Fated Love With the Billionaire
Chapter 342 Grateful for the Encounter

Chapter 342: Chapter 342 Grateful for the Encounter

After experiencing the flower basket incident, Cheng Qiaobei wasn’t so foolish as to confront Cheng Xiangheng with the order in hand.

Storming back to the company over a mere flower basket right after leaving—it would be such an immature move.

To the strong, the questioning of the weak is nothing more than a plea for attention.

He had neither the intention to return nor the will to show weakness.

Before the Spring Festival, the company had no business yet, so Cheng Qiaobei didn’t enforce rigid schedules for either of them.

On his way home, Cheng Qiaobei received a call from Ding Yuan.

"Son, have you been busy lately?"

There was little contact between the mother and son unless something came up; when they spoke, it was never without reason.

Cheng Qiaobei asked, "What is it?"

Ding Yuan hesitated. "Son... how have you and Ning Xi been lately?"

This baffling question made Cheng Qiaobei’s brow twitch slightly. "Why are you suddenly asking about this?"

Ding Yuan, having just come out from a beauty treatment, had spent the afternoon in the lounge listening to her friends fret over their problems. One in particular: her son, married for almost three years, yet her daughter-in-law had not become pregnant. Her son, dashing and a senior executive at a private company, looked robust and capable but, after testing, was found to have low fertility due to prolonged high work stress. They tried treatments for over half a year, taking various medications to no avail—lab results were worse than before treatment.

However, they recently visited a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, who showed some improvement through holistic care.

Thinking of her own son, who seemed to fit the profile—a workaholic, chronically overworked—the worry overshadowed her. Though the young couple had been married for a while, her daughter-in-law had not shown any signs of pregnancy. Ding Yuan couldn’t help but start worrying about Cheng Qiaobei too, and she seriously considered persuading him to see the same Chinese doctor.

"Qiaobei, I’ve been feeling under the weather lately. Could you and Ning Xi find some time to come visit me?"

Cheng Qiaobei asked, "What’s wrong with you?"

Chen Ningxi, hearing this, leaned closer just in time to catch Ding Yuan saying, "Heartache, headaches, and stomach aches sometimes too."

For anyone else, it might have sounded convincing, but no one knew Ding Yuan better than Cheng Qiaobei. With her biannual check-ups and health reports routinely sent to him, how could she suddenly have so many issues?

Cheng Qiaobei said, "Quite thorough, this pain of yours."

Chen Ningxi nudged him lightly, signaling him not to say hurtful things.

"Qiaobei, Mom really isn’t feeling well. Could you come this week?" Ding Yuan, trying to up the stakes for persuasion, added, "Remember Xue Jiao, who used to play mahjong with me all the time?"

"..." How could he not?

Ding Yuan won 200,000 yuan off her in one night and bragged to him about her luck.

Cheng Qiaobei: "I remember."

Ding Yuan exaggerated the story to emphasize the gravity of her condition and ensure her son took it more seriously. "Last week, she had a heart attack and got eight stents."

Cheng Qiaobei could hardly stifle his laugh. "Wow... eight stents? That serious?"

Ding Yuan replied with full confidence, "Exactly. At my age, it’s these sudden illnesses you have to fear. When I think about how far away you are, I worry that if something really happened to me, by the time you found out, I’d already be a goner."

Cheng Qiaobei didn’t bother to call her bluff. "Goner is a bit dramatic. At most, you’d just taste a little off."

Ding Yuan yelled into the phone, "Cheng Qiaobei, you little rascal! Who curses their own mother like that?"

Chen Ningxi couldn’t believe him either. Smooth-talking and sweet otherwise, how could he not just say something nice for once?

Cheng Qiaobei said, "Your WiFi router has only six antennas, and she’s got eight stents. Maybe you should invite her over—her signal would probably outrun the router. At least know some basic medical facts: A heart can only hold six stents max."

"..."

A few seconds of silence on the other end of the call.

