Chapter 285: Wish Granted

The person who called Su Mingcheng was naturally needless to say—it was undoubtedly Zhu Li. Otherwise, his expression wouldn't have been so complex. After all, he had been full of confidence, thinking that once he made a fortune, he would win her back. As a result, he had messed up, and now he had nothing. How could he not be complex?

As for looking at Su Daqiang, he felt that for things to have developed to today's point, Su Daqiang was a reason. After all, as long as his father didn't come to his home, there wouldn't be those messy things like bookkeeping and paying back money. And because of Su Daqiang, he and Zhu Li had quarreled several times, wasting their feelings.

In the end, it was his dearest mother who shouldn't have died. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so miserable and unlucky. But people were dead, and no matter how much he said, it was useless. He accepted his fate.

Leaving the residential area, he hailed a taxi and arrived at the agreed-upon coffee shop. Zhu Li was already waiting. Su Mingcheng saw at a glance the woman they had once possessed each other and been of one heart.

Taking a deep breath, Su Mingcheng walked to the opposite side of Zhu Li and sat down. Zhu Li was stunned for a moment: "You're here." The two had shared a bed for many years and were as familiar as could be. Seeing her again at this moment, she felt as if he had become a different person. The feeling of being familiar yet strange made her feel somewhat at a loss.

"I'm here." Su Mingcheng looked at Zhu Li, then looked away unnaturally.

"Waiter." Zhu Li called out and said: "What would you like to drink?"

Su Mingcheng said politely to the waiter: "Americano, thank you."

The waiter nodded, responded, and left.

Only Zhu Li and Su Mingcheng were left sitting by the window, speechless. Occasionally their eyes met, but they quickly looked away. This was the first time they had met since the divorce. The loved one who had once been familiar with every inch of skin had become a stranger sitting opposite, separated by ten thousand miles. They were unaccustomed and uncomfortable.

Silence, constant silence. No one spoke first. It seemed they were both looking at the person opposite, trapped in memories and unable to extricate themselves. Until the waiter serving the coffee broke the silence.

Su Mingcheng took the coffee and took a sip, smacked his lips, feeling the bitterness filling his mouth. He put down the coffee, sighed lightly, and said: "Something up?"

The awkward silence ended. Zhu Li, at a loss, let out a long breath and used a cliché opening: "How have you been lately?"

"Quite good." Su Mingcheng's eyes drifted, not looking at her: "The factory is very busy and is still expanding. Now people are unreliable, and every day is just busy looking for people."

Zhu Li looked at the stubborn Su Mingcheng and still told the truth: "I called Little Lin, and he told me everything."

With his words exposed, Su Mingcheng felt somewhat embarrassed. What's more, sitting in front of him was the woman who had once painstakingly persuaded him. As a result, he didn't listen to the advice, went his own way, and ended up in this situation. He couldn't face her calmly. He didn't know what to say, so he just covered it up by drinking the bitter coffee.

Seeing him like that, Zhu Li knew he was embarrassed and continued: "Have you found a job lately?"

"Applied to a few, the talks were quite good, but they just wouldn't hire me."

"You have so many years of work experience and have done quite well. Finding a new job shouldn't be a big problem."

Su Mingcheng sighed: "We'll see." He already had some premonitions that Manager Zhou was messing with him, but he still wasn't sure and didn't have definite news. He thought he would look again—what if he was wrong?

After deep thought for a moment, he said in a low voice: "I'm sorry. I should have listened to you back then. Without you, I can't do anything well."

Zhu Li was quite emotional. Hearing this, tears welled up in her eyes. She felt truly wronged. But she absolutely had no intention of continuing their past relationship. She had thought about a lot during this recent period, and she really couldn't continue living together.

"Forget it. Since things have already happened, let the past be the past. Just treat it as tuition paid on the road to growth. I still hope that you can learn from your mistakes, absorb the experience and lessons, and consider things clearly before making decisions in the future."

"It's quite good now. Just finding any job is enough for me to live. If one person is full, the whole family isn't hungry."

"I asked you here today because I want to tell you something." Zhu Li let out a long breath and got to the point: "I sold our marital home. The market for houses is quite good now. I sold it at a lower price, and it sold in less than two weeks. The price also rose quite a bit compared to when we bought it. After transferring the loan, it sold for 1.7 million."

Su Mingcheng remained silent.

Zhu Li turned to the side and took out a bank card from the small bag on the seat: "This is the bank card you opened before. There is 1.05 million in it. You take it." As she spoke, she put the card on the table and pushed it to Su Mingcheng.

