Chapter 174

To Wu Di, these words pierced his heart.

In all these years he'd known Cheng Feng, when had he ever heard Cheng Feng say he needed to rely on someone like him?

Wasn't it because of him that Cheng Feng quarreled with Cheng Cheng Shengen'en, leading to Cheng Cheng Shengen'en's fatal heart attack? That's what freed Cheng Feng from restraint, letting him break loose all at once, lose his mind, fall for a con artist, and now he's trapped in an irreversible disaster.

"Freak…" The mood was set. Wu Di's eyes turned red, as if he was about to cry: "I'm sorry…"

Cheng Feng paused, then shook his head with a smile: "What are you talking about? I just didn't want to see Old Cheng's life's work vanish. I thought I could turn things around, but I met the wrong people…"

He knew Wu Di was blaming himself for his father's death. Though he himself had harbored that tiny thought, so much time had passed—why bring it up now? Besides, in just a few days he'd be locked up, and no one knew how long he'd stay. After that, he might truly have to rely on Wu Di. After all, Wu Di was the only person left he could talk to—he was counting on Wu Di coming to visit him someday.

"Time's up. We should go."

The lawyer beside him didn't care—he'd seen too much. This was nothing. They'd only been caught; if they hadn't been, you'd think they'd never indulged in wine, women, and song.

Wu Di stared fixedly at Cheng Feng across from him: "Freak, take care. I'll come back in a few days."

"Let's go."

"Ah…"

With a long sigh, Wu Di stood and followed the lawyer out.

Watching Wu Di's back, Cheng Feng sat there, unable to stop sighing.

How could he accept this now? Who was responsible for all this? Shen Bing. Shi Xiao Meng. Wang Yan. His own father, whom he'd driven to rage. Lin Xia. Wu Di. The con artist. Everyone. They'd all pushed him step by step to this point.

Thinking of Shen Bing, Cheng Feng unconsciously smiled. He truly loved that pure, unspoiled, sweet smile of hers…

…………

After discussing serious matters with Shi Xiao Meng and drinking a pot of tea, Wang Yan returned to work until just after five in the afternoon, then went home to spend a shameless night with the two little bees.

Seeing Wang Yan return, Yang Zixi hurried over to help him take off his shoes: "Honey… you're back."

Lin Xia grinned and blew him a kiss from the side, watching.

After changing shoes, Wang Yan sat on the sofa and asked: "How was business today?"

Yang Zixi rolled her eyes and plopped down beside him: "Same as always."

Just by her expression, you knew it was terrible. Not just because Yang Zixi and Lin Xia were such a bumbling duo, but because they slept till noon before opening shop and came home early every night—if they made money, it'd be a miracle.

Yang Zixi had originally wanted to make something of it, but later she just gave up—it was too exhausting. Lying around making money was far more comfortable. Now she just sat there all day smelling flowers, pretending to read a couple of books, placing a cup of coffee beside her, calling on leisurely Lin Xia to take a few pretty photos, posting them on WeChat Moments, and calling it a day.

Wang Yan didn't care about that. He shook his head and waved Lin Xia over: "What did your parents say?"

Yang Zixi was just like that—no need to ask. But Lin Xia had changed a lot lately.

At first, she might've been uncomfortable, afraid to spend money. But after a few days, seeing the G63 with the Beijing A license plate Wang Yan had sent over, and the 911 parked beside it, she finally accepted her new identity and fit in. After that, she and Yang Zixi spent money, consumed, enjoyed life, and savored its beauty.

But unlike the brainless Yang Zixi, Lin Xia didn't spend much. She kept only a few hundred thousand for daily expenses and used the remaining two million-plus as a down payment to buy a two-bedroom apartment outside the Second Ring Road. Her entire salary went toward repaying the mortgage.

Seeing Lin Xia buy a house, Yang Zixi finally woke up. Her luxury brand purchases would eventually go out of style, but a house was different—it was real asset that appreciated. She suddenly wanted to buy one too. But when she checked her bank balance—under a million—she gave up on this childish idea, deciding to wait until next year's salary came in…

Lin Xia's recent changes couldn't have escaped her parents' notice. She had to go home sometimes, and parking that car alone drew attention. Her drastic change in clothing and appearance was impossible to hide. Fooling her parents once might work, twice might pass, but what about the third time? And the neighbors—the old men and women, and their children—knew exactly what they were seeing. Their gossip always reached her parents' ears.

Under pressure from her parents, Lin Xia had no choice but to confess, telling them the truth. They had only one daughter, whom they'd raised with great hardship. Now she was someone's mistress—no need to describe their feelings.

