Billionaire's Gold Digger - Chapter 145

Meng Yanchen held her hand, chuckling softly, his voice tinged with helplessness and indulgence.

“Looks like I still underestimated Director Fan’s wisdom. I thought you’d need at least two more stops to figure it out.”

Fan Shengmei’s eyes grew slightly red. “Meng Yanchen, what is all this about?”

“I’m here to make up for it,”

He gazed into her eyes, his tone solemn and gentle. “To make up for all the time I missed with you, to make up for every regret you’ve ever had, big or small.”

With that, he drove her to an amusement park owned by the Pei Family.

Before them was a sun-drenched, meticulously decorated tree-lined path. On both sides of the road stood their most familiar friends, each beside a delicate little display stand with an open gift box atop it.

Meng Yanchen held her hand, asking softly,

“Are you ready?”

He led her toward the first stop.

“Director Fan, congratulations.”

Chen Mingyu’s voice carried genuine respect. “On your twenty-seventh birthday, through your outstanding effort and relentless persistence, you successfully advanced to Senior HR at the company.”

He turned slightly, revealing the elegant and dazzling champagne-colored haute couture dress in the box. “Elie Saab’s latest season. It will witness you becoming the most dazzling focus of the night.”

Fan Shengmei’s heart trembled violently.

That year, she endured countless nights, giving her all just for that promotion.

At the annual party, she wore a rented dress, anxious all night, terrified of staining it and having to pay for damages, unable to truly enjoy the honor that should have been hers.

Meng Yanchen led her to the second stop.

Guan Juer and Jiang Yu stood there, handing her a deep blue gift box.

“Fan-Jie, congratulations. In your twenty-eighth year, through your own hard work, you finally owned your first real estate in Shanghai.”

Fan Shengmei was stunned for a moment, opening the document box–inside was the property certificate for Room 2202 in Happy Song Community.

Guan Juer leaned in close to her ear. “No wonder we don’t have to pay rent anymore… Mr. Meng bought this place ages ago.”

At the third stop, Qiu Yingying and Pei Yu were already waiting.

Xiao Qiu, upon seeing her, rushed over excitedly and hugged her, crying and laughing at the same time.

Pei Yu helplessly poked her. “The lines! Say your lines!”

Only then did Qiu Yingying snap back, wiped her tears, and said loudly,

“Oh right! Congratulations, Fan-Jie! Your life is getting better and better, and the mortgage is no pressure for you at all. You’ve started making up for past regrets, buying loads and loads of beautiful clothes, bags, shoes, and all kinds of dazzling jewelry! Whatever you fancy, whatever you like, you never hesitate anymore!”

She and Pei Yu pointed to a nearby cart piled high with gifts, all classic or popular items from major brands.

Pei Yu scratched his head and said,

“It’s just… there’s a lot of stuff…”

Fan Shengmei looked at Meng Yanchen, who seemed a bit embarrassed–he knew he shouldn’t have left such an important part to these two; the script had been trimmed down so much.

He looked at Fan Shengmei and said, “Every important, memorable moment from your past, there’s no more regret. These… are rewards for living earnestly, and I’m sure you love them all.”

Pei Yu interjected, “How could you not love them? I heard from Qin Yu, they were all bought according to the ‘wish list’ you posted on your Moments! Xiao Qiu and I spent nearly three hours just sorting and checking everything!”

Fan Shengmei gazed at the cart full of “regret compensations,” then looked at Meng Yanchen.

“So this is your mind-reading trick?”

Meng Yanchen chuckled softly, said nothing, and led her to Andy and Bao Yifan.

Andy stepped forward and gave Fan Shengmei a warm, strong hug.

“Xiao Fan, congratulations. According to the ‘restored’ life trajectory Meng Yanchen planned for you–at thirty, you have a career and company truly your own. You’re no longer anxious about age, and in the so-called marriage market, you’re no longer the passive one waiting to be chosen or rescued.”

Andy’s gaze swept over Meng Yanchen, finally landing on Fan Shengmei’s tear-bright eyes. “You’re the leading lady of your own life. You have the capital and confidence to set the rules and standards.”

She handed over a document. “This is the post-marriage asset plan I made for you two at Meng Yanchen’s request. All I can say is, he’s not bad!”

Bao Yifan shamelessly chimed in, “Not as good as me though!”

Finally, they stopped in front of Qu Xiaoxiao and Zhao Ziqian.

Qu Xiaoxiao wore a “I really can’t stand you lovey-dovey types” expression, reluctantly handing over a classic handbag–the upgraded limited edition of the bag Fan Shengmei carried the first time they met.

“Beauty Fan, here, the bag you like.”

Qu Xiaoxiao’s tone was awkward, but her eyes betrayed a hint of sincerity.

“The bag you like. In this ‘new life’ of yours, when we first met, you should have been carrying this, not some knockoff.”

Zhao Ziqian glanced at her, squeezed her shoulder as a reminder,

“There’s more, isn’t there?”

Qu Xiaoxiao muttered, “Sorry… I shouldn’t have made fun of you the first time we met…”

She paused, as if trying to save face, and quickly added,

“But this bag is from me! It has nothing to do with Meng Yanchen! I’m the one giving it to you!”

Fan Shengmei’s tears finally broke free. She stepped forward and hugged this sharp-tongued, soft-hearted little sister tightly, choking out,

“Thank you… thank you, Xiao Qu.”

