Volume One, Chapter 10: Suspecting That She Has Ulterior Motives

"Stop it, Dad. You're a lifelong bachelor. How could you possibly be married without me playing matchmaker?"

Back then, she had begged him for so long to go on a blind date. Cheng Zhengchu had agreed to find her a mother, yes, but he was always too picky and ended up getting rejected by the women he met. The real issue was that he liked to add unnecessary drama to his life by hiding his true identity, which gave Cheng Miaomiao a massive headache.

"It's true. If you don't believe me, come home with me tonight and see for yourself."

"It's a deal!"

She was going to see for herself whether the person at Cheng Zhengchu's house was a saint or a sinner. But she was certain that person couldn't possibly compare to the lady she had met today. That woman was exactly like the mother she had always dreamed of.

Meanwhile, at the Lin household:

"Have you finally finished cooking? I'm waiting to eat!"

Wang Guihua had waited until it was pitch black, yet Huang Xiulan hadn't managed to put a decent meal on the table. Ever since Yu Yaxuan had left, Huang Xiulan had married into the family. Although she had given them a grandson, she was a grown woman who couldn't even cook a simple dish, let alone handle chores. The once clean and tidy home had become a mess.

It had been nearly half a month since Yu Yaxuan left, and Wang Guihua had lost ten pounds, her frame looking more skeletal than ever. She wanted to pick on Huang Xiulan like she used to do with others, but her son was always protecting her, making it impossible. Now that her son had left for work, it was the perfect time to discipline this new daughter-in-law.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mom!"

Huang Xiulan rushed out and placed a plate of burnt shredded potatoes on the table. Wang Guihua instantly flared up. "I've waited all afternoon, and this is all you managed to cook?"

Yu Yaxuan used to be able to whip up a whole table of dishes, each one different from the last!

"Mom, I've never cooked before. I really don't know how to make these things," Huang Xiulan said, looking at her with a guilty expression. "Why don't we hire a housekeeper? Otherwise, the house will stay a mess, and Ah Sheng won't be in a good mood when he gets back."

"Hire a housekeeper? Do you know how much that costs? My son's money doesn't grow on trees!"

Wang Guihua was furious. If she didn't know how, couldn't she learn? She actually had the nerve to ask for a housekeeper! When Yu Yaxuan first left, she had cooked a couple of meals that were decent enough; it was obvious now that Huang Xiulan was just playing dumb.

Huang Xiulan was startled, and the next second, tears began to stream down her face. "Wuwu, Mom, I know I'm not the good daughter-in-law you wanted, but I'm already married into the family—could you please stop making things so hard for me?"

"Who is making things hard for you?" Wang Guihua’s eyes widened in anger. Just as she was about to explain, Huang Xiulan was swept into the arms of Lin Jingsheng, who had just returned home.

"Mom, what is wrong with you? Why do you bully Xiulan every day? Xiulan gave birth to a grandson for us—she's a hero to this family!"

"If you're too stingy to hire a housekeeper, then do the chores yourself. Xiulan isn't meant for this kind of menial labor!"

Wang Guihua’s face turned green. "What kind of daughter-in-law doesn't do housework? She does nothing around the house, and I can't even say a word? Besides, I haven't even said anything yet, and she's already crying? I’m the one who should be crying!"

The feeling of being falsely accused was unbearable, and Wang Guihua scrambled to defend herself.

To her surprise, Lin Jingsheng didn't believe a word of it. "I saw how you bullied Yu Yaxuan before. Xiulan is different; she is meant for a life of ease! That's final! Mom, stop talking!"

With that, Lin Jingsheng coaxed Huang Xiulan into their room, leaving Wang Guihua alone, stomping her feet in frustration. Good heavens, what kind of sin had she committed to have brought home such a burden?

***

When Yu Yaxuan learned that Cheng Zhengchu’s daughter was coming over, she immediately went to the supermarket to buy some of Cheng Miaomiao’s favorite dishes, wanting to make a good impression. To her surprise, when she arrived home, Cheng Miaomiao was already there.

"Hello, I am your father's..."

As she walked in, Yu Yaxuan was about to introduce herself when she froze in disbelief. "Miaomiao?!"

She had assumed it was just a name coincidence, but who would have thought fate would be so kind?

"Auntie?!"

Cheng Miaomiao never expected that the woman her father had married was the very woman she had dreamed of as a mother. She stood up, brimming with excitement. Watching the two of them embrace affectionately, Cheng Zhengchu interjected with a soul-searching question: "You two know each other?"

"Of course, Dad! When I was being bullied at the company, it was Auntie Xuan who stood up for me. If she hadn't, your daughter would have been humiliated!"

Thinking back to that scene at the office, Cheng Miaomiao still felt a lingering sense of fear. While she could have handled the situation herself, without Yu Yaxuan stepping in, she would definitely have been embarrassed.

"Bullied? When? Where?"

Who had the audacity to bully his daughter? Cheng Zhengchu’s face darkened instantly. Cheng Miaomiao pouted. "I just returned to the country and planned to visit your company to see if anyone was abusing their power, but who knew the employees you hired were so cold-hearted..."

Before Cheng Miaomiao could finish, Cheng Zhengchu lunged forward to cover her mouth.

"Company? What company?" Yu Yaxuan frowned, looking at Cheng Zhengchu. Why did she feel like he was hiding something from her? Cheng Miaomiao’s tone had made it sound as if they owned the company.

"Mom, you don't know yet? I..."

Cheng Miaomiao was silenced again. Cheng Zhengchu smiled and explained, "The company I work at. I was too vain before—I wanted to give Miaomiao the confidence to study abroad, so I told a little lie... Miaomiao, honey, Dad is telling you now: I'm just an electrician. I'm not the boss of the Cheng Group."

Seeing her father’s frantic winking, Cheng Miaomiao finally realized what was happening. Her old man was hiding his identity again. She had no choice but to play along to smooth over the lie. "Dad, it's not like I'm criticizing you, but how could you do that? What’s wrong with telling me your true level? I wouldn't have mocked you."

Yu Yaxuan’s doubts also vanished. "Exactly. You're such a person... Miaomiao is clearly a good girl; why would she ever look down on her own father?"

"Yes, yes, yes. I was too vain before, I’m truly sorry..." Cheng Zhengchu said, wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead. Why hadn't he realized before that lying was this nerve-wracking?

"Alright, Miaomiao didn't call me 'Mom' for nothing. Let me cook something delicious for you." Yu Yaxuan gently stroked Cheng Miaomiao’s cheek and turned to enter the kitchen.

Cheng Zhengchu let out a sigh of relief. Beside him, Cheng Miaomiao glared at him. "Dad, what are you doing? It was one thing to hide your identity during your blind dates, but now that you're married to Mom, you're still lying to her? Do you know this is marriage fraud? If Mom finds out, she’ll be heartbroken!"

"I have my own plans for this. Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence? Why did she just happen to choose me to marry? And why did she just happen to save you at the company?"

One event might be a coincidence, but when everything lines up, it might be a conspiracy.

"Dad, Mom is a wonderful person. There must be some misunderstanding between you two. Stop overthinking it. If you push her too far and end up in a 'crematorium' of regret trying to win her back, don't say I didn't warn you!" She added, snacking on a peanut, clearly signaling that she was on Yu Yaxuan’s side.

Cheng Zhengchu looked at her with disappointment. "You child, I’ve raised you for twenty-three years, and you’re defecting already? You have no conscience!"

Seeing his daughter make a face at him, Cheng Zhengchu sighed and dialed his assistant’s number. "Look into Yu Yaxuan’s background immediately. I want the report on my desk in two days."