Chapter51

But regardless, the last sentence, he definitely heard.

Cen Zhen’s heart tightened. She stood up on the spot, wanting to explain something to him, but at that moment, she didn’t know how to express herself—because she cared so much, she had thought about all the possible futures for them.

He had just happened to hear the worst one.

"Miss Cen, please go downstairs." Meng Songnian calmly interrupted their gaze and said to Cen Zhen, "I also have something to ask him."

Cen Zhen pursed her lips, turned around, and gave him a slight nod. "Thank you for the tea, Uncle."

After speaking, she walked out of the study. As she passed by Meng Fanchuan, his gaze didn’t respond to hers. Cen Zhen looked at him, wanting to speak but eventually went downstairs first.

Once the door was closed, Meng Songnian walked a few steps towards his son and snorted. "What kind of love are you two having?"

Meng Fanchuan was still immersed in Cen Zhen’s last words, his emotions surging, but he pressed them down deeply. "What are you trying to teach me?"

Meng Songnian, however, mercilessly pointed out, "She hasn’t even thought about a future with you."

"...Isn't this the result you wanted?" Meng Fanchuan sneered. "She has eyes, she has ears, she reads the news, and she hears what people say. The entire North City knows I have a fiancée. What do you want her to think, where do you expect her to go?"

Meng Songnian was momentarily speechless. He suddenly remembered Cen Zhen’s earlier words—"Someone once asked me what I could bring to Fanchuan."

Meng Songnian’s gaze deepened as he vaguely understood something.

If there wasn’t an opposing stance, who would ask Cen Zhen such an awkward question?

The only people who could ask such a thing were those who thought they had something to offer Meng Fanchuan.

Meng Songnian turned around, returned to the table, and tried to drink his tea, but found that the tea had already gone cold.

It felt like a subtle hint—time waits for no one.

He had watched every smile his son gave last night. The father-son rift over the years had caused him to miss too many moments that should have been spent together as a family.

What did that girl say just now?

His son was free to grow, unrestrained, like a flame full of vitality?

Well, let that fire burn on its own.

Meng Songnian sighed inwardly and waved his hand at Meng Fanchuan. "I’m going with your mother to visit your grandfather. We’ll talk about your matters when we’re back in North City."

—

Cen Zhen returned downstairs to wait for Meng Fanchuan, but her mind was in turmoil. When Meng Wenruo came over to talk to her, she answered absentmindedly, until she saw Meng Fanchuan coming down. She immediately stood up, and before she could say anything, he took her hand. "Let’s go."

Cen Zhen was caught off guard. She grabbed her bag and turned to bid farewell to Meng Wenruo and Zhuang Jiayi, but before she could say a complete sentence, she was pulled into the car.

Zhuang Jiayi, confused, looked at their departing figures. "What happened? Your brother looks a little upset."

Meng Wenruo pointed upstairs. "Your husband probably ruined their relationship."

As soon as her finger pointed out, Meng Songnian came down from upstairs. He had changed into a suit and was preparing to visit Zhuang Tai. Zhuang Jiayi stopped him and asked, "What did you say? Why did both of them look so off when they left?"

Meng Songnian was actually quite innocent. He hadn’t said anything. Or rather, he had many things he wanted to say, but Cen Zhen seemed to know exactly what he wanted to ask, and one sentence stopped all his questions.

Meng Songnian had spent half of his life dealing with the business and political world, constantly surrounded by flattery and servility. What kind of people hadn’t he met? To be realistic, he had long been accustomed to viewing everything from a high position, including controlling his children’s lives, even someone like Cen Zhen who had just sat in front of him.

He was deep-thinking and used to giving, but he hadn’t expected that, for the first time in his life, he would be rejected even before opening his mouth.

He never thought anyone would put him in such a precarious situation, knowing there might be no road ahead, but still walking down it.

Was it foolish?

Not necessarily.

