Chapter 78: The epic showdown between Dad Cheng and Dad Qian

Cheng Yao hadn’t expected that she and Qian Heng would so quickly have an opportunity to stand side by side—though not the kind of side-by-side she had imagined.

She had just returned to Junheng from the café when Qian Heng called her on the internal line and asked her to come to the office once.

“Oh. Bao Rui said you just went to meet the party of the legal aid case. Is there any situation you need to tell me about?”

“Boss.”

Qian Heng, however, avoided Cheng Yao’s gaze and ignored the helplessness in her tone. “I just called and directly asked the person at the legal aid center who was responsible for receiving your party at the time. He told me that although the case situation on the registration form is relatively brief and looks very simple, in actuality…”

“Boss.” Cheng Yao looked at Qian Heng seriously and interrupted him. “You said it—this case you would completely not intervene in. A gentleman’s word is hard for even four horses to chase.”

“…”

Even after Cheng Yao had spoken to this extent, Qian Heng could still say with a completely straight face and no change in expression or heartbeat, “Oh, I’ve been a bit tired from work recently and not sleeping well, so my memory has also been a bit affected. Did I say something like that?”

My friend, not only did you say it—you only said it not long ago, okay?! Do you think you’re a goldfish with only seven seconds of memory? You’re putting on quite a convincing act!

Qian Heng was still forcefully salvaging his dignity. “Even if I did say something like that, as the boss, paying a bit of attention to the progress of the case in your hands is not a problem either.” He glanced at Cheng Yao. “Do you currently have any difficulties?”

Cheng Yao answered neatly, “No!”

“Really no?”

“Really no!”

“No is good.” Qian Heng said seriously. “Anyway, for a case with such a small subject amount, I don’t have much interest in knowing either.”

Clearly wanting very much to know the progress of her case, clearly wanting to ask whether she had encountered any difficulties—how could someone be this awkward?

“Oh, by the way, tonight there’s a dinner at my home that I need to attend. I can’t keep you company.”

Cheng Yao paused before belatedly realizing that Qian Heng was reporting his itinerary to her.

She smiled and nodded, indicating she understood, then tilted her head. “Boss, is there anything else?”

“Nothing.” Qian Heng stared. “Then do you still have anything to say to me?”

“Me?” Cheng Yao pointed at herself. “I also have nothing.”

“Oh, then you can go.”

But not long after Cheng Yao walked out of the office, she received Qian Heng’s WeChat.

“I haven’t been sleeping well recently.”

Although it was just a few simple words and looked like an ordinary sentence, Cheng Yao actually managed to read from it Qian Heng’s thick accusation.

This awkward spirit was only missing hanging a banner on his face saying “I already said I haven’t been sleeping well, yet you didn’t even ask me why I haven’t been sleeping well—you don’t care about me”…

Cheng Yao, as if possessed, felt a surge of mischievousness. She very nastily replied with a tease: “Then do you want me to sleep with you?”

After this sentence was sent, it sank like a stone into the sea. There was no sound from Qian Heng’s side. Not long after, Cheng Yao heard from Bao Rui that he had gone out to court.

Of course, Cheng Yao quickly forgot this interlude as well. She also had work matters on her hands. Li Mengting’s loan dispute had already been judged. After she “tipped off” the opposing party, the other side supplemented the evidence chain. The first instance was without question: Li Mengting lost and was required to bear the repayment obligation. And the lawsuit Cheng Yao was representing for Li Mengting against Zhang Hao for property division during cohabitation had also already been filed.

Everything was proceeding step by step in an orderly manner, completely under Cheng Yao’s control.

Only at noon, Cheng Yao’s father called her.

“Yaoyao.” Father Cheng said, “Are you free tonight?”

Because Qian Heng had something, she happened to be free. Cheng Yao nodded. “Yes.”

“Tonight Mom and Dad will come to City A. Accompany us for a meal.”

Cheng Yao suspected nothing. “Okay! It’s been so long since I saw you!”

As a result Father Cheng had not the slightest intention of giving Cheng Yao a familial response. He went straight ahead. “Dress nicely. Wear your most expensive clothes. You must highlight your beauty! Your charm! Your radiance! Completely radiate the excellent genes of our old Cheng family!” The usually stingy Father Cheng actually said generously, “If you don’t have suitable clothes it’s fine. Dad will transfer several tens of thousands to you—buy whatever you want! Whether Dad can win tomorrow depends on this one battle!”

Cheng Yao was completely foggy. “Ah?”

What is all this about?

Father Cheng grew more and more impassioned. “Do you still remember your dad’s weirdo deskmate?”

