Chapter 32

 

Ming Xi had always been a calm and objective person. But today, bringing Cai Ni to talk with Yang Minwen, she too couldn’t help feeling a strange mixture of emotions rising quietly within her.

Some of it was about Professor Liang. Some of it about Yang Minwen. And some was also about Liang Jiancheng…

Earlier, when Cai Ni excitedly blurted out, “Dezi is in Haigang too,” Yang Minwen acted very calmly. Still, he politely said that since they were relatives, if Dezi ever needed help, he could contact him.

Yang Minwen also left Cai Ni his number and would notify her directly when the job was settled.

Because Yang Minwen was in a hurry, he paid the bill in advance and left first.

Ming Xi and Cai Ni continued to stay in the cafe and eat their steak rice.

Cai Ni was still savoring this magical encounter, chewing her food as her mind spun. She muttered in confusion, “Ming Xi, I don’t get it… I just told Brother Minwen that Dezi is also in Haigang, then why did he say that if Dezi has any problems in the future, he can ask him for help… Does he think Dezi is also looking for a job?”

It was rare for Cai Ni to be this puzzled, and she looked to Ming Xi for analysis.

Ming Xi tilted her head, not too eager to dissect such an obvious situation.

But Cai Ni kept staring at her with expectant puppy eyes.

Ming Xi sighed and used an example to guide Cai Ni’s thinking. She said, “Cai Ni, if Yang Minwen were your relative, when you were job-hunting last year, wouldn’t your parents have already asked him for help?”

Cai Ni nodded naturally, her face lively. “Last year, to find me a job, my parents even went to ask my mom’s third-aunt’s-niece’s-husband’s family on the other side of the city!”

Ming Xi blinked, patient. “So you see — just because Dezi never contacted Yang Minwen doesn’t mean the Yang family never tried. And for many things, Yang Minwen really can’t help, so he intentionally keeps some distance from his family.”

Cai Ni was stunned for a moment. “So you’re saying… Brother Minwen isn’t sincerely trying to help us?”

Ming Xi felt that Cai Ni still didn’t understand. “It’s not about ‘sincere’ or ‘insincere.’ Since he helped, it means he’s sincere. When he said Dezi could look for him in the future, that was also sincere. But even though he’s married to Gu Shuangyang, his position in Shuangyang Group is sensitive. Above him are direct superiors and department heads. Helping hometown friends from Yicheng may look easy from the outside… but it’s also hard.”

After Ming Xi said this, Cai Ni felt uneasy.

Ming Xi wasn’t trying to make her feel guilty — only to help her understand Yang Minwen’s difficulties.

“But if it’s so hard, why is Brother Minwen still helping me…” Cai Ni asked softly.

Ming Xi smiled slightly, and the scattered sunlight from outside filtered through the window, illuminating her face, making it look bright and lovely. She said, “That’s because our Jiang Cai Ni is truly outstanding and worthy of help!”

Cai Ni blushed and lowered her head, “I’m not as good as you say.”

Ming Xi knew exactly what to say. “Don’t worry, what we asked for is within his ability. And he’s been at Shuangyang Group for years — this is definitely not the first time someone from Yicheng asked him for help. If he were the type of person who avoids responsibility and lacks loyalty, how would he ever have the charm to catch Gu Shuangyang’s attention?”

Cai Ni’s inner conflict and uneasiness were instantly swept away.

In any case, in her mind, Brother Minwen was a “male bodhisattva” who climbed up by marrying a big shot and then turned around to bless the rest of the mortals.

…

After Cai Ni’s job was confirmed, Dezi called the next day with good news:

They’d sold all the goods they brought this time. After deducting food and living expenses, they still had 1000 yuan left!

“Oh my God! 1,000 yuan!” Cai Ni shrieked in the dormitory, “It’s only been a week! If you can make 1,000 yuan a week, wouldn’t that be 4,000 yuan a month!”

