, my dear nephew? Why didn't you say anything?"
"Nephew, how did you hurt your leg? Should we see a few more doctors? I have connections with both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine doctors..."
"You've been back for a long time. Grandpa Cheng misses his grandson dearly and has been looking forward to seeing you. You can't just leave without a word again."
The chatter was incessant and noisy.
Cheng Wang's gaze swept over several middle-aged men who were putting on airs like elders, his expression displeased. He tilted his head back, finished a cup of tea, and then turned it upside down on the table, making a sound that changed the atmosphere of the room.
"Of course I've come back to inherit the family business. I've come to see you so you can recognize the new master, not to listen to nonsense."
"You have no respect for your elders! How dare you speak like that!"
"Cheng Wang, you've gone too far!"
One sentence shattered the harmonious atmosphere, and the once amiable bigwigs were all furious and breathing heavily.
Cheng Wang tugged at his collar, becoming even more agitated. He pressed the wheelchair switch, preparing to leave.
However, the exclamations coming from downstairs from time to time caught his attention. He turned his head to look and his gaze was immediately drawn to them.
The blue figure that had fallen into the lake, surrounded by onlookers not far away, was none other than Song Qingran.
My head hurts even more.
With a fierce look in his eyes, Cheng Wang pushed open the door, controlled his wheelchair, and headed towards the lake.
When they arrived at the lake, they discovered that no one had gone into the water to rescue anyone. Several men and women who had come to the banquet were standing around, all motionless.
He quickly memorized the face of the person in front of him, stood up, and dived into the water like a fish, swimming towards Song Qingran. She had been in the water for quite some time, and before he could reach her, she began to sink due to exhaustion.
Cheng Wang pulled the unconscious Song Qingran from the bottom of the lake, gently placed her on the grass, and immediately began to perform artificial respiration on her, pressing her abdomen until she vomited a mouthful of water and opened her eyes groggily.
"woke up?"
Song Qingran's face turned deathly pale, her long, wet eyelashes fluttering open. Before she could even take in the man's smooth silhouette, she spat out another mouthful of water and leaned weakly against his hard chest.
As more and more people gathered around, Cheng Wang took off his coat and covered Song Qingran with it, pulling her into his arms. For the first time, he roared in fury, "What are you looking at! Get the hell out of here!"
Song Qingran was also startled.
Feeling her trembling in his arms, Cheng Wang suppressed his anger, slowly calmed his breathing, and waited for the waiter to lift the wheelchair up. He then sat down in the wheelchair with her in his arms and quickly left the scene.
Ten minutes later, Song Qingran finally recovered.
She had never liked physical contact with others, and now, thinking that she was sitting on Cheng Wang's lap, nestled against his chest in an ambiguous and embarrassing position, her face grew hotter and hotter.
She unconsciously shifted her hips slightly, and her lower back was gently pressed, sending a tingling electric current through her body.
[It's so annoying, it's going to wear out from all the rubbing.]
[Stop, don't get carried away, this isn't the right occasion.]
That's Cheng Wang's voice.
What did he mean by that?
Song Qingran weakly raised her head, wanting to listen again, but found that he had his thin lips tightly pursed and his aura was gloomy.
Strangely, she heard his voice again after a short while, but his lips were still tightly pursed.
[She looks so pitiful all wet, she looks even more like a mermaid. I'll catch her and take her home to raise her well.]
Was it a ghost? Or did water get into her brain after she fell into the water and cause it to malfunction?
Song Qingran's thoughts were in disarray. She gripped the man's open collar tightly, her big eyes fixed on his moist lips, and asked cautiously, "Young Master Cheng, did you just... say something?"
A note from the author:
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[Sprinkling flowers]
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