Chapter32

How was Cen Zhen supposed to answer this question?

If she honestly said the ticket was reserved for him, it would inevitably seem insincere in the already crumbling state of their relationship. It might even come across as a post-event attempt at flattery.

Cen Zhen didn't want to cause any more misunderstandings, so she quietly passed over it with one simple word, "A friend."

But Meng Fanchuan wasn't going to let it go. "Which friend?"

His inexplicable domineering attitude left Cen Zhen stunned.

She hadn't asked him about those random models and his fiancée outside. Why did he feel the need to involve himself with her?

Because of this subtle sense of unfairness, Cen Zhen turned her face away. "It has nothing to do with you."

Meng Fanchuan stared at Cen Zhen without blinking, as if trying to read something from her face, but she purposely looked away, avoiding him. He couldn’t figure anything out, and the irritation he felt simmered inside him, unable to erupt. It was only slowly chewed up and swallowed.

At this moment, Meng Wenruo returned, satisfied with her phone in hand. "Cen Jie, I just took a photo with your senior, Bai Yan. He's such a humble person, not at all arrogant."

Cen Zhen, who was about to say her goodbyes, looked at her. "Wenruo, I’m leaving now."

"Huh?" Meng Wenruo, unaware of the strange atmosphere between the two, asked, "How are you getting home so late?"

Despite her lack of awareness, Meng Wenruo immediately looped her arm through Cen Zhen’s and continued with her matchmaking efforts. "Let’s go together. I drove. I’ll take you wherever you need to go."

While Meng Wenruo was speaking, Meng Fanchuan had already stormed out with a dark face.

Cen Zhen naturally refused, but her sister was too persistent. She was dragged all the way to the underground parking lot, and on the way, Meng Wenruo casually asked about her boyfriend. They finally stopped in front of a black sports car, and Meng Wenruo opened the door directly.

"Cen Jie, I’ll leave you to him. I need to go back and see if there are other teachers I can get autographs from."

Cen Zhen froze on the spot and suddenly realized that Meng Wenruo hadn’t driven at all. This was clearly Meng Fanchuan's black "warrior" car. He was sitting inside, looking like he was surrounded by an aura of low pressure, as if he didn’t welcome her.

Cen Zhen quickly stepped back. "No need, Wenruo. Really, no need."

"Yes, yes, there is," Meng Wenruo said without hesitation, shoving Cen Zhen into the car and shutting the door with care. "Don’t worry, my brother is a great driver. He’ll make sure to take you home safely."

After closing the door, she quickly pulled out her phone and sent a message to Meng Fanchuan.

"I asked, Cen Jie’s boyfriend is fake."

"Chasing girls takes patience. A man can’t just give up so easily!"

Meng Fanchuan stared at the message for a while before tossing his phone aside.

With a soft click, the silence that followed was overwhelming.

Cen Zhen knew that Meng Fanchuan didn’t want to see her. She instinctively tried to get out of the car but didn’t know how to open the door of his sports car. She fumbled on the side for a while, finally turning helplessly to ask, "...How do you open the door?"

After a few seconds of silence—

Cen Zhen didn’t get an answer from him. Instead, she heard the sound of the car being locked.

The heavy sense of oppression hit her, and her heart sank. She looked at the man—

Meng Fanchuan had both hands on the steering wheel, his brows and eyes lowered. He didn’t speak to her, but after a pause, he started the car and pressed the gas pedal, speeding off.

The sheer power of the car’s engine startled Cen Zhen, and she hurriedly fumbled to secure her seatbelt. Her heart pounded like a drum as she sat there, unsure of what Meng Fanchuan was going to do.

After a while, when the car reached the ground level, she heard him ask, in a flat tone, “Where do you live?”

Cen Zhen swallowed nervously. "...Wan Yue Hotel."

Upon hearing that, Meng Fanchuan seemed to pause for a moment, "You live at Wan Yue?"

Cen Zhen: "What’s wrong?"

But Meng Fanchuan didn’t say anything further.

The car fell silent again. Neither of them started any new conversations, and the silence spread between them like a thick fog.

Since Meng Fanchuan didn’t speak, Cen Zhen kept her gaze out of the window. The sensation felt like a heavy stone pressing down on her chest, making her feel suffocated. It was more unbearable than not seeing him at all.

