Chapter43

The Meng family’s villa in the southern suburbs is named Meng Yuan, covering nearly 9 acres. The two villas are connected, equipped with a private helipad, a golf course, and other facilities. Zhuang Jiayi loves flowers and plants, so the garden in the back yard covers a thousand square meters, and an artificial lake has been created, looking like a 5A scenic spot. The sunlight dances on its surface, sparkling like emeralds.

Normally, Meng Songnian and his wife live in the main building at the front, while their three children reside in the auxiliary building at the back. Later, Meng Qinghuai married and moved out, only coming back occasionally. The auxiliary building was left with only Meng Fanchuan and his younger sister Meng Wenruo.

As time passed, Meng Fanchuan stopped coming home, and the auxiliary building became even quieter. On ordinary days, Meng Wenruo had no one to talk to.

Twenty minutes later, Meng Fanchuan’s car arrived at Meng Yuan.

The entire estate felt unusually tense and oppressive, with servants working silently, not daring to make a sound.

Everyone had heard that Meng Songnian had been furious upstairs, apparently related to the second young master, but no one knew what had happened.

They only knew that, in those twenty minutes, the eldest young master and the third young miss had returned home one after another, and now the second young master had arrived. The atmosphere seemed incredibly serious.

In the study, Meng Qinghuai and Meng Wenruo had already received news and returned home first. However, Zhuang Jiayi had subtly indicated to them not to say anything that might escalate the situation.

When Meng Fanchuan pushed the door open, Meng Qinghuai’s gaze shifted over, his brows slightly furrowed, as if silently saying to him, “How could you be so careless?”

Meng Wenruo also turned her head. After hearing the news, she was still in shock—did her brother become a third party in someone’s relationship?

So, her gaze toward her brother was filled with curious questions, completely unconcerned about how angry their father might be.

“You still know how to come back.” Meng Songnian was at home recovering, but even in his pajamas, his aura was so commanding that everyone in the room fell silent. He sneered twice, then walked over to sit behind the desk. “You didn’t have enough fun last time, so you came again this time, huh?”

The matter with Judy had already angered Meng Songnian greatly. He had thought that after Meng Fanchuan went to Hucheng for a few months, he would have calmed down, but to his surprise, it only got worse. On the road, he was hugging a woman… completely without any dignity.

“I wasn’t playing around.” Meng Fanchuan simply answered, getting straight to the point.

“Not playing around? Then what are you trying to do? I told you to get married, but today you’re causing a scene here, tomorrow you’ll cause another there. Our Meng family has never produced a rebellious child like you—this is simply... cough, cough!” Meng Songnian had caught a cold in Europe, and when he got excited, he started coughing again.

“Can’t you speak properly?” Zhuang Jiayi helplessly patted his back, then turned to Meng Fanchuan, asking, “Who is that girl?”

Meng Fanchuan had actually thought of many ways to introduce Cen Zhen to his parents, but he hadn’t expected such an incident today. However, the situation had already happened, and he didn’t want to hide it anymore.

Meng Fanchuan looked at Meng Songnian, his tone always calm: “Didn’t you ask me how I turned Zhongshi’s losses into profits within three months? It’s because of her.”

“She’s called Cen Zhen. She graduated from Beicheng Film Academy last year. She’s an outstanding actress, and I signed her.”

“Oh, good, great.” Meng Songnian laughed in anger, “Last time it was a model, and now it’s an actress. You’re playing even more recklessly now, and you even signed her to the company?”

“I’ll say it again, I wasn’t playing around.” Meng Fanchuan frowned in impatience. “She’s my girlfriend.”

Meng Wenruo, who had been eavesdropping, widened her eyes.

What’s going on? Cen Zhen’s boyfriend is actually her second brother?

…No wonder she thanked him last time. So they’ve been together for a while already!

How long have they been secretly together?

“Are you out of your mind?” Meng Songnian stood up again, his voice full of anger. “Do you even know what you’re saying? Your marriage was arranged by your grandfather before he passed. Where do you get the right to have a girlfriend?”

“He passed away.” Meng Fanchuan said expressionlessly. “I make my own decisions now.”

“…”

Meng Songnian was stunned by his son’s words, speechless for a long time. He turned to Meng Qinghuai, “You’re the eldest brother, you speak.”

