Chapter 178 Engagement Ring

Speculation is never as irrefutable as a written statement.

When Xu Yanzhi returned to the company, someone handed him all the information about Meng Jiuyi and Gao Xianyue's involvement.

"Miss Meng and Miss Gao Xianyue were high school classmates. It seems that Miss Meng was bullied quite a bit at Reed International High School. Something happened near graduation."

Xu Yanzhi listened quietly.

Ms. Meng and her friend were kidnapped; her friend died in a fire, so she has been taking care of her friend's mother for the past few years.

There is a point that overlaps with what Xu Yanzhi already knew: he had met her godmother and knew that she was an old woman who had suffered a lot.

But that didn't stop Xu Yanzhi from feeling a tearing pain in his chest when he heard these words.

Others could sum up the hardships she endured in the first half of her life in a single sentence, but for her, it was a series of daily experiences.

She was seventeen or eighteen years old in the photo, much better off than she is now, but her eyes revealed a stubbornness.

His voice was tense, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

"continue."

"During my investigation, I discovered something rather strange: it seems that someone deliberately manipulated things behind the scenes to enable Ms. Gao Xianyue to return to China to serve as a cellist in the orchestra."

Xu Yanzhi looked up at him.

The other party revealed the inside story of the previous casting process, exposing that Miss Gao was not the one initially chosen. The connections involved were too extensive, and the final selection changed because of the eldest daughter of the Shen family's designation.

Xu Yanzhi narrowed his eyes slightly, "The Shen family?"

"She's the eldest daughter of the Shen family from the City Daily, who almost got engaged to the third young master Tan, and then suddenly suffered a disaster."

Xu Yanzhi's eyelashes trembled suddenly.

In an instant, all the previous misunderstandings came together like beads rolling off a string.

Why did she secretly appear on the cruise ship? After all, Tan Ni said she wouldn't come, and why did she end up with Tan Yuchen by a twist of fate?

Wow, it was so early.

After a certain point when she initially avoided him, she was willing to gently cast a line for him, like fishing.

Actually, for various reasons, she found out about his relationship with Gao Xianyue.

The investigators have left.

Xu Yanzhi sat silently in the chair, his back stiff, only his fingertips trembling, and his arms were numb.

His jawline hardened from clenching his teeth, and after a deep self-mockery, a thought overwhelmed him like a flood.

Xu Yanzhi didn't believe that she had no feelings for him at all.

--

Upon returning to the hospital, Meng Jiuyi immediately decided to be discharged.

She didn't take Zhang Ma back to the place she lived with Wen Qi, as it was too crowded and inconvenient for her to move around. Instead, she chose a courtyard house close to the hospital.

With Tan Yuchen's help, the search was quick. The house was well-ventilated, with sunlight streaming into the roses and daisies within the wooden fence.

Tan Yuchen often had to push the wheelchair around.

For some reason, Aunt Zhang didn't have a good impression of him. She spoke to him in a cold tone and even deliberately mentioned Xu Yanzhi in front of him.

"The previous person was much more polite than you."

Tan Yuchen pushed the wooden wheelchair, his tone low and lazy, "Some people are all show and no substance, you'll understand once you get to know them, Godmother."

"You also like to talk bad about others; your character is truly questionable."

Tan Yuchen had a headache. "You're suddenly putting such a big label on me. You'll gradually see all my good qualities later."

"For example?"

"For example, she is virtuous and has nothing but your goddaughter in her heart and eyes."

"...I only noticed that you're a bit glib."

Despite their bickering, he did all the heavy lifting.

The courtyard house had steps, and he had to carry the bed up to it, including keeping watch at night. These were all things he did.

Meng Jiuyi certainly knew how exhausting it was.

He certainly had never taken care of the old lady like this before, because the old lady was still quite strong and healthy, yet he hadn't uttered a single complaint in front of Aunt Zhang.

The man he once was shattered before Meng Jiuyi's eyes; the man before her now was a complete stranger.

A family doctor lives in a side room in the courtyard and checks on Zhang Ma's condition at all times.

During this time, Gao Xianyue did not leave the Xu residence and was well protected by Xu Yungan. Meng Jiuyi knew that he was waiting for her to make a choice.

The roses in the yard grow wildly without watering, so Meng Jiuyi took a sieve and scissors and cut some of them to make dried flowers.

