Chapter 57

 

Old Liang’s most frequent criticism of Liang Jiancheng had always been that he was too confident, to the point of overconfidence. For example, right after he joined Shuangyang Electronics, he suggested setting up an overseas sales department. Because his position at Shuangyang was somewhat delicate, he couldn’t fully exercise his abilities. For a time, Gu Shuangyang even brushed him aside and assigned him to the HR department, having him review fresh graduate résumés instead. Yet in the end, Shuangyang’s overseas division was still established exactly according to the proposal Liang Jiancheng had written.

As Shuangyang’s overseas market gradually opened up—just when Gu Shuangyang most needed capable hands—Liang Jiancheng, her own son, left without hesitation and founded Xinghai Foreign Trade.

He even took with him several newcomers he had personally selected as the most suitable for foreign trade work.

Jiang Meiqian was one of those who followed him out at that time.

Within a year, Xinghai Foreign Trade, to a certain extent, leveraged Shuangyang Electronics’ resources and developed rapidly.

So, what’s wrong with being a little more confident? It was precisely this confidence, this drive to push forward, that allowed him to establish Xinghai Foreign Trade’s solid reputation in the shortest possible time.

Besides, Liang Jiancheng only considered himself confident at work, while in his personal life, he was rather ordinary. Because he devoted so much energy to work, his attention to other areas was inevitably scattered.

He wasn’t entirely satisfied with himself either—this showed most clearly in his views on relationships. He also carried a trace of sensitivity that was hard to detect unless one was very close to him.

Therefore, when it came to confidence, Liang Jiancheng approached it more from a rational standpoint than an emotional one.

Confidence was a healthy state. And as a state, it was subject to change.

Just a moment ago, Liang Jiancheng had suddenly felt that he might have been too confident—and from that arose a faint sense of inferiority.

Of course, it had nothing to do with his school being unfamiliar to others.

Rather, from beginning to end, he had paid attention only to Ming Xi’s reaction. When he caught the fleeting but unmistakable kindness in her eyes—the clear intention to protect his male pride—he suddenly realized something:

In Ming Xi’s eyes, was his image really so arrogant and at the same time so fragile? Even if he graduated from a second-rate university, would he really feel embarrassed meeting a Beida student at a dinner table, needing a girl he liked to deliberately protect his dignity?

If he were that kind of man, then what right did he have to like her at all?

Regardless of how others reacted, Ming Xi’s kindness prompted Liang Jiancheng to reflect on himself. That self-reflection bred a touch of inferiority, and when everyone’s eyes turned toward him, humility naturally surfaced on his face.

Ji Runze, sitting beside him, was completely stunned. He had assumed everyone would be like him—dumbstruck at the word “Princeton,” unable to speak. Instead, it was only him, the so-called Beida graduate, who looked like a country bumpkin with his mouth opening and closing in disbelief. The two sitting across from him merely nodded in acknowledgment, with no extra reaction at all.

That was one of the Ivy League’s eight elite schools—a world-class institution that consistently ranked in the top three, sometimes even first. His Beida was good, but compared to Princeton, it was truly just good…

…It could only be said that at this dinner table, both Peking University and Princeton University were outshone by this group from Yicheng TV Television University.

Ji Runze turned toward Liang Jiancheng and extended both hands, speaking with a mixture of excitement and the rationality characteristic of a top student: “Mr. Liang, you’re too modest. Today I truly feel like a novice meeting a master.”

Liang Jiancheng was still caught in his self-doubt, said, “Not at all, not at all. You’re being too humble. Beida is a top-tier university in China. If I had taken the college entrance exam in China, I might not have been able to get in.”

So Mr. Liang hadn’t even went to high school in China…

Everyone’s educational path was different. Even if Liang Jiancheng had received an American education early on, being admitted to Princeton still meant he was exceptionally outstanding.

Actually, Ji Runze’s admiration for Princeton largely came from his classmates, and he brought it up as a conversational topic: “One of my roommates got into Princeton for grad school after undergrad. He was the top student in our class, with a GPA of 3.9, and he also won outstanding awards in competitions. I originally wanted to try applying too, but I wasted my college years. I used to think I was smart and hardworking, but once I got to university, I realized there’s always someone better.”

Ji Runze spoke sincerely. The disappointment and dejection of the past year had indeed affected his state. Unlike Liang Jiancheng’s calm, restrained humility, Ji Runze’s regret and discouragement were written plainly on his face.

