Volume Two: Shadows of the Past Chapter Thirty-Seven: Underestimating Chen Jing’s Presence!

Sensing that Chen Jing had stopped walking, Ling Ruohan whispered curiously, "Ah Jing, why aren’t you leaving?"

Chen Jing gestured toward the elevator entrance. Following his direction, Ling Ruohan saw Wang Menglan just stepping out of the elevator, naturally noticing the refined-looking man accompanying her.

Ling Ruohan found the man’s face strangely familiar but couldn’t quite place him. Since she couldn’t remember, she decided to ask.

She edged closer to Chen Jing and asked softly, "Who is the man with Menglan? He looks so familiar."

Chen Jing replied calmly, "That’s Menglan’s ex-husband, Zhang Tianzhi."

"What!? What did you say his name was?" Ling Ruohan’s voice rose in surprise.

Chen Jing sighed and repeated, "Zhang Tianzhi."

"Zhang Tianzhi? The chairman of Longteng Real Estate, Zhang Tianzhi?" Ling Ruohan finally understood why the man looked so familiar. He was often in the news; how could she not recognize him?

Chen Jing thought for a moment and nodded, "I think so."

"Oh my god, Zhang Tianzhi is actually Menglan’s ex-husband? This..." Ling Ruohan stared in disbelief at Wang Menglan and Zhang Tianzhi in the distance, speechless.

Just as Chen Jing thought Ling Ruohan was too stunned to speak, she suddenly exhaled, "This is so shocking. So Yuxuan’s father is Zhang Tianzhi. Hey, Ah Jing, did you know this all along?"

Chen Jing nodded; he had found out a month ago.

Seeing Chen Jing nod, Ling Ruohan immediately linked her arm through his, lowering his body slightly and whispering, "If Zhang Tianzhi is Yuxuan’s father, then why doesn’t he acknowledge her?"

Chen Jing looked helpless; this wasn’t the place to discuss such matters. "I’ll tell you later."

"Okay," Ling Ruohan responded, realizing this was no time for chit-chat.

Meanwhile, Wang Menglan and Zhang Tianzhi, having emerged from the elevator, saw the crowd gathered near the bar and naturally sensed something was amiss.

"Should I call someone to handle this?" Zhang Tianzhi asked casually.

Menglan shook her head, "No need. It’s probably just some drunk troublemakers causing a scene. Nothing serious. Azhe’s here; I’ll leave it to him."

Zhang Tianzhi didn’t press, "If there’s any trouble, just call me. Even though we’re no longer married, Yuxuan is still my daughter."

Wang Menglan felt nothing inside. Just as she was about to brush off the man with a casual word, a familiar figure caught her eye—not far away.

That figure? It was Ah Jing! What was he doing here?

Seeing Chen Jing, Menglan’s heart lifted slightly, though she didn’t call out to him, aware that Chen Jing’s identity needed to be kept low-key.

She turned to Zhang Tianzhi, "Wait a moment. I just ran into a friend. I’ll go say hi."

Zhang Tianzhi noticed Menglan’s sudden cheerfulness and felt uneasy. His original plan to leave changed. Now, he wanted to see who this friend was.

"Is that your friend, Menglan? Great, I’ll come with you to meet him," Zhang Tianzhi said casually.

Menglan frowned, "No need. Why don’t you leave first? Didn’t you say you had something to attend to?" She didn’t want Zhang Tianzhi to meet Chen Jing—not out of jealousy or fear of trouble, but simply because she didn’t want him intruding into her life.

Zhang Tianzhi shook his head, "It’s no problem. Meeting your friend won’t take long."

Since Zhang Tianzhi insisted, Menglan said nothing further and led him toward Chen Jing.

Chen Jing and Ling Ruohan saw Wang Menglan approaching and greeted her in unison, "Menglan!"

Menglan recognized Ling Ruohan as the singer she had met before, but she didn’t call Chen Jing by name. Instead, she asked, "What are you two doing here? Aren’t you afraid of being recognized at the bar?" She shot Chen Jing a playful glance.

"Hehe, I asked Ah Jing to bring me here. I’ve wanted to visit your bar for a while. I heard about it from Yuxuan," Ling Ruohan said.

