"Hmph, that's because you're stupid. You followed me for so many years, and now you dare to say you're my disciple when you go out? I'd be embarrassed."
Old Shen Tou spat out a cloud of smoke from his pipe, snorted, and said with great disdain.
Meng Jingwei shot him a glare. "Master, you're truly inhuman."
Her words made the others burst into laughter.
Qing Muy野 greatly enjoyed the relaxed and joyful atmosphere.
As the conversation continued late into the night, Old Shen Tou decided to head home. Meng Jingwei, along with Qing Muy野, escorted him home before walking back themselves, armed with a flashlight.
Deep in the mountains, thick fog swirled, and night birds called low. Meng Jingwei walked close to Qing Muy野, instinctively clutching his sleeve, her nerves frayed.
"You're very..."
"Ah! You scared me to death."
Qing Muy野 had only spoken a few words when Meng Jingwei jumped, swatting him on the shoulder. "People scare people to death, don't you know that?"
"How come I never noticed you were so timid before?" Seeing her trembling so much made the man chuckle uncontrollably.
"Damn it, is it my fault?"
Meng Jingwei mumbled, "It's all because of that scoundrel master of mine. He told me about the 'Yin Bing Guo Dao' (phantom soldiers passing by) and said that this place was haunted. Ever since then, every time I walk through here, I'm scared half to death."
"Caw—"
As she spoke, a night bird let out a cry that startled Meng Jingwei. She grabbed Qing Muy野 and buried her face in his chest, holding him tightly.
She swore to heaven that she had never been so disheveled.
She wasn't afraid of enemies, of heights, of being beaten or scolded, nor of the dark in the bustling city. Yet, in her hometown, in the pitch-black night, she was so terrified that she didn't dare to go out late at night.
The little woman's sudden, tight embrace warmed him. A faint, familiar, and pleasant floral scent wafted into his nostrils.
Qing Muy野's body stiffened. The hand hanging by his side faltered for a moment, then he raised it to gently pat her back. "It's okay, don't be afraid."
His hand, holding the flashlight, wrapped around Meng Jingwei's waist. The other hand gently pinched her earlobe. "A'wei, don't be afraid, I'm here."
This gesture felt incredibly familiar to Meng Jingwei.
When she was little and frightened, her grandmother used to stroke her ears and say with a placid voice, "Jingwei, don't be afraid, Grandma is here, Grandma is here."
An inexplicable sense of security washed over her, and Meng Jingwei's fear subsided considerably.
She belatedly realized their relationship had become too intimate, so close that she could almost feel his warmth through their thin clothes.
Her small face flushed, and she pushed him away. "Let's go quickly, you're scaring me to death."
"Mm."
Qing Muy野 followed her, and they walked down the mountain together.
As they walked, Qing Muy野 suddenly said, "I have a question. Can you help me analyze it?"
"What problem do you need me to analyze?"
"I have an... old classmate who is about to marry his pregnant fiancée, but he suddenly realized he likes another woman. Have you ever encountered something like this?"
Qing Muy野 asked indirectly.
"Of course, I haven't encountered anything like this. I'd beat up every scumbag like that, beat up every pair of them. What kind of trash is that?"
As a woman, Meng Jingwei was fully invested. She couldn't resist glaring at Qing Muy野. "As expected, birds of a feather flock together. You're not a good person either. If I hadn't practiced martial arts properly with Master back then, I would have castrated you when you touched me!"
Qing Muy野: Did I step on a landmine?
"I... I'm talking about my classmate's situation. What should he do now?" Qing Muy野 touched his nose somewhat guiltily.
"What do you mean, what should he do? Men like that should have no descendants. He got his fiancée pregnant and now he wants to wash his hands of it and leave? What garbage. Even if he marries his fiancée, they won't be happy after marriage. If he doesn't marry his fiancée, it will only lead to innocent harm to the child in her womb, causing his post-marital misfortune."
"So..."
"So he should just die! Hmph!"
Meng Jingwei thought of her past entanglements with Qing Muy野 and felt a surge of anger. In a fit of pique, she stomped hard on Qing Muy野's foot, ground her heel, snorted coldly, and walked away angrily.
At this moment, she no longer felt scared of the dark.
"Hiss..."
Qing Muy野 wiggled the toes of his stepped-on left foot and followed her.
Scumbag?
Is he really that much of a scumbag?
He probably is.
Otherwise, why would he have 'slept' with Li Yun'er while drunk and gotten her pregnant?
If Li Yun'er didn't have this child, would he have chosen her?
This 'her,' of course, referred to Meng Jingwei.
Qing Muy野 didn't dwell on other matters. Instead, he caught up with Meng Jingwei and returned with her.
Upon returning, Meng Jingwei went straight to her bedroom and slammed the door shut.
Du Juan noticed her daughter's unusual mood and asked Qing Muy野, "Muy野, what's wrong with this girl?"
"A'wei, she... she... she fell just now while walking and is angry."
He casually fabricated a reason, a lie that even he found absurd.
But Du Juan believed him wholeheartedly. "This silly girl, she doesn't watch where she's going and is sulking. Oh well, forget about her. Muy野, you sleep in the east wing. I've prepared the bed for you, and the bathroom is very convenient for showering and such."
"Thank you, Auntie. You've gone to trouble."
"Don't be so polite. It's late, get some rest."
"Okay, Auntie, goodnight."
Qing Muy野 said goodbye to Du Juan and headed to the guest bedroom.
In the bedroom, clean slippers and a set of pajamas were provided. The pajamas looked a bit old-fashioned, likely bought for Meng Tianhua but never opened.
After a simple wash-up, he went back to the bedroom to sleep.
The next morning.
When Qing Muy野 woke up, he went into the yard and bumped into Meng Jingwei, who was about to go for a run.
"Good morning."
He was neatly dressed, his suit as flawless as ever, and stood before her radiating a gentle smile.
"Morning."
Meng Jingwei glanced at him coldly and ran out of the yard, heading to the road for her run.
Seeing that she seemed to still be upset, the man didn't follow her.
"Muy野, why are you up so early? It's only six o'clock, why don't you sleep a little longer?"
Du Juan, busy in the kitchen, came out and chatted with Qing Muy野 when she saw he was awake.
"I've slept well."
"That's good. I've prepared a toothbrush and towel for you. Hurry up and wash your face and brush your teeth," Du Juan said, pointing to the items on the table.
"Thank you, Auntie."
The man was humble and polite, his handsome face adorned with an approachable smile, which diminished his aura and made him seem more down-to-earth.
After washing up, Qing Muy野 took a stroll around the yard, listening to the crowing of roosters, the barking of dogs, and the grunting of pigs, enjoying a taste of pastoral life.
Meng Jingwei's house was by the roadside, with a small yard. Outside the main gate was a larger courtyard, and to the side was a small reservoir.
On this autumn morning, the wind was cool. The water surface was shrouded in a light mist, and dewdrops clung to the flowers, grass, and branches. Accompanied by the soft chirping of birds, it was a scene that brought joy and a sense of relaxation.
"Muy野, hasn't Jingwei come back yet? It's time for breakfast. Hurry and call that darn girl back for her meal." Du Juan, finished with her work in the kitchen, walked to the yard entrance, wiping her hands with her apron, and said to him.