Chapter 2

In a daze, Cheng Yu heard a cacophony of noise. A surge of anger flared in his chest. During his final years at the helm of C&C Jewelry, he had held immense power and a notorious reputation; his subordinates and business partners never dared to clamor in his presence. Even later, when Cheng Shao had him locked in a sanitarium, the medical staff dared not make a sound around him, fearing his volatile moods as his condition worsened. Thus, Cheng Yu had long been accustomed to silence, especially when he was trying to rest.

But now, the noise outside was giving Cheng Yu a splitting headache, making it impossible to sleep. He snapped his eyes open and roared, "Shut up, all of you!"

The crowd, previously panicked and calling for help, was startled by the fury in Cheng Yu's voice. The air fell silent for a few seconds, only for an even louder, more chaotic clamor to erupt: "Hurry and save him! Someone fell into the water!"

Cheng Yu stared in utter shock at the massive fishpond before him and the crowd running around in a panic. His mind went blank.

While he stood there, stiff, he heard someone shout, "Call an ambulance! Call President Pei's secretary! The young master of the Pei Family has fallen in!"

The young master of the Pei Family? Pei Yan?

Cheng Yu's pupils constricted in shock. Before his brain could even process the situation, his body reacted on instinct, diving into the water to search for Pei Yan.

The noisy crowd fell silent once more, only for an even louder cry to rise up: "Oh no! The young master of the Cheng Family jumped in too!"

Cheng Yu kept his eyes wide open in the murky fishpond, struggling to find Pei Yan. After Pei Yan died back then, Cheng Yu, having lost his grandparents in quick succession, had been kicked abroad by Chen Lingyun. At only seventeen, Cheng Yu found himself in a completely unfamiliar environment, unable to speak the language and still reeling from the trauma. Plagued by rumors that he had caused three deaths, he began to give up on himself, drowning his sorrows in alcohol, street racing, and extreme sports. Scuba diving was the first "death-wish" activity he had chosen.

Because of this, compared to the other villagers and lifeguards who had entered the water, Cheng Yu dove back and forth through the pond three times and quickly located Pei Yan, who had been knocked unconscious by a rock. Cheng Yu gripped the unconscious Pei Yan and struggled to swim upward. The moment he broke the surface, he felt completely drained.

"He found him! He found him!" A nearby lifeguard swam over immediately and took Pei Yan from him.

Cheng Yu swam to the shore with great effort, pushed through the people surrounding Pei Yan, and knelt on one knee. He performed a series of CPR and rescue breaths with practiced, fluid motions. The previously unconscious Pei Yan suddenly let out a sound and coughed up some water. Cheng Yu felt a wave of relief. Just as he was about to stand up, a large hand pressed down on his lower back. Pei Yan, without even opening his eyes, cheekily muttered, "...You stole my first kiss, you have to take responsibility for me~"

Chapter 2

Yanjing First People's Hospital.

A group of people crowded outside the emergency examination room, watching nervously as the doctor checked on Pei Yan. This young master was the son of Pei Zhennan, the chairman of Pei Mining—the largest raw material supplier for C&C Jewelry. If anything were to happen to him while he was participating in the C&C Jewelry team-building event with the two Cheng brothers, they would never be able to bear the responsibility.

Cheng Yu stood outside the outpatient building, head bowed, calling his grandparents: "...Everyone is fine. Pei Yan is awake too... He's just getting checked out at the hospital. You two should just stay home. Don't come over, definitely don't come over. My mother will handle everything..."

As he was speaking, a flurry of hurried footsteps approached. Cheng Yu looked up and immediately saw Cheng Kaiyun and his wife, surrounded by a group of subordinates. The couple looked as they had in his memories: the husband in a tailored suit, gentle and refined; the wife with exquisite makeup and an aggressive air. The deceased, whose images had faded to gray in his memory, suddenly appeared before him in the most vivid, lifelike manner. Cheng Yu instinctively tightened his grip on his phone. Before his blank mind could organize his thoughts, he saw Chen Lingyun stride toward him in eight-centimeter heels and, without a word, raise her arm and slap him—

"Smack!"

The crisp sound echoed in front of the outpatient building. The previously noisy crowd fell silent, and the passing medical staff and patients' families looked over, some openly and others with furtive glances.

Cheng Yu tilted his head, licked the inside of his cheek with his tongue, and rubbed his burning, swollen left cheek with the back of his right hand. Chen Lingyun's sharp, stern reprimand rang in his ears again: "...How did I give birth to a troublemaker like you, who only knows how to fight and cause chaos? I only took my eyes off you for a moment, and you've already caused such a huge mess. If anything happens to Pei Yan, how am I supposed to answer to your Uncle Pei?"

"Alright! That's enough!" Cheng Kaiyun hadn't been able to stop his wife's hand from striking their youngest son. With so many people coming and going, there might even be reporters who had heard the news: "We're in public, give the boy some face. Let's talk about this when we get home."

Cheng Shao, who had been following behind his parents, pushed through the crowd to stand in front of Cheng Yu. He tilted his head and asked, "Which room is Pei Yan in? Take us to see him."

After a pause, Cheng Shao added, "Uncle Pei is on his way, too."

Upon hearing this, Chen Lingyun's expression softened slightly. She coldly scolded Cheng Yu, "What are you still standing there for?"

Cheng Yu didn't say a word. He turned and led the group toward the emergency examination room. Chen Lingyun watched Cheng Yu's back, her anger flaring up again: "Look at him. It's obvious he's unconvinced, both in his words and his heart. He's probably complaining about me in his head right now. He caused such a huge disaster, and I'm not even allowed to scold him?"

Cheng Kaiyun only felt a headache coming on and quickly tried to soothe his wife: "No, no, that's not it. I think Ah Yu clearly knows he was wrong, but he's just too embarrassed to say it, so he's staying silent. Boys have strong pride, you know."

Chen Lingyun scoffed, "He has strong pride? If he had strong pride, he wouldn't have scored only 500 on his final exams, ranking in the bottom ten of his class. I don't think he has any pride at all; he's just thick-skinned and shameless."

Cheng Kaiyun scratched his eyebrow, truly not knowing how to persuade her. This mother and son were just like natural-born enemies.

Chen Lingyun vented her frustrations regardless, but as she entered the examination room, her expression instantly turned as warm as a spring breeze. Looking at Pei Yan, who was sitting on the hospital bed undergoing an examination, she asked softly, "Yan-yan, how are you feeling? Is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable?"