Chapter 13 Weakness "I shouldn't have violated you... your lofty dignity..."

She forcefully snatched most of the blanket from the bed, rolled to the side, and curled up into a plump caterpillar. After a while, she unconsciously rolled back over, rested her forehead on his shoulder, murmured a couple of times, and then stopped moving.

Just like when she was a child, she had no sleeping posture. Meng Cenjun sighed, reached out and pulled the blanket out from under her to cover her cold stomach.

Lan Jia felt as if she were back home. There was always a huge plush bear on the other side of her big bed, a birthday gift from a close classmate.

Meng Cenjun always felt that the fluff would trigger her asthma and wanted to throw it away several times, but Lan Jia cherished it. Sleeping alone in an empty bed was no fun. She was obsessed with the feeling of being crowded, being completely enveloped by her beloved things, filled up, buried, and even willing to suffocate to death.

But the bear I'm holding now feels wrong; it's hard, yet warm, like an old cotton quilt that's been baked too long in the sun.

The first light of dawn had already broken, and she had slept all night, clutching the old cotton quilt.

Lan Jia slowly woke up and was startled when she saw the face so close to her. She blinked several times in disbelief, and was even more shocked when she realized it was Meng Cenjun.

But now, her arms and legs were tightly wrapped around him, like a boneless octopus. Meng Cenjun didn't wake up, but his brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was having difficulty breathing due to the weight.

Why is he in bed? No, this seems to be his bed all along. Lan Jia felt embarrassed and wanted to sneak away when he wasn't looking. She carefully pulled one leg back, but unexpectedly he suddenly opened his eyes and stared at her.

Lan Jia jolted awake, slumped back into the blanket, and saw him sit up, staring at her like a standing snake. She immediately moved back two inches.

Meng Cenjun warned expressionlessly, "Yi Lanjia, you're going to fall."

She turned around and saw that she was indeed only a hair's breadth away from the edge of the bed.

They were caught in a dilemma, unable to move forward or backward.

Meng Cenjun is about to demand an explanation.

She can't escape it.

Lan Jia sat on a crumpled blanket, hugging her knees, her body disheveled, her eyes lowered, waiting for his judgment.

After waiting for a while without him making a sound, she cautiously glanced at him and saw him leaning against the headboard, his brow furrowed, looking very tired. This reminded Lan Jia of when she was little, when Meng Cenjun would always have the same weary expression whenever he tutored her in math.

Looking at him again, I noticed that his wrist was wrapped in a piece of snow-white gauze, which, against his pale skin, added a rare sense of vulnerability to his appearance.

It is her masterpiece.

Yesterday, she didn't understand why she had such a big temper.

Now that I've calmed down, I feel deep regret.

No matter how far things escalated with him, she ultimately didn't want to destroy her family.

This family was built by her and Meng Cenjun with great difficulty.

Lan Jia gritted her teeth and ultimately decided to prioritize the overall situation.

"sorry."

Meng Cenjun stopped what she was doing, glanced over, and remained silent.

Seeing that he remained unmoved, Lan Jia clenched her fist and spoke with difficulty:

"Brother, I was wrong."

He snorted softly, coldly.

"What's wrong with it?"

He seemed dissatisfied and gestured for her to continue.

Lan Jia had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "I... I shouldn't have said such hurtful things to you, brother. You won't be alone for the rest of your life. What I said doesn't count."

Meng Cenjun remained silent, a barely perceptible sadness settling over her. In a sense, perhaps she was right.

Still not moved? She apologized so earnestly and humbly, how could she be so heartless?

Lan Jia was frustrated and impatient, and decided to find a way to regain control.

She lowered her eyes, her pupils darting around mischievously. After a moment's thought, she put on a fawning smile.

Lan Jia boldly moved to his side, knelt down, and said to him with feigned remorse, "There is one more thing, which I should never have done."

Meng Cenjun waited for her to continue.

“Brother, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have offended you…” He glared at her sharply, his eyes warning her. Lan Jia smiled and changed the subject, “I shouldn’t have offended your lofty dignity.”

Meng Cenjun seemed even angrier. Lan Jia chuckled inwardly, thinking he was just embarrassed and angry.

"Alright, stop hanging around me. You caused such a mess yesterday, don't you get tired?" He shooed her away, wanting to avoid seeing her and getting annoyed.

Having just gained a slight advantage, Lan Jia was unwilling to give in. She wouldn't be truly done until she got a definite answer from him, so she became even more agitated, grabbing his hand and shaking it: "Brother, have you forgiven me? Please forgive me, okay?"

Meng Cenjun, with a stern face, looked at him like a child throwing a tantrum and demanding toys, and coldly repeated, "Are you leaving or not?"

"I won't leave! I want to hear it from you in person." Lan Jia's ability to be shameless had improved.

The only way to deal with disobedient children is to use extreme measures so that they realize that being willful will not achieve their goals.

Meng Cenjun frowned and warned in a deep voice, "If you keep fooling around, you won't get your allowance next month."

Lan Jia pouted, her eyes immediately welling up with tears, still refusing to believe it and refusing to let go.

Unexpectedly, he suddenly pulled his arm away violently. Lan Jia opened her eyes wide in surprise and was thrown forward by the sudden force, falling limply onto him.

