After Zhao Chenlin left, Wang Cheng drove away from the Zhou residence as well. He still had a few things to take care of. Only Mother Zheng remained behind to keep Old Master Zhou company. Among all the members of the Zhou and Zheng families, Mother Zheng was the only one who had very little to occupy her day. Because of that, however, she had good relations with many of the capital’s wealthy wives. Every so often, she organized a small gathering for everyone to socialize. If one asked who knew the most people, the answer was undoubtedly Mother Zheng. Wang Cheng parked in a temporary space nearby, picked up several bags, and entered a residential complex that only well-paid professionals could afford.
This was the complex where Wang Ning’an lived. Apartments here cost several million yuan, and Shenghui Group was not generous enough to casually give him a property worth more than three million. Wang Ning’an had money now, but he had not extravagantly bought one of these apartments either. Like most professionals living here, he rented. Even the rent, however, was far from cheap.
Wang Ning’an had received his call half an hour earlier. He had only just woken up at the time. After drinking heavily the previous night, he had awakened with a headache and dizziness. Since Wang Cheng was coming over anyway, he simply took the day off.
“Don’t you need to stay home with your elders? How do you have time to come here?” Wang Ning’an opened the door to let him in and asked as he walked back inside.
Wang Cheng took off his shoes, changed into the indoor slippers by the entrance, and unwound the scarf around his neck. “Grandpa has my mom with him. You were drunk last night and you live alone, so I was worried and came to take a look.” Having once lived with his eldest brother, Wang Cheng knew very well what Wang Ning’an’s everyday life was like.
“That’s all? You probably have another reason.” Wang Ning’an glanced back at him with complete confidence.
Wang Cheng carried the bags into the kitchen. When he came back out, he answered a question with another question. “Big Brother, how much rent do you pay for this apartment every month?”
Wang Ning’an poured two cups of hot water and handed one to him. “Why are you suddenly interested in that?”
“This morning, Mom and I sorted through the birthday presents people gave me. One guest gave me an apartment. The location seemed pretty suitable, and it isn’t far from here. I heard it’s in a high-end complex too. I already have somewhere to live, so I can’t use it. That made me think of you.”
“You should keep the apartment for yourself. I don’t need it.” Wang Ning’an refused without even thinking. He had another reason for renting this place. He had never intended to live here permanently.
“Why not? If Dad, Mom, or Xiaoyu wants to come see you, it would be convenient. And you’d save the rent.”
Wang Cheng had already asked around. For an upscale apartment like this, rent plus all the other monthly expenses cost at least twenty thousand yuan.
Warmth rose in Wang Ning’an’s heart. “The thought is enough. I know you still treat me as your real brother, but I truly don’t need it. If Dad and Mom want to visit, they can stay in this apartment with me.”
“All right.” Seeing that he could not persuade him, Wang Cheng gave up.
“Your biological brother was the one who took me home last night, right?”
Wang Ning’an changed the subject.
Wang Cheng nodded. “Yeah. Why?”
Wang Ning’an shook his head. “Nothing. I fell asleep almost as soon as I got home last night. If you see your brother, help me tell him thank you.”
That thank-you was not only for bringing him home but also for what had happened at the banquet. Without Zheng Jingen’s help, Wang Ning’an would never have met so many influential people. After last night, Yu Hongming would only value him more highly, which would make what he planned to do much easier.
“I will.” Wang Cheng stood. “Big Brother, you haven’t eaten breakfast yet, have you? I’ll make you something. I stopped by the supermarket on the way here.”
When he had gone into the kitchen earlier, he had noticed there was nothing in the trash bin and no sign that the stove had been used. From that, he concluded Wang Ning’an had not eaten. Wang Ning’an, for his part, had missed his cooking.
Wang Cheng made him a pot of congee and stir-fried several dishes with the ingredients he had bought. It had already been close to noon when he arrived, so the food ended up becoming lunch.
Wang Ning’an walked toward the kitchen. Just then, a phone began ringing in the living room. He went back, picked it up, and the smile on his face immediately vanished when he saw the screen. When he answered, Yu Jing’s voice came through. She had already called several times that morning, but he had ignored every call.
“Brother Ning’an, I heard you’re resting at home today. Are you feeling unwell?” Yu Jing’s voice sounded cheerful. In the past, her father had valued Wang Ning’an’s talent but had never stopped her younger brother from testing and obstructing him. Things were different now. After what happened the night before, her father would no longer oppose him. He had even personally warned her younger brother not to target Wang Ning’an again.
Wang Ning’an had taken sick leave, so Yu Jing had obviously asked around before calling. He answered indifferently, “Mm.”
Yu Jing seemed to think of something that made her happy. After fussing over his health for a while, she finally revealed why she had called. “I had our family chef make you some good food. It’s already on the way to your place. You—”
“No need.” Wang Ning’an interrupted her.
