Chapter44

Cen Zhen finished her last word, and the echo reverberated in Meng Fanchuan’s ears.

It turned out that the happiness gained from delayed gratification was so intense. He had waited for so long, even back when they were in Hu City, hoping to hear Cen Zhen say those words to him. Finally, just now, at that very moment, those words clearly reached his ears.

It was so sudden that it felt like an electric shock went through his heart, causing it to violently fluctuate, almost unbearable.

Their gazes met, and rationality finally broke through that barrier. He deeply, recklessly kissed her, tightening his arms around her as if trying to crush her.

The breath between them suddenly became scorching, their kisses urgent and intense. Cen Zhen let out a soft sound, but closed her eyes and responded by clinging to his shoulder. From her lips to her face, and then to her neck, Meng Fanchuan didn’t hold back. When his lips touched her earlobe, the fine tremors spread from her scalp, making her completely weak in his embrace, as if she were sinking into quicksand, instinctively tilting her face to meet him.

Her collarbone, bathed in the dim yellow light of the wall lamp, revealed half of its shadow. The movements beneath the passionate kiss were no longer composed but more hurried. If he had known it would be like this, why had he buttoned her shirt so neatly just moments ago?

In an instant, her collar slipped off, and the line of her collarbone was fully exposed to the light.

Their lips and tongues continued to intertwine, making breathless, flushed sounds in the quiet room. Cen Zhen’s nose was clogged, making it harder to breathe, and with each kiss, it became even more difficult to catch her breath. Her heart pounded violently, and after just a few moments, she found herself unable to resist anymore. Meng Fanchuan seemed to sense this, trailing his kisses down her neck.

His scorching breath lingered at a place he had never touched before. Just the thought of him looking at it made Cen Zhen too embarrassed to even glance at him. The word "no" was on the tip of her tongue, but before she could speak it, she was overwhelmed by a wave of wet warmth, and the intense stimulation made her body stiffen. She couldn’t control the tremor that ran through her, and her hands slid down from his shoulder, gripping the bedsheets at her sides. In the end, unable to resist, she covered her eyes.

He played for a while before returning, his voice hoarse as he kissed her earlobe and asked, "Why are you so soft?"

His voice was very low, almost a whisper, as his desire slipped inside.

Cen Zhen blushed deeply, biting her lips but unsure of what to say. She wanted to stop him from teasing her, so she took the initiative to pull him in for a kiss, but that turned out to be a mistake.

How could he stand her taking the initiative?

Just the sight of her red cheeks made him want to crush her. So he returned her action with another deep kiss, entangling their lips again. Cen Zhen held her breath, and just as she thought she couldn’t breathe anymore, she suddenly felt something. Her eyes widened as she looked at him.

Her body instinctively wanted to pull away, but he pinned her down.

Her gaze shifted from shock to dazedness in just a few minutes.

Cen Zhen almost cried, her nose becoming even more congested.

After a long while, Meng Fanchuan finally lay back down on her, kissing her lips gently. "You have a cold. How about we stop for now?"

He was afraid she wouldn’t be able to breathe if they kept going, and he didn’t want their first time to be so unsatisfactory. Moreover, she was still sick, so he wasn’t in a rush.

He definitely enjoyed the taste, but tonight had already been enough.

He had patience for another round of delayed satisfaction.

Cen Zhen’s skin was covered in a thin layer of sweat, and it took a while for her to calm down from the lingering sensations. She bit her lip and said, "...I hate you."

Meng Fanchuan smiled, not bothered by it. His moist fingertips slowly traced her body, reaching her lips. "Is this how you hate me?"

Cen Zhen: "..."

"Don’t pout." Meng Fanchuan smiled genuinely and lowered his head to pull her into his arms. "I’ll hold you to sleep."

Although she protested a few times, Cen Zhen eventually fell into a deep sleep in Meng Fanchuan’s arms. The dizziness from her cold seemed to dissipate a lot after that kiss.

He held her tight, and the night was gentle and peaceful.

