Although Xiao Cheng possessed considerable strength, he was, after all, Xiao Qitian's son, a descendant of the Xiao family.
Xiao Qitian held an attitude of disappointment bordering on exasperation towards Xiao Cheng, but his affection for his son was undeniable.
Meng Jingwei genuinely felt that there was no true animosity between Xiao Cheng and Xiao Qitian. If she could find a way to mend their father-son relationship, that would be ideal.
Xiao Cheng shook his head. "I'm doing perfectly fine on my own, why should I go back?"
"Actually, I think Xiao Qitian treats you quite well. You..."
Just as Meng Jingwei was about to persuade Xiao Cheng, she was met with a sharp glare from him, and she immediately fell silent.
His gaze, filled with anger and resentment, was as piercing as a sharp blade.
Since getting to know Xiao Cheng, Meng Jingwei had rarely heard him mention Xiao Qitian in her presence.
She had merely assumed the father and son had a strained relationship, never imagining Xiao Cheng harbored such deep-seated rejection and hatred.
"Don't mention his name in front of me."
"I..."
Meng Jingwei stopped speaking, and after a few moments of silence, she said, "You are blood relatives. Do you intend to remain in this stalemate with your father forever?"
Xiao Cheng's hand, gripping the cup, tightened slightly. His brow furrowed, and his cold eyes fell upon Meng Jingwei once more. "He's not worthy!"
These three concise words clearly conveyed Xiao Cheng's stance.
"Come, come, let's drink, drink. We won't leave until we're drunk tonight."
Meng Jingwei knew well that the conflict between Xiao Cheng and Xiao Qitian ran deep and could not be resolved in a single moment. Therefore, she ceased discussing the matter.
However, in her heart, she still wished to help Xiao Cheng.
She had known Xiao Cheng since he first worked security at the Night Scene Club. She had seen him drunk countless times, but he was never troubled by romance; most of his distress stemmed from matters concerning the Xiao family.
She understood that the more Xiao Cheng hated Xiao Qitian, the more it indicated his deep care for him.
"Yes, let's drink."
The two raised their glasses and drank heartily, their laughter and conversation flowing harmoniously.
After finishing their late-night meal, both were only slightly tipsy.
"Do you need me to give you a ride home?"
After settling the bill, Xiao Cheng asked Meng Jingwei. She waved her hand, "I don't want to go home. I want to stroll around, feel the breeze."
"I'll accompany you."
He said.
"That's fine too."
Meng Jingwei readily agreed.
She would be leaving Lan City in a few days, and then she wouldn't have the chance to see Xiao Cheng again.
...
Nightfall Apartment.
Qing Muye returned to his apartment, holding a glass of red wine, and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window. The vast apartment felt exceptionally quiet and lonely without Meng Jingwei.
He took a sip of red wine, gazing down at the resplendent, dazzling city of Lan City, lost in thought.
Ring, ring, ring—
At some point, the phone on his table rang.
Seeing the number of Li Yun'er displayed on the screen, he hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Brother Muye, what are you doing? I can't sleep, I miss you."
On the other end of the line, Li Yun'er's voice was soft and tender.
Qing Muye's expressionless face remained unmoved by her words. Instead, he said, "The wedding next month will proceed as scheduled."
Yes, proceed as scheduled.
Qing Muye had initially planned to postpone the marriage indefinitely.
However, he had learned that day that his grandmother had Alzheimer's disease. The doctor indicated her condition was deteriorating, and the prognosis was not optimistic.
Her greatest wish was to embrace her great-grandchild and see him married.
Qing Muye could not bear to disappoint her.
After his words fell, a prolonged silence ensued from the other end of the phone.
Li Yun'er, overcome with emotion, clutched her phone tightly, her red lips curling into a smile, and nodded repeatedly. "Okay, okay, okay. We... we will hold the wedding next month as scheduled."
This sudden, dramatic turn of events was entirely beyond Li Yun'er's expectations.
She didn't even understand why Qing Muye had changed his mind. But from any perspective, as long as he intended to proceed with the wedding, no one could usurp her position as the young madam of the Qing family.
Li Yun'er considered herself still the most talented woman in Lan City, possessing exceptional talent that outshone all others.
"The wedding can proceed as scheduled. However, I want to know why your Li family is targeting Meng Jingwei at every turn?"
Qing Muye's unexpected question was pointed.
Although Qing Muye had always known the Li family was targeting Meng Jingwei, he had refrained from investigating the matter further out of respect for Li Yun'er.
"Brother... Brother Muye, why, why did you suddenly think to ask this?"
Li Yun'er's smile froze, her heart suddenly racing, her complexion paling repeatedly.
Could it be that that b*tch Meng Jingwei had told Brother Muye something, prompting him to ask this?
Li Yun'er was terrified, her heart pounding. She couldn't recover for a long time and didn't even know how to respond to Qing Muye's question.
Her question remained unanswered by Qing Muye.
But Qing Muye's silence was the best explanation.
It meant that if he didn't receive an answer from Li Yun'er, he might very well decide not to proceed with the marriage.
After much deliberation, Li Yun'er said, "I... I wasn't targeting Meng Jingwei, it's just... it's just that I love you too much and I didn't want her existence to dilute your love for me. *Sob sob*... Brother Muye, I know I was wrong, I know I shouldn't have, but can you give me a chance? I will definitely change, *sob sob*..."
Lying came as naturally to her as breathing.
Li Yun'er didn't need to draft her words.
She never told Qing Muye the truth, but Qing Muye had formed his own conclusions.
Since she wouldn't say anything, he would have Song Ci investigate.
"I'll give you one day to consider. If I don't get an answer, this marriage is off!"
Qing Muye said coldly and then directly hung up the phone.
On the other end, Li Yun'er, holding her phone, was still speaking, "Brother Muye? Brother Muye, listen to me... Beep beep beep..."
Whatever she was saying, the phone had already started beeping.
Enraged, she instantly exploded, throwing the phone violently to the ground, shattering it into pieces.
"Ahhhhhhh! Meng Jingwei, it's you again, you b*tch, it's you, it's you! Why are you everywhere!"
In her fury, she stomped on the shattered phone, venting her emotions without restraint.
Heaven knew how much these past few days had taken a toll on her, with Qing Muye threatening to cancel their engagement. She hadn't eaten or slept properly, picking at her food as if it were straw, fearing that Qing Muye would ultimately go through with canceling the wedding.
After finally receiving good news, Qing Muye was now asking about her past with Meng Jingwei, and how was she supposed to answer?
It was clear that Qing Muye was not satisfied with her answer, hence his ultimatum.
At this moment, Zhao Ruolan and her husband, who were on the floor above, heard the noise and immediately came out of their room. Seeing Li Yun'er in a rage in the living room, they walked down, concerned, "Daughter, what happened? What's wrong?"