This was the first time Meng Chu had ever looked forward to the weekend so eagerly.
After all, the thought of such an adorable little dog waiting for her was enough to melt anyone’s heart.
Still, whenever she caught sight of the butterfly bracelet on her wrist, Meng Chu would occasionally fall into a quiet reverie.
That night, Cheng Jinyu had held her hand and personally fastened the bracelet around her wrist.
A gift for his wife…
Meng Chu couldn’t help but prop her chin on her fingers, causing the bracelet to slip down her wrist and catch her eye once more.
His calm, matter-of-fact “wife” floated back into her mind.
No. How had he settled into the role so much faster than she had?
Though they had never explicitly discussed it, Meng Chu understood.
Now that they were married, it was impossible for them to have no contact at all.
Besides, he had even taken the initiative to cooperate with her, putting on a show of affection on social media for her mother’s sake.
During her lunch break, Meng Chu took the initiative to send a WeChat message to Song Yumian.
Meng Chu: [Dr. Song, are you busy?]
It took a while before the reply notification sounded.
Song Yumian: [A dog was brought in for emergency treatment-just finished.]
Meng Chu: [Did it pull through?]
Song Yumian: [It’s stable for now.]
Meng Chu: [Long live Dr. Song!]
Song Yumian seemed to be in a good mood from Meng Chu’s flattery, sending several cute stickers in response.
Meng Chu: [Dr. Song, I wanted to ask you something.]
Meng Chu: [Hope I’m not interrupting your meal.]
Song Yumian: [Ask away, dear family member of the patient.]
The two of them began their usual playful banter.
Meng Chu got straight to the point: [I wanted to ask what do border collies usually like?]
Song Yumian: [??]
Song Yumian: [No way. Are you thinking of getting a dog?]
Song Yumian: [I’d advise you to think carefully. With your workload, you’re not suited for dog ownership. Border collies need walks— morning and evening, no exceptions.]
Meng Chu hadn’t expected her simple question to trigger such a passionate warning from Song Yumian.
But as she read the messages, she couldn’t help but think of Momo again.
Speaking of workload, Cheng Jinyu’s was likely even heavier than hers.
No wonder he had said Momo usually had no one to keep her company.
Of course, she knew he must have someone walk the dog, but those were still outsiders.
It was just like those wealthy “young masters” left alone at home every day, with only nannies around and no family to accompany them.
The more Meng Chu thought about it, the more her heart ached.
Meng Chu: [It’s a friend’s dog. I just wanted to get it a gift.]
Last time, she had gone to Cheng Jinyu’s place on short notice, and she hadn’t known he had a dog.
So she hadn’t brought anything.
But this time was different-she had already arranged to take Momo out over the weekend.
Of course, she had to bring some gifts when visiting.
But the moment she sent the message, Song Yumian called her.
“Alright, let’s hear it-which ‘friend’ are we talking about here?” Song Yumian asked, her tone teasing.
Meng Chu knew that once Song Yumian called, she wouldn’t let her off easily.
She chuckled softly, not even bothering to resist. “Yes, it’s exactly the friend you’re thinking of.”
Song Yumian: “Wow, you’re getting bolder. Seems like this guy’s getting close to official status.”
Bolder?
Meng Chu laughed lightly.
But then Song Yumian suddenly gasped. “Wait-how do you know he has a dog? Don’t tell me you’ve already been to his place?”
“Wow, the experience of a woman who’s dated really shows.”
Meng Chu realized that Song Yumian had a far keener grasp on romantic relationships than she did.
She had merely mentioned a dog, and Song Yumian immediately guessed she had been to Cheng Jinyu’s place.
Still, Meng Chu explained, “I went to his place because his printer was broken. I just went to help fix it.”
Surprisingly, the other end didn’t respond immediately-instead, there was silence.
After a long pause, Song Yumian finally spoke, her voice laced with disbelief, “You’re telling me you went to your almost-boyfriend’s house… to fix a printer?”
Meng Chu was puzzled. Hadn’t she made herself clear?
So she reaffirmed, “Yes.”
“Great, at least I’m still hearing Chinese,” Song Yumian said, feigning relief.
Meng Chu: “…”
Song Yumian suddenly let out a surprised “Huh?” and added, “Wait, is this some new kind of foreplay you straight couples are into? Almost fell for it, you sneaky lovebirds.”
“Alright, just recommend some things dogs like instead,” Meng Chu quickly changed the subject.
Song Yumian replied, “Dogs generally like the same things—balls, frisbees, chew toys like teething sticks, and treats are always a safe bet. There’s no dog that doesn’t love snacks.”
“Hold on, let me jot this down,” Meng Chu interrupted.
Song Yumian said, “Why bother? I’ll just send you a list later.”
Meng Chu chuckled. “Thanks, Dr. Song.”
Song Yumian replied, “No need. If you really want to thank me, just let me meet this mysterious man of yours sooner rather than later.”
Meng Chu froze for a second.
But then she laughed.
*
During her lunch break, Meng Chu started browsing online for dog treats, naturally opting for the best options.
As she shopped, she also sent Cheng Jinyu a message.
Meng Chu: [Can Momo have treats?]
Meng Chu: [I want to pick some out for her.]
But this time, Cheng Jinyu didn’t reply for a long while.
