Chapter 27.2: She was caught completely off guard and was fed a piece of candy by Qian Heng.

When Cheng Yao first left the house with Qian Heng, her mind was filled with thoughts about Cheng Xi and the public gossip. However, by the time they returned home, she didn’t even realize that her attention had completely shifted.

For example, Cheng Yao was puzzled and confused. In the supermarket, Qian Heng had been so enthusiastic about sweets, practically wanting to buy the entire shelf. But after returning home, eating dinner, and facing a mountain of snacks, he suddenly lost all interest—no interest at all.

“Boss, the candied chestnuts are getting cold. They won’t taste good when cold, the skin sticks to the chestnut and it’s hard to peel.”

Qian Heng glanced indifferently at the bag in Cheng Yao’s hand. “Then you eat them.”

“Eh? How about I save them for you and heat them up in the microwave tomorrow morning?”

Qian Heng replied flatly, “I don’t eat leftovers. If you don’t want them, just throw them away.”

You don’t eat, I’ll eat!

Cheng Yao thought to herself, she’d never seen a man so delicate and changeable as Qian Heng! She had just spent all that effort buying an entire cart of sweets, and now he says he doesn’t want them? Who would date him? One moment he’s all lovey-dovey, ready to get married, and the next he’s kicking you out and demanding a clean break!

Just as Cheng Yao finished the chestnuts, Qian Heng spoke again. “Don’t leave these snacks on the table, it’s too messy.”

“Should I organize them in your room?”

Qian Heng replied with a blank expression, “Do you think these snacks match the aesthetic of my room, filled with professional documents? Do they fit the image of an elite lawyer?”

“…” Then why did you buy so many?

Cheng Yao looked at the snacks on the table, a bit at a loss. “But the living room is so small, there aren’t many cabinets in the kitchen, and there’s no space in my room either, plus there’s also the… McDonald’s…”

“Then you eat them.”

“Eh?”

“I prefer a tidy, clean environment. Looking at all these snacks on the table gives me a headache,” Qian Heng said matter-of-factly. “Before going to bed tonight, I don’t want to see them again, so you should finish them off.”

You’re the one who bought them, and now you’re complaining they’re in the way, Cheng Yao thought in disbelief. “Then why don’t you eat them?”

“Suddenly don’t want to eat them.”

“These are imported snacks. They’re not cheap…”

Qian Heng glanced at her, his tone calm and composed. “I have money, I’m being willful, I don’t care.”

“…”

Fine, fine, Cheng Yao thought. After all, these are all the things she likes to eat. If this keeps happening, she wouldn’t mind at all.

So she happily devoured the Potato Chips, matcha cookies, and the long-awaited rainbow candies.

***

Sweets truly have the power to heal the heart. As Cheng Yao ate the chocolate, her mood brightened a little.

Unfortunately, while high-sugar foods can bring temporary joy, they don’t last forever. As the snacks dwindled, Cheng Yao began to think again about Cheng Xi, her own mistakes, and about Deng Ming.

When Cheng Xi was smeared by Deng Ming during the divorce, Cheng Yao had thought about clearing her sister’s name. However, Deng Ming’s public relations skills were so powerful that Cheng Yao’s voice was quickly drowned out by the public’s insults.

At that time, Cheng Xi stopped Cheng Yao from intervening. She didn’t want to respond anymore and just wanted the matter to settle quickly. As she had predicted, a month later, no one was talking about her anymore.

Cheng Xi chose not to respond, but Cheng Yao could never be at peace. Only she knew how much Cheng Xi had sacrificed for Deng Ming, how much she had given up, and yet all she received in return was abandonment and trampling once he had risen to success.

Before becoming a lawyer, Cheng Yao had vowed to defeat Deng Ming in court, to tear apart his facade of justice, and to expose his professional incompetence and how hypocritical he really was.

But now…

It wasn’t just that she was being insulted; why did her sister’s slanderous past have to be dragged out and publicly displayed like this, as if to continue kicking a corpse?

“Go ahead and cry if you want to.”

Just as Cheng Yao was struggling to hold back her tears, she heard Qian Heng’s voice, still as cold as ever, as if he were an outsider. Cheng Yao looked at him, and he was gazing out of the window. She wasn’t sure how he had noticed her holding back tears—was it through telepathy?