She had clearly rationalized pushing him out of her world, but every time they met, she couldn’t control her emotions.

On one side was the unforgettable past between them, and on the other was his chaotic and predestined future. The conflict tore Cen Zhen apart, leaving her restless.

She was sitting in the front passenger seat, which Qiao Tingting had said was the most coveted seat for female celebrities in North City. She felt fortunate to have sat in it as soon as she arrived in North City.

But before her, how many had sat here? And after her, who else would?Cen Zhen thought that one month apart would be enough to calm down, but the moment she saw him, all her emotions were easily brought back to square one.

She actually knew very well in her heart that she had never let go.

It wasn’t far from the National Drama Theater to the Wan Yue Hotel, just about ten minutes. The car stopped on the opposite side of the street from the hotel.

"Thank you." Cen Zhen unbuckled her seatbelt, speaking politely but somewhat distant.

Meng Fanchuan seemed to chuckle, but it wasn’t really a laugh. He turned to look at Cen Zhen, "Sorry, thank you, what's next? Goodbye?"

That evening, Cen Zhen was indeed very formal with Meng Fanchuan, but what else could she do? She was the one who had torn their relationship apart initially. She was the one who used him as a benefactor. Was she supposed to throw herself into his arms now and say she thought about him every day?

Cen Zhen couldn’t bring herself to say it.

She took a deep breath, and when she spoke again, her voice had unknowingly softened, "If you’re not busy, could you wait for me here for a moment?"

"To do what?"

"Your watch." Cen Zhen spoke softly. "You left it at home."

It wasn’t a good memory. That day, Cen Zhen had said the harshest words, and Meng Fanchuan had felt as though he had fallen into an ice pit. When he threw his watch on the bedside table, he truly wanted to pin her down on the bed and hurt her.

But in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to.

"It’s fine." Meng Fanchuan’s tone was cold. "Just throw it away."

Cen Zhen: "..."

Another silence.

Meng Fanchuan suddenly laughed lightly again. "So, when you wore the suit and the brooch, were you already planning this?"

Cen Zhen didn’t immediately understand what he meant by "planning," but after a moment, she realized he was referring to her approaching him as a benefactor. Meng Fanchuan then added, "Do you want to try again?"

Cen Zhen froze for a moment, and then instantly understood—Meng Fanchuan thought that by returning his watch, she was using the same tactic again, trying to get close to him on purpose.

She widened her eyes and opened her mouth, trying several times to explain that she didn’t mean it that way, but the words seemed too powerless. In the end, she fell silent.

Meng Fanchuan had already decided what kind of person she was.

Saying more would be futile.

"Alright." Cen Zhen suppressed the storm in her heart and nodded calmly. "I’ll throw it away when I get back."

The term "benefactor" had become a thorn deeply embedded in both of their hearts, a thorn that was double-edged. Every time it was mentioned, it would sharply stab both of them.

"Sorry to trouble you tonight, Young Master Meng." Cen Zhen paused, "Let’s not meet again."

"Open the door."

Meng Fanchuan couldn’t believe what he had just heard, but it was just for a moment. He took a deep breath and didn’t try to keep her any longer. He pressed a button beside him.

The door opened coldly, and without looking back, Cen Zhen got out of the car.

Once again, they parted on unfriendly terms.

The car still carried the lingering scent and warmth of Cen Zhen. Meng Fanchuan closed the door and windows again. Even though she had left a long time ago, he remained parked on the side of the road, not moving.

The irritation inside him couldn’t be relieved, leaving him both angry and frustrated.

He was angry at her stubbornness, her refusal to speak softly to him.

And frustrated with himself—he clearly thought about her to the point of madness, yet he still used such harsh words to test her, to confirm things, just to hear her say "no."

Even though it had all started with resources, didn’t he at least have a little bit of affection for her?

–

The next day, Cen Zhen had a ribbon-cutting event.

The event had been arranged by Mo Xiang before Cen Zhen arrived in North City. Cen Zhen was very popular at the moment, and many brands were trying to get her attention. But Mo Xiang, adhering to the principle of quality over quantity, rarely let her take part in low-value, unnecessary publicity events.

