Chapter 434: Cheng Yuan, I Miss You!
Wu Renqing was thoroughly humbled—utterly and completely won over. He gave Cheng Yuan a deep bow.
Cheng Yuan quickly helped Wu Renqing up and said gently, "Uncle, I can’t possibly focus all my energy on the Wu Family. I never wanted to be its leader. I nominate you to be the head of the Wu Family. I’m confident that with your abilities, you can lead the family to prosperity!"
Wu Renqing gave a bitter smile. All this time, he had been locked in a battle of wits with Cheng Yuan, only to realize he had just been punching at air.
’That kid Xiaoyuan never even wanted to be the head of the Wu Family!’
’Of course!’
’With Xiaoyuan’s current power, why would he even look twice at a minor family like the Wus?’
’Xiaoyuan’s stage is the entire Dragon Country, and maybe even the whole world!’
Wu Renqing quickly composed himself, thumping his chest in assurance. "Xiaoyuan, go out and chase your dreams without any fear! I’ll hold down the fort for you, so you won’t have a single thing to worry about back here!"
"Uncle, I believe in you. You’re the man of the hour, so please, take the seat of honor."
Wu Renqing, who had now put his own status in the proper perspective, wouldn’t dare take that seat.
"No way! Xiaoyuan, are you trying to insult me? Everything I have is thanks to you! You have to be the one to take the seat of honor!"
The others all chimed in enthusiastically.
"Xiaoyuan deserves the seat of honor!"
"Xiaoyuan, you’re the pillar of our family! It’s only right that you take that seat!"
The old man was the most direct of all. He simply grabbed Cheng Yuan’s arm and pushed him down into the head seat.
The sight made everyone a little dazed, as if they were transported back to the old man’s birthday. Cheng Yuan had given them a huge surprise then, but today’s surprise was even bigger—it had nearly given them a heart attack!
Once everyone was seated, the conversation continued to revolve around Cheng Yuan. Even Cheng Hongbing, who was usually the quiet type, spoke up.
"Xiaoyuan, I always thought you were just relying on your wife, so I never asked about your wedding plans. But now that you’ve made a name for yourself, isn’t it time to get married soon?"
The crowd erupted in agreement.
"That’s right! Xiaoyuan, a bride as wonderful and beautiful as Ruoxi is hard to find. You’d better lock that down!"
"Bro, we can’t wait to get our hands on your wedding candy!"
Cheng Yuan was tempted by the idea as well. He smiled and said, "We can definitely put that on the schedule. However, there’s a bit of a misunderstanding between Ruoxi and the Lin Family. I’ll make a trip to their home to resolve it. After that, I’ll marry Ruoxi and bring her home with all the pomp and circumstance she deserves."
The meal was a joyful and harmonious affair. Once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the group returned to Villa No. 1.
Cheng Yuan was about to go train when his cousin, Liu Qian, stopped him.
Liu Qian looked a little embarrassed as she asked, "Cousin, I need to ask you for a favor."
"What is it?"
Liu Qian sighed. "Cousin, I’m really interested in acting. I took acting classes as electives in college, but since I’m not a formally trained actress, the best I can do is get small extra roles in minor productions. I mostly end up playing corpses."
Cheng Yuan instantly understood what Liu Qian was getting at. However, he felt the entertainment industry was a chaotic mess and was reluctant to let her get involved.
"Qianqian, the entertainment industry is a complicated place. To be honest, with how beautiful you are, I’d rather you didn’t get into it."
"Cousin, with you looking out for me, I’m not afraid of any of that nasty business. Don’t worry, I’ll protect myself and maintain my integrity!"
Cheng Yuan gave Liu Qian a long, deep look. The genes on his mother’s side of the family were excellent. In their youth, Wu Xiuli, Wu Xiuhua, and Wu Xiulan had all been beauties worthy of a 9-out-of-10 score.
Liu Qian was also a bright-eyed beauty with a dazzling smile. With the right makeup, even if she couldn’t compare to Lin Ruoxi, she could easily blow Wang Shanshan out of the water.
"Alright. I’ll ask some friends in the industry later and see if any film crews are looking for people."
Liu Qian was taken aback and quickly waved her hands in protest. "Cousin, I can’t just join a film crew! I still need to work on my acting. I don’t want people to call me a talentless pretty face!"
Cheng Yuan looked at her, confused. "Then what did you need my help with?"
Liu Qian patiently explained, "Well, I need you to pretend to be my guardian and help me file for a leave of absence from school!"
"A leave of absence?"
"Yes, a leave of absence! Penguin Company is holding an acting-themed talent show right now! I want to sign up! Even if I don’t make it to the finals, it’s a chance to systematically work on my acting skills! It’s a rare opportunity for me!"
Liu Qian wasn’t being overly ambitious; she had decided to take things one step at a time. This made Cheng Yuan see her in a new, more impressed light.
"Okay! We’ll do it your way. First, you’ll take a leave of absence and join the talent show to really hone your skills. Afterward, I’ll help you find a production to join, or I’ll just find you a good talent agency."
"Yay! You’re the best, Cousin!"
Liu Qian’s face flushed with excitement. She threw her arms around Cheng Yuan and planted a firm kiss on his cheek.
This made Cheng Yuan feel a bit awkward.
Even though they had often shared a bed as children, they were grown up now!
Liu Qian had blossomed into a graceful young woman, and he was a young man in his prime.
Cheng Yuan cleared his throat. "Ahem, Qianqian, we’re not kids anymore. We have to be mindful of how this looks."
Liu Qian pouted unhappily. "What’s wrong with a little peck on the cheek? You used to cuddle me to sleep when we were kids."
Among all his relatives, Cheng Yuan was closest to his second aunt and had spent his childhood frequently eating over at her house.
He treated Liu Qian practically like a little sister, which meant he was completely powerless against her.
"Qianqian, stop bringing up things from when we were kids! What if your sister-in-law hears? She’ll get jealous."
Liu Qian giggled. "Hahaha, so does that mean I’ve got some blackmail material on you now, Cousin!"
Cheng Yuan’s expression soured. "Just book the tickets. We’re going to the Provincial City first thing tomorrow."
Cheng Yuan went back to his room, quickly washed up, and lay down on his bed.
He grabbed his phone, planning to call Lin Ruoxi and let her know he was heading to the Provincial City tomorrow.
To his surprise, it seemed he and Lin Ruoxi were on the same wavelength. The moment he picked up his phone, a call from her came through.
Cheng Yuan quickly answered. A slightly worried voice came from the other end of the line. "Cheng Yuan, are your wounds any better?"
Cheng Yuan froze.
He subconsciously glanced down at his gunshot wound. It had already faded to the point of being nearly invisible.
’That won’t do.’
Cheng Yuan channeled his True Essence, gently aggravating the scar until it looked a little more frightening. Only then did he nod in satisfaction.
’This is my trump card for getting my wife’s forgiveness. It can’t just disappear this easily!’
"My wounds are much better, Ruoxi. Don’t worry about me."
Lin Ruoxi snorted. "Hmph, so your wounds are better and you still didn’t think to call me? Manwen was right! All men are pigs!"
Cheng Yuan gave a bitter smile. "I swear, I was just about to call you when your call came in!"
"Oh, please. What about yesterday? Or the day before? The truth is, you just don’t think about me!"
Cheng Yuan quickly explained, "I was in the Hundred Thousand Mountains yesterday and the day before. There was no reception."
Lin Ruoxi went silent. After a full ten seconds, she said in a low voice, "Cheng Yuan, I miss you. I’m coming back to Luocheng tomorrow. No, I’m coming back to Luocheng tonight!"