Volume One, Chapter 16: What’s So Fascinating About Late Fireworks?
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Ji Yichen politely said, “No need, it’s getting late. Let’s do it another day.”
Cheng Yan felt a little disappointed but still nodded gently, “Alright, we’ll arrange a time another day.”
Cheng Qian returned home to find Xiaoye crying in the living room. She hurried in.
The nanny came out holding him, saying hurriedly, “Madam, Xiaoye fell while running in the living room just now.”
Cheng Qian’s heart tightened upon hearing this. She quickly checked the spot where he had bumped himself—there was a small patch of bruising.
“Sorry, Madam, I wasn’t watching him well enough,” the nanny said, feeling very guilty.
Cheng Qian knew the little one was quite mischievous and that the nanny couldn’t watch him every moment. She said softly, “It’s okay, I’ll take him upstairs and put some medicine on it.”
“Mom, my finger hurts too,” Xiaoye raised one little finger.
Cheng Qian saw a small scrape; she gently blew on it. “Alright, Mommy will put some medicine on it for you.”
The little boy kept holding up that finger, looking both pitiful and adorable.
After applying the medicine, Cheng Qian heard the sound of a car downstairs.
She paid no attention, fetched pajamas, and prepared to bathe her son.
Li Zhinan came upstairs and paused outside the guest room door.
Hearing the water running in the bathroom, he furrowed his brow and went straight back to his master bedroom.
Cheng Qian took out a bedtime picture book and began telling Xiaoye the story of The Three Little Pigs.
The little boy’s dark eyes shone with eagerness for new knowledge. Only after she finished the entire book did he fall soundly asleep in his mother’s warm embrace.
While Cheng Qian was telling the story, the door hadn’t been closed tightly. She heard a man’s footsteps pacing back and forth outside.
Finally, seeing her son asleep, she went downstairs to fetch a glass of water and locked the door behind her.
Early morning, Cheng Qian accompanied her son downstairs for breakfast.
Suddenly, for some unknown reason, the little boy grabbed her hand and shook it excitedly. “Mommy, I want to set off fireworks.”
Cheng Qian was taken aback, recalling the fireworks display from the night of the 23rd. She glanced at the man sitting at the table.
“Mommy, I want to set off fireworks, really big ones…” Xiaoye had dreamt about fireworks last night and had been thinking about it all morning.
Just as Cheng Qian was about to speak,
Li Zhinan flipped the newspaper and said, “Xiaoye, tonight Dad will have someone prepare fireworks in the yard for you.”
The little boy immediately bounded around the room with joy. “Great! I get to watch fireworks!”
Cheng Qian watched her son’s happiness and sat down at the table to have some porridge.
Li Zhinan said flatly, “You’re the one who wants to watch them, right?”
Cheng Qian paused mid-spoonful. “I have something tonight.”
Li Zhinan looked at her inscrutably, a faint trace of mockery flickering across his lips as if suspecting something.
“You’re getting too close to Ji Yichen,” he said, thinking back to last night.
He had overheard gossip that Cheng Qian and Ji Yichen were often seen together, and everyone assumed she was his companion.
Cheng Qian didn’t bother to deny it and retorted, “You’re not far from Cheng Yan yourself.”
Li Zhinan frowned sharply. “Still jealous?”
Cheng Qian was startled and instantly annoyed.
Indeed, if she didn’t care, why pretend to care?
“No, this is my work. I don’t owe you any explanations,” she said, then put down her chopsticks and went to the living room to bring Xiaoye to the table for breakfast.
Li Zhinan suddenly asked, “Where are you going tonight?”
Cheng Qian didn’t want to say more, but without a proper excuse, this arrogant man would only think she was avoiding him out of jealousy and would skip the fireworks display.
“My aunt is back from abroad. I’m taking her to dinner,” Cheng Qian answered truthfully.
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Li Zhinan said flatly, “Invite her to our home. That would be more sincere.”
“No need,” Cheng Qian refused.
Time flew by, and night had fallen.
The festive atmosphere of the New Year grew stronger.
Cheng Qian drove to her aunt’s neighborhood to pick her up, then went to a nearby mall.
Since it was the New Year, Cheng Qian wanted to buy some festival goods for her aunt and a few sets of clothes.
“A meal is just a meal; there’s no need to come here. It’s too expensive,” Ye Zhu, formerly a primary school teacher who was used to being frugal, didn’t want her niece to spend too much.
Cheng Qian smiled, “Aunt, we only meet once a year. This time, I’m in charge.”
Ye Zhu looked at her with a grateful smile, but there was sorrow in her eyes for her late sister and brother-in-law, who never lived long enough to enjoy their daughter’s filial piety.
This was a high-end fusion cuisine restaurant.
Cheng Qian and Ye Zhu entered and just chose a window seat.
More people entered through the restaurant’s entrance.
The waiter led them to another table, when an elderly voice called out, “Xiaoqian, why are you here too?”
Cheng Qian looked up and saw the Cheng family matriarch sitting at the next table with her daughter-in-law and two granddaughters.
Cheng Yan’s mother cast a cold gaze in their direction.
Cheng Yan, arms crossed, leaned back in her chair. With no occasion to perform, her true nature showed—a sneer of disdain curled at her lips.