Meng Songnian didn’t say anything. He calmly fastened his coat and, just as he got in the car and closed the door, he suddenly reminded Zhuang Jiayi, "When Qinghuai returns from your father’s side, ask him when the State Guest Hotel project will open."

Zhuang Jiayi frowned, about to ask her husband why he was suddenly talking about work, but just as she was about to speak, she seemed to understand his intention and looked at Meng Songnian. "Do you want…"

—

In the morning, when Cen Zhen left to have breakfast at the Meng family, she had been casually chatting with Meng Fanchuan about where they would go after eating—whether to go to Wong Tai Sin for a fortune-telling or to the horse racing track to watch a race.

But certainly not this—returning the same way they came.

Meng Fanchuan didn’t say anything on the way. He kept looking out the window, lost in thought. Cen Zhen, holding his hand, tried several times to explain what had just happened, but, considering the driver in the front seat, she held back.The silence continued all the way back to the hotel.

When the door was closed, the air pressure dropped a few levels. Cen Zhen followed Meng Fanchuan into the room, feeling the surrounding atmosphere was unbearably cold.

Meng Fanchuan entered the room first and stood by the window for a moment. After several deep breaths to calm his emotions, he finally turned to look at her.

"What you said at home, look at me and say it again."

Cen Zhen: "…"

He slowly walked toward her, his gaze lowered as he spoke, "You said you haven't thought about marrying me."

"I didn't mean what you think." The reason Cen Zhen had said that to Meng Songnian was simply to seek some temporary understanding, even if it was just for a short while.

She hadn’t expected Meng Fanchuan to overhear it.

Now, no matter what, it was impossible to explain clearly. Cen Zhen took the initiative to hug him and coaxed, "Don’t be angry, okay?"

But Meng Fanchuan wasn’t just angry.

When he heard Cen Zhen’s words, he felt more of a helpless sense of losing control, as if his blood had reversed, unable to believe it.

He had already planned for Cen Zhen to be in his future, and he couldn't accept that she might one day leave him.

"So," Meng Fanchuan asked calmly, though his voice betrayed a sense of restraint, "are you planning to leave me one day?"

Cen Zhen stared at him in a daze. "I haven’t—"

Her words were swallowed by a kiss full of emotion.

The fake calmness couldn’t be maintained at all. Meng Fanchuan restrained his anger, restrained his loss of control, and held her tightly in his arms, seeking evidence of her love for him in the kiss.

Cen Zhen knew that Meng Fanchuan was hurt by her words. She tried her best to accommodate his demands, but his emotions were too overwhelming. She was nearly kissed to the point where her lips were numb, almost suffocating. When she was on the verge of losing breath, he abruptly closed all the curtains and stripped her clothes off.

The curtains were so effective in blocking the light that the room, which had been bright just moments before, now felt like night. Coupled with the current atmosphere, it became more oppressive and dark.

All of Meng Fanchuan’s will seemed to collapse in that moment. His movements were no longer gentle, to the point where Cen Zhen grabbed at his shirt, leaving behind a mess of wrinkles.

"You refuse to call me ‘husband’ because you’ve never planned to marry me, right?" He came in hard, his voice low and bitter by her ear.

Cen Zhen sobbed, "No..."

"Then what do you mean?" Meng Fanchuan’s gaze was heavy as he stared at her. "Tell me clearly."

Tears welled up in Cen Zhen’s eyes, and she bit her lip to hold them back. "You have an engagement."

"I broke it off."

"I know," Cen Zhen said, trembling with her shoulders, "but she said it was arranged by your grandfather. Until your parents personally break it off, the engagement is still valid."

Cen Zhen had grown up in an ordinary family and knew nothing about the rules of the wealthy families—engagements, marriages for alliance—such things seemed like fairy tales to her, chains of silence that bound her.

Meng Fanchuan’s eyes darkened. "Who is she?"

He quickly reacted, realizing, "Have you met Qin Shiyao?"

