Chapter 150 Giving Someone Away

In the end, He Chuan did not sleep over at Wen Liang's place.

He received a call halfway through and left, saying he had matters to attend to. He didn't specify what those matters were, but Wen Liang actually knew: he currently had no romantic intentions toward her.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have refrained from touching her these past few years.

He was a normal man; how could he possibly endure such restraint?

The more Wen Liang thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. She couldn't help wondering whether He Chuan's reluctance to touch her was genuinely due to a lack of desire or because of other reasons.

She wanted to talk to He Chuan about it, but he was away from Yongcheng for a whole week on a business trip.

When Wen Liang called him, the words reached the tip of her tongue, yet she couldn't bring herself to ask. She wanted to ask him if she failed to spark any interest in him at all, which explained why he remained completely unresponsive to her advances time and time again.

Asking such a question was simply too humiliating.

Was she lacking in charm? Or perhaps he despised her age? It was true she was thirty, but she had always exercised, maintained her figure, and lived on a daily diet of salads and greens precisely to keep herself looking youthful.

She remained silent for a long time until he finally asked on the other end, "What is it?"

"He Chuan, are you completely uninterested in me?"

With an indifferent tone, He Chuan replied, "No."

"You tell me not to overthink, but your actions make me feel exactly like you have no interest in me whatsoever. He Chuan, is it because you're not interested in me that you avoid touching me, once, twice, again and again? We've been together for so long, yet you seem so detached, and I can't feel any warmth from you."

Her voice carried a trace of a sob, sounding desperately humble.

He Chuan said nothing.

Wen Liang continued, "He Chuan, do you know that physical compatibility is just as important when a man and a woman are together?"

His refusal to touch her only made her suspect that his heart was still harboring someone else.

She felt insecure, and this sensation was growing stronger by the day.

As she spoke, tears rolled uncontrollably down Wen Liang's cheeks. They were clearly about to get married, yet he maintained this cold and aloof demeanor, like viewing flowers through a layer of mist—she simply couldn't see through what he was thinking.

Nor was he willing to open his heart to her.

Wen Liang cried softly in grievance, "I feel like the distance between us is so vast. He Chuan, we are clearly getting married soon, but you give me the feeling that your heart isn't with me at all. Did you agree to marry me because of my father? If that's the case, you really don't have to force yourself."

Wen Liang could voice such thoughts precisely because He Chuan projected that exact feeling.

In front of outsiders and Cheng Hui, she could put on an act of being deeply in love and happy with He Chuan, but only she and He Chuan knew that they hadn't even shared a kiss. At most, there were hugs and hand-holding, and he never gave her the opportunity to go any further.

Wen Liang was no fool. A man like He Chuan could snap his fingers and have a crowd of women flocking to him. Back in college, she already knew how popular he was. Coupled with his major at the time, wearing that uniform made him look both ascetic and handsome—wherever he went, he was in high demand.

Especially in this era where hookup culture had become the norm.

He Chuan was somewhat distracted and didn't hear the second half of what Wen Liang said. She was crying softly, yet he felt no emotional stirring at all; instead, he appeared somewhat cold. After a brief pause, he offered a few words of comfort.

Just a few simple words, and Wen Liang readily accepted them. As long as He Chuan treated her even slightly better, she would feel a bit relieved inside.

In truth, this attitude was terribly humble. In a relationship, whoever lowered their head first became the vulnerable party.

Being this vulnerable party felt awful, leaving her with zero status in the other person's heart.

Yet He Chuan didn't answer any of the questions Wen Liang had asked, whether because he couldn't be bothered to reply or for some other reason.

Although Wen Liang stopped crying, she still remained uneasy; her inner anxiety was not dispelled by a few comforting remarks.

Finally, He Chuan said, "Don't think too much into it. I will marry you."

That sentence carried immense weight. He was a man of his word; having promised to give her a marriage, he would certainly marry her.

However, his heart didn't have to reside with her.

That was the subtext of his words.

Wen Liang didn't catch the underlying meaning at the time and failed to guess it. Long afterward, even when she did figure it out, it was too late to wake up from the delusion.

Having placated Wen Liang, He Chuan immersed himself back into his work. At the negotiating table, he exuded a powerful aura, leaving the opposing party no room to maneuver, ruthlessly crushing their profit margins until the desperate opponents had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.

After concluding the business, the group went out for dinner. He Chuan treated the meal, acting as a gesture to soften the blow of his earlier dominance and save face for the other side.

