Meng Chu was standing downstairs holding a sports backpack, just about to look down at the time when a black SUV drove up nearby.
The moment the car stopped beside her, Meng Chu finally came back to her senses.
Cheng Jinyu got out of the car, and Meng Chu looked at him dressed entirely in white sportswear, looking especially clean and sharp. His handsome features somehow seemed magnified by the pure white.
The usual calm aura he exuded was, at this moment, replaced by a youthful and vibrant energy.
Even though Meng Chu had been seeing him frequently lately and had seemingly grown accustomed to the stunning impression his looks left, she still felt a sudden tightness in her chest.
Especially when her eyes met his, and he casually lifted his eyelids with a cool indifference.
Her heartbeat seemed to spiral into an uncontrollable rhythm.
Meng Chu stood quietly where she was until Cheng Jinyu reached out and took the bag from her hands. “What did you bring?”
Only then did she snap out of her daze. “I’m not actually going to play tennis. I brought a tennis outfit and a racket.”
Cheng Jinyu raised an eyebrow. “You came fully equipped.”
“To be honest, you probably won’t believe it, but I actually quite like playing tennis,” Meng Chu said sincerely.
At noon, after hearing from Cheng Jinyu about the club where Zheng Qifeng often played tennis, he suggested they give it a try tonight.
Meng Chu thought that sounded good.
Better to seize the day— what if Zheng Qifeng was there tonight?
That would be like the heavens themselves were on her side.
Cheng Jinyu asked, “Have you played tennis before?”
Meng Chu nodded. “In university, tennis was one of my PE electives. I could hit the ball against the wall dozens of times.”
Cheng Jinyu was momentarily speechless.
For once, Meng Chu had rendered him at a loss for words.
As the car left the neighborhood, the atmosphere inside remained quiet.
Meng Chu wasn’t much of a talker, but overly silent moments still made her uneasy.
Cheng Jinyu focused on driving while she pondered and finally spoke up.
“I wonder, how well do you play tennis?”
“Not bad,” Cheng Jinyu replied flatly.
Meng Chu smirked, expecting that kind of answer.
“Not bad hitting the ball against the wall dozens of times,” he added casually.
Meng Chu suddenly choked and coughed several times.
She then looked at him. “Are you mocking me?”
“No, I just wanted you to have an idea of my level.”
“…”
Meng Chu fell silent.
At the next intersection, Cheng Jinyu suddenly turned his head to look at her.
“Are you mad?”
His dark eyes studied her expression.
Meng Chu had just finished replying to a WeChat message when she heard him ask this, so she instinctively glanced over.
“What?” she asked.
The traffic light was still red, and the car was stationary. Cheng Jinyu looked at her. “You haven’t said a word.”
Meng Chu smiled faintly. “It’s not that easy to make me mad. I was just handling some work stuff.”
Cheng Jinyu, knowing how busy she usually was, said, “Your startup company seems to have a lot of overtime.”
“Startups treat time like life itself,” Meng Chu said matter-of-factly.
She felt the investment companies they worked with probably had a cutthroat, relentless environment, making one question their very existence.
Even playing tennis had a purpose behind it.
When they arrived at the Aurora Club, Meng Chu was a bit taken aback by the front desk because it was built to the standard of a five-star hotel.
Although it wasn’t the weekend, plenty of cars were parked outside.
After Cheng Jinyu took Meng Chu inside, he registered at the front desk.
Since she wasn’t a member, she didn’t have a personal locker, so the receptionist gave her a temporary wristband.
“I’m going to change,” Meng Chu said after receiving the wristband, pointing toward the women’s changing room.
Cheng Jinyu nodded.
Inside the changing room, Meng Chu found the locker that matched her wristband.
Next to it was a row of private changing rooms. She placed her bag inside the locker and took out her tennis outfit.
Not long after, she changed into her tennis clothes and grabbed her racket bag, heading out.
