Fated Love With the Billionaire
Chapter 357: Spilt Water Cannot Be Regathered

Chapter 357: Chapter 357: Spilt Water Cannot Be Regathered

Cheng Qiaobei thought he had seen through the ugliness of human nature, yet he still encountered something completely unexpected.

"Qiao Bei, I heard from your dad that you left the company?" Cheng Jinyuan asked in a casual tone.

Cheng Qiaobei gently sipped his tea, set the cup down, and nodded. "Yes, I resigned."

Cheng Jinyuan pressed further, "When did this happen?"

Cheng Qiaobei replied, "Almost two months ago."

"Such a big decision—why didn’t you tell me?" The moment the words left his mouth, Cheng Jinyuan realized something was off, and he quickly adjusted his approach. "Was your dad being too harsh on you? Fathers disciplining their sons is only natural. If he doesn’t push you hard now, how will you manage a company of that scale in the future? You should understand the burden he bears."

Cheng Qiaobei said, "It has nothing to do with how he disciplines me; it’s about other matters."

"Other matters? Tell me, and I’ll make the decision for you," Cheng Jinyuan said with a look of concern on his face.

Cheng Qiaobei responded, "It’s all in the past since I’ve already resigned."

This sentence made it clear that what’s done cannot be undone.

Cheng Jinyuan remained silent for a moment, poured more tea, and then said, "A son resigning from his father’s company—if word gets out, it won’t sound good. People will wonder what kind of father can’t even keep his own son around. They’ll think the boss isn’t capable of retaining talent."

Cheng Qiaobei gradually picked up on something familiar—the scent of manipulation. Clearly, Old Cheng had set his sights on Cheng Jinyuan and intended to use the bond between grandfather and grandson to coerce him into agreeing to sign the acquisition contract.

Inviting him over under the guise of celebrating the new year—turns out, this was the hidden agenda.

But the old man overlooked one key fact: there wasn’t much emotional connection between the father and son, thus eliminating the potential for moral coercion.

Cheng Qiaobei couldn’t let the conversation follow Cheng Jinyuan’s cues, so he said, "My dad has his own style of doing things. I’ve always been protected under his wing. If I want to grow, I need to leave his protection and create a company wholly my own. I hope you can understand how I feel, Grandpa."

Since Cheng Qiaobei had made his stance so clear, continuing the topic would only seem forced.

Frowning slightly and rubbing his teacup, Cheng Jinyuan said, "You’re right to think this way, but you can’t focus solely on yourself. Have you considered what kind of impact this will have on your father’s reputation in the industry? There are countless competitors hoping for his company to encounter issues. You can’t be the trigger that leads to his downfall."

Cheng Qiaobei paused for a moment and said, "The resignation procedures have already been completed."

Cheng Jinyuan suggested, "How about I talk to your dad to see if you can return?"

Absolutely not!

Cheng Qiaobei shook his head without engaging further.

Cheng Jinyuan offered him a cigarette, lit one for himself, and through the haze of smoke, glanced at his grandson’s aging face.

Even then, Cheng Jinyuan hadn’t given up. He tried negotiating, "Your dad is just acting out of anger. If you nod your head, leave the rest to me. Let me take care of things so that you two can reconcile."

Meanwhile, Chen Ningxi was calmly nibbling on fruits and snacks, occasionally chiming in on the conversation.

Zhou Qiaoxin had been glancing at the clock repeatedly. Seeing that the two had been inside for over half an hour without any signs of progress, her impatience grew. She quickly sent a message to Cheng Pengxiao, urging him to come home immediately.

Zhou Qiaoxin was deeply concerned that the old man might be foolish enough to hand over all the land and property to Cheng Qiaobei.

Cheng Qiaobei said, "Grandpa, even if I wanted to return, the position at the company is already gone. No one stays in one place waiting for long."

Seeing Cheng Qiaobei’s resolute attitude, Cheng Jinyuan replied, "Don’t worry about others. As long as you say the word, you can go back to your original position, with every benefit intact—salary, vacation, you name it."