Today was the opening of the French luxury brand LW's flagship store at SKP in Asia. The event had been arranged by Bella Wang. While Cen Zhen’s popularity was secondary, what the brand valued most was her outstanding temperament, which matched their image. That’s why they specifically invited her to be a guest at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

For such a high-quality, influential event, Mo Xiang naturally didn’t hesitate to accept the offer on Cen Zhen’s behalf.

At 9 a.m., Cen Zhen was getting her makeup done at the hotel. The stylist was busy matching several different styles of jewelry.

"It’s so cold, it’s only 3 degrees outside." Chi Yu, even in the air-conditioned room, felt chilly. She looked at Cen Zhen, who was only wearing a backless dress, with concern. "Zhenzhen, will you be alright?"

But even if she wasn’t alright, she had to bear with it. The organizers required her to appear in a gown, and even if it suddenly hailed outside, Cen Zhen had to follow the contract.

She hadn’t slept very well last night. Maybe it was because she wasn’t used to the bed, or perhaps it was because of the words she exchanged with Meng Fanchuan that had disturbed her thoughts.She really didn’t want to see him again.

Seeing him too often was also a form of distress. The story of an unattainable love was called entanglement, like tying oneself up in a cocoon.

She didn’t want to keep trapping herself in this relationship that had no future.

Mo Xiang had just finished communicating with the brand representatives and came over to remind Cen Zhen, "We’re guests today. I’ve already told you the event requirements. If you encounter a guest who wants to show respect, just shake their hand and keep it brief."

Cen Zhen nodded. "Got it."

"Alright, it's almost time, let's go."

For convenience, Mo Xiang had booked a hotel right across from SKP. Now, the group of them walked to the parking lot, and just crossing the street would bring them to the event venue.

As soon as Cen Zhen got into the car, her phone rang. She casually picked it up, and when she saw the red notification on the black profile picture, which had been silent for a long time, she froze for a moment.

She opened the message to see five cold words:

“Watch. Return it to me.”

Cen Zhen: ...?

"Who is it?" Chi Yu asked curiously.

Cen Zhen pressed the screen off, trying to hide the fluctuations in her eyes, "Nothing, just a group advertisement."

But her mind was still confused, trying to figure out the meaning behind Meng Fanchuan’s five words.

Last night, he had told her to throw it away, and today he wanted it back?

What exactly did he want?

Cen Zhen couldn’t figure him out, but the anger she had felt last night wasn’t fake. She hadn’t planned to reply, but before getting out of the car, she still opened her phone and typed two words back:

"Threw it away."

At the same time, in a café near SKP, Meng Fanchuan and his older brother, Meng Qinghuai, were sitting face-to-face.

Meng Qinghuai had called Meng Fanchuan early in the morning, saying he wanted to meet.

Meng Qinghuai had recently taken over part of the business from Yawan Group, and compared to Meng Fanchuan's playful and carefree attitude, Meng Qinghuai appeared much more composed. The two brothers sitting together had very different temperaments.

Meng Qinghuai was dressed in a noble dark suit, paired with a white shirt. His tie was perfectly neat, and his gaze was calm and steady.

"Are you really that opposed to marriage, or..." Meng Qinghuai tried to understand what his younger brother was thinking, "Are you just an anti-marriage person, and never thought about having a partner?"

At that moment, Meng Fanchuan received a message from Cen Zhen. He swiped his phone open and saw the two words, and his heart tightened.

Okay, if she said to throw it away, then she really did. She was still as remarkable as ever.

Meng Fanchuan’s face darkened. Without saying a word, he closed the conversation and asked Meng Qinghuai, "Did he send you to persuade me?"

"No one asked me to persuade you." Meng Qinghuai replied, "The problem needs to be solved. I just hope we can find a balanced solution between you and Dad, to minimize the impact on your father-son relationship."

Meng Fanchuan laughed and took a sip of his coffee. "Bro, don’t you think the way you speak sounds like business talk? It’s so boring."

Meng Qinghuai frowned. "Then what would be interesting? Pick some random unknown model and stage a few scenes of shallow drama? Or continue not returning home like this?"

If Meng Songnian insisted on pushing this marriage, Meng Fanchuan could spend his entire life not returning to that home.

