Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jiang Cheng, belatedly noticing Shang Zenian’s gaze, blinked in confusion and looked at him, as if asking why he was watching her instead of the movie.

“I’m a bit scared, I don’t dare to watch,” Shang Zenian said, deadpan. “I have to watch you to figure out the plot. I’ll watch when you dare to.”

“...”

That actually made sense.

Jiang Cheng continued watching the movie.

But he couldn’t concentrate as before, because he noticed that Shang Zenian seemed to keep glancing at him intentionally or unintentionally. Even if he were slow on the uptake, he knew it was odd for a guy to keep looking at a girl like that.

It didn’t feel like he was treating him as a younger sister.

Anyway, he never looked at his own cousin that way.

When the movie ended, it was already three in the afternoon.

Shang Zenian suggested, “The sun’s not as harsh now. Want to go for a helicopter ride?”

Jiang Cheng’s heart was pounding with excitement. He’d never even been on an airplane before, let alone a private helicopter.

He wondered what it would be like to ride in a helicopter—it must be such a cool experience!

But... remembering the way Shang Zenian had looked at him in the media room, Jiang Cheng hesitated.

He’d better not get too close to Shang Zenian.

They were already betrothed, which made things delicate. Frequent contact like this would give others the impression they were about to go through with the engagement. It was best to keep his distance.

Jiang Cheng’s eyes darted away, and he typed, “It’s getting late. I need to go back and keep Grandpa company.”

Another excuse.

Master Shang gritted his teeth, but he couldn’t argue with a dying man. He had no choice but to drive him back.

At the Chen family’s doorstep, Jiang Cheng typed goodbye to Shang Zenian and tried to open the car door, but it was locked.

He turned around, his round eyes glancing from the door to Shang Zenian, clearly indicating he should unlock it.

Shang Zenian didn't unlock it. Instead, he said, “No plans tomorrow, right? I’ll take you to pick out an electric scooter.”

“!” Jiang Cheng inwardly cursed, “Holy crap!”

He had only mentioned in passing that he liked electric scooters that day, and now Shang Zenian wanted to buy him one. Jiang Cheng could barely convince himself it was just brotherly care for a younger sister.

Oh no, a guy had really taken a liking to him.

He absolutely couldn’t accept this scooter—it would be like a token of affection. If he took it, he feared he’d wake up one day already registered in Shang Zenian’s household.

Jiang Cheng immediately shook his head.

Shang Zenian smiled. “What does shaking your head mean? No plans?”

Jiang Cheng had no choice but to pull out his phone and type, “No, it means I’m busy. A doctor is coming to see me tomorrow.”

Shang Zenian’s smile faded. “About your mutism?”

Jiang Cheng nodded.

“Alright. Take your time. I’ve done some research—this condition can be treated. First, see what your uncle’s doctor says. If it doesn’t work, I’ll arrange for an expert from Yenching. We’ll get you cured.”

Jiang Cheng nodded again, though he knew it wouldn’t be necessary.

Seeing him like this, Shang Zenian couldn’t help himself. He reached out and ruffled Jiang Cheng’s hair. “Go on.”

Jiang Cheng, having never had another man pat his head, froze completely.

Meeting Shang Zenian’s undisguised gaze, he felt as if struck by lightning. If he had only suspected before, now he was certain: Shang Zenian had taken a liking to him.

He had gotten a guy’s attention...

But it didn’t make sense. The day before, Shang’s mother had said she considered him a younger sister. There was no reason for Shang Zenian to rush into fulfilling the betrothal.

Why on earth was this happening?!

“Hmm?” Seeing no reaction, Shang Zenian tilted his head.

Jiang Cheng snapped out of it, yanked open the car door, and all but fled. Even after he entered the gate, he could still feel Shang Zenian’s gaze following him, giving him goosebumps again.

---

The next day, Chen Pingzhou contacted a doctor specializing in mutism to come and “treat” Jiang Cheng.

The reason they had fabricated this condition instead of saying he was mute was that mutism was a psychological disorder that medical instruments couldn’t detect, so they wouldn’t be exposed even if a doctor examined him.

Moreover, for this kind of disease, doctors usually suggested psychological intervention as the main approach, sometimes supplemented with medication. But Chen Pingzhou could use the excuse that Chen Yin was still young and worried about medication harming her body. He asked the doctor if they could try conservative treatment first—letting her, in a new family and loving environment, gradually heal from past trauma.

Anyway, they just needed to stall for these two months.

After hearing about Chen Yin’s ordeal, the doctor also recommended that she first get familiar with her current family members and build a trusting relationship, which would help her regain confidence in speaking. This disease couldn’t be rushed, or it would backfire.

Although the old man was a bit disappointed—probably hoping to hear “Chen Yin” call him “Grandpa” in person—he still followed the doctor’s advice and agreed to this treatment plan.

