Chapter 49: Someone, Change My Diaper

Cheng Yao was utterly baffled. Wasn’t Cheng Cheng supposed to be at Jiang Yuexi’s house? How did she end up at Xinjiekou? A surprise? He couldn’t make sense of it, so he snapped a few photos and videos, figuring he could splice them together later and post on Douyin for some attention.

“You seem to have a great relationship with your sister. Is she coming soon?” Lu Mengyao asked.

Cheng Yao nodded lightly. “She’s at Xinjiekou. If she’s coming, then let her come. We can have a meal together, and I’ll talk to her about the piano lessons. My little sister has always been very sensible since she was a child.”

“Mm.”

“Let’s eat…”

They enjoyed their meal, played on their phones, and exchanged light conversation. There was an unspoken understanding between them. Cheng Yao thought that if it weren’t for money, he and Lu Mengyao would never have crossed paths in this life.

Money’s power—it forcibly brought together two people who otherwise had no chance of meeting.

Money’s power—

biubiubiubiu…

It was Cheng Yao’s first time at this restaurant, and the food was genuinely delicious. The clear beef hotpot was full of assorted beef cuts, and the flavor was incredibly fresh—he drank three bowls of the broth. The spicy chicken skewers were fragrant, with a perfect blend of sesame and chili oil, and the variety of dishes was impressive.

Cheng Yao marveled, “With food this good, it’s no wonder the place is packed.”

“Exactly. Just like the lobster place we went to last time. Good flavor brings good business.”

Just as their conversation hit a lively stride, two familiar figures walked in.

“Brother…”

Cheng Cheng waved happily when she saw Cheng Yao, but when her gaze landed on Lu Mengyao, her smile faded, froze, and was replaced by astonishment and fear. She shot a cautious glance at Zhang Ya, who was holding her hand.

Zhang Ya’s expression was impassive—not that she was emotionless, but she simply didn’t show much in public. Yet, her eyes were already asking: who is the girl sitting across from Cheng Yao?

Cheng Yao’s heart skipped a beat, his scalp tingling as he looked at Cheng Cheng.

So much for being “sensible”! This was an absolute disaster!

So this was the big surprise you prepared for me? Thank you so very much!

Noticing Cheng Yao’s expression, Lu Mengyao’s gaze toward Zhang Ya grew wary, and her hand trembled slightly—as if a thief had run into a police officer; or, perhaps more aptly, a mouse caught by a cat.

Without needing an introduction, Lu Mengyao already knew this was Cheng Yao’s girlfriend.

Her first thought: so beautiful! It was rare for her to find another woman this stunning. There was also an indescribable aura about Zhang Ya—a presence that could only be described as the imposing grace of a leading lady.

Cheng Cheng lowered her head, like a quail caught misbehaving. She hadn’t expected Cheng Yao to be with Lu Mengyao—so there really was something off about those two. She only hoped her sister-in-law Zhang Ya wouldn’t get into a fight with Lu Mengyao.

If they teamed up to beat up Cheng Yao, she’d even help.

Cheng Cheng was already pondering how to extricate herself from this mess, feeling extremely guilty.

A monumental social disaster—the battlefield of jealousy, or possibly the scene of a crime…

The surprise had come too suddenly,

The shock, even more so.

Cheng Yao was utterly unprepared, but fortunately, his nerves were strong and he quickly regained his composure.

After everyone played through their internal dramas, Cheng Yao managed to calm himself, put on a surprised smile, and exclaimed, “What brings you here!?”

“Didn’t I tell you last time I’d come find you?” Zhang Ya shot him a glare, her tone annoyed. “If you didn’t want me here, I can just leave.”

“No, no, who said that? You could’ve at least told me in advance. I’d have come to pick you up. Have you eaten?”

“No, I just got here.” Zhang Ya glanced at Lu Mengyao, half smiling, thinking: You’d have had time to pick me up?

“Excuse me, could we push some tables together? This spot is a bit cramped for us,” Cheng Yao quickly changed the subject, calling out to the staff.

The waiter nodded gently. “No problem.”

Two small tables were joined together. Cheng Cheng didn’t dare say a word, her eyes darting between the three, occasionally lowering her head like a child caught in the act.

She’d only wanted to surprise her brother—she hadn’t expected to nearly get him killed!

What to do?

Need answers—urgently!

After accepting the utensils from the waiter and thanking him, Zhang Ya finally turned to Cheng Yao, then to Lu Mengyao. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

Cheng Yao looked at Lu Mengyao, hoping she could withstand the pressure. “This is my girlfriend, Zhang Ya, from the Shanghai Conservatory’s Performance Department.”

“Hello, I’m Lu Mengyao. Pleased to meet you,” Lu Mengyao said politely, extending her hand with a bright, sincere smile, betraying nothing.

Nice!

Cheng Yao mentally gave her a thumbs up—truly a master of social finesse.

He’d been terrified that Lu Mengyao might say the wrong thing.

Someone get me a new diaper!

Thankfully, he’d encountered the best version of Lu Mengyao—she didn’t let him down.

“Hello.” Zhang Ya shook her hand, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.

Lu Mengyao exclaimed, “Your hand is so soft, and your fingers are beautiful! Cheng Yao told me his girlfriend was prettier than me, and I didn’t believe it…”

“Thank you. You’re very pretty, too. Are you also studying music?”

“Yes, I’m a sophomore at Nanyi University. It’s just a second-tier school, nothing compared to your conservatory. I major in violin and guitar, and I can play some piano too. My electives are in basic music theory…”

And just like that, Lu Mengyao and Zhang Ya fell into conversation.

Cheng Yao and Cheng Cheng exchanged glances. Meanwhile, he discreetly deleted their chat history—this account was no longer safe; it was time to get a new one. Of course, knowing Zhang Ya, she’d probably never look through his phone, but better safe than sorry.

In truth, Lu Mengyao was nervous, but she pressed on. As the conversation continued, she realized Zhang Ya was genuinely impressive, especially in her professional knowledge.

After a while, Zhang Ya took a sip of soup and asked, “You found her for the little one?”

“Yes. My roommate started dating a girl from her dorm—she’s from Nanyi, so it was a perfect connection. Hiring her is much cheaper than finding a teacher outside.”

“I see.” Zhang Ya nodded slightly. She’d been skeptical at first, so she probed with some professional questions—and was surprised that Lu Mengyao really knew her stuff.

Still, did you really need to find someone this pretty as a private tutor?

Are you sure this is for the little one, and not to please yourself?

Zhang Ya realized she wasn’t as magnanimous as she thought, especially seeing her boyfriend having a meal with another woman.

Cheng Yao gave a wry smile. “Of course not! Today just happened to work out, so she can start giving lessons to the little one next week, right in time for the National Day break.”

“Ah…” Cheng Cheng protested unwillingly, “Brother, if you and Sister Zhang Ya are going out to have fun, I want to go too. Take me with you! The piano lessons can wait until after the holiday.”

“You just behave yourself at home.”

We’re going out—do you want to be the third wheel?

If you come along,

How am I supposed to have any alone time with Zhang Ya?

“Sister-in-law, you promised to take me with you!” Cheng Cheng looked at Zhang Ya, pouting and aggrieved.

Zhang Ya felt a bit embarrassed and nodded gently. “We’ll take you with us.”

“Hmph.” Cheng Cheng shot a look at Cheng Yao, emboldened by her ally.

Cheng Yao breathed a sigh of relief. Was this what they called a blessing in disguise? A happy accident?

If it weren’t for the piano teacher cover,

There’s no way he could’ve talked his way out of this!

…