Qu Xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment by her hug, then hugged her back tightly. Her tsundere facade finally broke, and she buried her face in Fan Shengmei’s shoulder, her voice tinged with sobs,

“Aiya, you’re so annoying… My makeup’s going to be ruined from crying…”

Then she suddenly turned around and dove into Zhao Ziqian’s arms, her shoulders shaking with sobs.

“In the future, you’re not allowed to do this kind of thing when you propose, it’s so annoying!”

They walked through the sun-dappled, blessing-filled tree-lined path, at the end of which stood a fairytale-like white castle.

At the castle gate, Fu Wenying, Meng Huaijin, and Xiao Yixiao’s parents were all standing there, smiling as they waited for them.

Always elegant and restrained, never showing her emotions, Fu Wenying’s eyes were now tinged with red.

She stepped forward, opened her arms, and hugged Fan Shengmei tightly.

She tightly embraced this girl she had once scrutinized, but ultimately cherished from the bottom of her heart.

Her voice carried a barely detectable choke,

“Child, welcome home.”

She gently patted Fan Shengmei’s back, as if to smooth away all her past grievances,

“The past… was hard on you.”

Just a few simple words, yet they weighed a thousand pounds, containing so much recognition and heartache.

Meng Huaijin also stepped forward. This elder, always as steady as a mountain in the business world, now looked at her with loving and solemn eyes.

He looked at Fan Shengmei, his tone incomparably serious,

“Xiao Mei, Yan Chen told us that you used to fantasize about whether you might be a daughter of some family who accidentally got lost, hoping that one day you’d be found and brought home.”

He paused, his voice steady and powerful, “Then today, let Dad tell you, in your ‘new’ life, you are the Meng Family’s long-lost daughter, the little cotton-padded jacket we’ve been waiting so long to find. It’s Dad and Mom who came too late, making you suffer so much and endure so many grievances in the past.”

He looked at Fu Wenying, and Fu Wenying nodded in understanding, continuing her husband’s words,

“Now you’re home. From now on, Dad and Mom will be your strongest support. The Meng Family is your confidence.”

Mrs. Xiao also stepped forward with a smile, warmly taking Fan Shengmei’s hand,

“The Meng Family is ‘marrying off’ their daughter, of course we had to come! Yan Chen and Yixiao grew up together, in my heart, he’s half my son too. On such a joyful day, we all have to be here to witness it!”

Meng Yanchen had always been holding Fan Shengmei’s hand tightly. At this moment, he turned his head, gazing deeply at her, his eyes filled with a tenderness and certainty that could drown her.

“Look,”

His voice was low and full of reassurance,

“From now on, behind you are not only friends, but parents who truly love you, and me.”

He repeated his former promise, every word clear and resounding,

“I said, everything must be settled, open and aboveboard, just as it should be. I’ll let all the elders and friends witness, and make up for you with the most formal proposal and a brand new beginning.”

After speaking, under everyone’s gaze, Meng Yanchen slowly let go of her hand, stepped back, and then knelt on one knee.

He took out from his pocket a unique, dazzling diamond ring, symbolizing a brand new future that belonged only to the two of them.

He looked up at her, his gaze devout and burning,

“Xiao Mei, I can’t turn back time to erase the regrets of the past, but I can use our future to cover over the memories you don’t want to revisit.”

“This isn’t charity, nor is it compensation, it’s that I need you! This is me, Meng Yanchen, sincerely inviting you to become my life partner, to start a brand new journey together. Will you?”

Fan Shengmei’s vision was already blurred with tears. She looked at the man before her, who had meticulously planned everything for her, who had lifted her completely out of the mire of her past, and at the family and friends she had once longed for but thought unattainable, now all surrounding her.

She nodded vigorously, her voice choked but incomparably firm,

“I will!”

Meng Yanchen solemnly placed the ring on her ring finger, stood up, and pulled her tightly into his arms.

Applause, cheers, and blessings instantly surrounded them.

In front of everyone, they embraced and kissed.

All the regrets, grievances, and struggles of the past were, in this moment, completely healed and sealed away by love.

A brand new, bright life was unfolding before her eyes with perfect clarity.

And this time, she was surrounded by people who loved her, and the one she loved most.

——————–

[Little Theater]

The girls from the 22nd floor were already crying in a heap, and even a few of the men had red eyes.

Bao Yifan said, “So scheming, the first proposal and it’s on this scale–how are we supposed to follow that?”

Pei Yu said, “No worries, I can just copy it.”

His big brother smacked him on the back of the head, “Can’t you have a little ambition? Copying everything, no wonder you failed your exams again this time!”

Zhao Ziqian said, “You’d better find someone to propose to first before you worry about that.”

He glanced at Qu the Vixen, “My Xiao Qu probably likes excitement, I need to study up~”

He nudged Bao Yifan, “You first or me? Let’s get together sometime!”

Bao Yifan snorted, “Trying to trick me into paying again? Dream on, I’m not falling for it this time!”

He thought for a moment and said, “You all better watch out, no one’s escaping tonight’s bachelor party. I’ve got a wife to back me up–my Andy said she’s going to get revenge for me!”

Xiao Yixiao said, “I don’t even know why I’m in your group.”

Jiang Yu said, “Bro, you’d better just behave, it’s only a matter of time~”