Hearing Yuxuan’s name, Menglan’s expression softened. "Next time, let me know in advance. I’ll arrange security to avoid any accidents."

"Okay, okay, sure, Menglan," Ling Ruohan replied enthusiastically.

Meanwhile, Zhang Tianzhi scrutinized the tall figure of Chen Jing. Though Chen Jing wore a mask obscuring his face, Zhang was certain Menglan’s mood had lifted because of this man.

With that thought, Zhang Tianzhi smiled and asked, "Menglan, why don’t you introduce your friend?"

Menglan frowned, reluctant to introduce Chen Jing and Ling Ruohan to Zhang Tianzhi.

But Chen Jing stepped forward first, extending his hand with a smile. "Hello, I’m Chen Jing, Wang Yuxuan’s tutor and currently a singer."

Zhang Tianzhi was momentarily taken aback; he hadn’t expected Chen Jing to introduce himself so proactively.

He composed himself and shook Chen Jing’s hand lightly. "Hello, I’m Zhang Tianzhi." No more introduction was necessary; his name spoke volumes.

Zhang Tianzhi expected Chen Jing to engage warmly after hearing his name, but Chen Jing merely nodded and turned to chat with Wang Menglan.

Frowning, Zhang Tianzhi felt ignored. Could it be that Chen Jing didn’t know who he was? That couldn’t be; as a singer in Xiang City, Chen Jing should recognize him.

Though displeased, Zhang Tianzhi said nothing. Having weathered many storms, he could keep his composure.

Seeing the lack of spark in their introductions, Wang Menglan breathed a sigh of relief. Not wanting Chen Jing and Zhang Tianzhi to talk too much, she pointed toward Azhe nearby. "What’s happening over there?"

"Hehe, Menglan, this was caused by Ah Jing," Ling Ruohan said cheerfully. "Three troublemakers tried to pick a fight, but Ah Jing knocked one down immediately. We thought it would turn into a brawl, but the bar’s security arrived quickly, so it didn’t. It was so exciting!"

After hearing Ling Ruohan’s account, Zhang Tianzhi lost interest in probing Chen Jing further. To him, it was just childish fighting. Why bother with kids?

With a disdainful smile, Zhang Tianzhi dismissed Ling Ruohan’s chatter and told Menglan, "I have things to do. I’ll leave you to chat."

This sudden change surprised Menglan, but she didn’t ask why. She was glad for his departure.

Zhang Tianzhi’s unexpected visit felt strange to her. She knew he wasn’t the type to take back what he had discarded. Once he left, neither she nor their daughter mattered to him.

She held no illusions or resentments anymore—only estrangement.

Without a word to Chen Jing, Zhang Tianzhi left.

After he left, Ling Ruohan whispered to Chen Jing, "Are important people always so arrogant?"

Chen Jing smiled and shook his head, saying nothing.

Wang Menglan turned to Chen Jing, "You weren’t hurt earlier, were you?"

Chen Jing laughed, "No, I’m fine. I just threw a glass."

Menglan looked at him with mock reproach, "Next time, find someone right away, okay? Whether you can handle it or not, don’t fight if you can avoid it. Your safety is the most important."

"Exactly! Menglan, you have to tell him off. He’s so reckless," Ling Ruohan teased.

Chen Jing rolled his eyes in resignation.

Menglan smiled at Chen Jing’s expression and, not wanting them to linger too long, led them upstairs to the conference room.

"Menglan, why did Zhang Tianzhi come looking for you just now?" Chen Jing asked, despite Ling Ruohan’s presence.

Ling Ruohan was curious too—was Zhang Tianzhi here to ask for forgiveness or to reconcile? He didn’t seem like that type.

Menglan shook her head calmly, "I don’t know. We haven’t been in contact for years. Suddenly, he showed up tonight. I had no choice but to bring him up here for tea. We sat for two hours and said almost nothing. There’s really nothing left to say between us."

Chen Jing frowned deeply. This was unusual. From what he knew, someone like Zhang Tianzhi wouldn’t waste time doing something pointless.

"I know," Ling Ruohan said confidently. "If he didn’t do anything, it’s probably just to boost his ego after the breakup."

Menglan and Chen Jing exchanged a glance, silently acknowledging the possibility.

Chen Jing looked at Ling Ruohan, puzzled, "Boost his ego?"