Feeling uncomfortable under Cheng Yao’s gaze, Qian Heng cleared his throat. “The way you’re holding back your tears looks ugly.”

After hearing those words, Cheng Yao couldn’t help but burst into tears.

She cried while wiping her tears, feeling wronged. Was Qian Heng even human? How could he say she was ugly when she was already so upset?

After Cheng Yao cried, Qian Heng finally showed a relieved expression.

He softly said, “Finally, you’re crying.”

All the frustration, resentment, guilt, and regret that had been bottled up for days poured out with her tears.

Cheng Yao didn’t quite catch what he said. While crying, she asked, “What did you say?”

Qian Heng glanced at her nonchalantly. “I said I was wrong.”

“What? Did you say I’m ugly?”

Qian Heng sighed. “Yes, you don’t look ugly when you’re holding back tears.” He paused and gave Cheng Yao an indescribable look. “Because when you cry, you look even uglier.”

“…”

Cheng Yao froze for a moment and then started crying even louder.

“Alright.” At that moment, a long, white hand entered Cheng Yao’s tear-filled vision. The slender fingers were holding a handkerchief.

“Cheer up.” Qian Heng’s voice was somewhat awkward as he turned his gaze away from her. “It’s a Burberry handkerchief. I’ve already used it to wipe your snot.”

Cheng Yao didn’t hold back. After being attacked by Qian Heng for being ugly, she vented by picking up the handkerchief and started blowing her nose.

When people cry, they often lose all sense of reason. While sobbing, Cheng Yao said, “I’m already so miserable. Why do you still have to insult me?” As she thought about it, she felt even sadder. “Even if you think I’m ugly and don’t find me attractive, usually, even when men aren’t sincere, they’ll at least say something nice, like ‘You’re beautiful.’ Can’t you say something nice to make me feel better?”

She wasn’t expecting Qian Heng to suddenly have a change of heart. It was just an emotional outburst.

No matter how much Qian Heng might criticize her on a usual day, Cheng Yao could always brush it off with a smile. However, when she was feeling down, she became more vulnerable. After all, she was just a young girl. No matter how strong she was, when she cried, she still longed for someone to offer gentle comfort.

Although Cheng Yao knew that Qian Heng was always like this and that his words were not meant to target her personally, at that moment, she felt like the righteous hero who had been abandoned after being slandered, her martial arts lost, and everyone turned against her. She even had to endure Qian Heng, the passing villain, mocking her coldly. In this moment, she felt that if she didn’t have a breakdown and spill her blood from frustration, it would be a disservice to herself.

But just as Cheng Yao was sinking into her emotional thoughts, Qian Heng spoke again—

“Pretty.”

Cheng Yao froze for a moment.

“Quite pretty.”

Cheng Yao forgot that she had been crying. She widened her eyes and stared at the direction of the voice. There was no one else but Qian Heng. She instinctively asked, “What?”

Finally, Qian Heng turned his face from the window. He frowned, “Cheng Yao, can you stop overthinking? I already said you’re pretty.”

“But I know you’re just being polite…”

“No.”

“Huh?”

Qian Heng, as expected, began to sound irritable again, “Are you deaf? Didn’t I just say I wasn’t being polite?”

Ah… Cheng Yao thought, this attitude, this is my boss for sure…

But wait! Not being polite??? So, Qian Heng meant…

He said she was pretty.

In that moment, Cheng Yao suddenly felt her heart race. Her heart was pounding rapidly, and her face started to burn. It felt as if the blood in her body was rushing faster just because of those words.

Someone like Qian Heng, with his naturally striking looks, could be flippant and arrogant most of the time, but at crucial moments, even the slightest change in his demeanor could be utterly captivating.

Cheng Yao, who had grown accustomed to Qian Heng’s sharp words, found herself unexpectedly receiving a rare compliment from him.

It was a little sweet.

“Cheng Yao, I suggest you don’t get too proud,” however, before Cheng Yao could even feel happy, Qian Heng splashed cold water on her, “You’re barely average, don’t think you’re some celestial beauty.”

“…”

Although there was still a bit of poison mixed in with the sweetness…

It was still a little sweet.