My Dad is My Mom's Mortal Enemy

Chapter 61: 061

Chapter 61

Cheng Jinlan received a video call from Shao ChengZe and was a bit surprised. She apologized to everyone and told Cheng LiQi that she needed to take a phone call outside and asked her to stay with Grandma.

Cheng LiQi obediently nodded her head. Her bright eyes were filled with mischief, and she knew without looking that it must be her dad who called.

Cheng Jinlan walked out of the lively house and found a relatively quiet corner to sit in a beach chair and answered the call, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

It should be two or three in the morning over there.

Looking at the woman on the screen, Shao ChengZe spoke in an even lower voice, as if whispering right next to her ear, "Missing you."

His deep gaze was too focused. Cheng Jinlan unconsciously avoided his eyes and looked out at the boundless night sea. She only gave him a glimpse of her fair neck and softly replied, "Then you can only miss me."

"What are you doing?" Shao ChengZe's voice grew lower.

Cheng Jinlan tucked the hair brushing her cheeks behind her ears. "The neighbors on the nearby island are having a party and invited us."

"Is it fun?"

Cheng Jinlan nodded. She looked completely relaxed. "It's quite interesting."

"That's good, have fun then." Shao ChengZe was half sincere and half perfunctory.

"Okay, you should go to sleep too. You have to get up early tomorrow." Cheng Jinlan was about to hang up.

"MiaoMiao," Shao ChengZe stopped her.

"Hmm?"

"Where's the necklace?"

Cheng Jinlan looked down. She had taken off the ring and necklace when showering and forgot to put them back on when going out.

Cheng Jinlan replied, "Forgot to wear it."

Just as Shao ChengZe was about to say something, a man's voice came from the distance on his end.

"Lan, what are you doing out here alone? Come back and dance."

Without even looking at the man, Shao ChengZe could tell from his voice that he was likely a very young man with a foreign accent.

Cheng Jinlan waved her hand at the man. "Go first. I'll be right there."

Seemingly casual, Shao ChengZe asked, "A friend? His Chinese is pretty good."

Cheng Jinlan was too lazy to expose the undisguised sourness in his tone. "The host's son. A sunny, handsome boy. Very cute."

Shao ChengZe was silent for a second. "I thought you don't like puppies."

Leaning on her chin, Cheng Jinlan lazily tapped her cheek with her index finger. "I suddenly realized that occasionally changing tastes isn't bad either."

Shao ChengZe knew she was doing it on purpose, yet he couldn't help his changing expressions.

Cheng Jinlan got up from the beach chair. "Alright, it's late. Go to sleep. I'm going to dance now."

The video was disconnected and the screen went pitch black. Shao ChengZe's face darkened as he rebooked the flight ticket he had just booked.

Last night's party ended very late, but Cheng Jinlan and her mother returned early. Young children sleep early, and Cheng LiQi was especially drowsy last night. Before eight o'clock, she rubbed her eyes and said she was sleepy, probably worn out from running around the beach all day. But when they got back to the villa, the sleepy girl suddenly regained her spirit and pestered her mother and grandma to watch an animated movie before going to bed.

Vacation was all about relaxing. The three generations slept until noon every day before getting up. Cheng Jinlan woke up a little early today. She seemed to smell food cooking outside, but her mother was sleeping in bed, and the housekeeper usually didn't come until the afternoon. So who was cooking?

Cheng Jinlan shuffled out in slippers and slowly wandered over. Opening the door, she saw the person behind the bar and was pleasantly surprised for a moment.

Cheng Shanhe was frying eggs. Hearing the door open, he turned and saw it was his daughter. He smiled gently, "You're up so early? Did I wake you?"

Cheng Jinlan shook her head. "Dad, when did you get here?"

Yesterday, Little LiQi video chatted with Grandpa. He said he was going to Lin City today to investigate a project. How did he appear here as soon as she woke up?

Cheng Shanhe turned off the stove and said to his daughter, "I had your brother go for me. Although Shao ChengZe is the same age as your brother, he already shoulders the Shao family business alone. I'm at retirement age now, it's time to let go. I plan to have your brother take over for me by the end of this year. Then your mother and I can travel the world."

Cheng Jinlan gave her dad a thumbs up. "Great idea, Mom will be thrilled."

Cheng Shanhe took a peek inside the bedroom. Leaning in, he quietly asked his daughter, "Did your mom have fun last night?"

Now Cheng Jinlan seemed to understand why her dad showed up here so early in the morning. There was a fleeting trace of amusement in her eyes as she replied, "She had a great time. She and the host's son opened the party with a dance that brought down the house. Afterwards, men lined up to ask her to dance."

Cheng Shanhe coughed. "Your mother has always been a great dancer."

Cheng Jinlan nodded in agreement. "It's just that Mom was wearing a ring, otherwise someone would have asked her out to dinner tonight."

Cheng Shanhe asked, "Are they hosting another party tonight?"

Barely containing her laughter, Cheng Jinlan took a sip of water. "No more parties."

Cheng Shanhe was a little disappointed that he didn't even get a chance to stake his claim.

Cheng LiQi was overjoyed to see Grandpa when she woke up. Fei Zuhui was also in a good mood seeing her husband.