“What?” Yu Jing froze.
Wang Ning’an said, “Someone is already cooking for me. You don’t need to send anything. Keep the food and eat it yourself.”
With that, he hung up.
Yu Jing called his name several times and received no response. Only then did she believe he really had hung up on her. Her good mood vanished instantly, and she nearly went mad with frustration. “Damn it! Who dared get there before me?”
She did not care much about Wang Ning’an’s poor attitude toward her, but she absolutely would not tolerate another woman appearing beside him.
Wang Ning’an had never said whether the person cooking was a man or woman. The moment Yu Jing heard cooking, however, she instinctively imagined a woman. It could not be a relative. As far as she knew, Wang Ning’an had only one younger sister, and that sister was studying at Jing University. As for his parents, she had never heard of his family coming to visit. Yu Jing therefore decided it had to be another woman.
“No way. The man I, Yu Jing, haven’t managed to get yet is definitely not going to be snatched away by some other woman.”
Yu Jing slammed her hand down on the horn, her expression both determined and ferocious.
After the brothers finished lunch, Wang Cheng washed the dishes before leaving.
On the way, he received a call from Wang Ziyu and learned that Jing University would begin winter break the day after tomorrow, January twentieth. Compared with ordinary universities, the school was letting out somewhat later.
Wang Ziyu wanted to ask whether, once break started, he planned to go back to Shanhai City with her. Her classmates had all booked their tickets long ago, but she had not because she had been considering this question.
Wang Cheng told her they could talk in person. After putting away his phone, he changed course for Jing University. Fortunately, he had not told Chu Yifeng he was going there.
By the time he reached the university, the atmosphere was even more tense than on his last visit. Some students had finished an exam that morning and were visibly more relaxed. Groups of three or five came out together, not discussing the test but talking instead about winter break.
Wang Cheng was not a Jing University student, after all. No matter how popular he had once been on campus, the attention had long since cooled. He walked all the way to the dormitory building without anyone recognizing him.
Wang Ziyu had no exam that morning. She and Mi Li both had subjects in the afternoon. Pang Chunjuan and Qian Baobao had already finished their morning exams. One was frantically stuffing herself with snacks, smiling so widely her eyes had nearly disappeared, while the other rolled around on her bed celebrating that she only had two subjects left before she was finally done. The moment Qian Baobao saw Wang Cheng, she shrieked. It was already too late to pretend to be ladylike.
“Second Brother, you got here so fast.” Wang Ziyu had thought it would take him an hour. It had not even been half that.
“I happened to already be on the road.” Wang Cheng rubbed her head. “How did your exams go?”
Before Wang Ziyu could answer, Qian Baobao covered her ears and shook her head violently. “Don’t say it, don’t say it! I don’t want to hear the grades of a top student!”
In fact, Pang Chunjuan had already asked her earlier. Wang Ziyu’s answer had been pretty good. She was always modest. If she was willing to say those three words, then she had definitely done very well. No one could guarantee she would rank first in the year, but the top three was probably secure, and the scholarship was as good as already in her pocket.
Qian Baobao was deeply envious. She was a little money grubber, something obvious even from her name, but there was still a wide gulf between her and an academic star. All she could do was envy Wang Ziyu.
Wang Cheng was equally confident in his younger sister’s grades. After asking a few questions about her daily life, he finally brought up the real matter.
Qian Baobao and the other two planned to go home on the twentieth, the day break officially began. Their university already dismissed students seven or eight days later than many other schools, so none of them intended to linger. Wang Ziyu did not want to stay in the dorm alone either.
“I’ll book the plane tickets. I need to go home too, so I’ll go with you.”
He had no intention of relying on train tickets. With so many people in the capital working far from their hometowns, tickets would be snatched up if one waited even a day. There was no need to check to know they would be difficult to buy, and the journey was far too long anyway.
Qian Baobao looked envious. “It must be so nice to have an older brother.”
“Of course.” Wang Ziyu smiled and hooked her arm around Wang Cheng’s. She had already sorted out her feelings. Even if Second Brother was not her biological brother, in her heart he would always be the second brother she loved most. A lack of blood relation would never change that.
Seeing her happy made Wang Cheng happy too.
To avoid scrambling on the day they left, many students had already begun packing. Large items like bedding and mattresses were not going home with them, but they could not simply be left to gather dust. Wang Cheng stuffed Wang Ziyu’s sheets and pillow into a large bag, sealed it tightly, and pushed it under the foot of the bed. The mattress went back into the long protective bag it had come in when purchased. Wang Ziyu had never thrown the packaging away, and now it finally came in useful. Qian Baobao and the others, by contrast, were scrambling around trying to find bags.