But how could Meng Qinghuai respond? He had seen the way his brother looked at that girl, seen how he spent extravagantly for her. Although he didn’t know how things would turn out, at this very moment, he knew his brother had truly fallen for her.

After a moment of silence, Meng Qinghuai looked at his father. “Dad, if Ah Chuan really likes her…”

“Shut up!”

Meng Songnian couldn’t believe that his eldest son was speaking in support of him. He turned to Meng Wenruo. “You’re the youngest, you speak.”

Meng Wenruo was stunned. When did it become her turn to speak in this family?

But since their father had pointed at her, she swallowed her saliva, “I think they’re very well matched.”

“You two, get out!”

“…”

“…”

Zhuang Jiayi sighed helplessly. “Can I say something now?”

Upon hearing his wife’s words, Meng Songnian’s anger eased slightly. He patted her hand. “Don’t be angry.”Zhuang Jiayi was speechless, “I’m not angry.”

She looked at Meng Fanchuan and patiently asked, “Mom doesn’t know much about the entertainment industry. How long have you known her? Do you really know her? Your father is just worried that if you invest your whole heart into this, you might end up getting hurt.”

“She won’t.” Meng Fanchuan was certain. “She’s not that kind of person.”

The room fell silent for a moment before Meng Songnian suddenly let out a long “Oh,” as if realizing something. “So, this time you’re changing strategies, huh? You know the last time, that model thing didn’t feel real. This time, you’re applying what you learned, coming back stronger with someone who can act, and tonight’s photos, you’re the one who arranged to leak them, right? You’ve really gone all out to avoid marrying into the Qin family.”

Meng Fanchuan: “…”

“Act, huh? Let’s see how long you can keep up this act.” Meng Songnian loosened his pajamas and suddenly looked calm. “If you’re really capable, then go ahead and bring me a marriage certificate tomorrow, and I’ll give you a red envelope.”

“If you insist on thinking I’m acting, there’s nothing I can do. As long as you’re happy.” Meng Fanchuan was too tired to argue further. He took two steps back and headed for the door. “She’s sick. I have to go take care of her. I’m leaving.”

After saying that, Meng Fanchuan turned and left. Zhuang Jiayi called out to him twice but couldn’t stop him, so she turned back and looked at her husband.

The room was silent. Meng Songnian felt uncomfortable under her gaze. “What are you looking at me for?”

Then he noticed his eldest son and youngest daughter were also looking at him, making him even more uncomfortable. “What are you two looking at me for?!”

Meng Songnian grabbed a bottle of cough syrup from the desk, slammed it down again, hinting at his displeasure. “His father is also sick. Have you heard him ask about it? Heartless!”

Zhuang Jiayi, Meng Qinghuai, and Meng Wenruo: “…”

Just as the words fell, a servant knocked on the door, bringing in a bowl of medicinal soup for dispelling wind and cold. “Madam, the soup is ready.”

Zhuang Jiayi handed it to Meng Songnian, helping him calm down. “Drink the soup first. We’ll discuss the children’s matters slowly.”

Meng Songnian was the only one whose words could get through. He took the bowl and drank, while Zhuang Jiayi casually asked the servant, “Pour another bowl. This little bit isn’t enough.”

“Yes, Madam. The kitchen is rebrewing it.” The servant hesitated. “…The second young master just took the rest, said he was going to give it to his girlfriend.”

Meng Songnian spat out his soup.

— Unfilial son!!!

Around 6 PM, after being alerted about the kiss photo of Cen Zhen, Mo Xiang immediately called the company to intervene.

At first, she thought some media outlet had leaked it, but the more she thought about it, the less it made sense. Although the back of Meng Fanchuan’s figure was all that could be seen in the photo, the distinctive license plate on his car—anyone in the media would know that person couldn’t be ordinary. How could it be so easily leaked online?

It wasn’t until she figured out the full story that Mo Xiang realized how absurd the situation was.

This was probably the most dramatic leak she had encountered in her career.

After all, who would have thought that a girl, suspecting her boyfriend might be cheating, would go to check the car’s dashcam for evidence and accidentally discover a couple passionately kissing?

Out of curiosity, she watched the footage a few more times and suddenly felt the girl’s face looked familiar. She searched online and found that she was the lead actress from the recently announced Xie Qingzong film, and the first related search was #Cen Zhen’s boyfriend#.