The next morning at eight o’clock, light and shadow faintly fell on the thick curtains. The two people in the bed were still holding each other, and the room remained quiet as it had been at night.

Until the sudden sound of a ringtone filled the room—

Cen Zhen’s phone was ringing.

The person in her arms furrowed his brows slightly but didn’t seem to want to open his eyes. Meng Fanchuan had no choice but to get out of bed and grab her phone, glancing at the caller. "It’s your mom."

Cen Zhen, still dazed, quickly woke up. She answered the phone, "Hello? Mom?"

Xiao Yunqi immediately recognized her daughter’s groggy voice. "What’s wrong? You still haven’t woken up?"

"…Mm." Cen Zhen sat up slightly. "Is something wrong this early?"

"Well, you tell me." Xiao Yunqi’s tone was concerned and anxious. "I want to ask you, what’s going on with that boyfriend online? Didn’t you say it was to avoid rumors? Why are you now with someone else..."

Xiao Yunqi had just come back from giving a class and heard the students discussing her daughter. Apparently, there were even some photos online, but the students didn’t dare gossip too much. Xiao Yunqi only had a vague understanding, and when she searched online, she couldn’t find anything.

She sighed. "Zhen Zhen, be honest with me. Do you have a boyfriend or not?"

The bedroom was very quiet in the early morning, and the voice on the other side of the phone floated into Cen Zhen’s ear.

Meng Fanchuan, still holding her hand, started kissing her again. When he heard his future mother-in-law’s question, he froze. He turned his head to look at Cen Zhen.She waited for her to introduce herself, as if supervising.

Cen Zhen swallowed, clearing her throat. "Mm... yes."

Xiao Yunqi immediately became flustered. "When did you start dating? Where is the boy from? How tall is he? What does he look like? What are his parents like? But the most important thing when choosing a boyfriend is his character."

Her mother bombarded her with questions, making Cen Zhen unsure of where to begin. She opened her lips, about to speak, when the phone in her hand was suddenly taken away by the person beside her.

With a polite, well-educated introduction, he began: "Hello, Auntie. My surname is Meng. I'm from North City, 187 cm tall, my features are fairly decent, and my parents are both alive."

Cen Zhen was caught off guard, staring blankly as Meng Fanchuan answered all of her mother’s questions one by one.

The room fell silent, and the phone call on the other end quieted too.

After a few seconds, Xiao Yunqi seemed to come to a realization after hearing her soon-to-be son-in-law’s introduction. "Wait, you two... have you already slept together?"

Cen Zhen: "…"

Meng Fanchuan: "…"

In Xiao Yunqi’s eyes, her daughter was kind and outstanding. Though not from a wealthy family, she grew up immersed in an artistic environment, exuding grace. Now, she had become a celebrity, even chosen by a famous director to star in a film.

Xiao Yunqi was very worried that her innocent daughter might be deceived.

Cen Zhen spent quite some time calming her mother down, and the call eventually ended with Xiao Yunqi repeatedly reminding her: "Don’t meet scammers who want to take advantage of you... You need to protect yourself..." and "Actually, there are several good boys here, would you like to meet them?"

Once the call ended, they locked eyes.

"Your mom doesn’t seem to like me."

"Mm, she thinks I’m a scammer trying to take her money and her daughter."

"…"

"She even wants to introduce me to other potential suitors."

"…"

It was fine that she misunderstood him as a scammer, but the idea of her introducing him to other people was absolutely unacceptable. Meng Fanchuan immediately flipped over and pinned Cen Zhen down, kissing her fiercely before he lowered his voice and said, "No."

Cen Zhen smiled at him, paused for a moment, and suddenly remembered something. "Close your eyes."

"?"

"Just close them."

Although he had no idea what Cen Zhen was planning, Meng Fanchuan was more than happy to play childish games with the person he liked on a soft morning in bed.

He lazily closed his eyes, and after a few seconds, he felt the girl underneath him move away. Then, a moment later, the bed sank slightly, and she returned to his side, seemingly closer than before, her faint scent filling the air.