Thus, after learning what happened, Wang Yan, accompanied by Lin Xia, paid them a sincere visit… a card with a balance of fifty thousand yuan, and a promise of that much every year. Of course, he had to be fair—he couldn't favor one over the other—so he gave Yang Zixi the same amount.

Fifty thousand a year meant over forty thousand a month. That was more than enough anywhere, even the best kind. Remember, Wang Yan himself hadn't even reached that level in the real world yet.

One reason he hadn't planned to make money was the system, but before the system showed up? He made five to eight thousand a month—nowhere near forty thousand. He was being generous enough—why even think about a bicycle?

Hearing Wang Yan's words, Lin Xia shook her head and leaned against his shoulder, her mood low: "They didn't say much. They only have me as a daughter, and since I'm like this, they can only accept it. But… they said… they want to meet you…"

"Of course." Wang Yan wouldn't refuse—settling Lin Xia's parents was child's play: "I'll book a restaurant in the next couple of days and invite them for dinner."

Lin Xia smiled: "Okay…"

She'd expected Wang Yan to refuse. After all, who was Wang Yan? The mansion she was in, the WeChat on her phone—all of it was there. And their relationship? Polite terms called it "working for pay." Meeting her parents was truly unnecessary.

Seeing Lin Xia's expression, Yang Zixi grabbed Wang Yan's hand, swung it over her neck, and placed it on her chest: "My mom wants to meet you too, honey. When do you have time?"

"We'll see…"

Wang Yan didn't refuse. One was fine, two was fine too—no problem. Of course, he wasn't just bluffing—his Fifth Brother aura was working.

After more laughter and chatter, the housekeeper served dinner…

Shi Xiao Meng left work on time today and didn't go home—he went to the old place.

He'd originally planned to treat Wu Di to dinner another day, but Wu Di called in the afternoon asking to meet up for drinks. He understood—after all, as a friend, Cheng Feng was locked up, and Wu Di needed someone to talk to.

It was dinnertime, and the old place was buzzing with people: passersby, nearby students, and others like Shi Xiao Meng who'd spent four years in college and couldn't forget the taste, returning now and then to relive the past.

Tong Chui was still the same. Even as he was swamped, he gave them special attention. No sooner had Shi Xiao Meng and Wu Di sat down than, amid complaints from others, their dishes arrived.

"You two drink up. If you need anything, just call. I won't bother you."

"Ah, okay."

"Go on, hurry, Brother Chui…"

Wu Di opened two chilled, icy beers, handed one to Shi Xiao Meng, poured the other into a glass, and said: "What are you waiting for? Pour your drink!"

Shi Xiao Meng shook his head, turned, and took two envelopes and a notebook from his briefcase, placing them on the table and pushing them toward Wu Di.

Wu Di knew what the notebook was—Shi Xiao Meng's years of expense records. So the contents of the envelopes were obvious: "What the hell, Xiao Meng, what's this? Take it back." He pushed the items back.

"Wang Laowu, I've remembered every favor you've done me over the years. I know you don't need this money, but it's two different things." Shi Xiao Meng opened the notebook: "Money is money. Friendship is friendship. I've recorded every debt I owe you—check the numbers."

"What money, what friendship? We never talked like that before. Take it back, Xiao Meng, really, no need."

"Wang Laowu, if you don't take it, we're no longer friends. Seriously—I can't live with myself if you don't take it." Shi Xiao Meng's face turned serious. He slapped his chest twice: "And this includes Cheng Feng's share—he helped me a lot over the years. Now that he's like this… you take it first. Later, give it to him."

Hearing this, seeing Shi Xiao Meng's expression, Wu Di knew he had no choice. Shi Xiao Meng was right—Cheng Feng had nothing now. The thickness of the envelopes suggested at least thirty or forty thousand. That money would be useful when Cheng Feng got out.

"You're getting worked up… fine, fine, I'll take it, okay?" Wu Di picked up the envelopes Shi Xiao Meng pushed back, stood up, and stuffed them into his pants pocket, patting them: "See? Locked in. As for the notebook—forget it. I trust you."

Shi Xiao Meng nodded, poured wine, raised his cup: "Come on, drink."

Wu Di raised his cup, clinked it, and drained it in one gulp.

The icy beer slid down his throat into his warm stomach, sending a chill through his limbs and bones. Both men shivered together.

"Ah, perfect…" Wu Di relaxed, picked up chopsticks, and urged Shi Xiao Meng: "Eat, eat."