So, she stopped searching for cheating evidence and, excited about capturing a celebrity, she decided to share a screenshot of the video online:

“Isn’t this Cen Zhen’s boyfriend?”

Of course, she didn’t know who owned the license plate with five zeroes, nor did she realize how much of a storm she had caused. Countless people ended up working overtime because of her one sentence.

Once the photo with Cen Zhen’s tag was posted, replies came flooding in, followed by reposts. Zhongshi intervened immediately, and later Yawan’s PR stepped in. Although the incident was quickly erased from the internet, those who had seen it were left with an impression.

“Who recognizes that back?! Is this like a plot from a rich family novel?”

“Such a secure embrace.”

“Can we say that he kisses well?”

“Great, my shipping dreams have come true. The fandom’s already exploding, hahahaha!”

“When was this photo taken? Could it be that a few days ago, everyone was speculating about Song Wang and his real boyfriend got jealous, so they kissed Cen Zhen like that?”

“Alright, alright, angry kiss, I ship it! Is there angry sex too?”

“If you guys keep talking like this, I won’t be sleeping tonight. I’m all ears!”

“Please, can you send me the photo in private?”

Of course, more people were curious about Meng Fanchuan’s identity:

“I just looked up this car, my god, it’s worth more than 60 million, and there’s only one in the country!”

“Anyone from Beicheng? This license plate is so fancy. Can’t figure out who it belongs to?”

“Someone just said it’s the second son of the M family.”

“M family? I don’t know them! Can you give a name?”

“Don’t ask too much about society’s affairs. Just know it’s a top-tier, very red family.”"I believe it’s a real rich family, but the news got pulled down so quickly and cleanly…"

"No wonder Song Wang had to release a statement. She has a legitimate boyfriend, and he was still clinging around for days."

"Ha, I bet she was probably warned and had to write it overnight?"

Because the photos and the information that could expose Meng Fanchuan's identity were taken down, netizens’ curiosity only increased. The old story resurfaced, and the topic #Cen Zhen’s boyfriend# once again dominated the trending searches.

In apartment 222, Cen Zhen was absorbed in scrolling through her social media feed.

Actually, Cen Zhen wasn’t the type to search for herself online, but right now, she had to find something to do. Otherwise, her mind couldn’t stop worrying about Meng Fanchuan.

"The doctor said you should drink more water and rest more. How about you lie down for a while?" Wen Hui had been staying with her. She had just ordered some food from the hotel, but Cen Zhen didn’t seem to have much of an appetite. She had picked up her chopsticks a few times but stopped shortly after.

"I’m fine." Cen Zhen shook her head, put down her phone, and sighed. "Can I call him?"

It had already been more than an hour, and Cen Zhen was genuinely worried about Meng Fanchuan, afraid he might get scolded because of this incident, or worse—

She asked anxiously, "He won’t get hit by his father, will he?"

Wen Hui couldn’t help but laugh. "He’s not a little kid. Mr. Meng wouldn’t do that."

"…"

"Don’t worry. They’ve been arguing like this for years, it’s nothing unusual."

Since they were also waiting for Meng Fanchuan, Wen Hui briefly explained the father-son relationship to Cen Zhen. It wasn’t really anything major. To summarize, it was a father who had paved the way for his son, but the son insisted on walking the path he liked.

After hearing this, Cen Zhen finally understood why Meng Fanchuan once asked her, "Does your family support your acting?"

It turned out his family never supported his interests.

It also made sense now why he was genuinely upset that day.

To defy his father, he was even willing to stay in a hotel and not return home. Thinking about this, Cen Zhen asked Wen Hui, "Why did he book this room in this hotel?"

Wen Hui didn’t know the past events, so she casually answered, "Wan Yue is his friend’s hotel, he’s familiar with his habits."

"…Oh."

Cen Zhen didn’t ask more. She had indeed been surprised when she saw the room number at the door earlier, but after she sat down, she became calm again.

There was a sense of fate between her and Meng Fanchuan.

She had gone to look for Song Wang, but ended up in his fitting room. Later, when she was about to leave the Hua Mansion, she had an inexplicable urge to check the Romeo balcony, where she met him again... It felt as if they were somehow guided by fate, always coming together through an unexplainable bond.