"She said my feelings for you will only make you alienated from everyone." Cen Zhen could no longer hold back the tears, sniffing as she spoke, "How could I be so selfish?"

"…"

Meng Fanchuan finally understood why she had been so cautious between him and his parents.

What a cruel phrase—Qin Shiyao had used the most heart-wrenching words, stabbing straight into Cen Zhen’s vulnerable spot.

But little did Cen Zhen know, Qin Shiyao was only testing her. If Cen Zhen truly loved Meng Fanchuan, she would never let him go.

She wanted Cen Zhen to give up on her own.

Meng Fanchuan swallowed hard, and in this moment, he didn’t know whether to feel pity for Cen Zhen or for himself. "So, you’ve already made up your mind to leave me."

"She said your older brother will get married at 26, and you still have two years to play."

Meng Fanchuan seemed to finally understand Cen Zhen’s meaning. "You mean, you only want to be with me for two years?"

"…" Cen Zhen fell silent.

Although she wasn’t sure about the exact time frame, she had indeed thought that if one day Meng Fanchuan had to choose between being alienated from everyone and returning to fulfill his marriage arrangement, she would let him go.

Cen Zhen’s silence drove Meng Fanchuan mad.

The fire in his chest burned like an inferno. He thrust deep into her, his emotions completely out of control. "So, what? After two years, you’re just going to let me marry someone else?"

Cen Zhen felt like her bones were crushed. She bit her lip, holding back from speaking.

But before she could do anything, Meng Fanchuan suddenly lifted her, sitting her on his lap, facing away from him.

They were on the sofa, with the dressing mirror near the bed not far away.“Cen Zhen, look carefully at what we are doing.” Meng Fanchuan lifted her face, “Look carefully.”

The image in the mirror made Cen Zhen unable to look directly. Her and his most intimate parts were now tightly pressed together.

Cen Zhen wanted to hide, but Meng Fanchuan wouldn’t let her. He held her face, making her look at the mirror. “You want me to marry someone else in two years, to have a family with her, to do the things we’re doing now every night, and you can watch all of it happen without any reaction.”

“Cen Zhen, tell me you can accept that, can you?” Meng Fanchuan’s voice was cold, yet filled with desire, but it also felt bitter in his ears.

“I will take her skiing, I’ll take her to watch the races, I’ll always hold her hand and love her, and you won’t care, right?”

Tears fell from Cen Zhen’s eyes, and her emotions neared a breaking point. Just thinking of the scenes Meng Fanchuan had just described made her feel pain in her chest.

“No,” she said through her tears, turning around, wanting to find solace in Meng Fanchuan’s embrace, but he flipped her over and pressed her onto the sofa, kissing her hard.

It felt like a punishment. He kissed her fiercely, his arms tightening with such force that his veins stood out. “Then how dare you—”

Meng Fanchuan couldn’t believe it. Cen Zhen had only given him two years.

He went deeper, again and again, as if marking her body with his own. “How can you just decide our future unilaterally?”

Cen Zhen could barely breathe. Her legs felt weak, but she still managed to ask through her sobs, “Then what about your engagement? What about Miss Qin—”

“Except for you giving up,” Meng Fanchuan interrupted her. “Cen Zhen, unless it’s you who gives up, there’s no reason that could make me leave you.”

“…”

“Or ask yourself, if you were me, what would you do?”

Cen Zhen froze.

For the first time, she viewed their problem from this perspective. If the roles were reversed, and she were the one with the engagement, if she loved Meng Fanchuan deeply, how would she deal with an engagement and an unloving fiancé?

“If it were you,” Meng Fanchuan leaned down, his chest pressing against hers, their heartbeats almost in sync, “would you give up on me?”

The answer appeared in her mind without hesitation.

Cen Zhen suddenly became clear-headed.

Would she fear being alienated by everyone?

… No.

Would she give up on Meng Fanchuan and later marry someone else at a suitable age?

… No.

Tears still lingered on her face as she stared blankly at Meng Fanchuan.

