After the Arranged Marriage, I Was Pampered by the Powerful Tycoon - Chapter 11

“Xiao Ruan?”

Wu Zhou called out Cheng Ruan’s name several times without receiving a response. Seeing this, he reached out and waved his hand in front of Cheng Ruan’s face. Only then did Cheng Ruan snap back to reality: “Hmm?”

Wu Zhou asked curiously, “What were you spacing out for just now? Are you really not surprised at all to find out it was Luo Mingzhi?”

Cheng Ruan said softly, “How could I not be? It’s exactly because I know it was him that I’m shocked. I never imagined he would be the one behind it.”

“Are you even a little bit moved?” Wu Zhou lay down on the sofa behind him in a rakish manner, propping up his face to tease him intentionally. “I thought he was just a marriage partner who would be like a stranger, but who knew he’d quietly stand up for you behind the scenes? Honestly, even I’m starting to ship you two.”

“You really aren’t picky, are you?” Cheng Ruan gave him an odd look before adding, “But… it’s actually quite easy to understand why he did it.”

Cheng Ruan tried to analyze the situation: “Just like he said, he’s a businessman; all his decisions are guided by profit. Regardless of our real feelings, he and I are married now. At the very least, he can’t let an outsider humiliate me like that; otherwise, it would be a slap in his own face, right?”

Wu Zhou looked at him with a beaming smile. “Well, I’m not Luo Mingzhi, so I wouldn’t know. Why don’t you go ask him yourself?”

“We’ll see about that later.” Cheng Ruan sighed, staring out the door to change the subject. “Your former brother-in-law is interfering in your life—doesn’t your sister have anything to say about it?”

Hearing this, Wu Zhou punched the sofa. “My sister is off enjoying herself somewhere right now; she couldn’t care less if I live or die. See, Xiao Ruan? Political marriages are just like that.”

“Look.” Wu Zhou pointed to his own face. “That man said I’m not allowed to leave the house until the scars on my face are completely gone. He comes over every single night to check on them. He’s a total freak.”

Cheng Ruan felt this was somewhat sensationalist. “What kind of unique fetish is that?”

Wu Zhou rubbed the goosebumps on his arms. “Who knows? If there comes a day when I can’t take it anymore, I’ll come seek refuge with you. You better take me in then!”

Cheng Ruan laughed. “Sure thing.”

A full day of meetings at the Luo Corporation had led to some progress regarding the development of the Muyao Town Intangible Cultural Heritage District.

Cheng Ruan had originally planned to find Luo Mingzhi after the meeting, but he unexpectedly learned that Luo had gone out on business, so he had to temporarily abandon the idea. Regarding the matter with Ren Han—since Luo Mingzhi hadn’t brought it up himself, Cheng Ruan felt it wasn’t appropriate to ask about it abruptly.

Perhaps it really was just out of a desire to protect his own interests and reputation.

It was now evening. Dusk had fallen, and the neon lights along the streets were already lit. Red and blue signs crisscrossed at varying heights, and the commercial buildings in the distance were brightly illuminated.

Leaning back in the rear seat, Cheng Ruan discussed the upcoming work schedule with Lu Ling. He then asked, “Secretary Lu, what day of the lunar month is it today?”

Lu Ling replied, “The seventh. The Old Master’s birthday is in four days.”

Cheng Ruan hummed in acknowledgment and asked further, “Is there going to be a banquet this year?”

Lu Ling turned his head from the passenger seat to reply, “The old family estate started preparations half a month ago.”

Cheng Ruan pursed his lips, resting his finger against his chin. After a moment of thought, he said, “Then pull over up ahead. I want to go to Wenyan Pavilion to pick out a gift for the Old Master.”

Wenyan Pavilion lived up to its name. Situated in the bustling heart of Jincheng, tucked away in a corner of the skyscrapers, it maintained a traditional Chinese architectural style. Surrounded by lush green bamboo and trees, it stood out prominently among the high-end luxury establishments.

However, everyone in Jincheng knew that Wenyan Pavilion had a significant background. Putting aside the countless rare treasures that money couldn’t buy, the presence of master antique engravers and the fact that the owner behind the scenes was a man named Luo were enough to inspire awe and trepidation.

