Chapter 36.2: “Hey, mom, okay, this is my boyfriend.”

The old man pondered this for a while and confirmed, “So you’re saying that if it’s a girl, even if I agree to do the test, it won’t prove she’s A-Shan’s child? She wouldn’t be able to fight Minmin for the inheritance? Only if the child is a boy and truly A-Shan’s son can the test confirm the blood relationship?”

“That’s right.”

The old man thought for a moment longer, then finally nodded. “Alright, I’ll do it.”

As Chen Qingmei’s legal representative, Cheng Yao couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. Yet, as she left the nursing ward, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of melancholy.

Was gender really that important? The old man’s bedside table was still filled with fresh fruit that Dong Min had brought him. Yet, in his heart, a girl would never be as valuable as a boy.

It was already the year 8012 ¹ “8012” is likely a humorous exaggeration, implying that even in such a futuristic time, outdated thinking still persists. , and Cheng Yao found it hard to believe that both Dong Laoye and Dong Shan didn’t know about the existence of professional managers. Instead of forcing an unqualified blood relative to take over the family business, wouldn’t it be better to set up a family trust to secure their descendants’ well-being while hiring professional executives to run the company?

In reality, the gender of the Dong family’s descendants had no impact on the business’s operations or its wealth accumulation. Besides, even if Chen Qingmei’s child was a boy, that didn’t automatically mean he was suited to take over. Who could say whether the child would be intelligent or have a knack for business?

At the end of the day, all this talk about “recognizing the family bloodline” and “easing Minmin’s burden” was nothing more than a polished excuse for blatant gender discrimination.

***

Bao Rui was responsible for gathering the rest of the evidence, while the task of interacting with Chen Qingmei was assigned to Cheng Yao, as both were women.

Though Cheng Yao felt deeply resistant to the idea, she reminded herself that this was just work. After visiting the Dong family patriarch, she took a deep breath, steadied herself, and prepared to meet Chen Qingmei. After a brief pause, she finally stepped into Chen Qingmei’s apartment.

At the law firm earlier, when Dong Shan’s passing was mentioned, Chen Qingmei had looked sorrowful and fragile. However, by now, she had already regained her composure.

Bathed in sunlight, her complexion appeared radiant and glowing. Her delicate, vine-like fragility gave her a naturally soft appearance. She had gained a noticeable amount of weight since their last meeting, and at a glance, she looked like a carefree and contented pregnant woman—almost to the point of looking plump and well-fed.

“So, because it’s a boy, the Dong family patriarch is willing to proceed with the paternity test? He’s agreed for sure, right?”

Cheng Yao nodded. “Yes. You have less than two months until your due date—get some rest. During this time, we will prepare the chain of evidence. You don’t need to worry.”

“No, I want the DNA test done now.”

Before coming here, Cheng Yao had done some research on prenatal DNA testing. She was surprised by Chen Qingmei’s insistence. “I consulted a doctor—at this stage of your pregnancy, the only option is a cord blood DNA test. But that’s an invasive procedure with a risk of miscarriage. Wouldn’t it be safer to wait until the baby is born?”

“I can’t wait that long,” Chen Qingmei said firmly, for once displaying an unusual level of determination. “Two months is more than enough time for Jiang Wenxiu to transfer the assets. By the time I give birth, there might be nothing left for my child to inherit.”

“If she deliberately transfers assets, we can file a lawsuit.”

Chen Qingmei smiled—a beautiful and delicate smile—but her words were calm and pragmatic. “Lawyer Cheng, you know as well as I do that many rulings, even if won, are difficult to enforce. If Jiang Wenxiu moves the money overseas, then even if the court grants my child those assets, how am I supposed to claim them? International enforcement is nearly impossible.

“And when that time comes, I’ll be a single mother—how will I raise this child? How will I survive?”

Her words were subtle, but Cheng Yao understood the underlying message.

If this child couldn’t secure any inheritance, then what was the point of being Dong Shan’s child? If he had no value, why bother giving birth to him? He would only be a burden on her youth and future.

Throughout history, mistresses who managed to make men abandon their wives—even giving up everything for them—were never truly weak or innocent. They always had some level of skill and cunning.

Dong Shan would never know that the “pure sunshine” in his heart—the girl who claimed she was with him for love—couldn’t even wait two months to ensure she got every cent of his inheritance. She was willing to risk their precious son for it.

If Dong Shan were still alive… if he had truly walked away from his marriage for so-called true love, would he still be greeted by Chen Qingmei’s sweet smile?

New clothes may be appealing, but old ones are more reliable.

It was a pity that so many people never learned this lesson.

—

The entire day, Cheng Yao was busy running around handling the legal disputes over Dong Shan’s inheritance. By the time she got home, Qian Heng was already waiting inside.