Jiang Cheng breathed a silent sigh of relief.

He had been nervous as hell when he heard about the doctor visit, afraid the doctor would see through him at a glance. Plus, he had an Adam’s apple—if they wanted to check his throat, he’d be exposed in seconds.

After passing this hurdle, Jiang Cheng continued playing the role of Miss Chen. Actually, his task was quite simple: his only target was Grandpa. He had to keep him happy in various ways. The old man didn’t have much energy; he rested half the day, so Jiang Cheng had plenty of time to himself.

At noon, after lunch, Grandpa went for a nap, and Jiang Cheng returned to his room.

He didn’t have a habit of napping, so he lay on the bed, feet up, scrolling on his phone.

Tomorrow was the college entrance exam results day. He switched to his personal WeChat account and saw that the high school group chat was buzzing. Everyone was discussing where to go wild before the results came out—their last day of freedom.

He was also @'d many times. As soon as he switched over, a classmate @ him, asking if he wanted to go out and play.

Jiang Cheng replied: Can't, I'm working.

His class had good relationships; no one looked down on him for being poor or made fun of him. Hearing he was working, someone immediately asked where he was, saying they’d come to support his business.

“Jiang Cheng: I’m not in Tingxi. A relative got me a job here in Nancheng with a higher salary.”

Tingxi was the name of their county town.

“Nancheng? Isn’t Old Zhan over there?”

"Right, right, right. @Zhan Zhisheng, weren't you just complaining about being bored yesterday? Now you've got company."

Jiang Cheng: "..."

Jiang Cheng froze on the spot. Nancheng wasn't even the city that Tingxi belonged to—they weren't even in the same province—so he never thought anyone else from his class would be there.

"Zhan Zhisheng: I'm coming, I'm coming."

"Zhan Zhisheng: Aah, Little Cheng, my little buddy Cheng, send me your address quick. I'm bored out of my mind and going stir-crazy. I'll spring out of bed right now and come find you."

"..."

Jiang Cheng couldn't help but slap his own right hand. Why did you have to open WeChat and type that, exposing your location? Now you've done it.

"Jiang Cheng: I'd love to hang out, but this factory is on lockdown. I can't get out. No way around it."

"Whoa, what kind of factory is under lockdown like that?"

"You haven't been tricked into a pyramid scheme, have you?"

"Jiang Cheng: Do you think I'd have my phone if I were in a pyramid scheme? I can't say what it is, but don't worry, I'm perfectly safe."

His classmates were still naive, so they just joked around, saying he was being so mysterious that he must be off training with the military. They didn't push it.

After shooting the breeze a bit more with his classmates, Jiang Cheng quickly switched WeChat back to Chen Yin's account.

Then he couldn't help slapping his right hand again. You'd already dodged that bullet, why did you have to switch back? Now there's trouble again!

Shang Zenian: Have you seen the doctor? What did the doctor say?

Jiang Cheng had to reply: It's not too serious. They recommended conservative treatment first—basically, establishing a willingness to communicate with family in a familiar environment.

Shang Zenian: That's pretty much what I gathered. The expert said you can build communication through games. Download King of Glory or Delta Force. I'll voice-chat and carry you. Maybe when you get hyped up, you'll start speaking.

If Lu Xiyuan saw this invitation from Shang Zenian, he'd drop his jaw. Master Shang was great at games but refused to carry girls. Once, Lu Xiyuan brought a girl support to trio queue with him, hoping to piggyback on his wins. They won two matches, but he kicked them both out anyway, saying they were too noob and ruined his gaming experience.

Chen Yin: I'm not into games.

Chen Yin: The doctor sent me some vocal exercises. I'm going to practice now. Bye.

Shang Zenian: "..."

Jiang Cheng quickly shoved his phone under the pillow after sending that. As long as he buried his head in the sand, Shang Zenian couldn't catch him.

That evening, Chen Pingzhou told him that a side branch of the Shang family—Shang Zenian's cousin, apparently—was having an engagement party the next day, and he should prepare to go along.

Since it was Shang Zenian's cousin, Shang Zenian would definitely be there. Now Jiang Cheng was terrified of seeing Shang Zenian. Conveniently, tomorrow was the day results came out, so he used the excuse of wanting to check his scores to ask Chen Pingzhou if he could skip it.

Chen Pingzhou knew that for someone like Jiang Cheng, who was relying on education to change his destiny, the exam results were extremely important. He got why he wanted to see them right away, so he didn't force the issue.

Although Shang Zenian's cousin was from a side branch, she was still part of the Shang family, so the engagement party was over-the-top.

Lu Xiyuan was also among the guests. He spotted Shang Zenian out on the terrace.