As Meng Fanchuan was breathing in her scent, a sudden coolness brushed across his wrist. He froze for a moment, quickly understanding what it was. He opened his eyes—

Cen Zhen was helping him put on a watch.

The one he had left behind in Hu City, which she had brought back to North City.

"I've been meaning to find a chance to return this to you," Cen Zhen said softly, looking up at him with clear eyes. "Can you wear it again?"

They both knew that this watch was no longer just a watch.

Meng Fanchuan had taken it off and thrown it beside the bed on the day their relationship had been at its worst, as if letting go of their relationship. But Cen Zhen had kept it carefully, guarding it all this time, guarding not just the watch, but her unwavering feelings for him.

Now, as she put it back on his wrist, all the past grievances no longer mattered.

Meng Fanchuan had many watches, and this wasn’t the most expensive or the newest one, but because it carried Cen Zhen’s emotions, it would undoubtedly become the most precious watch of his life.

"Mm." Meng Fanchuan pulled Cen Zhen into his arms, "I won’t take it off again."

Fragments of memories flowed, and the quiet hotel suite in the early morning felt even more intimate.

After a night of rest, Cen Zhen’s cold had improved a lot, and since she still had filming in the afternoon, she had to return to the small town in the morning.

Love was important, but work had to come first.

After breakfast, they went downstairs. In the hotel parking lot were two of Meng Fanchuan’s cars. One was the familiar black knight, and the other was a plain, small, old car he had been driving to the film set lately.

Meng Fanchuan habitually walked toward the old car and was about to open the door when Cen Zhen stopped him. "No need."

Wen Hui’s words might have been right.

It wasn’t what she wanted for their relationship to be exposed online, but when a person couldn’t make up their mind, perhaps fate would step in to help make the decision.

"Just take your own car," Cen Zhen said calmly.

Meng Fanchuan paused for a moment, then seemed to understand what she meant. He lowered his head and smiled softly. "Alright."

He understood Cen Zhen—once she made up her mind, she would be fearless and steadfast.Since it’s already widely known, they might as well be honest and open about it.

So, they returned to the familiar car, and Meng Fanchuan opened the door, lazily resting his hand on the top of the car and said to Cen Zhen, "Well then, welcome, girlfriend, to get in the car?"

This made Cen Zhen smile a little, her smile carrying the bashful sweetness of someone in love, glowing brightly. The cold, black sports car seemed to soften in the morning light, too.

The car drove out of the parking lot towards the small town. Even the air seemed to be filled with the sweet fragrance of a couple in love, subtly spreading its pleasant aroma.

It was rare that they had returned to the city. At a red light, Cen Zhen suddenly remembered something and asked Meng Fanchuan, "I want to go somewhere. Can you accompany me?"

Meng Fanchuan: "Where?"

Cen Zhen pulled up the address from her phone’s memo and handed it to him. "Here."

Meng Fanchuan glanced at it. Although it wasn’t on the way, it wasn’t too far either. He made a quick U-turn and changed the route. "What are you going there for?"

"I need to buy something." Cen Zhen gave a simple answer.

When his girlfriend said she wanted to buy something, not just in North City, but even in the Arctic, Meng Fanchuan would find a way to satisfy her.

So, he didn’t ask any more questions and drove straight towards the place she wanted to go.

After the morning rush hour, the city was relatively clear, and fifteen minutes later, Meng Fanchuan’s car stopped in front of a two-story building. He looked out, recognizing the brand logo on the wall.

He turned back to ask Cen Zhen, "What are you buying?"

Cen Zhen unbuckled her seatbelt and gave him a slight smile. "You'll know when you come inside."

Cen Zhen put on a mask, got out of the car, and walked into the store. Meng Fanchuan parked the car and followed her inside. The staff quickly greeted them and politely asked Cen Zhen, "Miss, what kind of fragrance are you looking for?"

Cen Zhen knew the designer’s name from Meng Wenruo, so she directly asked, "Is Miss Fang Ning here?"

