"You!" Wang Ning pointed at Zhao Baishu.
She used to think Zhao Baishu was refined and the kind of man she could entrust her life to. Never did she imagine he would even covet their own daughter's money.
"I truly misjudged you." Wang Ning was absolutely furious with him.
"Then who do you plan to borrow money from?" Zhao Baishu laughed in exasperation.
This woman had truly reached new heights of unreasonableness.
Four or five million—was that a trivial amount? It was Zhao Qinghan who caused the trouble in the first place. What’s wrong with making her pay for it herself?
"From…" Wang Ning was at a loss for words.
She really didn’t have anyone to borrow from. Those wealthy ladies she met at social events certainly had money, but none would lend her four or five million.
"There’s another way." Wang Ning suddenly lifted her head.
"Ji Cheng is old enough now. If nothing else, we can arrange a match for her. Even if marriage isn’t possible right away, an engagement would do. You know plenty of people—finding her a wealthy match shouldn’t be hard."
Zhao Baishu scoffed.
"Ever since Qinghan got into trouble, you’ve lost your mind. When you sent Ji Cheng away back then, what did you say? Have you forgotten? My father never liked her—after all, she’s not my flesh and blood—but I still promised to cover her living expenses. And what did you do? I told you to send her money, but you didn’t give her a single cent. Now you’re thinking of selling her off? Do you really think she’d agree?"
Wang Ning lowered her eyes and muttered, "What does she need so much money for? Four or five thousand a month is enough to buy me a coat."
"I don’t care what you do. But I heard Ji Cheng got into some trouble too. Think about how you’ll explain that to your daughter. I’m going to Yuecheng for a while."
Wang Ning was determined to find Ji Cheng a rich son-in-law.
Ji Cheng was quite pretty, graduated from a prestigious university, and majored in one of their top programs. She wouldn’t be out of place among those young heirs.
"Miss, is this your classmate?" Auntie Zhang carried a thermos of chicken congee and some fruit, looking at Ji Cheng, who sat on the hospital bed with a pale complexion.
"Yeah, she’s my friend."
Friend?
Ji Cheng couldn’t help glancing at Xiaowei a couple more times. For some reason, hearing that term made her feel a little strange.
But what else could they be?
"Hello, Auntie Zhang." Ji Cheng offered a faint smile.
Auntie Zhang smiled back. "Just call me Auntie Zhang. I made you some chicken congee and steamed an egg. I didn’t prepare any heavy dishes since your condition calls for something light. In a few days, if there’s anything you’d like, I’ll cook it for you."
She opened the thermos, took out a spoon, and placed it on the bedside table.
"Can you manage? Do you need me to feed you?" Ming Xiaowei eyed Ji Cheng’s head, wrapped in layers of white bandages like a snowball, and couldn’t help but worry.
Ji Cheng glanced at her briefly before declining the offer.
"No, thanks."
"Aw." Ming Xiaowei puffed out her cheeks.
Feeding Chengzi sounded like fun.
But Chengzi said no.
At this rate, when would Chengzi ever get to eat meat again? Wait—no, when would she get to eat a proper meat dish again?
Auntie Zhang’s cooking was top-notch. Ji Cheng hadn’t expected to finish both bowls of chicken congee.
"Thank you, Auntie Zhang. The congee was delicious."
Auntie Zhang’s eyes crinkled with warmth. "I’m glad you liked it. You know, cooking is my greatest joy in life. Next time, just tell me what you’d like. When the young miss is in class, I can come keep you company. I’m usually just cleaning around the villa anyway."
Ji Cheng’s cheeks flushed slightly, even the tips of her ears turning pink. She hadn’t expected to find the warmth she’d been missing in Xiaowei and Auntie Zhang.
"Thank you, Auntie Zhang."
"Don’t mention it. I’m already cooking for the young miss—making an extra bowl of congee is nothing." The more Auntie Zhang looked at this girl, the more she liked her.
In all her years serving the young miss, this was the first time she’d seen her make such a well-mannered and considerate friend.
The classmates she’d brought home before always had sticky fingers, eyeing things they could take from the villa. They were sly, and Auntie Zhang didn’t care for them—but she never brought it up with the young miss.
"Alright." Ji Cheng’s eyes curved into crescents.
Was it Ming Xiaowei’s imagination, or was Ji Cheng smiling more these days?
"Auntie Zhang, I won’t be going back tonight," Ming Xiaowei suddenly announced.
"Huh?" Auntie Zhang blinked in surprise.
"But, Miss…" She glanced around, spotting only a small sofa.
Sleeping on the sofa?
Auntie Zhang was stunned. The young miss was notoriously picky about where she slept—her bed at home was custom-made. And now she was willing to sleep on a hospital sofa?
For a moment, Auntie Zhang wondered if she’d mistaken her for someone else.
"You should go back. I’ll be fine alone. Besides, nighttime is just for sleeping—nothing will happen." Ji Cheng hadn’t expected Ming Xiaowei to sacrifice her comfort like this. Her heart fluttered faintly.
This… wasn’t like Xiaowei at all.
And thanks to Ming Xiaowei’s connections, Ji Cheng had been placed in a luxurious private ward, complete with dedicated nurses and top-tier medical care—nothing but the best.
"That’s right, Miss. Sleeping on the sofa is bad for your back."
If it were a large sofa, fine—but this one was tiny. The young miss wasn’t a child anymore. One wrong turn, and she’d roll right off.
Ming Xiaowei gave Ji Cheng a reluctant look.
"Be good. Don’t fuss."
Auntie Zhang nearly froze at those words. That tone—it was something you’d use to coax a child. The young miss hated being talked to like that.
"Fine."
Huh? She actually agreed?
Seemed this girl held a special place in the young miss’s heart.
"Then I’ll go back later. For dinner, I’ll have to trouble you again, Auntie Zhang. I’ll call Master Wang and have him arrange your transportation from now on."
Ming Xiaowei walked Auntie Zhang to the door. Seeing the young miss acting more mature than usual filled Auntie Zhang’s heart with warmth.
"Alright. Take care of yourself, Miss. I bought plenty of fruit—don’t go hungry."
Just as Auntie Zhang was about to leave, Ming Xiaowei called out to her.
"Wait, Auntie Zhang. I remember there are three rooms on the second floor, right? Prepare the master and secondary bedrooms. Oh, and the study too—if anything’s missing, get it furnished. My friend’s going through some family issues. After she’s discharged, I’d like her to stay with us to recuperate."
"Understood, Miss. I’ll have everything ready." Auntie Zhang nodded quickly.
Once Auntie Zhang was gone, Ming Xiaowei returned to the room. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Ji Cheng on the third floor—it was just that Ming Tianxing had designed it exclusively for her, with no suitable space for a patient to recover.
Humming a tune, Ming Xiaowei walked back to the bed—only to find Ji Cheng already fast asleep.
"Wow, that bandaged head is really not doing her any favors," Ming Xiaowei mused aloud.
Si: "…"
"But her face is still pretty cute." Ming Xiaowei grinned.
"Shallow," Si muttered.
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