Chapter Three: The Tumult of the Mortal World
Students streamed out of the school gate in an endless procession, the streets and alleys buzzing with lively chatter.
He Yueyue walked alone, her thoughts in turmoil. She couldn’t believe it—Lin Cheng had really left! The teasing tone in his voice earlier had unsettled her deeply.
Did Lin Cheng really no longer like me?
Hmph! Impossible! He must have been jealous!
Still... I can't keep bossing him around all the time. Maybe I should give him some sweetness every now and then.
“It’s all my fault. I asked Lin Cheng to help with Professor Hu’s matter, and that upset him,” came Chen Zishi’s guilty voice from behind.
He looked at He Yueyue with sincere remorse. “Sorry, I’ll go apologize to Lin Cheng.”
“No need. It’s not your fault,” He Yueyue said, immediately brightening upon seeing him. “He’s just mad at me.”
Fine, I’ll let Lin Cheng save face this time. With that thought, she proudly lifted her chin.
“We’ll attend class together on Saturday! Don’t worry about it!”
“That’s great!” Chen Zishi breathed a sigh of relief, a faint trace of humility mingling with the pride in his eyes.
...
Inside the Mercedes, Zhuang Sijing sat stiffly, keeping a considerable distance from Lin Cheng.
Lin Cheng glanced at Uncle He in the driver’s seat.
Uncle He was a shrewd man. Knowing that this second-generation heir was at odds with his daughter, he subconsciously tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
He turned on the radio again to ease the tension:
The vast heavens pass swiftly by travelers,
Tides rise and fall,
Grudges and affections, life and death, gray hair—
How many can truly see through it all?
The worldly dust swirls endlessly, passion runs deep...
Zhuang Sijing stared out the window, her round, delicate face illuminated by the sparkle of intelligent eyes, as if capable of seeing through one’s heart.
Her lips, lush and inviting, resembled petals fluttering in the wind;
Her straight nose and two charming dimples gave even her anger a mischievous air.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Zhuang Sijing’s mouth, as if she were hiding some mischievous plan.
“Why didn’t you go home with He Yueyue today?”
Lin Cheng blinked, momentarily at a loss for how to answer.
He was engulfed by memories of their childhood together.
He recalled when their elementary school natural science teacher had them raise tadpoles to study their transformation into frogs.
Lin Cheng had caught some tadpoles, and together with Zhuang Sijing, they nurtured them.
Together, they watched the tadpoles slowly turn into toads.
Back then, they were inseparable...
...
Half awake, half drunk,
At least in dreams, you follow me.
I wager my youth on tomorrow,
You trade true feelings for this lifetime.
Time is unaware of how many sorrows the world holds.
Why not live freely just once?
Accompanied by the car’s booming bass, the song and memories surged like a tide.
He remembered the year 2012, just after the New Year, when Lin Cheng and Zhuang Sijing went to Deep City to discuss a project.
But within days, Lin Cheng’s grandmother fell gravely ill!
They hurried back. Knowing her time was near, the grandmother insisted on returning to their ancestral home to rest in peace.
Lin Cheng contacted He Yueyue to hurry home!
But He Yueyue insisted on attending an important meeting, saying she had a speech and no time to spare.
Lin Cheng lost his temper: “Which is more important, that lousy meeting or my grandmother? You decide if you’re coming or not!”
In the end, He Yueyue didn’t come.
Lin Cheng’s mother had passed early, and his father was busy with work, so his grandparents had always cared for him.
His grandmother held great weight in his heart.
When Lin Cheng and Zhuang Sijing arrived, his grandmother was on oxygen, confused but holding on, waiting for him.
The first thing she said upon seeing Lin Cheng was, “You’re back. Where is my granddaughter-in-law?”
Lin Cheng broke down immediately...
Zhuang Sijing quickly went to the window and said, “Grandma, I’m here!”
The grandmother looked at Zhuang Sijing, smiled in approval, then asked Cao Yunping to bring out a bracelet.
