Mrs. Lu then looked at Huangfu Mengqi and said, "You are quite good at attracting people. In the future, if you have any good projects, cooperate more with our Lu Group. I am very much looking forward to cooperating with you."
"Okay, I will." Huangfu Mengqi did not expect Song Jiaping to bring her unexpected gains again.
Originally, she had always wanted to find Lu Group for investment in the emerging technology field, but Mrs. Lu had never been very interested in their Huangfu Group.
Their Lu Group had always been supported by foreign capital and looked down on all the groups in Lancheng.
Later, she heard that Mrs. Lu had been resting at home for a year due to being an advanced maternal age and had not shown herself.
Tonight, she would bring her daughter to broaden her horizons, which was why Mengqi had to attend this gathering.
It seemed she had come to the right place. Mrs. Lu had actually taken the initiative to invite her, which was as easy as falling off a log.
...
After the party, Huangfu Mengqi asked the driver to take Song Jiaping back first.
As Song Jiaping got out of the car, he confirmed with her, "Qi Zong, you approved this leave?"
"Approved. When you return from your vacation, we will hand over the project with Mrs. Lu to you to follow up." Huangfu Mengqi readily agreed.
"Hand it over to me?" Song Jiaping asked in surprise, "But I haven't even completed a small project yet. You're entrusting such a big project to me?"
Huangfu Mengqi looked at him and lifted his chin with one finger, "Because she not only wants to thank you but also trusts you. Therefore, only you can make this project successful."
Song Jiaping was annoyed by her demeanor and responded coldly, "Got it," and got out of the car immediately.
Huangfu Mengqi remained alone in the car, in a very good mood. It seemed this Song Jiaping was indeed different, no wonder he had won Mengyao's favor.
She had originally wanted him as her male companion tonight just to fill the space. He had been unsmiling and had helped her fend off two women she disliked the most, and had successfully connected her with Mrs. Lu.
Her driver saw her covering her mouth and laughing, not saying where to go next, and asked, "Miss, are we going home?"
Huangfu Mengqi nodded with a smile and said, "Yes, home."
The driver couldn't believe it. It was the first time he had seen her smile like a shy girl.
He had forgotten that Miss was a woman before. He only felt that she was stronger than many men. Such a smile was definitely the first in his life.
...
A week later, Hong Jiaxi's body had recovered a lot. Although his waist still ached, he could get out of bed and walk slowly for a while on his own.
Mengyao had been staying in the hospital to take care of him, adding a bed in his ward at night and sleeping in the hospital.
She would book a flight back to Lancheng as soon as he could move freely.
She bought some food from outside and saw Hong Jiaxi walking around the ward again.
Mengyao saw that he was sweating profusely and quickly went to help him, saying, "Quickly go back to bed and rest. Be careful not to pull the wound."
"It's okay, I can still walk for a bit. The doctor said I need to move more, otherwise my bones will rot." Hong Jiaxi wanted to get better quickly.
Mengyao had no choice but to let go and let him persist on his own.
However, as he continued to walk, he accidentally pulled the muscles in his injured waist, and he was about to fall to the ground uncontrollably.
Mengyao screamed and quickly supported him.
She originally wanted to help him lie down on the hospital bed, but Hong Jiaxi leaned towards her, relying entirely on her strength to support himself.
Mengyao's fragrance was warm and sweet... It reminded him of their youthful days.
"If the injury on my waist never heals, will you support me for a lifetime?"
"Don't do this. I'll help you rest." Mengyao pushed him away, unwilling to get too close to him.
Hong Jiaxi had no choice but to sit on the hospital bed. He could feel that Mengyao's care for him was diligent and thoughtful, but it was still not quite the same as before.
She was deliberately maintaining a proper distance from him.
"You've already recovered your memory, why are you still unwilling to be closer to me?" Hong Jiaxi wanted to understand her thoughts and said, "We used to pledge our lives to each other..."
"I don't like you anymore." Mengyao felt that she couldn't drag it out any longer. Since he was feeling better, it was best to make things clear with him first.
"Then who is it?" Hong Jiaxi asked, unable to accept it for a moment, "But if you don't like me anymore, why have you been taking care of me in the hospital?"
Mengyao explained, "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have come to this chaotic place. I have a responsibility for you getting injured, so I want to take good care of you and help you recover quickly. But you betrayed our relationship by seeing two people at once back then, and we can't go back. If you're willing, we can be good friends..."
"I was seeing two people?" Hong Jiaxi asked, not understanding, "No! I've always been devoted to you."
Mengyao helped him recall, "Zhou Ran, do you remember her? That freshman junior."
"I remember. I rejected her at the time and never contacted her again." Hong Jiaxi looked innocent.
Mengyao felt that he was still lying now, and it was meaningless.
"Can't you tell the truth? I saw you dating Zhou Ran by the lake back then, and you even... you even kissed."
"I dated her? That's not true. You must have seen wrong. I would never kiss her." Hong Jiaxi became more and more confused and asked, "When exactly did you see it, and why didn't you tell me at the time?"
Mengyao looked at him, and he didn't seem to be lying. Could she have seen wrong?
"I don't remember the specific time. It's useless to dwell on these things now. No matter who was right or wrong, our feelings are gone..."
"It's your feelings for me that are gone, not mine for you!" Hong Jiaxi said angrily, "This has to be made clear! You left me because of this back then, and went abroad, right?"
Mengyao admitted and nodded. Perhaps she was too hasty at the time. If she hadn't had such strong self-esteem and pride, and had confronted him directly to clarify, the outcome might have been different.
But time couldn't be turned back. What was missed was missed.
Hong Jiaxi's heart ached so much he couldn't breathe. So she had left without saying goodbye back then because of a misunderstanding.
He suddenly felt that he had been set up, that someone had deliberately created a misunderstanding between him and Mengyao.
He clenched his fists tightly in anger and said, "Whether you believe it or not, I never dated Zhou Ran alone, let alone kissed her. Someone must have deliberately tried to break us up back then."
"I'm sorry, perhaps it was just a misunderstanding back then, but these years have passed, and I no longer have that feeling for you. Just pretend I still have amnesia..."
Hong Jiaxi stood up again, unwilling to accept it, and hugged her, trying to kiss her, to make her regain her love for him.
Mengyao hurriedly dodged his kiss...
"Let her go." Song Jiaping, wearing a black trench coat, walked into the ward, dusty and disheveled, and happened to see this scene.
Hong Jiaxi was stunned. Mengyao took the opportunity to push him away and came to Song Jiaping's side, saying in disbelief, "Why are you here?"
"I received your message." Song Jiaping glanced at her, then at Hong Jiaxi, "I thought you were in danger. I went to the camp but couldn't find you. I inquired here for several days and only then found out you were in the hospital."