Chapter 3: I’m Worth More Than Any Diamond Ring
After the unbearably awkward conversation finally ended, it was Meng Chu who managed to calm down first.
Tonight, she had been acting completely unlike herself.
After all, she had spent years navigating the professional world it wasn’t like Cheng Jinyu’s sudden appearance should have rattled her so badly.
After a brief moment of reflection, she concluded that the tension stemmed from the imbalance in their relationship.
They were, in a way, the most intimate strangers.
Strangers because, strictly speaking, they had only met a handful of times before.
Yet intimate because their names were already printed side by side on the same marriage certificate.
A real, newlywed couple.
If Cheng Jinyu had appeared before her today as an investor, Meng Chu was confident she could have handled the situation with effortless ease, her words and actions flawlessly composed.
But no-he had shown up as her husband, whom she hadn’t seen in three months.
This was a first for her, and she couldn’t help but feel flustered.
It was like how a programmer’s worst fear wasn’t bugs in the code.
It was knowing there was a bug but being unable to locate it.
For someone like Meng Chu, who could pinpoint the root of the problem, the solution was straightforward.
“Are you in a hurry?” she suddenly asked, breaking the silence.
Cheng Jinyu didn’t understand the question, but after studying her expression, he replied, “I have no other plans tonight.”
Which was essentially saying:
-My entire evening is yours.
This time, Meng Chu once again sensed the subtle undertone in his words, but she felt much calmer than before.
Maybe this was just how Cheng Jinyu spoke?
It wasn’t specifically directed at her.
After all, in her mind, this man was only slightly more familiar than a stranger.
And she suspected he felt the same.
In this marriage of convenience, they had an unspoken understanding—neither would intrude too deeply into the other’s life.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have gone three months without seeing each other.
Meng Chu gave a quiet “Oh,” then said calmly, “Then wait a moment. I need to fix this kettle.”
With that, she walked into the kitchen, emptied the kettle, and wiped it dry with a paper towel before bringing it to the workbench in the living room.
She flipped the base upward and examined the screws.
“Torx screws.”
Just as she was about to stand and retrieve the Torx screwdriver from the pegboard, the man sitting on the sofa behind her rose to his feet.
“Need help?”
Meng Chu stood as she answered, “No, it’s a simple fix.”
She wasn’t exaggerating-repairing an electric kettle was child’s play for her.
Once she had the screwdriver, she swiftly disassembled the base and began inspecting the internal components.
As she worked, she sensed the man moving closer.
Though her eyes remained fixed on the kettle’s interior, her peripheral vision caught his presence.
The sheer size of him carried an almost tangible sense of pressure.
Even the shadow he cast under the light was vast, nearly engulfing her entirely.
Meng Chu wasn’t unused to being watched while repairing machinery.
Back in university, when she had teamed up with Gu Ting and others for competitions, they had often huddled even closer while troubleshooting.
But she was certain that back then, her focus had been absolute-she had never felt the slightest bit of unease.
This time, she once again attributed the strange stirring in her heart to the sense of dislocation caused by their imbalanced relationship.
Perhaps because she was doing something she excelled at, Meng Chu quickly became immersed in it.
When an electric kettle’s light fails to turn on, it’s usually due to poor contact.
Meng Chu didn’t even need to search for a tutorial.
She flipped the device over and realized she needed a flathead screwdriver.
As she slid her chair back slightly, the person standing beside her seemed to have anticipated her move.
“Need something?”
Hearing the voice, Meng Chu instinctively turned her head.
Their gazes collided again. Cheng Jinyu’s eyes were indeed somewhat cold, yet they seemed to naturally possess a hook that could draw people in when meeting his gaze.
After a brief moment of daze, she replied, “A flathead screwdriver.”
Cheng Jinyu looked up to search the pegboard.
Seated on her chair, Meng Chu reminded him, “Second from the left in that row of screwdrivers.”
She spoke clearly, and Cheng Jinyu reached out directly to retrieve the flathead screwdriver, handing it to her.
As Meng Chu took it, her gaze naturally fell on his hand.
It had to be said that exceptionally handsome people seemed to possess an innate talent-every part of their body appeared to be top-tier.
Like the hand Cheng Jinyu was extending now: long, slender fingers that appeared particularly striking due to their clearly defined joints, exuding an unusual tension.
The metal watch face on his wrist looked both understated and luxurious against his cool-toned skin.
When passing the screwdriver, Meng Chu’s fingers accidentally brushed against the back of his hand.
It was unexpectedly warm.
Perhaps because his usual cold demeanor was so pronounced that Meng Chu was momentarily surprised by the warmth of his skin.
“Wrong one?”
Cheng Jinyu spoke again, noticing her hesitation.
Meng Chu quickly took it: “This is the one.”
Then she lowered her head again to continue repairing the kettle.
Cheng Jinyu stood nearby, watching with lowered eyes as she focused on fixing the kettle.
Her slender fingers wielded the flathead screwdriver with ease and precision, deftly prying two thin wires from their slots.
As she tilted her head to examine the kettle’s internal structure, a strand of hair that had been neatly tucked behind her ear quietly slipped free.
The soft, jet-black hair fell against her fair cheek, lightly brushing her skin like a tickle.
Yet Meng Chu remained unfazed, her attention still fixed on the electric kettle.
It took Cheng Jinyu a long moment before he slowly averted his gaze.
Meng Chu had always been highly capable with her hands, working with remarkable efficiency.
In just a few moves, she had it fixed.