“Don’t dislike this gift from an old woman about to leave,” she said before closing her eyes and passing away shortly after...
He Yueyue only appeared on the day of the funeral.
Lin Cheng’s father was displeased with her but didn’t openly show it...
...
When the childhood version of Zhuang Sijing with pigtails, the elite Zhuang Sijing of the future, and the present young Zhuang Sijing overlapped in Lin Cheng’s mind,
He felt as if something inside had returned to its rightful place, calm and secure.
Yet it was also like a closed valley suddenly opening, with fierce winds blowing endlessly inside.
Lin Cheng leaned closer to Zhuang Sijing and whispered,
“Why are you so well-behaved? Are you afraid of me?”
“I’m not! Hey! Don’t say such things!”
Zhuang Sijing scooted toward the car door, her cheeks flushing as she refused to look at him.
Lin Cheng leaned back in his seat.
Zhuang Sijing relaxed too, casually asking,
“Are you planning to study hard and inherit the family business?”
“Yes. I’ll get into a top university—something like a 985. I can’t keep thinking about romance; it’s so useless.”
Lin Cheng spoke lightly.
“How about we get into the same university?”
“If you can make it...” Zhuang Sijing turned to squint at him.
“Then you’ll grant me one wish,” Lin Cheng said.
“Deal!” Zhuang Sijing replied crisply, thinking to herself: 985? Such lofty ambitions!
Lin Cheng smiled with satisfaction.
Uncle He’s hands gripping the steering wheel were sweating; his face looked quite grim.
Because of his daughter He Yueyue, he had the chance to be the boss’s driver.
Otherwise, with so many veteran drivers in the Lin family, it wouldn’t be his turn.
After all, driving the boss required not only a good appearance but also foreign language skills;
Sometimes, the driver also had to serve as an assistant.
Though exhausting, the salary was high!
This was the company’s small motor pool—many people’s dream.
If Lin Cheng stopped treating He Yueyue well, their quality of life would plummet.
He worried deeply but feared saying anything that might offend Lin Cheng.
If not for the little girl in the car, maybe Lin Cheng would still be fond of his daughter!
...
The Mercedes entered a small alley; the villa’s gate opened automatically.
This luxurious villa’s exterior exuded noble elegance, reflecting its owner’s wealthy status.
Built with classic granite and metal, the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows complemented the arched porch;
Blending French design elements, the entire villa radiated understated, refined charm.
Yet Lin Cheng secretly preferred traditional Chinese courtyards—Hui style or Suzhou style were his favorites!
“The young master is home.”
The moment the car stopped, butler Cao Yunping came to open the door and took the school bag from Lin Cheng’s hand.
“What’s for dinner?” Lin Cheng was a little hungry. In his past life, he had longed to eat Aunt Hu’s cooking, but family troubles had forced Aunt Hu to return to the county.
Now, with a chance to eat her food again, he felt eager.
“Salt and pepper shrimp, three-cup chicken, and steamed yellow croaker.”
The butler listed dishes that He Yueyue liked.
Lin Cheng frowned. Ever since he became infatuated with Lin Yueyue, many things had shifted to suit He Yueyue’s tastes.
He Yueyue couldn’t eat spicy food, so Lin Cheng, who loved it, had to endure.
He Yueyue disliked the dried flowers by the door, so Lin Cheng replaced them with memorabilia from a certain celebrity; those dried flowers had been a birthday gift from Zhuang Sijing.
After learning this, Zhuang Sijing said nothing but rarely visited the Lin household anymore...
“Uncle Cao, change the dishes. Let’s have spicy boiled pork slices, spicy chicken, and hand-shredded cabbage.”
“All right, all right.”
The butler was momentarily stunned, recalling these were Lin Cheng’s favorites. Seeing the empty rear seat, he guessed the two might be having a quarrel.
But knowing Lin Cheng’s temperament, he believed they would reconcile soon.
So, old Cao decided to keep the original dishes aside just in case.