He! Actually! Heard! It!
Meng Chu didn’t know how she got into the elevator or how she managed to open her own front door.
But the moment she stepped inside, she collapsed onto the sofa, burying her face in a cushion.
She stayed like that until she could barely breathe, then finally lifted her head.
She could say the word “husband” to Gu Ting with a straight face.
But being overheard by Cheng Jinyu was an entirely different matter.
He probably thought, “So she pretends not to know me in public, but secretly brags about me behind my back?”
Hah. Hah hah.
Meng Chu sat up on the sofa and took two deep breaths.
She was probably overthinking it.
Cheng Jinyu likely wasn’t that petty.
Meng Chu wasn’t the type to dwell on things or get easily embarrassed. She always considered herself unflappable.
A person who remained calm in any situation.
But now she realized-she could still experience social death.
No, not social death.
Death by sheer embarrassment over a single sentence.
It was then that Meng Chu noticed something: her reactions to Cheng Jinyu had always been intense.
After some thought, she realized it was because of their relationship.
She had never had any close male relationships before.
Gu Ting and Wang Luoran were her classmates and business partners.
With them, she just had to do her job and cooperate with the team.
But Cheng Jinyu was different from anyone else.
He didn’t fit into the category of male friends, yet their relationship was too distant to be considered intimate.
He was more like a new bug she had encountered-one that left her completely at a loss.
For the first time, she felt flustered.
Meng Chu needed time to process and adapt to this “bug.”
The next day at work, Meng Chu had barely sat down when she received a message from Gu Ting.
He wanted her to come to his office.
Meng Chu didn’t hesitate.
Though she had no personal interactions with Gu Ting anymore, she always handled business professionally.
After all, Xingyuan was a company they had built together.
“President Gu, what do you need me for?”
She pushed the door open but didn’t close it behind her, getting straight to the point.
Gu Ting glanced at her, then walked over to the door and moved to shut it.
Meng Chu stopped him.
“I don’t think closing the door is necessary.”
“Meng Chu, you…”
Gu Ting seemed to suppress something, then pulled down the blinds on the office windows instead.
He turned back to her with a resigned look.
“This should be fine, right?”
Meng Chu said nothing else, and Gu Ting closed the door.
Leaning against his desk, he studied her.
“Last night, you called me your husband. Were you joking?”
Meng Chu gave him an exasperated look.
“You called me here first thing in the morning just to ask that?”
“Isn’t that question serious enough?” Gu Ting frowned.
Meng Chu raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t see how my personal life qualifies as a serious matter.”
Gu Ting stared at her.
“Meng Chu, we’ve known each other for years. Do you really think I’d harm you? I admit I mishandled the situation with Shao Yunjia, letting her misunderstand things. But I don’t want it to affect us-it wouldn’t be good for Xingyuan’s future.”
Meng Chu replied calmly, “President Gu, have I ever made a single mistake in all this time?”
“No,” Gu Ting answered without hesitation.
Meng Chu: “Since there are no issues professionally, let’s keep our interactions strictly business from now on. Indeed, with so many years of friendship between us, I don’t want to see it ruined. Maintaining distance will allow us to collaborate better in the future.”
Countless startups have ultimately collapsed due to infighting among their founders.
Meng Chu didn’t want Xingyuan to go down that path.
She made every effort to draw a clear line with Gu Ting in private, not because she feared Shao Yunjia.
But more for the company’s sake.
Gu Ting: “You still don’t understand what I mean. I’m afraid you’re being deceived. You’ve never even been in a relationship before, and now you suddenly say you’re married? Have you lost your mind?”
Seeing Meng Chu’s displeased expression, Gu Ting quickly added: “I’m worried about the impact on Xingyuan, especially since you hold shares in the company.”
Hit the snake at its vital spot.
He knew exactly what Meng Chu cared about most.
Only then did Meng Chu realize what he was truly concerned about.
The potential impact on Xingyuan.
“Mr. Gu, Xingyuan isn’t a listed company, so changes in the founder’s marital status don’t need to be disclosed.”
“Moreover, I can guarantee that no matter what happens in the future, my shares in Xingyuan won’t be affected in the slightest,” Meng Chu said earnestly.
The prenuptial agreement at home, as thick as a book, wasn’t signed for nothing.
She knew Cheng Jinyu’s wealth meant he wouldn’t covet her small stake in Xingyuan.