Although annoyed, the cathartic perspiration left an indescribable comfort despite the lingering soreness. So she couldn’t muster the same righteous anger to make frivolous demands, only asking him to fetch her some ice water since she was hot and thirsty.

What he brought back was warm water. Cheng Jinlan didn’t want to drink it. She wanted cold water, not warm water. Shao Chengze brought the cup to his lips and took a big gulp before leaning in to feed her. Cheng Jinlan dodged and refused. Between the chase and evasion, their breathing grew ragged again.

The phone on the nightstand buzzed. Cheng Jinlan stopped him with a look. Shao Chengze rolled over to lie beside her and pulled her into his embrace without further mischief. He even handed her the phone.

It was Jiang Jiang. Cheng Jinlan cleared her throat to make her voice sound normal before answering. “Jiang Jiang, what’s up?”

“Jinlan, are you free tomorrow night? I want to take you out for dinner.”

Cheng Jinlan pressed down the wandering hand on her waist and replied, “I’m out traveling with Liqi these days. I can’t go home for a few more days. How about I find you when I get back?”

“I’ll probably be gone by then. I can only make plans again the next time I come back.”

Cheng Jinlan sat up in bed. “Where are you going?”

Jiang Jiang said, “Our company is setting up a new department in South America. They want me to go over there and I agreed.”

“Why so suddenly when you just got back?”

“It’s not really that sudden. I’ve been debating it for a while and finally decided to take another shot at my career. The sense of security a career provides is irreplaceable.”

Since she had made up her mind, Cheng Jinlan didn’t say anything more. “When are you leaving?”

“Early morning the day after tomorrow.”

“Then I’ll go back tomorrow. I can make it home tomorrow night.”

Jiang Jiang panicked, “No need for that. Don’t disrupt your plans because of me. I’m not leaving forever. Once things stabilize over there, I’ll come back at least once a month. We can have dinner then.”

Cheng Jinlan had wanted to ask if her brother or Fei Zuhui knew she was leaving, but felt it wasn’t her place to ask. Since Jiang Jiang chose to leave, she should want to break free of the past and start anew. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for someone to decide to abandon the past and restart. The other two would probably move on slowly as well.

After hanging up, Cheng Jinlan stared blankly at her phone screen.

Shao Chengze slowly approached her from behind. “What’s wrong?”

Cheng Jinlan sighed lightly. “I just feel it’s a pity, a pity for all three of them.”

He naturally knew who the third person in the trio was, but Shao Chengze didn’t want to hear another man’s name in his bed. He sealed her mouth to cut off any more discussion of other people’s love and strife that had nothing to do with them.

When Cheng Jinlan woke up again, it was almost midnight.

She was startled awake and seemed to remember taking a groggy call from Liqi. She got up and put on the fresh set of clothes on the bedside, but even the slightest movement made everything ache. She couldn’t help letting out a soft moan.

Hearing the movement, the man outside walked in and sat on the bed to help her get dressed. “Don’t rush. You already told Liqi on the phone to let grandma know you went ashore to see a friend and wouldn’t be back until late.”

Cheng Jinlan was surprised she had come up with an excuse for her daughter even in her semi-conscious state during the day’s debauchery. Although full of holes, her mother usually wouldn’t expose her lies and would even help cover for her.

“Are you hungry? I'll bring food in.”

“I don’t want to eat. I need to go back.”

“I’ll start the boat. Go eat something on the couch. It won’t make a difference waiting this bit longer.”

Even in a hurry, Cheng Jinlan knew she couldn’t instantly fly back. She really was hungry, and he sailed very steadily, allowing her to eat comfortably. So when the boat docked at the pier where it had stopped at noon, her attitude towards him had slightly improved.

"Drive slowly when you go back," she instructed him and prepared to get off the boat.

Shao ChengZe reached out to hug her, "Let me take you back."

"No need."

Cheng Jinlan had just put one leg down the gangway when she froze, the pain between her legs was really unbearable. She couldn't help but glare at the man behind her, this madman.

Shao ChengZe knew he was in the wrong, so he picked her up horizontally, "I'm sorry, I lost my composure."

Cheng Jinlan bit his neck viciously, to let him feel some pain too, only then did she feel a little better balanced inside.

He had been here before, completely familiar with the place. Without her telling him, he knew which room was hers. She didn't allow him to come in through the front door, that would surely wake up her parents. She told him to come in through the window.

Shao ChengZe had just put her down on the bed when Cheng Jinlan pointed at the half-open window and said, "Leave."

She wouldn't let him touch the bed again.

Shao ChengZe kissed her lips, "Don't be angry anymore. When you wake up tomorrow, think about how to punish me, I'll accept whatever punishment you decide."

Cheng Jinlan didn't want to hear him talk right now, "Go quickly, don't wake up my parents."

Shao ChengZe didn't dare make her angry again. He helped tuck her in and then turned to leave the same way he came.

But just as he was about to climb down from the window sill, he heard some noise from the corridor. He looked over.

Cheng Shanhe, who had just been locked out of the bedroom by his wife before managing to coax her to sleep, was about to sneak back into the room through the window.

In the darkness, at each end of the corridor, one person was jumping out the window while another was climbing in.

When the two made eye contact, they knew how awkward this was.