Fated Love With the Billionaire
Chapter 221: The Flowers are in Full Bloom

Chapter 221: Chapter 221: The Flowers are in Full Bloom

The anticipation for having children was there, but for Cheng Qiaobei, now was not the time.

On the surface, he went along with Ye Yujun, but in reality, his actions protected Chen Ningxi.

The cool night breeze by the river was pleasant as it blew.

The two of them sat leisurely on a bench, watching the ferries go by on the river, noticing how Chen Ningxi occasionally crossed her legs alternately.

Cheng Qiaobei asked, "Feet hurt?"

"Yeah. Maybe I’ve walked too much."

Chen Ningxi looked down, staring at her shoes. Ye Yujun had helped clean the dirty soles and even polished her leather shoes.

A mother’s love was in the details of life, as well as in her vision for the future. She understood but did not agree.

Cheng Qiaobei had always been tolerant and caring towards her. Were there things he kept to himself because of love, saying one thing but thinking another?

"Am I too selfish, always thinking about my own feelings, ignoring yours and my parents’ thoughts?"

She suddenly asked. Cheng Qiaobei’s eyes softened, and he gently squeezed her hand, patting it lightly, "What are you worrying about?"

"I’ve always emphasized I don’t want to have kids too early, but I’ve never asked your true thoughts."

Cheng Qiaobei raised an eyebrow, "Did you think I just agreed with you to appease you at that time?"

"Didn’t you?"

"Of course not."

Cheng Qiaobei stared at her for half a second, raised his hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, and said, "If I wanted them, you would have had them long ago. Do you think I’d still be helping you fool Mom now?"

Come to think of it, that seemed to be the case.

Chen Ningxi asked, "So, you also don’t want to rush into having children?"

His tone was relaxed, "Certainly not."

Chen Ningxi looked away, concern still hidden in her eyes, "But on my mom’s side, oh..."

"Don’t sigh, it’s not a big deal." Cheng Qiaobei continued to reassure, "I like to plan my work, but I like surprises in life. Meeting you was unexpected, falling in love with you was destiny, and marrying you was a blessing, so I hope our child will be that surprise.

Don’t worry too much about what Mom says. You just need to be yourself now. I won’t let you lose the right to pursue your dreams and freedom after marriage. Do what you want, achieve your goals. I’ll handle the rest."

Chen Ningxi smiled, and her previously heavy heart lifted instantly.

She felt incredibly lucky to have found a soulmate she could communicate with, a life mentor who could enlighten her.

Cheng Qiaobei said, "That’s better, you look much more beautiful when you smile."

Noticing that she had rushed out in her work shoes from the day, he looked around, saw a row of trunk markets by the roadside, and stood up to say to her, "Wait for me here."

Watching Cheng Qiaobei’s figure, she saw him stop by a small van, crouch down—apparently selecting something—and when he returned, he held a pair of clogs.

He knelt and squatted in front of her, placing a pair of clogs at her feet, "Walking in these will make your feet more comfortable."

Chen Ningxi slipped her feet into the slippers; they were soft underfoot, making it much more comfortable.

"How is it?" Cheng Qiaobei looked up and saw the curve of her smile in her eyes like a crescent moon in the sky.

He loved seeing her smile like that, with a tranquility that made life worthwhile.

Among the pedestrians by the river, there was a couple holding hands—the man tall and handsome, the woman delicate and gentle. They held hands, becoming a symbol of happiness in others’ eyes.

They said dating was the happiest stage for a couple, but Chen Ningxi felt that even after marriage, their relationship remained as sweet as a romance.

Maybe the time hadn’t come yet, but the flowers were in full bloom.

...

The electricity theft inspections were about to conclude with only three villages left, and just as Chen Ningxi packed up and left the office, she saw Liu Shaojun pacing at the door, seemingly waiting for her.

"What’s up?" Chen Ningxi asked.

Seeing a colleague pass by, Liu Shaojun wasn’t in a hurry to speak, "Tian Quan said the engineering truck’s air conditioning is broken. We plan to send it for repairs tonight."