She went straight to Tennis Court No.3.
When Cheng Jinyu arrived earlier, there was no one specifically attending to him, and the court he wanted— the third one— was already free.
Following the signs, Meng Chu found the court easily.
It was an indoor court, and stepping inside, she was a little awestruck.
The entire indoor court was especially large and spacious. The lower half of the walls were painted a deep green, and the court surface itself was a muted green-gray, giving off an upscale vibe straight out of a movie.
No wonder people online said this place exuded the Old Money Style.
That afternoon, Meng Chu had looked up the club online.
It was a members-only club with hourly rates, yet even with those fees, visitors came in a steady stream.
When she arrived, she immediately spotted Cheng Jinyu standing nearby, talking to someone.
The other man had dark, sun-kissed skin.
Meng Chu’s footsteps as she opened the door caught their attention.
Cheng Jinyu looked up and saw a figure in a short white tennis dress walking slowly toward him through the green entrance.
Meng Chu didn’t usually like wearing dresses; most times, she wore loose trousers or jeans.
Occasionally, she’d wear a long, comfortable skirt that fell past the knees.
But today’s tennis skirt was very short, showing off her beautiful, straight long legs. Her calves were toned and slender, with perfectly flowing lines— legs that seemed like something only seen in comics.
Just as Meng Chu approached, Cheng Jinyu felt a bit glad.
Glad she usually preferred loose pants.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the tennis coach standing beside him staring intently at Meng Chu.
“This is—” the tennis coach spoke up as Meng Chu got closer.
Cheng Jinyu expressionlessly looked at him and said coolly, “Meet my wife, Meng Chu.”
The coach was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, “So you’re Mrs. Cheng. Hello.”
Meng Chu hadn’t expected Cheng Jinyu to introduce her like that.
Mrs. Cheng.
It was the first time she’d heard anyone call her that.
“Hello,” Meng Chu said politely with a slight nod.
The coach was about to shake her hand, but Cheng Jinyu took the tennis bag from her hands and asked, “How do you find this place?”
“The tennis court’s environment is excellent, the changing rooms have private booths— everything’s great,” Meng Chu answered honestly.
The coach hurriedly said, “Thank you for liking our club.”
Then Meng Chu realized she hadn’t asked the coach’s name yet.
She politely said, “I haven’t asked your name.”
“Zheng Guang,” the coach smiled.
Meng Chu paused slightly; so the coach’s surname was Zheng.
She glanced subtly at Cheng Jinyu, who merely raised an eyebrow.
“President Cheng, will you be playing with your wife today, or should I play with you?” Zheng Guang asked proactively.
Meng Chu said straightforwardly, “You should play with the coach. Get some exercise—you’re too much for me.”
But after she spoke, neither man said anything.
Finally, Cheng Jinyu glanced at her and suddenly cleared his throat twice.
Only then did Meng Chu realize her words might have sounded ambiguous.
Her cheeks flushed red.
No, she didn’t mean “handle” in that way.
How could they think that?
“I’ll play a game,” Cheng Jinyu told the coach, then gestured toward the seats beside the court. “You sit over there for a bit.”
Meng Chu obediently nodded and said nothing.
She was really afraid that if she said anything else, he’d misinterpret her again.
Once she sat down, Cheng Jinyu had already positioned himself at one end of the court.
He held a tennis racket in one hand and a bright yellow tennis ball in the other.
He bounced the ball on the court and hit it repeatedly with the racket.
After several hits, he tossed the ball high, then struck it firmly and steadily, sending it flying across the court.
So graceful.
Meng Chu watched his form, admiration swelling inside her.
From the fluid motion of tossing the ball to the explosive burst when hitting it, every movement was professional.
Even with just simple hits, it was clear Cheng Jinyu really knew how to play tennis.
Considering his family background, it made sense that he had a wide array of skills.
Meng Chu then focused on the sidelines, watching Cheng Jinyu and the coach play.