What Bad Intentions Could a Spoiled Little Brat Possibly have? - Chapter 42

My brother is very good to me.

Following the address Chang Shu had sent, Cheng Huai wound through the quiet stone paths of the villa district until he arrived at a house with a warm yellow wall lamp glowing over the door.

Standing before the entrance, he took a deep breath of the cool night air before raising his hand to press the doorbell.

Almost instantly, the door was pulled open from the inside.

Chang Shu stood in the doorway, the bright, warm interior light spilling out and illuminating her face clearly.

The moment she saw Cheng Huai, an undisguised joy blossomed on her face. She stepped forward and gave him a big hug, her voice thick with the excitement of a long-awaited reunion: “Baby! Welcome home!”

Footsteps and voices drifted from inside as well. Chang Longxian’s hearty laughter mixed with Cheng Jiayun’s gentle greeting: “Is it Xiao Huai who’s back?”

“Grandfather, Dad, Mom.” Cheng Huai was slightly stiff. Chang Shu naturally reached out to take his wrist, but he subconsciously shrank back a little.

“Dinner is ready. Change your shoes and come in to eat.” Chang Shu placed the slippers at Cheng Huai’s feet, her hand still holding his, refusing to let go.

The living room was spacious and bright, decorated in a steady and elegant Chinese style.

Having not seen him for a long time, Chang Longxian sat at the head of the dining table. His hair was whiter than in Cheng Huai’s memory, but he was high-spirited, his back straight, and his gaze as sharp as ever. The majestic aura accumulated from years of steering a massive enterprise had not diminished in the slightest.

Cheng Jiayun stood to the side, wearing his habitual smile.

Cheng Huai’s gaze swept over his father, a trace of complex emotion flickering in his heart.

This man, who for years had humbled himself and endured everything between a powerful wife and father-in-law that deliberately restrained presence and the occasional flash of calculation deep in his eyes sometimes made even Cheng Huai feel a bit embarrassed.

Looking at his grandfather’s still-robust condition, Cheng Huai could almost foresee that his father’s designs on the Chang family fortune likely had a long road ahead and might even be a dream that would never come true.

In his heart, he felt a faint, indescribable pity for Cheng Jiayun.

Three months ago, when he finally managed to convince his parents to let him go to Peking University, far from home, his grandfather Chang Longxian had played a decisive role.

He could still vaguely remember lying in his hospital bed, near despair due to the fierce conflict with his parents, when his grandfather had rushed over. Pointing at Cheng Jiayun and Chang Shu’s noses, the old man had barked with heartbroken fury: “You two are absolutely muddled! Such a good child, and you’ve forced him to this point! Where in the world are there parents like you? Others hope their children will become dragons and phoenixes; you two are determined to clip the child’s wings with your own hands!”

Because of that incident, Cheng Huai felt a rare sense of closeness and trust toward this grandfather who was usually stern and intimidating. He always felt that his grandfather understood him and was on his side.

He walked toward the dining table, circled behind Chang Longxian, and obediently massaged his grandfather’s shoulders, asking, “Grandfather, how has your health been lately?”

Chang Longxian was clearly pleased. The stern lines on his face softened, and he reached back to pull Cheng Huai’s hand, making the boy stand in front of him. He scrutinized him carefully: “Good, your grandfather is still quite sturdy. What about you? Are you adjusting well in Kyoto? Is your schoolwork keeping up?”

“I’ve adjusted well. Everything is fine here.” Cheng Huai nodded and took the seat next to Chang Longxian. After a pause, he added softly, “Brother… also takes very good care of me normally.”

“Brother?” Cheng Jiayun and Chang Shu spoke almost in unison. The two quickly exchanged a look, and Chang Shu’s brow furrowed slightly. “Fu Zheng looked for you?”

“I was the one who looked for him.” Cheng Huai raised his head and looked directly at his parents, his eyes clear and without any evasion.

“That child from the Fu family?” Chang Longxian looked at his daughter and son-in-law, his gaze questioning.

Cheng Jiayun and Chang Shu nodded. A complex expression appeared on Chang Shu’s face as she explained: “Dad, this was one of the reasons we didn’t want Xiao Huai to come to Kyoto in the first place. That child from the Fu family we raised him for all those years, and who would have thought he’d turn out to be an ungrateful ‘white-eyed wolf.’ He and his father’s side…” Chang Shu stopped there, as if touching upon old matters that weren’t convenient to discuss in depth. She simply let out a heavy sigh, her unfinished meaning hanging in the air.

Chang Longxian, however, didn’t seem to care much about those entanglements. He simply looked at his daughter and son-in-law, his tone flat but pointing directly at the core: “You were the ones who brought the person home. Did you fulfill your responsibilities as parents afterwards?”

A flash of embarrassment and unease immediately crossed Cheng Jiayun and Chang Shu’s faces. Both averted their gazes and silently sat down at the table, beginning to serve dishes and soup, using action to avoid the sharp question.

Chang Longxian didn’t press further. Instead, he looked at Cheng Huai, his gaze becoming kind and profound as he patted the back of his hand: “Xiao Huai is a big boy now. You have your own ideas and sense of judgment, right? Grandfather trusts you.”

“I do, Grandfather,” Cheng Huai answered firmly, then repeated softly, “Brother is very good to me.”

Seeing the flicker of discomfort on his parents’ faces upon hearing this, he tactfully said no more. He merely took the small bowl of warm soup Chang Shu handed him and lowered his head to sip it in small mouthfuls.