But she had proactively proposed signing the prenup precisely to safeguard her shares.
Such private matters, of course, she wouldn’t share with Gu Ting.
Having said this, she had no intention of continuing to discuss her personal affairs with Gu Ting.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now,” she said.
Watching her turn to leave, Gu Ting couldn’t help but ask: “Meng Chu, are you really married?”
At that moment, Meng Chu’s hand was on the doorknob.
Without turning around, she said calmly: “Mr. Gu, you just need to believe that I will always protect Xingyuan, no matter what.”
*
At noon, Meng Chu skipped lunch to review the latest proposal from the exhibition company.
The Intelligent Robotics Industry Ecosystem Conference was a significant event, with dozens of tech companies participating, including industry leaders.
Major media outlets like state-run broadcasters would be covering it.
This was a prime opportunity for exposure, so every company was pulling out all the stops for their exhibition.
The company had been going all out recently to train the new models.
Testing various data sets.
Naturally, overseeing the exhibition booth fell to Meng Chu.
They had thought the design was finalized, but after Gu Ting reviewed it, he felt it lacked standout features and sent it back for revisions.
Meng Chu had no choice but to hold meeting after meeting with the exhibition company.
Standing out among so many companies wasn’t easy.
She didn’t even have time for lunch, just hastily unwrapped a sandwich she’d bought that morning.
As she focused intently on her computer, her phone on the desk rang.
Meng Chu looked at the screen, where the word “Dad” flashed.
She couldn’t help but rub her face heavily with her hand.
Indeed, today was not shaping up to be a pleasant day!
After composing herself, she answered the call.
Her father’s voice came through first: “Chuchu, are you busy?”
Meng Chu relaxed her expression before replying: “No, not at all.”
There was a brief silence on the line. Just as Meng Chu was steeling herself for awkward small talk,
Meng Haichuan spoke first: “Chuchu, it’s been a while since we last saw each other, hasn’t it? How about having dinner together tonight?”
Meng Chu closed her eyes briefly.
She seemed to be steeling herself for something.
But Meng Haichuan spoke again, “Not at home this time. We’re meeting at a restaurant outside.”
The “home” Meng Haichuan referred to wasn’t Meng Chu’s home.
It was the home he shared with his second wife and their children after remarrying.
Meng Chu had no desire to go there, but sometimes she had to compromise for Meng Haichuan’s sake.
Hearing it wasn’t his home, Meng Chu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly agreed.
“Alright, I’ll make the reservation.”
Meng Haichuan chuckled on the other end of the line, “Since when does my daughter pay? I’ll have my secretary book the restaurant.”
“Fine then. Have your secretary send me the address and time.”
The politeness in her tone was as if she were dealing with a client.
There was a brief silence before Meng Haichuan laughed again, “No need to be so formal with your own father.”
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the call finally ended.
The forced smile on Meng Chu’s lips faded completely.
She set down her phone and resumed reviewing the exhibition proposal with an impassive expression.
*
That afternoon, Meng Haichuan’s secretary sent the restaurant details to Meng Chu.
When she saw the address, her irritation only grew.
Meng Haichuan had actually booked a restaurant on the Bund.
Everyone knew how crowded the Bund became with tourists in the evening.
The traffic there was notoriously terrible.
This simmering frustration stayed with her until she arrived at the restaurant.
Before coming, she’d checked the reviews—this was the kind of place where a meal cost over a thousand per person.
When Meng Chu showed her reservation, the waiter immediately led her to a window seat.
By now, the Bund’s lights had come on, illuminating both sides of the Huangpu River in a dazzling display.
Through the window, every building shone brilliantly, their collective glow embodying the very essence of Shanghai’s nickname as the “Magic City.”
Though she lived in Shanghai, Meng Chu usually kept her head down working.
She rarely visited places like this-precisely the kind of place that could stir deep emotions.
Under such beautiful night scenery, some of Meng Chu’s irritation dissipated.
After all, what fault could there be with such an expensive restaurant?
Meng Haichuan hadn’t arrived yet.
Looking at the rose petals scattered across the white tablecloth, Meng Chu couldn’t help but call over a waiter.
“Could you please clear these rose petals?”
It wasn’t hard to guess-this was likely a popular spot for couples’ reservations.
Hence the staff’s habit of decorating the table with rose petals.
Just as the waiter was clearing the petals, another server approached with a strange man in tow.
