Yan Aohan said it would take more than ten minutes, but it didn’t. A fax arrived very quickly.
Yan Aohan tore off the page, glanced at it, and handed it to Cheng Xu. "Take a look."
Cheng Xu read it, and a trace of disappointment flashed in his eyes. "So that’s how it is."
Zhu Yanyi had now seen another extreme type of woman—the one on the fax.
Her name was Min Xue. It was a pretty name, but her character was not. Min Xue’s mother had been a sent-down youth. When she went to the countryside, she got involved with a man, never expecting to return to the city. Later, when she learned she could go back through the college entrance exam, she abandoned Min Xue and her father. She secretly took the exam and returned to the city. After growing up, Min Xue vowed to make her mother regret it.
When she came to the capital and entered university, she tried to meet wealthy and powerful people through relationships. However, Cheng Xu, bound by family rules, kept her background quiet. Instead, she started her own business, including international trading. So, everyone at school thought Cheng Xu came from a poor family. Min Xue was no exception.
Min Xue assumed Cheng Xu was poor and lost interest. But since she had pursued her first, she needed a good reason to break up. To leave a good impression, she lied and said she was going abroad.
It wasn’t entirely a lie. Min Xue had met a man who was relatively wealthy and promised to fund her studies abroad. But unexpectedly, her business failed due to some reasons. With no hope of going abroad, Min Xue had her find a way to get her a job as a waitress at a club in the capital. Her goal was to meet rich men through the club.
"You still can’t forget a woman like that, Brother Cheng Xu. When did your taste get so bad?" Zhu Yanyi looked at Cheng Xu with disdain.
Cheng Xu hadn’t expected Min Xue to have fallen so low to work at a club in the capital. He smiled bitterly. "My taste was bad. I mistook a stone for a gem."
"It’s fine. With your ability, looks, background, and skills, plenty of beautiful women will come to you in the future," Zhu Yanyi comforted her, though without much sincerity.
Cheng Xu glanced at Zhu Yanyi. "Can’t you say something nicer? Why do you sound so insincere?"
"What else should I say?" Zhu Yanyi shot her a look. "Besides, I don’t get it. Shanghai is such a fashionable city with so many beauties. And it’s close to Suzhou and Hangzhou, where there are even more Jiangnan beauties. Are you worried about not finding a partner? I say, you should look there instead."
Having learned the truth, Cheng Xu put the documents aside. Although this was part of his beautiful youth memories, he was someone who could let go easily. This outcome was actually the best for him. He was glad he had seen through Min Xue now; otherwise, if he had found out later, he might have hated himself even more for being blind.
"By the way, do you remember Jia Yao?" Cheng Xu asked Zhu Yanyi.
"That white lotus? Is she still纠缠 (pestering) Cheng Chen?" Zhu Yanyi asked directly.
"Yes. Cheng Chen applied to universities in the capital, and Jia Yao is now at the Capital Conservatory of Music. Fortunately, they aren’t in the same school," Cheng Xu said.
Zhu Yanyi raised an eyebrow slightly. "You’re telling me this not just to say they have no contact, right? Is something happening?"
"Cheng Chen’s first choice was a university in the south, and he had already filled out his application. But something went wrong. Even though the southern university had admitted him, he received an admission letter from the capital. Most importantly, our family wanted him to come to the capital, so he had no choice. But he actually wanted to go south. And Jia Yao keeps pestering him. His grades have been poor lately."
Cheng Xu was worried about Cheng Chen.
Zhu Yanyi understood what Cheng Xu meant. "Then just let Cheng Chen go to the southern university."
"I thought of that too. But if I handle it, our family will find out. So, I’m asking you for help," Cheng Xu said with a smile, looking at Zhu Yanyi. "After all, we are siblings. You should help with this, right?"
Zhu Yanyi snorted at Cheng Xu. "So, you just want me to take the blame?"
"No choice. You don’t know, Dad and Mom like you and An’ni the most. If you speak up, they will agree to anything," Cheng Xu said helplessly. Who could blame him? His parents favored daughters over sons.
Zhu Yanyi thought for a moment. "I can’t do this without informing Godfather and Godmother. Since that’s the case, I’ll speak up then."
"Thank you. I’ll go find Cheng Chen tomorrow and tell her to come see you. Honestly, Cheng Chen has changed drastically recently," Cheng Xu said. She felt helpless about her younger brother and couldn’t bring herself to talk to her family. Compared to her, Zhu Yanyi had a much higher success rate.
But the matter with Jia Yao wasn’t Cheng Chen’s fault.
Zhu Yanyi liked her brother Cheng Chen, so she called Cheng Baokun that night.
Cheng Baokun didn’t expect Zhu Yanyi to call. "An’ni, aren’t you very busy? How do you have time to call?"
Zhu Yanyi greeted her warmly. "Hello, Godfather. I just missed you and Godmother, so I called. Is Godmother well?"
"Yes, we are both well," Cheng Baokun said, filled with joy. They were indeed doing well. Although they were still in Sicheng Town, Cheng Baokun had built extensive connections in Yong City. The Cheng family was reaching new heights every day.
Zhu Yanyi continued, "I sent the medicinal wine and health pills I made earlier to you. Don’t be too stingy. Remember to take them. I’ll send more later."
"Okay," Cheng Baokun chuckled. "How are your parents?"
"They are doing well. My parents are happy every day now, especially with Grandpa back. My dad’s only regret is that none of us three siblings want to take over Azure Sovereign Qingdi," Zhu Yanyi said.
"That’s good," Cheng Baokun said. She knew about the Zhu family’s affairs. Hearing Zhu Yanyi say this, she assumed everything had been resolved. "Did you call specifically for something today?"
Zhu Yanyi nodded. "First, to greet Godfather and Godmother. Second, it’s about Brother Cheng Chen. Brother Cheng Xu came to the capital today for a project and visited me and Aohan. She mentioned Brother Cheng Chen and said she has been lacking energy lately."