So Mr. Liang really was that impressive…

After Ji Runze’s account, everyone present came to understand that Mr. Liang’s university must be very impressive—although they didn’t quite know how impressive, nor the difference between GPA and GDP…

Ji Runze was truly a simple person whose emotions were written all over his face. His dejection was so obvious that Dezi, Cai Ni, Han Junjun, and Ming Xi—these kind-hearted students from Yicheng TV University—were more concerned about Ji Runze’s disappointment than praising the outstanding Liang Jiancheng.

They could hardly believe that in their lifetime, a group of TV-university graduates would be comforting a Beida graduate, telling him not to belittle himself and that staying optimistic was what mattered most.

Ji Runze nodded heavily. Feeling the warmth, he spoke from the heart: ” “I’ll learn from all of you… Meeting you today is thanks to my connection with Ming Xi. She introduced me to you all. I’m not very good at making friends—I hope we’ll have more chances to interact in the future…”

He spoke so sincerely that everyone’s feelings subtly shifted.

Cai Ni: …This guy is really nice. Sure enough, insecure men are the most charming!

Han Junjun: Sure—let’s keep in touch when there’s a chance.

Dezi: Hmph. He says he’s not good at making friends, but he’s won people over with just a few words. Impressive, really. At the very least, Cai Ni totally falls for this kind of thing.

Liang Jiancheng: …

“Mr. Liang, please guide me in the future.” Ji Runze raised his glass of freshly squeezed juice to Liang Jiancheng.

Liang Jiancheng had originally lifted his glass with one hand. After a brief pause, he switched to using both hands, his voice deep and steady: “I dare not accept such praise.”

“By the way, what did you major in at Princeton, Mr. Liang?” Ji Runze hesitated for a moment before asking.

Liang Jiancheng replied, “Economics.”

He then smiled sheepishly and added, “It just so happens to be your least favorite subject.”

Although Ji Runze didn’t like economics, he was still an economics student at Beida, so he naturally knew that Princeton University’s economics program was renowned worldwide and was one of the school’s most popular and competitive programs.

“Do you know Krugman?” Ji Runze asked, grasping for a famous professor he’d heard about from a former roommate.

“Yes, he was my advisor during my master’s.”

“…”

“…”

Ji Runze turned his head away, filled with awe toward Liang Jiancheng—and even more astonished that they could end up becoming friends. With a mix of excitement and emotion, he looked at Ming Xi and said earnestly: “Ming Xi, you really surprise me in every way. Mr. Liang is impressive—but the person I should learn from most is you.”

Ah…

Oh.

Ming Xi didn’t host dinners very often, and truthfully, she didn’t want the atmosphere at the table to drift into something false or vain under the banner of mutual learning.

Alright, alright… She reached out soothingly and gently patted Ji Runze on the shoulder. Her clear, luminous eyes shimmered with a soft, delicate light—drawing everyone’s attention and blending seamlessly with the bright light pouring down from above.

“Then you should learn from me and eat more. I don’t treat people very often. If you keep being so exaggeratedly humble, Brother Ze, I’ll be too embarrassed to go back over there to keep learning from you.”

Ji Runze responded at once, his whole demeanor brightening instantly: “Okay!”

Unexpectedly, even at the dinner table, the law of conservation of energy applied. When one person brightened up, another inevitably fell silent.

Because Ji Runze still had a customer waiting that evening to have a computer repaired, he needed to leave early once everyone had more or less finished eating. Before leaving, he took a book out of the simple brown paper bag he had brought and said thoughtfully and warmly: “Ming Xi, this is a gift for you, a newly released CAD tutorial book. I’ve already read it once. The explanations are easy to understand, covering everything from basic operations to advanced functions, with many examples. You’ll definitely gain something from just one read-through. I’ve also marked out the key points and difficult sections for you.”

Good heavens! Ming Xi instantly beamed, pleasantly surprised as she accepted the book from him.

“Thank you…” She hadn’t expected a gift at all and was so touched she lightly licked her lips.

“You treated me to dinner, how could I come empty-handed?” Ji Runze smiled warmly, then asked her tentatively, “It looks like you’re almost done eating. I’d like to pack up the remaining fried dried fish, if that’s okay? There’s a litter of stray cats in the park near my place.”

Ming Xi nodded repeatedly, like a pecking chick. Of course that was fine.

“Thank you…”

—

Some people may have left, but their praise lingered in the private room. Liang Jiancheng had seen and heard everything.

“So Brother Ze is really that nice—gentle, friendly, and caring…” Cai Ni was the first to praise him.

