Chapter 261: Taking the Initiative
At this moment, Cheng Lie probably understood what Yun Shifei wanted to ask.
He said seriously, "I remember everything."
"Then when you kissed me on the Ferris wheel earlier, did that kiss mean you like me?" Yun Shifei asked.
"It’s exactly the kind of liking you’re thinking of," Cheng Lie said.
Yun Shifei’s breath hitched—her kind of liking?
Did Cheng Lie even realize what sort of liking she meant in her heart?
Yun Shifei wanted to ask further, but just then, the car stopped, and the driver in front said, "We’ve arrived."
Arriving at her school, Yun Shifei looked at the familiar campus gate and then at Cheng Lie, "I’m here."
"Do you have nothing else to say?" Cheng Lie asked.
She had clearly summoned the courage earlier—he wanted to see what her expression and reaction would be after asking him everything outright.
"Nothing else," Yun Shifei said, the interruption having dispersed her earlier bravery.
"Thanks for today. I’ll head in now."
Cheng Lie watched the girl’s silhouette gradually recede and disappear at the entrance.
The driver had initially intended to drive off immediately, but seeing Cheng Lie’s lingering gaze, he kindly waited until Cheng Lie finally withdrew his sight before starting the car.
While driving, he said, "Young man, I can tell you quite like that little girl. If you like her, go after her. At your age, you should experience the feeling of love a few times."
"You can tell?" Cheng Lie was only puzzled by this statement.
The driver chuckled, "Of course. I could see it from the way you were staring at her when you left. But let this old man offer you some advice: don’t be so cold. That girl doesn’t even realize you like her. If you like someone, you need to show it—to let her see. That’s what real liking is."
Is liking something that needs to be expressed?
Cheng Lie pressed his lips together—this wasn’t his personality.
He had always been the type to quietly act on his feelings rather than openly discussing them.
But thinking about Yun Shifei, who liked him yet didn’t dare to fully like him, it seemed she truly hadn’t realized he liked her.
In truth, he cherished the bond he shared with Yun Shifei, the way they had grown up leaning on one another—a deep, intertwined connection tethering the two of them.
But sometimes, he also resented it. Because of this bond, if he didn’t make it explicitly clear he liked her, she would think the way they interacted was just normal.
If an ordinary boy asked her to call him every day or frequently gave her gifts, she would surely overthink it.
But because it was him, she simply thought everything was normal.
Suddenly, Cheng Lie realized the driver’s advice wasn’t entirely without merit.
Cheng Lie returned to his residence, a high-end apartment in the city center that Qin Chi Jin had specifically arranged for him.
Back in the room, the empty space held only a photo on the corner of the desk—a picture of him and Yun Shifei taken during their trip to the forest park.
At that time, Yun Shifei was far from being as attractive as she was now. Back then, they had both endured mistreatment at home.
Nearby, there was also a notebook Yun Shifei had written in, which Cheng Huai had thrown into the trash, sullying it so badly that it couldn’t be returned to her. He had told her it was lost.
In truth, he had kept it all along.
On the wall hung a painting he had created.
The painting only featured brilliant fireworks, nothing else.
But he knew it captured the fireworks they had set off together during the New Year’s celebrations—transient lights in the sky immortalized on the canvas.
To others, they might just seem like ordinary fireworks, but to him, they were something different.
Thinking about the driver’s words, should he take initiative and break the ambiguous line in their relationship?
It seemed like it might be worth attempting.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Cheng Lie walked out and saw Qin Chi Jin standing at the door.
Qin Chi Jin frowned and looked at Cheng Lie, "Do you realize you’ve gotten yourself into big trouble now?"
"I know."
Looking at the boy’s cold demeanor, Qin Chi Jin wondered if he had spoiled Cheng Lie too much.
"You know, but you’re still not worried? You dislocated his arm and bruised his face. When my big brother comes to me asking about this, what am I supposed to say?"
Seeing Qin Chi Jin’s panicked expression, as if a catastrophe had truly struck, Cheng Lie still replied with his usual indifference, "For Fourth Master, these kinds of things don’t really count as trouble, do they?"
Qin Chi Jin: "..."
"How could it not be troublesome? That’s my big brother’s only son! You turned him into a mess, and it’s only because he’s so prideful that he hasn’t publicized this matter widely. Otherwise, Cheng Lie, you wouldn’t be able to keep your footing in Beijing!"
"If you hadn’t handled it properly, you wouldn’t be here right now," Cheng Lie replied.
His composure stood in sharp contrast to Qin Chi Jin’s agitation.
If Zhao Pan had been present, he would surely marvel at how Fourth Master’s centuries of cultivated patience had been completely dismantled by a mere boy.
Even Qin Chi Jin couldn’t help but marvel at how well Cheng Lie understood him.
If things were truly as disastrous as Qin Chi Jin described, and he hadn’t managed the situation, Cheng Lie wouldn’t have been standing here.
The fact that Cheng Lie was here meant the matter had either already been resolved or it was fundamentally insignificant.
In either case, Cheng Lie couldn’t be intimidated by the situation.
"Fine! You’re right. I’ve handled the matter. But the fact remains—you hurt him. If this blows up, you might end up in jail for a few days. Shouldn’t you at least thank me?"
"All you want is a thank you?" Cheng Lie barely raised his eyelids, still cold. "What are your conditions?"
Sure enough, he understood him.
Qin Chi Jin couldn’t help but feel embarrassed—his earlier theatrics probably seemed utterly foolish in Cheng Lie’s eyes.
"Here’s the deal—in a few days, I have a close friend returning from abroad. You should meet him then and exchange ideas. Maybe you could pick up some things."
Nowadays, overseas industries are highly advanced and sophisticated, but their own side always seems to lack something.
If Cheng Lie could truly design the products he aimed to, then it might be beneficial for him to learn from others.
Otherwise, while his mind was sharp enough to come up with many ingenious technological products, whether they’d be usable was another matter entirely.
But this kid was cold and reclusive, unwilling to interact with anyone.
If Qin Chi Jin had suggested this earlier, Cheng Lie would have certainly refused. But saying it now, Qin Chi Jin felt confident he’d agree.
Sure enough, Cheng Lie responded indifferently, "Okay."
Qin Chi Jin felt like his objective for the day had been achieved, so he prepared to leave.
Cheng Lie added, "By the way, Yu Mo recently targeted Shi Fei’s father. Help me resolve that. I want to use your company’s name to collaborate with her father."
Qin Chi Jin was stunned. "What do you mean?"