The King Meets the King

“Who are you talking about?”

Cheng Jun noticed not only her father's shock but also Sister Nan's surprised gaze.

“Shen Yi, do you know him?”

She hadn’t expected that just casually asking about someone would elicit such strong reactions from both of them.

“Wait a moment.”

Cheng's Father waved his hand, trying to calm himself down before questioning her with a puzzled expression:

“Whether we know him or not is secondary. I want to know how you know him and what your relationship is.”

The questions Cheng Tianwei had in this short moment were more than he had in a whole year.

Cheng Jun furrowed her brows, sensing from her father's emotional changes that there might be more to this story. However, she was determined to find Shen Yi, so she quickly made up a story:

“I met him by chance outside, just an ordinary friend, nothing special.”

She couldn’t elaborate too much; otherwise, her father would be hard to fool.

Fu Nanzhi also seemed a bit restless, her mind filled with doubts.

In her previous life, her husband and Cheng Jun had never met before, only being introduced at the wedding for the first time.

This time, she hadn’t even had a chance to connect with him, yet Cheng Jun was already asking about him.

A new variable had emerged.

Cheng Tianwei pulled out a tissue to wipe his face, his expression skeptical:

“You’re really just friends?”

Then, he tapped the folded drawing paper on the table with a playful tone:

“What kind of friend would need to put up a missing person notice with me?”

Cheng Jun had no choice but to try to cover up her lie with more excuses.

“We parted too quickly last time, and I forgot to exchange contact details. Anyway, can’t you ask Uncle Zhang to help me find him?”

She pleaded with her father again, using her usual tactic that rarely failed.

But this time, Cheng Tianwei refused to fall for it, waving his sleeve dismissively:

“No need to bother Uncle Zhang for such a small matter. That Shen Yi is an employee of our group.”

Then, he narrowed his eyes at Cheng Jun:

“How come you didn’t know that?”

Cheng Jun was suddenly stunned, a lightning bolt of realization striking her mind. Shen Yi had always been an employee of their company.

But why hadn’t he mentioned it during their previous conversations?

Seeing her father’s scrutinizing gaze, she quickly came up with a clever excuse:

“There are many people named Shen Yi, maybe it’s just a coincidence. I’ll check his file at HR later to be sure.”

This was just a pretext. Now that she knew Shen Yi was in the group, she had a thousand ways to find him.

Cheng Tianwei chuckled after hearing this:

“No need for that. We have it right here. Fu Nanzhi, hand the file to your sister.”

“Ah?”

Cheng Jun took the file Fu Nanzhi handed her, her expression bewildered. She felt a strange unease but didn’t notice the unusual look in Fu Nanzhi’s eyes.

There were just too many coincidences today, and it was making her suspicious.

With doubts, Cheng Jun opened the file and confirmed it at first glance.

The photo in the top right corner, though a bit youthful, was unmistakable.

This was the Shen Yi she was looking for!

Joy surged within her. Every second after Shen Yi’s death in the apocalypse had been agony for her, the endless solitude driving her to the brink of madness.

How she wished Shen Yi could speak to her just one more time.

But by then, it was too late to regret.

Now, seeing his information again and knowing he was still alive was the greatest comfort.

Cheng Jun’s expression visibly brightened, her eyes and brows filled with delight, which naturally didn’t escape the others’ notice.

Cheng Tianwei was completely dumbfounded. His daughter’s demeanor was almost identical to Fu Nanzhi’s just a few minutes ago.

If there wasn’t something going on between them, he’d twist his own head off.

He suddenly felt like his entire worldview had been turned upside down.

Who on earth was this Shen Yi? Why had he never heard of him before?

When Fu Nanzhi inquired about him, he could still joke cheerfully, but now that it was his own daughter, he couldn't muster a smile.

Cheng Jun’s daily activities were under his watchful eye, and Fu Nanzhi had only been around for two weeks.

How had this guy managed to connect with both of them?

Even with Cheng Tianwei’s self-proclaimed sharp mind, he couldn’t figure out the reason.

One was his own daughter, the other almost like a foster daughter—neither of whom he could bear to scold harshly.

So, he tried to calm himself down and asked Cheng Jun:

“Is this him?”

“Yes, it’s him.”

Cheng Jun nodded as she flipped through the file, then suddenly asked with confusion:

“Dad, why do you have his file?”

The file was quite detailed. Shen Yi was just an ordinary employee in the Advertising Department, not a department head. How did such a file end up with Cheng Tianwei?

“I asked Cheng’s Father for it.”

Fu Nanzhi broke the silence, her mind also processing various speculations.

Cheng Tianwei sighed:

“What’s going on today? Both of you are asking me to find the same person one after the other.”

“What? Sister Nan is also looking for him?”

Cheng Jun suddenly understood. The strange behavior of her father and Sister Nan finally made sense. The coincidences earlier weren’t really coincidences at all.

The two women on the sofa exchanged a glance, then quickly looked away, each with their own thoughts.

The most troubled of the three was Cheng Tianwei.

Both women had been visibly excited upon receiving the news, and he wasn’t blind.

His forehead was almost creased into a "river" shape as he voiced his biggest doubt:

“Both of you say you’re just friends with this Shen Yi.”

“Then, did your ‘friend’ not tell you that he resigned?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, both women stood up almost simultaneously, exclaiming:

“Resigned?”

“When?”

Cheng Tianwei couldn’t help but close his eyes and lean back, wishing he could faint. He was fuming with frustration toward this Shen Yi, who he had never even met.

Cheng Jun, instead of comforting her father, started to pester him for answers.

Cheng Tianwei replied weakly:

“Yesterday.”

“Yesterday? Where did he go?”

Just as she got some news, he disappeared. Cheng Jun asked instinctively.

Cheng Tianwei’s forehead veins throbbed as he almost laughed in frustration, gritting his teeth:

“This is a company, not a prison. We don’t have a rule to keep track of where people go after they leave.”

“You were supposed to have dinner with Sister Nan, so go already. Stop bothering me here.”

He waved his hand, urging the two women to leave.

“Oh...”

Fu Nanzhi also stood up with Cheng Jun, taking back the file without drawing attention and politely said goodbye:

“Goodbye, Cheng’s Father.”

Cheng Tianwei waved weakly, looking utterly exhausted.

As soon as the two women left, his expression changed, and he immediately called out:

“Little Li, come here.”

“Yes, Cheng’s Father, you called me?”

“Go to the Advertising Department and find out about this Shen Yi. Ask about his performance, character, and how he handles things.”

“Alright, I’ll go now.”

After Little Li left, Cheng Tianwei picked up the folded drawing paper on the table and opened it.

No doubt it was his daughter’s work. It seemed she still hadn’t given up on painting, which made him feel a pang of nostalgia:

“So you say you’re just ordinary friends, yet you’ve already drawn his portrait…”

He looked closely and then pouted:

“He looks quite ordinary, nothing special.”