Among the opposing team was a tall, blonde, blue-eyed beauty who kept her eyes on He Chuan, seemingly harboring romantic interests in him.

During his business trips over the past few years, He Chuan inevitably encountered bold women who leveraged their beauty, seizing every opportunity to get close to him. While he never outright rejected them, he never looked at them seriously either. His ambiguous attitude often gave these women the illusion that they had conquered him with their charms, yet in the end, they gained nothing and were simply bypassed and ignored by He Chuan.

That beauty was quite resourceful and constantly sought opportunities to capture his attention, such as sitting next to him, engaging in subtle movements with her legs under the table, and even slipping him a business card.

Having witnessed all sorts of flirting tactics, He Chuan rejected this one outright, sparing the great beauty no face whatsoever.

As the boss, the people He Chuan brought along naturally dared not criticize him, not even behind his back. Yet seeing the beauty walk away empty-handed, they couldn't help but sigh with mixed feelings.

He Chuan was getting married after all; if he messed around outside and got photographed, it would inevitably damage his public image.

...

Upon returning to Yongcheng after the trip, He Chuan was photographed after all.

Wen Liang saw the news posted online, which featured a blurry photo of He Chuan drinking at the same table with a blonde, blue-eyed beauty. Although the picture was indistinct and fuzzy, it was clear enough to recognize He Chuan's silhouette, prompting plenty of wild imaginations.

The date for their engagement banquet was fast approaching, and for such an incident to pop up midway inevitably caused a certain amount of fallout.

He Chuan himself remained entirely unperturbed. He acted as though he knew nothing about the matter, only raising his gaze to look at her when Wen Liang brought it up, saying, "Unfounded rumors. Nothing happened."

He meant that he had no relationship with that woman and had done nothing wrong.

Wen Liang said nothing. Her expression looked aggrieved as she bit her lower lip, staring straight at him.

He Chuan looked back at her.

"He Chuan, please try to avoid letting such incidents happen again in the future. It affects both you and the company."

In truth, the person losing face over this incident was Wen Liang.

Outsiders would only say she couldn't keep her husband under control, noting that this man was already playing around outside before even getting married.

...

Mr. Wen was also alarmed by this affair. He dialed a direct call to Wen Liang to ask about He Chuan.

Naturally, Wen Liang stood on He Chuan's side. They might have private conflicts behind closed doors, but outwardly they presented a united front, and she was fiercely protective of him.

Furthermore, He Chuan had stated that he didn't touch other women and hadn't done anything wrong. When conducting business, encountering women throwing themselves at him was inevitable; it was completely normal.

Mr. Wen said, "If it's not true, then you must remind him to stay highly vigilant when he's out. Women these days are something else."

Wen Liang replied, "Dad, don't talk like that. He Chuan isn't that kind of person. I don't need to remind him; he knows where to draw the line."

After soothing her father for a little while longer, Wen Liang managed to dispel Mr. Wen's doubts.

Wen Liang made numerous excuses for He Chuan, and by explaining it to him, she was essentially convincing herself as well.

The engagement banquet drew closer, and Wen Liang grew increasingly busy. She needed to order gowns and had made appointments with several designers to personally craft a unique dress just for her. She wanted to leave a deep impression on He Chuan; even though it was an engagement banquet rather than an actual wedding, she valued it immensely and refused to be careless.

Economically, He Chuan had not treated her poorly. He gave her a credit card, letting her buy clothes and bags and swipe it freely, proving quite generous.

As for the preparations for the engagement banquet, He Chuan actually didn't put much thought into it, delegating the tasks entirely to his assistant.

An engagement banquet was, after all, a major event worth noting, and almost everyone in his social circle knew he was getting married.

...

Cheng Hui knew about He Chuan's upcoming engagement, but she didn't know the exact date.

It was only when Cheng Jiu mentioned it inadvertently that she found out.

That day, she happened to go to his house for a free meal and dropped by to see little Manle.

Little Manle sat on the sofa, uncharacteristically quiet, watching television and paying her no attention.

Xin Gan was in the kitchen cooking food for little Manle, who had just woken up from a nap and was crying out that she was hungry. Xin Gan had told her to sit on the sofa for a moment while dinner was being prepared.

Cheng Jiu was on the phone, mentioning that He Chuan's engagement banquet was scheduled for Wednesday of the week after next, arriving very soon. He had received an invitation and would likely attend.