“I remember. What about him?”

“Last time at the classmate reunion your dad me fought a whole battle of law with him. As a result the two of us were evenly matched, each with our own strengths, and for a moment we actually couldn’t determine a winner. How can that be acceptable? Between him and me, it’s either you die or I live—we must determine a win or loss. Since we ourselves can’t determine a winner through comparison, there’s only one other kind of comparison left!” Father Cheng raised his voice. “And that is—comparing the next generation!”

“…”

It wasn’t as if Cheng Yao hadn’t heard of today’s children’s parents who, starting from kindergarten, couldn’t help comparing their children with each other. You take your child to piano class today, I take my child to violin tomorrow; you take your child to travel New Malaysia Thailand this year, I take my child to Northern Europe next year…

She just hadn’t expected that middle-aged men would still have such a terrifying desire to compare the next generation…

Father Cheng made a concluding statement on the phone. “In short, whether you come or not tonight, you must come. Additionally, you must wear high heels of ten centimeters or more! The kind that the moment you appear stuns everyone and completely overwhelms the other party’s aura! I heard that weirdo classmate’s son of mine is 187! Although you’re a girl, you can’t lose too much in momentum either!”

“…”

After hanging up, Cheng Yao was simply speechless. She hadn’t expected that one day she would actually become a tool in her father’s battle of law…

But complaining was complaining. Cheng Yao understood Father Cheng’s long-cherished wish regarding this classmate. For tonight’s gathering she didn’t dare slight it in the least. Right after getting off work she hurried home and carefully dressed up. After thinking back and forth, she picked a red dress she had worn once before at the previous law firm’s year-end party, matched it with a black coat and ten-centimeter thin high heels, and then applied light makeup.

On ordinary days Cheng Yao always wore professional suits for work. On the rare weekends she also chose loose casual clothes. Opportunities to wear this red dress were few. Now that it was on, she discovered that this dress’s curves were fully revealed and truly a bit too figure-hugging. No wonder last time at the year-end party her former colleagues had teased that this dress was a “straight-man slayer.”

But it was only a gathering of her father’s mortal enemy. Dressing like this was a bit of a suspicion of stealing the show. Cheng Yao originally wanted to change, but Father Cheng kept urging her on the phone. Cheng Yao looked at the time, associated it with the evening rush-hour traffic congestion spectacle, gritted her teeth, and simply stepped out in the high heels.

The location of the dinner was set at a very luxurious three-star Michelin restaurant serving French cuisine. Father Cheng was treating and had booked a private room. When Cheng Yao arrived, her dad was already sitting in the private room, fully prepared and on guard. And only at this time did Cheng Yao discover that the dress she was wearing wasn’t exaggerated at all, because her own father—that was what was truly exaggerated. If other people didn’t know, at a glance they would think this person had come to participate in a middle-aged divorced rich man and rich woman’s blind date meeting!

Father Cheng had carefully blown a currently popular hairstyle, wore an impeccable suit, and upon closer look had even trimmed his eyebrows. If Cheng Yao didn’t know that classmate of his was male, with this posture one would think he had come to see a former first love…

Cheng Yao said a few words with Father Cheng, then received a call from Lin Fengjuan. She turned and went out of the private room to take the call, briefly communicating with the other party on some evidence details. Just as she hung up and was preparing to return to the private room, she suddenly heard Qian Heng’s voice.

“Cheng Yao.”

Cheng Yao turned her head and saw Qian Heng standing behind her with slightly furrowed brows.

“Eh? Such a coincidence?” Cheng Yao suspected nothing. “Is your dinner tonight also here?”

“Mm.”

Cheng Yao walked closer to Qian Heng, yet Qian Heng subconsciously took a step back. His expression was somewhat contradictory—wanting to stare at Cheng Yao while forcibly controlling himself to look away.

Although his expression was calm, the words he uttered were full of accusation. “I only left for one night, and you’re already dressed like this coming to a restaurant to meet someone else?” Qian Heng said in a low-pressure tone. “Looks like I truly can’t leave for even one night.”

“No no!” Cheng Yao waved her hands repeatedly to explain. “It’s not what you’re thinking! I’m accompanying my dad to eat!”

“Hmph. Besides your dad, there’s another man, right?”

“There is, but it’s my dad’s classmate, and also his son. There’s no one else.” Cheng Yao vaguely felt as if she had been caught in the act of cheating. She worked hard to explain. “Don’t be nervous. This is absolutely not a disguised blind-date banquet arranged by my dad and his classmate, because my dad and this classmate of his are mortal enemies. My dad really hates him, says his character is especially weird. If hitting people weren’t illegal, he would have beaten him long ago! Calling me here today dressed like this is also for the sake of competing with the child! To determine superiority with his son!”

