The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 544 - 543: The Middle-Aged Man’s Pride

Chapter 544: Chapter 543: The Middle-Aged Man’s Pride

After checking his watch for the Nth time, Zhao Dafa couldn’t help but urge the taxi driver, "Master, can you go faster, I’m in a hurry."

"The road ahead is blocked, I can’t fly over it," the driver replied with a grievance.

Zhao Dafa looked around and realized there was no alternative route, so he simply paid the fare and got out of the car.

As more than half an hour had passed since the time to make the call, and Zhao Dafa hadn’t arrived, Shen Hongmei grew increasingly anxious.

Was he delayed on the road, or did he no longer want to come?

She didn’t have the courage to call and ask, so she quietly set a time limit in her heart.

At most another fifteen minutes, no, twenty minutes, forget it, half an hour then.

If he didn’t show up after another half hour, she would leave...

"Hongmei!"

The familiar voice interrupted Shen Hongmei’s thoughts.

When she looked up and saw Zhao Dafa ten meters away, her heartbeat suddenly quickened.

"Brother Zhao," she subconsciously stood up, her cheeks flushing with a hint of red.

It was only when Zhao Dafa came closer that she noticed he was panting and sweating on his forehead, as if he had run over.

She looked around instinctively and didn’t see Zhao Dafa’s car.

Could he really have run over?

As she wondered, Zhao Dafa approached her, and the smell of alcohol wafted into her nostrils.

She suddenly realized something, "Brother Zhao, are you busy right now?"

Zhao Dafa invited her to sit down with a smile while he also took a seat, offhandedly saying, "Not busy, I was eating with some old friends when you paged me. Fearing you had an emergency, I came over first."

Shen Hongmei had always disliked causing trouble for others.

Zhao Dafa’s words left her feeling uneasy, but at the same time, a sense of indescribable touched and sweetness flooded her heart.

Which woman doesn’t enjoy being cherished by someone else?

After sitting down, neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere grew silent.

Shen Hongmei was unsure of how to start the conversation, while Zhao Dafa was trying to catch his breath in secret.

From the taxi to this place, he had run the entire distance of two kilometers.

For him, who had led a pampered life for many years, it was indeed exhausting.

Yet he didn’t want Shen Hongmei to see that, to make it seem like he was a weak man who couldn’t handle this.

The pride of a middle-aged man is fierce.

"Hongmei..."

"Brother Zhao..."

After a brief silence, both of them spoke at nearly the same time, leading to an awkward moment.

"You’re younger, you go first."

Zhao Dafa, after all, was an old hand in the business world and effortlessly dissolved the awkwardness.

Shen Hongmei nervously adjusted her hair, "It’s just that, I have some things I want to make clear to you first. I had a partner before..."

Shen Hongmei took about ten minutes to tell him all about her past with Ma Chao.

It wasn’t so much a telling as it was a confession.

And Zhao Dafa was undoubtedly a qualified listener, silent and attentive throughout.

After finishing, Shen Hongmei felt a sense of relief from inside out.

The heavy burden that had been weighing on her heart for days seemed to dissipate all at once.

"Hongmei, I really didn’t expect you to have such a past. You always look happy and don’t seem like someone who has suffered," Zhao Dafa said.

Shen Hongmei looked up at the half-moon in the sky, her gaze exuding determination and strength, "It was Mingzhu who led me out of those dark times. She told me that one must look ahead and keep moving forward."

"She said life is long and includes both straight paths and bends, smooth roads and rough terrains, one moment you’re in the dark and the next in the light, and one moment you’re facing mountains and waters. Don’t look back, just keep going forward," Shen Hongmei shared.

Zhao Dafa, though uneducated, had great respect for the educated.

Especially these words, which made him hold Shen Mingzhu in even higher regard.

That was also why he was willing to form ties with the Pei Family in the first place.

Even before Shen Mingzhu started her business, he had sensed that she was no ordinary woman, probably a businessman’s innate intuition.

"Hongmei, you’re willing to share your past with me, which shows your trust in me. To be honest, I feel sorry for you, but I’m also incredibly glad," Zhao Dafa said.