“I’m hungry,” he declared matter-of-factly from the couch, looking straight at her.

It was already past 8 p.m.! Had he not eaten yet?!

Cheng Yao was surprised. “You didn’t order takeout?”

“Takeout doesn’t taste good.”

“How about I order something better, and we eat together?”

Qian Heng remained silent, just staring at her. “Your cooking is better.”

“…”

“I want your tomato and egg soup.”

“…”

“Even a simple dish like that tastes better when you make it.”

“…”

“I really want—”

“Enough!” Cheng Yao cut him off. “I’ll go buy groceries!”

Flattery—both parties knew what was happening, yet it still worked every time.

When Qian Heng wasn’t being his usual sharp-tongued self, he simply sat there quietly. Even without speaking, just looking at her was already enough to be lethal. And now, he was piling on rare compliments?

Cheng Yao thought to herself, resigned, that she would probably never be able to win against Qian Heng.

But she hadn’t expected that just ten minutes after arriving at the supermarket, her phone rang—it was Qian Heng.

“Cheng Yao, come home right now.”

“Huh? But I just bought some bread for tomorrow’s breakfast—I haven’t even picked out vegetables yet—”

Over the phone, Qian Heng’s voice was interrupted by background noises. He sounded slightly breathless, and there was even a hint of gritted teeth in his tone. “Forget it. Just come back. Now.”

**

Cheng Yao never could have imagined that this would be the scene awaiting her when she returned home.

Qian Heng sat on one end of the couch, his hair slightly disheveled, his face dark with displeasure. On the other end, her mother sat glaring at him furiously.

“Mom? What are you doing here?”

Mother Cheng shot her a sharp look. “Isn’t it because you were doxxed a while ago? I was worried you might not be in a good state of mind, so I asked Cheng Xi for your address to come check on you. And what do I find?” She pointed at Qian Heng. “I find this !”

Cheng Yao: ???

“Cheng Yao, no matter how I calculated, I never expected that my daughter would secretly move in with some strange man behind her parents’ backs!”

“Auntie, please be careful with your words. What do you mean by ‘strange man’?” Qian Heng scoffed coldly. “My name is Qian Heng. I’m Cheng Yao’s boss.”

Hearing this, Mother Cheng became even more furious. “Boyfriend is boyfriend—why don’t you have the guts to admit it? You’re even trying to trick me into thinking you’re just her boss? Cheng Yao, look at yourself! Is this the kind of taste you have in men?”

Cheng Yao trembled. “He really is my boss…”

“Oh, really? A boss ? What kind of subordinate would be foolish enough to rent an apartment with their boss? See him at work during the day and again at night?”

Qian Heng shot a glare at Cheng Yao. “Cheng Yao, explain.”

Faced with her mother’s accusations and her boss’s pressure, Cheng Yao tried her best to clarify. “It’s like this: this apartment originally had two separate tenants. There was a… small incident, and we ended up ‘amicably’ deciding to co-rent. I only found out later that he was my boss. I know it sounds fake, but it’s true!”

“Fine, let’s assume that’s true. But I still don’t believe he’s your boss.”

“Why not?”

Mother Cheng spoke with absolute certainty. “Do you think I don’t know how much rent costs in this neighborhood? Isn’t your boss a partner at a law firm? And this is the kind of cheap apartment he lives in? How utterly tasteless!”

“…”

“Besides, I’m not against you dating. I’m against cohabiting before marriage ! Any man who engages in premarital cohabitation is irresponsible! A scoundrel!”

Qian Heng finally couldn’t hold back his disdain and let out a derisive snort. “Auntie, this is the modern era. Premarital cohabitation should be encouraged. Many couples are all lovey-dovey while dating, but they’ve never actually lived together. Then after marriage, they realize they can’t stand each other’s habits and end up divorcing. Cohabiting before marriage is basically a trial run—it’s very necessary.”

“You’re just making excuses to take advantage of girls!”

“What do you mean, ‘take advantage’? Men and women are equal. Living together before marriage allows both parties a chance to back out if it doesn’t work.”

Mother Cheng wasn’t backing down either. “Premarital cohabitation leads to premarital sex— of course it’s the man who benefits!” She shot Qian Heng a glare, her anger reaching new heights. “Don’t tell me you’ve already taken advantage of my daughter?”

“Sex is something both men and women can enjoy,” Qian Heng stated, his courtroom confidence kicking in. He cast a lofty glance at Cheng Yao. “Besides, considering my qualifications, even if— according to your logic —something happened between us, Cheng Yao would be the one benefiting from me .”

“…”

Boss, this is not the time to argue about who’s winning or losing—just clear up the misunderstanding already!!!

….