Fated Love With the Billionaire
Chapter 369 Half True Half False

Chapter 369: Chapter 369 Half True Half False

Deng Yan heard the door closing next door, the corner of his mouth curved slightly, and he immediately received a message from Cheng Qiaobei.

north: Signed.

Deng Yan let out a long sigh of relief. A triumphant start—a good omen.

Cheng Qiaobei then sent Lin Hanrui a message, instructing him to proceed with the plan as usual.

After a busy day, he finally carved out some time for his wife.

Cheng Qiaobei opened Chen Ningxi’s WeChat.

north: Are you asleep?

Chen Ningxi was curled up on the bed, enduring the pain. When she heard the notification on her phone, she picked it up and replied.

Chen Ningxi: Not yet.

Seeing she wasn’t asleep, Cheng Qiaobei initiated a video call.

The screen lit up, but the lighting in the image was dim, her outline barely visible.

Cheng Qiaobei asked, "Did you make the brown sugar water tonight?"

Chen Ningxi was sweating from the pain. "Yes, I did."

"Sigh..." He sighed. "I’m worried, but I can’t be there for you."

Chen Ningxi said, "It’s not that serious. Just focus on your work. Don’t worry about me."

Cheng Qiaobei loosened his collar and sank into the sofa, finally allowing himself to relax.

"How can I not worry? Tell me."

Chen Ningxi smiled weakly, "Tomorrow, I’ll feel much better."

Cheng Qiaobei asked again, "Did you drink the warming soup I had ordered for you during the day?"

Chen Ningxi replied, "I did. You just finished work?"

Cheng Qiaobei confirmed, "Yes. Tomorrow, we can head to the next stop."

Chen Ningxi said feebly, "Sounds like it’s going smoothly."

Seeing she was truly uncomfortable, Cheng Qiaobei said, "When I get back, I’ll take you to the hospital. We can’t let the pain continue like this."

Chen Ningxi said, "What can a doctor do for period pain? They say it stops hurting after having a baby, but who knows if that’s true."

Cheng Qiaobei couldn’t very well suggest, "Let’s test it by having a baby."

He proposed, "Why don’t we see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor?"

At the mention of traditional Chinese medicine, Chen Ningxi remembered the herbs stored in the fridge.

"Your medicinal herbs—since you stopped taking them, what now? Will they still be usable by the time you get back?"

Cheng Qiaobei said, "Probably not, but I’ll find time to visit Ningkou when I return. I’ll see the doctor and get you a prescription while I’m at it."

If Cheng Qiaobei hadn’t tried it himself, he wouldn’t have suggested it to Chen Ningxi.

Chen Ningxi didn’t refuse. "Alright."

What was originally planned as a two-week trip had stretched into a month due to various reasons. Cheng Qiaobei’s itinerary covered more than twenty cities, almost every day filled with meetings with partners and traveling.

Aboard a return flight to Danjiang, Cheng Qiaobei and Deng Yan were still busy. Both opened their laptops, fingers flying across the keyboards the entire way.

It wasn’t until the plane was about to land, when reminded by the flight attendants, that they finally closed their laptops.

During this time, Chen Qian wasn’t having an easy life. Cheng Xiangheng had been constantly asking about Cheng Qiaobei, but not only did Chen Qian have no idea where Cheng Qiaobei was, he didn’t even know what he was doing.

Cheng Xiangheng knew his son. If he vanished from sight, there must be something fishy going on.

It wasn’t until Cheng Qiaobei’s plane landed at the airport that Chen Qian finally got the news.

He excitedly went to Cheng Xiangheng’s office. "Mr. Cheng, we have news about Cheng Qiaobei. He just returned from Shenzhen. His plane landed at the airport ten minutes ago."

Cheng Xiangheng slowly lifted his head. "What was he doing in Shenzhen?"

Chen Qian said, "I’ve already asked some friends in Shenzhen to look into it. I should have news by the afternoon."

"Keep me updated as soon as you hear anything."

"Understood."