As Cheng Ruan and Lu Ling walked inside, an old master with a kind face was sweeping the courtyard. Seeing Cheng Ruan’s group arrive, he continued sweeping the fallen leaves in an orderly fashion without looking up. He asked, “Which good item are you planning to swindle away this time?”

Cheng Ruan gave a cheeky grin, walked over, and said, “How can you think of me that way? Can’t I just come to visit you?”

The old master put down his broom and squinted at him. “My inventory is almost drained by you.”

“That won’t do.” Cheng Ruan wagged his finger and said to the old master shamelessly, “I’m a regular customer. You have to give me VIP treatment no matter what.”

“I’m not the one who makes the decisions.” The old master turned and led Cheng Ruan into the first-floor main hall. “Tell me, what are you looking for this time?”

“Hmm…” Cheng Ruan revealed a sly smile. “I heard that a piece of old jade from the border of Yunnan and Myanmar arrived recently, and you carved it into a Buddha statue?”

The old master’s hand, which was flipping through a ledger, stopped. He looked up at Cheng Ruan and said, “The Jade Buddha won’t do.”

“Ah?” Cheng Ruan asked, “Why not?”

The old master turned the ledger toward Cheng Ruan and tapped a calloused finger on it. “Except for the Jade Buddha, you can choose anything on this list.”

Cheng Ruan was truly obsessed with the Jade Buddha. “Not even if I pay more?”

The old master was direct: “No.”

Cheng Ruan began to act spoiled, pestering him with questions: “Why not?”

Annoyed by Cheng Ruan’s persistence, the old master finally said, “That is something Boss Luo wants.”

Cheng Ruan successfully shut his mouth, though he felt a small pang of disappointment. In the end, he selected a jadeite thumb ring that he thought would suit the Old Master’s tastes.

After setting the delivery time, Cheng Ruan muttered with a trace of lingering attachment, “Your Boss Luo and I are already married. You should give me a discount on good things in the future.”

The old master exposed him: “A marriage of convenience.”

Cheng Ruan was gnashing his teeth in frustration. “It’s still a marriage! Is there anyone in Jincheng who doesn’t know he and I are a thing now?”

The old master flicked an abacus bead back. “Fake.”

Cheng Ruan walked out of Wenyan Pavilion in a huff.

Cheng Ruan was sitting on a lounge chair looking at the latest fashion arrivals. Just as he was about to call and order some clothes, the Old Master called him.

Cheng Ruan answered the phone, his eyes browsing a navy-blue suit worn by a model on his tablet as he asked, “What is it, Grandpa?”

The Old Master said, “I’m holding a birthday banquet in two days. You and Luo Mingzhi should come back together.”

Cheng Ruan didn’t agree immediately. “I’ll have to ask him.”

After hanging up, Cheng Ruan stared at the suit on the screen. After a moment of hesitation, he added it to his shopping cart.

After another long moment, Cheng Ruan shook his head and moved the suit out of the cart again.

Wait… why was he buying a black suit!

After mentally preparing himself, Cheng Ruan dialed Luo Mingzhi’s number. To be honest, the number of times he had called Luo Mingzhi could be counted on one hand; they hadn’t even exchanged a single word on WeChat since adding each other.

The old master at the pavilion was right—fake is fake.

Luo Mingzhi seemed busy; it took a while before he answered the call. The background noise was a bit chaotic. Cheng Ruan asked hesitantly, “Luo Mingzhi… it’s Cheng Ruan. Um, is now a good time?”

Luo Mingzhi said “Excuse me” to the people on his end before asking Cheng Ruan, “What is it?”

Cheng Ruan said, “It’s my grandpa’s birthday in two days. Let’s go back together, shall we?”

Before calling Luo Mingzhi, he had thought of a long list of reasons to persuade him to go back with him. Just as he was debating which one to use first, Luo Mingzhi simply replied with a concise “Okay.”

Cheng Ruan swallowed the reasons that were stuck in his throat and changed his words: “Thank you.”

Having settled the matter of going home together, Cheng Ruan’s gaze returned to the tablet. With a slight movement of his fingertip, he added the suit back to the shopping cart.

Well… it was just a small gesture, a way to thank him for playing along.

On the day of the Old Master’s birthday banquet, Cheng Ruan set out directly from home to find Luo Mingzhi. Estimating that Luo Mingzhi would be coming out soon, Cheng Ruan got out of the back seat and leaned against the car door in front of the Luo Corporation building to wait.