Ming Xi softly hummed in agreement.

Hmph.

A soft, jealous snort escaped Dezi’s nose. “Don’t believe it too easily,” he said. “He might just be putting on an act.”

Cai Ni retorted, disagreeing, ” Who doesn’t try to present themselves better when they’re out? If he can put on an act, it means his moral values are decent to begin with. That’s way better than people who don’t even bother pretending.”

“Why don’t you try pretending?”

“You can’t even copy what’s right in front of you! Come back and talk after you’ve ‘acted’ yourself a Peking University diploma?”

“…”

Every time Cai Ni argued with Dezi, she seemed to perform beyond her usual level, leaving him completely defenseless.

Unable to win and unwilling to concede, Dezi dragged Liang Jiancheng in to salvage some dignity, saying, “Brother Liang doesn’t fake it. If you’re strong enough, you don’t need to pretend.”

Ming Xi tilted her head and looked at Liang Jiancheng. She truly hadn’t expected his abilities to far exceed her imagination. Earlier, it had been her own limited knowledge and unintentional neglect. Hopefully, this genuinely capable Mr. Liang wouldn’t hold it against her.

At that moment, Liang Jiancheng felt that if he truly possessed any ability, it was probably that he could understand what Ming Xi was thinking with just a glance.

Maybe what he learned at Princeton wasn’t economics after all—but psychology.

“You flatter me, I was just pretending too.” Liang Jiancheng’s lips curled into a faint smile. His gaze, which had lingered on Ming Xi most of the evening, now swept over the others still in the room before settling on the garlic spare ribs on the table. In the most deliberately pretentious tone possible, he added:

“These garlic ribs are pretty good. I’ll pack them up too… My dog at home hasn’t had meat for several meals.”

Uh…

Hearing Liang Jiancheng mimic the earlier request to pack food, Ming Xi was speechless: …

Cai Ni was speechless too: …

Even Dezi, usually so smooth-tongued, paused for a moment—Brother Liang was really something.

Ming Xi remembered now: Liang Jiancheng did indeed have a dog. She even knew its name—Xiaoxiao. Packing up the leftover ribs for Xiaoxiao was perfectly fine, but his comment about the dog not having eaten meat for several meals inevitably made it sound… a bit deliberately performative.

Compared to Ming Xi’s delicate thoughts, Cai Ni simply let out a heavy sigh. She had already secretly set her sights on those half-finished garlic ribs earlier, planning to pack them up later and snack on them while binge-watching shows.

And now… even that little bit of meat was being claimed by Mr. Liang?!

Cai Ni felt wronged but didn’t dare say anything. She puffed out a breath angrily and lowered her head—then noticed a leather bag beside Dezi, bulging full.

What was that?

—

Finally, with outsiders gone, Dezi was ready to reveal the main event. He lifted the leather bag from beneath the table. Before opening it, he shot Junjun a look.

Han Junjun immediately got up and locked the door to the private room.

This series of actions left Cai Ni even more confused.

Ming Xi had a vague guess, though she wasn’t entirely certain. Subconsciously, she glanced at Liang Jiancheng, who was still there. No matter what, to all of them, he was someone they trusted deeply.

Not only in her heart, but also in Dezi, Han Junjun, and Cai Ni’s.

Having seen plenty in life, Liang Jiancheng wasn’t surprised by Dezi’s actions. If he had to guess, the bag probably contained money.

However, lack of surprise didn’t mean a lack of curiosity.

Dezi deliberately built suspense, grinning at Ming Xi, “Boss Ming, guess what good things we brought you today?”

Cai Ni was already impatient: “Stop talking nonsense, just open it!”

What good things could it be?!

Dezi ignored her and kept smiling warmly at Ming Xi, looking almost chivalrous.

Ming Xi roughly knew what it was. Earlier, because she lacked manpower and had to keep shuttling back and forth to Yicheng, she simply didn’t have the time or energy to fully take charge of the Taiwan summer quilt business. So she’d partnered with Dezi.

With his sharp business instincts, Dezi had immediately agreed to take it on. Once Cai Ni’s parents shipped over the handmade quilts, Ming Xi took leave from work and accompanied Boss Yang to sign the contract with the other party.

She spearheaded the initial stages of the deal, while Dezi handled the follow-up. Even among close friends, accounts had to be clear. She signed a three-party contract with Dezi’s company and Cai Ni’s parents, clearly defining profit sharing and responsibilities. Lately, she’d been fully focused on Pierre’s order and planning product development, leaving the summer quilt business somewhat neglected.