Cheng Xiangheng asked again, "What’s the progress on the Qingshan land?"

Chen Qian replied, "It’s already in the contract phase."

"Good," Cheng Xiangheng nodded approvingly. A wave of his hand signaled for him to leave.

Chen Qian exited the office. Once the door closed, he wore a look of smug satisfaction.

He had been working hard to prove himself, striving to surpass Deng Yan in capability.

Since joining the company, he had heard way too many people praise Deng Yan. Even months after Deng Yan’s departure, his name still echoed in conversations.

He knew colleagues often compared him with Deng Yan, but in Chen Qian’s heart, Deng Yan wasn’t even qualified to compete with him.

Just a door away, Cheng Xiangheng furrowed his brows, deep in thought about what exactly Cheng Qiaobei had been up to during his time out of sight.

Although he was his son, the moment he resigned, he had made up his mind to oppose him.

In situations like this, knowing oneself and the other side was critical to ensuring victory.

After pondering for a moment, Cheng Xiangheng took out his phone and called Ding Yuan. Initially assuming the call wouldn’t go through, he was surprised when it did.

"Hello?" Ding Yuan’s voice was cold and detached.

Cheng Xiangheng responded with a gentle chuckle. "It’s been so long. Why so cold, even over a phone call?"

Ding Yuan frowned with annoyance. "What do you want? If it’s nothing, I’m hanging up."

"No rush," Cheng Xiangheng, taking on the role of a caring husband, asked with concern, "It’s March again. Every March, your respiratory issues tend to act up. How’s your health?"

If Ding Yuan didn’t know him so well, she might’ve been moved to tears by his apparent sincerity.

"Hah," Ding Yuan scoffed dryly. "Just say what you really want. Stop pretending—it’s exhausting for you to fake it, and disgusting for me to listen."

"You wound me. I genuinely care about you," Cheng Xiangheng’s eyes flickered with a cunning glint as he asked, "I’m not by your side, but has Qiaobei been visiting you lately?"

If he hadn’t been, then Qiaobei must’ve been busy with something significant, something potentially threatening to Jade Jiali’s industry dominance in the future.

Ding Yuan’s gaze sharpened. So he wasn’t calling to check on her—he was fishing for information about Qiaobei.

"Him? He’s been visiting often lately. If I don’t have a faithful husband, at least I have a filial son, right?"

"Oh? He’s been visiting? Around when?" Cheng Xiangheng pressed.

Ding Yuan, unsure of exact dates and wary of his intentions, deflected skillfully.

"Do I need to report his visit schedule to you?" she snapped back. "Just mind your own business and stop bothering me."

With that, she ended the call.

Hearing the busy tone, Cheng Xiangheng set his phone down, lost in thought.

He analyzed Ding Yuan’s words, trying to discern their truthfulness. From her tone, her answers seemed half-real and half-fabricated.

Ding Yuan called in the housemaid and instructed her, "If anyone asks whether Qiaobei has been visiting, just say he has, and frequently at that. Got it?"

The maid nodded. "Understood."

Ding Yuan then dialed Cheng Qiaobei. "Qiaobei, he contacted me just now."

Though she didn’t specify who, Cheng Qiaobei immediately understood.

"What did he want? Was he prying about me?"

"You hit the nail on the head," Ding Yuan replied. "He asked if you’ve been visiting me recently. I said yes, and often. I’ve told the maid the same—if anyone asks, she’ll say that too."

Cheng Qiaobei said, "Got it."

Ding Yuan then asked, "What have you been so busy with lately?"

Cheng Qiaobei answered, "Work. You know that."

Ding Yuan said, "Is it in competition with his company’s interests?"

Cheng Qiaobei replied, "...In a way. I had my eye on a piece of land, but he bought it."

"Unbelievable," Ding Yuan stood up from the sofa. "Competing with his own son—how shameless!"

It wasn’t that Cheng Qiaobei deliberately wanted to hide things from her. But until some matters were finalized, the fewer people knew, the better the chance of success.

What he was planning to accomplish involved much more than just the Qingshan land.