From a distance, he saw the automatic doors slide open. A tall man with a powerful aura walked out. Cheng Ruan recognized his face and was about to wave when he saw an exquisitely handsome man walking side-by-side with him.

Cheng Ruan frowned, feeling that the man looked somewhat familiar, yet he couldn’t quite remember where he had seen him before.

The man said his goodbyes to Luo Mingzhi. Before leaving, he leaned toward Luo Mingzhi with a smile; they looked quite close.

Seeing Luo Mingzhi look over, Cheng Ruan quickly looked away to avoid eye contact and was the first to get into the car.

Luo Mingzhi sat silently in the back seat. There was a subtle distance between them, and the car was filled with silence.

Cheng Ruan tried to make small talk: “Who was that person just now?”

Luo Mingzhi said, “A friend I just met.”

“Oh,” Cheng Ruan replied. “I’ll be taking up your whole evening. But the people at the banquet should all be familiar faces; we can just go through the motions.”

Luo Mingzhi’s gaze was deep. “I have been to Old Master Cheng’s birthday banquet before.”

He glanced sideways at Cheng Ruan, who seemed to have no memory of it, and added, “You knocked over my wine glass and ran away without even looking back.”

Cheng Ruan knew exactly which time he was talking about. His face flushed, and he apologized ten years too late: “I’m sorry.”

Luo Mingzhi shook his head and closed his eyes to rest.

Cheng Ruan had no choice but to pretend to look at his phone, but his mind began to recall the banquet Luo Mingzhi had mentioned.

It could practically be included in the “black history” of his life.

The old family estate was bustling with people. Many of the Old Master’s old friends had come in person to offer their congratulations, especially this year, as the Old Master’s favorite grandson had gotten married. Some who were abroad and missed the wedding wanted to take this opportunity to see what the fuss was about.

Cheng Ruan and Luo Mingzhi walked into the old estate together to pay their respects to the Old Master.

The Old Master, wearing a Mao suit embroidered with black-and-gold tiger patterns, was standing with his back to them, chatting animatedly with an old friend. Noticing his friend’s gaze, the Old Master turned around and saw Cheng Ruan and Luo Mingzhi arriving together.

“You’re here?” The Old Master was all smiles as he pulled Cheng Ruan over to introduce him to his friend. “This is Xiao Ruan, and this is his husband, Luo Mingzhi.”

“This is Mr. Luo?” The old friend’s eyes were full of admiration. “A match made in heaven for Xiao Ruan. Cheng Shufeng, you really are a lucky man.”

“You’re too kind.” Cheng Ruan glanced at Luo Mingzhi and handed a purple-gold wooden box to the Old Master. “Grandpa, this is the jadeite thumb ring Luo Mingzhi and I prepared for you. I wish you happiness as vast as the Eastern Sea and good health.”

The Old Master smiled as he took the wooden box and opened it, revealing the high-quality emerald-green jadeite inside.

The crowd began to marvel: “This must be a one-of-a-kind piece from Wenyan Pavilion, right? Xiao Ruan and Mingzhi really put thought into this.”

Cheng Ruan looked at Luo Mingzhi with pride, only to see Luo Mingzhi raise his hand. Several people then carried in a Jade Buddha statue over a meter tall.

The previously noisy banquet gradually fell silent. Everyone’s eyes fell upon the Jade Buddha, which was exceptional in both the quality of the jade and the craftsmanship of the carving.

Those old friends sighed, “Is—is this the old jade that was just unearthed half a year ago?!”

A flash of bewilderment also crossed Cheng Ruan’s eyes. Luo Mingzhi’s Jade Buddha… was actually a gift for the Old Master?

As the Jade Buddha came to a steady halt before them, Luo Mingzhi said calmly, “This is also a gift Cheng Ruan and I prepared for you. May your days be as bright as the sun and moon, and may you live as long as the pine and the crane.”

The Old Master could hardly hide his satisfaction. “You two truly have put a lot of heart into this.”

Before his voice had even faded, another voice rang out from behind.

“Is it really this lively today?”

Amidst the turning heads, Cheng Jin, dressed in a white suit, walked in with a smile. “Then I’ll join the fun and offer Grandpa my birthday wishes as well.”