Qian Heng’s expression eased a bit, yet his tone was still noble and aloof. “Me nervous? Does Qian Heng need to be nervous? I was just casually asking.”

“Right right, you were just casually asking.” Cheng Yao looked as if she understood and added, “And according to how extreme this classmate of my dad’s is, his son is definitely also an extreme weirdo of the kind that hasn’t produced a few in five thousand years of history. Even if I go blind and take a fancy to his son, my dad will absolutely not allow me to marry into that kind of extreme family!” Cheng Yao blinked and said fawningly, “Besides, with you the pearl and jade in front, other men in my eyes are all common rouge and vulgar powder! I won’t go blind!”

After Cheng Yao finished speaking, she looked at the time. “Ai, it’s getting late. I won’t say more for now. I’ll go eat first. Contact you later.”

“Cheng Yao.”

Just as Cheng Yao turned around, she was called back by Qian Heng. He seriously lifted his cheek. “To reward your eye, I allow you to kiss me once before leaving.”

“…”

“Forget it. You’re so slow to react. I’ll do it myself.”

Before Cheng Yao could react, Qian Heng leaned close, bent down, and gave her a kiss.

After the kiss ended, Qian Heng looked at his watch with a completely straight face and no change in expression or heartbeat. “I should go too.”

As a result the two of them walked one after the other, and the private rooms happened to be on the way. Cheng Yao followed step by step behind Qian Heng, her face still burning, her heart still pounding because of that sudden kiss just now.

Only… only Cheng Yao’s heart soon pounded even more violently…

Especially when she watched with her own eyes as Qian Heng walked into the private room she was familiar with…

Wait… wait!

At this moment Cheng Yao suddenly had a strong ominous premonition.

That weirdo classmate of Dad’s—is he surnamed Qian?

…

And almost at the same time, Father Cheng’s furious voice rang out inside the private room. “Aren’t you that soft-rice pretty-boy Little Qian who previously tricked my daughter into going to Dongguan to move bricks and then cheated?!”

Following that was Father Qian’s equally furious voice. “Don’t spit blood on people! Does the son of me, Qian Zhan, need to go to Dongguan to move bricks?! My son’s annual income exceeds a hundred million—does he still need someone else to support him?! Besides, my son has a girlfriend. The little girl has a bright face and a smooth figure, and even chased my son for a long time before my son reluctantly agreed!”

“Does your son have a performance addiction or something?! Coming to my daughter’s place to swindle money and sex—don’t the news reports say that some high-income people have too much pressure and need special ways to vent pressure?”

…

Cheng Yao almost walked in with a stiff neck. Qian Heng also seemed to have been shocked by this magical realist development and was standing in place with pressed lips.

Cheng Yao cleared her throat. “Dad…”

The moment she came, Father Cheng gained confidence. “Yaoyao, you came at the right time. Take a good look—isn’t this that heartless man Little Qian who cheated behind your back?!”

Father Qian was just preparing to argue on the basis of reason, yet when he saw Cheng Yao’s face he paused. “You? Aren’t you that Little Cheng who bitterly loved my son and chased him for a long time before finally getting him???”

“…”

For an instant Cheng Yao wanted to flee in panic, or go outside and ask how to get to the crematorium.

Fortunately at this time Qian Heng finally stood out to stem the raging tide. He glanced at Father Cheng. “Uncle, the two of you—let me reintroduce myself. I am Qian Heng, partner of Junheng Law Firm, Cheng Yao’s boss, and also Cheng Yao’s boyfriend. There were some misunderstandings before, but Cheng Yao and I have a very good relationship.” Qian Heng came over and took Cheng Yao’s hand. “I hope we can receive the blessings of both sides’ parents.”

“…”

Both fathers each had complicated and strange expressions as they looked at Cheng Yao and Qian Heng, falling into thoughtful silence.

The first to react was Father Qian. He said with deep meaning, “The children’s this is also their own fate. How can I intervene? Besides, although the child’s father has not very good eyes, the child herself has clear and bright eyes, a discerning eye like a torch, recognizing at a glance that the genes of our old Qian family are dragons and phoenixes among men. Although she’s a little girl, her courage is commendable—actively chasing love. I appreciate it very much!”

“…”

Just as Cheng Yao thought her own father would strongly oppose, Father Cheng actually cleared his throat and hung a calculating smile on his face as well. “I have one point to correct. My daughter did not pursue your son. On the contrary, your son put in quite a bit of hard work for the sake of chasing love. Even for my daughter, he deliberately rented such a cheap house in order to find the opportunity to cohabit with my daughter, then get the advantage of proximity and let feelings grow over time.”