But Meng Fanchuan didn’t say it aloud. He let his gaze drift to the window"The test of the hazelnut fans' purchasing power has arrived, rich lady fans, rush in! You can even shake hands with the sister!"

Meng Fanchuan coldly sneered after reading it. Who came up with this marketing plan? Five thousand for a handshake? Are there really people who would do this?

He expressionlessly turned off his phone, his gaze falling back to the bustling crowd below. The ribbon-cutting ceremony seemed to be over, but the crowd around the store was still huge, layer upon layer. Most of them were men, which made Meng Fanchuan inexplicably irritated.

"Is your reason for not getting married because of that young lady over there?" Meng Qinghuai casually observed everything.

Meng Fanchuan paused for a moment, lowering his voice, "I never said I wouldn't get married."

"I see," Meng Qinghuai smiled lightly, "It's about the person, right?"

Meng Fanchuan didn’t deny it, affirming his older brother's assumption.

Although he was sitting in this café’s private room, his gaze was still fixed on the lively shopping area across the street. The ribbon-cutting ceremony had finished, and Cen Zhen followed the manager into the store. Through the transparent floor-to-ceiling windows, he could vaguely see her inside—sometimes sitting, sometimes standing—

And, unbelievably, she was really shaking someone's hand.

Meng Fanchuan suddenly felt both angry and amused.

He took out his phone again and entered the fan forum. Cen Zhen must have a lot of fans at the scene, as posts were coming one after another, allowing Meng Fanchuan, even from dozens of meters away, to easily learn about the event’s situation.

"Just now, a rich lady fan bought 50,000 worth of goods, and Sister even hugged her! I’m in awe!"

"I don’t have much money, but I bought two bags just to support Zhen Zhen. She’s so beautiful in person, my eyes can’t look away. The goddess of charm from ancient Greece, no exaggeration..."

"Was there an older uncle fan just now? He bought 200,000 worth of goods and went to shake Sister’s hand, hahahaha."

"That uncle must be forty, a true fan."

"LOL, so many male fans at the scene, all here to shake Sister’s hand, right?"

Seeing the last few posts, Meng Fanchuan's smile vanished, and he threw his phone on the table.

"What’s wrong?" Meng Qinghuai clearly noticed the change in his younger brother’s expression in just a few minutes.

Meng Fanchuan said nothing, "Nothing."

He no longer looked downstairs but tried to continue the conversation with Meng Qinghuai, "Don’t you have to go back to the company today?"

"I’ll go later." When work was mentioned, Meng Qinghuai remembered something, "How’s the sponsorship for your team’s spring race next year? A while ago, Giant Stone Technology and Huixing Medical both contacted me, hoping to connect with your North American team. They know you just signed a Chinese driver and want to participate in the spring race..."

"Fu Xu." Meng Fanchuan suddenly interrupted Meng Qinghuai, seemingly not listening to anything his brother had said, and directly called over his brother’s assistant.

Fu Xu, who had been sitting nearby, helping Meng Qinghuai organize materials for the upcoming meeting, walked over in confusion after hearing Meng Fanchuan call him, "Did you call me, Young Master?"

Meng Fanchuan pointed his chin toward the opposite store, "Go over there."

"...?"

It was Cen Zhen’s first time attending a brand event. Although she didn’t have much experience, Mo Xiang had taught her a lot of social skills before she left, so even though the event was crowded and chaotic, she handled it with grace.

The brand didn’t expect her to bring in direct profits on the opening day. The crowd was enough to serve as PR for the headquarters, but unexpectedly, Cen Zhen’s ability to attract money was impressive. The brand had planned for her to interact with fans for half an hour, but after only ten minutes, the store had already made millions.

The "handshake" was initially just a gimmick that the brand thought up, but the response was overwhelming.

During those ten minutes, Cen Zhen shook hands with several fans who came to support her, including some male fans. As Mo Xiang had taught her, she kept it brief.

The PR team, already very satisfied with the results, didn’t realize what would happen next. They were happily chatting with the regional director who came for the ribbon-cutting when Fu Xu entered the store.

He walked directly to the brand’s director and, after briefly stating his purpose, left both the director and the PR team stunned.

It seemed like a fantasy, and the PR team asked again for clarification. Once they got a definite answer, the director clutched his chest and said, "What?!"

