Fang Yuan looked at the luxury goods in Zhou Ying's rental apartment; she had bought such things herself in the past and knew exactly how much they were worth.
Although Zhou Ying only had a few designer bags in her room, Fang Yuan knew that nowadays a single bag could make most girls surrender immediately.
Zhou Ying had once enjoyed many good years, but in recent times she had truly made her suffer.
With that thought, Fang Yuan asked, pained, "Ying'er, be honest with Mom—did he buy you all these things because the two of you slept together?"
Zhou Ying shook her head at once, cheeks flushed. "We… didn't do anything. Last time he only kissed me, and that was it."
Zhou Ying recalled what she had told Jiang Cheng last time.
She had said that when she was ready next time, she would give herself to him.
Zhou Ying couldn't understand why she had said such a thing back then.
Looking back now, she felt steam rising from her head in embarrassment.
And right now she didn't dare tell Fang Yuan that Jiang Cheng had given her a bentley continental; otherwise, given her mother's suspicious nature, she would never be able to explain herself.
Fang Yuan would definitely assume Jiang Cheng had sweet-talked her into bed and would form a bad impression of him.
In reality, Jiang Cheng had never treated her that way; on the contrary, he respected her very much.
Precisely because of that, Zhou Ying had fallen hopelessly for Jiang Cheng.
She was even ready to offer herself to him willingly.
Only now Fang Yuan had happened to come to Modu, placing an invisible obstacle between the two of them.
"He only kissed you once?" Fang Yuan asked in surprise.
Seeing Zhou Ying nod with a red face, Fang Yuan still found it hard to believe.
Fang Yuan sighed. "Mom did introduce you to Wang Yuan for a blind date back then. You weren't willing, yet I still forced you. I know I wasn't a good mother and have no right to say anything."
"Sigh, I really can't figure out the difference between rich and poor anymore. Look at me—after marrying your father, I spent every night alone, and in the end he still went bankrupt and passed away, leaving the two of us to depend on each other while saddled with huge debts. Sometimes you have to be able to hold onto wealth. If you end up with him, save more money and don't spend like water."
When Fang Yuan brought this up, Zhou Ying comforted her, "Mom, I understand. I like Jiang Cheng not because he buys me luxuries—he's truly a good person. You'll see in a moment."
Zhou Ying nodded; she had actually considered pawning the things Jiang Cheng gave her to pay off their debts.
But unexpectedly, last week her grandmother passed away. Before dying, against her Uncle's objections, she left a house to Fang Yuan.
She even gave Fang Yuan several hundred thousand to pay off debts. Once Fang Yuan used the property and money to clear the debts, they were finally free.
Fang Yuan sighed. "Although I feel I owe Grandma a lot, being debt-free feels wonderful. Without those loans I've come to my senses. I only hope you won't follow my path and become a caged bird, only to find the other person doesn't love you."
"Mom, you and Dad…?"
"Haven't you ever found it strange? Your dad was never home; except for holidays and your birthdays he practically never returned. In truth, our marriage existed in name only. If not for his fertility issues, he probably would have divorced me long ago."
It was the first time Zhou Ying had heard this news; her face paled from shock. "You mean he can't…?"
"No, your dad only has a minor sperm issue; everything else is fine. If he could father children, you'd probably have many half-brothers by now."
"Then why didn't he come home? You're so beautiful."
"Beauty isn't that extraordinary; there are countless beauties in this world. When I was young I worshipped money. Your Uncle introduced me to your dad, and I took the initiative to be with him. He thought it was just a one-night stand, but unexpectedly I got pregnant. He didn't believe you were his daughter. After you were born, the paternity test finally convinced him, so two years later he married me."
Fang Yuan sighed again. "But in his heart I was nothing more than a gold-digger. He had someone he truly liked, only that person was already married. Your dad looked down on me. I know he had women outside, but back then, for the money, I didn't care. All these years we've only been husband and wife in name, never in reality."