Looking at the card in front of him, Su Mingcheng frowned. He knew that Zhu Li had taken what he said seriously and really didn't want to owe their Su family anything. Thinking of this, the idea he had before—that once his investment succeeded and he had money, he could win her back—seemed even more ridiculous.

But after all, they were divorced, and his investment had been scammed. Saying those things was meaningless. Su Mingcheng shook his head: "No, I can't take it. We agreed when we divorced that the house belonged to you. I've done so many absurd things. Let me be a man for once. Give me some face and take it back."

"The marital home we married in was paid for by your mother. And the money we owed Dad was spent by both of us, and it hasn't been paid off yet. There is 200,000 here that I'm paying back to Dad. You know my character, so don't embarrass me. Take it."

Zhu Li got up, put on her coat, and slung her small bag: "That's all I wanted to see you for. Take care of yourself in the future. Leaving now." After saying this, she turned and left without any attachment.

She had struggled for a while before making this decision. After all, they were all ordinary people from small families, and one million was a very large fortune. But after thinking about it, she decided to give the money to Su Mingcheng. Actually, it wouldn't have been wrong if she had taken it all—after all, the divorce agreement was written clearly, and the seven years of youth she spent with Su Mingcheng were also money. But she, Zhu Li, was strong and didn't owe anyone anything. From now on, it was a clean break.

Su Mingcheng watched her go to the bar to pay the bill, watched her walk out of the coffee shop, watched her cross the road, watched her get into the car and disappear, and then looked at the card in front of him. His mind played a movie, all the bits and pieces from meeting to now. He couldn't help but have his eyes wet with tears, full of regret...

After a while, having finished recalling, Su Mingcheng took out his phone and called his father: "Hello, Dad, where are you?"

"Okay, you have the agent arrange the owner, we'll buy the house today."

"Don't worry about it. That's it, hanging up."

Hanging up the phone, Su Mingcheng gulped down the bitter coffee that had already gone cold, wiped away his tears, picked up the card on the table, and left.

After much tossing and turning, witnessed by the agent, it finally sold for 5.75 million. They signed the contract and took the house keys directly. Although the procedures and loans hadn't been completed, there wouldn't be any problems. The owner was also a straightforward person, and after the property handover, he let them pack their things and buy furniture to move in.

Regarding buying the house, including the money from selling the old house and the money from investment and wealth management, Su Daqiang had a total of 1.7 million in his hands. This time, he paid 1.5 million for the house, and Su Mingcheng paid the rest. Su Mingcheng took out a total of 500,000, paid a larger down payment, and the extra tens of thousands were for Su Daqiang to buy furniture.

In the original story, after the house was sold, Zhu Li gave Su Mingcheng 750,000. But this time, because of Wang Yan, the house price rose, and it sold for much more. Plus the 500,000 he had been sponging off for these years, Zhu Li couldn't get over it, which was why she gave so much.

And in the original story, including Su Mingyu, the old Su family gathered together to witness it. Su Mingcheng took the money to pay off the debt he owed Su Daqiang and used the remaining money to buy a house for Su Daqiang. But now it was different. Su Mingzhe was drinking himself into a stupor in America every day, and Su Mingyu didn't deal with them at all, so those things didn't happen. And the matter of buying a house had been agreed upon before: Su Mingzhe would pay the monthly mortgage, and Su Mingcheng would find a nanny.

Although the monthly mortgage was different, he was still around to take care of him, so it balanced out.

The difference was that this time, because Su Mingcheng didn't pay, the down payment was much higher. With Su Daqiang's name, the loan could only be for seven years, and the monthly mortgage of 40,000 to 50,000 was too high. In the end, there was no choice. After discussing with Su Mingzhe in America, the house was written in Su Mingcheng's name, and Su Mingzhe would have to send materials back to assist with the repayment. After all, Su Mingcheng's qualifications weren't very good, and it was difficult to get such a large loan. Actually, the best thing would have been for Su Mingzhe to come back and write his name directly, which would have saved trouble. But Su Mingzhe just wouldn't, and wouldn't come back no matter what.

In the end, it was loaned in Su Mingcheng's name for twenty years, and the monthly mortgage dropped to over 20,000. Although Su Daqiang was very unhappy, it had already been explained, and his ownership would be notarized later, so that was that.

By the time it was finished, it was already evening. Su Daqiang happily held the purchase contract and wanted to go directly to the furniture mall to buy furniture, wishing he could move in today. It was Su Mingcheng who, under the pretext of celebrating, dragged Su Daqiang to a restaurant to eat.

