Susu sniffed again, checking the collar of his shirt for lipstick marks. She found none, and the scent was indeed different from perfume. It reminded her of the smell she encountered at the flower shop.
"Really, you're not lying?"
"My dear aunt, I absolutely am not lying. How could I possibly go carousing? You know my nature." Tianyi was practically begging her for mercy.
Susu finally let go, deciding to believe him for now. She asked, "Talking business in a place like a flower shop is quite creative. Where was it? Take me to see it sometime."
"It's a club. I don't have a membership card yet, maybe later. When I get one, I'll take you." Saying this, Tianyi pretended to be tired and went to take a shower.
Susu didn't stop him this time and let him go to the bathroom.
Previously, Tianyi had occasionally arranged to discuss business at night, and she had never thought much of it.
But tonight, when he covered her eyes from behind, she had smelled a fresh, pleasant scent on him, something that hadn't been there before.
That's why she had questioned him with concern. However, she figured the person he met tonight must have been a powerful businesswoman. Only women would like to discuss matters in an environment resembling a flower shop.
It wasn't strange for him to interact with the opposite sex while working outside. Susu stopped overthinking and busied herself with her design while he showered.
...
Tonight, Mengyao unusually didn't have to work overtime. Staying alone in the hotel after returning was too boring, so she went to the hotel's gym.
Just as she finished her warm-up, she received a call from her mother, Wu Xiufang.
"Yaoyao, are you still busy with work?"
"Mom, I'm off work. I'm at the hotel's fitness center. Are you and Dad doing well lately?"
Wu Xiufang said, "We're fine. Just don't overwork yourself and exhaust your body by focusing solely on research."
"I know. See, I'm exercising now, just to strengthen my body," Mengyao said with a smile.
"You girl, you never let us worry less." Wu Xiufang asked, "I heard from Jiaxi's mother that Jiaxi proposed to you? Did you accept him? What are your plans? You don't tell me anything, so your father and I aren't prepared."
"Mom, he did propose to me, but I'm still considering it and haven't accepted him."
Wu Xiufang felt she was doing the right thing and said, "It's right for you to refuse first, don't accept him so quickly. It's good to make him work for it a bit. Don't let him think you're too kind and easygoing, or he'll take advantage of you after marriage, understand?"
"Mom, I know." Mengyao hadn't accepted not for these reasons, but because she couldn't truly accept Jiaxi in her heart, especially after what he had done to her.
Wu Xiufang continued, "Their family background isn't as good as ours, and Jiaxi himself doesn't have much ability. He just used his family's money to open a pharmaceutical company, and I haven't seen him achieve much. If you really marry him, your life will be ordinary, definitely not as good as your elder sister..."
"Mom, I don't dislike Jiaxi for these reasons. I just... I'm just not ready for remarriage yet. Please stop nagging."
"Remarriage?" Wu Xiufang disagreed. "That marriage with Song Jiaping doesn't count. You were in amnesia, and he took the opportunity to latch onto our family. Fortunately, that person was sensible and didn't pester you. Don't think about people like that again. That Song Jiaping is completely unreliable."
"Mom, I'm going for a run. Don't worry, if I really accept Jiaxi's proposal, I'll definitely tell you."
"Yaoyao, wait." Wu Xiufang suggested, "If you're not too satisfied with Jiaxi, you can meet other people. When you come back, I'll arrange a dance party specifically for you. We'll invite all the men who are around your age, of similar appearance and background, and you can pick from them. Maybe you'll meet someone better than Jiaxi..."
"Mom! Jiaxi is pursuing me right now. If you hold such a dance party, where will Jiaxi and their Hong family's reputation go?"
"Their reputation is not as important as your happiness. Don't worry about these things," Wu Xiufang said.
"No need. Please don't help me organize any dance party. I'll handle my own affairs, I'm begging you." Mengyao couldn't accept Jiaxi yet, but she had even less feeling for anyone else and didn't want to have a dance party like Wu Xiufang suggested.
Wu Xiufang felt that her youngest daughter was not like her at all when she was young; she was too kind and gentle.
She said helplessly, "Okay, okay, if you don't want to have a dance party, then we won't. Take care of yourself while you're away, and be sure to tell your family if anything happens."
"I know, I know. Mom, I'm hanging up now. I really need to go running." She had already stepped onto the treadmill.
"Alright, alright, you girl," Wu Xiufang hung up first.
As soon as Mengyao got on the treadmill, she ran with all her might as if to vent.
The faces of Song Jiaping and Hong Jiaxi appeared in her mind, and their past flashed through her thoughts like a series of images.
Before she could erase Song Jiaping from her heart and mind, should she accept Jiaxi's proposal?
She ran until she was drenched in sweat. Only when she could no longer bear it did she get off the treadmill and sit aside to drink water and rest.
At this moment, a young couple, perhaps newlyweds, arrived at the fitness center.
"Wife, what do you want to train first? I'll accompany you," the young man asked his wife dotingly.
The young wife pointed to the dumbbells on the floor and said, "I want to train with this first. It can exercise the arms and make them thinner."
The young man eagerly went to pick out dumbbells for his wife, but the dumbbells here were all very heavy. He couldn't find a suitable one, so he said to his wife, "These dumbbells are too heavy. I'm afraid you'll hurt yourself. Let's do other exercises."
The young wife stomped her foot coquettishly and said, "No, I don't! I want to use the dumbbells first."
"Okay, whatever you say." The young man went to pick out the lightest dumbbell he could find for her.
Mengyao watched the two of them and felt it was just like when she and Jiaxi were studying. She often acted spoiled unreasonably like this, and Jiaxi would indulge her in everything, fearing she would be wronged in the slightest.
At that time, Jiaxi revolved around her, pampering her to the heavens.
But she didn't realize how precious Jiaxi's feelings for her were back then, thinking it was all natural.
As soon as she discovered there were other girls around Jiaxi, she left the country in a huff without saying a word, giving Jiaxi no chance at all.
Now, Jiaxi's change and his actions towards her were simply because he was afraid she would mysteriously leave again, disappearing without a trace.
She looked at the couple, who were already laughing and playing together, and felt they were the happiest at that moment.
So this was the happiness that should exist between two people. And she and Jiaxi were happy when they were together.
But this kind of ordinary happiness was out of reach for her and Song Jiaping.
Mengyao lost all interest in exercising and returned to her room alone, feeling that if she stubbornly clung to Song Jiaping, she would only be accompanied by desolation.
She took out the diamond ring Jiaxi had sent and put it on her ring finger, deciding to cherish the person in front of her.