At these words, Jiang Yu's heart pounded with anxiety. "President Cheng, please don't do anything rash."
It wasn't that Jiang Yu was overly worried, but the past few years had truly frightened him. Cheng Yuan had gotten injured repeatedly, suffered gastric hemorrhages that landed him in the ICU several times, and had only been saved by sheer luck. All of this left Jiang Yu terrified.
"President Cheng, I'm sure Madam also hopes you'll be well," Jiang Yu persuaded earnestly. "Let's go back first. Once you've handled the company matters, we can go look for Madam again."
His phone rang—it was the vice president of the company. After a brief conversation, Cheng Yuan ended the call. "There's a problem with the project. Arrange the plane."
Jiang Yu nodded and complied.
That afternoon, Cheng Yuan returned to Jingbei. He didn't even go to the hospital, heading straight to the company, where he worked until the early hours of the morning.
On the way back, he dozed off and dreamed of Jiang Xiao again.
She was crying, nestled in his arms, asking if he loved her.
He pinched her chin, gently rubbed her lips, and said flippantly, "Love? Boring."
As he spoke, Jiang Xiao cried even harder, asking if he had fallen for another woman.
He bit her lip and warned her to be obedient.
The rest of the dream was hazy. He only remembered Jiang Xiao crying, crying over his heartlessness.
*
The next day, Cheng Yuan woke up to a call from the old residence, demanding his immediate presence.
He ignored it and went to the company first, only arriving at the old residence around noon.
Patriarch Cheng wasn't there—only Zhang Rong. When she saw Cheng Yuan, she didn't even glance at his injured arm. She grabbed a teacup and threw it at him.
Cheng Yuan sidestepped, and the cup shattered on the floor.
Zhang Rong's voice was fierce. "You went looking for her again?"
Cheng Yuan brushed the water stains off his clothes. "Yes."
"Are you insane?" Zhang Rong said. "I've introduced you to so many excellent women, but you refuse them all, chasing after Jiang Xiao. What's wrong with you?"
"Don't you know what's wrong with me?" Cheng Yuan's eyes were full of disgust. "Look at what I've become. It's all your doing."
"I did it for your own good."
"Forcing her to divorce me—was that for my good?"
"She wasn't good enough for you," Zhang Rong said.
"Whether she's good enough is for me to decide," Cheng Yuan retorted. "You have no right to say that."
"I asked you, and you said you didn't like her." And indeed, Zhang Rong had asked.
At that time, Cheng Yuan hadn't realized his own feelings, and that was his greatest regret.
"Yes, I didn't like her," Cheng Yuan said, each word deliberate. "I love her."
Once again, they reached an impasse. Zhang Rong's chest heaved. "I've arranged a blind date for you. You'll go tonight."
Knowing Cheng Yuan wouldn't obey, she threatened, "If you don't go, I'll kill myself."
For years, she had been using her life to threaten Cheng Yuan, and she had indeed made several attempts.
Cheng Yuan sneered. "Want to die? Fine, go ahead and die."
"Cheng Yuan!" Zhang Rong glared. "You mean you don't care if I live or die?"
"Whether you live or die has never been my concern." Cheng Yuan lowered and raised his eyelids, his cold eyes devoid of warmth. "Mom, this is the last time I'm returning to the old residence because of you. Next time, whether you slit your wrists or jump off a building, I won't come back."
"I'm your mother!"
"You're my mother only if I say you are. If I say you're not, then you're not."
That was his last remark before leaving. As soon as he got in the car, his phone rang again—the patriarch calling.
"She is your mother after all. Don't push her too hard."
"She's the one pushing me."
"Your mother has a grudge. You should understand."
"It's because I understood too much that I lost Xiao Xiao. Isn't that right, Grandpa?"
The patriarch coughed lightly. "Still haven't found her?"
Cheng Yuan's jaw tightened. "I will find her."
The patriarch couldn't bear to see him suffering and hinted, "Why not try the Jiang family? Maybe they know where Xiao Xiao is."
That remark struck Cheng Yuan like a thunderbolt. His brows lifted. "Alright, I'll go to the Jiang residence."
"Wait," the patriarch stopped him. "After how you treated Xiao Xiao, it won't be easy to get through the Jiang family's door. Be mentally prepared."
"Don't worry. I know what to do."
Recently, Jingbei had been rainy, with drizzle falling on and off.
That afternoon, it started raining again. Jiang Yu looked at the downpour. "President Cheng, are we still going to the Jiang residence?"
Cheng Yuan's fingers lightly stroked his watch. "Yes."