In the restaurant, the father and son ordered a few dishes and sat opposite each other. Su Daqiang looked at the purchase contract with one hand and gave a thumbs up with the other: "Oh, Mingcheng, good. Now you've fulfilled Dad's dream. Dad didn't misjudge you, good son."

Su Mingcheng looked at his father, who had never been so amiable since his mother died. He just shook his head and smiled. He knew his father's character—a typical snob who used people when they were useful and discarded them when they weren't. He picked up a piece of food and asked: "Dad, I don't owe you money this time, right?"

Su Daqiang nodded repeatedly: "Not owed, not owed. You even gave 100,000 more. Dad knew you were filial."

"Alright, hurry up and eat. The house is yours, it won't run away."

"Mingcheng, Dad is happy in his heart." Su Daqiang stroked his chest with a look of gratification.

"You're glowing, anyone can see it. Hurry up and eat, the food will be cold and won't taste good."

"Eat, eat." Su Daqiang picked up a piece of food and smacked his lips: "Don't say, Mingcheng, when the mood is good, the food tastes fragrant."

Su Mingcheng didn't respond to this. While eating, he said: "Tomorrow you go buy furniture, do you need me to go with you?"

"No, no, I'll just go with your Uncle Nie. He can help me advise."

Knowing his father was eager to show off, Su Mingcheng nodded and didn't say anything more, eating his food and drinking his small wine.

Su Daqiang was happy and also got a bottle of beer to drink. After eating for a while, he remembered the serious business and asked: "Mingcheng, where did you get that money? Who could lend you so much money?"

"Lili gave it."

"Zhu Li? She gave it?" Su Daqiang was surprised and continued to ask: "Was it her who called you just now? What's going on?"

"Didn't we give her the house? She sold it. She said the down payment for the house we bought back then was paid by you and Mom. Now that the house is sold, it should be divided among you."

"Oh, so that's it. Then how much money did she give you?"

"1.05 million."

Su Daqiang's eyes turned: "Then what about the rest?"

"What are you doing? Didn't we agree to find you a nanny? The rest can be kept for emergencies."

"Finding a live-in nanny means paying wages and providing food and housing—it's not worth it. Besides, my health is quite good now, and I'm not so old that I can't move. I can live by myself, so why find a nanny? It would be better if you just gave me the money directly."

Su Mingcheng shook his head: "This was all agreed upon, it can't be changed. And you're getting on in years, your legs and feet aren't nimble, and you have high blood pressure. If something happens and I'm not by your side, what if it's not discovered in time? Besides, if you cook for yourself, what if the water, electricity, or gas isn't handled well and an accident happens? It's fine to have a nanny watching, so if anything happens, it can be solved immediately, and we'll be at ease."

Su Daqiang tried hard to argue: "There's no such thing. My health is very good, I can run and jump. I'm not senile, what accident could happen? I was watched by your mother for a lifetime, and now I just want some freedom, I just want to live by myself. Rest assured, son, I live quite well by myself. As long as you and Mingzhe can pay the mortgage steadily, I have nothing else to do, so you don't need to worry."

"If you put it that way, it's fine not to find a nanny." Su Mingcheng said: "How about this: anyway, I don't have a place to live now, I'll move into the new house with you. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds? What do you say, Dad?"

"Eat, eat, it won't taste good if it gets cold." Su Daqiang naturally didn't want to live with Su Mingcheng again. Otherwise, why would he go through all this trouble?

Su Mingcheng smiled and drank a glass of wine by himself, not saying anything more. Although he was very sad about parting ways with Zhu Li and being even, he was now holding the money and had arranged things for his father. The rest was just living by himself—if one person was full, the whole family wasn't hungry—which could be considered comfortable. He didn't think about finding another wife or anything. After all, although he still had over 500,000 in his hands, that money wasn't enough to buy a house or a car. Not to mention whether there was anyone who would follow him, even if there was, it would be a burden. Besides, he needed to heal and take a break now.

That day, Su Mingcheng got drunk. It was Su Daqiang, who was slightly tipsy, who spent a lot of effort to get him back. The father and son—one was sad and slept like a pig, the other was happy but tossed and turned, not sleeping all night...

In the following time, Su Daqiang spent his days with Old Nie. After planning the specific arrangements, he began to wander around furniture malls to buy furniture. He still had 200,000 in his hands, so he didn't hesitate at all when buying furniture, picking only the best and being carefree.

And Su Mingcheng started looking for work again, continuing to be rejected. At the same time, he had to deal with the house, so he was quite busy every day. After being rejected repeatedly and interviewing at almost all similar companies in Suzhou, Su Mingcheng also understood. It was indeed Manager Zhou who was messing with him and using tricks. Manager Zhou had put out the word that as long as he wanted to mix in this industry, she guaranteed he wouldn't have a bite to eat.