Hearing the name, Meng Fanchuan seemed to be reminded and finally understood why the logo looked familiar—

This was Fang Ning’s personal fragrance brand.

...But why would Cen Zhen be looking for their perfumer?

He quietly observed from the side.

The staff apologized, "Sorry, Miss Fang is currently on a business trip abroad. If you're looking to collaborate on a project, I can take down your information."

Cen Zhen didn’t expect to have made a wasted trip. She was a bit disappointed but still asked, "Do you know about a tissue Miss Fang designed? It has a really pleasant fragrance, and the packaging is black."

The staff thought for a moment. "Which brand is it?"

Cen Zhen tried to recall, "It doesn’t have a brand. It’s just a black paper bag with some abstract patterns..." She didn’t know how to describe the beautiful, delicate packaging.

Meng Fanchuan’s eyes subtly shifted.

The staff apologized again, "Sorry, that should be a custom design for Miss Fang's clients. We’re not sure about it. You’ll have to ask her directly when she returns."

"…Okay, thank you."

Cen Zhen returned to the car, disappointed. Meng Fanchuan didn’t say anything, but as he started the car, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He still felt that the tissue Cen Zhen was asking about was the one he used.

Fang Ning was someone who met Zhuang Jiayi at a high-end fragrance exhibition in Hong Kong. Her artistic sense and sensitivity to scents were exceptional. Zhuang Jiayi liked her a lot, so they had been collaborating for years. Almost all of the Meng family’s daily-use fragrance products were designed by Fang Ning.

Her custom clients were only the Meng family.

And the tissue was requested by Meng Wenruo. The young girl liked scents, so Fang Ning designed several different scented tissues, with packaging tailored to the fragrance. She picked one for herself and gave the others to her two brothers and their mother.

Meng Fanchuan wasn’t particularly interested in these things; after all, it was just a piece of paper. He had casually chosen the one with black packaging.

So, the tissue, which was custom-made by Fang Ning, unbranded, and with black packaging—

Was most likely only something he used.

But Meng Fanchuan didn’t know the reason Cen Zhen had come here.

On the way back to the film set, Meng Fanchuan casually asked, "Are you buying tissue?"

"No," Cen Zhen was still a bit regretful and shook her head. "I was actually looking for someone."

Meng Fanchuan’s heart skipped a beat. "Looking for who?"

Cen Zhen had actually hesitated whether to tell Meng Fanchuan, but since they were together now, it didn’t seem necessary to hide it.

Besides, he and the "other person" were also somewhat connected.

So, Cen Zhen softly said, "Actually, I know another man in North City."

"…"

"When I had just graduated from university, a friend invited me to a party, saying it was a gathering of people in the industry." Cen Zhen slowly started recalling the past. "I met Shen Zesheng there. Everyone kept telling me how amazing he was—he was a senior, an investor who could turn stones into gold. At the time, I had no experience, and he kept pouring me drinks..."Cen Zhen didn’t want to dwell on the past too much. She took a deep breath and got to the point. “He poured me a lot of alcohol, and I wasn’t really clear-headed. I found an excuse to go to the restroom, and that’s when I met the man.”

Meng Fanchuan’s hand on the steering wheel unconsciously tightened as he listened to her words.

He didn’t expect Cen Zhen to still remember this incident.

She actually remembered him?

“I must have looked really pathetic at the time, vomiting all over the place.” Cen Zhen continued, lost in the memory. “He came over, handed me a tissue, and told me that girls should drink less. He even booked a room for me to rest.”

Meng Fanchuan’s heart raced, almost in sync with the speed of the car. He was caught off guard by how suddenly and unexpectedly she remembered this.

He couldn’t help but chuckle.

Cen Zhen frowned, “What are you laughing at?”

At a red light, Meng Fanchuan turned to her with an unreadable look and asked, “I also have tissue. Want to see?”

“…Stop messing around.” Cen Zhen thought he was mocking her for obsessing over something that happened so long ago. It did sound a bit like something out of a novel, but Cen Zhen genuinely wanted to express her gratitude. She said, “I’m serious.”

