"Mm, okay, I'll go find her."
Qing Muye nodded, then walked onto the road, looking left and right. From a distance, he saw Meng Jingwei running ahead.
He strolled towards her, watching her run in her sportswear with her ponytail tied up, her hair flying, exuding vitality and a youthful charm. The man smiled knowingly.
As Meng Jingwei ran, she reached him. Without even glancing at him, she said irritably, "What are you doing here?"
"Aunt asked me to call you for dinner."
"Got it."
She said indifferently, bypassed him, and walked away.
But after only a few steps, Meng Jingwei realized the person behind her wasn't following. She stopped and looked back at him, "What are you standing there for? Hurry back for dinner, and then return to Lancheng."
Qing Muye slightly shifted his body, looking at the rippling water surface stirred by the breeze, "The scenery here is picturesque; no rush to go back."
"No rush?"
You might not be in a hurry, but I am!
Meng Jingwei gripped the towel around her neck, wiping the sweat from her fair cheeks, and said breathlessly, "You're getting married in less than ten days. If you're not in a hurry, someone else is."
The man's dark eyebrows subtly arched, "Whether others are in a hurry or not, what does it have to do with me."
Meng Jingwei: You rascal, if it has nothing to do with you, who does it concern?
"That won't do. I'm in charge of your wedding planning now, and preparations are in full swing. We can't afford any delays."
"I'll contact Song Ci and have him take full responsibil..."
"No!"
Before Qing Muye could finish his sentence, Meng Jingwei eagerly stepped forward and directly interrupted him, "Since this matter has been entrusted to me, I must complete it properly. How can I hand it over to Song Ci halfway through?"
When people lose their composure, their true intentions are revealed.
Meng Jingwei had always been very resistant to his wedding with Li Yun'er, but her unusual eagerness today made Qing Muye sense a hint of conspiracy.
He slightly tilted his head, his unfathomable gaze sweeping over her, with a touch of scrutiny, as if trying to penetrate her thoughts through her eyes.
Meng Jingwei's heart skipped a beat, and she nervously clenched the towel in her hand.
She immediately explained, "Didn't I tell you? I can help you plan the wedding, but you have to keep your fiancée in check. Conversely, if your fiancée does anything outrageous and I have to act against her, I hope you won't implicate my parents. This is our agreement, and I... I must fulfill it."
His mind whirled rapidly, racking his brain for an explanation.
Qing Muye stared at her with piercing eyes, as if subtly analyzing how much truth was in her words.
Just then, Du Juan walked to the roadside and called out, "What are you two standing there for? Come back and eat."
"Oh, okay, Mom."
Meng Jingwei agreed, then said to Qing Muye, "Hurry up and eat, my parents are waiting anxiously."
They went back together for breakfast.
Sitting at the dining table, the family ate and chatted.
Meng Tianhua suddenly thought of something and looked up at Meng Jingwei, "By the way, girl, your mother mentioned that Xiao Cheng had an appendectomy. How is he?"
"Huh?"
Meng Jingwei was taken aback by the question, then gave an awkward smile, "He's fine, doing very well, recovering quite nicely."
Meng Jingwei secretly sighed with emotion that they were so concerned about Xiao Cheng's well-being, just from a casual mention. If they knew she was injured, she wondered how worried they would be.
Since her injury last time, although her arm had recovered, there was still a scar, and she couldn't exert too much force. Therefore, she had to wear long sleeves when she returned home, being cautious everywhere, for fear of them finding out.
"Muye, when are you two returning to Lancheng? I'll go with you. Xiao Cheng is dating Jingwei. If he's had surgery, it wouldn't be appropriate for us not to visit."
Du Juan said to Qing Muye while eating.
Qing Muye picked up a mouthful of rice, chewed slowly, and his gaze drifted towards Meng Jingwei...
Xiao Cheng had an appendectomy?
He had no idea.
Yesterday noon, when he went to the collaborator's company, he had seen Xiao Cheng full of vigor, showing no signs of weakness after surgery.
Sensing a sharp gaze, Meng Jingwei glared fiercely at Qing Muye, her eyes filled with resentment and anger.
She then smiled at the elders, "Mom, no need. Xiao Cheng is quite busy lately. You won't be able to see him if you go."
Saying that, she kicked Qing Muye under the table, urging him to "play along."
The man suddenly understood, guessing that her reason for lying was likely a fabricated excuse made in desperation when he had urged her to return to Lancheng yesterday.
But...
It was precisely because of this that he learned Meng Jingwei was actually dating Xiao Cheng!
"Yes, Auntie, since they are dating, it would indeed be inappropriate not to go at this time," he said nonchalantly.
As soon as he spoke, Meng Jingwei abruptly turned her head, her bloodthirsty gaze fixed on him, as if she could bore a hole through him.
"Qing Muye, go to hell!"
Meng Jingwei covered her mouth with her bowl and cursed angrily.
However, she only moved her lips to curse, without making a sound, and the astute Qing Muye actually understood her lip-reading.
Instead of getting angry, he smiled and said to Du Juan, "We'll head back to Lancheng later, and we can take you with us."
"Oh, okay..."
"Mom, what 'okay'!"
Meng Jingwei was completely at a loss. She slammed the table angrily, put down her bowl, glared at Qing Muye again, and sighed helplessly.
This reaction startled the elderly couple. Du Juan's expression darkened, and her heart clenched, "Daughter, what's wrong? Is that child Xiao Cheng very ill?"
"You darn girl, speak your mind. Why the sigh? You're making your mother and me worried sick," Meng Tianhua grumbled unhappily.
Given the circumstances, Meng Jingwei could no longer conceal the truth.
She pursed her lips, looked guiltily at her adoptive parents, and pouted, "Actually... Xiao Cheng and I are not dating at all, and I don't like him. It was all just an act from the beginning to fool you..."
Yes, it was just an act.
A playboy like Xiao Cheng, even if he had some interest in her, it was just a fleeting infatuation.
She had even told Qing Muye before that she liked Xiao Cheng, but she had been forced to say that. After all, at that time, she was wary of the Li family and was living in Qing Muye's apartment. To prevent Xiao Cheng from having improper thoughts about her, she used Xiao Cheng as a guise.
Now, Qing Muye was about to get married, and she had also confessed to him about Li Yun'er. She believed Li Yun'er would not dare to do anything to her in the future.
After the two of them got married, Qing Muye would no longer make advances towards her.
This was why Meng Jingwei dared to confess to them in front of Qing Muye.
She added, "I know you think Xiao Cheng has a big family and will be your support, someone who can protect me. But he is not a good match. Everyone in Lancheng knows Xiao Cheng is a playboy with countless beautiful women around him, and I don't like him at all. With him... with him, we can only be friends!"