Su Mingcheng had no choice. Although he cursed, he could only accept it; he truly couldn't play against Manager Zhou. But he didn't want to leave Suzhou either. After all, he wasn't young, and he had a father here. He couldn't bear to leave his hometown. He had no experience in doing anything else, and he was old, so no one wanted him. In the end, just like in the original story, he borrowed a car from a friend and became a ride-hailing driver. However, he lacked resilience and did it on a whim. Anyway, the car was his friend's, so there was no car rental fee, and he had the money Zhu Li gave him before. He didn't work very hard and just drifted through life.

Of course, this time Su Mingcheng didn't think he couldn't afford to lose. He still thought the culprit who led to his current situation was Manager Zhou. If it weren't for Manager Zhou inciting his investment idea, why would he want to invest? If he didn't want to invest, why would he borrow money everywhere and even fool his father, and finally invest secretly behind Zhu Li's back, leading to a big quarrel and the breakdown of his marriage? And Manager Zhou targeted him, making it impossible for him to survive, leading him to only be a ride-hailing driver. Although his father also had faults, he couldn't do anything to his father, but he was very unconvinced by Manager Zhou and held a grudge.

During this period, the house matter was also settled, and Su Daqiang had long since moved in. The first thing he bought was a bed, and he moved out of the apartment Su Mingcheng rented, and then bought all the necessary furniture one after another. Everything was delivered to the door and included installation, so he didn't have to worry about it, just stand by and direct.

Su Mingcheng just went to see it every few days, considering it fulfilling his responsibility as a son. Don't look at how readily he paid the money; in reality, he still didn't like this father very much and couldn't stand him. On one hand, it was as if it came for free; on the other hand, he had no expectations. Anyway, when Su Daqiang died and the house was sold, the money would still be his.

By the time the house matter was completely finished, it was already a month later, in the middle of 2018.

Shanghai, a penthouse duplex in a mid-range residential area.

In the empty room, hot desire was jumping. There was a great general who commanded hundreds of millions of soldiers, raising his spear and mounting his horse, the spear coming out like a dragon. There was a phoenix singing, dancing in the clouds and showing off its voice.

After a long while, with a sound that seemed painful yet joyful, the wind stopped and the rain ceased. After cleaning up the aftermath, the woman's weak murmurs sounded.

"Sure enough, it's true—rich men are all bad men." Wu Fei, whose blush hadn't faded, hid under the quilt with her fragrant shoulders half-exposed, snuggling against the man, her palm feeling his strong body.

The man was naturally Wang Mouren, who was romantic but not lecherous, having both demeanor and strength.

In this month, unable to withstand her daughter's crying, Wu Fei went to Suzhou again, and Wang Mouren further felt something unusual.

It wasn't that Wang Yan was fickle, but it was too familiar and lacked passion; it was just coping, lacking a lot of fun, which wasn't good. So, feeling restless, he went on two business trips to Shanghai and had two meals with Wu Fei, so everything was logical and natural. One just wanted to live easily and freely and raise her daughter to grow up healthy and strong. The other just wanted something fresh and comfortable. As long as the intention was expressed, those who should understand would naturally understand.

And Wang Yan had always been thick-skinned and didn't shy away from talking about love affairs. So, facing the confession of a man who might be the richest in the world, how many women could refuse? What's more, she was a beautiful woman who already had this beautiful idea.

There was no great distance between men and women; the difference was just a little bit of wealth and power, and the man's unique, intoxicating charm.

Playing with the little treasure that was almost there, hoping to give it the power to grow, Wang Yan smiled: "Do you like good men or bad men?"

Feeling the hand moving downwards, Wu Fei was angry and couldn't help but pat him weakly: "Hateful, really can't do it anymore." She naturally liked this bad man in front of her. She had fantasized about it before, and now, after a deep exchange and feeling the strength of this man, she was even more envious and jealous of Su Mingyu. How could she have the fortune to meet such a man who was not only rich and powerful, but also had profound wisdom and knowledge, and a strong body?

With a chuckle, Wang Yan withdrew his hand and hugged Wu Fei, his fingertips playing with her hair: "Someone will come to handle the handover of this house with you tomorrow. Also, here is 5 million for you to spend first."

This wasn't driving up prices; it was just that he had too much money and didn't care. How much could Wu Fei spend? He just wanted peace and comfort, and everyone was happy. As for the house, he had someone buy it a month ago after discovering a trace of Wu Fei's small abnormality.

