Cheng Tianwei led the way, with Shen Yi in the middle, while the mother and daughter walked at the back.
The four of them entered the restaurant and prepared to take their seats.
Cheng Tianwei unhesitatingly occupied the head of the table, then gestured for Shen Yi to sit on his left.
Cheng Jun had initially intended to sit beside her mother, but after a moment’s thought, she moved to Shen Yi’s side, leaning against him.
Given the challenges ahead today, she felt better sitting close to him.
Wen Ya noticed this and gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. A grown daughter no longer heeds her parents—today’s carefully planned confrontation might not go as intended.
Still, as the saying goes, it’s better to tear down ten temples than ruin a single marriage. Her intentions were ultimately for Cheng Jun’s sake, not to make things difficult for Shen Yi.
Cheng Tianwei, seemingly oblivious, waved his hand cheerfully and said,
“No need for formalities—let’s eat.”
Picking up his chopsticks, he turned to Shen Yi and added,
“Just a simple home-cooked meal—hope you don’t mind, Xiao Shen.”
Shen Yi quickly replied with a smile,
“Uncle, you’re too kind. Home-cooked meals are always the most satisfying.”
“Glad to hear it. Help yourself.”
Cheng Tianwei nodded, then asked,
“Do you drink, Xiao Shen?”
Shen Yi was usually indifferent to alcohol, but given the occasion, he modestly said,
“A little.”
“If you’re in the mood, Uncle, I’d be happy to join you.”
Cheng Tianwei replied decisively,
“Then let’s have a couple of drinks.”
Wen Ya didn’t drink, and Cheng Jun, being pregnant, couldn’t either, so they asked the housekeeper to bring a bottle of liquor and two glasses.
Cheng Jun knew Shen Yi’s tolerance and said playfully,
“Dad’s rarely this enthusiastic—you’d better keep him company properly, Shen Yi.”
Shen Yi understood her hint—don’t let Cheng Tianwei overdo it—and squeezed her hand, replying,
“Then I’ll do my best, even if it costs me my life.”
“Hahaha! I’m just happy to have my daughter back,” Cheng Tianwei laughed heartily.
When the housekeeper brought the liquor, Shen Yi stood and poured a glass for Cheng Tianwei.
The moment it was filled, Cheng Tianwei raised it and clinked glasses with Shen Yi, downing it in one go.
He was in a sour mood today and just wanted to drink.
Shen Yi promptly raised his own glass with both hands and matched him. He had plenty of experience in drinking etiquette—a skill honed out of necessity.
After finishing, he immediately refilled Cheng Tianwei’s glass.
Wen Ya frowned at the sight and interjected,
“Slow down. Have some food first to cushion your stomach.”
“Who drinks like this right off the bat?”
Cheng Tianwei rested his hand on his glass, glancing at Cheng Jun’s belly.
“We’re celebrating good news, after all.”
Despite his words, he didn’t immediately go for a second round, instead urging Shen Yi to eat.
Shen Yi nodded and picked up some vegetables for Cheng Jun.
The meal had clearly been prepared with care—light, low-oil, and low-salt dishes tailored to a pregnant woman’s dietary needs.
As she ate, Cheng Jun kept her ears pricked, braced for her father’s interrogation.
Yet as the drinks flowed between him and Shen Yi, none of the expected confrontations materialized.
Did I misread the situation?
Cheng Tianwei set down his chopsticks and drained another glass.
For Shen Yi, keeping up was effortless—he matched each drink without batting an eye.
By the time the meal ended, Cheng Tianwei was loosening his belt, his breath heavy with alcohol, while Shen Yi remained perfectly composed.
Pointing at him, Cheng Tianwei chuckled and said,
“Xiao Shen, you weren’t entirely honest with me.”
"I didn’t expect you to hold your liquor so well. You’ll definitely be a great asset at business dinners with me."
Shen Yi felt a slight chill at the words but quickly laughed it off.