When Xu Yanzhi arrived, he saw her with her hair tied up with chopsticks, her sleeves rolled up, standing on a wooden stool cutting flowers.

Withered petals fell onto her hair and shoulders.

The petals are edible. She gently held one in her mouth and sipped it, her lips even more vibrant than the flower itself.

His overwhelming powerlessness at this moment was like a balloon being punctured by a needle, slowly deflating, leaving only softness.

The four-legged stool was a bit unstable, and she was about to fall to the side when it was suddenly pressed down by a strong force.

Meng Jiuyi looked down and asked in surprise.

"Senior Brother Xu, how did you know this?"

Xu Yanzhi's gaze was indifferent as he helped her down from the stool.

"I only found out when I went to the hospital that you had already picked up the old man from the hospital." He knew she had many ways to get here, but he didn't say anything and she didn't ask either.

Why are you cutting these flowers?

"Too many flowers and patterns can be overwhelming; look how many of them are wilting because they lack sunlight."

Meng Jiuyi's eyes crinkled into a smile. "So I plan to cut some to make dried flowers."

Making dried flowers in winter is much more laborious. Under Xu Yanzhi's guidance, she spread the desiccant evenly on the bottom of the box, laid the dried flowers evenly on top, and then sealed the bottom with the desiccant.

After filling the box completely, it was wrapped tightly with tape.

Even with his hands covered in adhesive, the man showed no sign of being disheveled.

Meng Jiuyi gave him a box of dried flowers.

Xu Yanzhi turned his head to look over.

Why give it to me?

"It's a way of returning the favor, after all, you gave me such a big flower garden."

Meng Jiuyi asked with a faint smile, "Are you free tomorrow? I'd like to invite you to dinner. It seems like you're the one paying for everything we've known each other for so long."

Xu Yanzhi looked at her quietly for a moment, his dark pupils seeming to be shrouded in a thick fog.

She couldn't understand, so she didn't notice the slight tremor in his breath. He endured everything, knowing full well what she wanted, yet he was still like a puppet on a chessboard, willing to play along with her in this charade.

He picked the flower petal from her forehead. "I have something to do tomorrow, how about Saturday?"

Saturday happens to be New Year's Eve.

Since Meng Jiuyi had nothing else to do, he agreed.

Unexpectedly, Tan Yuchen reacted strongly after finding out, staring at her with a watchful gaze, like a cat eyeing a mouse stealing food.

Meng Jiuyi felt inexplicably guilty. "I just invited him to dinner, and I also wanted to talk to him about something."

Tan Yuchen ladled a bowl of chicken soup for her. She had been having trouble sleeping these past few nights because of Zhang Ma's illness.

He hired a nutritionist, but it didn't help much.

He said it in a flat tone.

"Does it have to be Saturday?"

What does "must" mean?

Was there anything special about this day? And she came back right after she finished speaking.

Then Tan Yuchen slowly said, “Fine, go ahead. It’s not the first or second time we’ve been left at home with our children. We can handle it.”

Meng Jiuyi: "......" Why make yourself sound so pitiful?

On New Year's Eve, Kyushu saw an unprecedented surge in crowds. This year, the government posted notices announcing that fireworks would be set off along the riverbank. The dazzling display of fireworks along the New Year's streets drew massive crowds, even in subway tunnels and on buses.

Xu Yanzhi was dressed more formally and meticulously than ever before. His beige shirt was neatly tucked into his trousers, and the cuffs of his shirt were fastened with dark blue gradient gemstone buttons, exuding an air of elegance amidst his neatness and crispness.

He sent her a bouquet of flowers, the curled garlands, their vibrant colors bursting forth in the winter air.

Meng Jiuyi was somewhat bewildered. "Why are you sending flowers?"

Xu Yanzhi's gaze was gentle. "It just reminded me of you when I saw it."

There were too many people on New Year's Eve, so instead of going to the riverbank, they went to a rooftop restaurant with a view of the river.

When Meng Jiuyi said he would treat everyone, he really meant it. He told them not to try to book the restaurant, because they had booked a table late and only got a corner table. But when they got to the top floor, it was completely empty. They only found out that Xu Yanzhi had booked the whole place when they were ordering.

He was offered a tenfold refund after making the reservation, and he paid an extra million for this meal.