She was still afraid of him, afraid of his temperature. Like a fish sizzling on a hot plate, she struggled reflexively, not knowing where to put her hand. She finally managed to prop herself up, only to be met with an angry face.

Meng Cenjun gritted her teeth and reprimanded, word by word, "Yi Lanjia, get out!"

She froze, staring at him for a few seconds, a strange red flush creeping up her ears. As if she had lost her mind, she drifted off the bed, forgetting even to put on her shoes.

Meng Cenjun irritably pulled a corner of the blanket over herself.

Lan Jia rushed back to her room, slammed the door shut, leaned against the wall and gasped for breath, still feeling like her insides were on fire.

Just now, she accidentally committed another crime against him.

Now look what's happened; she's utterly wicked and unforgivable.

Lan Jia slumped to the ground, slippery and limp.

Only when the burning sensation on her cheeks gradually subsided did she realize what had happened.

It seems she's found Meng Cenjun's weakness!

By noon, there was still no movement from Meng Cenjun, as if she were deliberately avoiding her. Lan Jia's mind started working, and she became even more convinced that this tactic was feasible, her morale soaring. From now on, she would patiently plan and scheme to defeat Meng Cenjun no matter what!

She had lunch with Qiao Zimu. He seemed much more haggard after just one night apart. Lan Jia felt even more guilty when she saw him.

"Your brother didn't give you any trouble, did he?" Qiao Zimu asked anxiously. He was worried that Meng Cenjun would retaliate after Lan Jia had defended him so much yesterday.

Lan Jia forked a piece of beef, put it in her mouth, and chewed it vigorously, as if venting her anger.

"I got into a fight with my brother."

"What?" Qiao Zimu's eyes widened.

"It's just like what you heard." Thinking of yesterday's achievements, Lan Jia suddenly became excited. "Xiao Qiao, don't worry, I will protect you from now on, and no one will dare to bully you anymore. I believe that it won't be long before I'm free, able to go wherever I want, do whatever I want, without having to report to anyone."

Seeing the strange light in her eyes and her impassioned words, Qiao Zimu became even more suspicious. Fearing that she would act impulsively again, he frowned and gently advised, "Lan Jia, don't do anything foolish."

Lan Jia smiled mysteriously: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Qiao Zimu was suspicious, with a subtle, unsettling feeling that he couldn't quite grasp or understand, so he decided to wait and see.

The storm subsided, and the sky cleared over Galveston, revealing a bright and sunny day.

In the afternoon, Zhou Qin knocked on the door to inform me that the flight had been arranged and that he was scheduled to depart for China in the evening.

Lan Jia took the initiative to ask about Meng Cenjun's whereabouts.

Zhou Qin simply smiled and said, "The master is busy."

"Brother Qin, how do you think he's feeling right now?" Lan Jia asked curiously.

Zhou Qin smiled, like an impenetrable wall, "I'm sorry, Miss, I can't guess what the gentleman is feeling either."

Seeing that he suddenly became tight-lipped, Lan Jia thought that his act with him last night must have been discovered. Had Meng Cenjun warned him? Would she dock his pay? Thinking this, she began to feel guilty towards Zhou Qin again, and the more she looked at him, the more bitter his smile seemed.

Lan Jia decided not to make things difficult for him anymore and sincerely thanked him.

Zhou Qin nodded, and before leaving, she said meaningfully, "Miss, I think the master is not angry."

Lan Jia gave him a genuine smile, grateful to have such a thoughtful and good ally.

In secret, however, a devil smiled. No matter how Meng Cenjun tried to hide, they would inevitably run into each other again.

Their luggage had already been packed. Lan Jia asked Qiao Zimu if he wanted to travel with them, but he declined with a wry smile, saying that he had already bought his ticket back to China. Lan Jia didn't try to stop him, thinking it was best for him and Meng Cenjun to avoid each other.

Qiao Zimu's flight was a little earlier, so Lan Jia went to the hotel entrance alone to see him off.

As he said goodbye, he squeezed Lan Jia's fingers, reluctant to part, and said, "See you tomorrow."

Lan Jia laughed at him and told him to hurry up and leave.

"How about we meet every day?"

Lan Jia was already used to his awkward manner and pushed him into the car.

Urged on by her, he finally let go.

The car started slowly, and he looked back through the car window for a long time until Lan Jia's figure completely disappeared.

Lan Jia felt a sense of loss. Then a black sedan drove up in front of her, and hotel staff were helping her and Meng Cenjun load their suitcases into the car.

She turned around and was surprised to find Meng Cenjun standing not far behind her.

I wonder how much he saw just now.

As night was about to fall, the lights on the plane's tail fin flickered, like a free bird soaring into the dark blue sky.

Inside the cabin, Lan Jia and Meng Cenjun each held one side of the plane and sat facing each other.

Apart from the slight rumbling sound during flight, the two remained silent, creating an eerie yet inexplicably harmonious atmosphere.

Galveston during the hurricane was an isolated island, where they clung to each other in the confined space, experiencing conflict, arguments, and the most vibrant aspects of each other's lives.

The bustling and dazzling Li River is a much wider world, where everyone wears a gorgeous yet tough exterior. Although they live under the same roof, countless rules and regulations separate her and Meng Cenjun.

As the last glimmer of light lingered on the horizon, Lan Jia gazed at his face, softened by the setting sun, and felt a pang of melancholy.

Everything will be different again.