Cheng Xuan, two years younger than Cheng Yan, also looked haughtily at Cheng Qian, raising his eyebrows.
Ye Zhu, seeing the ill intentions at the table, whispered, “Xiaoqian, shall we change restaurants?”
Cheng Qian shook her head, “No need. We’ll eat here.”
Ye Zhu said no more and continued looking at the menu.
“Cheng Qian, Grandma is talking to you. Are you deaf? Can’t you hear?” Cheng Xuan said angrily, reminding her.
Only then did Cheng Qian raise her head and say to the matriarch, “Grandma, do you need something?”
The old lady was displeased with Cheng Qian’s deteriorating attitude year after year.
“Xiaoqian, after your parents passed away, are you really going to cut ties with the Cheng family?” the matriarch expressed her disappointment in this impolite granddaughter.
Fortunately, her youngest son had given her a pair of obedient, filial grandchildren.
“I’ve long since severed ties with the Cheng family,” Cheng Qian said coldly, looking down at the menu.
The matriarch’s expression stiffened, as if recalling something, her face growing long. She fell silent.
Cheng Yan’s mother, Wang Ling, sneered, “Cheng Qian, someone lacking even basic upbringing should stay away from the scientific community.”
Cheng Qian snapped back immediately, “What’s it to you?”
Wang Ling was rendered speechless.
She had expected at least some respect from this granddaughter as an elder.
But this stubborn girl had become more and more unruly.
At that moment, Cheng Yan stood and tried to soothe the situation, “Grandma, Mom, let’s eat first. Don’t let someone’s rude words spoil our good mood.”
“I don’t want to eat with such an ill-mannered person. Let’s go somewhere else,” Wang Ling said and stood up, leaving first.
“Grandma, please slow down…” Cheng Yan stood and held the old lady’s arm.
The matriarch looked at the indifferent Cheng Qian with pain and sorrow. Compared to her, the considerate little granddaughter was like the warm spring sunshine.
“Forget it, some are never tame, nor can they be loved,” she said deliberately before leaving.
Cheng Qian’s fingers tightened on the menu, a sharp pain cutting through her heart.
Ye Zhu looked at the departing Cheng family members with disdain. These people fed off others’ hard work yet came here to pick fights—shameless.
They didn’t even think, who had led the Cheng family to rise? Now that the family had grown prosperous, they teamed up to bully others.
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“Xiaoqian, are you alright?” Ye Zhu was deeply concerned.
Cheng Qian smiled and shook her head, “I’m fine, Aunt. I ordered two more dishes.”
Ye Zhu knew Cheng Qian was a strong child and said no more.
After dinner, Cheng Qian took Ye Zhu to buy some gifts and gave her two coats.
Ye Zhu kept refusing, but in the end, with tears in her eyes, she had to accept. There was no helping it—this child was too filial.
Cheng Qian deliberately returned home late.
It was already ten o’clock.
As her car entered the courtyard gate, suddenly a cascade of fireworks rose in the yard, like a waterfall, spreading out in a continuous stream.
Cheng Qian’s expression stiffened, and she gripped the steering wheel tightly.
At that moment, she saw her son happily jumping on the grass.
Beside the child stood a tall, slender figure.
Cheng Qian drove through the fireworks cascade and parked in the garage.
She got out but didn’t enter the courtyard through the main door. Instead, she took the elevator directly to the second floor.
The fireworks downstairs lasted more than ten minutes, but Cheng Qian was busy bathing and washing her hair.
She emerged wearing a robe, her long hair half-damp, looking for the hairdryer.
Just then, Li Zhinan entered carrying Xiaoye.
Seeing her in a wet robe with damp hair, the man’s face darkened.
“Mommy, did you see the fireworks? They were so beautiful!” Xiaoye said happily.
“Mommy didn’t see them, but I’m glad you liked them,” Cheng Qian said, the first part for the man’s benefit.
After putting down their son, Li Zhinan turned silently and went to the study.
Cheng Qian was drying her long hair when she suddenly heard a car start downstairs.
It was already past midnight.
The man’s car left the courtyard again.
Cheng Qian was calm, reading picture books to her son, helping him fall asleep.
Recently, the little one’s diet had improved, and he had visibly gained weight.
Cheng Qian decided to control his diet and also planned to get him more exercise.
On January 26th, Cheng Qian brought gifts to Ji Nan’s home for dinner.
Her car had just stopped at the villa gate when Ji Yichen, tall and graceful, leaned by the gate, seemingly waiting just for her.
Seeing him standing outside in the cold, Cheng Qian smiled and greeted him, “Yichen, why are you standing here?”
Ji Yichen tugged at the corner of his mouth, “My dad told me to come pick you up. He said you must have brought a lot of things.”
Cheng Qian laughed and opened the trunk; she had indeed prepared many New Year gifts.
“Well then, Yichen, can you help carry these?” Cheng Qian’s voice was clear and pleasant.
Ji Yichen walked over and helped carry the large bags into the yard.
Half an hour later,
A silver Bentley pulled out from a side avenue.
The woman in the passenger seat exclaimed, “Zhinan, is that cousin’s car?”
The Bentley braked. Li Zhinan turned his head and saw the silver Mercedes E-Class, the license plate matching Cheng Qian’s car.
Cheng Yan immediately said, “That’s the Ji family villa. Did cousin come here for lunch today?”