Between Cheng Huai and his parents, there was always an invisible membrane.

They weren’t close even in his childhood, and after experiencing those fierce arguments and confrontations as he grew up, that membrane had become tough and difficult to penetrate.

To be able to maintain this surface-level peace and harmony was perhaps enough for him.

Cheng Huai thought this way, trying to suppress the slight bitterness in his heart.

“Baby, eat more vegetables. Look how thin you’ve gotten.” Chang Shu’s voice pulled him back to reality as a chopstick-full of bright green spinach was placed into his bowl.

Cheng Huai looked down at the few leaves of fresh spinach in his bowl. The hand holding his chopsticks paused, and then, he used the chopsticks to carefully push them to one side of the bowl.

Even to this day, Chang Shu still couldn’t remember or rather, had never truly bothered to remember that he was allergic to spinach.

“Vegetables: only celery.” This dietary rule, which Fu Zheng followed as strictly as a sacred code, seemed like a trivial matter to his biological mother something that required effort to remember and was constantly forgotten.

A surge of indescribable grievance welled up in Cheng Huai’s heart. He suddenly missed Fu Zheng terribly.

Thinking of his brother sitting alone in that cold car in the parking lot right now, waiting for him on an empty stomach, he felt a wave of heartache. The feeling gnawed at his heart, making him restless.

He could only silently speed up his eating, almost bolting the food down. His taste buds seemed to have malfunctioned; he couldn’t taste anything and only wanted to end this hypocritical dinner as quickly as possible.

The atmosphere at the table wasn’t exactly warm. Chang Longxian occasionally asked about Cheng Huai’s studies at school, while Cheng Jiayun and Chang Shu peppered in routine exhortations like “take care of your health” and “study hard.”

By the end of the meal, Cheng Huai’s initial nervousness had been replaced by a numb exhaustion, leaving only a desperate urge to escape.

After dinner, Cheng Jiayun and Chang Shu naturally suggested that Cheng Huai stay over. Chang Shu pulled his hand and said, “Your room has been prepared. Stay at home tonight and go back to school tomorrow.”

Cheng Huai shook his head almost instantly, finding the most irreproachable reason: “I have a major class at eight tomorrow morning. It’s too far from here to school; I’m afraid I won’t make it in time.”

Chang Shu looked at him, then glanced at Chang Longxian, who sat on the sofa without saying a word. In the end, she didn’t persist, only saying in compromise, “Alright, then you must stay for a few more days next time. Mama misses you very much.” She turned to Cheng Jiayun, “Jiayun, drive Xiao Huai back to school.”

Hearing this, Cheng Jiayun stood up to get the car keys.

“No need, Dad!” Cheng Huai hurriedly stopped him, his tone trying to sound light and natural. “Taking the bus back is very convenient. It goes straight to the school gate. Goodbye, Dad and Mom! Goodbye, Grandfather!”

As soon as he finished speaking, he quickly turned and rushed to the entryway, changing his shoes in a flurry of movement. The whole sequence was seamless, giving his parents no time to linger or question him.

Chang Shu chased him to the door, calling out, “Then be careful on the way. Once you reach school, you must send Mama a message.”

“I know.” Cheng Huai turned and left without any lingering attachment.

While walking toward the parking lot, he subconsciously pulled out his phone, wanting to send Fu Zheng a message, and happened to see an unread text on the screen.

Felix had sent an emoji of someone crying from grievance, saying: Dear, I hope I’m not being stood up by you? Are you still coming over for the test shoot tonight?

Cheng Huai slapped his forehead, freezing instantly.

Oh no! He had completely forgotten about the agreed-upon model audition part-time job tonight!

He hurriedly replied: I am so sorry! Something came up unexpectedly and delayed me. I can’t make it over now. Very sorry! Can we reschedule?

Felix replied almost instantly, his attitude surprisingly good: No problem, no problem! Totally understandable! Our schedule is very flexible here; we’ll wait for you whenever you’re free!

Immediately after, another message popped up: If you find it inconvenient to come over, we can also send the samples to you first. You can try them on at home and take photos to give us feedback on the initial effect. Do you think that would work?

This was indeed a way to solve the current awkwardness. Cheng Huai breathed a sigh of relief and replied: [That works.]

Felix: Great! Then could you please provide a convenient shipping address?

Cheng Huai thought for a moment. Sending it to the school wasn’t great; it would be embarrassing if his classmates found out. After thinking about it, he sent the address of the Guange Academy: Just send it to this address, thank you.

Felix: Received! Happy collaborating! Looking forward to your feedback!

Having settled this unexpected issue, the weight in Cheng Huai’s heart lifted. He tucked his phone back into his pocket and walked slowly toward the temporary parking lot.

The night air was chilly, and the lighting in the surface parking lot wasn’t very bright. His gaze habitually shifted toward the spot where Fu Zheng had parked, and indeed, that black sedan was still waiting there quietly.

However, in the next second, the smile at the corners of his mouth froze, and his footsteps came to a sudden halt.

Fu Zheng was indeed by the car, but he wasn’t alone.

In front of the hood, Fu Zheng was standing slightly sideways, a cigarette between his fingers. Facing him, a step away, was the silhouette of a woman dressed in a finely tailored cream-white trench coat.

Even from just the back, her chestnut-colored long curls stirred slightly in the night wind, her posture elegant as she tilted her head slightly to say something to Fu Zheng.

Despite only seeing her back, Cheng Huai recognized her in an instant.

Lin Yarou.

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