Cheng Mingze remained silent.
"Mingze?" Cheng Shuo turned his head in confusion.
"Hmm?" Cheng Mingze snapped out of his thoughts. "Yes, she looks very nice."
"Right?" Cheng Shuo walked over and put his arm around Li Sitong. "Jiao Jiao can go shopping for more clothes with your mom in the future."
Li Sitong pinched him. "Go on, get out of here! Jiao Jiao is in her second year of high school now. She should focus on studying hard first. There'll be plenty of time to dress up after graduating. There's no hurry now—she needs to concentrate on her studies."
"You're being too strict. Jiao Jiao already works hard enough," Cheng Shuo said helplessly.
Xue Jiao stepped forward. "It's fine. I don't care much for dressing up. We can talk about it later."
Cheng Shuo sighed even more helplessly. "You two..."
"Let's go. It's almost time," Cheng Mingze suddenly spoke up.
"Right, let's go."
With that, the four of them headed out together.
——
The theater was indeed as warm as Li Sitong had said—there was no need for a coat at all. Xue Jiao draped her coat over the chair and sat in her seat, waiting.
"I'm going to the restroom first." This was Xue Jiao's first time watching a play in both lifetimes. The show hadn't started yet, but the gazes of those around her kept drifting her way, making her feel a little uncomfortable.
"Go ahead. Do you know where it is?" Li Sitong asked worriedly.
"I do," Xue Jiao replied, stepping out.
Once she was in the spacious hallway, she finally exhaled and walked briskly toward the restroom.
By the time she returned, the show was about to start. Xue Jiao quickened her pace and bumped into someone hurrying out from inside.
"Ah—" Xue Jiao gasped.
Lin Zhihua, who had instinctively frowned and was about to step aside, immediately reached out and steadied her. As soon as she regained her balance, he let go.
"Thank you... Lin Zhihua!" Xue Jiao was stunned when she saw his face.
Lin Zhihua's pupils contracted slightly. His surprise was clearly no less than hers—today's encounter... was truly unplanned.
Then, Lin Zhihua noticed her unusually different attire today.
"What a coincidence," he said after a pause. "Who did you come to see the play with?"
Xue Jiao scratched her head. "I came with my family."
Lin Zhihua nodded, feeling a slight sense of relief, his gaze lingering on her.
He had actually been wanting to see her for a while. Sometimes, he even thought about visiting her at home directly, but he had managed to restrain himself. Today's chance meeting was unexpected, yet... a pleasant surprise.
Lin Zhihua was infinitely grateful he had come today.
"You're..." Xue Jiao blinked slightly and glanced curiously behind him. The show was about to start—why was he still coming out?
"Just getting some air. Let's go in together—it's starting." Lin Zhihua turned calmly and gestured for Xue Jiao to go first.
"Oh, okay!" Xue Jiao hurried in, still talking. "By the way, the problems you gave me were really great, and your notes too. Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome," Lin Zhihua replied, then felt his three-word response might have sounded a bit cold, so he added, "You can ask me if you have any questions."
"Okay! Thank you!" She rummaged in her pocket and handed him a coconut candy. "Here, have a candy!"
With that, she quickly ran toward the orchestra seats, feeling a little embarrassed.
The candy had been given to her by Cheng Shuo in the car earlier. Xue Jiao hadn't eaten it and had just left it in her pocket. The candy clashed terribly with Lin Zhihua's imposing aura, and she regretted giving it to him the moment she did, so she could only hurry away.Lin Zhihua froze, staring stiffly at his fingers that had briefly made contact moments ago, the tips still tingling.
The young girl had already disappeared. Lin Zhihua walked back to his seat and sat down.
The woman beside him, who had also been preparing to leave, widened her eyes in surprise at the man who had returned. Then, delighted, she said, "Mr. Lin! You didn’t leave!"
Lin Zhihua didn’t even turn his head, only uttering a few words: "Watching the play. Be quiet."
Just then, his phone vibrated—
[Chen Yan: Boss? The car is ready.]
Lin Zhihua quickly replied—
[Not leaving yet. Watching till the end.]
After sending the message, he put away his phone, completely unaware that his secretary on the other end was gaping in shock.
The boss… wasn’t leaving?!
Setting his phone aside, Lin Zhihua unwrapped the coconut candy and placed it in his mouth, savoring it slowly.
It was sweet—so sweet it was almost cloying.
But he didn’t want to spit it out. Instead, he let the sweetness linger on his tongue.
——
This was Xue Jiao’s first time watching a play, but she still understood it. The story revolved around family, love, and mutual understanding—heartwarming yet bittersweet.
Li Sitong was moved to tears, and Cheng Shuo held her close. Then, the two of them turned affectionate gazes toward Xue Jiao and Cheng Mingze.
Clearly, they had been deeply touched by the play’s portrayal of familial bonds.
Xue Jiao and Cheng Mingze were sitting side by side. They exchanged a glance, both seeing resignation in each other’s eyes.
When the play ended, the emotionally overwhelmed parents led their expressionless children to a restaurant for dinner. Meanwhile, Lin Zhihua and the woman seated beside him also left the theater.
"Mr. Lin, how about French cuisine for dinner?" the woman asked shyly. Her mother had told her that Lin Zhihua was reserved and rigid, so she needed to be more direct.
"Miss Xie, is it?"