"Hmm." Wu Fei responded softly. Although Wang Yan was excellent, to put it bluntly, behind this excellence were more of these things, and the guarantee she wanted was also these.

It wasn't that she was vain and materialistic. After all, if she really were, how could she have lived with Su Mingzhe for so many years and even had a child? It was just that now that her marriage had failed and she was raising a child alone, she saw reality clearly and didn't want to go back to the past. Poor couples have a hundred sorrows; love is not as good as real guarantees. She was over thirty and had a child, so she didn't have much heart for love, but with real guarantees, love was just a lubricant.

"Do you want to work? I can arrange a leisurely one for you, so you don't have nothing to do at home while the child is at school. If you want to do something yourself, that's fine too. I'll give you some more money as startup capital." Since they had done it, and she was a good woman, he, Wang Mouren, naturally had to be responsible, and the whole package had to be arranged.

After a long silence, Wu Fei said: "Let's find a job. I don't have great ambitions; I just want to live a stable life."

"Of course, someone will contact you then." With Long Teng's strength and various partners, she could basically go wherever she wanted. Wang Yan thought about finding a proper job for her in a state-owned enterprise—on one hand, it was an iron rice bowl; on the other hand, it was leisurely, which was just right. And Wu Fei herself had a high education and could be considered a returnee. Although she was a front-desk receptionist abroad, her ability was still okay, and she should have some.

Nodding, Wu Fei sighed: "I'm sorry to Mingyu... How can I let the two children play together in the future..."

"It's my problem, you don't need to think too much." Wang Yan had this bit of responsibility: "It's okay."

Wu Fei responded, and after a long silence, said: "Are you leaving today?"

"Don't you have to go back to take care of the child? I'll go back in a while." Today was Friday. Wang Yan had finished his morning class and ran over. After tossing and turning all afternoon, it would be late by the time he got back.

After lingering for a while, Wang Yan got up, packed up, dressed neatly, and said goodbye to Wu Fei. He went downstairs, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for the train station. He had come by high-speed rail by himself and hadn't notified anyone. Besides, the high-speed rail was faster than driving, which saved trouble.

In the room, Wu Fei hugged the quilt and stared blankly at the ceiling, laughing and worrying. She also knew that Wang Yan was after her body, and she was already thirty-three this year. She didn't know how long it could last, so she was a bit anxious. But in the end, she smiled—the money was enough, so it didn't matter if it couldn't last long. And she didn't plan to marry anyone else. Except for the debt to Su Mingyu, everything was fine. On the basis that she was fine, was it that important whether she owed Su Mingyu or not?

When he got home, it was already past eight o'clock. Su Mingyu and the little girl were playing with toys.

"Dad." Seeing Wang Yan, the little girl ran over and threw herself into her father's arms: "Why didn't you pick me up today?"

"Dad has been very busy lately and went to Shanghai again."

"Then take me with you next time, okay? I want to play with Mimi, I don't want to go to kindergarten."

Wang Yan chuckled and scraped his daughter's nose: "You just don't want to go to kindergarten."

Wang Lin giggled, rested her head on her father's shoulder, and twisted around to act spoiled.

"You're overthinking it. Not going to kindergarten is impossible. Forgot? When Dad works, Mimi also has to go to kindergarten there. You go find Mimi, it's just changing places to go to kindergarten. Alright, get down, you've gained quite a bit of weight recently, Dad is almost unable to hold you."

Although she was indeed chubby, Wang Lin was still unhappy to hear her father say she was fat. She snorted, swung her braids, and didn't hold it against her father.

"Dad was teasing you, why are you angry..."

Su Mingyu coaxed the child for a while, watched her play with toys, and asked Wang Yan: "What have you been busy with lately? You've been to Shanghai several times."

"Nothing much, just some cooperation with the Shanghai municipal government recently. The positions are not equal, so I, the boss, have to go out." Wang Yan answered casually, very naturally. Cooperation certainly existed. As the economic center, Shanghai couldn't lack contact, so it was reasonable. Of course, it wasn't a lie, but a benevolent concealment.

Su Mingyu nodded. She was just asking casually and didn't mean anything else. After all, Long Teng's business was so big, she understood. In the past, Wang Yan would also go on business trips every few days, but he had only settled down in recent years.

"Have you eaten? The kitchen left some for you."

"Ate, ate while waiting for the train at the station." Wang Yan said: "Alright, you play with the child, I'm going to wash up."

A family of three, harmonious and warm. The parent-child activity ended, he coaxed the girl to sleep, and then forcefully arranged for his wife. The day ended, and he closed his eyes to welcome the new life of tomorrow... ===== CHAPTER 286 =====