Upon hearing the date, Cheng Hui fell silent.

Cheng Jiu didn't avoid her either; after hanging up the phone, he asked, "Are you going?"

"Go where?" She hadn't reacted in time.

"To the engagement banquet."

"... " Cheng Hui said lazily, "Why would I go?"

Asking a question she already knew the answer to.

Cheng Jiu said, "That was He Chuan on the phone just now. He asked if you were going."

"What do you mean?"

Cheng Jiu said, "He asked if you would be attending."

"Not going." She answered crisply, then let out a self-deprecating laugh, "If I go, Mom might just ship me away again."

Cheng Jiu said nothing, instead giving her hair a firm ruffle and saying, "Then don't go."

"You guys go ahead. No matter what, you're friends, having known each other for so many years; it wouldn't look right if you didn't show up."

Cheng Jiu left the house first to attend to some matters. While feeding little Manle, Xin Gan asked her, "How is your work going? Is it running smoothly?"

"Pretty good. My colleagues are all very nice." Today was Saturday, her day off.

"Do you still not have a car to get around? I was telling Cheng Jiu whether you should drive mine. My dad gave me another one of his old cars, and it's just sitting there anyway, and I don't go out very often. Why don't you use one of them for now?"

Cheng Hui protested, "Sister Xinxin, please don't spoil me so much. What if I crash your car later? No, no, I don't need a car. Besides, the company is so close that it only takes a few minutes to walk there. I don't need a vehicle."

Seeing that she didn't want one, Xin Gan didn't force the issue. Her current focus in life was entirely devoted to little Manle, leaving her with no personal time. Busy taking care of the child, her own styling was casual, and her hair was simply tied up in a loose bun—though she still looked lovely and pretty.

Cheng Hui watched her for a moment. Having seen so many women, she still thought Xin Gan was the most gorgeous of them all—the prettiest woman she had ever laid eyes on, with wonderful poise and fair skin. No wonder her brother had fallen head over heels, struggling without a single chance of escape.

However, Cheng Jiu wasn't a very good father; due to the special nature of his work and his heavy workload, he frequently failed to take care of Xin Gan and their daughter.

Watching Xin Gan raise little Manle all by herself, Cheng Hui felt a pang of sympathy and sighed, "Sister Xinxin, you have it so hard."

Xin Gan replied, "It's tough, but your brother has it hard too."

"How is he having a hard time? He's a hands-off boss who doesn't even raise the kid. Doesn't little Manle barely feel close to him?"

Xin Gan pondered for a moment before saying, "There's nothing to be done about that. When I first met your brother, he was already quite busy, and it's pretty much the same now. For me, it's manageable."

It was just that she felt a lingering sense of guilt for not taking better care of little Manle.

She felt somewhat apologetic toward the child.

Cheng Hui sat down next to little Manle, teasing her for a bit before hearing Xin Gan ask, "Actually, there's something I've been wanting to ask you, Huihui."

"What is it?"

"Have you really let go of He Chuan?"

Xin Gan stood firmly on her side. Back then, He Chuan had voluntarily abandoned Cheng Hui, and Xin Gan felt he had acted too ruthlessly—giving up just like that—while Cheng Hui's subsequent hardships were largely tied directly to him.

Including Cheng Hui's illness.

Cheng Hui answered, "Pretty much."

Her response was ambiguous.

Yet her eyes didn't fool Xin Gan.

"I actually had my own faults back then when I was with him. I thought he was insane for forcing me, and I threw tantrums, even telling my brother. Thinking back on it now, I was already scared at that time—scared that if things didn't work out between us, it would ruin his relationship with my brother. And sure enough, it did."

Xin Gan reached out and stroked her hand.

"It's all in the past now. I know you guys were all afraid that when I heard about his engagement, I'd do something out of line. Honestly, I'm fine; I anticipated this long ago, and after so much time has passed, I've already moved on. You don't need to worry about me doing anything stupid again."

During those years she spent in London, she truly had suffered quite a bit.

...

Xin Gan knew a part of it, while much of it remained unknown.

That was because Cheng Hui had specifically asked Dr. Leaf not to tell her.

...

That night, as Cheng Hui was sleeping at home, she hazily received a phone call. Half-asleep, she failed to recognize who was calling right away. After mumbling incoherently for a while, the man's voice on the other end grew sharper, completely banishing her sleepiness and causing her to sit straight up in bed.

"You still have three cats at my place. Find some time to come and take them away."