"I wouldn’t dare boast without knowing your limits, especially since you’re my elder."
"It’s better to stay humble in front of you..."
Cheng Tianwei clapped Shen Yi on the shoulder repeatedly, nodding in approval.
"Humble is good, humble is very good."
Then, with a tilt of his chin toward the upstairs, he added,
"Come, let’s go to my study for some tea to sober up. We should have a heart-to-heart, just the two of us."
"Of course, as you say."
Shen Yi had no reason to refuse and followed Cheng Tianwei upstairs.
Cheng Jun’s eyes flickered, and she immediately stood up to follow, but Wen Ya stopped her.
"Jun."
"Come, I bought a lot of baby clothes. Let’s go take a look."
It was far too early to fuss over such things—she was only about a month along—but Wen Ya had been too anxious after hearing the news and had rushed to buy baby supplies. She’d picked out so many that she ended up bringing them all home.
Now was the perfect chance to let Cheng Jun choose, with her mother there to advise.
"Mom~ what are you doing?"
Cheng Jun halted, watching the two men disappear upstairs before turning back with a pout.
Wen Ya huffed.
"What do you mean, what am I doing? It’s all for you!"
"You’re pregnant now, about to become a mother, yet you still act so carefree."
Cheng Jun frowned in protest.
"I’m not! I just… I’m worried Dad might give him a hard time up there."
Wen Ya shot her a glare.
"Why would your father give him a hard time?"
"He’s just concerned about your wedding. You’ll start showing soon—do you really want to wait until your belly balloons before squeezing into a wedding dress?"
"I’d die of embarrassment!"
Cheng Jun’s worries eased slightly, and she grinned.
"I’m just overthinking things because I care."
"You care about him, huh?"
Wen Ya scolded her with a sigh.
"Your father’s face is red as a monkey’s backside from drinking, and I don’t see you fussing over him."
Cheng Jun unfolded a tiny outfit, examining it distractedly before deflecting with a laugh.
"Dad’s just celebrating today—a little wine to liven things up. Besides, he’s not even that drunk."
"……"
Meanwhile, Shen Yi followed Cheng Tianwei into his study. Though modest in size, it was exquisitely decorated—a cozy space for receiving guests, with an inner area for work and reading.
The moment the door closed, Cheng Tianwei’s cheerful expression faded.
He loosened a button at his collar and settled onto the sofa.
"Shen Yi, sit."
Sensing the shift, Shen Yi took a seat across from him.
Cheng Tianwei studied him for a long moment before exhaling.
"To be honest, I didn’t think much of you at first, Shen Yi."
"I’ve looked into your background. You have your strengths, but your résumé is… unremarkable. These days, people say status doesn’t matter, but I still feel you’re not good enough for my daughter."
Before Shen Yi could respond, Cheng Tianwei raised a hand and continued.
"In this day and age, hard work alone won’t get you anywhere. To rise above, you need either good connections, sharp wits, or a powerful mentor—maybe all three. That’s the harsh reality. Fall behind once, and you’ll keep falling."
"And even then, you’d need a stroke of luck to stand out among millions."
"Do you want to remain just another face in the crowd?"
He spoke bluntly, every word cutting but undeniably true.
Cheng Tianwei was brimming with confidence. As the helmsman of a conglomerate, he had the power to be Shen Yi’s benefactor—after all, no man who became Cheng Tianwei’s son-in-law could possibly be a worthless fool.
"Others don’t get the chance to choose their own fate..."
Then, his sharp gaze fixed on Shen Yi as he slowly declared:
"But you do."
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
saw a female celebrity tied up and stuffed in the trunk! Little did he know, countless cameras were aimed at him at this moment - this was a new type of reality show. The first randomly selected passerby was caught in less than an hour. But when Xu Moru was selected, things started to take an unexpected turn. "Damn, this isn't how the script goes. This Xu Moru is too bold, he's not following the rules at all." "Crap, is this guy taking it seriously?" "The female celebrity has been scared to tears!"
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