Shi Xiao Meng picked up his chopsticks and said, "What the hell happened to Cheng Feng?"

Wu Di paused mid-bite, then let out a long, weary sigh: "He got scammed."

"Scammed?" Shi Xiao Meng stared at Wu Di in disbelief. "How could he even get scammed?"

"It's like this—three months ago, the crazy guy met a friend at a bar…" Wu Di recounted the whole story. "The lawyer he hired said the evidence is solid—he's definitely going to jail. All they can do now is try to reduce the sentence."

After hearing the full story, Shi Xiao Meng truly wanted to shout "Bravo!" three times.

Even though he'd been interrupted earlier while sharing it with his Wang Ge, back in the office he picked it right up again—and the more he thought about it, the better he felt. Cheng Feng, that dog, had always been a thorn in his side. The guy spent his days ruining women's lives, then turned around and lusted after his girlfriend, messed with contracts, and demanded ten million. He'd tormented Shi Xiao Meng enough.

The guy was this rotten, yet he still got to live in luxury every night, spending millions, riding high as a top dog. Why? If Cheng Feng were like his Wang Ge—broad-minded, capable, shrewd—that'd be one thing. But this guy? A useless second-generation heir, barely competent enough to be handed a job. How the hell did he deserve all this?

A man with neither virtue nor merit to match his station—finally, disaster struck. Shi Xiao Meng believed this was karma. He deserved it.

Of course, cheering now was wildly inappropriate—Wu Di was clearly heartbroken. But Shi Xiao Meng couldn't stop the faint curl of his lips. He quickly downed a beer to cool himself down.

Wu Di, still talking, didn't notice Shi Xiao Meng. "Xiao Meng, this is all my fault. Honestly, I'm sorry to Cheng Feng. I bear undeniable responsibility for where he is today."

Shi Xiao Meng frowned. "What's it got to do with you? He's here because of his own doing. He brought this on himself!"

Wu Di shook his head, sighing endlessly. "You don't know. I'm partly to blame for his father's death. If his father hadn't died, Cheng Feng wouldn't be where he is now."

"What responsibility do you have?"

"Remember that night we were drinking? You told me Cheng Feng harassed Shen Bing?"

"Yeah, I remember. So what?"

"You also told me his father came to you, offering ten million to make you leave Shen Bing." Wu Di drank a glass of wine, face twisted in pain. "After we split up that night, I went to find Cheng Feng. I meant to yell at him—but when I saw how indifferent he was, like a dead pig unbothered by boiling water, I figured it wouldn't do any good."

"So I told him what his father had offered you. He listened, then just walked out. I thought he was going to talk things over with his dad. I never imagined they'd get into a screaming match."

"You know his father had heart problems—he'd never fully recovered. Then he got into that fight with Cheng Feng, flew into a rage, and had another heart attack. He just… couldn't make it."

Wu Di drained another glass. "Xiao Meng, I'm not blaming you. If only you hadn't told me that night—or if I'd kept my mouth shut and never told Cheng Feng—none of this would've happened."

A flicker of discomfort crossed Shi Xiao Meng's face. He drank a glass of beer. "Wu Di, you're overthinking this. You've known Cheng Feng for years—how well do you really know him? How did his father end up in the hospital in the first place? Didn't he get himself there by driving himself crazy? And then Cheng Feng actually called me, saying he'd make it up to me? His father offered me ten million—do you think he cared about some stupid ad contract?"

Wu Di paused. "It probably wasn't about the ad contract. But Lin Xia said it had to do with his mother—and she also said Cheng Feng became what he is today because of her death."

Shi Xiao Meng snorted. "Come on, Wu Di. You're not a kid anymore. Why believe this nonsense? Wang Ge told me the truth about his mother's death—it was because…"

After Shi Xiao Meng finished explaining, Wu Di frowned. "So that matches up. Isn't that exactly why Cheng Feng turned out this way?"

"Think about it—even if his mother hadn't died, with their family's wealth and her overindulgence, and his father too busy to care—what would've happened?" Shi Xiao Meng picked up a bite of food and raised an eyebrow at Wu Di. "Look at his rich-kid friends—what are they like? And if he really wanted revenge on his father, couldn't he have found another way? Why force himself into his father's control and destroy himself?"

"And his father's death? Even if you hadn't said anything, he'd have eventually screamed at his father over something else. What's that got to do with you? Besides, back then he was obsessed with Shen Bing—who knows what crazy thing he might've done? Stalking her, confessing, harassing her? Is that normal behavior? Think about it, Wu Di."