Three cats?

Cheng Hui had completely forgotten about the cats she used to keep, and even Cheng Jiu and the others hadn't brought them up.

The person calling her at this late hour was none other than He Chuan.

Making such a call at this time of night just to have her collect cats?

In a daze, she rubbed her eyes and remained silent.

There was no sound from He Chuan's end either.

"What cats?" When she went abroad, weren't the cats still being raised at Cheng Jiu's place?

He Chuan answered, "Your brother couldn't take care of them, so I brought them over."

Judging by his tone, he sounded completely justified.

Cheng Hui licked her lips. "Oh, I'll find a time to come pick them up. Where is your home?" She wanted to praise herself for making progress, as her tone remained reasonably calm without any emotional fluctuations.

He Chuan said, "You don't remember my address? Then you better think hard about it."

"... " What was that supposed to mean?

With a click, the line went dead.

A few minutes later, Cheng Hui had completely woken up, sitting on the sofa and staring at her phone.

Her phone number was newly changed. As for those three cats being at He Chuan's place, the phone number could be explained by the fact that she had submitted a resume to his company, which listed her contact information; if he had read her resume, he would have seen her number. As for the cats, since her return, Cheng Jiu hadn't mentioned them, probably afraid of upsetting her or hiding the fact that the cats were given to He Chuan.

Then again, considering how long she had been abroad with no guarantee of returning, those cats were originally strays she had rescued, and since Mrs. Cheng wouldn't allow pets, she could only keep them at Cheng Jiu's.

Yet for He Chuan to call her about the cats at this specific hour—he certainly knew how to pick his timing.

He deliberately called during her sleeping hours.

Given her already poor sleep quality, having finally managed to fall asleep early tonight, she had her rest thoroughly smashed to pieces by his call.

All sleepiness vanished.

Unable to sleep, she sat by the windowsill and lit a cigarette.

This could be considered her only remaining comfort.

It was hard to bear, so she forced herself to distract her mind. Smoking served merely as a way to relieve the pressure.

That night, she suffered from insomnia.

Another person suffering from insomnia was He Chuan.

He currently owned multiple residences scattered across different districts. If not for the nanny who had been taking care of those three cats calling him earlier to talk about them, he wouldn't even have remembered that he was keeping three cats.

Those three cats lived in a spacious house, eating and drinking well with a dedicated nanny looking after them. They acted like little emperors; upon seeing him, their provider and master, they didn't even bother to greet him, choosing to lounge around as they pleased and sparing him not an ounce of respect.

Now that Cheng Hui was back, those three cats should naturally be returned to her.

That was what He Chuan thought.

After making that phone call, He Chuan stood lost in thought for a long time, holding his phone in silence. Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window of his bedroom, he looked out at the night scenery, his figure appearing solitary and desolate.

He had already sent people to find out which company Cheng Hui was working at. That firm happened to have his investments, giving him a say in the matter; if he wanted to pull some strings, it would be effortless—it all depended on what he chose to do.

Yet upon hearing the news of his engagement, Cheng Hui showed no reaction whatsoever, remaining completely calm without a single emotional wave. This outcome differed somewhat from his expectations.

Back when she went abroad, that phone call she made to him was filled with heart-wrenching tears, begging him not to break up. Now, she had let go just like that.

Closing his eyes, he seemed to travel back to the day she called him crying aboard the airplane. That scene remained vivid in his mind, feeling as though it had happened just yesterday.

Yet in the blink of an eye, several years had passed.

He was no longer young, and wrinkles had begun to form at the corners of his eyes.

Cheng Hui, however, was still in the prime of her youth, and her life had only just begun.

...

After all, those three cats were rescues Cheng Hui had found herself. After pondering through the entire night, she decided one must see things through to the end; since He Chuan didn't want them anymore, she would take them back and raise them herself. In any case, she intended to stay in Yongcheng for the time being, and as for future matters, they could be dealt with later.

She contacted He Chuan to schedule a time to pick up the cats, but no matter what time slots she proposed, He Chuan claimed he was busy.

Speechless, Cheng Hui said, "Then you name a time when you're free, and I'll work around your schedule."

Only then did He Chuan reply, "The day of my engagement."

"... "

After a pause, she chuckled, "You want me to come to your engagement banquet to pick up my cats?"

She added, "You certainly are busy."

He responded, "That's the only day I have free. If you can't make it, I'll deal with the cats however I see fit."