At that moment, Cheng Jinyu was having lunch while the CEO of one of their portfolio companies complained incessantly about a competitor.
The company specialized in smart home cleaning and ranked among the top two in the domestic market.
Coincidentally, the other top-two smart home company was also backed by Cloud Trace Capital.
Generally, no one would invest in two direct competitors within the same niche.
Cheng Jinyu was well aware of this. However, as companies evolved, strategic shifts were inevitable, sometimes leading to overlaps between businesses that weren’t initially in direct competition.
For example, a smartphone manufacturer might venture into car production.
Or an e-commerce giant might suddenly dive into food delivery.
Conflict was bound to happen.
This case was no different-the two companies were locked in a fierce market battle.
Now, the issue had landed on Cheng Jinyu’s desk, with the CEO clearly hoping he’d mediate as a neutral party.
Throughout the meal, Cheng Jinyu barely touched his food, mostly listening to the complaints and occasionally offering a few words of comfort.
Only after finally seeing the CEO off did he unbutton his collar and let out a sigh of relief.
“Mr. Cheng, should I order something else for you?” asked Yao Zheng, his assistant, stepping forward quietly.
As Cheng Jinyu’s assistant, Yao Zheng was always professional, competent, and exceptionally attentive.
He had noticed during the meal that Cheng Jinyu had hardly eaten anything.
Rubbing his temples, Cheng Jinyu replied, “No need. I don’t have much of an appetite.”
Then he took out his phone from his pocket and glanced at it.
Originally, he had just intended to skim through it casually to see if there were any
missed messages.
But when he saw the name of someone who had never proactively messaged him appear on the screen―
Cheng Jinyu had a habit: people he deemed unimportant were all set to mute notifications.
Even chatterboxes like Jiang Min’an were unhesitatingly muted without a second thought.
Over time, nearly everyone on his WeChat had ended up that way.
But right now, Meng Chu’s profile picture clearly displayed the number “2.”
The corner of Cheng Jinyu’s lips lifted slightly as his fingers tapped open the chat window.
Yao Zheng, standing opposite him, had no idea what his boss was looking at, but he could tell that after checking his phone, the man’s mood seemed to have brightened considerably.
His usually indifferent expression had softened with a faint trace of amusement.
@Infinite good literature, all in Jinjiang Literature City
His fingers tapped leisurely across the screen.
Though he was merely typing, Yao Zheng inexplicably felt the scene resembled a hunter stalking prey.
Meng Chu was also having an unlucky day—she only remembered at lunchtime that she hadn’t ordered takeout.
Too lazy to go downstairs, she simply ordered a salad to be delivered to her office.
Earlier, she had been busy shopping for snacks for Momo and hadn’t had time to eat.
Cheng Jinyu’s reply arrived just as she had opened her salad and eaten half of it.
Cheng Jinyu: [It’s quite picky.]
Cheng Jinyu: [Only eats a few specific kinds.]
Meng Chu stared at these two messages, yet strangely, she didn’t find them odd at all.
Because she suddenly remembered their first meal together.
This young master’s behavior had been strikingly similar to Momo’s.
Truly, like owner, like dog.
Meng Chu: [How about you tell me the brand? I’ll buy it for her.]
Cheng Jinyu: [I forgot the brand name.]
Meng Chu: ??
She knew he wasn’t particularly attentive to Momo, but to this extent? That was just too much.
So she asked seriously: [May I ask what you do remember?]
She swore her tone was perfectly normal.
Absolutely no sarcasm intended.
But predictably, the other side didn’t reply immediately.
Meng Chu waited for a while, about to follow up with another earnest inquiry, when—
Cheng Jinyu: [I vaguely remember what the packaging looks like.]
Meng Chu exhaled in relief: [I’ll pick out a few snacks. See if any of the packaging matches what Momo usually eats.]
Cheng Jinyu: [Too troublesome.]
Meng Chu took a deep breath. She had never considered Cheng Jinyu troublesome before.
But today, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was deliberately making things difficult for her.
Until finally, another message arrived.
Cheng Jinyu: [I’ll come find you. It’ll be easier to choose in person.]
Cheng Jinyu: [Have you eaten lunch yet?]
Meng Chu blinked, then glanced at the half-eaten salad on the table beside her.
For a moment, she didn’t reply.
Cheng Jinyu: [I’ve been in meetings with clients until now. Haven’t eaten.]
Meng Chu checked the time—it was already 1:30p.m.
She pitied herself for only having a salad, but he hadn’t eaten anything at all.
Slowly, she typed: [I haven’t eaten either.]
Cheng Jinyu: [Let’s eat together. We can pick the snacks while we eat.]
Meanwhile, Yao Zheng stood nearby, watching as Cheng Jinyu’s fingers continued sliding across the screen.
Clearly, his boss was deep in conversation with someone.
He waited patiently, not in any hurry.
Just a little curious.
Because he truly didn’t know what kind of conversation could visibly brighten Cheng Jinyu’s expression from its usual impassive state.
“You head back to the company first. I’m going out for lunch.”
Finally, Cheng Jinyu stood up from his chair and leisurely gave the order.
Yao Zheng nodded in acknowledgment and watched as Cheng Jinyu picked up his suit jacket and walked past him.
For some reason, he felt that even Cheng Jinyu’s footsteps seemed lighter.