"Oh..." Such a thing could have waited; Chen Ningxi invited him into the office and closed the door, "What’s the matter?"

Liu Shaojun frowned, hesitated, and Chen Ningxi smiled, "There are no outsiders here. What can’t you say?"

Only then did Liu Shaojun speak, "Manager Chen, last night, when Tian Quan and I just arrived at the unit, we ran into Pan Cheng."

"Mm." Chen Ningxi wasn’t too surprised.

Liu Shaojun mistakenly thought Chen Ningxi hadn’t noticed anything wrong with the other party and kindly reminded her, "He asked about you and where we were going to inspect today. He asked too many questions, but Tian Quan and I didn’t say anything. You... you should be careful of him."

Chen Ningxi smiled knowingly. She had trusted Liu Shaojun for his integrity and wasn’t wrong.

She said, "Thank you for the reminder, I’m aware."

Seeing her clear eyes, Liu Shaojun suddenly realized his mistake, feeling embarrassed and unable to say anything for a while.

"This, this situation..."

He talked too much.

"It’s okay, you were looking out for me. I’m grateful to you," Chen Ningxi picked up her bag, "Let’s go, today’s tasks are plenty. The sooner we start, the sooner we can return."

As the engineering vehicle drove out of the unit, Pan Cheng’s car followed at a distance.

He followed for seven or eight kilometers, knowing that the area Chen Ningxi was responsible for wasn’t this one. He accelerated and drove alongside the engineering vehicle, turning his head to find that the person in the passenger seat wasn’t Chen Ningxi but another supervisor, Dai Liang. He also checked the people in the truck; they weren’t Tian Quan and Liu Shaojun either.

Pan Cheng slowed down, realizing they were intentionally avoiding him. Coming up with the idea to switch cars showed her cleverness, only further piquing Pan Cheng’s competitive spirit.

It seemed that winning over Chen Ningxi had become an obsession for Pan Cheng.

That’s just how men were; if you don’t want something given to you, they’ll try to take someone else’s.

In the end, it was just being foolish.

Chen Ningxi thought she had managed to shake off Pan Cheng, but on the last day, she still ran into him.

Having just finished inspecting an electricity-using factory, with Tian Quan off to buy popsicles at the supermarket and Liu Shaojun saying he was going to relieve himself, Chen Ningxi waited under the shade of a tree on the roadside to cool off.

In her peripheral vision, someone approached. Turning around, she saw Pan Cheng handing her a bottle of iced mineral water, "As I passed by, I thought I saw you, and it turns out I was right."

Chen Ningxi’s gaze fell on the mineral water, its surface coated with a cold sheen just taken out of a cooler.

He paid close attention to detail. Any other woman might have been moved by his attention, but Chen Ningxi felt indifferent, even offended.

She sat nonchalantly on a stone by the roadside, ignoring his earlier words and directly refusing, "No thanks, Tian Quan went to buy water."

Pan Cheng knew she wouldn’t take it, so he twisted the cap open and took a large gulp, then said, "I have a parts manufacturing factory in this village. The person in charge said they couldn’t handle it, so I came back."

He meant to say it was a coincidence he wasn’t deliberately following her.

"..." Chen Ningxi’s eyes flickered. "Really? Didn’t notice."

She pulled out the list of enterprises to inspect again, and Pan Cheng craned his neck slightly to glance at the list, "The second-to-last plant is mine."

Chen Ningxi looked closely; the registered legal entity wasn’t him. Then she heard his explanation, "Pan Xiaohui is my nephew. I provided the funds to open the factory, and he’s in charge."

Chen Ningxi closed the registration book, "Regardless of whose factory it is, it will be inspected."

Pan Cheng smiled, "There’s no electricity theft, check as you please."

Checking the time, Chen Ningxi wondered why Tian Quan hadn’t returned yet. She stood, moving a bit further from Pan Cheng, "It’s good if there isn’t."

Pan Cheng said, "Manager Chen, do you think we might have a kind of fate? Danjiang isn’t too big nor too small, yet we keep running into each other."