This income was almost as high as that of high-level employees in foreign-funded enterprises in Haigang!

“Treat! Treat!” Cai Ni excitedly shouted on her cell phone, almost jumping up in excitement.

Ming Xi was also very happy, but not as exaggerated as Cai Ni. She also joined in the fun and asked Dezi and the others to treat them.

Dezi was always generous; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so popular back in school. He immediately agreed and told them to meet the next evening — he would take them somewhere nice to eat delicious food that they had never eaten before!

“What food haven’t we eaten?” Cai Ni wondered aloud.

“You country bumpkin, you’re clueless, aren’t you? For example…” Dezi couldn’t think of anything for a moment and blurted out, “Anyway, you guys can pick whatever. Junjun and I will pick up the bill.”

After hanging up, Cai Ni hugged Ming Xi and spun around happily.

“Ming Xi, we’ll definitely get better and better, right?”

“Yes! We’ll definitely get better and better!” Ming Xi beamed.

Suddenly, Cai Ni lunged over and smacked a kiss on Ming Xi’s cheek. “Kiss for my wonderful wife Ming Xi!”

Uh…

Ming Xi froze, instinctively raising her right hand to cover her face.

Cai Ni was still grinning innocently, “Hehehe, hehehe!”

Ming Xi: …

She wasn’t stunned because Cai Ni kissed her — girls occasionally kissed each other, especially in her old English class where everyone jokingly called each other “wife” or “husband.”

What surprised her was—

So… both she and Cai Ni had secretly thought of each other as “wife.”

—

The next evening, Han Junjun and Dezi stood on the street outside Longmao Parkway, hands shoved in their pockets like two walking attention magnets. As if pre-arranged, both were wearing the new leather jackets they’d bought for the New Year.

These days, whether old men or young guys, everyone loved leather jackets. Good ones were made from high-quality cowhide; the cheaper ones were faux leather; and the worst ones—the kind that bled dye.

Dezi’s jacket was exactly the dye-bleeding kind. During New Year, when Cai Ni ambushed him from behind, all five of her fingers came away stained black.

But so what? Looking cool was all that mattered.

When they met today, Cai Ni saw Dezi wearing the same black leather jacket again, and then glanced at Ming Xi wearing a light-colored sweater. Cai Ni, who had experience, quickly pulled Ming Xi aside.

Absolutely cannot let her stand too close to this “color-bleeding monster”!

Ming Xi’s lips curved slightly.

Just then, Han Junjun blinked stiffly at Ming Xi—like he had sand in his eyes—and awkwardly said, “We already found a place to eat. A French teppanyaki restaurant.”

“What’s teppanyaki?” Cai Ni asked, puzzled.

Dezi said smugly: “You haven’t heard of it before? Today I’ll broaden your horizons and let you try the kind of French teppanyaki that elite city people eat!”

Ming Xi: …

Cai Ni: …

What elite city people… They didn’t know, had never seen any—what they did know was what small-town bumpkins looked like. Earn a thousand yuan and you start swelling up like this!

Neither Ming Xi nor Cai Ni had ever tried French teppanyaki. Cautious and price-sensitive as she was, even Ming Xi couldn’t imagine how expensive a French teppanyaki place might be.

Han Junjun and Dezi weren’t any better. Moments earlier, they’d gotten off a bus and passed a secluded, upscale-looking restaurant with an English signboard. Two polite servers stood at the entrance, and Dezi’s interest piqued. He strode forward and asked, “What do you sell here?”

The server was very polite and smiled, “Hello, sir. This is a French teppanyaki restaurant.”

Dezi scratched his head and asked, “Is it barbecue?”

Still patient, the server explained, “Sir, teppanyaki originated in Japan, but we serve Western cuisine with a focus on French cooking techniques.”

“How is it both Japanese and French? I’m just asking, what kind of food is it—how does it taste?” Dezi asked, chin raised, full of confidence.

