Some things, once the bow is drawn, there's no turning back.
Whether the Li family had initiated the conflict or she was overestimating her own strength in seeking retaliation, she had no chance to retreat.
Her only concern was for her adoptive parents.
Qing Muye did not understand Meng Jingwei's thoughts. In his view, her only value to the Li family was her ability to donate bone marrow to Li Zirui.
"I won't let you die," the man said suddenly, after a long silence.
Hearing his words, Meng Jingwei was stunned for a moment before she couldn't help but smile, "You're so good to Grandma."
Such a filial grandson; simply because she could make Old Mrs. Qing happy, he would spare her life.
Although Old Mrs. Qing was advanced in age, there was still a long time after her passing. During this time, she could accomplish many things.
Inside the tent, the two fell into silence.
Being on the mountaintop, it was a sheltered spot, yet the howling wind outside could still be heard, causing the tent to sway from time to time.
With nothing to pass the time, Meng Jingwei felt exceptionally bored and tossed and turned in the tent, unable to sleep.
The tent was not large to begin with, and no matter how small her movements were, Qing Muye could feel them.
"Can't sleep?" a gentle, hoarse voice sounded in the darkness.
"Mmm." Meng Jingwei truly couldn't sleep. From past eight o'clock, she had been tossing and turning until ten, then twelve, with every minute and second feeling like an ordeal.
"Did you always sleep only at four or five in the morning?" Seeing that she couldn't sleep, Qing Muye began to chat with her.
He was very close to her, and in the confined space, he could almost sense her body's fragrance. Especially being "in the same bed," her hair would occasionally brush against his face, carrying a hint of shampoo that was quite pleasant.
"No, I used to sleep around midnight and wake up at seven or eight," she said, describing her past situation and analyzing her current state. "I was probably too tired from delivering food every day." She didn't know what was going on recently; even she noticed her sleep time was insufficient.
Meng Jingwei lay flat, then rolled over to her side. Habitually, her legs would press against something, and she inadvertently curled her legs, pressing them onto Qing Muye.
At that moment, the corner of her mouth twitched, and she quickly withdrew her legs. "Heh, it was accidental." She really felt like she was going mad.
The tent was not large, and sleeping two people was truly uncomfortable.
"You sleep first, I'm going out for a smoke." Qing Muye got up, unzipped the tent, and walked out.
Meng Jingwei immediately stretched out her limbs and rolled around in the tent, stretching her muscles, which made her feel much more comfortable. However, she still had no sleepiness after tossing and turning. Helpless, she unzipped the tent and walked out.
The wind outside was strong and cool, with a hint of chilliness. On a night like this, there were few mosquitoes, and even if there were, the wind would blow them away. She saw Qing Muye sitting on a rock, a cigarette dangling from his fingers, its tip flickering on and off.
Meng Jingwei also walked over and sat beside him, looking up at the stars. "In the summers of my childhood, when there was a power outage, I would sit by my mother's side. My mother would fan me, and I would count stars. But the stars in childhood were truly bright and beautiful, like a myriad of star rivers." As she spoke, Meng Jingwei was suddenly inspired, "Qing Muye, did you climb trees when you were little?"
"No." The man, with a cigarette in his mouth, shook his head.
"Hahaha, what a pity for you." Meng Jingwei tilted her head back and laughed, instinctively patting his shoulder. "You know, when I was little, I climbed trees, caught fish and crayfish, and even stole watermelons from the neighbor aunt's house. I got beaten badly by my mother when I got home and had to pay the aunt a lot of money, hahaha..." She recounted her childhood anecdotes to Qing Muye as she had nothing else to do, and Qing Muye acted as a quiet listener, savoring the beauty of her childhood and finding it quite enjoyable.
Time flew by as they chatted. Meng Jingwei spoke endlessly, and finally, tired, she felt drowsy and fell asleep with her head on her lap. Then, her body slumped, and she leaned onto his shoulder. Qing Muye gently let her rest in his embrace, holding her and stroking her hair with his fingers.
The night wind was cool, and as it blew gently, her hair was lifted by the wind, caressing his face and making his heart flutter. The man's fingers traced the contours of her cheek. He looked up at the myriad of stars, the starlight brilliant, the moon high and bright, particularly peaceful, and he was thoroughly enjoying the moment. He slightly straightened his legs, just to make it more comfortable for her to rest her head, but unexpectedly, Qing Muye suddenly felt a dampness on his leg. He reached out to wipe it and realized this silly woman had drooled. The man's brow furrowed, his handsome face darkening. He should have been disgusted, but he couldn't help but chuckle. Holding her, he got up and went back into the tent. Because the tent was small, Meng Jingwei clung to him like an octopus all night, refusing to let go. Qing Muye endured the torment, remaining hard until dawn, a veritable torture.
The next day, Meng Jingwei slept until she woke up naturally. When she opened her eyes, Qing Muye was no longer in the tent. As she emerged from the tent, she happened to see Qing Muye coming up the mountain. She walked up to him and asked, "Qing Muye, where were you going... Mmm... it smells so good. What is this?" Meng Jingwei pointed to a small pot Qing Muye was holding, similar to the portable pots used for instant noodles, and inquired.
"Porridge."
"Porridge? Where did you get porridge? There are no houses around here."
"We can't light fires on the mountain, so I went down the mountain to cook the porridge." The wind was strong on the mountaintop, and cooking porridge could easily cause a fire. He had gone down the mountain early to cook the porridge, then used water to completely extinguish the fire before coming back up the mountain.
Meng Jingwei's mouth watered with envy, and she stared longingly at the fragrant porridge. "Um... Brother, can I have some?" This was consistent with her usual behavior. When she needed something, she would affectionately call him 'Brother.'
"If you behave well, I might consider it," Qing Muye said softly, looking at her.
Meng Jingwei nodded vigorously. "Okay, okay, that's easy. Come, come, Brother, you've worked hard. Let me give you a shoulder massage." She pulled him to sit on the large rock where they had watched the stars together yesterday, then obsequiously walked behind him to massage his shoulders and knead his neck. She fawned, "Qing... Brother, you're so amazing. Your backpack is like Doraemon's magic pocket; how do you have everything?" Yesterday, Qing Muye had been carrying a black backpack, but he had climbed the mountain with ease. Meng Jingwei had thought he wasn't carrying much. Turns out, he had everything. Although she was being flattering, Qing Muye was quite pleased. He took a spoon from the pocket of his black tracksuit and handed it to her. "Eat."
"Oh, okay." Meng Jingwei took the spoon, sat beside him, and reached out to scoop some porridge. But before her hand could touch the shrimp and crab porridge, Qing Muye slapped the back of her hand. "Have you brushed your teeth?"
"Oh, there's no water on the mountaintop, how can I brush my teeth? Do I have to go down the mountain just to brush my teeth, then come back up to eat?" If it were that troublesome, she would rather not eat.
"I have water and disposable toothbrushes in my backpack."