When Cheng Qiaobei bit into the coin, he was stunned for a mont. He had obviously put the dumpling on Chen Ningxi’s plate—how did it end up with him?
Ye Yujun laughed and said, "Looks like our Cheng is going to have so good fortune next year."
Chen Ningxi spoke with a hint of envy, but her crescent-shaped smiling eyes betrayed her joy for him. "Comrade Cheng, it seems the God of Wealth will be looking out for you in the future. Keep it up."
Cheng Qiaobei took the coin from between his lips and teeth, wiped it clean with a tissue, and tucked it into his pocket. "I’ll keep this coin safe—next year, I’ll be counting on it."
As the clock struck midnight, the Spring Festival Gala ca to an end, marking the beginning of a new year.
Chen Weichuan walked into the house wrapped in the chill of the night. Hearing the sound at the door, Ye Yujun quickly got out of bed.
She could never sleep soundly until he returned ho.
Chen Weichuan said, "Didn’t I tell you to sleep first? Don’t wait for ."
Ye Yujun took his coat, which was covered in snow marks. "Did you fall?"
"Yeah, I went to the heating company to give my regards. Didn’t pay attention while going down the stairs and slipped." When Chen Weichuan took off his leather shoes, his ankle was noticeably swollen.
"It’s this bad?" Ye Yujun quickly went to support him. "Where was Li? Didn’t he help you?"
Chen Weichuan said, "I let him go ho. He hasn’t spent Chinese New Year with his family in three years because he’s been working with ."
"Sigh, I knew it. If he were there, you wouldn’t have fallen." Supporting him as they walked further inside, Ye Yujun asked, "Have you eaten dinner?"
"Not yet."
Ye Yujun: "I’ll heat up so food for you."
Chen Ningxi and Cheng Qiaobei ca out of their room and saw Chen Weichuan limping as he walked.
Chen Ningxi said, "Dad, what happened?"
Cheng Qiaobei quickly stepped forward to help. "Dad, walk slowly."
Ye Yujun handed him over to Chen Ningxi. "I’ll go heat up the food. Your dad hasn’t had dinner yet."
Helping him to sit down in the dining chair, Chen Ningxi asked, "How did this happen?"
Chen Weichuan said, "I slipped myself. It was pitch dark, and who knew there was a hole covered by snow? I stepped right into it and twisted my ankle."
The thought alone sounded painful. Squatting down, Chen Ningxi pulled down his socks and saw his ankle, all bruised and swollen.
"Dad, could it be fractured?"
Chen Weichuan said, "No, if it were fractured, I wouldn’t be able to take a single step."
Cheng Qiaobei rolled up his trouser leg and said worriedly, "You should still go to the hospital tomorrow and get an X-ray. This injury isn’t minor."
Chen Weichuan said, "But I have a eting tomorrow—"
Before he could finish, Ye Yujun ca out of the kitchen and cut him off. "No eting is more important than your health. You must go to the hospital tomorrow. If you don’t, I’ll go to your eting and drag you out myself. Chen Weichuan, don’t think I wouldn’t dare."
Although her tone carried a threatening edge, it was clearly laden with concern for him.
Softening her voice, Ye Yujun continued, "Old Chen, we’re not young anymore. Back then, you could shake off a fall or a scrape, but not anymore. You have to accept it."
Chen Weichuan relented, "Fine, I’ll go to the hospital tomorrow."
The next day.
Cheng Qiaobei and Chen Ningxi needed to visit the Cheng Family for New Year’s greetings. Before that, they took Chen Weichuan to the hospital for an X-ray, which confird there were no fractures, just a sprain. Only then did Ye Yujun feel at ease.
Still, since it was a ligant injury, the orthopedic doctor prescribed so cold compress treatnts and oral dication.
After dropping Chen Weichuan off at his office, as he got out of the car, he instructed, "Cheng, send my regards to your grandparents from your mom and ."
Cheng Qiaobei: "Got it, Dad."
"Are you staying there overnight?" asked Chen Weichuan.
Cheng Qiaobei said, "We’ll see when we get there. If there’s no room, Ningxi and I will co back."