The server kept his gentle smile. “Sir, all our ingredients are very fresh—most are flown in. Everything is cooked on-site, with an emphasis on preserving the ingredients’ natural flavors. The taste is excellent.”

Dezi understood immediately! This place is great!

Add to that the dizzying effect of being addressed as “sir” over and over, he was thoroughly lost. He booked a table right then and there and told them he’d bring friends later.

“Four people!” Dezi emphasized.

“Certainly, sir. I’ll arrange that immediately.” The server raised his walkie-talkie to make the reservation.

Throughout the process, Han Junjun’s stern yet down-to-earth expression frayed a bit, but Dezi had already made the reservation. He figured, worst case scenario, he could just spend all the money he earned on treating Ming Xi.

Han Junjun was very generous with Ming Xi.

However…

At 6:30 p.m., the four of them arrived at the restaurant—called Ghana French Teppanyaki. The financial pressure that once sat on Han Junjun shifted entirely onto Ming Xi.

Because among the four of them, only Ming Xi could read the all-English menu.

Cai Ni, Dezi, and Han Junjun, sat around her, eyes full of hope yet tinged with confusion, all staring at her every move.

Ming Xi looked down, flipping through the menu with great concentration, her heart tightening with anxiety even as she kept her expression calm.

Nearby, the chef, who spoke only English, prepared to demonstrate his cooking skills. A smile played on his face, as he kept chatting with Ming Xi. He enthusiastically recommended the restaurant’s lobster and abalone, emphasizing that the beef was imported wagyu.

Ming Xi’s eyes barely fluttered as she glanced at the price of the Wagyu beef.

The foreign chef, wearing a white tall hat, waited patiently, recommending dishes and gently asking if they had decided on what they wanted.

They might be poor, but they weren’t stupid.

Cai Ni was terribly nervous, feeling like Dezi had dragged her onto the guillotine. Forget losing face—she felt like losing her head.

Dezi and Han Junjun were also silent. In that moment, the decision-making power for all four rested on Ming Xi’s hands.

…After all, Ming Xi was the only one of the four who could communicate with the chef.

“Sorry,”

Ming Xi took a deep breath, looked at the foreign chef with a composed and gentle expression, and said in English, “We’ve looked through the menu, but nothing really appeals to us. We’re thinking of checking out another restaurant.”

The chef’s face quickly turned apologetic—and slightly embarrassed.

“We’ll work on improving our menu. I hope you’ll find something delicious next time you come.”

Ming Xi nodded without a change of expression, then subtly signaled to Cai Ni.

Cai Ni understood and quickly tapped Dezi and Han Junjun. Led by Ming Xi, the four of them swept out just as grandly as they’d swept in.

A Chinese server carrying a tray almost burst out laughing, quickly bowing her head.

Only Chinese people truly understand Chinese people…

This French Teppanyaki restaurant had two floors. The second-floor seating offers an excellent view, overlooking the river while also offering a panoramic view of the first floor.

Today, Liang Jiancheng and Zhang Min happened to be dining at this Ghana French Teppanyaki restaurant.

Zhang Min was chatting with interest about her exchange-study months in Taiwan. She said that this teppanyaki place, from décor to ingredient treatment, was extremely similar to a restaurant she visited there. She wondered, “Could it be the same owner?”

Over several dates, Liang Jiancheng and Zhang Min had moved beyond their initial politeness and unfamiliarity to become familiar with each other’s habits, including their culinary preferences, life philosophies, and even their conversational styles.

Zhang Min wasn’t as bland as she first appeared. She had specific and refined demands regarding material comforts and lifestyle—and she knew a lot about them. She had studied in the UK, with classmates who were children of world tycoons and domestic elites. When she talked about their daily lives, her tone carried both critique and envy, and she spoke freely about their extravagant behaviors.