Shen Hongmei turned to him, only to hear Zhao Dafa continue, "I have to thank that poor fool who didn’t know your worth and missed out on a good girl like you, giving me a chance."

These words, though teasing, also contained a hidden confession that successfully made Shen Hongmei’s face turn beet red.

Zhao Dafa looked at her, his gaze tender, "Hongmei, you called me over, so you must have made up your mind, right? Go ahead, it’s okay. Whatever decision you make, I’ll respect it."

Shen Hongmei took a deep breath to steel herself and pulled out her pager from her bag.

Under Zhao Dafa’s gaze, her face flushed as she whispered, "I think this one looks pretty nice."

Zhao Dafa felt a surge of joy but tried hard to suppress the smile at the corner of his mouth and pretended to be calm as he said, "As long as you like it."

Shen Hongmei couldn’t help but turn her head to look at him.

The other party was looking at her too.

Their eyes met, and then quickly parted.

A sweet fragrance of osmanthus drifted in with the night breeze, making the air feel more enchanting.

"Gurgle—"

"You haven’t eaten yet?"

"Yeah."

Shen Hongmei appeared composed, but her toes embarrassedly nearly dug out a three-room flat, wishing she could rip out her stomach and throw it away.

So embarrassing.

Noticing her discomfort, Zhao Dafa held back his laughter. "Let’s go, we’ll find somewhere to eat."

Shen Hongmei nodded.

As she got up, Zhao Dafa staggered, and Shen Hongmei instinctively reached out to support him.

"Brother Zhao, are you okay?"

Zhao Dafa took the opportunity to grab her arm to steady himself and smiled, "I drank a few too many at the dinner, now the alcohol is hitting me, feeling a bit dizzy."

"Then you should go home to rest, and I’ll eat back at the dorm."

"I’m fine, just need to eat something to soak up the booze, only my head is a bit dizzy."

Hearing him say that, Shen Hongmei hesitated, "Should I help you walk?"

"Okay, sorry to trouble you."

"No problem."

The two of them slowly moved forward, supporting each other.

Out of Shen Hongmei’s sight, Zhao Dafa’s face broke into a sly fox-like smile.

...

By the time Zhao Dafa got home, it was already half-past ten.

Zhao Yun and Ge You lay sprawled on the living room couch watching TV. Seeing him return, they quickly made him a cup of honey water.

"Mr. Zhao, please have some water."

Zhao Dafa gratefully took the water and guzzled half the cup before glancing at him sideways, "Why are you not asleep so late?"

"I need to pay the materials fee tomorrow, one hundred."

In truth, it was twenty, but Zhao Yun deliberately inflated the amount by five times, knowing Zhao Dafa would never check with the school teachers.

"Here."

Seeing the banknote Zhao Dafa handed over, Zhao Yun was briefly stunned, then he pocketed it quickly.

"Mr. Zhao, how much did you drink tonight?"

He seriously suspected his dad was drunk; otherwise, why would he casually toss him five hundred yuan?

How could Zhao Dafa not see through his son’s thoughts, did he really think he was so drunk he couldn’t count money?

"If I give it to you, then spend it; don’t ask so much."

Zhao Yun realized, Mr. Zhao was in a good mood tonight.

Whenever Zhao Dafa was in a good mood, he would give him pocket money.

The amount of pocket money depended on how good Zhao Dafa’s mood was.

So far, this was the most he had ever given.

Opportunities like this come once in a blue moon.

Zhao Yun rubbed his hands together, "Mr. Zhao, why don’t you buy me a car?"

Zhao Dafa squinted at him, "Didn’t you just get one? Another one? Can you ride them both at once?"

"I’m not talking about a motorbike, but a car with four wheels."

"You can drive mine."

"Really?"

"Fat chance!"

Zhao Dafa got up and kicked him, then headed upstairs humming an off-tune melody, ready to rest.

Zhao Yun watched his father’s retreating figure, puzzled: Did the old man strike it rich today? He’s too cheerful.