So, was it fate that he booked the same room she had once stayed in?

While she was thinking about this, the sound of the door card being swiped "beeped," and Cen Zhen froze for a moment, instinctively standing up.

The next second, the door opened, and Meng Fanchuan appeared. Cen Zhen’s heart, which had been tight with worry, finally relaxed. Without realizing it, she ran towards him and threw herself into his arms.

Meng Fanchuan stumbled back two steps, laughing lightly as he held her, "What’s wrong?"

Wen Hui, seeing the affectionate scene between the couple for the first time, looked down and smiled. Then she cleared her throat and said, "The doctor said Zhen Zhen just caught a chill. I left some medicine for her, and she just needs to drink more hot water and rest. I called for food, but she hasn’t eaten much."

After saying this, she closed the door for them. "You two talk. If anything comes up, call me."

Once the door was closed, Meng Fanchuan lowered his gaze and looked at Cen Zhen, "Why didn’t you eat?"

Cen Zhen responded in a muffled voice, "I’m worried about you."

"Worried about what?"

... Worried about what?

In the past two hours, Cen Zhen had repeatedly asked herself this question.

It wasn’t until she felt the anxious, helpless sense of loss that she gradually realized—

When Meng Fanchuan drove away earlier, she was terrified of being separated from him again.

She cared more than she had imagined.

Leaning her head on his shoulder, Cen Zhen softly said, "I’m worried that your dad will hit you and lock you up at home, and then we’ll never be able to meet again."

Hearing this, Meng Fanchuan laughed. "Do actors always think so wildly?"

Cen Zhen tilted her head and asked, "So, did you two fight?"

"Not really," Meng Fanchuan didn’t make it sound worse than it was. Compared to times when they had thrown things at each other before, today’s argument was relatively mild.

Cen Zhen still wasn’t sure if Meng Fanchuan was lying, so she asked again, "Were they really angry?"

"No." Meng Fanchuan paused and reassured Cen Zhen, "They just don’t know you yet, they don’t understand. That’s why they want me to go back and introduce you."

Cen Zhen didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to verify if what Meng Fanchuan said was true or not. When others returned, all that mattered was being with him."Don’t overthink it." Seeing Cen Zhen silent, Meng Fanchuan gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and explained, "The PR team handled it that way. Nuo Nuo and I have never appeared in public together, so that’s why they dealt with it like that."

Cen Zhen understood. He meant that the deleted photos and posts weren’t to conceal her existence.

The wealthy have their own way of doing things, and Cen Zhen of course understood. She shook her head. "I’m not overthinking it."

Whether the netizens knew, whether they gave their blessings, whether they questioned or even insulted her, Cen Zhen didn’t care.

What mattered to her was that after waiting for two hours, she could still see Meng Fanchuan return, back by her side.

That was enough.

"I brought you some soup from home, to ward off the cold." Meng Fanchuan poured out the soup and glanced at his watch. "Drink it up, and I’ll take you back after you’re done, okay?"

"I don’t have any scenes tomorrow morning." Traveling back and forth was tiring. Cen Zhen knew that Meng Fanchuan had already been through enough fatigue for the night. She said, "I want to spend the night with you."

Upon hearing this, Meng Fanchuan seemed momentarily stunned, then nodded casually. "Then drink your soup, take a hot bath, and rest early."

Now that Meng Fanchuan was back, Cen Zhen’s appetite returned as well. The medicinal soup he brought, with both soup and ingredients, filled her up. She drank two bowls in one go, finally satisfying her hunger.

Afterward, she soaked in the bath for 20 minutes, and when she came out, she felt much warmer.

Meng Fanchuan sat on the sofa next to the bed, looking at his phone. When he noticed Cen Zhen come out, he instinctively looked up. Just one glance, and his eyes darkened slightly, almost imperceptibly.

She hadn’t expected to stay overnight in the city, so Cen Zhen didn’t bring any clothes. She had only taken one of Meng Fanchuan’s shirts to use as makeshift sleepwear when she went to the bathroom.

Now, wearing the shirt, it fell just below her thighs, subtly revealing her spring.

"What are you looking at?" Cen Zhen asked.

Meng Fanchuan swallowed, patted the spot next to him, and said, "Come here."