Unfortunately, Liang Jiancheng had little interest in such topics. Out of courtesy, he tried to listen, but his attention drifted. When he saw Ming Xi and the others enter the restaurant and leave shortly after, he couldn’t help wondering what had happened, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Zhang Min noticed his distraction mid-sentence. A hopeful light flashed in her eyes. “…You also thought what I said was interesting, right?”

Feeling genuinely apologetic, Liang Jiancheng asked, “What did you just say?”

Honestly, Liang Jiancheng’s emotional intelligence went beyond that; he could easily handle the situation with a simple “interesting” response. What Zhang Min wanted wasn’t necessarily one heart, one mind, just his simple cooperation.

“…What were you thinking about just now? Why were you so lost in thought?” Zhang Min looked at him with a careful, inquiring gaze.

In truth, Zhang Min had also seen Ming Xi’s group downstairs. Watching them enter only to leave soon after made even her feel second-hand embarrassment. It actually took surprising courage for them to walk out calmly like that.

While Zhang Min wasn’t exactly brilliant, she had learned a great deal from the environment she was exposed to. In this world, the poor aren’t afraid of people, and the rich aren’t afraid of trouble. Only those stuck in the in-between—neither rich nor poor—live cautiously, afraid of everything.

Able to think clearly, yet sensitive and lack confidence.

Zhang Min was exactly that kind of girl.

…As her dates with Liang Jiancheng increased, Zhang Min began reflecting more and more on this sudden relationship. She began to worry about Liang Jiancheng taking a few more glances at attractive women on the street. This thought filled her with a sense of self-contempt and a strong sense insecurity.

There were countless young, beautiful women in the world. Zhang Min herself was young and attractive, yet she was the least confident about her own looks. Fortunately, she had studied abroad and had a respectable family background to support her self-esteem. Otherwise, she would never have dared step forward in the first place.

Only those who felt inferior would boast about themselves, and this was the difference between Zhang Min and Jiang Meiqian.

Fortunately, both she and Liang Jiancheng had seen their share of glamorous worlds. Though they weren’t exactly kindred spirits, they never lacked topics to talk about.

But Zhang Min vaguely realized that that this so-called “never lacking topics” existed only because Liang Jiancheng was accommodating her. In their conversations, she was almost always the active one.

Just as Ming Xi led people out of the restaurant, Zhang Min was telling Liang Jiancheng a funny story about an Arab classmate. She saw a faint smile appear on his normally serious face and thought he was fully absorbed in her story. She didn’t expect he was smiling because his mind had wandered elsewhere.

“Nothing, just thinking about a friend.” Liang Jiancheng said.

“What friend?” Even a reserved woman could accidentally slip into a probing tone.

Liang Jiancheng replied with clear, calm eyes, “Online friends.”

Zhang Min felt as if her punch had landed on cotton—no resistance at all. She knew she couldn’t keep questioning whether the friend was a man or a woman. That would expose her insecurity and make her seem undignified.

“Do you like surfing the Internet?” Zhang Min changed the subject.

Liang Jiancheng replied, “Not particularly. More as a pastime. It’s nice to occasionally meet like-minded people online.”

Zhang Min, however, expressed a different view: “The internet is interesting, but I mostly use it to browse the news. I don’t make friends online. Even in real life, it’s hard to discern the true nature of people, let alone those you meet online. You have no idea what they’re really like; maybe even their names are fake, making it impossible to tell if they’re a good person or bad one. People in real life can put on a façade, but across the internet, you really don’t know what kind of ‘thing’ you’re actually talking to.”

It was rare for Zhang Min to spoke so sharply.

Liang Jiancheng didn’t object. “You’re right.”

He was feeling a little tired, and so was Zhang Min.

“I want to stop by the hospital, it’s nearby. Can you take me?” Zhang Min asked, a hint of expectation in her voice.

“No problem.”

Liang Jiancheng stood up, picked up his coat, and went to pay the bill… skillfully and effortlessly playing the role of the gentlemanly blind-date partner. During this process, Zhang Min’s earlier flicker of displeasure smoothed out again.