Father Cheng analyzed it with clear logic. “I think my daughter entering Junheng was also your son’s operation. Wasn’t it just because he took a fancy to my daughter? Only your son—hmph, also counts as like father like son. Clearly he wanted to be with my daughter, yet with great calculation and skill made my daughter think she was the one who first felt something… Of course, I also understand Little Qian. After all, my daughter takes after me—her charm is relatively great. Little Qian couldn’t hold back and thought of so many methods. It’s also understandable…”

“Impossible. It was your daughter who chased!”

“It was your son who chased!”

…

The two fathers refused to yield to each other and finally started competing in drinking.

Only after this round of drinking competition, the development became even stranger—

Father Cheng hiccupped from alcohol. “Qian Zhan, you’re so great, huh? Back then as classmates how did you treat me? And now? Now isn’t it still like this hahahaha. In the future won’t your son still have to call me Dad? Didn’t you ever think that you would also have this day?”

…

Cheng Yao couldn’t quite watch. “Dad, you’re drunk.”

As a result Father Cheng was very insistent. “I’m not drunk.” He ignored Father Qian’s expression and was only missing putting his hands on his hips and laughing wildly. “Hahahaha, something this satisfying—I can still drink for another five hundred years!”

Father Qian said unhappily, “Don’t get happy too early. The wheel of fortune turns! Don’t forget how you previously begged me to let you copy homework.”

“You still have the face to say that?! I treated you to so many meals, all of which I cooked with my own hands!! And you actually wouldn’t even let me copy homework?”

“I’m a person with principles. I absolutely cannot tolerate plagiarism and aid the wicked. But although I didn’t let you copy, I hinted at so many problem-solving approaches for you. I didn’t expect you to be so stupid—I was only missing telling you the answers, yet you still couldn’t solve them. This has to be blamed on your own poor IQ. Can you blame me?” Father Qian had also drunk too much and the more he spoke the more outrageous it became. “But now that your daughter is together with my son, the IQ of the next generation can be handed over to our old Qian family! You’ve also turned over a new leaf! Thank me!”

…

The final result was that neither Father Qian nor Father Cheng wanted Qian Heng and Cheng Yao to disturb the two of them’s time of digging up old accounts. They quickly sent Qian Heng and Cheng Yao out.

What kind of mortal enemies with bad feelings were these? Clearly in adolescence they cared about each other, full of youthful vigor treating the other as an imaginary enemy and constantly comparing, yet actually appreciating each other in their hearts, right?

Qian Heng pulled Cheng Yao’s hand and went to pay the bill in advance.

Cheng Yao tugged at his sleeve. “No need. This time my dad is treating.”

Qian Heng looked at Cheng Yao coolly. “Hasn’t your dad already treated me as a son? Based on this sentiment, can we still let him pay?”

“…”

“Tonight there’s a heavy metal live—an underground performance by a niche band in a bar.” After the two of them walked out of the Michelin, Qian Heng suddenly opened his mouth as if casually. He was a bit unnatural. “You previously said you like heavy metal music.”

Cheng Yao’s eyes lit up. “Which band?”

“Red Fish.”

“Eh! I actually quite like their stuff. Are we going?” Cheng Yao stared at Qian Heng with expectant eyes.

“Mm.”

Although the road conditions were a bit congested, this didn’t affect Cheng Yao’s excitement and agitation in the least. She sat in the car chattering nonstop.

This bar was actually very hidden. The so-called underground performance was truly underground—just like the rabbit hole in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Qian Heng simply nodded and greeted the person in charge of the bar. The other party was clearly an old acquaintance and quickly led Qian Heng and Cheng Yao to an empty area, opened a cellar-like entrance, and revealed the stairs below.

Cheng Yao found it hard to imagine that for all of this, Qian Heng was so familiar and at home, as if entering a place without people. She followed him down the stairs and only then discovered that underground was completely a new world.

Stage-like laser lights, a boiling atmosphere, heavy metal rock music, a crowd releasing themselves to the fullest—decadent yet carrying a strange vitality.

The performance had already started.

The dance floor was simply filled with all kinds of demons and monsters jumping and dancing.

Roars, metal collisions, drum beats—various sounds mixed together, impacting everyone’s eardrums.

Cheng Yao quickly immersed herself in this atmosphere.

For more than twenty years she had lived a life of following rules and regulations, stepping in her older sister’s footsteps, living step by step. Yet only at this moment did Cheng Yao realize that in her blood there actually flowed rebellious blood.