"Mom…" Zhou Ying didn't know what to say and could only hug her comfortingly.
Fang Yuan unhurriedly ran a comb through her hair, gazing at her reflection in the mirror.
In the mirror she and Zhou Ying looked almost like twins—only Fang Yuan carried herself with a touch more maturity.
She was meticulous about her health and skincare; her firm skin and lean frame showed no hint she was already thirty-six.
This time she had come to the capital city on a friend's recommendation for work.
Soon the two women reached the curb where Jiang Cheng's maybach was waiting.
Seeing Zhou Ying accompanied by a younger woman, Jiang Cheng stepped out at once.
The moment she spotted him, Zhou Ying hurried over, unable to hold back.
"Jiang Cheng!" she cried, racing forward with the urge to hug him.
But with Fang Yuan present, she caught herself, slipping her hand into his instead.
After more than half a month apart, Zhou Ying was both thrilled and shy. "Did you miss me?" she whispered.
Jiang Cheng tapped her pert nose affectionately.
"Of course."
"I missed you so much."
Fang Yuan coughed softly at the lovebirds' intertwined fingers, giving her daughter a helpless glance.
"Hello, ma'am. I'm Jiang Cheng, a high-school classmate of Zhou Ying's." He greeted her politely.
"Zhou Ying's told me a lot about you. Thanks for the lift today."
Fang Yuan nodded, sizing him up—his height and looks left nothing to be desired.
She had already noticed the maybach when she walked over.
If she wasn't mistaken, the car cost around 1.8 million.
Jiang Cheng, for his part, was stunned by how young Fang Yuan looked—he'd never expected Zhou Ying's mother to be so youthful.
Her beauty rivaled Zhou Ying's, yet carried a richer flavor.
No wonder she'd produced a daughter rated 96 in looks.
"Human-machine scanning system initiated. Acquiring target information."
[Name: Fang Yuan]
[Age: 36]
[Height: 168 cm]
[Appearance: 93]
All three climbed in, and Zhou Ying exclaimed, "Wow, Tycoon, another new car? How many do you own?"
"I grabbed these two this morning—one rolls-royce and this maybach. Supercars only have one passenger seat, you know."
"You didn't buy them just to give us a ride, did you?" she gasped.
Jiang Cheng didn't deny it. "Exactly. Normally I don't have to carry so many people, and these are more comfortable than supercars."
At that, Zhou Ying slid her hand affectionately back into his. "You're right. Thank you, Jiang Cheng."
"Thank you, student Jiang Cheng. That was thoughtful of you," Fang Yuan added politely.
Hearing his potential Mother-in-law thank him, Jiang Cheng felt flattered.
She seemed rather aloof, but if she was thanking him, the first hurdle was probably cleared.
Though her favorability value hadn't risen, their new interaction felt like a promising start.
Zhou Ying then eagerly recounted how Jiang Cheng had bought a Ferrari and a Lamborghini while she was working as a car-show model.
The story left Fang Yuan inwardly stunned.
No wonder he'd just purchased two more cars simply to ferry them.
Supercars were impractical, yet astronomically priced.
Clearly Jiang Cheng's family was far wealthier than theirs had ever been.
Zhou Ying opened an app, scrolling through group-buying restaurants. She passed her phone to him. "Jiang Cheng, we were thinking of this Michelin-starred place tonight. Local reviews say it's amazing."
Jiang Cheng glanced at the listing.
The logo looked familiar—wasn't this the restaurant Yu Xiaoxiao had first taken him to, Renhe Tavern?
He recalled its nostalgic old-Shanghai vibe and its notorious queues—number one in the city.
Yet in his experience, while better than most, it scarcely deserved its Michelin star.
Still, at two hundred-plus per head, it was far cheaper than the usual thousand-yuan spots.
The dishes were worth the price.
"Sure," he said, no objections.
"Great, I'll call and reserve."