Shang Zenian was holding a wine glass, his impossibly long legs casually crossed, as he leaned against the terrace railing. His gaze occasionally drifted downstairs.

When he saw Shang Zenian, Lu Xiyuan let out an exaggerated "Wow."

"Brother Shang, you're looking pretty sharp today. Aren't you usually the one who hates these dress codes the most?"

Today, Shang Zenian was wearing a dark, impeccably tailored high-end suit, which accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist, making him stand straight as a pine. His usual casual and unruly aura was somewhat restrained by the suit, giving him more of an air of nobility and grace befitting a young master from a wealthy family.

Since it was a cocktail party, there were plenty of male guests dressed similarly, but he was still the most dazzling one. He'd definitely steal the hearts of tons of girls.

Lu Xiyuan had a thought: "Is that Miss Chen from the Chen family coming today too?"

Shang Zenian didn't bother to hide his intentions: "Who else do you think I'm showing off for?"

"You're making me even more curious about what kind of celestial beauty this Miss Chen is, to make an ice-cold devil like you fall so hard."

Look at him, acting like a dog in heat—totally unrecognizable from the ultimate straight, girl-shunning king he used to be.

Just then, Shang Zenian's gaze landed downstairs.

Seeing his reaction, Lu Xiyuan guessed someone had arrived. He perked up and followed his gaze.

A black Maybach stopped at the entrance. A valet opened the door, and a couple in their thirties got out one after the other, then walked arm in arm into the venue.

The Maybach was driven off to park, and no other cars followed.

Shang Zenian narrowed his eyes.

"Hey? Which one is Miss Chen? I didn't see any young girl," Lu Xiyuan said, craning his neck like a goose to look downstairs.

"Not coming," Shang Zenian shot back, pulling out his phone.

Seeing the thundercloud on Shang Zenian's face, Lu Xiyuan bit his tongue.

At that moment, Jiang Cheng was taking a walk outside with the old man. It was just getting dark, and the air had finally cooled down. A breeze carrying the coolness of the lake swept over them, feeling very refreshing.

The wheelchair glided along automatically, and Jiang Cheng absentmindedly rested his hand on the back of the chair as he followed. The results were supposed to come out at 7 PM, and it was already past 7. His heart was pounding to check his scores.

Stupid legs, hurry up!

But the wheelchair had a speed limit. Walking faster wouldn't help.

The old man looked tired, his eyes half-closed as he rested. Jiang Cheng was just wondering if he could sneak a look at his results when his phone buzzed. He pulled it out and saw a WeChat message from Shang Zenian.

Shang Zenian: Why didn't you come today?

Chen Yin: I'm not feeling well.

Shang Zenian: Sick?

Chen Yin: No, it's just... you know, that time of the month. I've got cramps.

Shang Zenian: I see. I thought I scared you last time and you were avoiding me.

Jiang Cheng thought to himself, You're right about that! I am avoiding you!

After a moment's thought, he sent a tongue-out emoji, letting Shang Zenian figure it out.

Shang Zenian didn't reply.

After finishing the walk with the old man and chatting with him for a bit, when he got tired and turned in, it was already 8 PM. Jiang Cheng hurried back to his room and opened the score-checking website.

He logged in, entered his exam ID, took a deep breath, and finally clicked "Query."

It was already past the peak time for checking results, so the page loaded smoothly, and the results came up quickly. Even though he had a rough idea of his score, Jiang Cheng's heart raced.

When he saw the number—similar to his estimate, even six points higher—he let out a sigh of relief, his mind finally at ease.

The exam papers were tough this year, and with his score, based on past years' admission thresholds, getting into Yanshan University was a sure thing.

Jiang Cheng couldn't help but smile and made a victory sign.

Years of hard work had finally paid off. So happy!

He really wanted to share this joy with someone, so he immediately opened WeChat. Just then, WeChat buzzed with a message.

Shang Zenian: Still feeling unwell?

Jiang Cheng didn't dare say he felt better, afraid that Shang would force him to attend the engagement party. He casually replied with an "Mm," and was about to switch to his own account when WeChat buzzed again.

Shang Zenian: Wait.

QAQ

Jiang Cheng no longer dared to switch accounts and quickly asked: What are you gonna do?

Shang Zenian: Sending you something to soothe your stomachache.

Chen Yin: No need, I'll be fine after a good night's sleep! Aren't you supposed to be at your cousin's engagement party? Don't worry about me, I'm not that fragile!

Chen Yin: I'm going to bed now, you don't have to come! Really!

Shang Zenian: I'm almost there.

Shang Zenian: [Picture]

It was a picture of the entrance to his apartment complex.

Jiang Cheng: "..."

Jiang Cheng's scalp prickled, and he thought he might pass out.

Oh no, the fiancé is on his way.

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