However, she knew the business was progressing quite smoothly.

Cai Ni called her parents daily and often mentioned the business. They were deeply grateful—not only did it give them work again, but it allowed them to continue in the familiar textile trade.

“Alright, I’ll open it now.” Dezi smiled faintly. He wasn’t trying to be mysterious—he was just worried Ming Xi and Cai Ni might be startled by what was inside.

So what was it? Cai Ni was practically stomping her feet in anxiety.

With a zzzip, Dezi pulled open the zipper, fully revealing the contents of the bag—neatly stacked bundles of brand-new RMB bills, glossy and irresistibly green.

“I just settled accounts with Mr. Cai. This is two hundred thousand yuan, Ming Xi’s share,” Dezi said, nodding to Ming Xi and Cai Ni.

Good heavens…

Two hundred thousand!

Cai Ni had never seen that much money in her life.

Ming Xi… hadn’t either.

In disbelief and giddy joy, Cai Ni carefully reached out a hand and lightly touched the bills, savoring the tangible feel of real cash.

“Is this real money?” Cai Ni asked naively.

“Of course it is,” De Zi said with a smile, glancing at Cai Ni’s silly expression, a hint of smugness in his handsome brows. Two hundred thousand! And this was just the beginning!

Though Ming Xi was usually calm and composed, her gaze was now firmly fixed on the pile of cash. She had done the math before—if Dezi executed smoothly, this was exactly what she should earn.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, followed by a polite inquiry from a waiter: “Excuse me, may I come in?”

Dezi reacted instantly. With a hard tug—zzzip—the bag was closed in one swift motion.

Deliberately putting on a show, Dezi turned to Liang Jiancheng and added apologetically, “Sorry to let you see this, Brother Liang!”

“That’s great, our Boss Ming is starting to earn extra income too.” Liang Jiancheng remained remarkably calm throughout, having already guessed the bag might contain money, but he truly hadn’t expected it to be related to Ming Xi.

Two hundred thousand…

That’s really impressive. That sum alone was equivalent to a full year’s salary for a white-collar worker in Haigang’s financial sector.

Liang Jiancheng wore a faint smile as he looked deeply at Ming Xi.

On the surface, Ming Xi appeared calm and composed, but inside her emotions were already surging. Especially that look Liang Jiancheng had just given her—it carried a kind of reassessment, a recognition that made her heart race.

“Alright, alright—hold on a second.” Dezi went to open the door himself.

Before doing so, he placed the leather bag full of cash directly into the hands of its rightful owner—Ming Xi.

Her expression instantly turned solemn. She felt as though her arms had grown heavy. In reality, two hundred thousand yuan weighed about the same as five kilos of rice—not heavy at all. But at that moment, she truly understood what it meant to hold money and fear thieves.

Ming Xi hesitated for a moment, then hugged the entire bag tightly to her chest.

Watching her reaction, Liang Jiancheng thoughtfully reached out. “Ming Xi—want me to hold it for you?”

Hearing that, Ming Xi hugged the bag even tighter, as if it were her very lifeline.

“No, this is my life, I can’t give it to you.” Even if only to enjoy holding it, she wanted to do it herself.

Liang Jiancheng chuckled helplessly. To preserve his own innocence, while stepping out of the private room, he kept both hands in his pockets the entire time.

Ming Xi naturally knew that her reaction was embarrassing, but she didn’t care. Stepping out of Jiangnan Mei and standing at the entrance facing the night wind, she happily tilted her head, saying with a mix of sharing and boasting, “Liang Jiancheng, all two hundred thousand yuan here is mine!”

He knew…

It was all hers.

It was all earned through her intelligence and foresight.

“Looks like you’re a rich woman now,” Liang Jiancheng teased, tilting his head as well.

At this time, Cai Ni and the others had gone to the restroom, and Ming Xi wanted to go too. Joking aside, she handed the leather bag to Liang Jiancheng with complete trust and reminded him, “Liang Jiancheng, could you hold this for me? I need to use the restroom too.”

Sure enough, she called him “Mr. Liang” when there was nothing wrong, but “Liang Jiancheng” when there was something.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll run off with it?” Liang Jiancheng teased again.

Ming Xi wasn’t worried at all, confidently replying, “A monk can run, but the temple can’t.”

These days, cash transactions were still common in business. Even in foreign trade, Liang Jiancheng occasionally paid factories in cash. He’d carried far more money than this before—yet this two hundred thousand felt unusually heavy in his hands.

