Lying on the hard wooden boards of the bed in her rental room, Zheng Yang stared blankly at the peeling ceiling.
She was very nervous.
Just now, when she walked out of the private room wearing the Bell Collar, the strange looks from everyone had made her face flush and her heart race.
With every step, the *jingle* of the bell felt like it would make her faint from shame, but she had endured it.
It felt as if by doing so, she could repay some of the kindness Zheng Shiqiang had shown her.
A-Zi’s expression had been complicated when she saw the collar.
“Yangyang…” A-Zi looked as if she wanted to offer comfort, but her expression shifted into a sudden surprise.
“Wow, what a beautiful collar! It’s so cute!”
Zheng Yang gave her a grateful smile.
She knew A-Zi was trying to comfort her in her own way.
‘Everyone seems so kind today…’
But what made her most nervous was not any of that; it was the fact that Zheng Shiqiang wanted to adopt her as his daughter.
Her intuition told her that Zheng Shiqiang was not lying.
But what did Zheng Shiqiang see in her?
Was it her ability to remain rational, poised, and dignified in the face of immense humiliation? Her ability to think clearly and weigh the pros and cons?
For a 20-year-old, that would indeed be difficult.
It reminded her of when she was younger and had once offended the company’s Manager Chen.
But now, she was a veteran office worker in her late 30s.
These were the survival skills she relied on.
Indeed, she was someone approaching 40.
Zheng Shiqiang looked to be only about 10 years older than her original body.
How could she have the heart to actually call him “Dad”?
If he wanted to be siblings, she could accept that, but that would be strange for Zheng Shiqiang.
After all, her current body was only about 20 years old, maybe even younger.
A scene from her past flickered in her mind.
When she was 27 years old, her father had taken her to a dinner party.
There was a 31-year-old man there whom her father treated like a brother, and her father insisted she call him “Uncle”…
That scene had been embarrassing enough for her at 27.
But was it the same as this? Should she even compare them?
Zheng Yang struggled to find the difference between the two in her heart.
Otherwise, if she could call someone only four years older than her “Uncle,” why couldn’t she treat someone 10 years older as an “adoptive father”? Especially when this person had shown her such overwhelming kindness?
The only difference was that this time, she felt guilt toward her own father.
However, now that she had been perfectly replaced by someone else, how much of that guilt was still real? Was it even useful anymore…
—
When Zheng Shiqiang arrived the next day, he didn’t bring any subordinates; he was alone.
He had specifically instructed Zheng Yang beforehand to wear ordinary clothes and no makeup.
He booked a private room.
Once Zheng Yang arrived, he had Manager Wang turn off all the sound and ambient lighting.
The entire room suddenly felt empty and quiet.
“President Zheng, what is this for?” Zheng Yang was both uneasy and curious.
Zheng Shiqiang didn’t intend to keep her in suspense.
He said directly, “Yangyang, stand against the wall. We’re going to apply for your ID card soon, so I need to take a good photo of you.”
“This…” Zheng Yang couldn’t help but panic again.
“President Zheng, the walls in these private rooms are patterned. They can’t be used as a background for an ID photo, can they?”
Zheng Shiqiang pulled out his phone and raised an eyebrow with a smile.
“I know how to use Photoshop. Bet you didn’t see that coming? How else can I be a CEO without a few skills?”
Zheng Yang was amused and let out a laugh.
When Zheng Shiqiang pointed the camera at Zheng Yang, he realized she was still wearing that Bell Collar.
“Why are you wearing that? Take it off!”
Zheng Yang didn’t move.
Zheng Shiqiang gave a seemingly impatient smile.
“This is for an ID photo… take it off, quickly!”
Zheng Yang lowered her head.
“It’s fine, President Zheng. I’ll keep it on…”
“You’re going to make me do it myself…”
As he spoke, Zheng Shiqiang reached out to unfasten the collar, but unexpectedly, Zheng Yang pressed her hand over his with all her might.
Zheng Shiqiang burst out laughing.
“You girl, you really are stubborn!”
He stopped trying to force it and instead patted Zheng Yang’s head.
“Alright! If you’re still bothered by the previous humiliation, then I apologize to you again. I’m sorry.”
Zheng Yang’s eyes filled with tears as she shook her head.
“No, it’s not that! It’s just… I don’t know how to pay you back!”
“So you want to use this to show your gratitude? To use your own shame to offset my kindness to you?” Zheng Shiqiang didn’t seem surprised.
“That’s completely unnecessary. I don’t need that, do you understand, child…”
As he spoke, he gently moved Zheng Yang’s hands away from her neck and slowly unfastened the collar.
Zheng Yang had already begun to sob.
She opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to call out to him, but the words wouldn’t come.
Zheng Shiqiang smiled.
“Don’t force yourself. If you can’t say it, then don’t.”
Zheng Yang’s rationality felt as if it had been burned away by this tenderness.
She could no longer hold back.
Tears streaming down her face, she threw herself into Zheng Shiqiang’s arms and cried out loudly, “Dad! Father!”
“Good girl, good girl!” Zheng Shiqiang patted her back, though he didn’t forget to tease her. “You called me that too early. What if I fail to get your household registration done? Wouldn’t I be taking advantage of you for nothing?”
