Dazed! Helpless! Speechless!
Yet amidst it all, there was an inexplicable sense of amusement.
Meng Chu never expected that a simple meal could evoke such complex emotions.
Suppressing the smile tugging at her lips, she said softly, “The diamond ring you sent was just too big.”
A 12-carat diamond ring-she didn’t want her mother to be frightened by it.
As for the bouquet he mentioned, it was the one he had sent during the Qixi Festival.
Such good material, of course, Meng Chu hadn’t wasted it.
She had posted it on her social media that very day, prompting her mother’s delighted and probing questions.
“Understood,” Cheng Jinyu nodded faintly, as if receiving some hidden signal.
Only then did Meng Chu realize her words might have inadvertently hinted at him—
Next time, send something less extravagant.
“No, no, I didn’t mean for you to send anything,” she quickly denied.
But Cheng Jinyu replied calmly, “When we got married, didn’t we agree to help each other out?”
Ah, that was true.
“There’ll be times when I’ll need your help too, so there’s no need to be polite about these things.”
His tone was matter-of-fact, laying bare the true nature of their marriage.
Yes, hadn’t they married precisely to appease their parents?
Why stand on ceremony now?
“Mm,” Meng Chu nodded.
Still, she couldn’t help adding, “But there’s really no need to send gifts. The thought alone is enough.”
Cheng Jinyu had been resting his chin on his hand, but at her words, he withdrew his arm and leaned back in his chair.
Gazing at her steadily, he said slowly, “Are you sure the thought is enough?”
Meng Chu was speechless.
“If you keep this up, your mother might start thinking about how to convince you to break up with your stingy boyfriend.”
Meng Chu bit her lip lightly.
But try as she might, she couldn’t hold back her laughter.
Across from her, Cheng Jinyu watched as her soft, pink lips curved upward, the dimples at the corners of her mouth appearing suddenly—
Sweet as overflowing honey.
“Sorry,” Meng Chu said softly after her laughter subsided.
Cheng Jinyu nodded, his expression one of utter reasonableness.
“You really should apologize.”
Meng Chu blinked.
Then, in his usual composed tone, he added, “That post of yours was meant to slander me, wasn’t it?”
Meng Chu burst into laughter again, this time longer.
Her dimples deepened, and her bright, clear eyes curved into crescents.
She rarely smiled so freely, usually maintaining a calm and detached demeanor.
But now, the brilliance of her smile outshone even the blazing sun outside the window.
“I’m sorry,” Meng Chu apologized sincerely again, instinctively adding, “Next time, I’ll show you before I post anything.”
“Fine.”
Cheng Jinyu gave a slight nod, accepting without hesitation.
Only then did Meng Chu realize she had spoken too quickly.
Her social media posts were, in a way, subtle displays of affection.
And now she had to let him review them?
Just the thought made her heart race, an indescribable mix of embarrassment and something else spreading through her.
Even her cheeks began to burn.
Meng Chu had always had this problem-her face betrayed her emotions too easily.
She blushed at the slightest provocation.
Though she had grown more composed over the years, this physiological reaction was harder to change.
This was like how some people easily blush when drinking—no matter what, they can’t change it.
She was the same way.
Whenever her emotions stirred, her cheeks would quickly flush.
Meng Chu quickly reached for the water glass in front of her, taking a few sips to steady her emotions and instantly hide the blush on her face.
But what she didn’t know was that Cheng Jinyu had noticed the moment the flush appeared on her fair cheeks.
And even if she covered her face,
the faintly reddened softness of her earlobes still caught his gaze.
Finally, he smiled, thoroughly satisfied.
After lunch, Cheng Jinyu drove Meng Chu back to her company.
But just before they arrived, he spoke up, “I’m leaving for Shenzhen this afternoon.”
Meng Chu was slightly taken aback.
It took her a moment to realize—was he reporting his schedule to her?
“Oh, for business?” she asked politely.
Cheng Jinyu nodded.
“Mhm.”
But Meng Chu didn’t press further.
What if the details of his trip weren’t something he could disclose yet?
She didn’t want to put him in an awkward position.
Softly, she said, “Then I hope your trip goes smoothly.”
Yet her polite well-wishing didn’t seem to please Cheng Jinyu.
After a long pause, he responded with a somewhat indifferent hum.
Meng Chu felt relieved-good thing she hadn’t asked more.
In the following days, Cheng Jinyu indeed didn’t contact her again.
Meng Chu, as usual, threw herself fully into her work.
By Friday noon, she skipped lunch to stay in the tech department for the filming of their latest video.
There was a massive exhibition hall there, displaying all of Xingyuan Tech’s current products.
This was also where they usually tested the robots.
Since investors, government officials, and other partners often visited the company, Meng Chu had designed the space with a distinctive touch.
A huge screen played the company’s promotional videos year-round, ensuring visitors could always see them.
Next month, during the tech expo, they would release a brand-new set of videos.
Meng Chu didn’t dare slack off—she oversaw everything personally.
Besides, in the entire operations department, she was the most familiar with the technical side.
“Alright, everyone, take a break,” Meng Chu called out.
The team relaxed, letting the robots recharge while some checked data, others drank water, and a few headed to the restroom.
“JuChuang Tech in Shenzhen just announced their latest funding round. My college classmate works there,” one colleague suddenly said while scrolling through his phone.