Zhang Min was genuinely satisfied with Liang Jiancheng, perhaps even felt her heart stir. But the more vivid her emotions grew, the more sensitive she became—

Any sign of indifference or inattentiveness from Liang Jiancheng—she noticed it all.

Perhaps, they simply hadn’t spent enough time together.

Zhang Min hesitated. Her grandfather’s sudden illness had delayed the progress of their marriage discussions. She wasn’t sure whether that was a blessing or a misfortune.

The car slowly stopped behind the hospital. As Zhang Min stepped out, she held a faint hope that Liang Jiancheng would accompany her inside.

However—

She was disappointed again. Liang Jiancheng merely sent her to the back door.

Thinking back to the night her grandfather fell ill on New Year’s Eve—he had accompanied her only as a “friend.” After the new year, Gu Shuangyang had arranged for people to visit her grandfather, yet Liang Jiancheng had never formally visited her family as a boyfriend. Now that her grandfather was out of the ICU, he still hadn’t once gone with her to visit him.

A trace of resentment welled up in Zhang Min’s heart. It was subtle, faint, yet held a deadly allure, lingering within her.

She couldn’t help but ponder a question: Is Liang Jiancheng truly her best choice?

She was a proud woman. If she chose someone who made her feel like she was reaching above her level—someone who constantly triggered her sensitivity—how could she maintain the serene, elegant future marriage she longed for?

Thinking about Gu Shuangyang’s assertive methods, Liang Jiancheng’s polite demeanor, and Liang Yuzhi’s peculiar personality, Zhang Min’s initial passion gradually faded, replaced by a calm reflection.

What kind of husband did she truly want?

And then, a figure emerged in Zhang Min’s mind: Liang Jiancheng’s stepfather,

Yang Minwen.

“Goodbye,” Zhang Min said, her voice tinged with a complex mix of emotions.

Liang Jiancheng: “Goodbye.”

…

Someone as intelligent and precise as Liang Jiancheng—he was perfectly capable of offering more care and reassurance. Yet he always kept a distance, never giving extra attention or affection. And perhaps… that was exactly where the problem lay.

“I’ll come visit again when Elder Zhang is discharged,” Liang Jiancheng said.

Zhang Min pursed her lips slightly, forcing a seemingly generous smile, and replied, “Don’t worry about it. I’ve been coming every day—Grandpa’s already tired of seeing me.”

Zhang Min’s response demonstrated her filial piety while also hinting that Grandpa didn’t appreciate frequent visits, striking the perfect balance of respectability and politeness.

With that, Zhang Min got out of the car without lingering.

In the car, Liang Jiancheng calmly watched her walk through the back door of the hospital.

…This neatly progressing marriage arrangement seemed to be falling apart.

Liang Jiancheng had always been a meticulous, plan-oriented person. Whenever something disrupted his plans or spun out of control, he could quickly eliminate the issue and restore order.

Yet this time, although he knew exactly what the issue was—he had no desire to fix it.

Instead, a deep sense of boredom and emptiness rose inside him.

What people fear most was often not trouble or problems, but boredom and tedium. Once enveloped by this feeling, it was easy to make the wrong decision.

For some unknown reason, he dialed a number—

Ming Xi’s.

Moments later, a bright, smiling voice came through the phone: “Mr. Liang? Do you need something?”

What did he need? Nothing, really.

“I just saw you,” Liang Jiancheng began.

“At the Ghana Restaurant.

“Why did you go in and come back out?”

How bored must he be—to say such inexplicable nonsense?

This feeling was both terrifying and ridiculous, yet it quietly and truly gave rise to a long-lost, fresh sense of interest within him.

On the other end.

Ming Xi, holding her phone, also fell silent.

It was past eight o’clock.

The Haigang streets were ablaze with lights from the tall buildings. Liang Jiancheng tilted his head slightly and saw the clear, boundless night sky, dotted with a few flickering stars.

Twinkling lightly, catching his gaze.

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