"Yes… my surname is Xie."
Miss Xie was thrilled, her shyness growing. She must be the first woman Lin Zhihua had ever watched a play with!
When she thought about the vast business empire and future prospects this man possessed, even if he had his… quirks , she couldn’t help but blush.
"Miss Xie, this blind date was arranged by my parents without my consent. I’m not satisfied with it. My assistant will escort you back. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now." With that, Lin Zhihua walked away without looking back.
"Hey—"
Tan Qi cut her off. "Miss Xie, this way, please."
Miss Xie stared wide-eyed as Lin Zhihua’s figure quickly disappeared from sight. After a moment, certain he wouldn’t return, she stomped her foot angrily and snapped, "What kind of man is he?! And he’s not even— Ugh!"
Tan Qi’s expression turned icy. "Miss Xie, I don’t think you require an escort after all. Goodbye."
With that, he turned and left immediately.
The big boss might be a workaholic tyrant, but he was also the person they respected most. No one was allowed to insult him!
This Miss Xie, who wore her contempt on her face… didn’t deserve the boss’s car.
——
"Zhihua! Xie Wei just called and said you made her go back alone?!" Mother Lin’s eyes widened in disbelief.
But she also knew that this kind of ungentlemanly behavior… was exactly something her son would do!
Father Lin also stood up angrily. "At the very least, you should have sent her home!"
Lin Zhihua loosened his tie and casually replied, "She wasn’t worthy."
Tan Qi wouldn’t hide anything from him—Lin Zhihua knew exactly what Xie Wei had said.
"How can you say that?!" Father Lin flared up again.Lin Zhihua looked at them with a cold expression. "If you ever trick me into another blind date with excuses again, you can pack your bags and move abroad."
Father Lin and Mother Lin froze, looking somewhat guilty. Today, they had indeed lied over the phone to lure Lin Zhihua to the theater.
Lin Zhihua continued, "Your lies are clumsy. I went today just to make it clear—even if you force me to meet someone, it won’t change anything."
"But you still watched the play with her..." Mother Lin muttered.
Lin Zhihua paused before replying with two words: "An accident."
Mother Lin was silenced, while Father Lin pressed on earnestly, "Zhihua, Xie Wei is perfect for you. Your mother already checked with her family. Xie Wei grew up abroad and believes in Platonic love—it aligns with your situation! And in every other aspect—"
"Am I so pitiful that you’d resort to such underhanded investigations?" He tossed his coat onto the sofa and said calmly, "Stay out of my marriage affairs."
"How can we not worry? You’re our son! What’s the point of all your money if you’re alone? You’ll grow old without a partner, without children... Son, listen to us. Xie Wei is the right match. Spend more time with her."
Mother Lin was on the verge of tears. The Lin couple might not be the most capable, but their love for their only son was genuine—even if it often missed the mark.
"I’ll say it again: Xie Wei is not suitable." Lin Zhihua stared at Mother Lin. "Xie Wei had six boyfriends in the U.S. and one abortion. Her father, Xie Ju’an, mismanaged his business, and I’m currently taking over his company. So, do you really think the Xie family is telling the truth?"
The room fell into silence, broken only by the heavy breathing of the Lin parents.
Seeing how upset they were, Lin Zhihua sighed almost imperceptibly. "I didn’t plan to tell you this, but you crossed the line."
Father Lin clutched his chest, veins bulging on his forehead, furious beyond words.
This was outright humiliation!
Mother Lin hurried to support him, but Father Lin pushed her away, glaring. "Xie Ju’an! I won’t let him get away with this!"
Mother Lin, equally resentful and regretful, scowled. "That Xie Wei—Platonic love? What a lie! I should expose her past abroad and see who’d still marry her!"
"Enough!" Father Lin snapped, glaring at her impatiently. "Haven’t we embarrassed ourselves enough? Introducing such a person to our son!"
Mother Lin opened her mouth but couldn’t retort, her chest tight with stifled frustration.
Father Lin turned back to Lin Zhihua. "This was our mistake—we acted without verifying things. But you must take your marriage seriously."
Lin Zhihua’s hand holding the water cup paused. After a long moment, he said, "Leave it to me. I know what I’m doing."
"Know what? If you knew, you wouldn’t still be single!"
Lin Zhihua didn’t respond, his deep, ink-black eyes fixed on them. The intensity made the Lin couple falter, and they retreated hastily.
Watching the door close, he curled his lips in self-mockery.
The room was silent, detached from the clamor of the outside world.
Then, his phone vibrated faintly.[Jiao Jiao: Lin Zhihua!! What's going on with this problem? My auxiliary line seems correct—it should be the centroid, but the calculation just won't work! Help! Urgent!]
[Jiao Jiao: Image.jpg]
After carefully reviewing it, the corners of Lin Zhihua's lips curled up, and a faint smile gradually lit his eyes.
Holding his phone, he strode briskly toward the study, his steps almost buoyant, as he typed—
[Wait a moment, I'll draw you a diagram. Think about why you believe it should be the centroid—examine your reasoning carefully.]
He sat at the desk, picked up a pen and the notebook already filled with solved math problems, and began sketching meticulously.
The air was cold, the night was cold, even the dim yellow light felt cold.
The room was eerily silent, the sound of the pen gliding across paper unusually distinct.
But his heart was warm, and so life felt lively.
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