Nearby, Meng Chu was discussing outdoor filming arrangements with Wang Luoran and didn’t pay attention to the news.
“Which firm invested?”
“Yunji Capital led the round.”
Meng Chu’s voice abruptly cut off-she had clearly heard “Yunji Capital.”
Wang Luoran, noticing her sudden silence, asked, “What’s wrong?”
Meng Chu shook her head. “Nothing.”
It was just that those four words had unexpectedly reminded her of Cheng Jinyu.
“This company must have real potential. Yunji Capital never misjudges investments,” the bespectacled colleague mused.
“And once Yunji gets involved, other funds will follow suit for JuChuang Tech.”
Everyone was marveling at how lucky Juchuang Technology was to receive investment from Yunji Capital.
“What alchemy—I don’t think Cheng Jinyu from Yunji Capital is as amazing as people say. He just has a powerful family background. With connections like that, of course he gets insider info on good projects.”
Meng Chu glanced at the speaker-Qian Bin from the tech department.
A colleague nearby chuckled, “Old Qian, don’t be so resentful of the rich.”
“Resentful? I just can’t stand these capitalists, always hyping themselves up. Let’s be real-without us frontline R&D folks, what would they even be?” Qian Bin scoffed.
Then he sneered, “I’m not jealous. I’m way smarter than people like him. I got into Zhejiang University on my own merit.”
Though Xingyuan Tech was a startup, its salaries were competitive in the industry, so its core technical staff were all graduates of top universities.
At first, Meng Chu thought this was just casual office chatter and didn’t take it seriously.
But as Qian Bin continued to belittle Cheng Jinyu, she held back—until she couldn’t anymore.
“Cheng Jinyu went to Princeton for undergrad.”
No one expected Meng Chu to suddenly speak up, and all eyes turned to her.
Her tone calm, she looked at Qian Bin.
“And over the years, his investment failure rate is less than 10%. Sure, many investment firms are greedy, but at least Yunji Capital has never been exposed for any short-sighted, exploitative practices. Besides, among second-generation rich kids, there are far more who are useless. Can you name another like Cheng Jinyu?”
Many investors demand rapid expansion from the companies they fund to maximize returns.
But in the process, countless businesses crash and burn.
“Putting others down doesn’t make us look better.”
The team was clearly surprised-Meng Chu, usually so mild-mannered at work, had just openly shut Qian Bin down.
And she’d defended Cheng Jinyu so fiercely.
After speaking, Meng Chu didn’t regret it.
Still, she softened the moment.
“I’ve said more than usual today. Take it or leave it.”
Just then, the receptionist came over.
“A delivery guy just dropped off a ton of food. Who ordered it?”
“I did. Everyone worked hard this morning, so I pre-ordered lunch. Let’s all eat,” Meng Chu announced.
At that, the team thanked her warmly.
Even Qian Bin, who had looked sour earlier, couldn’t say anything more.
While the others went to eat, Meng Chu returned to her office.
Sitting at her desk, she pressed a hand to her forehead.
Why hadn’t she held back?
But the moment she heard Qian Bin disparage him, she just… couldn’t.
Fortunately, by afternoon, everyone seemed to have moved past the lunchtime incident.
Shortly before 5 PM, Meng Chu’s phone rang.
The name flashing on the screen made her freeze.
After a week of silence, he was back.
Cheng Jinyu’s name appeared just as abruptly as it had before.
“Hello,” she answered the call.
His voice sounded pleased on the other end. “I’m back in Shanghai.”
Meng Chu was surprised, then realized—his trip to Shenzhen must have been for Juchuang Tech’s funding round.
Now that it was done, he’d returned.
Before she could respond, Cheng Jinyu continued, “Are you free tonight?”
Meng Chu blinked but didn’t answer immediately.
“This concerns my reputation, so I should take it seriously,” his deep voice on the phone carried a casual, languid tone.
His reputation?
Only then did Meng Chu understand what he meant.
She reassured him, “Don’t worry, my mom liked that last WeChat Moments post again.”
If Xu Qingying had disapproved, she would have hinted at it to Meng Chu long ago.
This probably meant she was somewhat satisfied with Cheng Jinyu, this ‘WeChat boyfriend’ who’d never actually made an appearance.
“I should be able to reach your company by 6:30.”
Cheng Jinyu seemed genuinely concerned about his image, his tone carrying an air of unyielding determination.
Meng Chu nodded, “Okay.”
Just as she was about to hang up, she heard airport announcements coming from his end.
Had he called her right after getting off the plane?
As the call disconnected, Meng Chu couldn’t help but laugh.
He really did care about his image.
But then again, he wasn’t actually a stingy person-he’d just been dragged into this by her.
*
When Meng Chu received the message and came down from her office building, she immediately spotted the Aston Martin parked by the roadside.
She was becoming familiar with this car by now.
After getting in, she turned to look at the driver.
She was about to greet him first.
The moment their eyes met, Cheng Jinyu raised an eyebrow and said, “Put on your seatbelt first.”
Meng Chu was just about to lower her head to fasten the seatbelt when that unhurried voice from the driver’s seat spoke again.
“You can look at me later.”
Meng Chu looked up in confusion, meeting his gaze again.
Huh?
When she processed his words, shock washed over her.
Who said anything about looking at you!!!