Ding Yuan’s fiery temper flared up. "Whether it’s six or eight, what’s the big deal? You making a big fuss about this—is this because you’re wishing I’d fall ill?"

Cheng Qiaobei felt this argument was going nowhere. "Who’s wishing you ill? Can’t you at least be reasonable?"

Ding Yuan shot back, "How am I being unreasonable? What did I even say that’s not reasonable? I’m telling you the truth here. Okay, I exaggerated a bit, fine. But she really did get stents. Why are you so fixated on how many? Does it really matter?"

If you’re looking for unreasonable stubbornness, it’s clear who Cheng Qiaobei inherited it from, right?

Just as Cheng Qiaobei was about to dive into a medical lecture about stents, Chen Ningxi quickly interrupted, taking the phone and sweetly addressing her mother-in-law:

"Mom, it’s me, Ning Xi."

The moment Ding Yuan heard Chen Ningxi’s voice, her face transformed into a beaming smile.

"Ning Xi, you’re there too?"

Chen Ningxi said, "Yes, Mom. Qiaobei’s company just started, so he’s been quite busy lately. But we’ve been discussing it, and once things settle down in a few days, we’ll come to see you."

"That’s more like it," Ding Yuan’s smile widened. "You’re always so considerate. Just let me know ahead of time, and I’ll have the housekeeper prepare some dishes."

Chen Ningxi: "All right, Mom. Anything else? Should I hand the phone back to Qiaobei?"

Afraid that her son might change his mind, Ding Yuan quickly said, "No, no—I have nothing to say to him. I’m waiting for you, Ning Xi."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Ningxi saw Cheng Qiaobei let out a long sigh. "Sigh..."

She laughed. "What’s with the face? Don’t look so bitter."

Cheng Qiaobei said, "Can’t you tell she’s lying? Who knows what she’s really up to."

He genuinely didn’t want to go. It would take too long to travel there and back in just a weekend, and he didn’t want Ning Xi to tire herself out on such a long trip.

"Call her tonight and tell her we’re not going."

"Oh, don’t be like that," Chen Ningxi said. "I already said yes to Mom. If we don’t go now, what will she think of me? People might even say I’m the one whispering in your ear to undermine your relationship with her. Don’t ruin my bond with her."

Cheng Qiaobei said, "Going to Ningkou for a day is exhausting, and I’m worried you’ll be too tired for the long trip."

Chen Ningxi looped her arms around his. "Just treat it like a mini vacation."

Unable to resist her soft coaxing, Cheng Qiaobei finally smiled. "Fine. Whatever you say."

Later that evening, while Chen Ningxi was showering, her phone rang on the bed. Seeing that it was Ye Yujun calling, Cheng Qiaobei answered for her.

"Mom, Ning Xi is in the shower. Can I ask her to call you back in a bit?"

"Cheng," Ye Yujun called out to him.

Cheng Qiaobei paused, then said before she could speak, "Mom, thank you for the flower basket today."

Ye Yujun said, "Cheng, why say thank you? You’re my son-in-law, but we see you as our own son. Family doesn’t need to thank each other. If our child is bullied outside, as parents, we will always step forward to protect you. If something like that happens again, don’t just endure it quietly. If you find it inconvenient to confront them, I’ll gladly step into the ring. No one bullies our family and gets away with it—I’ll make sure they know exactly what ’relentless’ means."

"Mom, I..."

"Cheng, you don’t need to say anything—I already know. Just focus on your career—build it into something extraordinary. Make those hiding in the shadows to trip you up remain nothing but gutter rats for the rest of their lives."

He didn’t know what to say; even the words "thank you" felt inadequate.

The overwhelming care he felt from the Chen Family was something he had never experienced growing up—a strength and support that was unwavering yet warm.

Carrying the weight of a bleak past, he had thought he would traverse a barren, desolate path his entire life.

But he hadn’t expected to encounter a sky full of sunshine along the way. He was shaken by their kindness and generosity, profoundly grateful for this unexpected blessing.