Cheng Qiaobei smirked lightly and said, "But my company has already been registered and is starting trial operations. If I withdraw now, what happens to my employees? They need this job to support their families. Grandpa, I know you’re looking out for me, but under these circumstances, there’s truly no turning back."

Though Cheng Jinyuan had tried his hardest, it was evident from Cheng Qiaobei’s current stance that returning to the company was out of the question.

"Qiao Bei, if you don’t want to go back, perhaps we can come up with a compromise," Cheng Jinyuan said. "You can gain experience and achieve your dreams while still preserving your father’s reputation."

Cheng Qiaobei had been waiting for this moment, replying, "The company just started—it would be bad luck to sell it now."

No matter how much effort Cheng Jinyuan put into mending the father-son relationship, Cheng Qiaobei continued to evade the topic.

After some thought, Cheng Jinyuan said, "Fine, let’s not discuss this further—give it some time to sink in." Changing the subject, he began talking about the ancestral estate.

Zhou Qiaoxin couldn’t wait any longer. She approached the door, pressed her ear against it, but couldn’t distinguish much. However, she faintly heard two words: ancestral estate.

Her heart skipped. Would the villa really be handed over to Cheng Qiaobei? That land was supposed to be theirs.

Zhou Qiaoxin turned around and said to Zheng Rongxi, "These two have been in there for so long—you’re not the least bit curious about what they’re discussing?"

Zheng Rongxi couldn’t care less about this particular plot of land; she was more interested in seeing Cheng Qiaobei fail miserably in business—ideally, to lose all his investments and go bankrupt.

She couldn’t stand seeing Cheng Qiaobei succeed, especially not independently. Compared to him, her own daughter seemed so ordinary and narrow-minded.

Zheng Rongxi said, "Not curious. And you’d better stop standing there. If the old man catches you eavesdropping, you’ll surely get scolded again."

Zhou Qiaoxin said, "If I were scared, I wouldn’t be standing here in the first place."

Chen Ningxi observed that Zhou Qiaoxin wasn’t someone to be underestimated—she even dared to talk back to Zheng Rongxi.

Until Cheng Xiangheng spoke up, breaking the silent confrontation between the two women.

"Second daughter-in-law, stop standing there," Cheng Xiangheng frowned, his tone revealing slight annoyance. "If Dad sees you, you’ll really get an earful."

Zhou Qiaoxin returned to the sofa, her gaze unintentionally sweeping across Chen Ningxi, as though she had just discovered a more intriguing topic, and asked, "Ning Xi, why haven’t the two of you had kids yet?"

Chen Ningxi chuckled. "We’re not in a hurry—career first. We’re still young."

Zhou Qiaoxin said eagerly, "It’s best to have kids while you’re young. Better for the child, and better for your recovery."

Chen Ningxi merely smiled and didn’t engage further.

Despite being preoccupied with the situation inside the room, Zhou Qiaoxin sent another message to Cheng Pengxiao.

Zhou Qiaoxin: Hurry back—if you don’t, the family property will all end up in Qiao Bei’s hands.

After putting down her phone, she asked again, "So, what kind of work do you do at your office?"

Chen Ningxi briefly described some of her job responsibilities, though it was clear Zhou Qiaoxin didn’t quite grasp them. Her attention was always on profits.

"With such authority, I bet a lot of people want favors from you, right? You probably make a good sum in a year."

Chen Ningxi saw her gesture with her fingers, mimicking a money-counting motion.

Chen Ningxi shook her head. "Not at all."

"Impossible," Zhou Qiaoxin replied skeptically. "What leader doesn’t have a little something extra on the side?"

Chen Ningxi’s expression grew cold, though she maintained her politeness, mindful that she was dealing with Cheng Qiaobei’s elders.

"We really don’t. The office has strict rules—no one is allowed to accept money or gifts."

Zhou Qiaoxin pursed her lips. "That’s all just for show—why wouldn’t you be honest with family?"