A Breath of Fresh Air Amid the Murk

Mibai barked happily in the yard. Then a car sounded outside. Cheng Dongxue must have arrived.

"Xiao Xue's here!" Liu Mei rose excitedly and hurried to the gate to welcome her.

Liu Mei accepted Cheng Dongxue as her daughter-in-law. She also knew that, in the vast Cheng Family, Cheng Dongxue was the only breath of fresh air amid the murk.

A brown Volkswagen CC came to a smooth stop outside the yard. Two women stepped out, both beautiful young women.

"Xiao Xue, Xiao Fei, come sit under the tree! It's cooler there!" Liu Mei greeted them warmly.

"Mom..." Despite the Cheng Family's disapproval, Cheng Dongxue still softly called Liu Mei "Mom," and it meant a great deal to her.

"Auntie Liu, it's been so long!" Lin Xiaofei was more outgoing, full of energy and quick to show her warmth.

Lin Xiaofei was Cheng Dongxue's best friend. She had often accompanied her to Long'ao and had met Liu Mei several times, so they were no strangers.

"Come rest in the yard. It's cool under the tree!" Liu Mei took the fruit and milk Cheng Dongxue and Lin Xiaofei had bought and ushered them inside. Then she called back to Zhang Yang, "Xiao Yang, Xiao Xue and Xiao Fei are here. Aren't you coming out to greet them?"

"Woof, woof..."

"Mibai, I missed you so much!"

Liu Mei turned around. Zhang Yang was right behind her, smiling in welcome without saying a word. Mibai, on the other hand, was beside herself with excitement. Wagging and wriggling, she bounded toward Lin Xiaofei.

Lin Xiaofei hugged Mibai and laughed.

Listening beside them, Zhang Yang gave a sly smile. He suspected Lin Xiaofei had meant more than she'd said.

"You didn't need to bring anything. We're family." Liu Mei took the gifts, her tone gently reproachful.

Liu Mei's hopes were simple, the same as any mother's: as long as Zhang Yang and Cheng Dongxue were doing well together, nothing else mattered.

Under the jujube tree, Zhang Yang set out two clean cups and arranged the fruit and other snacks on the small table.

"Ah, the countryside really is the best. Fresh air, shade under the trees—it's more comfortable than air conditioning." Lin Xiaofei sat beneath the jujube tree and stretched. Looking up at the still-unripe green fruit, she muttered, "If only I knew when these jujubes would ripen. Then we'd have something to eat."

The growing season had been good. The branches of Zhang Yang's family's jujube tree were laden with fruit, bending even the wrist-thick limbs.

Everyone sat resting in the shade and drinking tea, but Cheng Dongxue remained downcast. She had little heart for conversation.

"Xiao Xue, what's wrong? Are you upset?" Liu Mei was observant. Cheng Dongxue had barely spoken, and when she did, her replies were listless.

Cheng Dongxue had told Lin Xiaofei what was going on in the car.

"What else could it be? The same old mess!" Lin Xiaofei disliked Yang Su's attitude too. She was desperate for quick results and had never given Zhang Yang a chance or any time.

"Lin Xiaofei—" Cheng Dongxue drew out her name in warning. She didn't want Zhang Yang to know that Yang Su was trying to marry off her already-married daughter, especially with Liu Mei there.

Cheng Dongxue would rather bear this aggravation alone than burden anyone else with it.

"Xiao Xue, things have come this far. Why keep hiding it? Tell Zhang Yang. Maybe he'll find a way to fix it." Cheng Dongxue's warning did not stop Lin Xiaofei. "Don't you think so, Zhang Yang?"

Zhang Yang gazed at Cheng Dongxue. The Cheng Family was indeed in serious trouble. Unless something was done soon, Cheng Company would go bankrupt.

"It's not as though there's no solution. With a different attitude, the Cheng Family's financial crisis might already have been resolved," Zhang Yang said pointedly.

Five million was money Zhang Yang could now come up with in a heartbeat.

"Zhang Yang, when did you start making wild boasts? You never used to be like this." Cheng Dongxue did not know the truth. Hearing him talk so big, she could not help reproaching him.

"Xiao Yang, Xiao Xue is right. You're a fine young man, so keep your feet on the ground. Stick to the facts and don't boast." Liu Mei joined Cheng Dongxue in scolding her son.

"Mom—" Zhang Yang was not surprised. Liu Mei's position was clear: she would always side with Cheng Dongxue. More importantly, he was not angry.

"Xiao Yang, am I wrong?" Liu Mei shot Zhang Yang a look.

"No." Zhang Yang lowered his head.

In fact, Liu Mei believed in Zhang Yang. While they had been working in the fields, he had told her he was doing business with the Lin Family. Since he had spoken of it so casually, he must have a way. Even if he could not produce the full amount, he could borrow it or take out a loan.

"Five million is no small sum." Cheng Dongxue was troubled. Though she did not work at the family company, she knew its situation. Besides, her father, Cheng Hai, had nearly torn all his hair out over the past few days.

"Cheng Dongxue, that makes you worth five million," Lin Xiaofei said bluntly, holding nothing back.

Lin Xiaofei was looking out for Zhang Yang. If she could not tell him outright, she would hint at it. She could not let him suffer such a loss without even knowing his wife was being sold off.

Zhang Yang paused and looked at Lin Xiaofei. She was hinting at something.

Zhang Yang knew perfectly well that Lin Xiaofei could help too. Five million would not be too difficult for her family to raise. But she had never offered to help Cheng Dongxue. She had only raised it with Zhang Yang, who had turned her down.

Lin Xiaofei and Zhang Yang understood each other. Since he did not want her help, she would not bring it up again. She would let Cheng Hai and Yang Su worry and leave this golden opportunity to Zhang Yang. Perhaps he could finally hold his head high.

"What happened?" Zhang Yang had caught the important clue in Lin Xiaofei's words.

Cheng Dongxue frowned and shot Lin Xiaofei a reproachful glare.

"Xiao Xue, you don't need to hide it from Zhang Yang. Are you going to wait until you've been sold off to tell him? By then it'll be too late. You're the victim here. Don't make Zhang Yang one too. He hasn't done anything wrong."

Lin Xiaofei cared deeply about Zhang Yang and understood him.

Cheng Dongxue froze. Lin Xiaofei was right. As Zhang Yang's wife, she might think she was acting for his sake, but in truth, she might be the one hurting him most.

"Xiao Xue, do you love me?" Zhang Yang reached out and took Cheng Dongxue's hand. She instinctively tried to pull away, but he held on.

Cheng Dongxue felt uneasy. She did not know what expression Zhang Yang would wear once she told him. He might lose his mind over it, because even he could not change their situation.

"Xiao Xue, say something!" Lin Xiaofei grew so anxious when Cheng Dongxue did not answer that she nearly said it for her.

"I..."

"Xiao Xue, if you won't say it, I will!" Lin Xiaofei urged from the side, almost as if she were joking.

"Yes." In the end, Cheng Dongxue was honest with herself. She could not deny that she still loved Zhang Yang, loved him deeply. Otherwise, her mother would never have needed to persuade her to divorce him and marry someone else.

"Are we husband and wife?" Zhang Yang pressed. This was crucial. Her answer would determine what he did next.

"..." Cheng Dongxue fell silent, her feelings tangled. Zhang Yang could not produce five million and could not help the Cheng Family. Unless they got past this crisis, Yang Su and Cheng Hai would both force her to divorce him.