Fated Love With the Billionaire
Chapter 40 Don’t Mess It Up

Chapter 40: Chapter 40 Don’t Mess It Up

Chen Ningxi plopped down on Ye Yujun’s back. "Mmm... there’s no one better than Mom in this world."

Ye Yujun chuckled with her eyes downcast. "Let Cheng take a break too, let him come over and try my cooking."

Chen Ningxi’s mind raced. "... He’s busy, on a business trip."

Ye Yujun stared at her. "Did you ask him? How do you know he’s on a business trip?"

Chen Ningxi gave the worst lie of her life. "... I asked. He told me yesterday."

Ye Yujun had raised her daughter for over twenty years, how could she not see through it?

"Call him now."

"..." What for?

Chen Ningxi definitely didn’t want to.

"Go on," Ye Yujun urged her to dial Cheng Qiaobei’s number.

Hearing the busy tone beep by beep, Chen Ningxi prayed endlessly in her heart, hoping Cheng Qiaobei was too busy to answer the call. "See, I told you he’s busy, no time."

Just when Chen Ningxi thought it was about to disconnect automatically, Cheng Qiaobei actually picked up.

"Hello?"

Chen Ningxi’s heart nearly leapt out in exasperation. "Uh, I, are you busy? You’re busy, right? I remember you said yesterday you were busy, right."

This blatant hint, Cheng Qiaobei absolutely understood.

"Tsk," Ye Yujun snatched Chen Ningxi’s phone. "What’s going on."

Cheng Qiaobei had also heard Ye Yujun’s voice and instantly understood Chen Ningxi’s previous hint.

"Cheng, it’s Auntie."

Cheng Qiaobei was about to have a meeting with his supervisors. "Auntie, hold on a second."

He said to the people in the meeting room, "Wei Lai, you lead the meeting first."

After saying that, he pushed the door open and walked out of the meeting room.

Finding a quiet spot in the hallway, Cheng Qiaobei took the call again. "Auntie, please go ahead."

Ye Yujun said, "It’s nothing really, just wanted to ask if you’re off today."

Cheng Qiaobei could have spun a tale according to Chen Ningxi’s plan, but he had his own thoughts.

"I’m off."

Ye Yujun smiled. "Great, why not come over for lunch at our place? I bought a bunch of groceries, and Ning Xi can’t finish it all by herself. If you’re free, come over and try Auntie’s cooking."

A rare opportunity like this, Cheng Qiaobei definitely couldn’t miss.

Cheng Qiaobei checked his watch. "Sure. Auntie, I have a meeting that’s not finished yet, but I can come over at noon, is that okay?"

Ye Yujun smiled slightly. "Working overtime on weekends, so hard-working. That’s fine, Ning Xi and I will wait for you."

"Alright, Auntie, I’ll be there before noon."

"No rush, no rush, drive safely."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Ningxi reached for it, but Ye Yujun put it aside. "Go wash your face, then come help me pick vegetables."

Trying to sneak a text to Cheng Qiaobei was impossible. So Chen Ningxi begrudgingly went to pick vegetables.

The whole morning was spent either picking vegetables, cleaning the house, taking out trash, or doing laundry, busier than at work.

By the time she got her hands on her phone, Cheng Qiaobei was already knocking at the door.

Ye Yujun sent her away again. "You go get the braised beef, and I’ll get the door."

Chen Ningxi rushed into the kitchen, gesturing to Cheng Qiaobei with her eyes as he entered carrying fruit. He pretended not to notice, heading into the kitchen. Finally catching a chance to be alone with him, she was about to whisper when Ye Yujun came in again.

"Ning Xi, let Cheng put that down, let’s eat quickly. He must be hungry."

Chen Ningxi took the bag. "Give it to me, you wash your hands."

Cheng Qiaobei hadn’t exchanged words with her, feeling a bit anxious, unsure of the purpose of this meal.

Glancing towards the bathroom, Chen Ningxi swiftly took out a pack of hand wipes. "There are no hand wipes left, here."

She handed it to Cheng Qiaobei, whispering in his ear, "I feel like my mom might know something. Don’t mess it up later."

Cheng Qiaobei raised an eyebrow slightly. "Got it."

With that in mind, things became easier to handle.

The three of them sat around the dining table. Cheng Qiaobei looked at the spread and praised Ye Yujun’s cooking. Ye Yujun gave a soft smile, "Eat more if you like it, and let’s chat as we eat."

With Chen Ningxi’s reminder, Cheng Qiaobei also noticed something off about her mom. Her gaze lacked the warmth seen in video calls, more of scrutinizing observation.

Cheng Qiaobei picked up a shrimp, peeling it as he spoke. "Ning Xi loves shrimp, every time we dine out, I make sure to order some. I handle the peeling, and she handles the eating."

After saying so, he placed the peeled shrimp on her plate.

Ye Yujun chuckled. "Yes, she’s loved it since she was little."

Seemingly inattentive, Ye Yujun’s side-eye lingered on that peeled shrimp. No matter how close the relationship, if it wasn’t given by someone very familiar, Chen Ningxi wouldn’t eat it.

Casually, Chen Ningxi picked it up, popped it in her mouth, and mumbled while chewing, "Peel me two more."

Ye Yujun paused briefly; even having the shrimp peeled didn’t mean much.

"If you want some, peel it yourself. Cheng just got here, hasn’t even eaten his fill before peeling for you." Ye Yujun advised Cheng Qiaobei, "Cheng, don’t peel for her, focus on your own food."

Cheng Qiaobei continued peeling. "It’s fine, I’m used to it."

As soon as Chen Ningxi’s glass was empty, Cheng Qiaobei wiped his hands clean and got up to refill drinks for both Ye Yujun and Chen Ningxi. Before he could sit back down, Ye Yujun remarked:

"Yesterday, I went to Ning Xi’s grandma’s. Ning Xi was raised by her grandma, and they’re very close. Her grandma was so thrilled to know Ning Xi had a partner that she acted like a child, asking all sorts of questions. She inquired about your background, this, and that. I just shared what I’d gathered last time. Then she asked how you two met, and that stumped me."

No need to elaborate further, her gaze moved between the two, obviously expecting them to answer.

Chen Ningxi replied candidly, "We met through work."

Cheng Qiaobei nodded. "Yes, the hotel in Zhoushan needed some capacity upgrades, and Ning Xi happened to be in charge of approval."

Judging by expressions, Ye Yujun confirmed they weren’t lying.

"Fate, how it just happens, even meeting through work isn’t easy."

Chen Ningxi took a sip of her drink and realized the morning wasn’t about cooking for her; it was probing their relationship.

She set the glass down, jesting, "I hope you didn’t hold a grudge when I rejected the approvals multiple times?"

Cheng Qiaobei replied, "I didn’t."

"Didn’t curse me behind my back?"

"Absolutely not," Cheng Qiaobei thumped his chest in assurance, "It’s just that the designers we hired weren’t very professional. They didn’t understand the local situation, otherwise, it wouldn’t have caused you hassle again and again. But I’m thankful for them. Without them, how would I have met you?"

Chen Ningxi smiled at him. "That’s more like it."

"Did you confirm the relationship first, or get the approval done first?"

Seemingly innocuous, the question veiled an exploration of Cheng Qiaobei’s character.

Confirm the relationship first, then get approval, and there’d be a suspicion of him exploiting Chen Ningxi. But securing approval first, then the relationship—by timeline, when Chen Weichuan proposed introducing He Yunyi, considering Chen Ningxi’s personality, she would’ve declared having a boyfriend already but didn’t.

Chen Ningxi and Cheng Qiaobei exchanged glances. How to respond?