Cen Zhen obediently walked over and sat down beside him. Meng Fanchuan looked at her, about to speak, when he suddenly noticed something and chuckled lightly. "Are you a child? You even buttoned your shirt wrong."

He said this as he reached out, his fingers stopping at her chest. The shirt was gently adjusted, and Cen Zhen’s breath hitched, her entire face turning faintly red.

She lowered her eyes and realized she had buttoned a few wrong, with the top buttons misaligned, leaving the collar undone.

His hands were long and clean, with faint veins running along the back, the lines of his veins visible, giving off a restrained strength.

Now, those hands were moving just a layer of fabric away from her, as he seriously rebuttoned each button for her. His fingers occasionally brushed against her porcelain-like skin, the touch light and fleeting, like a feather brushing over her, sending a tingling sensation through her, making her heart skip and her breath catch.

"I was just looking at the trending topics." Meng Fanchuan spoke casually, "What should I do? Now everyone thinks I’m your official boyfriend."

"If they think so…" Cen Zhen swallowed, her voice soft, "Then it’s true."

Meng Fanchuan paused his movements. "What?"

He pretended not to hear, "I didn’t hear that."

Trying to escape the awkward atmosphere, Cen Zhen quickly fastened the last two buttons herself, pursing her lips as she walked toward the bed. "Forget it if you didn’t hear."

Meng Fanchuan slowly followed her, watching as Cen Zhen snuggled under the blankets. He wanted to laugh but maintained a serious expression. "Miss Cen, pretending to sleep won’t work. You’ll have to take responsibility for this."

Cen Zhen, with her back to him, closed her eyes, though her lips secretly curved into a smile.

Meng Fanchuan stood there watching for a while, helplessly smiling. He then sat next to her and, after a moment of contemplation, suddenly reached out to touch her forehead.

Thankfully, no fever.

She could pretend to sleep if she wanted. Meng Fanchuan stood up, planning to take a shower himself when Cen Zhen suddenly turned to look at him.

Their eyes met, and Meng Fanchuan lay back down beside her lazily. "What’s wrong? Did your conscience wake up?"

Cen Zhen stared at him for a moment, hesitated, and then spoke, "Can I ask you something?"

Meng Fanchuan propped himself up on his arm. "Ask."

"That time when we fought in Hu City, I had a fever afterward. Did you come see me in the middle of the night…?"

When Meng Fanchuan’s hand had rested on her earlier, that familiar touch immediately triggered a memory for Cen Zhen. She remembered that night, that vague figure.

Meng Fanchuan looked at her for a while. "What could I do?"

Even though her words had hurt him deeply at the time, even though he had been furious and pretended to be indifferent, he still went back home that night. He checked her temperature, tucked her into bed, and only forced himself to leave after that.

His tone softened unexpectedly, carrying a trace of helplessness. "I couldn’t let go."

It felt like something heavy had settled into her heart. Perhaps it was the certainty of "So it really is you," and for some reason, Cen Zhen’s nose tingled, and she gently hugged him.

"I’ve answered your question." Meng Fanchuan wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Now it’s your turn. Will you answer mine?"

Cen Zhen hummed, "What do you want to ask?"

Meng Fanchuan kept his gaze on her, silent for a moment. He pushed a few stray hairs away from her face and asked, "What were you going to tell me when you came back from the business trip in Shenzhen?"

The soft light from the bedside lamp bathed the room in warmth, and the room fell into a sudden quiet.Cen Zhen's memories were quickly pulled back to that day.

Meng Fanchuan misunderstood because of Bai Yan's matter. He pressed her, asking her to say she liked him. She was at a loss, choosing to avoid the situation.

But more than anyone, she understood—the panic was because of him, the confusion was because of him, all the fluttering feelings were because of him.

She loved the fireworks he gave her, and so she let herself fall.

"I want to say..." Cen Zhen spoke softly, confirming the words that Chi Yu had said back then, "I’m very happy being with you. Every little thing about being with you feels romantic."

"When you're happy, I'm happy. When you're not happy, I'm not happy."

"I want to say I care about you."

"I want to say..."

Cen Zhen breathed lightly, tilting her head to look at the man in front of her. Her gaze was gentle.

"I like you."

"Back then, and now."