Zheng Yang let out a wet laugh.
“Haven’t you taken advantage of me enough already? Oh, I’m sorry, President Zheng! My tears got your clothes dirty!”
Zheng Shiqiang grumbled with dissatisfaction, “Oh? Is this a 3-second trial card? You’re already back to calling me President Zheng?”
Zheng Yang pulled back, her hands twisting together.
She lowered her head and swallowed hard before awkwardly calling out again, “Dad…”
“Silly girl!” Zheng Shiqiang patted her head and gave her a brief hug before letting go.
“Go to the restroom and wash up. How can we take a photo if your eyes are all red from crying?”
“Mm!”
The cold water from the tap splashed onto Zheng Yang’s face, helping her regain her senses.
She looked at the young girl in the mirror and punched the wall beside her hard.
‘Why… why did I surrender like that! Why did I accept him!’
She felt indignant again.
However, that tenderness was something she hadn’t experienced in 38 years.
Even if it was fake, to her, it was like a drug.
Once she touched it, she could never quit.
“Heh, Dad, you’re very clever. But I’m no pushover either.”
Zheng Yang patted her cheeks with both hands to pump herself up and walked out of the restroom.
“Father, although I’m moved and have accepted you, I think I should say some unpleasant things upfront.”
Zheng Shiqiang looked slightly surprised.
“Oh! Alright, speak your mind!”
“First, I want you to tell me the 100% truth about why you want to adopt me as your daughter. Second, I know I’m fairly good-looking and my body is… but I will never provide ‘those kinds’ of services like some female stars do for their ‘godfathers.’ I want a normal father-daughter relationship, not to be kept like a pet with countless restrictions on my freedom. If you can’t do that, then I don’t mind taking back the sentiment I just showed.”
“Good! Good!” Zheng Shiqiang clapped his hands, his face beaming with joy.
“I’ve said it more than once — you aren’t like other girls. I promise you!”
“Thank you… Dad…”
Zheng Shiqiang walked to the sofa and patted it, gesturing for her to sit, while he sat about three feet away.
“Yangyang, you know I’m a businessman — a major one. Do you know what businessmen do most often and value most?”
“Gaining profit. Profit margins.”
“No, it’s investment. Investment isn’t just about things, projects, or objects; it also includes people. Like you, for example.” Zheng Shiqiang smiled. “Is that honest enough for you?”
Zheng Yang nodded.
Indeed, an average businessman wouldn’t be so clear and blunt.
“Even my current honesty and sincerity toward you is a form of investment. Since there is an investment, there must be a desired return. And the return I want…”
“Is a beautiful, obedient, and loyal daughter?” Zheng Yang interrupted when he paused.
“I won’t deny that, but that’s only a small part of it. I like heroes. I like talent — whether they are friends or children.”
“Don’t you have no children?”
“Correct. Because I don’t want to get married. I don’t want to waste money on women.”
“Are you… perhaps a bit biased toward men over women?”
“That’s not accurate. I value talent and despise waste. I also value inheritance, but I don’t value bloodline inheritance like others do. There are too many cases of a ‘tiger father’ having a ‘dog son,’ and too many examples of spendthrift wives. I don’t want to take that risk. If I were truly biased toward men, I wouldn’t be looking for a daughter; I’d only look for a son.”
“I think I understand…”
“You might think this is just another form of a transaction. I believe that when people first meet and interact, it’s hard for there not to be a transactional element. But that doesn’t stop feelings from developing. At the start, the transaction is real, but as the years go by, the true feelings aren’t fake either. Do I make myself clear?”
“I can understand that, Dad…”
“So I won’t hide it from you. In the future, I will find one or two suitable adoptive sons. One day, my family estate will be divided among you.”
Zheng Yang shook her head. “Dad, I don’t care about that.”
Zheng Shiqiang laughed.
“If you did care, I wouldn’t have taken you as my daughter.”
Zheng Yang laughed as well.
She felt that, at least regarding certain worldviews, she and President Zheng were kindred spirits.
“But, Dad, I still have one question.”
“Go ahead.”
“Why didn’t you look for an adoptive daughter or son in the business world, the professional world, or among some elite groups?”
Zheng Shiqiang gave a mocking laugh.
“I loathe the elite class more than anything!”
Zheng Yang was pleasantly surprised.
This overlapped with her own thoughts again.
But hadn’t he just said he valued heroes and talent?
As if knowing her confusion, Zheng Shiqiang explained, “What I want is talent — talent that doesn’t realize it’s talent. I want talent that hasn’t been molded yet and has developmental value. I want talent that can withstand the wind and rain. I want talent that knows how to repay kindness and treats others with sincerity — not that group of profit-seeking, self-righteous, arrogant elites!”
Zheng Yang laughed from the bottom of her heart, though her laugh held a hint of regret.
If she were still a man, she would definitely have gotten along famously with President Zheng.
But if she hadn’t turned into a woman, she would have been just a 38-year-old mid-to-low-level office drone, likely working herself to death without ever having the chance to meet President Zheng.
She sighed inwardly. ‘Truly, the world is unpredictable — Sai Weng Shi Ma!’