Meng Fanchuan still smiled, “I’m serious, too.”

“…”

Cen Zhen didn’t want to talk to him anymore.

She propped up her head, lost in thought. After a while, she still felt a bit regretful, “I remember the smell of that tissue for a long time, but I can’t remember what that person looked like.”

“Hmm.” Meng Fanchuan listened to her words and suddenly felt something was off. “You don’t remember what he looks like, but you’re still thinking about him?”

It was a little absurd. He seemed to be jealous of his own past self.

Cen Zhen frowned again, feeling that the person beside her was causing trouble. “Don’t say it like that…” She wasn’t sure how to describe it, so she explained, “I just want to see him again to personally thank him.”

“After all…” Cen Zhen looked at Meng Fanchuan, “Without him that day, my fate might have been different. We might not have had the chance to meet.”

So, in her gratitude towards that person, there was also the chance of meeting him.

Upon realizing this, Meng Fanchuan’s strange thoughts just a moment ago suddenly vanished. He found it a little ridiculous. Who would compete with their past self? He’d been worried that he would seem insignificant to her now, and that she might still be thinking about her past self.

Meng Fanchuan relaxed and paused for a moment before trying to hint, “What if… he wanted to get to know you back then?”

Cen Zhen didn’t catch the meaning behind his words and thought he was just being jealous again. She smiled helplessly. “Why all these ‘what ifs’?”

She quickly changed the subject. “Let me tell you something else. You’ll think it’s amazing.”

Meng Fanchuan: “Hmm?”

Cen Zhen leaned closer. “The room he booked for me back then, it’s the same room you’re staying in at Wanyue now.”

Her eyes were full of belief in destiny as she softly uttered the number, “222.”

“...Really?” Her sincerity was so genuine that it made Meng Fanchuan’s emotions complicated. He wanted to laugh, but didn’t dare, afraid that revealing the truth would embarrass her. He could only respond to her mood and sigh, “What a coincidence.”

“I was also surprised when I saw it yesterday.” Cen Zhen’s eyes were clear as she murmured, “How unbelievable.”

“Hmm, indeed unbelievable.” The car reached the entrance of the film set, and Meng Fanchuan parked the car. He turned to look at Cen Zhen seriously and asked, “So, how do you plan to thank that person?”

Cen Zhen was caught off guard. How should she thank him?

Probably just say thank you, or maybe… treat him to a meal?

“Is that all?” Meng Fanchuan’s response wasn’t very satisfied.

Cen Zhen hesitated before replying, “What else should I do?”

“Come here.” He nonchalantly unbuckled his seatbelt and waved her over, “Come here, and I’ll tell you.”

Trusting her boyfriend completely, Cen Zhen leaned forward, gently moving toward him. But before she could say a word, he suddenly caught her in his arms and kissed her forcefully.

Cen Zhen was caught off guard. She struggled for a moment, frustrated with being tricked, but soon her struggles turned soft. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and all her responses became instinctual.

His kiss was so skilled that Cen Zhen started to doubt whether it was really his first time. Before they even started work, she was already lost in the kiss in the sports car, her body growing weak.

Just when she noticed, out of the corner of her eye, a crowd had gathered around the car without her realizing—

Cen Zhen was startled, her heart nearly leaping out of her chest. She quickly pushed him away, “...There are people.”

It was rare for an expensive car to appear in the small town, let alone a flashy sports car like this, with a license plate that was equally bold. The car hadn’t been parked outside the set for long before people passing by came over to take pictures.

Among them were, of course, crew members who had been at the set and had seen the gossip online yesterday.

“I can’t believe it, really 500,000?”

“He’s personally sending her to work?”

“I didn’t expect to get to see the rest of this gossip in real life…”

“I really want to see what this young man looks like.”"Is there someone in the car?"

"I don't know, there's been no movement for a while."

No one knew that in the "silent" car, Meng Fanchuan had pulled Cen Zhen back into his arms and was blatantly kissing her.

"Don't worry, they can't see us."