Meng Jiuyi felt somewhat uneasy.

"...Hey, that's way too much."

"Don't be nervous, I just don't want to be disturbed."

Xu Yanzhi spoke up to comfort her, and a violinist began to play behind the screen. Because of the heating, the fragrance of galangal filled the air, and each flower was full of charm.

After ordering the appetizers and main courses, Xu Yanzhi wanted to change the wine to a soft drink.

Meng Jiuyi spoke up to stop him, saying, "No, I want to try the wine today."

Xu Yanzhi asked, "It's not that I don't like the taste."

She felt bad, saying, "You'll get used to it after a few more drinks. No relationship should be one-sided. It feels like I've been making you drink with me the whole time."

Xu Yanzhi's smile was tinged with bitterness.

Politeness is the beginning of distance; her choice to compromise with him meant that she would no longer depend on him.

Actually, she's not very good at eating steak; the knife makes a screeching sound when it cuts the beef onto the plate.

Xu Yanzhi couldn't help but chuckle.

Why didn't you notice it last time?

She was quite well-mannered last time.

Meng Jiuyi couldn't help but laugh and said, "I was pretending last time. Actually, I cut the beef into cubes while you were away from the table."

The smile in Xu Yanzhi's eyes deepened, then gradually faded away.

"You don't need to pretend anymore, I've always known what you're like."

Meng Jiuyi paused slightly, then blinked gently at him.

"I wasn't mature enough back then."

Xu Yanzhi's voice deepened slightly, his smile faded, and his eyes revealed a different kind of tenderness. "Actually, I was attracted to you back then. I didn't quite know how to distinguish this feeling. I would like you just the way you are. There's no need to pretend."

Under his deep, misty gaze, all her thoughts seemed to be laid bare.

Meng Jiuyi hurriedly moved away, and her nose suddenly felt sore.

The fireworks were not set off at dawn, but at 10:30, a time that was neither too early nor too late.

At this moment, the sparks lit up the night sky, and thousands of people looked up to them. Even those on the top floor could hear the cheers and the huge rumble.

It's a blue firework.

These fireworks bloomed in the night sky, but ultimately disappeared like a fleeting moment from Meng Jiuyi's dazed eyes.

Once upon a time, she had seen an even more spectacular fireworks display.

Because it blooms on the sea, it casts a reflection on the boundless bay, as if the sky and the earth are both splendid.

The man teased her, saying it was just a machine setup, and asked her to count a few numbers, spending her birthday with him—a birthday he himself had forgotten about.

The view from mid-air is completely different from that from the ground, but neither diminishes its beauty. Meng Jiuyi took out her phone to take pictures, and at the same time, for some unknown reason, she opened WeChat to see if he had sent her any more messages.

But apart from the photo of him watching TV with his mother before getting on the bus, there was nothing else.

Her heart was like a lake disturbed by the wind, leaving behind messy ripples.

Meng Jiuyi didn't turn her head, so she didn't know that Xu Yanzhi was looking at her with such deep eyes.

"Do you like it? I know you don't like staying up late, so I scheduled the time for 10:30."

Meng Jiuyi's eyes instantly showed surprise.

"Senior Brother Xu, it's you—"

Just then, the fireworks blocked the sound of the drone flying into the venue. The drone flew above her head, and a mixed box gently landed.

It's about the size of a palm and square.

Meng Jiuyi seemed to have already guessed what it was.

Xu Yanzhi opened the lid, and inside was a purple diamond, cut into a heart shape, dazzling like a ring.

"I felt it suited you perfectly the first time I saw it."

He was tense all over, but his tone was as relaxed as ever, "You said before that you were dating with marriage in mind, does that still stand?"

--

Outside the restaurant building, vehicles and people came and went, but the cold weather meant no one lingered.

Only one figure leaned against the side listlessly, almost blending into the darkness. Because of his slender figure and outstanding appearance, passersby frequently looked over, only to quickly look away when they met the man's cold and weary eyes.

The marble ashtray next to him was piled high with cigarette butts, as if to indicate Tan Yuchen's restless heart.

But it was just a direct elevator ride, and he showed no intention of going upstairs; he simply waited there.

I've been waiting since dusk.

I promised an extra chapter, but it's still 600 words short. Please forgive me.

good evening.