She had been so lost in her own dilemma, never stepping out to see what she was truly afraid of.

It wasn’t anyone’s parents, or anyone’s fiancée, or any obstacles she thought were in her way.

It was him.

Losing him.

“Don’t be so heartless.” Meng Fanchuan pulled her into his arms, pausing before kissing the sweat-drenched strands of her hair. He repeated the same words, “Cen Zhen, I can’t lose you again.”

The separation in Hu City had been so painful. Now that they were together and so happy, if Meng Fanchuan had to lose her again, it would be better if he had never met her.

He couldn’t bear it.

Meng Fanchuan’s lips hovered in front of Cen Zhen’s face. His gaze was deep. Cen Zhen’s throat caught, and she tilted her head slightly to kiss him and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

— For that one sentence about not having thought about marriage.

But Meng Fanchuan didn’t know, as he slowed down, “What are you apologizing for?”

“No matter what happens in the future, even if it’s your parents…” Cen Zhen didn’t want to say anything too melodramatic. She pursed her lips and summarized, “I won’t leave you.”

She paused for a moment and then muttered quietly, “Unless you change your mind one day.”

Meng Fanchuan paused, and a helpless laugh escaped his nose. But he didn’t respond to the latter half of her sentence.

There was really no need to respond. Maybe some people would swear an oath, but vows…

The best proof of a vow is time. Time is the best verification.

But after thinking about it, he felt he should still give his girlfriend some confidence.

“My maternal grandparents, my paternal grandparents, they’ve been in love for decades, and even in old age, they still hold hands every day to go for walks.”

“You’ve seen my parents. My mom says to go east, my dad would never step west, and even at over 50, they still hold each other to dance every night.”

“And my brother, in North City, even crossing districts he calls it a business trip. He finds all kinds of excuses to buy gifts for my sister-in-law.”

Meng Fanchuan looked at Cen Zhen. “So, do you think you could have some faith in the men of our Meng family?”Cen Zhen's tears were still on her face. She closed her lips, “But what you’re saying, it seems like you’ve never done any of those things for me.”

Meng Fanchuan: “...”

Meng Fanchuan felt a bit helpless. “Then, where do you want to start? Dancing? Walking? Buying gifts?”

Cen Zhen seriously thought about his question, but didn’t notice the man slightly bowing his head, his warm breath falling on her chest. “Let’s finish this first, then we’ll think about the rest.”

Her tightness and wet softness had already made him endure too much.

Afterward, Cen Zhen lost track of time. All she knew was that she and Meng Fanchuan seemed to have been reborn that day. It was a kind of rebirth after stripping away the deepest fears in their hearts, and they were completely at ease. They enjoyed themselves, again and again, from day to night.

In the end, what tangled them the most was still that word, “husband.”

Cen Zhen thought he was petty. He still remembered the restaurant incident, and insisted that she call him that before he would let it go.

But Cen Zhen was too shy to say it out loud. Meng Fanchuan didn’t push her; instead, he wore her down, finding every possible way to get her to lose her willpower. Eventually, Cen Zhen couldn’t resist, and in a dazed and confused state, she was coaxed into calling him that a few times.

At that moment, Meng Fanchuan was satisfied and content.

When Cen Zhen finally fell asleep from exhaustion, Meng Fanchuan took a clean towel and helped her tidy up, then lay down next to her.

But he couldn’t sleep at all.

What he had heard earlier in the study still haunted him. Meng Fanchuan gently pulled Cen Zhen into his arms, looking at her as though she were a treasure he had lost and regained. He gazed at her until, by chance, he took her hand.

His gaze fell on her slender, long fingers, and Meng Fanchuan’s heart paused for a moment. Suddenly, inspiration struck him. He turned, grabbed a sticky note from the bedside table, tore it off, and cut it into a long strip.

The girl, deep in sleep, would never know that the man beside her was gently taking her ring finger in his hand at that moment, wrapping the paper strip around it and recording her size.