Chapter Four: In the Eyes of a Poor Man, There Is Only Women

"Yueyue." Uncle He had been waiting at the villa entrance all along. The moment he saw He Yueyue, he pulled her aside and recounted everything Lin Cheng had said in the car.

He Yueyue had taken the bus home by herself.

"What should we do?" Uncle He asked, frowning deeply, his face dark with worry.

"Impossible! He’s just jealous because I helped that boy," He Yueyue replied stubbornly.

"Foolish child! Then don’t make him angry! What if he really gets his heart broken?" Uncle He clenched his fists and paced anxiously.

"Ah, Dad, you don’t understand. This is a tactic! If I give in to him, he’ll just get bored!" Lin Yueyue said as she headed back into the villa.

Though He Yueyue dined at the Lin family every night, she and Uncle He lived in a self-built house adjacent to the villa.

Nestled behind the tall trees of the villa complex, winding paths led to this secluded home, where drivers and housekeepers serving the villa resided.

The location near the lakeside and close to the city center made the rent quite expensive, so Uncle He was reluctant to rent elsewhere.

This house was also provided by Lin Cheng.

He Yueyue didn’t bother with these thoughts; she knew Lin Cheng would soften first and could even guess the dishes prepared tonight — her favorites.

That morning, she saw Aunt Hu bringing home several large yellow croakers, so she was certain some were for her.

Thinking of the yellow croaker lifted her spirits somewhat.

But as she turned the corner into the dining room, her expression darkened again.

Goodness, the table was ablaze with red, and every dish was spicy!

"Are we celebrating the New Year or what?" Lin Yueyue complained in a soft voice. "How can we eat so many spicy dishes?"

She pulled out the chair opposite Lin Cheng and sat down, then asked the steward, Cao Yunping, "Uncle Ping, what about the fish from this morning?"

Cao Yunping stood properly to the side with a forced smile, saying nothing.

With the master away, the servant girl seemed to reign supreme for quite some time.

He still harbored some prejudice against the driver’s daughter’s attitude and hoped Lin Cheng would shift his affections elsewhere.

But Lin Cheng seemed bewitched; what could be done?

"I’m talking to you!" He Yueyue raised her voice a few notches.

Lin Cheng, sitting opposite her, put down his chopsticks, slowly lifted his head, and spoke calmly:

"No yellow croaker was cooked."

"You!" He Yueyue was momentarily stunned but glared fiercely at Lin Cheng.

She wasn’t stupid. His father kowtowed to her every day, and her status truly didn’t match Lin Cheng’s.

So she had to keep Lin Cheng under control to regain her dignity.

She constantly wanted to prove: it wasn’t He Yueyue who was clinging to a rich heir; rather, the rich heir was deeply and passionately in love with her!

She was the chosen one destined to grasp the code of wealth!

Later, she kept hypnotizing herself this way, which was why she accepted Lin Cheng’s care while also caring for Chen Zishi.

"Lin Cheng! Just because you have money, you think you’re impressive? Immaturity makes you dress yourself up with money; weakness makes you pander to others."

Lin Cheng’s gaze was like sharpened ice.

That deep, cold stare left He Yueyue momentarily at a loss.

"Bitter truth? Let me give you one," Lin Cheng said deliberately.

"Want to know how to tell if someone has money? I’ll tell you: poor men only see women; poor women only dream."

"Uncle Ping is not only the steward but family. If you don’t respect him, don’t bother coming back."

"Lin Cheng, you!" He Yueyue sprang up, trembling with anger.

Why?

How could he say such harsh things to her?

"Calm down, calm down," Uncle He was still at the door, expecting Lin Cheng to coax his daughter as before.

But two words later, they were at odds.

He was even threatening to kick them out of the Lin family! What madness was this?

"It’s just a little quarrel. Talking it out will solve everything. Lin Cheng, Yueyue is just being childish. It’s all my fault and her mother’s for spoiling her. I’ll talk to her," Uncle He pleaded, bowing repeatedly but still protecting his daughter — a father’s instinct.

Lin Cheng hesitated briefly, wanting to say: Uncle He need not come anymore. It wasn’t cruelty; he just didn’t want to get tangled up with He Yueyue any longer.

"Uncle He, from now on—"

At that moment, Lin Cheng’s father, Lin Chengzhang, returned.

His business had long since expanded beyond Wuzhou, with projects in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Sichuan, and Chongqing, appearing and disappearing like a wandering hero.

He had been hoping his old classmates, the Zhuang family, would help look after the children — especially since it was their senior year.

Lin Cheng was glad to see his father after several days apart.

He didn’t want his foolish quarrels with He Yueyue to spoil this precious father-son reunion.

"Uncle He, you can go back for now. Come by Sunday; I have something to discuss," Lin Cheng said, signaling steward Cao Yunping to see them out.

"Let’s go, don’t be angry," Uncle He said, knowing how to save face and immediately pulled He Yueyue out the side door.

"Hey, Yueyue, Old He, stay and eat before you leave?"

Lin Chengzhang shot his son a sharp look.

Having dealt with countless people in business, he immediately knew the two young ones had quarreled again.

"Oh, Chairman, no thanks. Yueyue said she has so much homework she’ll be up all night."

Lin Chengzhang could only smile and nod.

...

As soon as they stepped outside, He Yueyue burst into tears.

She hated it when people talked about her background, especially in such a vague and half-hearted way!

Lin Cheng had once promised to make her the happiest woman in all of Wuzhou.

Liar! Men were no good!

"Didn't he say he’d come on Sunday?" Uncle He comforted her. "Maybe he’s preparing a surprise!"

"Surprise? He deliberately argued with me? Then a surprise?" He Yueyue wiped her tears. Men were so childish; what kind of strategy was that?

"Exactly, definitely! How could he turn his back on you?" Uncle He found it baffling too.

Lin Chengzhang, seeing the table full of Sichuan dishes, grinned widely.

"Rare occasion, all spicy!" He picked up his chopsticks. "Son, how have you been lately?"

"So-so," Lin Cheng replied.

Somewhere along the line, his words to his father had become perfunctory, as if trying to be cool. Now it seemed rather adolescent.

Lin Chengzhang eyed his son, half-joking:

"Son! Don’t worry about your exam results. If all else fails, we’ll just send you abroad. Even without a degree, as long as you have money, plenty of masters and doctors will work for you!"

"Huh?"

Lin Cheng laughed at his father’s absurdity. "Dad, did the teacher complain to you? Or did someone upset you? I’m aiming for a top university! Stop dreaming about early retirement!"

"You… 985?" Lin Sheng paused, a piece of beef halfway to his mouth.

"I’m going to start working hard! No more empty threats, too low-level!" Lin Cheng replied disdainfully.

"Haha—" Lin Chengzhang could hardly believe his ears.

His son inherited his mother’s sharp mind but lacked persistence!

Lin Chengzhang was too embarrassed to expose his son — after all, he was his flesh and blood.

"Dad, you’re not old; how come you’re getting hard of hearing?"

"Get lost, you little brat! Who’s hard of hearing!" Lin Chengzhang snapped.

"985, no pressure! Lanzhou University, Northeast University, philosophy, minor languages, whatever you want. If you’re not satisfied, I’ll send you to a foreign Ivy League!"

"...Dad, ah, forget it."

Lin Cheng felt a bit discouraged.