She had only been in Haigang for less than a year and had already earned this much. She was truly impressive. How could her parents ever have had the heart to abandon her and run off?

Children who aren’t cherished often grow up to be the most capable, the most successful.

Under the deep night sky, beneath brightly lit billboards, Liang Jiancheng stood steady and composed. With Ji Runze present earlier, neither the meal nor the conversation had been truly satisfying.

Liang Jiancheng had this thought in mind, and so did Yang Kangde, Han Junjun, and Ming Xi.

“I know a tea house in a rather secluded location, and it’s close to where Ming Xi lives. Why don’t we go there and chat about your recent business?” Liang Liang Jiancheng said at just the right moment, addressing everyone.

“Sounds good,” Dezi was the first to agree.

Han Junjun naturally had no objections.

Ming Xi, clutching her money bag, nodded.

Cai Ni, standing close to Ming Xi, had already transformed into a beautiful bodyguard.

Afterwards, the four of them got into Liang Jiancheng’s car.

Upon arrival, the owner personally arranged a refined room with a small courtyard. Liang Jiancheng declined the tea master’s service and ordered ripe pu’er tea with aged dried tangerine peel—suitable for evening drinking. Once the door was closed, he brewed and poured the tea himself.

Yang Minwen was a true tea connoisseur. Whenever Liang Jiancheng visited his mother and had time, he’d stay to drink a few rounds of tea with Yang Minwen. Over time, he’d picked up a fair bit himself.

Originally, drinking tea was meant to be a quiet experience, but tonight, due to the constant discussions of different ideas, the tea room felt like boiling mountain spring water on the table: bubbling, crackling, alive.

Every now and then, letting one’s heart boil like this felt… pretty good.

Through Ming Xi and Dezi’s detailed explanations, Liang Jiancheng finally understood where the profit share had come from. It all began the day he sold her that computer.

This was the first time Ming Xi had earned such a substantial amount of extra money. Two hundred thousand was undoubtedly a huge sum. Even now, in a private and upscale tea room, she kept the leather bag of cash tightly beside her.

The five of them chatted and drank tea until late into the night.

Listening to their future plans—and the initial contracts Ming Xi had drafted—Liang Jiancheng had to admit that some people were simply born with a talent for business.

Not only did she seize opportunities well, she also understood people. Partnerships were the hardest kind of business, and profit distribution was the core challenge. Ming Xi’s proposed structure was exceptionally reasonable—so reasonable it practically aligned with the economics study he’d learned in Princeton.

Perhaps because she was too excited, Ming Xi yawned at Liang Jiancheng, but her eyes still sparkled. She looked both shrewd and cute, radiant and captivating.

“How about we call it a night? Another time, I’ll host and treat everyone again.” Liang Jiancheng suggested smoothly

The four of them readily agreed.

For Ming Xi, Dezi, and even Han Junjun, this late-night conversation felt like a secret meeting for a ‘get-rich revolution.’ With Ming Xi at the center and Liang Jiancheng as their ideological guide, Dezi and Han Junjun became even more determined to push this “revolution” forward.

This special “meeting” had four participants.

With one more person silently acting as a “lookout.”

Liang Jiancheng parked his car directly in the tea house’s designated parking space. As Ming Xi got into the car with the money in her arms, a small white dog in the backyard suddenly barked at her.

She couldn’t help wondering if her movements looked a little too sneaky.

But her mindset was excellent.

When Liang Jiancheng opened the car door for her, a smile played on her lips, and she happily quipped, “Being rich feels amazing… Even when that little dog barked at me, it felt like it was calling me ‘Boss!’”

Yes—being rich was great. Liang Jiancheng admitted it too. Her eyes were bright and clear, as though the stars themselves had fallen into them. He only needed one glance—yet couldn’t bear to look away.

It turns out that when you like someone, even the “smell of money” about them seems pure and beautiful.

“Boss Ming, please get in.”

With impeccable manners, Liang Jiancheng gestured politely, even lowering his posture slightly.

Ming Xi: …

Her cheeks flushed faintly. She was only worth two hundred thousand—and he was already bowing to her?

What if she had two million someday?

Twenty million?

Two hundred million…?

Her thoughts drifted happily, warmth spreading through her chest, and her mind dizzy with excitement. Then she looked at Liang Jiancheng with bright, lively, slightly mischievous eyes and asked: “Liang Jiancheng, do you like rich women?”

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