When the waiter brought him to the adjacent seat, he smiled and said, “Sir, this is your table.”
Meng Chu looked at the man in surprise and instinctively said, “Sorry, there must be some mistake.”
“The reservation this gentleman showed is for this table,” the waiter explained with a smile.
Meng Chu frowned, picking up her phone to show her own reservation.
“Was I mistaken?” she asked.
The waiter examined it carefully. “Yours is also booked for this table.”
Hearing this, the man opposite her looked at her and smiled.
“Seems neither of us is wrong.”
“My apologies, let me check what’s going on,” Meng Chu replied with an apologetic smile.
But just as she was about to call Meng Haichuan, a message from him arrived first.
Meng Haichuan: [“Chuchu, your father arranged for you to meet a very outstanding young man.”]
Meng Haichuan: “I know you’ve always resisted blind dates, but please consider your father’s good intentions and get to know the other person properly.”
A blind date?
What kind of nonsense was this?
She was already married-what blind date could she possibly go on!!!
The man across from her seemed to have just received the news as well.
Watching Meng Chu’s rapidly changing expressions, he said gently, “Shall we sit down first?”
Meng Chu knew she couldn’t just storm off.
After all, the other party seemed just as innocent.
There was no need to take her anger out on tonight’s other victim.
The man also appeared to have just been informed.
He smiled proactively and said, “Looks like we’ve both been set up by our families.”
Meng Chu took a deep breath.
“I’m truly sorry. My father inexplicably arranged this meeting tonight. But I should clarify-he usually lives with his current family, so he’s completely unaware of my situation.”
“Actually, I’m already in a relationship.”
The man opposite her clearly hadn’t expected this turn of events.
He chuckled wryly.
“Seems we really weren’t meant to be, Meng Chu.”
Meng Chu froze he actually knew her name.
The man continued with a smile, “I’m Li Huaiqian, also a J University graduate. I’m currently in the AI industry as well. I’ve read some of your reports before-they were brilliant.”
Meng Chu’s tense expression shifted to surprise. “So you’re my senior.”
When he mentioned the company he worked for, she realized it was a leading enterprise in their field.
She apologized again, “I’m really sorry for wasting your time tonight.”
“Don’t be so formal. This isn’t your fault.”
After some thought, Meng Chu proposed a solution:
“Senior, how about this-do you have any friends nearby? You could invite them over for dinner, and I’ll cover the bill.”
Li Huaiqian looked at her.
“Like I said, there’s no need to blame yourself. If you have other plans, you’re free to leave.”
Meng Chu couldn’t possibly just walk out now.
If it were anyone else, maybe—but this was her direct senior from university. Her father really knew how to create trouble for her!!!
“Let’s not treat this as a blind date then,” she suggested.
“Just consider it a casual alumni meetup or an industry exchange.”
Li Huaiqian’s tone remained extremely gentle, clearly showing he wasn’t a difficult person to get along with.
Meng Chu knew he was saving face for her.
She smiled lightly.
“Xingyuan is still in its early stages—I wouldn’t dare call this an exchange. More like me seeking your advice.”
Now Meng Chu really couldn’t leave.
Since she was here, she might as well make the best of it.
Soon, the waiter began serving dishes.
As they ate and chatted, the atmosphere became much more relaxed than at the start.
Perhaps because the conversation remained strictly professional, without any hint of romantic tension, Meng Chu gradually let her guard down.
Then the waiter pushed in a cart, presenting an enormous Australian lobster.
Meng Chu was stunned.
When ordering earlier, she’d seen “market price” listed for the lobster on the menu and naturally avoided selecting
such an unpriced item-who knew how much this restaurant would charge for it?
“Excuse me, I don’t think we ordered this,” Meng Chu inquired politely.
The waiter smiled.
“You’re right, ma’am. This wasn’t ordered by your table.”
Then why serve it?
Was this high-end restaurant trying to scam customers by forcing unordered dishes on them?
But the waiter continued, “This was specially sent over by a guest surnamed Cheng. He’s already paid for it.”
“What?”
Meng Chu thought she must have misheard.
*
The waiter, assuming she hadn’t caught it, repeated: “Another guest specifically sent this to you.”
Meng Chu clung to her last shred of hope and asked, “What did you say the other person’s surname was again?”
“Cheng.”
Chen?
Cheng?
Or Cheng??
Could it really be such an unlucky coincidence?!