The regional director, who had been in the industry for ten years, had never encountered anything like this. He quickly reported to headquarters and started the relevant procedures.

Three minutes later, LW removed the waiting signs for customers entering in batches. All the customers who had been lining up to make purchases were allowed to enter directly.

But they could only enter to visit and take photos; no further purchases were allowed.

Cen Zhen was also taken away by Mo Xiang through a special passage and disappeared from the interaction area.

Fans on the forum were posting:

"Help! This is crazy, someone just cleared out all of LW’s stock today!! Don’t come, Zhen Zhen is gone."

"???? Cleared out the stock?! How much money is that?"

"Initial estimate is at least ten million?"

"Which young master came? Help! Zhen Zhen’s charm is a bit scary."

"Could it be her boyfriend showed up? Hahaha, today she was going to shake a lot of hands, but her boyfriend got jealous and bought all the stock, so no one can touch my wife’s hand, hehe."

"Are you watching too many novels upstairs? Hahahahaha.""+1, you’re just fantasizing, but it seems like you're really getting into it, ah ah ah ah ah!"

"Fifty thousand for a handshake, what should we do with tens of millions? Does that mean he plans to hold onto Sister's hand and never let go?"

"Why suddenly getting into it like this?"

"I need to know all the details of the mysterious buyer in the next minute!"

In the nanny van,

Cen Zhen was also informed of this by Mo Xiang at the same time.

"...Bought everything out?" Cen Zhen looked at Mo Xiang in disbelief.

Mo Xiang nodded, "The brand didn’t know about this either. I heard the customer wasn’t present, it was their assistant who came. The payment was made from a foreign account, directly transferred. Very straightforward."

After saying that, Mo Xiang looked at Cen Zhen with some difficulty, "The PR team said the customer wants to meet you, considering they spent so much money on you."

Chi Yu immediately became worried, "But it's a bit scary, he spent tens of millions. What if he wants to do something to Sister? What if it’s one of those bald old men trying to take advantage of Zhen Zhen?"

Mo Xiang of course understood this concern. The entertainment industry had all sorts of people. There were rich men who would spend millions just to see a smile from a beautiful woman, but indeed—

Even someone as experienced as Mo Xiang felt that this person today was too outrageous.

The more outrageous it was, the harder it would be to deal with.

She didn’t know the person’s background, and if she refused, she feared that it would offend him. He might think that Cen Zhen didn’t know how to play the game, and it could become difficult for her to navigate the industry in the future.

Mo Xiang understood better than anyone else that someone who could casually spend tens of millions probably had the power to overturn things.

Mo Xiang patted Cen Zhen on the shoulder, "It's up to you. If you don’t want to go, I’ll help you decline."

But that would be breaching the contract, and if the brand decided to pursue it, they might demand compensation.

Cen Zhen understood Mo Xiang’s dilemma and appreciated her consideration. But she was just starting out, and this road full of thorns had to be walked. Whether it was a person or a ghost, she could avoid this time, but she wouldn’t be able to avoid the next time.

She had to learn to face and solve these problems.

Maybe, just like the stranger who helped her open 222, this person was someone without any malice?

"I’ll go." Cen Zhen decided, not wanting to make Mo Xiang feel more awkward. Since she had signed the contract and agreed to the brand's terms, she would definitely remain professional.

Mo Xiang let out a sigh of relief, and after communicating with the brand's PR, she returned to the car, "Let’s go, the customer is in the building across. I’ll go with you."

Fu Xu, who had been following Meng Qinghuai for a long time and understood the Meng family’s way of doing things, had already cleared the place of all other guests before Cen Zhen entered the café. Only the store manager remained at the entrance, waiting.

The atmosphere was tense, even Mo Xiang felt nervous, but she couldn’t show it. She calmly reassured Cen Zhen, "Don’t worry, I’ll be waiting outside. If anything happens, just call out loudly."

Fu Xu led the way, and Cen Zhen's heart was racing. She took a deep breath in the lobby and followed him into the private room.

The door opened, and a young man in black sat by the window, looking outside. He turned his head after hearing the sound.

His gaze casually landed on her, and their eyes met. A sliver of light from the window fell across his face. As Cen Zhen clearly saw his face, she froze at the door, her heart pounding in her throat.