After listening to Shi Xiao Meng's long rant, Wu Di fell silent. Flashbacks of Cheng Feng's past years ran through his mind—and he realized Shi Xiao Meng was right.

Shi Xiao Meng poured himself another drink, ate quietly, and didn't interrupt. In his view, Wu Di had gone mad. No one else would take blame like this—his head must've been full of water.

After a long while, Wu Di looked up, raised his glass, and smiled. "Alright, let's drop him. Tell me something happy—how's it going with Shen Bing?"

Shi Xiao Meng clinked his glass against Wu Di's and drained it. "The house I bought will be handed over next month. We'll renovate it properly, and after that, we'll get married."

"Whoa, good job, kid." Wu Di grinned. "Let me calculate… renovation plus airing out the fumes… maybe next spring or early summer?"

"Probably. We haven't set a date yet—we'll see."

"Great…" Wu Di said. "How's your job going? I've heard Pinduoduo is blowing up lately—lots of relatives and friends keep sending me links asking me to help them slash prices."

Shi Xiao Meng pursed his lips and waved his hand. "Fine. Right now I'm negotiating funding."

"Funding?"

Wu Di's eyes widened. He'd never paid much attention to internet companies—until Shi Xiao Meng entered the scene. Now he couldn't help noticing. Besides, Shi Xiao Meng worked with Wang Yan—the man who had Yang Zixi. Wu Di knew about WeChat, used it himself, and saw how everyone at work communicated through it now—its influence was undeniable.

Now Shi Xiao Meng was saying Pinduoduo was seeking funding? How much money was that? He'd followed WeChat's funding rounds. Pinduoduo was an e-commerce platform built on cash subsidies—wouldn't its funding be even bigger?

"Wang Yan gave you equity, right?"

Seeing Shi Xiao Meng nod, Wu Di leaned forward instinctively, whispering: "Can you tell me… what's the valuation?"

Shi Xiao Meng still had professional integrity. He offered a polite smile and shook his head. "Can't say. You'll know after the funding closes—financial and business sections will cover it."

Wu Di rolled his eyes but didn't press. He whispered because he knew this stuff couldn't be spoken of lightly.

"Congratulations on getting rich… Once this funding closes, you'll be a billionaire." Wu Di's tone dripped with bitterness. "I never thought—this little time? Less than a year? You're already becoming a capitalist?"

The guy who used to rely on his handouts was suddenly about to skyrocket in wealth. How could he not feel sour? He didn't care much for money—he thought enough was enough—but you still had to consider how much. A few million? He could ignore it. But a hundred million? Two hundred million? That was a whole different game.

"Get lost," Shi Xiao Meng said. "I'm a legitimate heir, you know. Besides, those are just shares—not actual cash."

Wu Di gave him a look and drank his own glass. The guy acted like he didn't know stocks were what mattered. This was only Series A—there'd be B, C, D, maybe even E, F, G. Each round pushed the value higher, like money multiplying year after year.

Shi Xiao Meng raised an eyebrow and didn't push further, silently raising his glass in return.

He'd been upset before knowing Wu Di sided with Cheng Feng—but they'd been friends for years, and the bond was real. Still, things would be tough now—he had money.

It wasn't that he looked down on Wu Di because he was rich. It was the gap in status—too wide. He feared Wu Di would overthink it, and their friendship would truly end. Would Wu Di overthink it? Definitely.

Unlike Cheng Feng, who was born rich, Shi Xiao Meng had become rich. So naturally, Wu Di would assume money had changed him—hard to fix.

Changing the subject, Shi Xiao Meng said: "Hey, by the way, about Lin Xia—Wu Di, you don't know, do you?"

"Know what? After Cheng Feng's father's funeral, Cheng Feng screamed at her, and I haven't spoken to Lin Xia since." Wu Di frowned. "Last month I talked to Fei Si—he hasn't seen her in a long time either. How is she now?"

"This might be a bit explosive. Brace yourself."

"Just spit it out already, stop dancing around."

Shi Xiao Meng looked straight into Wu Di's eyes. "She's with Wang Ge."

"Wang Ge? Wang Yan? She's with Wang Yan? You mean…" Wu Di's eyes widened in disbelief. "You mean… she's been… been… kept by Wang Yan?"

The words stuck in his throat—he couldn't bring himself to say it. He simply couldn't believe Lin Xia would do this.

Shi Xiao Meng nodded.

Wu Di fell silent for a long moment, then asked: "What about Zixi? How's she?"

Shi Xiao Meng looked at Wu Di, then slowly said two words: "Together."