She was not Cheng Xi. She and Cheng Xi were different. She was herself.

When the music reached its highest climax and the atmosphere turned white-hot, Cheng Yao stared straight at Qian Heng. Then she did a bold thing.

She pulled Qian Heng’s tie. Ignoring the other party’s lightly furrowed brows and astonished gaze, she slightly stood on tiptoe and, with a domineering posture, kissed toward him.

Only after releasing Qian Heng did Cheng Yao feel a bit shy. Fortunately her flushed face could also be explained as the agitation brought by this underground concert’s atmosphere. She lightly turned her head away and pretended to look at the stage. “The original intention of my liking heavy metal music was wanting to jump out of my older sister’s shadow. Because older sister is too outstanding, everyone always habitually compares me with her. She is that kind of gentle, well-behaved, sensible girl, so I seemed to of course also have to become such a person. I previously also thought that I and she were the same. She likes soothing piano music, so I should also like it.” Cheng Yao’s lashes trembled. “Until I heard heavy metal rock…”

“Previously I thought I would like a guy like Xue Ming…”

Before Cheng Yao could finish this sentence, she was dangerously interrupted by Qian Heng. His face looked as if a storm was about to arrive. “Xue Ming?”

Cheng Yao turned back and stared into his eyes. “Until I met you.”

The moment Cheng Yao’s “you” left her mouth, the trailing sound disappeared into Qian Heng’s kiss.

This time Qian Heng pushed Cheng Yao against the wall and, amid the intense sounds of the heavy metal music, kissed Cheng Yao as if no one else were present.

This kiss was different from all those previous kisses of Qian Heng’s.

Intense, carrying a strong scent of male hormones—like plunder, like demand, and also like invasion.

Every cell of Qian Heng was declaring initiative and ownership. He bit Cheng Yao’s lower lip, lightly grinding and tearing, carrying desire, carrying provocation. Cheng Yao suddenly couldn’t look straight at his such direct gaze. She subconsciously raised her hand, wanting to cover Qian Heng’s eyes. Yet her hand, before even touching Qian Heng’s hand and only barely suspended beside Qian Heng’s face, was caught by Qian Heng. He released Cheng Yao’s lips and gently kissed her ten fingers.

“In front of me, you still mention another man’s name?” Qian Heng smiled. “Looks like it’s my responsibility. Making you actually have the mind to be distracted.”

Cheng Yao only felt that in an instant, the place on her fingers where they touched Qian Heng’s lips generated an electric current. This current charged wildly inside her body, making her spine go numb. That feeling of being unable to move made her feel strange and a bit uneasy. Cheng Yao pulled her hand back and self-deceivingly thought, If I can’t cover Qian Heng’s eyes, then cover my own eyes.

Yet the moment her hand covered her own eyes, it was again forcefully caught by Qian Heng, then fixed against the wall, forcing Cheng Yao to look straight at him.

“Already shy from just this?”

Cheng Yao’s face was red, her gaze evasive.

Qian Heng, however, did not let her go. Relying on the noisy environment of the heavy metal live and the flowing crowd, Qian Heng pressed step by step. “Aren’t you the rebellious girl different from Cheng Xi? Does a rebellious girl’s face blush so easily?”

Cheng Yao simply wanted to jump up and immediately flee in panic. Only then did Cheng Yao know how much Qian Heng had been taking care of her on ordinary days. He had fundamentally not fully opened his aura, so that she had always felt at ease that against Qian Heng she could still fight one battle.

Yet in actuality, when he unrestrainedly released his hormones, Cheng Yao could only abandon armor and weapons and flee in defeat all the way.

Qian Heng, however, still remained unaware. He leaned close to Cheng Yao’s ear, his voice somewhat unnaturally hoarse. “Also, who was it that said tonight she would still sleep with me?”

Cheng Yao simply felt that in an instant she was about to explode.

It was also at this time that Qian Heng leaned in and kissed her again. He forcefully thrust in his tongue, tracing Cheng Yao’s oral cavity, chasing her tongue tip.

Only when Cheng Yao was about to be unable to breathe did he release her.

“Whether you’re a rebellious girl or a well-behaved and sensible three-good student, you are you.” Qian Heng smiled. “The you who is liked by me.”

Just this one sentence made Cheng Yao feel that the sense of loss, grievance, and unspeakable obscure emotions caused by being compared with Cheng Xi during her adolescence were all swept away and released.

For a long time she had always, always silently expected that there would be a person who could walk over and say to her that she was special, that she was unique, that being herself was already good enough.

She had never thought that Qian Heng was this person.