She then plugged the kettle into the power strip in front of her to test it, and sure enough, the previously unlit indicator light came on.
“All done,” Meng Chu said lightly.
Naturally noticing the kettle’s light turning on, Cheng Jinyu politely remarked, “You’re quite skilled.”
Meng Chu didn’t think much of it, offering a faint smile: “It’s nothing special.”
When Meng Chu went to the kitchen to refill the kettle with water, the quiet room soon filled with the gentle hum of boiling water.
Looking at the man who had returned to the sofa, Meng Chu reflected on how someone as busy as him had actually spent time watching her repair a kettle tonight.
To avoid an awkward silence, she initiated conversation: “From an economic standpoint, you probably think I should just buy a new kettle, right?”
Perhaps tonight he had already done too many things he normally wouldn’t.
So when faced with such an almost trivial question, Cheng Jinyu lazily raised an eyebrow and leisurely replied, “From a time-efficiency perspective, you fixing a kettle is clearly much faster than buying a new one.”
Was that praise for her kettle-repairing speed?
“If any small appliances in your home break down, feel free to ask me.”
Sure enough, Cheng Jinyu’s lips twitched, clearly not expecting such enthusiasm from her.
“I hope I get that opportunity.”
People tend to stumble when they get too carried away.
After speaking, Meng Chu didn’t even know why she’d volunteered for this task.
*
When the kettle boiled and the automatic shut-off clicked, Meng Chu secretly sighed in relief.
Only then did she realize she truly had no talent for awkward small talk.
People really shouldn’t push themselves in areas they’re not good at-it’s too easy to fail spectacularly.
She quickly found two clean cups and poured the hot water, then carried them to the coffee table in front of the sofa, reminding him, “Wait a bit before drinking-it’s still too hot.”
Having watched her pour boiling water into the cups, Cheng Jinyu naturally wasn’t foolish enough to drink immediately.
As Meng Chu sat on the sofa, she realized she’d been busy all this time-fixing the kettle, boiling water-yet Cheng Jinyu still hadn’t stated his purpose for visiting tonight.
When she glanced over, he was checking his phone, seemingly replying to messages.
Leaning back on the sofa with his long legs slightly apart, he exuded a casual laziness completely different from the formal, upright posture she’d seen in his office photos today.
Surely he hadn’t come just to see his new wife?
Meng Chu wasn’t that conceited.
Only after he finished replying and pocketed his phone did she finally ask, “Was there something you needed tonight?”
At her question, he turned to look at her.
The hooks hidden in his dark, gleaming pupils had transformed into a dazzling light that made Meng Chu’s mind go blank again.
She realized she’d been spacing out far too often tonight.
But Cheng Jinyu was already reaching for his suit jacket draped over the sofa arm.
From its pocket, he produced a small leather box that looked tiny in his hand.
Yet when he took it out, Meng Chu’s breath caught.
Though she’d never received one, she certainly recognized it—this was undoubtedly a ring box.
Yet Cheng Jinyu remained silent, and Meng Chu didn’t move.
Finally he spoke again in that unflappably cool tone, as if discussing something unimportant:
“Everything was too rushed before. Consider this making up for what we missed.”
They say love requires impulse, marriage requires caution.
She and Cheng Jinyu were the opposite-they’d married so impulsively they hadn’t even gotten rings.
Though remembering the book-thick marriage agreement stored in her study, perhaps that wasn’t entirely accurate.
They’d been both impulsive and cautious-impulsive enough to marry immediately, yet cautious enough to create an agreement thicker than most novels.
While Meng Chu’s thoughts were still lingering on the prenuptial agreement, the ring box held by Cheng Jinyu suddenly opened-splitting horizontally from the center to reveal its contents.
The moment it opened, the diamond ring resting on the deep blue velvet lining caught Meng Chu’s eye.
Her breath hitched again.
This time, it was from sheer shock.
Big.
So big.
Really…big.
The ring had no intricate designs—even the band was plain platinum, devoid of any accent diamonds.
All its simplicity seemed to serve one purpose: to emphasize the sheer size of the center stone.
Meng Chu wasn’t well-versed in jewelry, but the carat weight of this diamond clearly surpassed any ring she’d ever seen before.
Seven carats? Eight? Or even larger?
As if sensing her silent curiosity, Cheng Jinyu spoke.
“The carat count matches…. Her birthday? Wait- Her birthday!!!! your birthday.”
Meng Chu’s eyes widened again, her breathing growing heavier, almost as if she wanted to gasp.
Because her birthday was in December.
What did that mean?
The legendary… Miracle of December?!?!
This was a twelve-carat diamond ring.
“This is too extravagant,” Meng Chu said honestly, still reeling from the shock.
“I don’t think I should accept it.”
After all, their relationship hadn’t reached that level yet.
Though she didn’t know the exact value of the ring, she knew it had to be astronomical.
Cheng Jinyu tilted his head slightly, his cool gaze weighing her words.
Then, as if struck by some thought, the corner of his lips lifted in a faint smile.
“Take it.”
“Compared to me, what’s a diamond ring?”
“….”
Back during her college entrance exams, Meng Chu had scored 136 in Chinese-her reading comprehension was impeccable.
So when his words rolled through her mind, she instantly decoded the underlying meaning: “If you dare to take me, why hesitate over a ring?”
If any other man had said this to her, she would’ve scoffed.
How conceited.
But when this man-standing before her, casually holding a diamond ring worth millions-uttered those words, all the thoughts in her mind tangled together before condensing into a single sentence:
Damn, that was persuasive!!!