Wu Di stared at Shi Xiao Meng, searching his eyes for another answer. He couldn't believe it—his former love had sunk so low.

"How… how could she degrade herself like this? And Lin Xia—she was such a good girl. Why? Why do this?"

Shi Xiaomeng shook his head: "As far as I know, they're all very happy."

"Then they must be forcing themselves to smile." Wu Di said it with absolute certainty.

People immersed in their own world are beyond saving, because they only believe what they choose to believe.

Although he knew Wu Di would most likely react this way, there was nothing for it—Shi Xiaomeng mainly just wanted to make Cheng Feng feel a little worse. To be honest, Lin Xia had clung to Cheng Feng for so long, he refused to believe Cheng Feng didn't feel anything at all. From his understanding of Cheng Feng, Lin Xia could be with anyone—just not him, or his Brother Wang. Now, in Cheng Feng's heart, the two of them were probably the great enemies of his post-breakup happiness, weren't they. How nice…

Imagining Cheng Feng's face when he heard the news, Shi Xiaomeng happily downed a cup of wine, looked at Wu Di sitting in front of him lost in his own worries, and couldn't help sighing—how could this guy be so clueless about himself?

He could think whatever the hell he wanted; if Yang Zixi had any thought of him, Shi Xiaomeng would rip his own head off and kick it like a ball.

"Wang Laowu, stop overthinking. Didn't you say you found a new girlfriend before? Why think so much? How are things going with your current girlfriend?"

His original intent was to provoke Cheng Feng, not Wu Di, so he quickly changed the subject.

"Huh? Huh… you mean Wu Mei…" Wu Di came back to himself, and thinking of Wu Mei couldn't help showing a smile: "We're doing pretty well."

After knowing there was no hope with Yang Zixi, he got serious about work. And at work, he discovered that his brother's ex-girlfriend really lived up to her name—quite charming, quite something, damn useful enough.

Men are creatures who think with their lower half—that's what women say when scolding men, but damn, it's true. Anyone who saw Wu Mei in her endlessly alluring state couldn't help paying tribute. After all, he was someone who had been ***-ed over, deeply taught by a slew of little-Japanese-sensei types, a hot-blooded normal man. To say he had no primal thoughts would be bullshit.

Add to that the later contact at work, and Wu Mei's abilities were on full display. Having been around the block for years, Wu Mei was far beyond what a player like Yang Zixi could compare to. And most men like mature, intellectual, charming older-sister types who are a bit older. So unsurprisingly, Wu Di was conquered.

And Wu Mei herself had her own ideas; back and forth like that, for a player like her to handle a clueless fool like Wu Di was a piece of cake, and the two of them getting together through all this back-and-forth was only natural.

Of course, perhaps he'd never know in his lifetime that after they had clearly established their boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, a certain Wang Mou had on several occasions engaged in friendly, in-depth, rather profound-topic conversations with Ms. Wu Mei. It was truly a match between equals, a general meeting a worthy talent—the two faced off many times, each meeting ending with Wu Mei drenched in sweat begging for mercy.

Seeing the remedy was working, Shi Xiaomeng quickly pressed: "How did you two get together? You never went into detail before, so now's perfect—share your love story."

As he spoke, he raised his glass and drank one with Wu Di.

"What's there to share." Putting down his glass, Wu Di rolled his eyes and said: "It was just last year, once when I had dinner with my brother…"

Wu Di shared how he met and got to know Wu Mei, while Shi Xiaomeng kept toasting him whenever there was nothing else to do; Wu Di's tolerance was passable but couldn't hold up against this pace, and in no time he was drunk.

Good that he was drunk—drunk, he wouldn't be sentimentally overthinking, how much easier that was.

He helped stuff the money back in Wu Di's pocket, called a designated driver and tipped him extra, and had the driver deliver Wu Di all the way home.

Watching the car drive off, Shi Xiaomeng waved blankly: "Goodbye…"

Until he could no longer see the taillights, only then did he lower his waving arm. He knew this was probably the last time they could sit together drinking so peacefully; in the future there might really be no future…

Because he was about to get rich, and he didn't know whether he would change, or whether Wu Di would change…

But he figured probably not—after all, back when faced with ten million that would have let him retire on the spot, he had still been himself; let alone now that his material life was already good, with wealth earned through his own efforts plus Brother Wang's guidance… he refused to believe he couldn't hold onto himself.

He punched the air hard, then Shi Xiaomeng casually hummed a little tune, took out his phone, and called Shen Bing who was waiting for him at home.

"Hello? Girl, I'm heading home now—is there anything you want to eat…"