How could there not be room? The Cheng Family’s old house had been completely rebuilt on the original foundation long ago. Cheng Xiangheng was a firm believer in feng shui, and a feng shui master had once told him that the location of this house was the source of his wealth, and it must never lack the presence of people. Moreover, the elderly couple of the Cheng Family held on to their nostalgia and stayed in the town, guarding the old house—which inadvertently ant guarding Cheng Xiangheng’s fortune.
Watching Chen Weichuan walk into the office building, Cheng Qiaobei finally drove away.
Ye Yujun said, "Cheng, don’t make a turn into the neighborhood. Just drop off at the road up ahead—I’ll walk in."
Cheng Qiaobei said, "It’s cold out and the road is slippery. Don’t walk. When we were at orthopedics earlier, almost everyone there had sustained injuries from slips—better to be cautious."
When they reached the building complex, Ye Yujun handed over so items to Cheng Qiaobei. "Cheng, take these to your grandparents."
Cheng Qiaobei: "Thank you on their behalf, Mom."
Ye Yujun chided fondly, "You call Mom, and then you still say thank you?"
On the way to the Cheng Family’s old house, the closer they got, the darker Cheng Qiaobei’s expression beca.
To lighten the atmosphere, Chen Ningxi turned on the car’s music player. "What kind of music do you usually listen to?"
Cheng Qiaobei said, "Nothing in particular. I usually just shuffle songs."
Deng Yan’s na popped up on the screen, and Cheng Qiaobei put on his Bluetooth headset to answer. "Hello."
Deng Yan said, "It’s done. Where should I send the contract?"
Cheng Qiaobei gave him the family address. "Keep going."
Deng Yan: "Got it."
After hanging up, Chen Ningxi asked, "Deng Yan isn’t taking a break?"
Cheng Qiaobei said, "He is."
"And yet you’re making him work," Chen Ningxi teased.
Cheng Qiaobei replied with subtle implication, "So work can’t be done during office hours. It needs the cover of downti to stay hidden."
Squinting, Chen Ningxi leaned closer and fixed her gaze on him. "Spill it. What kind of sche are you plotting now?"
Cheng Qiaobei tousled her hair with his large hand, but she quickly grabbed his wrist. "Stop ssing up my hair! Don’t change the subject—tell what’s going on."
Cheng Qiaobei said, "The Qingshan project is proving difficult. If it doesn’t work out, I need to have a contingency plan."
She could tell he was laying the groundwork for an exit strategy.
Whether it was business or managing a hotel, the differences between industries were significant. Though she didn’t fully understand, she knew just to support him.
She asked, "Is it going smoothly?"
Cheng Qiaobei said, "For now, yes. No one has caught on yet."
"...If they do, it won’t go smoothly, right?"
He nodded firmly. "If they find out, it’ll definitely fall apart. The entire plan could be sabotaged."
Chen Ningxi asked, "Are you still worried they’ll interfere?"
They both knew exactly who "they" referred to.
Cheng Qiaobei said, "Just doing this line of work is already encroaching on their turf. If they figure out the situation, I’ll have no cards left to play."
He took hold of her hand. "Wife, I’ve put everything I have into this plan."
Chen Ningxi said, "You’re making nervous just hearing about it."
Cheng Qiaobei smiled. "It won’t co to that. Everything is still under my control."
After driving for over an hour, they finally arrived at the Cheng Family’s town—Danfu Town.
The road leading into the town had been paved by the Cheng Family, and even the school buildings for the elentary and middle schools had been funded by them. As a result, the Cheng Family was highly respected here. Seeing Cheng Qiaobei’s car entering the town, locals greeted him with friendly smiles.
"Do they all know you?" asked Chen Ningxi.
"Not exactly," replied Cheng Qiaobei. "But this car represents the Cheng Family to them."
It was clear he didn’t like being a representative of the Cheng Family, but when people waved at him, he still cooperatively honked in return.
Driving along the asphalt road deeper into the town, they finally ca upon an impressive villa.
With a cool and distant expression, Cheng Qiaobei said, "We’re here."
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